The Christ Church Wednesday Bible Study Group is now doing a study of the last days which we define as the days that started with the beginning of Jesus' ministry until his return.
In Session 2 we looked at Jesus' answer to the disciples" question “Tell us,” they said, “when will this happen, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?” (Matthew 24:3 NIV)
Jesus answered: “Watch out that no one deceives you. For many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Messiah,’ and will deceive many. You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of birth pains. (Matthew 24:4-8 NIV)
In summary this is what he said would happen in the last days.
An Explosion of Religious Deception
Wars and Rumors of Wars
Famine and Pestilence
Earthquakes, Hurricanes and Tsunamis
Religious Persecution
What we see today are the labor pains of what is yet to come. As we watch these things happen in our world, as we sense these labor pains getting closer and closer together they tell us the coming of Jesus Christ is near.
While we don't know when Jesus will return we do know that the next event to happen will be the Rapture when the church will be removed from the horrors that the Anti-Christ will initiate leading up to the Great Tribulation described in Revelation chapters 6-18
In Session 3 we talk about the Rapture
For our study we are using the book "Are These the Last Days?" by Greg Lauri
Review
Let’s start with the disciples' question after Jesus told them that the temple would be destroyed.
Matthew 24:1-3 NIV [1] Jesus left the temple and was walking away when his disciples came up to him to call his attention to its buildings. [2] “Do you see all these things?” he asked. “Truly I tell you, not one stone here will be left on another; every one will be thrown down.” [3] As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately. “Tell us,” they said, “when will this happen, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?”
Why is that important? Because if this happened as Jesus said it would, and other things happened as Jesus said they would, then we know that what is yet to come also will happen just as He said.
In A.D. 70, the Roman general, Titus, built large, wooden scaffolds around the walls of the Temple buildings, piled them high with wood and other flammable items, and set them ablaze. The fires were so intense that the stones of the Temple crumpled.
To retrieve the melted gold from the temple walls, Roman troops dismantled the Temple stone by stone, fulfilling exactly the prediction of Jesus Christ.
Now let’s take a look at Jesus’ answer to their question
Matthew 24:1-8 NIV [1] Jesus left the temple and was walking away when his disciples came up to him to call his attention to its buildings. [2] “Do you see all these things?” he asked. “Truly I tell you, not one stone here will be left on another; every one will be thrown down.” [3] As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately. “Tell us,” they said, “when will this happen, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?” [4] Jesus answered: “Watch out that no one deceives you. [5] For many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Messiah,’ and will deceive many. [6] You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. [7] Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. [8] All these are the beginning of birth pains.
In summary this is what he said would happen in the last days.
An Explosion of Religious Deception
Wars and Rumors of Wars
Famine and Pestilence
Earthquakes, Hurricanes and Tsunamis
Religious Persecution
Are we really in the last days? The answer is yes. What we see today are the labor pains of what is yet to come. As we watch these things happen in our world, as we sense these labor pains getting closer and closer together they tell us the coming of Jesus Christ is near.
The Rapture
What we see today are the labor pains of what is yet to come. As we watch these things happen in our world, as we sense these labor pains getting closer and closer together they tell us the coming of Jesus Christ is near. In fact, I see nothing in Scripture that needs to occur before the Rapture of the Church can take place. In my understanding of Bible prophecy, it is the next event on the prophetic calendar. And it could happen at any time.
The word rapture is not in the Bible that we use today unless you have a Latin one. The word rapture that we use is from the Latin word rapturus which means “to be caught up” or “to be snatched up” The event itself is described by Paul.
1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 NIV [13] Brothers and sisters, we do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in death, so that you do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope. [14] For we believe that Jesus died and rose again, and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him. [15] According to the Lord’s word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. [16] For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. [17] After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. [18] Therefore encourage one another with these words.
Matthew 24:40-42 NIV [40] Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other left. [41] Two women will be grinding with a hand mill; one will be taken and the other left. [42] “Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come.
John 14:2-4 NIV [2] My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? [3] And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. [4] You know the way to the place where I am going.”
1 John 2:28 NIV [28] And now, dear children, continue in him, so that when he appears we may be confident and unashamed before him at his coming.
What we know about the rapture is that Christians will be received into the presence of God instantaneously.
1 Corinthians 15:51-52 NIV [51] Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed— [52] in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed.
A blink is fast—so fast that most of the time you don’t even notice it when you blink—but the time it takes for an eye to twinkle is even faster.
There has been debate among Christians as to when the rapture will happen. Not in terms of dates but when it will happen relative to the tribulation.
Under no circumstances should we believe anyone who tells us that they know the date of the Lord’s return., Why? Because Jesus said, “No one knows the day or the hour when these things will happen, not even the angels in heaven or the Son himself. Only the Father knows” (Matt. 4:36, NLT).
The important differences between the rapture and second coming are as follows:
1) At the rapture, believers meet the Lord in the air (1 Thessalonians 4:17). We read that
In the Rapture, Jesus will come like a thief in the night.
Luke 12:39-40 NIV [39] But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have let his house be broken into. [40] You also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.”
In the Second Coming, everyone will see Him.
Matthew 24:27 NIV [27] For as lightning that comes from the east is visible even in the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.
Revelation 1:7 NIV [7] “Look, he is coming with the clouds,” and “every eye will see him, even those who pierced him”; and all peoples on earth “will mourn because of him.” So shall it be! Amen.
At the second coming, believers return with the Lord to the earth.
Revelation 19:13-16 NIV [13] He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and his name is the Word of God. [14] The armies of heaven were following him, riding on white horses and dressed in fine linen, white and clean. [15] Coming out of his mouth is a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations. “He will rule them with an iron scepter.” He treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty. [16] On his robe and on his thigh he has this name written: king of kings and lord of lords.
The second coming occurs after the great and terrible tribulation and we are going to talk about that later. If you want to read ahead, read Revelation chapters 6–19.
The rapture occurs before the tribulation.
1 Thessalonians 5:9 NIV [9] For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.
[11] Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.
Revelation 3:10 NIV [10] Since you have kept my command to endure patiently, I will also keep you from the hour of trial that is going to come on the whole world to test the inhabitants of the earth.
The rapture is the removal of believers from the earth as an act of deliverance.
1 Thessalonians 5:9 NIV [9] For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.
The second coming is an act of judgment.
Matthew 24:40-41 NIV [40] Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other left. [41] Two women will be grinding with a hand mill; one will be taken and the other left.
The second coming of Christ will not occur until after certain other end-times events take place. We talked about some of them last week and we will talk about the others when we talk about the stuff in Revelation 6-18.
The rapture is imminent; it could take place at any moment.
Why is it important to keep the rapture and the second coming distinct?
1) If the rapture and the second coming are the same event, believers will have to go through the tribulation. (
2) If the rapture and the second coming are the same event, the return of Christ is not imminent—there are many things which must occur before He can return.
3) In describing the tribulation period, Revelation chapters 6–19 nowhere mentions the church. During the tribulation God will again turn His primary attention to Israel because the church is with Him.
Romans 11:13-32 NIV [13] I am talking to you Gentiles. Inasmuch as I am the apostle to the Gentiles, I take pride in my ministry [14] in the hope that I may somehow arouse my own people to envy and save some of them. [15] For if their rejection brought reconciliation to the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead? [16] If the part of the dough offered as firstfruits is holy, then the whole batch is holy; if the root is holy, so are the branches. [17] If some of the branches have been broken off, and you, though a wild olive shoot, have been grafted in among the others and now share in the nourishing sap from the olive root, [18] do not consider yourself to be superior to those other branches. If you do, consider this: You do not support the root, but the root supports you. [19] You will say then, “Branches were broken off so that I could be grafted in.” [20] Granted. But they were broken off because of unbelief, and you stand by faith. Do not be arrogant, but tremble. [21] For if God did not spare the natural branches, he will not spare you either. [22] Consider therefore the kindness and sternness of God: sternness to those who fell, but kindness to you, provided that you continue in his kindness. Otherwise, you also will be cut off. [23] And if they do not persist in unbelief, they will be grafted in, for God is able to graft them in again. [24] After all, if you were cut out of an olive tree that is wild by nature, and contrary to nature were grafted into a cultivated olive tree, how much more readily will these, the natural branches, be grafted into their own olive tree! [25] I do not want you to be ignorant of this mystery, brothers and sisters, so that you may not be conceited: Israel has experienced a hardening in part until the full number of the Gentiles has come in, [26] and in this way all Israel will be saved. As it is written: “The deliverer will come from Zion; he will turn godlessness away from Jacob. [27] And this is my covenant with them when I take away their sins.” [28] As far as the gospel is concerned, they are enemies for your sake; but as far as election is concerned, they are loved on account of the patriarchs, [29] for God’s gifts and his call are irrevocable. [30] Just as you who were at one time disobedient to God have now received mercy as a result of their disobedience, [31] so they too have now become disobedient in order that they too may now receive mercy as a result of God’s mercy to you. [32] For God has bound everyone over to disobedience so that he may have mercy on them all.
The rapture and second coming are similar but separate events. Both involve Jesus returning. Both are end-times events. However, it is crucially important to recognize the differences. In summary, the rapture is the return of Christ in the clouds to remove all believers from the earth before the time of God’s wrath. The second coming is the return of Christ to the earth to bring the tribulation to an end and to defeat the Antichrist and his evil world empire.
So the rapture comes then the Anti-Christ then the tribulation,
THE RELEVANCE OF THE RAPTURE
Now let’s consider what the Rapture means for Christians today who have put their faith in Christ.
The human body was not meant to last forever. In fact, the Bible compares it to a tent: “For we know that if our earthly house, this tent, is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens” (2 Cor. 5:1). We do all sorts of things to try to prolong our lives. But eventually, our bodies will wear out.
For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to His glorious body, according to the working by which He is able even to subdue all things to Himself (vv. 20-21).
We are going to heaven, where God will give each of us a new, glorified body. Whata great hope. That is one reason we don’t have to be afraid.
We Know That Jesus Is Coming Again
Jesus said, “I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also” (John 14:2-3). Jesus is speaking of the Rapture here.
Notice that Jesus says that He will come again and receive us unto Himself. He doesn’t say that He will take us. He won’t take us if we don’t want to go. Hebrews 9:28 says, “To those who eagerly wait for Him He will appear a second time, apart from sin, for salvation.” Are you eagerly waiting for the return of Jesus Christ? That is the kind of person whom Jesus is coming back for.
Are you ready?
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