Morning is breaking
In the book of Philippians, Paul speaks of “the day of Christ” three times (Php. 1:6, 10; 2:16). In each of these verses, it is clear that he is referring to the rapture and the rewards associated with it. Let us consider the passages in the New Testament that are the basis for our understanding of this glorious event.
In the Upper Room
The first passage is a portion of the conversation between Christ and His disciples in the upper room, recorded in John 14:1-3. Notice what the Lord said to His disciples. He told them that He would come again and that He would take them to be with Himself. He does not relegate the coming, or the taking, to angels or anyone else. This is something that He is going to do Himself. Be encouraged, believers! He is coming for you and for me!
Note that this section of Scripture does not reference death. He simply said that He will come and take believers to be with Himself. It does not imply death or require death as part of the transaction.
At His Ascension
The second relevant passage is Acts 1:10-11: “And while they were gazing into heaven as He went, behold, two men stood by them in white robes, and said, ‘Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw Him go into heaven.’” Again, Scripture bears witness to the reality that the Lord will return. His second coming is as real and as certain as His first coming. It is never in doubt.
The other truth that is contained in these verses is that He will come in the same manner. What manner is that? He had just been speaking to His disciples. He was bodily present! Since He left in His body, He will return in His body. He will not return merely as a spirit, but bodily.
One other attribute is notable: the audience. It was composed entirely of those who knew the Lord Jesus and followed Him as His disciples. There were no unbelievers present. This can be extrapolated to the rapture, as well. Only believers will see the Lord Jesus as He comes to take us to be with Himself. Unbelievers will be left behind, wondering what happened but failing to discern the truth.
To the Thessalonians
Turning to Paul’s first letter to the Thessalonian church, we find several references to the rapture. In the very first chapter we read, “For not only has the word of the Lord sounded forth from you in Macedonia and Achaia, but your faith in God has gone forth everywhere, so that we need not say anything. 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, and to wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come” (1 Thes. 1:8-10). These verses, as well as others, demonstrate the importance of the complete gospel message being presented in power and authority. The gospel resulted in changed lives, as well as a desire to see the Son of God in person—the Thessalonians were waiting for the Son.
Do we wait for something that we don’t expect? Do we stand by the front door looking for a friend to pull up in the driveway if we have had no communication from that friend for months or years? Of course not! We wait for things or people because we have an expectation that something is going to happen. There was one item on a Thessalonian believer’s bucket list: the coming of the Lord Jesus! They weren’t waiting for anything else; they weren’t anticipating anything else; they didn’t desire anything else. Those believers were waiting to see the Son of God come from heaven! Brothers and sisters, has anything changed in God’s plan? No! So our bucket list should contain one item, too: waiting to see the Son of God return to take us to be with Himself.
Later in the same letter, Paul continues with the definitive passage on the rapture:
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. For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep. 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. 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. 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. Therefore encourage one another with these words (1 Thes. 4:13-18).
In his short paper about the Lord’s return, C.H. Mackintosh says about this portion, “It is impossible for any proof to be more simple, direct, and conclusive than this. The Thessalonian Christians, as we have already remarked, were converted to the hope of the Lord’s return. They were taught to look out for it daily. It was as much a part of their Christianity to believe that He would come as to believe that He had come and gone.”
The Lord’s return was so real to the Thessalonian believers that they were extremely concerned when some of their own physically died. Paul had to clarify that physical death will not negate the Lord’s return or the rapture of believers.
The term rapture specifically deals with those believers who are alive at His return. The resurrection of those that died in Christ is so intimately connected to the rapture that, for all intents and purposes, it is the same event. Paul comforts the Thessalonians with the truth that the saints who have passed on will be raised to be with the Lord Jesus just as those who are alive at His coming! Praise God that we will see our departed brothers and sisters in the sky when the Lord returns to take us home.
To the Corinthians
Paul revealed to the Corinthians some of the details of what it’s going to be like when the Lord returns. He writes, “Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, 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” (1 Cor. 15:51-52). The “behold” is the tool the Holy Spirit uses to get our attention. What a wonderful truth! We are not all going to die physically, but, rather, some believers will be alive when the Lord Jesus returns to take us to be with Himself. This is to be the hope of every generation of believers.
In addition to the truth that we will not all sleep, we learn that we will also all be changed. These current bodies of ours are not suited for eternity, so we will be getting new bodies, perfectly suited for everlasting glory. Praise the Lord! Can it get any better?
In these few short passages, a discerning student of the Word will recognize that there is no doubt as to the reality of the return of the Lord Jesus for His people. We echo the saints of old when we say, “Maranatha, come Lord Jesus, come.”
Uplook Magazine, September 2012
Written by Mike Stoudt