Eschatology Part Twelve
Last week I told you we would discuss how the church age comes to an end and how this evil man talked about in Daniel chapter 9 is brought forth.
As controversial as it might sound, the Christian world has fallen victim to not reading God’s Word. In some cases, they have even taken the added step of creating additional writings instead of staying true to the sixty-six books. Because of this, there are some who claim that what we are going to be discussing is nonsense. Recently, I actually heard a pastor of a church who had been pastoring for over 20 years claim, from an authoritative stance, that the Church age would not end the way scripture claimed but rather in a different way. This is troubling, and I understand there might be some who will not like or rather even be angry with what I am going to say. Nevertheless, today we start a small series in our larger eschatology series on the Bible defined as the rapture of the Church.
Today we are going to tackle one fact and one criticism of the rapture. At the end of the mini series we will discuss if we can establish a law or only a theory in regards to the rapture of the Church.
First, I want to start with the fact. There are many references in the Bible regarding principles of the rapture and even moments of the event discussed, however none is so obvious than Jesus Christ’s own words in John 14.
John 14:1-3 “Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me. 2 There is more than enough room in my Father’s home. If this were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? 3 When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am.”
Jesus is soon leaving to be with the Father in Heaven, He is preparing a place for us. Thus, He must be coming back. Simple really, however some claim this is the second coming of Christ and not the rapture. Even so, this argument of second coming is ruled out in the title itself. Jesus in the Second Coming is coming to earth. Ironically, He has some people with Him, these people are everyone that went through the rapture.
The Second Coming is described as below.
Revelation 19:11-16 “Then I saw heaven opened, and a white horse was standing there. Its rider was named Faithful and True, for he judges fairly and wages a righteous war. 12 His eyes were like flames of fire, and on his head were many crowns. A name was written on him that no one understood except himself. 13 He wore a robe dipped in blood, and his title was the Word of God. 14 The armies of heaven, dressed in the finest of pure white linen, followed him on white horses. 15 From his mouth came a sharp sword to strike down the nations. He will rule them with an iron rod. He will release the fierce wrath of God, the Almighty, like juice flowing from a winepress. 16 On his robe at his thigh was written this title: King of all kings and Lord of all lords.”
Sounds very different than Jesus telling the disciples He was preparing a place for us?
The challenge we will tackle today, is the argument that the word “rapture” is not found in the Bible. Ironically, they only need to read the Bible in Latin and the word would be found. Nevertheless, the rapture is used as a term to describe an event. Trinity and Bible are not found in the scriptures, and yet we understand they are very much present.
Next week, we will discuss more regarding the rapture of the Church and how this must happen for the church age to come to an end, and it must happen for the man discussed in Daniel to come about.
Hold until relieved, our Blessed Hope is coming,
JL