12. The Rapture of the Saints

Decoding Revelation:
12. The Rapture of the Saints
by Dr. Dieter Thom

The Rapture of the Saints
‘Rapture’, just like ‘Trinity’, is not a Biblical word, but it
does explain a Biblical truth.
Christians will rise to meet the Lord in the air when He
returns to earth a second time. There is much speculation
about the Rapture. A few questions must be asked.

When will the Rapture happen?

How will it happen?

What will be the result?
Let us look at all the relevant scriptures and inductively
find the answers.
NKJV Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc .Used by Permission. All Rights Reserved.

11/30/2013

Some People Will Be Taken
36 “But as for that day and hour no one knows it – not even the angels
in heaven – except the Father alone. 37 For just like the days of Noah
were, so the coming of the Son of Man will be. 38 For in those days
before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving
in marriage, until the day Noah entered the ark. 39 And they knew
nothing until the flood came and took them all away. It will be the same
at the coming of the Son of Man. 40 Then there will be two men in the
field; one will be taken and one left. 41 There will be two women
grinding grain with a mill; one will be taken and one left. 42
“Therefore stay alert, because you do not know on what day your Lord
will come. 43 But understand this: If the owner of the house had known
at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have been alert
and would not have let his house be broken into. 44 Therefore you also
must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour
when you do not expect him. (Matt. 24:36-44)

11/30/2013

Christians Will Be Redeemed by Jesus
The context of these passages is the Great Tribulation. Christians will go
through it. Who will be taken? Those who are spiritually ready: who have
repented of their sin. Who will not be taken? Those who are not spiritually
ready, those who have not repented.
25 “And there will be signs in the sun and moon and stars, and on the earth
nations will be in distress, anxious over the roaring of the sea and the surging
waves. 26 People will be fainting from fear and from the expectation of what
is coming on the world, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken.
27 Then they will see the Son of Man arriving in a cloud with power
and great glory. 28 But when these things begin to happen, stand up and
raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.” (Luke
21:25-28)
The signs of verse 25 occur towards the end of the Great Tribulation (see
Revelation). There is no ‘Secret Coming’. People will ‘see the Son of Man
arriving’ (vs 27). The Bible does not teach 3 comings of Christ, only 2.

11/30/2013

His Elect Will Be Gathered
24 “But in those days, after that suffering, the sun will be
darkened and the moon will not give its light; 25 the stars
will be falling from heaven, and the powers in the heavens
will be shaken. 26 Then everyone will see the Son of
Man arriving in the clouds with great power and
glory. 27 Then he will send angels and they will gather
his elect from the four winds, from the ends of the
earth to the ends of heaven.” (Mark 13:24-27)
After the signs of the end of the Great Tribulation
everyone will see Jesus coming. At that point His angels
will collect the elect (believers) from all over the world.

11/30/2013

Those Believers Who Are Still Alive
13 Now we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers and sisters, about those
who are asleep, so that you will not grieve like the rest who have no hope. 14 For if
we believe that Jesus died and rose again, so also we believe that God will bring with
him those who have fallen asleep as Christians. 15 For we tell you this by the word of
the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord,
will surely not go ahead of those who have fallen asleep. 16 For the Lord himself
will come down from heaven with a shout of command, with the voice of the
archangel, and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first.
17 Then we who are alive, who are left, will be suddenly caught up together with
them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will always be with the
Lord. 18 Therefore encourage one another with these words. (1 Thess. 4:13-18)
At Jesus Second Coming:
 There will be a shout of command, with the voice of the archangel, and with the
(Seventh and final) trumpet of God (vs 16a).
 The ‘dead in Christ’ will be resurrected first (vs 16b). These are tribulation martyrs.
 Followed by those of us who are still alive (vs 17). That have survived tribulation.

11/30/2013

Tribulation Saints Will All Be Changed
from a Mortal to an Immortal State
50 Now this is what I am saying, brothers and sisters: Flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom
of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. 51 Listen, I will tell you a mystery: We
will not all sleep, but we will all be changed – 52 in a moment, in the blinking of an eye, at
the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable,
and we will be changed. 53 For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this
mortal body must put on immortality. 54 Now when this perishable puts on the imperishable,
and this mortal puts on immortality, then the saying that is written will happen, “Death has been
swallowed up in victory.” 55 “Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?” 56
The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. 57 But thanks be to God, who gives us
the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ! 58 So then, dear brothers and sisters, be firm. Do not
be moved! Always be outstanding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain
in the Lord. (1 Cor. 15:50-58)
At Jesus’ Second Coming:
 Some Christians will still be alive. They will have survived the Great Tribulation.
 Certain Christians (dead and alive) will be changed. These are the tribulation saints.
 The mortal bodies of Christians (dead or alive) will be raised imperishable.
 These will be glorified bodies restored to the original state of Adam and Eve.
 Christians will then never die again. They will have received immortal bodies.

11/30/2013

The Martyred Dead in Christ from the
Great Tribulation will be raised first
4 Then I saw thrones and seated on them were those who had been given authority
to judge. I also saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of the
testimony about Jesus and because of the word of God. These had not worshiped the
beast or his image and had refused to receive his mark on their forehead or hand.
They came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. 5 (The rest of the
dead did not come to life until the thousand years were finished.) This is the first
resurrection. 6 Blessed and holy is the one who takes part in the first
resurrection.The second death has no power over them, but they will be priests of
God and of Christ, and they will reign with him for a thousand years. (Rev. 20:4-6)
 This passage describes the 1000-year Millennium of Christ’s reign on the earth.
 The martyrs and survivors from the Great Tribulation will be raised from the dead
and reign with Christ in the Millennium as priests. This is the first resurrection.
 The rest of the dead are not raised from the dead until after the Millennium. This is
the second resurrection.

11/30/2013

At The Seventh (Last) Trumpet
15 Then the seventh angel blew his trumpet, and there were loud
voices in heaven saying: “The kingdom of the world has become the
kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he will reign for ever and
ever.” 16 Then the twenty-four elders who are seated on their thrones
before God threw themselves down with their faces to the ground and
worshiped God 17 with these words: “We give you thanks, Lord God, the
All- Powerful, the one who is and who was, because you have taken your
great power and begun to reign. 18 The nations were enraged, but your
wrath has come, and the time has come for the dead to be judged, and
the time has come to give to your servants, the prophets, their
reward, as well as to the saints and to those who revere your
name, both small and great, and the time has come to destroy those who
destroy the earth.” 19 Then the temple of God in heaven was opened and
the ark of his covenant was visible within his temple. And there were
flashes of lightning, roaring, crashes of thunder, an
earthquake, and a great hailstorm. (Rev. 11:15-19)

11/30/2013

The Final Wrath of God
15 (Look! I will come like a thief! Blessed is the one who stays alert
and does not lose his clothes so that he will not have to walk around naked
and his shameful condition be seen.) 16 Now the spirits gathered the kings
and their armies to the place that is called Armageddon in Hebrew.17 Finally
the seventh angel poured out his bowl into the air and a loud voice came
out of the temple from the throne, saying: “It is done!” 18 Then there were
flashes of lightening, roaring, and crashes of thunder, and there was a
tremendous earthquake – an earthquake unequaled since humanity
has been on the earth, so tremendous was that earthquake. 19 The great
city was split into three parts and the cities of the nations collapsed. So
Babylon the great was remembered before God, and was given the cup filled
with the wine made of God’s furious wrath. 20 Every island fled away and no
mountains could be found. 21 And gigantic hailstones, weighing about a
hundred pounds each, fell from heaven on people, but they blasphemed God
because of the plague of hail, since it was so horrendous. (Rev. 16:15-21)

11/30/2013

Christians Will Escape Final Wrath of God
1 “At that time Michael, the great prince who watches over your
people, will arise. There will be a time of distress unlike any
other from the nation’s beginning up to that time. But at that
time your own people, all those whose names are found
written in the book, will escape. 2 Many of those who sleep in
the dusty ground will awake – some to everlasting life, and
others to shame and everlasting abhorrence. 3 But the wise will
shine like the brightness of the heavenly expanse. And those
bringing many to righteousness will be like the stars forever and
ever. 4 But you, Daniel, close up these words and seal the book
until the time of the end. Many will dash about, and knowledge
will increase.” (Dan. 12:1-4)

11/30/2013

What Do Christians Escape?
Popular view: Christians will be raptured before a seven-year Great Tribulation
period of suffering preceding the Second Coming. This is the teaching of
Dispensationalism, but is a new doctrine unknown to the Church before two
hundred years ago.
Biblical Teaching: Christians will escape just before the Battle of Armageddon and
the Second Coming of Jesus and His Final Wrath judgement on people of the earth
and the near extermination of believers at the end of the Great Tribulation. When
Jesus comes, there will still be Christians living on the earth, but relatively few.
19 For in those days there will be suffering unlike anything that has happened
from the beginning of the creation that God created until now, or ever will happen.
20 And if the Lord had not cut short those days, no one would be saved.
But because of the elect, whom he chose, he has cut them short. (Mark
13:19&20)
Conclusion: Christians Escape Extermination, But Not Tribulation.

11/30/2013

The Pre-Tribulation Rapture Theory
This is one of the most dangerous and misleading false doctrines taught in the
church today. It was invented in the 19th century and was unknown before then by
Christians for more than 1800 years. The early church did not teach or believe it.
Effectively it teaches the second (supposedly secret) and third (public) coming of
Jesus. The Bible does not. It was originally formulated by John Nelson Darby
(founder of the Exclusive Brethren) from 1827 onwards. It was taught by his disciple
William Kelly, Presbyterian James H. Brookes and Baptist J. R. Graves, and
popularized at the Niagara Bible Conference (1878-1909). It was taught by Arno
Gaebelein, James M. Gray, R.A. Torrey, Harry Ironside, and Lewis S. Chafer. It was
enshrined in the Scofield and Dake Reference Bibles, and dominates the system of
Dispensationalism. It is regurgitated by most end times Bible teachers without
questioning it. At best it is simply wishful thinking; at worst it is a terrible deception.
It is not scriptural. There is no Scripture that teaches it. It is a serious delusion that
will cause Christians not to be ready for Tribulation and question their faith in God.
It will cause many false believers to fall away. The Scriptures teach that Christians
will go through the Great Tribulation. Christians will be particularly persecuted
during this time, so they need to prepare. If they are unprepared, then they will
suffer even more.

11/30/2013

Summary
 When will the Rapture really happen?
 After the Great Tribulation.
 After the Last Trumpet.
 At Jesus Coming.
 Before the Final Wrath Judgment of God.
 How will it happen?
 The martyrs of the Great Tribulation will be resurrected.
 The surviving believers of the Great Tribulation will get glorified bodies.
 They will be ‘raptured’ and meet the Lord in the air.
 What will be the result?
 Jesus and the Angels will defeat the armies of the world at Armageddon.
 He will reestablish Jerusalem as the dwelling place of the saints.
 They will rule the world from Jerusalem for 1000 years.
 Satan will lead a rebellion at the end of this period.
 The Final Judgement will follow.

11/30/2013

Conclusion
 The next issue is the Millennial Kingdom.


11/30/2013

12. The Rapture of the Saints

Recommandé

Recommandé

Contenu connexe

Tendances

Tendances (20)

En vedette

En vedette (8)

Similaire à 12. The Rapture of the Saints

Similaire à 12. The Rapture of the Saints (20)

Dernier

Dernier (20)

12. The Rapture of the Saints