22. The Rapture of the Church God's Purpose for Man

Chapter 22
The Rapture of the Church

In chapter 20, we examined the horrors of what the world will be like just prior to the Rapture of the Church, and we realized we may have already entered into that time frame.  While this time will be the worst of times upon the earth, and getting worse, it will be the best of times for the spreading of the Gospel and the furtherance of the Kingdom of God.

Dark Days Before the Tribulation Period

As the days draw closer to the Rapture of the Church and the beginning of the Tribulation Period, people will be filled with anger and fear - looking for answers.  True believers, however, know that the answers to all problems lie in Jesus Christ.  Only in Him can anyone find peace - everylasting peace.  True believers who are fortunate enough to be alive at the end of the Church Age, just prior to the Tribulation Period, will have an inner knowing and understanding that God has placed them on this earth at this period of time for a particular reason.  As we watch the world get worse, more people will be receptive to hearing the Gospel.  This will be the greatest opportunity of the whole Church Age for people to accept Christ - just before the Rapture of the Church.  But for those whose hearts are closed to hearing the Gospel, their lives will carry on as usual.

While we have looked at the time of chaos in chapter 20 from a world's perspective, let's now look at this same time frame in the earth from the hope of a Christian's perspective.

Christians on assignment

Our Bibles tell us that the Holy Spirit living within the hearts of believers is the restrainer of evil in this world.  When the true believers are raptured into heaven, however, there will be nothing to hold the force of evil from consuming the earth.

II Thess 2:7  For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only He who now restrains (The Holy Spirit within believers) will do so until He (Christian) is taken out of the way (raptured).  And then the lawless one will be revealed (anti-christ)...

As true believers, meaning those of the remnant church), we have used our spiritual authority to pray and do, as led by the Holy Spirit, to fight these battles like faithful soldiers against the schemes of Satan and the evils of this world (Eph 6:10-18; 2 Thess 2:6-7).  Sorry to say, however, there have been many believers in the Church who did not use their spiritual authority as has been given to them, and have allowed the forces of evil to overtake.  Sadly, we have seen the collapsing of our society and have watched as those around us are surcombed to Satan, accepting what comes as part of their present and future. 

• Has then all of our standing and fighting been for naught?  Absolutely not.  We have seen the promises of God manifested over and over again as we have witnessed Satan's defeat.  Many people have been won over to the Lord, and the Kingdom of God has grown. 
• We must remember, however, every person upon the earth has been given the freedom of choice to choose God or Satan.  Most people, even Christians, think they are choosing their own way; however, man's ways are governed by Satan who is the god of this world. 
  
  

Just as Eve, who walked with God, surcumbed to the temptations of Satan in the Garden of Eden, so mankind today surcumbs to Satan's ways believing they are simply doing what they desire, having no idea they have fallen into the hands of Satan.

As we watch the downslide of the takeover of evil, true believers rest in the promise that we will be spared the wrath of God that is coming to the world during the Tribulation Period (Matt 24:22; 1 Thess 1:10; 1 Thess 5:9).  We are, however, watching the world open the door of entrance for the anti-christ's and the soon coming Tribulation Period as the evil gets progressively worse.  Evil is spreading quickly upon the earth – worldwide.  Christians, having the power of the Holy Spirit operating within, are the only force keeping God’s law and love upon the earth (2 Thess 2:7). Without the Holy Spirit's presence indwelling and operating within Christians, man would be left to himself, and he would self destruct. Man will increasingly become more wicked, yet still desiring peace upon the earth in whatever form it presents itself.  Perversion of all kinds are entering into the hearts of men, and is free to display its expression at will.  God will, however, let man have his complete freedom and rebellion – for a season.  Good versus evil is already very apparent.

While the world gets darker, the world is conditioned that it is part of normal living.  Even in the last few years we have experienced massive deaths from a world-wide pandemic, and the world became conditioned under the power of fear.  People wore their masks of "protection" out of fear, believing this kind of living will be part of normal society.  Following that, the world has, and is experiencing mass side effects and deaths from the "so called" vaccine, and the world, again is being conditioned to believe all is well and we are living in a new normal.  Life continues on, while fear controls many, yet, people believe this is the new normal. 

The Rapture of the Church

The Bible tells us that Jesus will come like a thief in the night (Matt 24:43-44; 1 Thess 5:2), yet it will be at a time when the world consider their lives as being lived normally (Matt 24:38).  Suddenly, as the trumpet of God sounds, in a twinkling of an eye, the dead bodies in Christ will arise from the graves to meet Jesus in the air to receive their glorified bodies.  The spirit/souls of those who have been longing and awaiting their resurrected bodies in Paradise will also join Christ in the air to receive their resurrected, glorified bodies.  The Apostle Paul spoke of our nakedness, yearning for our immortal body in Paradise in detail:

I Cor 5:1-4 For we know that if our earthly tent which is our house is torn down, we have a building from God, a house not made by hands, eternal in the heavens. ² For indeed, in this tent we groan, longing to be clothed with our dwelling from heaven, ³ since in fact after putting it on, we will not be found naked. ⁴ For indeed, we who are in this tent groan, being burdened, because we do not want to be unclothed but to be clothed, so that what is mortal will be swallowed up by life.

At the same time, those believers left alive upon the earth will suddenly be caught up in the air to also meet Jesus in the clouds.  Their mortal bodies will instantly be changed to receive their glorified resurrected bodies as well.  All in a moment of time!

 1 Cor 15:51-55  Behold, I tell you a mystery; we will not all sleep, but we will all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed.  For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. ⁵⁴ So when this corruptible has put on incorruption, and this mortal has put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written: “Death is swallowed up in victory.”  ⁵⁵ “O Death, where is your sting?  O Hades (grave), where is your victory?”

2 Cor 5:1-3 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 For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed with our habitation which is from heaven, ³ if indeed, having been clothed, we shall not be found naked.

At the point of meeting Jesus in the air, all receiving our glorified resurrected bodies, Jesus will then escort His Bride - the Church - into The Holy City in heaven (not Paradise) and introduce us to our new home.  Just as Jesus promises before He left the earth 2000 years ago, He has been preparing our eternal home in heaven.

John 14:2-3 In My Father’s house are many rooms; if that were not so, I would have told you, because I am going there 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.

Other versions say mansions, dwelling places or homes.  No matter what, Jesus has spent the 
last 2000 years building our eternal home.

Infants, Toddlers and Young Children

As was brought out in chapter 17 on the Church Age, infants, toddlers, and young children who have not come to their age of accountability have no knowledge and understanding of good and evil, and as such, are not responsible for their sin.  They too will disappear from the earth in the Rapture of the Church (Deut 1:39; Matt 19:14).

Infants and little children are a part of the Kingdom of God until the knowledge of good and evil and its consequences are understood within them.  At that point, meaning the Age of Accountability, which could be as early as 6 or 7, or even as late as age 12, they make their own choices and are responsible for good and evil in their lives.  Up until then, they are spiritually alive, having the Holy Spirit acting in their lives.

Those Left Upon the Earth

With the disappearance of millions of people following the Rapture of the Church, the world will become even more chaotic.  Many church goers or pseudo Christians will become so frightened to where it will be the driving force for them to finally repent and come to Christ. They, however, will be at risk to all consequences placed upon them during the Tribulation Period.  There will be no protection and martyrdom will most likely be their future.

There will also be those pseudo-believers who have heard of the Rapture of the Church, but refused to acknowledge its possibility, or think it is sometime way distant in the future to where it would not affect them.  With the mysterious disappearance of massive amounts of people from the earth, many of them will also, out of fear, come to repentance and sincere belief in Christ.  They also will have to face the consequences that will be placed upon them during the Tribulation Period, without any protection. 

The Holy Spirit on the earth

When a believer leaves this earth in the Rapture of the Church, it will take the "thrusting" power of the indwelling Holy Spirit to rapture him or her up to heaven to be with the Lord.  If death overtakes a believer before the Rapture, as has been the case for 2000 years, the same thing will happen where it will take the thrusting power of the indwelling Holy Spirit within that person to bring them up to heaven. 

Because the Holy Spirit is ever present upon the earth, being present from the very beginning of creation (Gen 1:2), the Holy Spirit will remain upon the earth during the time of Tribulation Period.  Why?  There will be some who will come to repentance and belief in Christ Jesus during this most evil and vilest of time in the history of mankind.  They too will need the power of the Holy Spirit operating within them to bring them up to heaven at their point of death, as most or all of them will probably be martyred for their faith during the Tribulation Period. 

The rest of the world, which will consist of most of the people left left upon the earth, will dismiss or excuse what has happened in the frenzy as a new world leader comes on the scene promising to bring peace upon the earth.  It will begin with a peace treaty with Israel.  

The Church arises

In the Book of Revelation, the first three chapters are devoted to speaking to the churches. Chapters 4 begins by God telling John to "Come up hither" and from that moment on and through chapter 5 shows us scenes in heaven.  Chapter 6 begins the Tribulation Period, which so intricately matches up with the Old Testament writers of Daniel and the other prophets.

Rev 4:1-2 After these things I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven. And the first voice which I heard was like a trumpet speaking with me, saying, " Come up here , and I will show you things which must take place after this." NKJV

Many biblical scholars claim Revelation 4:1 as the event what is known as the Rapture of the Church.  This author shares the same view.  Part of the reason is there is no mention of the Church from this point on in the Book of Revelation until chapter 19. Let’s look further into the Epistles, which is God’s Word to the Church, to see what God is telling us regarding our joining with Christ our Lord at the Rapture of the Church.

The word “rapture” is not in the Bible; however, its meaning is brought
forth several times in the New Testament. The word Rapture is a Latin word,
meaning to “carry off, grasp hastily, snatch up, to seize, and overpower by force.

1 Thess 4:16-18 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another with these words. NKJV

The Seal of the Holy Spirit

The Holy Spirit indwelling each believer is their seal and guarantee of their entrance into heaven (2 Cor 1:22).  All believers have the operating seal of the Holy Spirit in them, and at the time of the Rapture of the Church, they will be “seized up by force, carried off, snatched up, and grasped hastily” to meet the Lord in the air. Without the indwelling Holy Spirit operating within a person, the rapture for that individual could never happen.

1 Cor 15:51-52 Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed-- in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. NKJV

1 Cor 15:42 So also is the resurrection of the dead. The body is sown in corruption, it is raised in incorruption. NKJV

2 Thess 2:1-3 Now, brethren, concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him, we ask you, not to be soon shaken in mind or troubled, either by spirit or by word or by letter, as if from us, as though the day of Christ had come. Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition. NKJV

1 Thess 5:9-10 For God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, NKJV

Rev 3:10 Because you have kept My command to persevere, I also will keep you from the hour of trial which shall come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth. NKJV

2 Thess 2:7-9 For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only He who now restrains will do so until He is taken out of the way.  And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord will consume with the breath of His mouth and destroy with the brightness of His coming. NKJV.

What Happens to the Holy Spirit?

While the Holy Spirit will continue to remain upon the earth during the Tribulation Period, the Holy Spirit's "indwelling presence" in Christians will still be offered to those who personally accept Jesus Christ. While persecution will be in full operation, these new believers will probably be martyred.  The Holy Spirit will then take their spirit/soul to heaven to rest under the altar in heaven to await all of the martyrs arrival.

Over the next seven years a lot of things must take place.  Believers will stand before Christ at the Judgment Seat of Christ, we will celebrate the Marriage Feast of the Lamb, as well as preparing ourselves for the return of the Lord, when Jesus comes back at His 2nd coming to judge the earth.  Then believers will rule and reign the earth with Christ for 1000 years.  It will be a busy seven years up in heaven.

On earth, however, the Tribulation Period will enter the earth in full force as the world is in total chaos and the anti-christ announces himself as the man of peace who will make a peace treaty with Israel.  This will be the beginnings of man's destruction, a one-world government, and the wrath of God being poured upon the earth.   The world will become ready for the 2nd return of Christ Who will judge the earth of all its evil. 

 The Church is Not Involved in the Tribulation Period

The Tribulation Period that is prophesied by the Old Testament prophets, as well end time scripture listed in the Book of Matthew, Luke, and Revelation has nothing to do with the Church.  Again, the Tribulation Period is designed to bring Israel back to God - a promise God made to Abraham over 4000 years ago. The books of Daniel, Matthew, and Revelation all center around Israel and what is happening at the very end - meaning the Tribulation Period.  As such, God has designed that the Church is taken out of the world before the Tribulation Period comes upon the earth. 

As true believers, we can be rest assured in the promise that we will be spared the wrath of God that is coming to the world during the Tribulation Period (Matt 24:22; 1 Thess 1:10; 1 Thess 5:9).  The Bible tells us that Jesus will come like a thief in the night (Matt 24:43-44; 1 Thess 5:2), yet it will be at a time when the world thinks all is well where the normals of life are happening (Matt 24:38).  Suddenly, in a moment of time, the world changes.

Tribulation Period meant for Israel

Because the Bible is specific to point out that the rapture of the Church is about the hope of the true Church, and the Tribulation Period centers on God honoring His covenant with Abraham and places His attention on Israel and bringing the Jews back to Him, just as He has promised.  This then leaves no other option, but to believe that the rapture of the Church happens just prior to the Tribulation Period.  As such, this book centers on the rapture of the Church happening right before the opening of the Tribulation Period when the anti-christ announces himself to the world.

II Thess 2:7  For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only He who now restrains (The Holy Spirit within believers) will do so until He (Christian) is taken out of the way (raptured).  And then the lawless one will be revealed (anti-christ)...

Rev 3:10 Because you have kept My command to persevere, I also will keep you from the hour of trial which shall come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth. NKJV

The Timing of Other Rapture of the Church Theories

There are believers who have opposing views of the timing of the rapture of the Church.  While some may believe in a mid or post tribulation rapture, while others do not believe in a rapture of the Church at all.  For those who want to examine all of the different theories, there will be articles coming forth soon dissecting eaching view. 

There are five major resurrections taught in the Bible:

• 1st Resurrection - This first resurrection has already occurred - just after Jesus' death when Jesus went to hell to free the Old Testament saints from Abraham's Bosom  (Eph 4:8-9)  They were resurrected and when Jesus arose from the dead, He took them to heaven (Paradise).  
• 2nd Resurrection - The Rapture of the Church when all believers in Christ, both past and present will be rapturedd to meet Christ in the air.  There they will obtain their immortal, resurrected, glorified bodies and Jesus will then escort all the raptured into heaven into their eternal home.  (1 Thess 4:14-17; 1 Cor 15:51-52)
• 3rd Resurrection - The 144,000 Jewish Evangelist will be raptured into heaven around the mid-tribulation time.
• 4th Resurrection - The Tribulation saints who came to Jesus during the Tribulation Period who were martyred for their faith will be raptured up to heaven.  There their spirit/souls will remain under the altar until the end of the Tribulation Period when they will receive their immortal bodies.
• 5th Resurrection - This is the final resurrection; however, it wil be for the non-believers throughout the ages, which will occur after the 1000-year Millennial Kingdom.  They will rise out of hell and stand before God at the Great White Throne Judgment.  From there, they will be judged and cast into the Eternal Lake of Fire to suffer forever (Rev 20:11-15). (1)  They will never receive a glorified body, but remain as a conscious soul/spirit throughout eternity.

Many Raptures Listed in the Scriptures

While there are five resurrections in the Scriptures, the Bible gives us information that there are many raptures or transportations listed in Scripture.  Here is the most complete list that I have been able to collect.

• Under the Old Covenant, God raptured (transported) Enoch and Elijah to heaven.
• When all of the Old Testament saints died, their souls were transported to Abraham's Bosom (Paradise), located in hell.
• All the souls of those under the Old Covenant without God were transported to hell to be tormented night and day.
• God transported His Son Jesus from heaven to earth in the form of a man.  Jesus was crucified and transported to hell.  There He rescued all of the Old Testament saints, and God then rose Jesus and all of His saints first to earth and shortly thereafter to heaven.
• The spirits of those who die in Christ will immediately be transported into heaven.
• God promises to rapture (transport) the Church (body and spirit together) into heaven before the beginning of the Tribulation Period.
• God promises to rapture (transport) the 144,000 Jewish evangelists into heaven at the mid-tribulation point.
• God promises to rapture (transport) back to heaven the two witnesses (Enoch and Elijah).
• Jesus, along with His bride (saints) will come back (transport) to earth at the Battle of Armeggedon.
• The anti-christ and false prophet will be cast (transported) to the Eternal Lake of Fire.
• Satan and his angels will be cast down (transported) into the bottemless pit for 1000 years.
• God will then open up the bottomless pit and transport Satan and his angels back to earth to deceive many at the end of the 1000 years of the Millennium.
• At the very end of the Millennium, Satan and his angels, and all those who followed after him, will be judged and cast (transported) down into the Eternal Lake of Fire to join the anti-christ and the false prophet.
• At the Great White Throne Judgment, all those in hell will arise (be transported) before God in heaven only to be cast down (transported again) to the Eternal Lake of Fire to join Satan and his followers.

All of this to say is that God is Almighty.  We cannot sell Him short because He can do whatever He desires to accomplish His purpose. That includes rapturing or transporting people as He seems fit.

Click here to view Chapter #23 - The World at the Beginning of the Tribulation Period

End Notes

(1)  www.Neverthirst.org