DAY 1 - The RAPTURE of the Church There are more than one thousand prophecy in the Bible. About 500 of them have been fulfilled. These are the prophecy of the FIRST coming of Christ Jesus. The rest of the prophecy is about the SECOND coming of Christ. The four essential prophetic programs that accompany the Second Coming are the RAPTURE, GOD's PLAN for ISRAEL, the NATIONS and the CHURCH. This week we are going to study about the rapture, because it is the NEXT EVENT in God's Calendar and it is the first thing that will happen before we enter into the Great Tribulation period. A. The most dramatic event in prophecy fulfilled: SALVATION. The FIRST coming of Christ to die for our sins and His resurrection. His first coming fulfilled the birth, death and resurrection of Christ to redeem our sins and give those that believes a gift of eternal life. B. The most dramatic event of the future: the RAPTURE. The rapture is the coming of Christ to take us to heaven. The rapture of the church was not revealed in the Old Testament. In fact, no events are are recorded in Scripture as signs or anticipations of the rapture. Rather, it was first revealed when Christ told His disciples, "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 (John 14:3)." This was the first announcement of the coming of Christ to take His saints out of the world and was totally contrary to what the disciples believed. They were expecting Christ to bring in immediately a kingdom on earth. Later Paul added additional details: "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. 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." (I Thes 4:16-17) So according to this Scripture, Christ returns bodily from heaven to the air above the earth and causes the dead in Christ to rise as well as the living to be changed. The term "rapture" is just another English word for being "caught up together with them" and the translation could be that we are "raptured together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air." Through the centuries the church has anticipated the possibility of Christ coming any day and fulfilling the doctrine of the rapture. While the world will not see the glory of Christ until the Second Coming, Christians will see the glory of Christ immediately (I John 3:2) and at the same time be transformed into His likeness (I Cor 15:51-53) when they are caught up in the rapture. Today we have discussed that Rapture is prophesied in the Bible as the next major event that will happen. Tomorrow we will see when will this Rapture happens and what is the purpose of the Rapture.
DAY 2 - The Biblical Prophecy Timeline The following are the order of things in God's Calendar: a. Christ's First Coming b. Christ's Crucifixion c. Christ's Resurrection and Ascension Into Heaven d. Christ's Coming in the Air (I Thes 4:13-18) - Also known as the RAPTURE of Believers e. The Rapture marks the seven year period of the Great Tribulation. Antichrist declares himself world ruler, abomination or desolation (Dan 9:27-11:36-39, Matt 24:15; Rev 13:7-8) f. Christ's Second Coming (Rev 19: 11-16) g. 1000 years of peace on Earth (The millennial kingdom (Rev 20:1-8) h. The White Throne Judgement of the sinful dead and of Satan (Rev 20:10-15) i. New Heaven and New Earth (Rev 21-22) The first three events have happened, i.e., The first coming (birth), crucifixion (death) and resurrection and ascension into heaven. The NEXT EVENT in God's Calendar is Christ's Coming in the Air and the taking of the saints out of the earth to meet Him in the Air (i.e., RAPTURE). The RAPTURE's main purpose is to take the believers from going through the period of the Great Tribulation. Rapture is a relief for the believers, so that when God passes the judgement on earth, the believers do not have to withstand it. The believers will be in the air with Jesus when the terrible things are happening on earth. What kind of terrible things will be there on earth? The great end-time also known as the Great Tribulation is a very terrible time, full of catastrophes. For instance, the fourth seal, which represents an early phase of this judgment, speaks of one-fourth of the earth being destroyed (Rev 6:7-8). The seal judgments in chapters 6:1-8:1 are followed by a series of punishments heralded by the sounding of seven trumpets. The sixth trumpet adds another terrible fact that one-third of the remaining population of the earth will be killed (9:15). These seven trumpets in turn are followed by the final bowls of God's wrath (16:1-21), each of which is still another terrible judgement on the whole earth. The seventh and final bowl of wrath is described as an earthquake that is greater than any in history. It will split "the great city," probably Jerusalem, into three parts, and "the cities of the nations collapsed (Rev 16:19). In other words, the nations of the Gentile world are destroyed by this giant earthquake. It is described further as a time in which islands and mountains disappear and the whole earth is in literal convulsions. On top of all this, a supernatural storm pelts the earth with 100-pound hailstones. It would be hard for anybody to describe a scene more awful or more destructive of human life and property. God has designed the RAPTURE for the believers. It is intended to relieve the believers from going through the destruction on earth. But friends, the rapture is only for believers. If the rapture happens tonight and you are not a believer, then you will not be caught up in heaven. You will be left behind on earth to face the terrible judgement of the Great Tribulation. Now, are you ready? And how can you be ready? Tomorrow we will study the time of the rapture (i.e., when the rapture will happen).
DAY 3 - The TIME of the Rapture One of the crucial issues in the interpretation of the rapture is when it will occur. Because the rapture is called a "coming," the tendency has been on the part of many interpreters to equate it with the Second Coming of Christ. The Second Coming and Rapture is TWO DIFFERENT events. Please refer to the study yesterday. According to that timeline, the rapture happens first, followed by the great tribulation of seven years, then finally Christ comes for the second time. The Second Coming is clearly preceded by many important events, covering a period of some years as described in Revelation 6-18 and other passages. By contrast, the RAPTURE pictures it as something that can be expected momentarily with NO preceding events revealed. There are no signs for the rapture. It will come in a twinkling of an eye and it is like a thief in the night. The purpose of the rapture is to take the SAINTS out of the earth to be in heaven while the great end-time events take place on earth. The Second Coming is a totally different event when Christ brings all the saints and angels from heaven to the earthly scene to share in His thousand-year reign on earth. The rapture begins the "Day of the Lord." The day of the Lord means the time when God deals in direct judgment upon His people. The judgement begins with the period of seven years of the Great Tribulation (please refer to the study yesterday), then followed by the White Throne Judgment. In I Thess 5:1-2, God through Paul warned the people, "Now, brothers, about times and dates we do not need to write to you, for you know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night." There is no signs for RAPTURE and rapture is only for believers. If we have not accepted Christ as our Savior by the time the rapture happens, then we will go through the Great Tribulation. Friends, are you ready? If the rapture happens tonight, are you sure that you will be raptured? Or are you going to be one of those that will be left behind on earth?
DAY 4-5 - Can I receive Christ after the Rapture happens? Yesterday, we have seen that the rapture is only for believers. God raptured the believers and caught up the believers in the air to be with Christ, while He is passing judgement on earth, i.e., the Great Tribulation. During this time there will be famine, plaque, earthquake, 100-pound hailstones and other catastrophies that kills significant portions of the earth's population. Now, the believers will not go through that time of WRATH. But, if I am left behind during that time, do I still have time to accept Christ after the rapture. Surely you can, in fact, many people will come to believe Christ after the rapture of the church. BUT, these future believers will experience persecution during the Great Tribulation. The Book of Revelation makes plain that the world ruler, the Antichrist, who will dominate the earth for three and a half years before the Second Coming, will seek to kill everyone who does not acknowledge him as God (Rev 13:7, 10, 15). Revelation 7:9-17 pictures a multitude of martyrs in heaven from every nation, tribe, people and language. They are described as those who came out of the Great Tribulation, apparently martyrs of the faith. These are people who are saved after the rapture and who seal their testimony with their own blood in the Great Tribulation. Yes, surely we can wait until after rapture, but why? If you believe in Christ now, you don't have to go through the Great Tribulation. Are you ready for the rapture? Are you sure that you will be raptured? If not, then this is the time to be ready. We can only be ready by accepting Christ as our Savior. 1. "For all have sinned" (Rom 3:23) - Acknowledge that we are sinners 2. "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord (Rom 6:23)" - Realize that since we are sinners, we are going to face death and eternal death in hell. 3. "Truly, truly, I say unto you, he who believes on me has everlasting life." (John 6:47) - In God there is hope of eternal life. 4. "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. … Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already." (John 3:16-18) - This gift can be received by believing in Christ. 5. "For by GRACE you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast." (Eph 2:8-9) - Salvation is a GIFT, by GRACE, through FAITH and it is not by WORKS. Have you receive Christ as your Savior? If not, then this is the time to be sure of your future life. This is a future life that goes beyond Y2K. This is a future life that will go to eternity. If you can even SAVE money for your retirement and to ensure your old age and provide for the family, should not you be prepared for the PERMANENT and ETERNAL future life?