"A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in pictures of silver." Proverbs 25:11

“THE RAPTURE”
OUR BLESSED HOPE

Shining a Light on the Rapture - Maranatha!

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This article is written to bring you comfort, hope, & truth that will sustain you during these troubled times. Here is scriptural truth about the event called the Rapture often referred to in scripture as our Blessed Hope or the Mystery ... this is for every Born Again Believer to be looking forward toward. This is one end time event we can all claim as a prophesied promise to be fulfilled soon. Maranatha!

We know the the word Rapture does not occur in the Bible. We also know the term comes from a Latin word meaning a carrying off, a transport, or a snatching away. Scripture does show us that this concept is clear & decisive & is biblical. It is the catching away of Jesus Christ's, Yeshua's born again Believers from this earth as He calls them to meet Him in the air/clouds to take them into Heaven.<

The Second Coming of Jesus Christ - is another event altogether & should not be mistaken as all one event mixed in with the Rapture. Scriptures throughly support two separate events taking place in the End Times. Each event is purposed & directed to cause two separate fulfillments of scripture and prophecy.

The Rapture of the Believers (church/bride) is the first event in which Jesus Christ our Messiah snatches away all Believers from the earth in order to make way for His righteous judgment to be poured out on the earth during the Great Tribulation.

The Rapture is described primarily in 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 & 1 Corinthians 15:50-54 Jesus Christ will resurrect all Believers who have died, give them glorified bodies, & take them from this earth, along with all living Believers, who will also be given glorified bodies at that time. This event will usher us into the Kingdom of YHWH God & we Believers will be with our Messiah forever; and we will then be able to partake of the wedding feast, the crowns being distributed, & then returning with Jesus Christ at His Second Coming; His return to the earth where He actually splits the Mt. of Olives as He descends to earth upon the mountain.

So, at the Rapture we as the Believers meet Jesus Christ in the air as ...

Jesus Christ 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 Jesus Christ in the air. And so we will be with Jesus Christ forever. 1Thessalonians 4:16 -17

The Rapture involves an instantaneous transformation of our bodies to prepare us for eternity to be able to live in the Kingdom of God forevermore & in the New Jerusalem. How exciting is that! This is what we ALL yearn for, this is our full inheritance with Jesus Christ & the fulfillment of our calling & our SALVATION. This is our Blessed Hope in real time.

"We know that when He, Jesus Christ appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see Him as He is." 1 John 3:2

The Rapture is to be distinguished from the Second Coming & these are two separate events for two separate reasons. All very understandable & direct in purpose and prophecy fulfillment. Each event ushers in a different purpose according to God's plan & prophecy.

To reiterate: at the Rapture our Messiah comes 'in the clouds' to meet us in the air'. 1Thessalonians 4:17 Hence, we note that He does not actually descend upon the earth itself. That decending to earth specifically occurs at the Second Coming of Jesus Christ, as mentioned beforehand. The Second Coming our Messiah, Jesus Christ descends all the way to the earth to stand on the Mount of Olives.

This actually produces a great earthquake that splits the mountain in half & then the comes the defeat of all of God's enemies. Zechariah 14:3 - 4

This teaching of the Rapture was not specifically taught in the Old Testament (but it was referred to many times), which is why Paul does call it a 'MYSTERY' now revealed & our 'BLESSED HOPE':

"Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed - in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed." 1 Corinthians 15:51 - 52

BUT again friends, if you do study the Old Testament you will see several occasions in which certain Prophets & Saints were 'translated and caught away' from the earth directly up into the Heavens to be with God. God always confirms truths, so we must take the whole council of God & not just pick & choose our own scriptures.

Two examples of 'catching away or translated' in the Old Testament are Elisha & Enoch. Again God does nothing unexpected & always supports everything in more than one scripture or prophecy. So, the Rapture is also with previous evidence of God's works to look at.

Scriptures that show the difference between the Rapture & the Second Coming of Jesus Christ:

A. At the Rapture every Believer will meet Christ in the air:

"Then we who are alive, who are left, will be taught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so awe will always be with the Lord." 1Thessalonians 4:17

B. At the Second Coming Believers return with Jesus Christ to the earth:

"And the armies of heaven, arrayed in fine linen, white and pure, there following him on white horses." Revelation 19:14

A. The Rapture occurs before the Tribulation:

"For God has not destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ", 1Thessalonians 5:9 & "Because you have kept my word about patient endurance, I will keep you from the hour of trial that is coming on the whole world, to try those who dwell on the earth." Revelation 3:10

B. The Second Coming occurs after the great & terrible Tribulation. Revelation chapters 6 -19

A. The Rapture is the removal of Believers from the earth as an act of deliverance:

"But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep. For this we declare to you by a word from the Lord,that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord." 1 Thessalonians 4:13-17, and "For God has not destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ." 5:9

B. The Second Coming includes the removal of unbelievers as an act of judgment:

"Then two men will be in the field; one will be taken and one left. Two women will be grinding at the mill; one will be taken and one left." Matthew 24:40-41

A. The Rapture will be secret and instant:

"I tell you this, brothers: flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. 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 imperishable, and we shall be changed. For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality. When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written: Death is swallowed up in victory." 1 Corinthians 15:50-54

B. The Second Coming will be visible to all:

"Behold, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him, and all tribes of the earth will wail on account of him. Even so. Amen. Revelation 1:7 & Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. Then will appear in heaven the sign of the Son of Man, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory." Matthew 24:29-30

A. The Rapture is to be always imminent; it could take place at any moment: "... waiting for our Blessed Hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ ..." Titus 2:13

"But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep. For this we declare to you by a word from the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. Therefore encourage one another with these words." 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18

I tell you this, brothers: flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. 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 imperishable, and we shall be changed. For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality. When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written: "Death is swallowed up in victory." 1Corinthians 15:50-54

B. The Second Coming of Jesus Christ will not occur until after certain other end-times events take place:

"... who opposes and exalts himself against every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, proclaiming himself to be God." 2 Thessalonians 2:4

"So when you see the abomination of desolation spoken of by the prophet Daniel, standing in the holy place (let the reader understand), then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. Let the one who is on he housetop not go down to take what is in his house, and let the one who is in the field not turn back to take his cloak. And alas for women who are pregnant and for those who are nursing infants in those days! Pray that your flight may not be in winter or on a Sabbath. For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been from the beginning of the world until now, no, and never will be. And if those days had not been cut short, no human being would be saved. But for the sake of the elect those days will be cut short. Then if anyone says to you, 'Look, here is the Christ!' or 'There he is!' do not believe it. For false christs and false prophets will arise and perform great signs and wonders, so as to lead astray, if possible, even the elect. See, I have told you beforehand. So, if they say to you, 'Look, he is in the wilderness,' do not go out. If they say, 'Look, he is in the inner rooms,' do not believe it. For as the lightning comes from the east and shines as far as the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. Wherever the corpse is, there the vultures will gather." Matthew 24:15 …

The Coming of the Son of Man

"Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. Then will appear in heaven the sign of the Son of Man, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory." Matthew 24:15 and Mark 13:14

In describing the Tribulation period, Revelation chapters 6 - 19 nowhere mentions the Church. During the Tribulation, also called the time Jacob's trouble Jeremiah 30:7 YHWH God will again turn His primary attention to Israel. Romans 11:17-31

LET US SUMMARIZE:

The Rapture & the Second Coming of Jesus Christ ar two separate events.

The Rapture is the return of Jesus Christ in the clouds to remove all Believers i.e. Church/Bride from the earth before the time of YHWH God's wrath.

The Second Coming is the return of Jesus Christ to the earth to bring the Tribulation to an end & to defeat the antichrist & his evil world empire & for Christ to set up His Kingdom rule.

The Tribulation is the same period of time, which is also known as Daniel's 70th Week, the Time of Jacob's Trouble, & the time of the Seal, Trumpet, and Bowl Judgments.

Like the many of the Jewish Believers in Jesus Christ time (& before) who were expecting only one coming of their Messiah & were unbelieving that it was Jesus Christ our Messiah ... so it will happen again ... between Jesus Christ coming for his Bride/Church at the Rapture & His coming with His Church at the Second Coming. These two separate events with two separate consequences & two separate purposes are God's will to be done on earth as it is in heaven. Zech.14:5; Jude 1:14; Rev. 19:7-8,14

This, dear friends is the awesome reason it is called OUR BLESSED HOPE! Can we all say: Amen & Maranatha