Rapture

I would like to talk about the glorious experience of our rapture. The manner of Christ’s coming has two phases.

First, He will come for his church (for his saints, for the Christians). All those believers who have died after His resurrection. Some say since the birth of the Church at Pentecost. On the second phase, He will come with His saints. He will come down onto this earth and land on the Mt of Olives. Those who come with Him are called the armies of heaven (the raptured church, tribulation saints, and the OT believers and angels) and will fight with Christ in the Battle of Armageddon. The saints are safe and secure and Christ will win as described to us in Rev. 19: 11-21. He will just blow them away! Satan and his side kick will be in prison for a thousand years (the millennium, -- that is another story to write). Let us concentrate about the rapture. When Jesus comes for the believer in the first phase, He will not come down upon this earth. We will meet him in the air, the Bible says 1Thess.4: 17, “Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air.” (Please read 1Thess.4:13-18; 1Cor.15:51-58).

1Thess. gives us a complete, comforting and glorious description of the rapture. This is the church’s translation, the catching away of the church to meet the Lord Jesus in the air and then escort us to heaven. That is awesome! It is glorious and awesome because that is the end of our earthly pilgrimage and we will see Jesus face to face.

On the Rapture Day, there are two important revelations that you will experience: 1. The glorious resurrection of the dead in Christ. 2. If you are alive on the Rapture Day, you will be translated or transported, simultaneously together with those resurrected glorified bodies.

Isn’t that awesome? Of course, it is. Are you excited about that? If you are not, there must be something missing in your life. Think about this very seriously. This is about your eternal destiny. The reason why I continue preaching, teaching and writing is because I want to take as many people to heaven with me. This is a tremendous gift-all by grace and grace alone.