A RELIGIOUS WEB SITE POSTED THE CLAIM THAT THE PROSPERITY GOSPEL CONCOCTED THE 'RAPTURE'. It's time to talk about the soon to be event - colloquially called 'the Rapture'.
The Prosperity Gospel can be blamed for a lot of bad things, in particular the demise of the USA, but it cannot take the credit for manufacturing the upcoming event testified of in the Scriptures TWO THOUSAND years ago.
‘The Rapture’ spoken of by the Apostle Paul in 2 Church Epistles (in other words) is described TWICE - very specifically - in the Church Epistles of I Thessalonians 4, and I Corinthians 15- as a ‘simultaneous’ departure of those in Christ – both living and asleep in him – to be with the Lord FOREVER’.
There is no other event in the Bible in which His Church unites in the blink of an eye – simultaneously – at the sound of Trumpets, and leaves.
In each of 2 descriptions, the (colloquially named) ‘Rapture’ is associated with Trumpets blasting in heaven –
The living putting on immortality, and the dead simultaneously putting on incorruption.
The saints meeting in the Air to be with the Lord.
There is NO Other Bible event like it.. EXCEPT for the 'pattern of spiritual things1' provided by the living departures of Elijah and Enoch.
‘..behold, there appeared a chariot of fire, and horses of fire, and parted them both asunder; and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven’. II Kings 2:11
‘And Enoch walked with God: and he was not; for God took him.’ Genesis 5:24
MENTIONED TWICE
That the Rapture event is TWICE testified of by Paul - is the ‘WITNESS of TWO’ – and the mark of its SOON OCCURRENCE. (As Daniel explained to Nebudchadnezzar – The vision given ‘twice’ means it is ‘established truth’, and signifies that it will ‘shortly come to pass’.)
That 2,000 years have passed since it was first reported, is as 2 days to the Lord!
The Lord himself said – “Repent for the Kingdom of God is ‘at hand”., ie.. VERY close! That was 2000 years ago!
Didn’t he also say, ‘1,000 years is as 1 day to the Lord.’
Time reckoning of this last 2,000 years of man’s history is speeding up as we rapidly approach the denouement of the ages –namely - The rise of the man of perdition and his leading of the armies of earth into Jerusalem.
The antichrist (also a colloquial name) is a man who CANNOT assume control of the earth while Christ’s spirit filled - empowered saints are here! …seeing as we have ALL POWER over him! (Else the Lord lied in Luke 10:19)
Indeed, the Rapture is the Christian’s ultimate escape from the ‘Hour of Darkness’ -
The ‘Hour of Darkness’ is this horrible time frame of heightened persecution of God’s people, that began the moment of Christ’s ARREST (John 12) – and will finish only when the age of the gentiles is over. The age will END the minute Christ returns with his saints to destroy the man of sin, and set up a 1000 year reign.
The Hour of Darkness is also called ‘The Age of Grace’ for a very important reason...
In THIS MUCH DARKNESS - WE NEED A LOT OF GRACE.
This 2000 year period has been so difficult for the saints, (God’s people) that divine grace was supplied to allow ‘repentance’ for error. Consider Psalm 125:3 -
‘For the rod of the wicked shall not rest upon the lot of the righteous;
lest the righteous put forth their hands unto iniquity.’.
In other words, the persecutions of this present age are so powerful, that even the saints are pressed to sin! But ‘Grace’ supplies the balance – otherwise no man could finally walk in holiness required before God. One ‘slip’ and they’d be a goner’,. Like the unfortunate Ark attendant in II Samuel 6:7.
And the anger of the LORD was kindled against Uzzah; and God smote him there for his error; and there he died by the ark of God.
When I hear men say "the Church must suffer",.. I marvel!
WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?
If you are a Christian, and have not known persecution and suffering since the day of your conversion – you’re probably not saved – as it is written –
‘ALL who live righteously in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution’.
‘ALL’. ALL ALL ALL - Not a few, not sometimes. All saved saints suffer persecution. Though we can also thank God for Romans 8:37..
‘… in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.’
BUT YOU MUST BE BORN AGAIN TO REALIZE THIS TRUTH:
Mark this well, you CANNOT live righteously in Christ Jesus without being born again! “Verily Verily I say unto you, you MUST be born again to enter into the Kingdom of God” – Said Jesus Christ himself.
We don’t have the righteousness of God EXCEPT that we are BORN AGAIN. Remember it is ‘not of works’.. (Orthodoxies need to get this).. But of GRACE! And that of |FAITH, and not of ourselves,. It is The GIFT of God to all who BELIEVE.
Believe what? …That Jesus is Lord, and that God raised Him from the Dead.
9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, THOU SHALT BE SAVED’.
10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made UNTO SALVATION.
THUS WE SUFFER
We don’t have to wait for the Great Tribulation to know what suffering is! Look through history.. there is no period on earth – beginning with the great persecution of the nascent Church in Acts chapter 3, where the Saints have not suffered.
THE RAPTURE
Finally, the Rapture is not an invention of US churches. Besides being announced 2000 years ago in TWO Epistles to the CHURCH – it has been discussed by Church fathers and Bible researchers for millennia. Gurnall wrote of it in the 1600s. Bullinger in the 1800s.
The 'departure of God's just saints', has as its mirror the ‘Template’ or ‘Pattern’ that Enoch and Elijah represented when they were ‘taken’ alive into heaven.
It is an event to be watched for!
As Paul said (Titus 2:3)… we are NOT watching for the ‘antichrist’, and for great tribulation’,... but we are watching for HIS GLORIOUS APPEARING!!!
13 Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;
The Church is never told how to prepare for the antichrist’s reign. It would be a glaring ommision were it of concern to us. We’re having a hard enough time without him in charge! You’d think there would be reams of advice on the point.
But we are NOT ONCE told to watch for him. We’re told to WATCH FOR THE LORD’S GLORIOUS APPEARING. AN EVENT THAT PRECEDES THE RISE OF THE MAN OF SIN.
That tells you all the TIMING that you need to know.
CHRIST COMES FOR HIS CHURCH FIRST!
THEN and only then, can the man of sin rise up.
God bless you marvelously in our soon returning King, Jesus the Christ!
Victoria Jean Christine Bingham
Hebrews 8:5 ‘Who serve unto the example and shadow of heavenly things,’