Actually, I can think of a lot of good reasons why we should re-visit the subject of the Rapture: one of the most important of which reasons is that most of what has been taught, concerning the Rapture, is wrong.
Why is there so much confusion and controversy related to the doctrine of the Rapture? The answer is actually very simple. Satan seeks by all means to confuse, in his efforts to conceal the truth. "God is not the author of confusion" (1 Corinthians 14:33). The devil cannot destroy the Word of God. But he can confuse and deceive the minds of those who do not wholeheartedly seek to know the truth of the Word ~ which can only be known in and through Christ. Jesus himself promised that:
"If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; and ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free" (John 8:31-32).
"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. He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shew it unto you. All things that the Father hath are mine: therefore said I, that he shall take of mine, and shall shew it unto you" (John 16:13-15).We can indeed know ~ if we sincerely desire and also seek to know, through Jesus Christ ~ the truths of God's Word.
Which brings me to discuss the first item of fake news, concerning the Rapture: which is, the false claim that Christians cannot know with any certainty the time of the Rapture. The devil loves to trip people up with that bit of fake news ~ because, it has very serious consequences.
Already, it has been shown (above) that those who are Christ's "disciples indeed" are promised that they "shall know the truth": being guided "into all truth," by the very "Spirit of truth," which is the Holy Ghost ~ of whom Christ also said that he (the Holy Ghost) "will shew you things to come." Of all the "things to come," the Rapture of the Church is among the most important of those, according to the Bible:
"For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. 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: 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. Wherefore comfort one another with these words" (1 Thessalonians 4:15-18).What words are Christians instructed to "comfort one another with"? Words pertaining to the Rapture! as is clearly indicated by the context. But it is not merely the fact that, some day, the Rapture is going to occur, which is meant to comfort believers. The above-quoted passage of Scripture is immediately followed (in the Bible) by the following:
"But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you. For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape. But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief. Ye are all the chilren of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness. therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober." (1 Thessalonians 5:1-6)The obvious meaning of the above passage, is that those, Christians ~ who are walking in the light and "watching" for the coming of the Lord, shall not be caught unaware or unprepared for that great event. Importantly, there are certain requirements for those who hope to be "caught up" to meet Christ in the air, at the Rapture. "But ye, brethren, are not in darkness." One who trifles with any darkness of sin, is not ready for the Rapture. "Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober." Ahhh . . . that "watching" is all important. But what does that mean? "Watch" ~ for what? Again, the context tells us: that we are commanded to "watch" for the coming of the Lord, that is to say, for the Rapture.
The Bible has much more to say about "watching" for the Lord's return. Jesus spoke much about that. Here are some of his words, as those appear in the gospel of Luke:
"Let your loins be girded about, and your lights burning; and ye yourselves like unto men that wait for their lord, when he will return from the wedding; that when he cometh and knocketh, they may open unto him immediately. Blessed are those servants, whom the lord when he cometh shall find watching: verily I say unto you, that he shall gird himself, and make them to sit down to meat, and will come forth and serve them. And if he shall come in the second watch, or come in the third watch, and find them so, blessed are those servants. And this know, that if the goodman of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched, and not have suffered his house to be broken through. Be ye therefore ready also: for the Son of man cometh at an hour when ye think not." (Luke 12:35-40)Of course, the general meaning of that passage of Scripture is intended to instruct all of Christ's servants, in every generation, to keep themselves in a state of purity and in an attitude of hopeful expectation of the Lord's return. Yet there is deeper meaning conveyed in that passage ~ which has to do, expressly, with "watching" for the Lord's return.
Though on its face that passage may seem to be saying that the time of Christ's coming is something which cannot be known with any certainty; yet, that is actually not the case. Consider, if you will, what Jesus meant by his reference to the "goodman of the house." If that man "had known what hour the thief would come, he [the goodman] would have watched" during that certain time and, thus, he would not have suffered loss.
Did Jesus then mean to suggest that the goodman should have stayed awake all night ~ just in case a thief might happen to come along his way? And if no thief appeared during that night; should the goodman then stay awake the following night? and the night after that? And every night? just in case a thief might appear . . . sometime? Of course, not.
But Jesus meant to focus our attention on the fact that the "goodman" ~ if he had foreknowledge regarding the specific window of time during which the thief would come ~ would not have suffered loss, because, he would have been "watching" for the thief to come during that specific time.
Notice, too, that Jesus pronounced a blessing upon a particular generation of his servants, whom the Lord ~ "when he cometh" ~ he shall find them "watching" for his coming. Which blessing has to do with the Rapture.
But didn't Jesus also say that "the Son of man cometh at an hour when ye think not"? What can that then mean? It simply means that the Rapture is going to catch the whole world by surprise (though not the "children of light"). Jesus commanded his disciples to "watch" and to "be ready." But how can anyone watch and be ready who, at the same time, "thinks not" that the time of Christ's coming may be at hand? A doubtful and un-expectant mind is neither watchful nor ready, for the Lord's appearing.
Besides, the Rapture is going to happen "in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye" (1 Corinthians 15:52). How can one "watch" for something that shall ~ from start to finish ~ be completed in less time than it takes to blink one's eyes? "Watching" (or "looking for") the Lord's coming, evidently, must be attended (preceded) by certain signs. Indeed, that is the case; as the following passage clearly implies:
"[W]hen ye shall see these things come to pass, [then] know that it [the Rapture] is nigh, even at the doors" (Mark 13:29).When ye shall see...? See ~ what? What "things"? Then you will know that the Rapture is...nigh?
The Christian who is "watching" for the Lord's coming at the Rapture, shall be able, through diligently seeking unto the Word and Spirit of God, and by keeping his or her eyes carefully attuned to what is going on the world, to "see" (perceive) certain things "come to pass." Which things, when they do come to pass, are intended (in Scripture, and to the body of Christ) as waymarks or signposts, if you will, to indicate the approaching time of the Rapture!
(For a fuller discussion of what are those "things," see my book, "The Seven Seals in Prophecy and in History" ~ here. Much of that book's contents I have published on this blog ~ here ~ in a series of essays.)
Yet there is more. And this is far too serious a matter to skimp on bringing forth proof texts of Scripture to overwhelmingly refute fake news involving the Rapture.
"For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ..." (Titus 2:11-13)How can grace "appear," and also "teach"? The answer is found in Hebrews 10:29, where the Holy Ghost is there called, "the Spirit of grace" (capital 'S'). Thus, in the above-quoted passage, "the grace of God" that "hath appeared...teaching" ~ is another way of saying that the Holy Ghost has come to teach certain things concerning Christ and his kingdom, including things which, prior to the Holy Ghost's coming, were not then known by the Church.
Among those (formerly unknown) things which the Holy Ghost came to teach us, is, that we should be "looking for" . . . something. What is that 'something'? Answer: We should be "looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ."
Before the Holy Ghost came (in fulfillment of the Feast of Pentecost), none of Christ's disciples knew anything about the Rapture. Jesus himself, when he ascended to heaven (several weeks after his resurrection), told his disciples that he had much more that he wanted to teach them, but that he would communicate those teachings to them, through the agency of the Holy Ghost (who was then still to come ~ see, John 15:12-16). Now, the Holy Ghost has come ~ not only to teach us about the Rapture but, also, how that we should be "looking for" that great event.
Remarkably! the majority of professing Christians have no interest in learning about Bible prophecy ~ if they do not even go so far as to oppose the study of that; many falsely claiming that God never intended for prophetic Scripture to be understood! How absurd! Ironically, the only time that the Rapture is even mentioned, in most churches, is when that doctrine of Scripture is the subject of ridicule. (Which should tell us something about the importance of the doctrine of the Rapture, to the true Church.)
No only should Bible-believing Christians (is there any other kind of Christian?) be actively looking for the coming of Christ. But the Lord himself pronounced a curse upon those who would not watch for his coming. Jesus said:
"If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee" (Revelation 3:3).That phrase, "as a thief," is intimately associated, at many places in Scripture, with the Rapture (as early shown, in this essay). Those who will not watch, shall not know. I didn't say that; Jesus did.
But I also find in that same verse of Scripture just quoted, the clear intimation of a hidden promise, namely: If the "curse" is to those who will not watch; and, therefore, they shall not know the time of the Lord's coming: then, the implication is that those who will watch, shall know the time of the Lord's coming.
"The secret of the LORD is with them that fear him; and he will shew them his covenant" (Psalm 25:14).
"God is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him" (Hebrews 11:6)Do you suppose that such wondrous truths ~ as knowing (very nearly) the time of the Rapture ~ is spread out before fools and scoffers to trample underfoot, like so many jewels strewn about in a pigpen? (I do not mean that You, dear Reader, are such as that!) But I do mean that the revealing of such high knowledge, in the Word of God, is a precious gift of God to his own faithful children. It should not be at all surprising, the fact that there remains so much confusion and controversy involving the Rapture: it reminds me of the blind men of Sodom who, all night long, they were madly groping for the door of Lot's house; they knew it was there, somewhere . . . though they never did find it.
I like to say that even unbelievers carry around in their pocket two Scripture fragments, namely: "Judge not lest you be judged;" and, "No man knows the day nor the hour." The latter of which, half-truths, is intended by unbelievers (many of whom are professing Christians) as a rebuke to those (like me) who claim to know something about what the Bible actually teaches, concerning the time of the Rapture. But they're wrong on both counts ~ who neither understand the meaning of those snippets of Scripture (which they have taken out of context); nor do they then know how rightly to apply the same.
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