The Blessed Hope

It is rather unfortunate that the majority of Christians are confused regarding the events leading to the End of Time (or the End of the Age). Most Bible-believing Christians have read Matthew 24, Mark 13 and Luke 21 and understand the signs being described by Jesus Himself through the Gospel writers. It is true that we are living in the time when all those things must be fulfilled and the Second coming of Jesus is “near – at the doors” (Matt. 24:33, NKJV)!

In my opinion many Bible Scholars and preachers are confused and therefore have presented a wrong picture of the Second Coming of Jesus. Notice that Mark 13 and Luke 21 describe only the signs leading to the to the Second Coming of Jesus to rescue Isreal from the enemies of God. The Rapture is not mentioned. Matthew 24 gives a picture of the signs leading to the Rapture of the Church (Bride of Christ) and the Second Coming; but is no less confusing. Both the Rapture and the Second Coming are being described as "the coming of the Son of Man" (Matt. 24:30 and 37).

Read carefully you will notice that Matt. 24:29 - 35 describe the Second Coming. But, Verses 36 to 44 describe the Rapture. Because of this confusion, Christians are divided among those who believe in pre-tribulation rapture, mid-tribulation rapture and post-tribulation rapture. The truth is the eminent rapture of the true Church of Jesus Christ and the Second coming are two entirely separate events. The Rapture is the “Blessed Hope” for true Christians.

Let us look somewhere else in the Bible for the Blessed Hope and the related events leading to the Second Coming of Jesus.

The Blessed Hope

Paul wrote to Titus, “For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works” (Titus 2:11 – 14, emphasis added).

Please take note of the following:

1. The Blessed Hope and the glorious appearing of Jesus are promises of God for the true Church – a group or congregation of true believers. This is the Rapture when Jesus will come to take His Bride to heaven.

2. Believers qualified for the Blessed Hope are those who deny ungodliness, worldly lusts, live righteously, and godly in the present age (the Church age). In other words, the Blessed Hope is for all true Christians.

3. The true Church is “His own special people, zealous for good works”. This the Bride of Christ that Paul wrote about in Ephesians 5:27:

“He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish”.

The Rapture

I believe in the rapture because the Scripture says so.

Paul said, “For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven …. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord” (1 Thess. 4:16, 17, NKJV, emphasis added).

The word “Rapture” is not a Biblical word. It is an English word comes from the Latin translation of the above verses. The Latin word for “rapture” is “rapturos”. The New Testament Greek translation is “harpazo” literally mean “pluck up, or catch away by force”. It describes how God’s people “shall be caught up” to meet the Lord in the clouds.

Notice that after the rapture the true Church shall always be with the Lord. In fact all true believers with the above qualification for the Blessed Hope shall be with the Lord when He comes again (the Second Coming) to rescue Israel and execute judgment upon the Antichrist and his followers. I’ll explain as we go on. I do not claim to exercise any prophetic gift. This message is the outcome of Bible research and the application of common sense logically.

The Promise of His coming again for the Church

Jesus said to His disciples, “In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also” (John 14:2, 3, emphasis added).

Notice the assurance given by Jesus. He will come again for you and me. After He has taken us to Himself we shall always be with Him – Just as Paul said in Thess. 4:17!

Christians are instructed by Paul to partake of the Holy Communion until Jesus comes again:

“For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death till He comes” (1 Cor. 11:26, emphasis added).

We proclaim the Lord’s death at the Communion Table until He comes again to receive us to Himself. Jesus wants all Christians to remember the Blessed Hope as often as we partake of the Lord’s Table.

Rapture and the Second coming are two distinct events

In rapture, Jesus comes to rescue His true Church from His enemies. In the Second coming, Jesus comes to rescue Israel from His enemise. Christians must not be confused concerning theses two distinct events. The Church is a type of Israel; similarly the rapture is a type of Second Coming!

It is beyond the scope of this message to explain Daniel’s prophecies in Daniel 9. But it is good for my readers to seek understanding that the Church age of Grace is between the 69 weeks of years and the remaining 1 week of years (seven years). The length of the Church Age is in God’s hand and no one knows how long we have to wait before He takes us to the Father’s House – the Rapture. After the rapture God’s clock for the remaining 1 week (of years) will start to tick!

The Rapture and the Second Coming are two distinct events, one occurring at the beginning and the other at the end of Daniel’s seventieth week. Christ must first of all come for His saints (true believers) to rapture them to heaven, or He could never come with His saints from heaven to rescue Israel at Armageddon. This is confirmed by verses of Scripture in both Old and New Testaments:

1. Zechariah prophesied, “Thus the Lord my God will come, and all the saints with You” (Zech. 14:5, emphasis added).

2. “Behold, the Lord comes with ten thousands of His saints, to execute judgment on all, to convict all who are ungodly deeds which they have committed in an ungodly way, and all the harsh things which ungodly sinners have spoken against Him” (Jude 14, 15, emphasis added).
Notice that the “ungodly sinners” with their ungodly ways and deeds, who have spoken against Christ, are the enemies of God.

3. John said in Revelation that these saints are the Bride of Christ:

“And the armies in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, follow Him on white horses” (Rev. 19:14, emphasis added).

The wedding garment for the Bride of Christ is clean, white and fine linen.

These are the saints that Paul spoke about in 1 Thess. 4:16, 17 are the “dead in Christ” and “those who are alive in Christ” when He comes. Old Testament saints (not the Bride) who died before the first coming of Christ are also part of the armies in heaven.

Compelling reasons for the two distinct events

1. It is logical to give inference that the Bride and other saints cannot be part of the armies in heaven had they never been to heaven first. Nor could they accompany Christ from heaven had they not been taken up there previously. It is therefore reasonable to infer that the Rapture must come before the Second Coming of Christ.

2. The Rapture will occur when least expected; the Second Coming takes place only after all the signs (listed in Matthew 24) have been given and everyone should know that Christ is about to return in “power and great glory” (Matt. 24:30) even though on one knows the exact date or time.

3. The Rapture comes in the midst of peace.

Paul said, “For when they say, ‘Peace and safety!’ then sudden destruction comes upon them, …” (1 Thess. 5:3).

Jesus Himself said when the “Son of Man” is revealed to rapture the true Church will be at a time similar to the days Noah and Lot (Luke 17:26 – 36). These were the days when the people are preoccupied with enjoying their wealth – eating, drinking, marrying wives, buying and selling properties. They were also leading careless and wicked lives and indulging in homosexual activities. The people in the days of Noah and Lot were in slumber and the judgment from God was furthest from their mind. In this respect our generation is quite similar. Notice that Rapture will not come in the days of hardship and tribulation as most Bible scholars claimed.

4. The Second Coming occurs in the midst of war, destruction, suffering and tribulation which are described in Revelation 19, Matthew 24, Mark 13 and Luke 21. People will not be able to lead a normal life let alone enjoying their wealth, buying, selling, planting and building. There will be catastrophic upheavals of nature which will leave the earth pulverized and her inhabitants in desperate straits! The conditions on earth at the time of the Second Coming are exactly the opposite of those to which Christ referred – days of Noah and Lot.

A Likely Scenario

I believe the first event in heaven after the Rapture of the true Church will be the Judgment Seat of Christ (1 Cor. 3:12 – 15 and 2 Cor. 5:10). This is not a judgment for condemnation but a judgment for reward (Please refer to my previous postings). After this the Groom will want to spend some time with His Bride, the now glorified Church in the Father’s House.

In Christ’s days the Jewish bride was taken to her father’s house where the two were in seclusion for seven days (one week). Christ must have had the Jewish custom in mind when He promised to take His Bride to His Father’s House for “one week of year”. During these seven years (the 70th week of years in Daniel’s prophecy – Daniel 9:24 – 27) the earth is going through the great tribulation under the reign of the Antichrist! But, at precisely the same time in heaven the marriage supper of the Lamb is being prepared (Rev. 19:7, 8)! The bride of Christ escapes the wrath of the Antichrist. That is the way God protects His true Church, fulfilling what Jesus said to Peter:

“The gates of Hades shall not prevail against it” (Matthew 16:18).

Christ brings His Church to Himself! This is the Blessed Hope!