A mystery often overlooked and even more often misunderstood by many

Like so many other precious truths lost during the centuries by an apostate Church, the rapture was unappreciated until the 19th century.  John Nelson Darby is generally credited with bringing attention to the truth of the rapture. He and others in Ireland and England became united in a group known as the Plymouth Brethren who sought to worship in accord with the teachings of the early Church as revealed in the Bible. Darby was a brilliant theologian, but his was a minority view ignored and at odds with popular thought of the day. Although the many scriptures pointing to the rapture came to be increasingly appreciated, it was not until Hal Lindsey's book, The Late Great Planet Earth, that many really became familiar with the teaching. Unfortunately, much misunderstanding and controversy have surrounded the doctrine. Probably the foremost reason for conflict is that verses referring to the rapture are mistaken to mean Christ's second coming after the Tribulation. As with most controversies over scripture, the cause is from differing presumptions that result in different interpretations. Rather than to become embroiled in all the varying views of the theologians, a better way is to let the scriptures speak for themselves. You be the judge.

DISTINCTIONS BETWEEN THE RAPTURE AND THE 2ND COMING

Not only is the rapture denied by those who equate it with the second coming, many who do affirm it disagree about when it will take place. Three views are commonly espoused---the Pre-Trib., the Mid-Trib., and the Post-Trib.---centering on the rapture's relation in time to the great Tribulation, that is, before the Tribulation, in the middle of it, or at its end? Apart from the arguments of scholars who are divided, a literal view of scripture consistently shows  the rapture to be a fulfillment of Titus 2:13 Looking for that blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ. Coming face to face with our savior in heaven at any moment,  that is surely a blessed hope. But how can the expectancy of undergoing God's wrath against sin be called hope? Further, since Christ has dealt with sin for believers, what need for the Church to suffer further? And how can His appearance ever be said to be immanent if the events of a 7-year tribulation must precede it? Scripture makes clear that the rapture must precede the Tribulation.

Another source of confusion regarding the rapture stems from a failure to distinguish between Israel and the Church, since many today consider the two to be one and the same. This is the view of Covenant theology that misses the progressive working of God in accomplishing His will. Consequently, the assumption is that His relationship with the Church is no different from that of Israel. Of course, this fails to distinguish between the dispensations of  Law and Grace, accounting for no end of misunderstanding by believers over their relationship to Christ. Any discussion of this is a major study in itself and not within the scope of this paper. What's important is to differentiate between scriptures addressed to Israel as opposed to those to the Church, something absolutely essential if anyone is "to rightly divide the word." (II Tim. 2:15) 

That God has determined separate roles for Israel and the Church, the book of Daniel is instructive.  In Daniel 9:24 God clearly speaks of His plan for Israel, that “70 weeks are determined for thy (Daniel’s) people" [Israel]. In summary, seven weeks and 62 weeks (69 weeks of years in all) had been determined from the time Jerusalem was to be rebuilt until Israel's messiah would come and be crucified. A little math shows 7 times 69 to be 483, the exact number of years to the day when Christ entered into Jerusalem as was prophesied.  Then, following the crucifixion of Christ, in the 70th week the people (Rome) of the prince to come (Anti-Christ),  complete the last chapter in Israel's history. The church age, a mystery until revealed to Paul, lies BETWEEN the 69^th and 70^th weeks. Note the parenthesis in time, that the 70th week has not yet begun after nearly 2,000 years. Nor will it occur until after the rapture when God's program for Israel will resume on schedule, as if the parenthetical Church age had never happened. Without a doubt the events of the 70th week pertain to Daniel's people, Israel, not the church! Certainly this knowledge is crucial to our rightfully comprehending not only the rapture but so many prophecies in the Gospels. Keeping in mind that Jesus' words were addressed primarily to Israel ("I was not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel." (Matt. 14:24) gives insight about many otherwise unsolvable passages. Remember, Jesus' words, "I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now." (John 16:12) It was not until after His ascension that Christ chose the apostle Paul to reveal what His work on the Cross had accomplished for the gentiles as well as the Jews. Thank God He followed the Gospels with the letters of Paul and others that reveal the mystery of the Church!

While all the above is relevant and may be helpful, the truth of the rapture so obviously revealed in scripture, captivated me long before ever hearing any theologian discuss it. While I hold Darby and the Brethren and others in high regard, it is scripture that convinces me, as it should anyone. But don't take my word for it. Judge for yourself. Read the  passages that follow and study the many others to see whether my conclusions are justified.

I 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.

I Thes. 4:17  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.
    God's promises to Israel concern establishing His kingdom on earth. The saints are Heaven bound, destined to rule with Christ.

John 14:2  In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. 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.
    Note that, unlike His return to the earth at the end of the Tribulation, here he promises to prepare a place for us and to come for us so that we may be with him there.

I Thes. 5:9  For God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.
    Read this in context of I Thes. 5:4-11.  Paul is writing to believers who already are saved. The word salvation in verse 9 has a narrower meaning, I believe, specifically saved from the wrath. The rapture will precede God’s wrath poured out on the world.

I Thes, 5:23, 24 Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. He who calls you is faithful, who also will do it.

If we are to appear blameless before God, I daresay we can have no confidence that it is anything of ourselves but only something that scripture promises God will do.

2 Thes. 2:7  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.
Many think this refers to the Holy Spirit who indwells the Church which is taken out of the way. Otherwise, the verse makes no sense.

2 Thes. 2:1-3  1 Now we beseech you, brethren, touching the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and our gathering together unto him;  to the end that ye be not quickly shaken from your mind, nor yet be troubled, either by spirit, or by word, or by epistle as from us, as that the day of the Lord is just at hand; let no man beguile you in any wise: for it will not be, except the falling away come first, and the man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition.
    We are certainly seeing the fulfillment of this prophecy about the apostasy. Its time to look up!

I Thes. 5:2  For you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night.

OLD TESTAMENT INSTANCES

When God flooded the world, when He destroyed Sodom and Gomorra, when he rescued Israel from Egypt, none of His children perished. In the case of the Flood, it’s interesting that Methuselah died the very year (I suspect immediately prior to when Noah entered the ark) and did not perish with the wicked. Similarly, destruction came upon Sodom and Gomorra only after Lot and his family were led out of the city; God had promised Abraham that even if there were ten righteous in the city, He would not destroy it. Last, in their helpless captivity in Egypt, all of Israel crossed the Red Sea before the Egyptians were consumed. Surely these instances are a picture of the rapture. 

Zola Levitt has shown how God has used the seven feasts of Israel to foretell His plan for the ages that includes the rapture. These feasts belong exclusively to Israel. So where is the Church?  During the time of Jacob’s trouble, the Tribulation mentioned above, the Church is in Heaven, appointed to return with Christ at his second coming when the saints will rule with Christ during the millennium.

Sadly when the rapture is mentioned, too many today respond in the words of II Peter 3:4, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation. Not only are they "willingly ignorant" as verses 5-7 reveal, but their words are the unwitting fulfillment of the very prophecy.

Let's not forget the reminder of I Thess. 5:4-6 "But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief. Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness.  Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober."

All conditions have been met. We could be "caught up" at any moment. Let us redeem the time.

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