THE RAPTURE. Lesson Overview

Transcription

1 THE RAPTURE R Part Two Planted Christians Study #18 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. I Thessalonians 4:16-17 Lesson Overview Part One I. The Promise of the Rapture II. The Preface to the Rapture III. The Procedure in the Rapture Part Two IV. The Phase after the Rapture A. For those in Christ 1. Reckoning Before Christ 2. Rejoicing In Christ 3. Returning With Christ B. For those without Christ 1. Fierce Deception 2. Fascinating Diplomacy 3. Flagrant Disgrace 4. Frightening Disasters 5. Firm Defeat V. The Preparation for the Rapture A. Secure Your Location B. Sanctify Your Life C. Seek the Lost D. Serve the Lord In the first part of the lesson on the rapture we learned of the promise of the rapture, the preface to the rapture, and the procedure in the rapture. In part two of this study we will learn of the phase after the rapture, and the preparation for the rapture. Let s begin part two by considering what will happen immediately following the rapture. IV. The Phase after the Rapture The events that follow the rapture are dependent upon whether an individual was saved or unsaved at the point of the rapture. After the raptures there are two sets of events that run concurrent with one another. For those in Christ the events take place in heaven. For those without Christ the events take place on earth. We will first study the phase after the rapture for those in Christ or the saved. A. For those in Christ This study is not an exhaustive study of all of the events that take place for a Christian after the rapture. We will however, examine the three most prominent events for the believer after the rapture. The first event for the Christians in the phase after the rapture is our reckoning before Christ. 1. Reckoning Before Christ By reckoning we mean the final judgment of the saved. This is called the judgment seat of Christ. It is for believers only.

2 There are several passages that describe this judgment for all believers. II Corinthians 5:10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad. The we in this verse is referring to Paul the writer, and those to whom the letter was addressed which were the church of God which is at Corinth. Simply put we referring to Christians only. Paul wrote of this judgment again in II Timothy. II Timothy 4:1 I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom; The word quick means those that are alive. When Christ appears in the rapture, He will begin judging all Christians. This judgment is not to determine salvation but to judge our lives after salvation. Part of this judgment will be to reveal our failures while another part will be to reward our works for Christ. Mark 16:27 For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels; and then he shall reward every man according to his works. Regardless what our life was after salvation it will be tried or tested by fire. Only the works that were done for Christ will survive the fire. Every other work that was done will be loss. For every work that survives God s fire of testing will receive a reward. II Corinthians 3:13-15 Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is. If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire. The second event in the life of the saved after the rapture will be our rejoicing in Christ at the Marriage Supper of the Lamb. This event is described in revelation 19:17 2. Rejoicing In Christ Revelation 19:7-9 Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready. And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints. And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God. We will be rejoicing over the fact that the Lamb of God is finally united with His bride. For the first time, the union between God and His church will take place. All the saints of God will be adorned in white apparel, which is the righteousness of our God upon us. As we are all dressed in white as a bride adorned for her husband, we will all partake of the marriage supper of the Lamb! This will be the greatest celebration that the world or heaven has ever seen! Christ is finally united with a spotless, perfect, and righteous bride that was made possible by the shedding of His own blood.

3 A Christian may have a spirit of rejoicing on this earth, but all Christians will be rejoicing on that grand and glorious day! The third and event that will consider for the saved after the rapture is our returning to earth with Christ to rule and reign for a thousand years. This returning with Christ will take place seven years after we ascended to heaven with Christ. 3. Returning With Christ It is upon our return with Christ that Jesus Christ will finally rule and rein this earth. The first time that Jesus Christ set foot on this earth it was to suffer and die for our sins as a Lamb before the slaughter. The second time that He sets foot on this earth He will not come in a lowly manger or live a lowly and rejected life. The second time that Christ comes to earth He will come with boldness and power to rule and reign as the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, and we will come with Him! Revelation 19:11-16 And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war. His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself. And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God. And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean. And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS. Can you imagine the scene? The sky splits open and LORD OF LORDS descends on a white horse. His name is Faithful and True. He is clothed in a garment that has been dipped in the blood that He shed at Calvary. Out of his mouth is a sharp sword, it is the Word of God! He will be the epitome of power! Nothing will be able to stand against Him. The greatest display of power the world has ever known will be on full display and all those who are saved through His blood will follow after Him. Theses saints will still be clothed in the white garments of His righteousness. We will ride triumphantly to the great battle of Armageddon. This will be the most fierce and bloodiest day in the history of the world s wars. On one side of the battle field there is the evil cast comprised of Satan (Revelation 12:3, 9), the Antichrist (Revelation 13:1-10), and the false prophet (Revelation 13:11-17). There are also demonic forces and earthly armies. On the other side is Jesus Christ, the people of God, and heavenly angels. This horrific Battle of Armageddon is described in Revelation 19:11-20:3. Revelation 19:19 And I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against him that sat on the horse, and against his army. It is graphic, brutal, and ends with utter bloody destruction of the forces of evil. The evil ones will assemble in battle formation, tensely waiting to engage their enemy. Jesus Christ opens His mouth and with His Word slays the masses with nothing but His command.

4 The Battle of Armageddon is quickly over. The cries of the dying and the stench of the dead fill the air. The outcome of this ghastly battle is that the leadership will be captured. The Antichrist and the false prophet will be thrown alive into the lake of fire which burns with brimstone. Revelation 19:20 And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone. The rest were killed. Satan, however, will have a different ending. He will be bound and sealed in the abyss for one thousand years, according to the Bible. Revelation 20:1-2 And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years, His access to the earth will be terminated. However, at the end of that imprisonment, he will be released, and allowed to assemble another futile effort against God. He loses. After this Battle of Armageddon, the saved will rule and reign on this earth for a thousand years. Revelation 20:6 Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years. This is the phase after the rapture for the saved. What is the phase for the unsaved after the rapture? Let s consider there fate for a few moments. B. For those without Christ Once again, this is not an exhaustive study on that will happen on planet earth after the rapture. We will only consider three elements of the unsaved after the rapture. The first event for the unsaved is fierce deception. 1. Fierce Deception Immediately following the rapture of the church the antichrist will appear and will have fierce deception over the unsaved that were left behind. II Thessalonians 2:8-12 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. And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness. This deception of the antichrist coupled with delusion sent by God will result in the world believing a lie. 2. Fascinating Diplomacy The second event after the antichrist is revealed is his fascinating diplomacy. Daniel 11:21 but he shall come in peaceably, and obtain the kingdom by flatteries.

5 Daniel 8:25 And through his policy also he shall cause craft to prosper in his hand Daniel 9:27 And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week This policy or covenant of which the Bible speaks is a peace accord between Israel and the Muslim world. That will certainly be a diplomatic feat that has eluded every world leader before the antichrist. People will see this antichrist as the answer to the world s problems. He will be hailed as the Christ by many. He will bring peace and prosperity to the entire world for the first three and a half years of his reign. After he has world power, the antichrist will commit the abomination of desolation and break his covenant with Israel. 3. Flagrant Disgrace This flagrant disgrace is called the abomination of desolation. During the first three and a half years of the tribulation period the Jews, under peace provided for by the antichrist, will have rebuilt the Temple on the Holy Mount. The Jews will once again begin offering up sacrifices under the law of the Old Testament. It is during this time that the antichrist will break his covenant with Israel and by force ascend to the Holy Mount and seat himself in the Holy place in the Temple. Never has anything so profane and wicked inhabited something so precious! Daniel 11:31 And arms shall stand on his part, and they shall pollute the sanctuary of strength, and shall take away the daily sacrifice, and they shall place the abomination that maketh desolate. Daniel 12:11 And from the time that the daily sacrifice shall be taken away, and the abomination that maketh desolate set up, there shall be a thousand two hundred and ninety days. Mark 13:14 But when ye shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing where it ought not, (let him that readeth understand,) then let them that be in Judaea flee to the mountains: The last set of events for the unsaved to endure after the rapture are three and a half years of the worst plagues, disasters, and calamities that the world has ever known. These events are the judgment of a Holy God for the abomination of desolation. 4. Frightening Disasters Mark 13:14-19 But when ye shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing where it ought not, (let him that readeth understand,) then let them that be in Judaea flee to the mountains: And let him that is on the housetop not go down into the house, neither enter therein, to take any thing out of his house: And let him that is in the field not turn back again for to take up his garment. But woe to them that are with child, and to them that give suck in those days! And pray ye that your flight be not in the winter. For in those days shall be affliction, such as was not from the beginning of the creation which God created unto this time, neither shall be. This flagrant disgrace will be the most vile act ever commited!

6 These frightening disasters come in three sets of seven. The first seven judgments are the seven seals. The Seven Seals 1. Rev 6:1-2 The Antichrist Comes 2. Rev 6:3-4 War 3. Rev 6:5-6 Famine 4. Rev 6:7-8 Death 5. Rev 6:9-11 Martyrdom 6. Rev 6:12-17 Earthquake, The sun black and moon as blood 7. Rev 8:1 Silence in Heaven, about the space of half an hour The second seven seals are the seven trumpets. The Seven Trumpets 1. Rev 8:6-7 Hail and fire mingled with blood 2. Rev 8:8-9 A Third part of the sea becomes blood 3. Rev 8:10-11 A great star from heaven fell 4. Rev 8:12 Third part of the sun, moon, and stars smitten 5. Rev 9:1-12 Locusts 6. Rev 9:13-21 A third part of men are killed 7. Rev 11:15-19 Lightnings, Thunderings, Earthquakes, and Hail The third set of judgments are the seven vials. The Seven Vials 1. Rev 16:2 Grievous sores 2. Rev 16:3 Sea as blood 3. Rev 16:4 Rivers become blood 4. Rev 16:8-9 Men scorched with great heat 5. Rev 16:10-11 Darkness; gnawing of tongues for pain 6. Rev 16:12 The Euphrates River dries up 7. Rev 16:17-21 Thunders, and Lightning, and the Great Earthquake. These frightening disasters will kill most of the known world. For those who survive, they have the firm defeat of the Battle of Armageddon awaiting them. 5. Firm Defeat Revelation 19:11-16 And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war. His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself. And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God. And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean. And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS. Revelation 19:19-21 And I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against him that sat on the horse, and against his army. And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone. And the remnant were slain with the sword of him that sat upon the horse, which sword proceeded out of his mouth: and all the fowls were filled with their flesh. In short, there is nothing to look forward to for those who were left behind at the rapture of the saved. The last part of our study is the preparation for the rapture,

7 V. The Preparation for the Rapture With all of these truths in mind, what should our preparation be? We must begin by securing our location in heaven and making certain that we will be in heaven and not on earth during the tribulation period. A. Secure Your Location We should all make certain that we have accepted Christ as our Savior and that we are in Christ. II Corinthians 13:5 Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates? If after careful consideration you realize that you are not in Christ, you should call unto Him while there is still time! Isaiah 55:6-7 Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near: Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon. Romans 10:13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. B. Sanctify Your Life After securing a place in heaven, we can prepare for the rapture by cleansing our lives and hearts. We should become more like Christ with every passing day. I John 3:2-3 Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure. Living each day as though Christ could come on that day will change the way that every Christian lives their life. The next preparation that we are to make for the rapture is to seek the lost. C. Seek The Lost Proverbs 11:30 The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life; and he that winneth souls is wise. II Corinthians 5:18 And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; Matthew 28:19-20 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen. If we truly believe that Christ coming is imminent, and we believe the Bible when it speaks of the twenty-one judgments during the tribulation, and we believe in Hell then we should be seeking the lost every day of our lives! The final preparation to make for the rapture is to serve the Lord rather than serving self. It is the promise of Christ return that will purify our hearts!

8 D. Serve The Lord John 9:4 I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work. I Thessalonians 5:6 Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober. Matthew 6:33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. Unfortunately, many of us spend our days working for things that have no eternal reward. Many of us serve ourselves first and Christ last! Christ did not save us for us to give Him the leftovers! Christ wants and deserves the FIRST of everything that we have and of everything that we are. Proverbs 3:9 Honour the LORD with thy substance, and with the firstfruits of all thine increase: If Christ returned today, would you be ready to meet Him?