Have you ever seen a bumper sticker that says, “In case of
rapture car is yours”?
Let’s take a look at what this (false) interpretation of
Scripture teaches. According to those who believe in this “rapture” theory,
they say that suddenly and secretly Christians who are upon the earth will
suddenly vanish at Christ’s second coming. Cars will suddenly be found without
drivers and mass collisions on the highways will result. Planes, now without
pilots, will crash, killing their occupants. Couples walking together in
conversation will suddenly find themselves talking to themselves as the second
person vanishes. Wives and husbands will wake up to finding their spouse
missing and parents and children will be left alone. The resulting chaos will
make news headlines like never before seen. After the Lord supposedly removes
the righteous from the earth in this manner there will be a seven-year period
on earth known as “The Great Tribulation.” (They get this from Revelation 7:15. But the phrase “the great
tribulation” is not The Great Tribulation. It is
merely a phrase just as if someone were to say, “there is much happening in the
great chaos below.” It’s ‘“the great chaos”, not “The Great Chaos”).
During this “tribulation” period, they say, God will pour out great wrath and
vengeance upon earth and its remaining inhabitants. After this seven-year
period, Christ will come yet again to fight a final battle against the armies
of the earth. He will be victorious and execute judgment on the ungodly. He
will then usher in His kingdom, a 1,000 period in which Christ reigns on earth.
After this 1,000 reign of Christ on earth, there will be one final attempted
uprising of evil against good, which of course, will fail. Then there will be a
second resurrection and all who have lived will rise to receive their reward or
punishment.
Now, let’s examine what the Bible really says
regarding Christ’s second coming:
First, much of the error of this teaching can be cleared up
by simply examining what the Bible says will be the events on the last day.
There is no 1,000 year “lull” between Christ’s return and the final Judgment
and the resurrection of the dead.
#1.) There will be one resurrection, which
will include both Christians and non-christians alike:
“Do
not be amazed at this, for a time is coming when all who are in their graves
will hear his voice and come out--those who have done good will rise to live,
and those who have done evil will rise to be condemned.”
#2.) This resurrection will occur on the last
day:
“And this
is the will of him who sent me, that I shall lose none of all that he has given
me, but raise them up at the last day. For my Father's will is
that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life,
and I will raise him up at the last day.”
“No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him, and I will raise him up at the last day.”
“Whoever
eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life,
and I will raise him up at the last day.”
“Martha
answered, "I know he will rise again in the resurrection at the last
day.”
#3.) The judgment will occur on the last day:
“There is a
judge for the one who rejects me and does not accept my words; that very word
which I spoke will condemn him at the last day.”
Now, having firmly established that the resurrection occurs
on the last day, let’s look at what else happens when the dead
rise--
#4) At the resurrection (which occurs on the last
day), Christ shall return!
1Thessalonians 4:13-18
“Brothers,
we do not want you to be ignorant about those who fall asleep, or to grieve
like the rest of men, who have no hope. We believe that Jesus died and rose
again and so we believe that God will bring
with Jesus
those who have fallen asleep in him. According to the Lord's own word, we tell
you that we who are still alive, who are left till the coming of the Lord, will
certainly not precede those
who
have fallen asleep. For the Lord 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
Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. Therefore encourage
each other with these words.”
Having already examined John 12:48 in (#3 above), we can
further reinforce that judgment day occurs when Christ returns
(which occurs on the last day, accompanied by the resurrection
of the dead):
“All
this is evidence that God's judgment is right, and as a result you will
be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you are suffering. God is
just: He will pay back trouble to those who trouble you and give relief to you
who are troubled, and to us as well. This will happen when the Lord Jesus is
revealed from heaven in blazing fire with his powerful angels. He will punish
those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. They
will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the
presence of the Lord and from
the majesty of his power on the day he comes to be glorified in his holy people
and to be marveled at among all those who have believed. This includes you, because
you believed our testimony to you.”
#5) When Christ returns (along with the Judgment), it
will bring the destruction of the heavens and the earth:
2 Peter 3:3-14
”First of all, you must understand that in the last days scoffers will
come, scoffing and following their own evil desires. They will say, "Where
is this 'coming' he promised? Ever since our fathers died, everything
goes on as it has since the beginning of creation." But they deliberately
forget that long ago by God's word the heavens existed and the earth was formed
out of water and by water. By these waters also the world of that time was
deluged and destroyed. By the same word the present heavens and earth are
reserved for fire, being kept for the Day of Judgment and destruction of
ungodly men.
But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a
thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. The Lord is not slow in
keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not
wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. But the day of
the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a
roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and
everything in it will be laid bare. Since everything will be destroyed
in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and
godly lives as you look
#6) The last trumpet occurs at the resurrection:
1Corinthians 15:50-55
I declare
to you, brothers, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor
does the perishable inherit the imperishable. 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. For the perishable must clothe
itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality. When the
perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with
immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: "Death has
been swallowed up in victory."
"Where, O death, is your victory?
Where, O death, is your sting?"
#7) The Lord’s return shall not be secretive. Every
eye shall see Him!
Revelation
1:7
Look,
he is coming with the clouds,
and every eye will see him,
even those who pierced him;
and all the peoples of the earth will
mourn because of him. So shall it be! Amen.
So in conclusion, the Bible
says that when Christ returns several events will occur:
àIt will be the last day
àIt will be Judgment Day
àThe dead will rise (both the
righteous and the unrighteous)
àThe last trumpet and shout of the
archangel will be heard
àChristians who are living at the
time will instantaneously receive their new, glorified, immortal bodies and
will rise in the air to meet Christ and be with Him forever
àThose disobedient to Christ’s
gospel will receive eternal punishment
àThe destruction of the heavens and
the earth will occur
àGod will bring about the new
earth-- the New Jerusalem (Revelation 21)
When Jesus Christ returns,
there will be no “second chances”. It will be the end of time. The lost will be
horrified and terrified beyond belief, knowing that inescapable, eternal
damnation in the fires of hell is upon them. There will be no more tomorrows.
There will be no way out. The end will be here--finally and at last. Are you ready for His return? If Christ
were to return at
this very moment, would you be found in Him? Are you
ready right now? Or would you be found to be in disobedience to His
gospel? If you want to be sure, if you want to know for certain what you must
do to be saved, if you want to know whether you are saved or not, follow the
plan of salvation God has given us in the Bible:
To escape the
condemnation of this judgment and to be saved, we must:
1.) Hear the “good news” of Jesus Christ (Romans 10:14)
2.) Believe (Hebrews 11:6; Acts 8:37; Mark 16:16; John 8:24)
3.) Repent of our sins (Luke 13:3,5; Acts 2:38; Acts 17:30; Mark 10:15, Galatians 5:19-21, Colossians
3:5-10)
4.) Confess faith in Jesus Christ (Acts 8:36-37; Romans 10:9)
5.) BE
BAPTIZED (immersed) in water for the purpose of having
our sins forgiven and washed away (being reborn). (Acts 2:37-41; 1Peter 3:21; John 3:3-5; Acts
22:16; Romans 6:3-8; Colossians 2:12; Galatians 3:26-27; Mark 16:15-16; Acts
8:34-39; Ephesians 4:5) In baptism, we become clothed with Christ, receive the
gift of the Holy Spirit and are added to his body—the church. See also
Ephesians 1:22-23; 1Corinthians 12:13.
6.) Remain faithful for the rest of our lives and
carry our cross daily We must
continue to hold to Christ’s teachings and walk with Him in His ways until the
end (Revelation 2:10; Matthew 24:13; Luke 9:23; Hebrews 10:25: John 8:31)
If the
above space is blank and you would like to visit the church of Christ nearest
you find one on the Internet at www.churchzip.com
Questions about baptism? Go to www.BeBaptized.org