“For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we (you and I) who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord (the Rapture) will by no means precede (go ahead of) those who are asleep (dead). For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, 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.”
(1Thessalonians 4: 15-17)
The How, Where, Who and When of the Rapture
The How: We “shall be caught up together with them (the resurrected dead)…” (vs.17a)
“The Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the
voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God.” (vs.16a)
The Where: “in the clouds…” (vs. 17a)
The Who: “The Bride of Christ to meet the Lord in the air.” ( vs.17a) The When: Let us look to another very provocative scripture that will give us the precise moment when the Rapture will occur. When will that be? When the last person has been saved and completes the ‘Body of Christ. Romans 1:25b explains:
“…that blindness (refusing to accept Jesus as Messiah) in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in.”
In the fullness of time, when the last person on God’s eternal roll call has been saved, then Jesus will come for us and take us home. After the true Church is Raptured, 18
God turns again to His beloved Israel and fulfills His long-promised covenants.
The Simplicity of God’s Word and the Rapture
Let us simply believe God’s word. Most of Christendom is confused about what the Rapture is. Answer this question: Is God the author of confusion? Certainly not. Again, let us look to God’s word. Our Father clearly informs us in 1 Corinthians 14: 33 that,
“…God is not the author of confusion but of peace.”
Then who is the author of confusion? Satan is the destroyer. God’s word tells us in John 8: 44-45 that satan,
“… was (and is) a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it.”
Many of our sincere brothers and sisters in the Lord have been seduced into listening to the impulses and words of liar satan regarding the Rapture. Unbeknownst to these dear saints is the reality that satan has blinded them to the truth about the pre-tribulation Rapture.
Allow me to repeat the tragic fact that most Christians sadly have no idea what God’s word has to say this incredible soon-arriving event. The confusion about the pre-tribulation Rapture saturates the Christian community. Some Christians are absolutely devoid of any knowledge about the Rapture. Others have heard misinformation from their preacher, Sunday school teacher, etc.
Other Christians blindly accept untruths from books or some television evangelists, or perhaps a friend, stating that the Body of Christ will be lined up, completely subject to satan’s will, when Jesus Christ gives the okay for His Bride to be massacred. Yet sadly, many others 19
scoff and ridicule the concept of the Rapture.
Again, let us go to God’s word for the answer. Allow me to remind you of our responsibility to the Lord found in 2 Timothy 2: 15, which is a command of Jesus, not a suggestion:
“Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.”
Can you imagine standing before Jesus at the Judgment Seat of Christ to receive your rewards, and He asks you why you didn’t study His word (and He will), or why you were not ready and anticipating His coming in the Rapture?
Do you think you will feel shame as you ponder your response from these gentle, but profound, queries of our Lord? There is no doubt about it.
Saints, let there be no doubt in your minds and spirits - we will stand before our Lord Jesus Christ to have our Christian works evaluated by our King immediately after the Rapture. If this is the first time you have heard about the Judgment Seat of Christ, you may be scratching your head in confusion.
Let us observe one of several scriptures that discuss this incredible future event:
“But why dost thou judge thy brother? Or why dost thou set at nought thy brother?
for we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ. For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God. So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God.”
(Romans 14:10-12)
If you are not familiar with this scripture, you may be saying to yourself, “I thought heaven is perfect! I cannot understand how that perfection can be disturbed by my shame! How can there 20
be sadness and tears in heaven, of all places?” I understand your dismay.
But nevertheless, that’s what the scripture clearly defines. Many people cannot reconcile that shame will be experienced by some in heaven. But that’s what the Bible tells us.
Scorch Romans 14:10-12 in your hearts. Let it forever beckon you with its eternal finger of certainty. For this message given to us from Jesus to our dear brother, Paul of Tarsus, is soon about to become manifested.
Let us not be found ashamed when Jesus comes for us at the Rapture. Know this - you will receive a glorious heavenly crown if Jesus finds you expecting Him at the Rapture:
“Henceforth there is laid up for me (Paul) a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.”
(2 Timothy 4: 8) However, if you choose not to study God’s word and neglect developing a relationship with Jesus, you will be ashamed at His coming in the Rapture. If you are a true Christian, you will be Raptured, but you will soon be immersed in profound sorrow.
Imagine for a moment that Jesus has arrived from heaven and is standing in our atmosphere as He shouts “Come up hither.” As we rise in the Rapture, we will have already been given our glorified, eternal bodies, including the mind of Christ.
Within the time span of the “twinkling of an eye,” some of us will immediately, and sorrowfully, begin to feel great shame because we were not prepared to meet Jesus in the air or at His Judgment Seat.
In the midst of great surprise and wonder, as we are “spirited away” to heaven, we look over 21
at our escort, our Guardian Angel, for some comfort. He will look lovingly in our eyes, understanding fully that you may be sadly ill prepared to meet Jesus in triumph. Yet he smiles anyway, for you are a child of God.
Your sorrow will be enhanced and greatly magnified because your resurrected body includes a mind that is perfect and without earthly defect. We will truly have the mind of Christ:
“Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able to subdue all things unto himself.”
(Philippians 3: 21) You will lose rewards at the Judgment Seat of Christ if you have few earthly works of service to show Jesus. You will forever lose the opportunity that God had planned for you to serve Him in the capacity that He had in mind specifically for you for all eternity.
However, you still have time, right now, dear saint, to pray, to seek forgiveness, for your lack of devotional time and prayer. Ask Jesus to help you better serve Him in the particular area, or areas, within which He wants to place you now!
Satan - The Father of Lies
As you may have observed, I have not capitalized the name of satan in this book. This is a personal choice, quite unscholarly, but remains, nevertheless, my choice. He is responsible for the creation of multitudes of doctrines of demons that flood our Churches today.
Many Christians are ignorant as to the reality of satanic cults and false religions. Movements such as Replacement Theology, the Emergent Church, Preterism, Jesus Seminar, Mormonism, Christian Science, Jehovah’s Witnesses, and Oprah‘s new age lies, are only a few examples.
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Sadly, the list continues: Scientology. Post-Tribulationism, the influence of the Masonic Lodge, Positive Confession, God Wants You Rich, Name It And Claim It, New Age, the Occult, the practice of Astrology, Spiritism, Possibility Thinking, Rosicrucianism, Reincarnation, etc., etc.,
If the Gospel of Grace given to the apostle Paul by Jesus is not taught in your Church, run.
If your pastor does not preach or teach the Pauline doctrine of the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ, you are being deceived.
You may be saying “hey, wait a minute - I believe in Jesus. You’re telling me that’s not good enough?” My response is, “Just what do you believe?” Did your Jesus die on the Cross? Was He buried? Did He rise from the dead?
If you say no, then your belief would have been good enough if you lived during the ministry of Peter and the twelve. In their earthly ministries, all that was required was an acknowledgement that Jesus was the Messiah. If you want to be a member of the Body of Christ, you must fully believe in Gospel of Grace that Jesus gave to Paul..
Awareness Of The Soon Coming Persecution of Christians
It is vital to your Christian maturity that you study and comprehend the word of God. I didn’t say that it is vital to “read” your Bible. You must study and get deeply grounded in the truths presented by the Bible. Doing so will give you certainty that your future is secure in the sovereign and protective hands of Jesus.
Christian persecution is advancing in the United States. In over fifty countries, Christians are now being tortured and murdered for Jesus Christ (see last page of this book for list). We need to prepare ourselves for the worst. If Jesus tarries, I do see great harassment and accusations 23
of hate crimes against Christians for speaking out about what the Bible says about homosexuality, murder (abortions), etc. Why are there no hate crimes against Christians?
In many ways the seed of the persecution have already been planted. In a Washington Times article by Audrey Hudson (May 2009), it was mentioned that terror watch lists exist that deem as dangerous ordinary American citizens who believe that abortion is wrong; that speaking out publicly against homosexuality is a hate crime; that signing your name to petitions to voice your opinion about inappropriate government actions, are threats against the United States. I know that I must be on several watch lists. I consider that a badge of honor.
Similarly, people who join militias and wear certain symbols on their clothing (pictures, cartoons, bumper stickers about the IRS, FBI, ATF, CIA, and the police) are now labeled as terrorists if “caught.” They are put in the Department of Homeland Security’s data bank. If a person speaks about the New World Order in a derogatory manner, they are put on the terrorist list.
We are truly losing freedom of speech and our beloved Constitution is being ignored and decimated. However, remember Whom it is who is control:
“He increaseth the nations, and destroyeth them: he enlargeth the nations, and straiteneth them again.”
(Job 12: 23)
“And he changeth the times and the seasons: he removeth kings, and setteth up kings: he giveth wisdom unto the wise, and knowledge to them that know understanding.”
(Daniel 2: 12)
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“And the king shall do according to his will; and he shall exalt himself, and magnify himself above every god, and shall speak marvellous things against the God of gods, and shall prosper till the indignation be accomplished: for that which is determined shall be done.”
(Daniel 11:36) The Future - In God’s Hands
It was mentioned that persecution is at our doorstep. We need to pray. We need to form close bonds with other Christians. We need to be filled with the power of the Holy Spirit. Finally, we must be foundationally grounded in the scriptures. When the pressures arrive, the Holy Spirit will guide us as to how to handle what is soon coming.
Reflect upon the peace and promises that the following scriptures provide. As the Rapture approaches, understand that each day that passes is one day closer to the return of Jesus: Psalm 31: 3
“For thou art my rock and my fortress; therefore for thy name’s sake lead me, guide me.”
Psalm 31: 15
“My times are in thy hand: deliver me from the hand of my enemies, and from them that persecute me.”
Psalm 91: 2
“I will say of the LORD (Jehovah God - Son of God), He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust.”
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My brother or sister, as one Christian to another, please begin studying your Bible. You must get ready for anything that will befall you. Jesus has not left us in ignorance. Our Bible tells us via the prophets, and by the epistles of Paul, exactly what is coming.
Saint, understanding the Bible will better prepare you to recognize the snares set by satan.
There are satanically inspired books sitting on the bookshelves of Christian homes.
Several questionable “Christian” television programs are viewed by millions, unaware that they are being fed the dead flesh of false gospels. Many pastors have given up, or never started, speaking out about sin, or prophecy, or of the reality of heaven and hell.
Multitudes of Churches have turned seeker-friendly; many pastors are afraid to “offend” their congregations by talking about sin. Is this the kind of Church that God will honor?
God Gave Us the Ability to Know the Future
Take a look at your future. The Bible foretells your future and my future. Below is a checklist of what you will experience after we are Raptured:
* Pre-Tribulation Rapture
* Getting accustomed to your mansion (dwelling place) in the heavenly New Jerusalem
* The Judgment Seat of Christ
* Receiving Your Eternal Job Description
* The Marriage of the Lamb
* Jesus Returns to Earth in His Second Coming with His Saints (us) in Judgment
* We Observe satan Being Hurled Into the Bottomless Pit by an Angel of God
* Jesus and His Saints (redeemed Christians) Revisit A Battered and Wasted Earth 26
* We Witness Jesus Judging the Tribulation Survivors - Believers and Unbelievers
* We Will Judge Angels
* The Marriage Supper of the Lamb
* Jesus Begins to Renovate Planet Earth For Habitation as a Second Garden of Eden
* The Initiation of the 1000 year Millennium
* We Rule and Reign With Jesus; We Begin to Serve Jesus With Our Assigned “Job”
* The Millennium Expires; satan is Released to Build Army against God.
* God Wipes Out satan’s Army by Fire.
* We Witness Satan Being Thrown Forever Into the Lake of Fire and Brimstone
* Jesus Recreates Earth and Heaven by Fire. Eden is Globally Restored. Jesus takes Millennial Saints (believing survivors of tribulation) to New Jerusalem (best guess) hovering over Jerusalem until earth is recreated.
* New Jerusalem set down permanently on a New and Purified Earth
* New Jerusalem is 1500 mile “cube” city, which consumes an enormous amount of land
* Life, Under the Theocratic Rule of Jesus, Begins. Eternity is Initiated.
* We, in Our Bodies “Like Christ’s” are Free to Explore the Universe - Forever!
Perhaps many readers are not familiar with the above description of coming events.
I would ask you to study the books of Daniel and Revelation. Get a good study guide.
I put my “faith” in Bible teachers like Les Feldick, Grant Jeffrey, Chuck Missler, Hilton Sutton, David Reagan, Charles Stanley, Hal Lindsey, J.R. Church, Mark Hitchcock, and few others. These men of God, in my opinion, present Biblical truths that are clearly reflected in their 27
television programs as well as in their study materials.
Christian, the glorious reign of Christ, of which we will be a vital part, gives us the unfathomable honor of serving Jesus Christ on earth as Kings and Priests; helping our Lord to administer His Kingdom of Heaven, throughout all eternity. No harp playing on clouds for us.
We will assist Jesus in the day-to-day running of the “new heaven and new earth” that Jesus will create at the end of the 1000 year millennium.
Do not allow yourselves to believe the lies of satan regarding any view of the pre-tribulation Rapture other that what God tells you in the Bible! If any slick, silver tongued preacher, or
“seasoned” Bible study teacher, or even a well-meaning friend, presents you with any other position other that the pre-tribulation Rapture, they are trying to sell you a portion of hell itself.
I want to emphasize what was spoken of earlier in this book. You know by now that Jesus will not allow His blood bought Bride to go through the tribulation to suffer the terrors that are designed for Israel and all non-believing earth dwellers on planet earth.
Review Revelation 3:10 again if you need to. Constantly refer to it; commit it to memory.
You’ll be amazed at the peace it will bring you.
Jesus Did Not Teach About the Rapture
Jesus never taught the Rapture during His earthly ministry. As God, He of course knew that all true Christians would be Raptured in the end times. However, during Jesus’ ministry, it was not the proper time to disclose this future blessing – it was yet two-thousand years in the future.
Jesus knew He would be rejected by Israel and would have to postpone for two millennia what He originally came to earth for in the first place - to fulfill the promises of the fathers.
Included in those promises was the promise to establish an earthly Kingdom of Heaven, with 28
Jesus serving as King in Jerusalem. However, for this to be fulfilled at that time, all of Israel
would be required to accept Him as Messiah. But this was not to be.
A Shocking Reality - Jesus Ministered Only To the House of Israel I am going to introduce a scriptural reality with which few Christians are familiar. Shame on pastors and Bible teachers who failed to teach the “full Gospel” of Jesus Christ. It may certainly come as a shock for many readers to learn that when Jesus came to earth it was to bring salvation only to the Jews, not to the entire world (during His three year earthly ministry).
How could Jesus have come for the entire world at that time if He or His disciples never left Israel to preach the Gospel of the Kingdom? Was the message of the Gospel to be carried by the wind? No. Jesus used Paul, some twenty-years after His resurrection, to spread the Gospel of Grace to the countries surrounding Israel
Jesus came to earth only to minister unto the Nation of Israel. If this overlooked Biblical fact surprises you, it is nevertheless true. Of course, by His sacrifice on the cross, we are saved by believing in the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus. However, Jesus came only for the Nation of Israel, as we see in Matthew 15: 24:
“I (Jesus) am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the House of Israel.”
Did Jesus state that He came to earth for the entire world? No - only for House of Israel. It was only when Jesus chose Paul to deliver His new message of the Gospel of Grace, would all humanity have the opportunity to receive salvation.
Three other scriptures similarly tell us that Jesus’ earthly ministry was only for Israel:
“Blessed be the Lord God of Israel; for he that visited and redeemed his people.”
(Luke 1: 68) 29
“To give knowledge of salvation unto his people by the remission of sins.”
(Luke 1: 77)
“Now I say that Jesus Christ was a minister of the circumcision (Israel) for the truth of God, to confirm the promises made unto the fathers.”
(Romans 15: 8)
He was still bound by the ancient covenant. He came as the promised Messiah. But Israel rejected Him. Jesus did not teach the disciples about the future Rapture. How could He?
The disciples were under the ancient covenant also. They were waiting for Jesus to bring in
“heaven on earth,” i.e., the earthly Kingdom of God, in their immediate future. Yet the disciples were commanded by Jesus not to deal with Gentiles at all!
Jesus had instructed his disciples not to witness to Gentiles outside of Israel:
“These twelve Jesus sent forth, and commanded them, saying, Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and into any city of the Samaritans (not full Jews) enter ye not. But go rather to the lost sheep of the House of Israel.”
(Matthew 10: 5-6)
Our Lord commanded the disciples not to minister to the Gentiles. They never did leave Israel! Our Bible never informs us that they never ventured outside of Israel to witness to the world’s lost sheep.
You will find Church history telling you that the disciples spread out all over the world; but you won’t find it in God’s holy scriptures. The reason Jesus commanded His disciples not to minister unto the Gentiles was because they were not a part of the covenant that God made only with Israel. God was not yet ready to reveal His mysteries about ministering to Gentiles.
Imagine this scenario. Jesus tells His disciples that the Rapture was going to occur two 30
thousand years in the future, and that He, the Messiah, was going to postpone bringing in the prophesied earthly Kingdom of God until that time period.
The impact of this news on the twelve disciples, as well as on their converts, would have been severe. They would have felt betrayed because the Old Testament promised that the Kingdom of God would be established on earth when the Messiah came.
“Well,” they would have said. “Our Messiah is with us at this very moment ! Now He is telling us that His Kingdom is going to be postponed for another two thousand years? What of God’s covenant with the Nation of Israel?”
But our sovereign God knew exactly what was happening. He knew that the Nation of Israel would reject and share the blame with Rome in killing their Messiah, thereby postponing the creation of the earthly Kingdom of God.
God knew that He would have to temporarily put His beloved Israel aside until He saved the Gentiles, whom He would later present to His Son Jesus, as His holy Bride.
Similarly, God knew, and arranged for, the raising up of Paul of Tarsus to bring the revolutionary “good news” to the Gentiles (non-Jews); the new “Gospel of Grace“ that presented all humanity the opportunity to receive salvation through belief in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
The disciples were so certain that Jesus would soon reign in the prophesized Kingdom of God, they badgered Jesus with this question found in Matthew 19: 27-28:
“Then answered Peter and said unto him, Behold, we have forsaken all, and followed thee; what shall we have therefore? And Jesus said unto them, Verily I say unto you. That ye which have followed me, in the regeneration (millennium) 31
when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.”
The disciples asked Jesus a natural question. They simply wanted to know what was “in it for them” by sticking with Jesus these past three years. When Jesus told them that they would be judges (rulers) over the twelve tribes of Israel, they were fully convinced they would shortly assume their positions in Jesus’ government.
Jesus told them specifically that their future role as rulers in His earthly kingdom would be in their glorified physical bodies (assuming that all Israel would accept Jesus as Messiah). As was mentioned earlier, Jesus gave no revelation about the Rapture.