The Rapture of the Church, Part 2. The Rapture Vs. The Second Advent.

We began to note the difference between the difference between the Rapture and the Tribulation Period on Sunday morning amd it looks like this.

An ambassador does not appoint himself.

Like the Church-age believer, the Church-age believer, as an ambassador for Christ is provided for by logistical grace.

The ambassador’s instructions are always in written form so he has no doubt as to what he should do.

The ambassador does not belong to the country to which he is sent.

The ambassador does not live in the foreign country for his own personal interest, so the same is true for the Church-age believer.

We live here on earth solely to serve in the interest of our Lord, therefore, the ambassador does not treat any insult to himself as personal. We tolerate others and hold no grudges.

When you are insulted, treated unfairly, or ridiculed, you have tremendous problem solving devices and you have to have the spiritual strength to use these problem solving devices to leave the matter in the Lord’s hands.

When an ambassador is recalled, his recall is tantamount to a declaration of war.

The royal ambassadorship is specialized and intensified in the gift of pastor‑teacher.

The royal ambassadorship related to evangelism, 2Co 5:20.

All these are used for the difference between the Tribulation Period followed by the Rapture Period as a form of teaching doctrine.

So, we will get right into our subject because of the importance of the next subject that we need to beware of which is the Doctrine of the Rapture of the Church of Jesus Christ.

Let me warn you that this is coming up at a time when the Lord is going to use or send Ambassadors or High Ranking officials of State or Royalties to represent His Sovereign or Country that He is from.

Now, by analogy we are spiritual aristocracy as members of the royal family of God SO THERE WILL BE SOME ANALOGIES between the two.

So we begin with the Tribulation Period which is analogous to The Period Of War and The Coming of the Rapture of the Church.

Let’s take the Rapture first,

In Eph 6:10-20, Finally, be strong in the Lord, and in the strength of His might.

Eph 6:11 Pick up and put on the full armor “from” God, so that you may be able to “hold your ground” against the “strategies” of the devil.

In verse 12, the reason why we need to put on the full armor from God.

Eph 6:12 For our warfare is not against blood and flesh, against human beings] but against the rulers [demon generals, commanders like Abaddon and Apollyon,

Beelzebub], against the authorities, against the world rulers or the cosmic system of this darkness

[against demon ambassadors who control the rulers of this cosmic system and its demon conspirators], against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavens.

Eph 6:13 Therefore, pick up and put on the full armor from god, so that you may be able to hold your ground in the day that evil attacks you, and having done everything, hold your ground.

Eph 6:14 Hold your ground therefore, After you have buckled on your combat gear around your waist with truth [a reference to the PMA of BD.], and [after] having put on the breastplate of righteousness,

Eph 6:15 [hold your ground] after you have put on your combat boots on your feet with the readiness, [or preparation, equipment] of the gospel of peace.

Eph 6:16 In addition to all, [all of these items of military equipment] taking up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish [intercept and destroy] all the flaming missiles of the evil one.

EPH 6:17 And take or receive favorably and welcome] the helmet of salvation, and [receive favorably and welcome] the sword of the spirit, which is the word of God.

Eph 6:18 With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the spirit, and with this in view, be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints.

Eph 6:19 And pray on my behalf, that utterance [expression, articulation, verbalization] may be given to me in the opening of my mouth, to make known with boldness [confidence] the mystery of the gospel,

Eph 6:20, “For which [gospel] I am an ambassador in chains, that in this [proclaiming the mystery doctrine], I might communicate with confidence as I ought to speak.”

All of these principles take place during the Tribulation Period and the 70 th week of Daniel.

They are all a part of the Tribulation Period and they tell us what is going on at the time of the Rapture of the Church.

Therefore, we are now ready for the Rapture and the events which follow.

We begin with the corrected translation of our main passage on the Rapture.

All of these principles take place during the Tribulation Period and the 70 th week of Daniel.

They are all a part of the Tribulation Period and they tell us what is going on at the time of the Rapture of the Church.

Therefore, we are now ready for the Rapture and the events which follow.

All of these principles take place during the Tribulation Period and the 70 th week of Daniel.

They are all a part of the Tribulation Period and they tell us what is going on at the time of the Rapture of the Church.

Therefore, we are now ready for the Rapture and the events which follow.

The Doctrine of The Rapture

Point 1. Definition and Description.

Point 1. Introduction.

(a) While the Rapture is defined as the act of being transported into Heaven, it is also defined as the state of being rapt or carried out of oneself in less than a second, I said less; Phi 2:9-11.

Phi 2:9 Therefore also God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name,

PHI 2:10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those who are in heaven, and on earth, and under the earth,

PHI 2:11 and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

(a) We begin with that exciting passage in 1CO 15:51 Behold, I tell you a mystery; we shall not all sleep [die physically with an interim body that was raised from the dead but placed in an inferior body until we receive our Resurrection body which will be just like our Lord’s], but we shall all be changed,

“die physically with an interim body” – in the physical body we all die physically but we will also die again spiritually until we die again until then receive a temporayry and will all die again until then].

How fast?

Faster than a New York second says 1CO 15:52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye [seven times faster than one second], at the last trumpet; for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed.

The Rapture is used here in a technical theological sense for the Resurrection of the Church, the Bride of Christ, or the Royal Family of God.

Think of this and what an exciting time it is going to be when at the Rapture the following events will be manifested to us perfectly.

The Last Adam and the New Creation will be raised up from the dead.
The Head and the Body will be placed together.

The Shepherd and the Sheep will be joined.
The Vine and the Branches;

The Chief Cornerstone and the building will be built;
The High Priest and the Royal Priesthood will be joined together.

The Groom and the Bride will be married.
The King of kings and the Royal Family of God together.

What an exciting time of rejoicing!

Since the Church or royal family of God is the first spiritual building to be completed, it is resurrected after our Lord.

It is the second phase of the first resurrection following the resurrection of Christ.

(b) The first Resurrection is the resurrection of Christ, the second part of the first resurrection is TLJC.

Christ is resurrected, ascended, and seated at the right hand of the Father as part of the strategic victory of the angelic conflict.

This is known as our Lord’s battlefield royalty.

Therefore, God interrupts the Jewish-Age with the Church Age to call out and provide a royal family of God.

Once the royal family of God is completed, the Church is resurrected as the body of Christ to become the bride of Christ.

The Church Age is that period of human history when the Royal family of God is being formed on earth, Eph 1:22‑23, 2:16, 4:4‑5; Col 1:18, 24, 2:19.

Col 1:18 He is also head of the body, the church; and He is the beginning, the first‑born from the dead; so that He Himself might come to have first place in everything

COL 1:19 For it was the Father’s good pleasure for all the fulness to dwell in Him,

COL 1:20 and through Him to reconcile all things to Himself, having made peace through the blood of His cross; through Him, I say, whether things on earth or things in heaven.

COL 1:21 And although you were formerly alienated and hostile in mind, engaged in evil deeds,

COL 1:22 yet He has now reconciled you in His fleshly body through death, in order to present you before Him holy and blameless and beyond reproach‑‑

COL 1:23 if indeed you continue in the faith firmly established and steadfast, and not moved away from the hope of the gospel that you have heard, which was proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and of which I, Paul, was made a minister.

COL 1:24 Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I do my share on behalf of His body (which is the church) in filling up that which is lacking in Christ’s afflictions.

COL 1:25 Of this church I was made a minister according to the stewardship from God bestowed on me for your benefit, that I might fully carry out the preaching of the word of God,

COL 1:26 that is, the mystery which has been hidden from the past ages and generations; but has now been manifested to His saints,

All of these passages come to fruition concerned.

When the royal family of God is completed, then the Rapture occurs, 1Th 4:16‑18; 1Co 15:51‑58.

Then we receive the conclusion of the Jewish Age, the bride is prepared in heaven by receiving a resurrection body exactly like that of the Lord.

Then comes the Big Genuflex and acknowledgment of Christ, Phi 2:9-11, Rom 14:11.

Rom 14:11 For it is written, “As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to Me, And every tongue shall give praise to God.”

Then comes the Judgment Seat of Christ, when all Church Age believers are evaluated and rewarded, 2Co 5:10.

2Co 5:10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.

My Second Point, Point 2. will deals with The Biblical principles that establish the Biblical position of a Pre-tribulational Rapture of the church.

First of all, the great Tribulation is punishment for a Christ-rejecting world, and the nation of Israel, who rejected her Messiah, Rev 6:12-17.

Rev 6:12 And I looked when He broke the sixth seal, and there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth made of hair, and the whole moon became like blood;

REV 6:13 and the stars of the sky fell to the earth, as a fig tree casts its unripe figs when shaken by a great wind.

REV 6:14 And the sky was split apart like a scroll when it is rolled up; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places.

REV 6:15 And the kings of the earth and the great men and the commanders and the rich and the strong and every slave and free man, hid themselves in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains;

REV 6:16 and they said to the mountains and to the rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the presence of Him who sits on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb;

REV 6:17 for the great day of their wrath has come; and who is able to stand?”

The nature of the church, and the promises of Christ forbid the church from going through the great Tribulation.

For example, the nature of the church in COL 1:22 yet He has now reconciled you in His fleshly body through death, in order to present you before Him holy and blameless and beyond reproach‑‑

The promise of Christ HEB 13:5 Let your character be free from the love of money, being content with what you have; for He Himself has said, “I will never desert you, nor will I ever forsake you,”

There must be an interval of time between the Rapture and the Second Coming.

This is when the Judgment Seat of Christ takes place and believers either receive rewards or lose rewards, 1Co 3:11-15, 2Co 5:10.

1CO 3:10 According to the grace of God which was given to me, as a wise master builder I laid a foundation, and another is building upon it. But let each man be careful how he builds upon it.

1CO 3:11 For no man can lay a foundation other than the one which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.

1CO 3:12 Now if any man builds upon the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw,

1CO 3:13 each man’s work will become evident; for the day will show it, because it is to be revealed with fire; and the fire itself will test the quality of each man’s work.

1CO 3:14 If any man’s work which he has built upon it remains, he shall receive a reward.

1CO 3:15 If any man’s work is burned up, he shall suffer loss; but he himself shall be saved, yet so as through fire.

1CO 3:16 Do you not know that you are a temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?

1CO 3:17 If any man destroys the temple of God, God will destroy him, for the temple of God is holy, and that is what you are.

1CO 3:18 Let no man deceive himself. If any man among you thinks that he is wise in this age, let him become foolish that he may become wise.

1CO 3:19 For the wisdom of this world is foolishness before God. For it is written, “He is the one who catches the wise in their craftiness”;

The scripture’s which deal with the great tribulation have particular reference to the Jew, Mat 24:1-31; Mar 13:14; Luk 21:23-36.

For example, in Mat 24:1 And Jesus came out from the temple and was going away when His disciples came up to point out the temple buildings to Him.

MAT 24:2 And He answered and said to them, “Do you not see all these things? Truly I say to you, not one stone here shall be left upon another, which will not be torn down.”

What was He talking about?

He’s talking about a Jewish Temple not a Christian church.

MAT 24:1 And Jesus came out from the temple and was going away when His disciples came up to point out the temple buildings to Him.

MAT 24:2 And He answered and said to them, “Do you not see all these things? Truly I say to you, not one stone here shall be left upon another, which will not be torn down.”

MAT 24:3 And as He was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will these things be, and what {will be} the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?”

MAT 24:4 And Jesus answered and said to them, “See to it that no one misleads you.

MAT 24:5 “For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will mislead many.

MAT 24:6 “And you will be hearing of wars and rumors of wars; see that you are not frightened, for {those things} must take place, but {that} is not yet the end.

This is a reference to the Jewish nation so it doesn’t apply to our subject on the Rapture at this time. MAT 24:1

Leading up to this discourse, Jesus has been teaching and speaking in Israel’s temple structure in Jerusalem.

He has just completed pronouncing seven “woes” of judgment against Israel’s religious leaders: the Scribes and the Pharisees; Mat 23:13.

He concluded with a declaration that He was officially abandoning Jerusalem and her children to coming judgment (Mat 23:37–38).

Jerusalem has refused to acknowledge Him as the Messiah and receive His protection.

Now Jesus and His disciples have left the temple and are walking away from it.

Despite the serious tone of Jesus’ most recent pronouncements, the disciples turn and comment to Jesus about the buildings of the temple.

The temple had been extensively renovated in recent years, and historians report that it was known for its beauty and grandeur.

Christ will not allow the disciples to miss the point of His recent revelations about the coming judgment on Jerusalem. His prediction will be shocking (Mat 24:2; Mark 13:2.

Leading up to this discourse, Jesus has been teaching and speaking in Israel’s temple structure in Jerusalem.

He has just completed pronouncing seven “woes” of judgment against Israel’s religious leaders: the scribes and

MAT 24:1 And Jesus came out from the temple and was going away when His disciples came up to point out the temple buildings to Him.

He concluded with a declaration that He was officially abandoning Jerusalem and her children to coming judgment (Mat 23:37–38).

Jerusalem has refused to acknowledge Him as the Messiah and receive His protection.

Now, Jesus and His disciples have left the temple and are walking away from it.

Despite the serious tone of Jesus’ most recent pronouncements, the disciples turn and comment to Jesus about the buildings of the temple.

The temple had been extensively renovated in recent years, and historians report that it was known for its beauty and grandeur.

Christ will not allow the disciples to miss the point of His recent revelations about the coming judgment on Jerusalem. His prediction will be shocking (Matthew 24:2; Mark 13:2).

MAT 24:2 And He answered and said to them, “Do you not see all these things? Truly I say to you, not one stone here shall be left upon another, which will not be torn down.”

Jesus and His disciples have left the temple after an extensive time of teaching.

That included a severe rebuke of the scribes and Pharisees (Matthew 23:13, 15, 16).

It ended with Jesus mourning over Jerusalem’s refusal to recognize and receive Him.

As a result, He is abandoning the city, removing Himself from the role of its protector (Mat 23:37–38).

For some reason, the disciples pointed out some of the buildings of the temple.

They might have been commenting on their beauty, since at that time the temple complex was newly renovated and impressive.

They might simply have been making small talk as they traveled. Either way, Jesus takes advantage of the moment to reveal more detail about the coming judgment of God on Jerusalem and Israel.

First, Christ makes it clear he’s referring to the temple buildings they are all looking at. He is not speaking in parable, or symbolism, or talking about some other location.

The prediction He gives is dire: the entire structure will be obliterated, down to the foundations. Jesus is predicting the utter destruction of the historic and beautiful temple of Israel (Mark 13:2).

This prophecy of judgment was completely and fully fulfilled when Rome destroyed Jerusalem in AD 70.

In response to a Jewish revolt, the Roman Empire laid siege to Jerusalem for five months.

At the end of this time, the city was invaded and ransacked, bringing the Jewish death toll into the hundreds of thousands.

Romans burned the temple, causing leftover gold to melt into the cracks of the masonry.

To remove it, soldiers literally tore the structure apart brick-to-brick, leaving nothing but the level foundation.

At that point, Jesus’ prophecy was fulfilled, and the Old Testament system of sacrifices had entirely ceased to be (Heb 8:13).

MAT 24:3 And as He was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?”

The passage that begins with this verse is often called the Olivet Discourse.

Christ is sitting on the Mount of Olives as He teaches.

From His position, Jesus can see the entrance to the temple.

In the previous verse, He predicted that the temple would be fully and utterly destroyed, without one stone being left on top of another.

This sad prophecy would come true in AD 70 when the Roman Empire attacks Jerusalem, dismantling the entire temple in the process.

In response to that detail, apparently, the disciples ask Jesus a two-part question.

His long and involved answer focuses on future events for the disciples and Himself. Beginning in the next verse, the entire text of Matthew is devoted to Jesus’ words through the end of chapter 25.

The disciples ask, first, when the temple will be destroyed and second, how they will know Christ is returning to complete the end of days.

It’s likely the disciples thought the judgment Jesus had been describing would happen at the same time as His return.

Jesus’ answer doesn’t confirm that this is necessarily true.

The disciples seem to grasp the basic idea that Jesus was leaving and coming back, though their understanding of His impending death and resurrection continues to be coming,

MAT 24:4 And Jesus answered and said to them, “See to it that no one misleads you.

Jesus begins to answer a two-part question from the disciples.

They have heard His declarations about the coming judgment on Jerusalem, as well as His statement that He will leave and return.

They have asked Jesus when this judgment will come and what the sign of His return will be.

The first response is a warning to the disciples to watch themselves, so they are not deceived.

He tells them to make sure nobody leads them astray, referring to the time when He will be absent from them.

He will warn in the following verse about deceivers who will pretend to be the Christ.

He wants them to be clear that He alone is the Messiah.

This begins the main portion of the so-called Olivet Discourse (Matthew 24:3), which will extend uninterrupted until the end of chapter 25 (Mat 25:46).

MAT 24:5

The disciples have responded to Jesus’ dire prediction about the destruction of the temple (Matthew 24:1–2) with two questions.

They have asked when judgment will fall on Jerusalem, what signs to expect for Jesus’ return and the end of the age.

As He so often does, Jesus chooses to provide additional information, rather than directly giving an answer.

He begins by warning them about the time to come when He will be absent from them (John 16:5–7).

They need to be diligent about not being fooled (Matthew 23:4).

Many deceivers will come saying they are the Christ, the Messiah.

Jesus does not mean that they will pretend to be Him, specifically.

The disciples would know Him from another person.

Instead, Jesus is saying that many will come who claim He was not, in fact, the Messiah—Jesus will have been executed by Rome by then (Matthew 16:21)—and that they are really the Christ.

Jesus adds that many of these liars will be successful: numerous people will be taken in.

Since Jesus is the only true path to the kingdom of heaven, those led astray will be led toward destruction.

History records examples of people who claimed to be the Promised One after Jesus’ earthly ministry was over.

One such false Messiah, Simon Bar Kokhba, failed in an attempt to revolt against Rome in 135 AD.

Jesus does not want His followers to be caught in any such foolish deception.

MAT 24:6

Christ’s followers have asked when judgment will come on Jerusalem (Matthew 24:1–2) and what signs will point to the end of the age and His return (Matthew 24:3).

He has warned that after He is gone from them (John 16:5–7), many men will claim to be the true Messiah (Matthew 24:5).

Now Jesus predicts that stories about violence, unrest, and chaos will come.

However, just because there are battles or conflicting reports about them does not, itself, mean the end is near.

These real and rumored wars are part of God’s unfolding plan for the earth.

They must take place, but they are not the signal of the end.

Since that moment, of course, many real and rumored wars have come and gone, bringing with them destruction and devastation.

Unfortunately, many people seem to miss Jesus’ words here—it seems every major conflict is accompanied by fears of Armageddon (Revelation 16:14–16) and the end of days.

MAT 24:1 And Jesus came out from the temple and was going away when His disciples came up to point out the temple buildings to Him.

MAT 24:2 Jesus and His disciples have left the temple after an extensive time of teaching.

That included a severe rebuke of the scribes and Pharisees (Matthew 23:13, 15, 16). It ended with Jesus mourning over Jerusalem’s refusal to recognize and receive Him.

As a result, He is abandoning the city, removing Himself from the role of its protector (Matthew 23:37–38).

MAT 24:1 And Jesus came out from the temple and was going away when His disciples came up to point out the temple buildings to Him.

For some reason, the disciples pointed out some of the buildings of the temple.

They might have been commenting on their beauty, since at that time the temple complex was newly renovated and impressive.

They might simply have been making small talk as they traveled.

Either way, Jesus takes advantage of the moment to reveal more detail about the coming judgment of God on Jerusalem and Israel.

First, Christ makes it clear he’s referring to the temple buildings they are all looking at.

He is not speaking in parable, or symbolism, or talking about some other location.

The prediction He gives is dire: the entire structure will be obliterated, down to the foundations.

Jesus is predicting the utter destruction of the historic and beautiful temple of Israel (Mark 13:2).