At Last.
What we believe about the return of Jesus Christ and the Rapture
The Rapture is described as a mystery, having been prepared to hear about the return of Jesus Christ and being encouraged to persevere in works of faith, labours of love and steadfastness of hope, we come last to be informed about it’s details. It is wonderfully encouraging to hear that despite how we do and will suffer the effects of evil, Jesus Christ is the One to save us from the wrath to come.
Scripture
1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 ESV But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. 14 For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep. 15 For this we declare to you by a word from the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16 For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. 18 Therefore encourage one another with these words.
Revelation’s Return of The Lord Jesus
The book of Revelation describes Jesus coming to earth and waging war against the Satan, the beast (or antichrist), the false prophet and their followers. How is Zechariah’s account similar?
Revelation 19:19-21 ESV And I saw the beast and the kings of the earth with their armies gathered to make war against him who was sitting on the horse and against his army. 20 And the beast was captured, and with it the false prophet who in its presence had done the signs by which he deceived those who had received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped its image. These two were thrown alive into the lake of fire that burns with sulfur. 21 And the rest were slain by the sword that came from the mouth of him who was sitting on the horse, and all the birds were gorged with their flesh.
Zechariah 14:3-7 ESV Then the LORD will go out and fight against those nations as when he fights on a day of battle. 4 On that day his feet shall stand on the Mount of Olives that lies before Jerusalem on the east, and the Mount of Olives shall be split in two from east to west by a very wide valley, so that one half of the Mount shall move northward, and the other half southward. 5 And you shall flee to the valley of my mountains, for the valley of the mountains shall reach to Azal. And you shall flee as you fled from the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah. Then the LORD my God will come, and all the holy ones with him. 6 On that day there shall be no light, cold, or frost. 7 And there shall be a unique day, which is known to the LORD, neither day nor night, but at evening time there shall be light.
Zechariah's description of the Millennium
How does Zechariah’’s account of Christ reigning in Jerusalem and the worship of Nations correspond to the imprisonment of Satan and the 1000 year earthly reign of Jesus described in Revelation?
Zechariah 14:16-18 ESV Then everyone who survives of all the nations that have come against Jerusalem shall go up year after year to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, and to keep the Feast of Booths. 17 And if any of the families of the earth do not go up to Jerusalem to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, there will be no rain on them. 18 And if the family of Egypt does not go up and present themselves, then on them there shall be no rain; there shall be the plague with which the LORD afflicts the nations that do not go up to keep the Feast of Booths.
Revelation 20:1-6 ESV Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, holding in his hand the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain. 2 And he seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years, 3 and threw him into the pit, and shut it and sealed it over him, so that he might not deceive the nations any longer, until the thousand years were ended. After that he must be released for a little while. 4 Then I saw thrones, and seated on them were those to whom the authority to judge was committed. Also I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for the testimony of Jesus and for the word of God, and those who had not worshiped the beast or its image and had not received its mark on their foreheads or their hands. They came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years.
The Mystery of the Resurrection
Paul, writing by the Holy Spirit, calls the rapture a “mystery”. Should we expect to see detailed clarity on the rapture in the Old Testament writings of prophets such as Zechariah?
1 Corinthians 15:50-53 ESV I tell you this, brothers: flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. 51 Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, 52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. 53 For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality.
Colossians 1:25-26 ESV of which I became a minister according to the stewardship from God that was given to me for you, to make the word of God fully known, 26 the mystery hidden for ages and generations but now revealed to his saints.
We can suffer evil, but we’re saved from wrath
Can a child of God, who’s been forgiven and reborn by the Holy Spirit ever suffer any wrath of God?
Romans 5:8-9 ESV but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 9 Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God.
1 Thessalonians 1:9-10 ESV For they themselves report concerning us the kind of reception we had among you, and how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, 10 and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come.
1 Thessalonians 5:9 ESV For God has not destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ,
Examples of suffering evil, saved from wrath
What do the examples of God’s chosen people throughout Scripture show us about what Christians can suffer and what we will not suffer? What is it that saves us from the wrath of God?
Genesis 6:11 ESV Now the earth was corrupt in God's sight, and the earth was filled with violence.
2 Peter 2:5-9 ESV if he did not spare the ancient world, but preserved Noah, a herald of righteousness, with seven others, when he brought a flood upon the world of the ungodly; 6 if by turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah to ashes he condemned them to extinction, making them an example of what is going to happen to the ungodly; 7 and if he rescued righteous Lot, greatly distressed by the sensual conduct of the wicked 8 (for as that righteous man lived among them day after day, he was tormenting his righteous soul over their lawless deeds that he saw and heard); 9 then the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from trials, and to keep the unrighteous under punishment until the day of judgment,
Hebrews 11:29 ESV By faith the people crossed the Red Sea as on dry land, but the Egyptians, when they attempted to do the same, were drowned.
Hebrews 11:31 ESV By faith Rahab the prostitute did not perish with those who were disobedient, because she had given a friendly welcome to the spies.
Marriage Ceremony
How does the Jewish marriage ceremony of the groom going away to prepare a home for his bride and then returning to take her to live with him for life, help us to understand Jesus words in John 14:1-4?
John 14:1-4 ESV “Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. 2 In my Father's house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also. 4 And you know the way to where I am going.”
Marriage Feast of the Lamb
How does the Marriage Feast of the Lamb tie into Jesus’ promise in John 14:1-4? According to Revelation, this Feast seems to take place before Jesus returns to stand on the Mount of Olives and wage war against the devil, his antichrist and their followers. What does this suggest about the timing of the rapture of the Church?
Revelation 19:7-9 ESV Let us rejoice and exult and give him the glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and his Bride has made herself ready; 8 it was granted her to clothe herself with fine linen, bright and pure”— for the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the saints. 9 And the angel said to me, “Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.” And he said to me, “These are the true words of God.”
What should we be doing?
There are many different views on the timing and nature of the return of Jesus Christ. These differences can consume so much of our time in futile disagreements. Jesus wants to find faith when He returns, according to the book of Thessalonians, what three things should we focus our time and energy on as we wait?
1 Thessalonians 1:2-3 ESV We give thanks to God always for all of you, constantly mentioning you in our prayers, [3] remembering before our God and Father your work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.
Luke 18:7-8 ESV And will not God give justice to his elect, who cry to him day and night? Will he delay long over them? 8 I tell you, he will give justice to them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?”
Prayer
Dear Father God Almighty, Thank You for Your precious Word, for what You reveal and for what You promise. Thank You for the beloved Holy Spirit and for the way He helps us to stay strong as we wait for the return of our Lord Jesus Christ. Please forgive us when we waste our time with useless endeavours instead of preparing for His return. Please help us to stand for faith, labour in love and remain steadfast in hope. In Jesus Name, Amen.
Worship
Oh Lord, my God
When I, in awesome wonder
Consider all the worlds Thy hands have made
I see the stars, I hear the rolling thunder
Thy power throughout the universe displayed
Then sings my soul, my Savior God to Thee
How great Thou art, how great Thou art
Then sings my soul, my Savior God to Thee
How great Thou art, how great Thou art
And when I think that God, His Son not sparing
Sent Him to die, I scarce can take it in
That on the cross, my burden gladly bearing
He bled and died to take away my sin
Then sings my soul, my Savior God to Thee
How great Thou art, how great Thou art
Then sings my soul, my Savior God to Thee
How great Thou art, how great Thou art
When Christ shall come, with shout of acclamation
And take me home, what joy shall fill my heart
Then I shall bow, in humble adoration
And then proclaim, my God, how great Thou art
Then sings my soul, my Savior God to Thee
How great Thou art, how great Thou art
Then sings my soul, my Savior God to Thee
How great Thou art, how great Thou art
How great Thou art, how great Thou art
Serving
When discussions come up about the return of Christ, and perhaps even disagreements. We should be reminded to think about how we can help each other to work out our faith, love God and His people and stay hopeful in the face of events that make us anxious or feel insecure. We can use the opportunities to encourage one another to grow rather than to become disheartened by the discussion.