WAITING WITH EXPECTANCY FOR THE RAPTURE

There is not a day that goes by that I don’t look to the heavens and say, “LORD, this would be a great day for you to bring us all home.” Yes, I believe in the rapture, the time when the LORD will bring home a generation of believers who will not experience death as declared by the Apostle Paul. Again, there is a more detailed study of this subject on my website.

1 Corinthians 15:51–53 “Behold, I shew 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 trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.”

Though I believe that the rapture can happen at any time, I recognize that everything that God does is according to a plan. One cannot deny that the spring feasts of Israel have been shown to have prophetic significance regarding the first coming of Jesus as the Messiah. The church became connected in prophetic significance with these feasts when it was birthed on Pentecost. It stands to reason, in my mind anyway, that the removal of the church and the return of the LORD Jesus as King will be connected to the feasts of Israel as well.

It is important to note that until revealed by Paul, the rapture of the church was still a “mystery,” a truth always a part of the plan but not revealed until God determined that the time was right for its revelation. When Jesus taught the disciples regarding His second coming, He was answering their questions in light of His return as King. Therefore, the “signs” outlined in the passage known as the Olivet Discourse in Matthew 24 pertain to His return as King.

If, however, we can see signs pointing to the return of Jesus as King, we can be sure that the rapture is at least seven years prior to that time. You ask how? Because the LORD told us through Paul that the Antichrist would not be allowed to declare himself until the Holy Spirit is removed from earth in the body of the church. This is clearly outlined in Paul’s letter to the Thessalonians.

2 Thessalonians 2:1–10 “Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him, That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand.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; 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. Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things? And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time. For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way. 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: Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.”

In a previous post it was established that the Antichrist would sign a 7-year covenant with Israel that will define the start of the 70th week of Daniel, the last seven years on planet earth before Jesus returns as King, a time that is purposed to bring forth a refined remnant of Israel to accept Jesus as the Messiah and enter His kingdom to experience the fulfillment of God’s covenant with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

The wording in the King James can be confusing. The word “letteth” makes reference to a power that is restraining or holding down evil by its very presence. It is obvious to me that the only deterrent to evil taking over the world is the presence of God through the Holy Spirit in the body of believers. Once this restraining force is removed, Antichrist will have free reign to work his deception through the power of Satan according to God’s plan.

The fact that the Holy Spirit is present on earth in the body of believers is affirmed many times in the New Testament scriptures.

1 Corinthians 3:16 “Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?”

Ephesians 1:12–14 “That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ. In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.”

Romans 8:9–11 “But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his. And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.”

Scripture is also clear in declaring that believers are not destined to suffer the wrath of God. Again, it is the Apostle Paul through whom God delivered this truth. As stated in a previous post, the wrath of God is directed toward His enemies, those who have chosen to reject Him as LORD.

1 Thessalonians 5:9 “For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ….”

Colossians 3:5–7 “Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry: For which things’ sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience: In the which ye also walked some time, when ye lived in them.”

John tells us in the book of Revelation that the wrath of God commences with the opening of the sixth seal.

Revelation 6:12–17 “And I beheld when he had opened the sixth seal, and, lo, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood; And the stars of heaven fell unto the earth, even as a fig tree casteth her untimely figs, when she is shaken of a mighty wind. And the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places. And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains; And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb: For the great day of his wrath is come….”

Personally, I believe that the rapture of the church will occur just prior to and in connection with the opening of this sixth seal. IF I am correct, then both the wrath of God and the 70th week of Daniel occur in conjunction with and subsequent to the opening of the sixth seal. This obviously indicates that I believe that the first five seals have already been opened. Though I know this is not a popular view among most pretribulationists, it is what makes the most sense to me. Again, a more detailed study can be found at my website, www.momsbiblejournal.com, in my journal on Revelation.