The Big Event: The Rapture
We have been bombarded with natural Catastrophes: Hurricanes, Tsunamis, Earthquakes, Mudslides, Forrest fires, Droughts, Falling structures, etc. But there is a Super-natural catastrophe that is going to affect and effect the entire world like no other event in history. This event is on the horizon and could happen at any moment. This Big Event is called The Rapture. Are You Ready?
What is it?
1Thessalonians 4:16-18 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words.
The Rapture has been the most talked about, most anticipated, and most misunderstood of all Biblical prophecies. When you want to know what the Devil is most threatened by, you must look at where he causes the most confusion and debate. He knows that the rapture begins his final defeat. Most current Christians that I speak with (especially African-Americans) have a very disturbing view of the rapture and end times. Most present-day Christians do not “hunger and thirst after Righteousness” as our Lord Jesus said that we should. Therefore, the don’t search out to find what is truth and what is error. Some people act as if what we teach and believe about end times events doesn’t really affect us. Yet, the only way that we were saved was through what we believed. If we would have been saved irregardless to what we believed then what the Universalist says is right: We can believe in Buddha; or the Daili Lama we would still go to heaven. This is the biggest lie that Satan has ever told.
I am not ecumenical in my teaching of end-time doctrine. This means that I don’t say as some, whether you believe in pre-trib, mid-trib, or post-trib rapture it doesn’t matter. (We will address these doctrines later) I do not believe that God would allow something this important to be left to private interpretation or personal opinion.
2Peter 1:20
Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation.
So I will be using terms like “right,” “wrong,” and “error,” terms that have been lost in modern-day Christianity for fear offending one group or another. We are not attempting to make friends or get speaking invitations through this site; we have one objective and that is to accurately prepare the Church for her soon coming king.
2Peter 2:1
But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction.
There is true end times teaching and there is false end times teaching.
There are certain rules that I have used over the years to discern the truth when Satan has created confusion around certain doctrines. It is pretty easy to figure out whether a particular end time teaching is from God, Satan, or the world. The three questions one should ask are:
1. Is the teaching in line with God’s character as seen in the scripture over time.
For instance a mid-tribulation or post tribulation teaching is grossly in error. The idea that faithful Christians will go through any part of the Tribulation period is absurd. God has always pulled his people out when he got ready to judge cities, nations, and even the whole earth. He pulls Lot and his family out before judging Sodom and Gomorrah, he pulls Moses and the Children of Israel before completing his judgement on Egypt. He puts Noah and his family in the ship before judging the Earth, and God will Rapture His Church before the tribulation. Case closed.
2. Who or what purpose will this teaching benefit?
In keeping with the same example. If Christians go half way through the tribulation or even all the way through the tribulation, then why should they always be watching? A Christian could plan to live like “the devil” until the Anti-Christ is revealed and depending on which doctrine, since the tribulation will only last 7 years, they would know about when Christ would return. This benefits those who don’t want to watch.
3. Does the teaching in anyway “cool” the urgency and watchfulness of the believer?
The mid-trib/post-trib doctrines most certainly does. As stated earlier, these teachings provide for a “He’s not coming back yet” attitude. I’ve heard many preachers say that Jesus can’t come back until this happens or that happens. What effect does this have on the congregation? They become more relaxed in their sin, they become less urgent in witnessing and they become more focussed on accomplishing worldly goals.
This is why we teach what many call “pre-trib” rapture doctrine. Its the only understanding that corresponds to what God has said in His Word.
Simply put the next thing on God’s cosmic calendar is the Rapture of the Church.
There will come a day (could be today) when millions of people will be missing from the earth. Graves, cemeteries, and mortuaries will be left in shambles as millions of Dead believers get up out of Graves. The Apostle Paul will get up; Peter will get up, Moses will get up; Noah will get up; “the dead in Christ will rise first...” Then wherever you are, if you are a “ready” Christian you will be caught up to meet him in the air. What a glorious day. Don’t you want to go with Christ.
The Great Escape
It is called the Great escape. I have heard preachers make those of us that are looking forward to the rapture feel as if we are cowards wanting to run whether than fight. I have heard very notable preachers preach this. Eddie Long, Michael Pitts; and many others preach this doctrine. I have nothing personally against these preachers and still listen to them occasionally. But this slant against End Times teaching is very dangerous. I know how they got into some of this teaching. Both Eddie Long and Michael Pitts ascribe to the Kingdom Message. This message basically says that Jesus came to give us the Kingdom in the earth -- so why are we so eager to leave the Earth? In essence, we need to establish God’s kingdom now. God wants us to own the Banks now, to control politics now, to dominate Hollywood Now. My message and their message is totally different.
I don’t believe that they are totally wrong in their message but their timing is way off. This is why all end times teaching cannot co-exist. What they are teaching is what I believe cannot happen until Jesus Returns to earth, defeats the anti-christ, and sets up His earthly kingdom to reign for a thousand years. (Click here to see the timeline)
The truth is that this world’s system is just like the Titanic. It has already hit the iceberg and its not a matter of IF the ship will sink, but WHEN the ship will sink. It is our job to abandon ship and save as many passengers as we can. This should be the emphasis now. Every system that the Kingdom teachers say that we should be trying to dominate is on a crash course with disaster. The monetary system, the political system, and the entertainment platforms are all getting ready to go down. It’s a waste of time and resources for us to try to establish dominance in these areas. God may use us through one of these systems, but until the Anti-christ is defeated Satan will continue to dominate these world systems. But thank God, when Christ returns to earth with His saints, He’s going to beat the “stuffing” out of Satan and his followers and overthrow all of the kingdoms of this world.
Revelation 11:15 And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever.
This is only after the Rapture, the Marriage, Christ Return to Earth, and the Defeat of the Anti-Christ.
The Second Coming
Many people believe that the 2nd Coming of Christ and the Rapture are one in the same. It is easy to make this assumption especially when reading Old Testament passages. Remember many of the Jews living when Christ walked the earth rejected Him because they expected that the Messiah would fulfill all Old Testament prophecies when He came the first time. In other words the Jews expected Christ to overthrow the Roman government. But instead He told the people to honor Rome and He didn’t resist the Romans when they crucified Him. He didn’t fulfill all biblical prophecies at once. This is the same case with the Rapture. I have a very clear picture of what is going to happen. Some is through God’s revelation and some is through the Holy Spirit bearing witness with the Word of God. Remember, God doesn’t want His people ignorant or confused about the next events. After the Rapture of the “Ready Church” there will be seven years of tribulation on earth. But after the seven years Christ will return with his Saints. The reason He can return with his Saints is because He would have raptured the saints. The 2nd Coming is actually when Christ comes to earth.
The Rapture is when Christ comes to get His Church; the 2nd coming is when Christ returns to earth with the Church.
The Rapture is when Christ takes the Church to Judge it, The 2nd coming is when Christ returns to Judge the world.
During the rapture only the Ready Church sees Him, During the 2nd coming every eye will see Him.