The first scripture that introduces the Rapture is:
1 Cor 15: 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.
53 For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.
54 So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory.
It tells us two things:
1.We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be CHANGED.
(This is worthy of note because in using the pronoun WE; Paul includes himself. He had hopes that it would happen in his lifetime).
2. It will happen (a) in a moment; (b) in the twinkling of an eye; (c) at the last trumpet.
Again Paul, not knowing the CERTAINTY of the occurrence of the Rapture, includes himself in the sister scripture:
2 Thess 2:16-17 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.
Do you see the similarity between these two scriptures?
1CO 15:52 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.
1TH 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.
Both are speaking about the SAME EVENT – THE RAPTURE!
So there will be of a certainty a CATCHING UP TO BE WITH THE LORD IN THE AIR.
This is what we refer to as the Rapture.
But there is more…we need to ascertain whether or not the Rapture is the same thing as the Second Coming of the Lord.
Are they the same event?
We will let scripture speak for itself…this is a long one but a VERY important read:
2 Thess 3:3-8
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.
5 Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things?
6 And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time.
7 For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way.
8 And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming:
First, Paul warns us not to be deceived that THE DAY has come, because a FALLING AWAY has to happen first, followed by the making known of the identity of the MAN OF SIN, the son of perdition whom we already know to be the Antichrist.
Paul appeals to us by the coming of the Lord…but he qualifies this coming of the Lord with the next phrase – AND BY OUR GATHERING TOGETHER UNTO HIM! (Yet another reference to the Rapture).
In verse 6, he explains why this MAN OF SIN has not revealed himself yet.
Verse 6 And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time.
He now reveals why the Antichrist is being prevented from being revealed in the next verse:
For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only HE WHO NOW LETTETH will let, until he be taken out of the way.
NOW TAKE NOTE OF THE VERY NEXT VERSE!
(It is only AFTER HE WHO IS PREVENTING THE REVEALING OF THE ANTICHRIST IS TAKEN OUT OF THE WAY THAT THE ANTICHRIST CAN BE REVEALED).
Verse 7 And THEN shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming:
Then... when? AFTER HE WHO NOW LETTETH (OR PREVENTS) is taken out of the way.
After He has been taken out of the way, ONLY THEN will the Antichrist be revealed…whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth and shall destroy…how?
WITH THE BRIGHTNESS OF HIS COMING!
So the two things we must find out are:
1. Who is HE who has to be taken out of the way before the Antichrist can be revealed?
2.This BRIGHTNESS OF HIS COMING…is it the same COMING as the one which Paul describes as Christ coming for his saints and we will then be caught up in the air and so be WITH THE LORD?
1TH 4:17 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.
So apparently, Christ is COMING to MEET US IN THE AIR; but he is also COMING TO DESTROY THE ANTICHRIST WITH THE BRIGHTNESS OF HIS COMING.
Obviously these two Comings are NOT the same!
The brightness of his coming is the same as the one revealed in Matthew 24:27:
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.
The expressions - Lightning and Shining both express the BRIGHTNESS of his coming!
So the Church is caught up with Christ in the air BEFORE Christ returns to destroy the Antichrist with the BRIGHTNESS OF HIS COMING, for the simple reason that Christ CANNOT come and destroy the Antichrist while at the same time rapturing his saints !!! Otherwise there would be no point of a rapture that coincides with the end of the age when the Antichrist is destroyed!
The only question remaining unsolved is WHO IS HE WHO IS PREVENTING THE ANTICHRIST FROM BEING REVEALED?
Let us study this scripture again, this time placing emphasis on a word we have so often overlooked:
For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only HE who now letteth will let, until HE be taken out of the way.
It is obvious the person referred to is described using the male gender.
He is a MAN or has the characteristics of one.
We could say HE is the Holy Spirit:
JOHN 16:13 Howbeit when HE, the Spirit of truth, is come, HE will guide you into all truth: for HE shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever HE shall hear, that shall HE speak: and HE will shew you things to come.
At this time I don’t think anyone will argue that this Spirit of truth is the Holy Spirit being referred to as a HE.
But he wasn’t the only one the bible referred to as a HE apart from Christ himself…
Look at the following verses:
EPH 2:15 Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new MAN, so making peace;
The above verse is talking about the Church.
Eph 1:22-23 And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church,
23 Which is HIS body, the fulness of HIM that filleth all in all.
Again the Church is referred to as the body of HIM…Christ… A MAN. If the head is a MAN then so also is HIS BODY!
Eph 4:13 Till WE ALL come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect MAN, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:
We all (ie the Church), must become a perfect MAN!
But let us suppose for just one minute that his HE WHO NOW LETTETH is the Holy Spirit…is it possible for the Holy Spirit to be removed while the Church is still on earth?
Of course not, for then the Church (that will now be left behind by his removal), would be dead without the Spirit of Christ!
In addition to that, how will those to whom the gospel of the kingdom will be preached to; be SAVED if the Holy Spirit is taken away?
So therefore HE WHO NOW PREVENTS THE ANTICHRIST FROM BEING REVEALED IS THE MAN – THE CHURCH!
IT IS AFTER HE HAS BEEN REMOVED THAT THE ANTICHRIST WILL BE REVEALED.
IN DUE COURSE AFTER HIS REVELATION, CHRIST WILL DESTROY HIM BY THE BRIGHTNESS OF HIS COMING!
HALLELUJAH!!!
Next, we will look at HOW TO PREPARE FOR THE RAPTURE!
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Do look out for Part 4.
God bless you!
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