The rapture is the gathering up of God's people when He returns to get those who love Him and take them to be with Him in Heaven. There are many different ideas regarding the Rapture and when it will happen. Many people teach that it will happen before the final seven years begins. Some teach that it will happen before the Great Tribulation, somewhere in the middle of the final seven years. A few teach that the rapture will take place at the end of the tribulation when Jesus Christ returns at the battle of Armageddon.
Let’s take a look at the scriptures.
Dan 11:31 And arms
shall stand on his part, and they shall pollute the sanctuary of strength, and
shall take away the daily sacrifice, and they shall place the abomination that
maketh desolate. 32 And such as do wickedly against the covenant shall he
corrupt by flatteries: but the people that do know their God shall be strong,
and do exploits. 33 And they that understand among the people shall instruct
many: yet they shall fall by the sword, and by flame, by captivity, and by
spoil, many days.
This scripture is talking about the event that happens at the halfway point of the final seven years. It says; the people that do know their God shall be strong and do exploits. And they that understand among the people shall instruct many. This is a very strong indication that we will be here at that event. We will be strong and we will instruct many. We will be able to help people find God at the very last! Some of us shall fall during this time. God tells us that those who die in the service of Christ will be blessed!
Dan 7:21 I beheld,
and the same horn made war with the saints, and prevailed against them; 22 Until
the Ancient of days came, and judgment was given to the saints of the most High;
and the time came that the saints possessed the kingdom.
The “same horn” is the horn that symbolizes the Antichrist. He will make war with the saints (us) and prevail against them until the Ancient of days came. This is Jesus Christ returning at the seventh trumpet at the end of the seven years. Again, it looks an awful lot like we will be here, and this time right up to the end.
Rev 20:4 And I saw
thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the
souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of
God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had
received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and
reigned with Christ a thousand years. 5 But the rest of the dead lived not again
until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection.
Notice that it says, "this is the first resurrection"? This event marks the beginning of the thousand year reign of Jesus Christ after the tribulation. If this is the first resurrection, then it's pretty obvious that there isn't another rapture that happens sometime before this. And, John saw the souls of them that died for Jesus and did not take the mark of the beast or worship him. If we aren’t here during the end of the seven years when the mark of the beast is implemented, there would be no one who would fit this description.
Rev 13:7 And it was
given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was
given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations. 8 And all that dwell upon
the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of
the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.
He (the Antichrist) will make war with the saints and all that dwell on the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life. Those who know God have their names written in the book of life. Again, looks an awful lot like we’re here during the reign of the Antichrist.
2 Thess 2:3 Let no
man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a
falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; 4 Who
opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is
worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that
he is God.
That day, the day Christ returns, will not come until after the antichrist is revealed. This event (the abomination of desolation where the antichrist is revealed) does not happen until half way through the final seven years.
1 Cor 15:51 Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all
sleep, but we shall all be changed, 52 In a moment, in the twinkling of an
eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be
raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.
Paul tells us that the dead will be raised and that we will be changed at the
sound of the last trumpet. There isn't anyone who will argue the fact that
the last trumpet, the 7th trumpet, is the battle of Armageddon where Jesus
returns to put down the governments of man and set up His kingdom at the end of
the tribulation. This
passage tells us without a doubt that the rapture will be at the end of
the tribulation.
1 Thess 4:16 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: 17 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.
The Lord shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the trumpet of God, and the dead shall rise first and then we that are still alive will be caught up with them together in the clouds. Is there another trumpet that brings the rapture? Not that I've ever read in the bible. This, again, is the 7th trumpet.
Matt 24:15 When ye
therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the
prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:) 16 Then
let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains: 17 Let him which is on the
housetop not come down to take any thing out of his house: 18 Neither let him
which is in the field return back to take his clothes. 19 And woe unto them that
are with child, and to them that give suck in those days! 20 But pray ye that
your flight be not in the winter, neither on the sabbath day: 21 For then shall
be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this
time, no, nor ever shall be. 22 And except those days should be shortened, there
should no flesh be saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be
shortened. 23 Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or there;
believe it not. 24 For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and
shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they
shall deceive the very elect. 25 Behold, I have told you before. 26 Wherefore if
they shall say unto you, Behold, he is in the desert; go not forth: behold, he
is in the secret chambers; believe it not. 27 For as the lightning cometh out of
the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of
man be. 28 For wheresoever the carcase is, there will the eagles be gathered
together. 29 Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be
darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from
heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken: 30 And then shall appear
the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth
mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with
power and great glory. 31 And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a
trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one
end of heaven to the other.
Except for the elect’s sake (God’s people) those days shall be shortened. Immediately after the tribulation… they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven… and he shall send his angels to gather together his elect from everywhere. Those days shall be shortened for our sake and when Christ returns at the sound of a trumpet (the seventh trumpet at the end of the tribulation) we will be gathered to Him! This passage is definitely telling us that it’s after the tribulation (verses 29 - 31) that we are gathered to the Lord!
Rev 14:9 And the
third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the
beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand, 10
The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out
without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with
fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of
the Lamb: 11 And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and
they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and
whosoever receiveth the mark of his name. 12 Here is the patience of the saints:
here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.
God tells us to be patient and have faith when the mark of the beast is implemented. Why would we need this warning if we aren’t here?
As much as I’d like to skip the tribulation, I think we will have to endure it. Without the Holy Spirit, I imagine it will be impossible. Thank the Lord for His Spirit that lives within those who follow Him!
John 14:17 Even the
Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not,
neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in
you
18 I will not leave
you comfortless: I will come to you.
Thank Jesus for not leaving us alone! I think we will need His strength!
Who will be left behind?
There is a fictional book series called Left Behind that has become very popular recently and has even become a movie series. In this series, some of the people that are left behind realize that they missed the rapture and turn to God. They begin a crusade called the Tribulation Force to try and win over the other remaining people. While this is a great story, it is completely fictional and it will not happen. We know that the rapture will happen at the end of the final seven years and that it happens at the time of the Second Coming of Jesus Christ which is at the time of the Battle of Armageddon. Shortly after this, God sets up His kingdom on earth and removes all earthly governments. There will be no second chances. When God returns he is not coming for everyone, he will gather only His church to Him. The dead will rise first and those who are alive and remain will be changed in the twinkling of an eye from mortal to immortal and will be caught up to Jesus in the sky. None of those who remain will be part of the true church. God will then wipe out the armies coming down on Israel at Armageddon and will unleash His wrath upon the earth. Many, many people will die during this short period of time. Remember that this is the first resurrection and that the second resurrection, found in the end of Revelation 20 is the judgment of those who did not have the Holy Spirit, were not part of the true church, and did not follow Christ.
We do not want to be left behind!