The Rapture of the Church
Bob Yandian
The Old Testament does not teach about the rapture of the church but it does teach on the Second Coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. The reason the Rapture was not taught in the Old Testament is because it is part of the mystery. Neither is the Rapture taught in the Gospels. We may find some types and shadows of it, but there are no specific teachings. To learn about the rapture of the church, we must study the New Testament epistles.
Confusion About the Rapture
There are actually two comings of the Lord Jesus Christ yet to occur. The church is looking forward to the Rapture, which is part of the mystery and the end of the dispensation of grace, also known as the church age. 1 Corinthians 15:51 says, “Behold, I show you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed in a moment, in a twinkling of an eye.”
There is going to be a time period in the earth called the Tribulation. Seven years from the start of the Tribulation the Second Coming of the Lord Jesus Christ will occur.
The books of 1 and 2 Thessalonians were written to the church in Thessalonica. The believers at Thessalonica were confused about the rapture of the Church, just as many believers are today. False teaching abounded and many were presenting the Rapture in a way that brought fear to the people. Different theories about the Rapture were taught as fact. There were many people in that day who believed they had missed the Rapture and were living in the Tribulation.
During the time 1 Thessalonians was written, many believed the Rapture was very near because Nero was on the throne and Christians were being persecuted. Believers in that day understood that there would be a revival of the Roman Empire during the Tribulation and believed Nero was the Anitchrist. Many believed the Rapture was so near they quit their jobs and were just waiting for the event to come to pass.
Paul wrote 1 Thessalonians in order to correct false teachings and wrong theories being spread concerning the rapture of the church. Paul thought one letter would be sufficient to correct the wrong thinking of believers, but after he had written the first letter to the Thessalonians, someone wrote a false epistle attributing it to Paul. This false epistle basically said, “Some of the things I taught you in the first epistle were wrong and I have changed my mind. The Rapture has already occurred and we are living in the Tribulation. Nero is the Antichrist and the persecution of the Christians is evidence of the fact that we are living in the Tribulation.” Because of this false epistle, people were in fear. Paul wrote 2 Thessalonians to inform believers he had not changed his mind and what he had written in 1 Thessalonians was true.
“Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him…” (2 Thessalonians 2:1)
Paul said, “…we beseech you…by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him.” Notice, Paul is specifically referring to the rapture of the Church because there will be no “gathering together” at the Second Coming. The Rapture is so important that he uses it as a rallying point for Christians.
The Greatest Inspiration for Witnessing
At the rapture of the church, Jesus does not come to earth; He appears in the sky. At the Second Advent, He will literally come, touch the earth, and remain here. At the rapture of the church, Jesus will appear and we will rise to meet Him in the air. What a blessed event that will be! Every day we should wake up with an anticipation that this could be the day Jesus appears. At the same time, we should have a realization that He may not appear today; therefore we need to remain busy as a witness in the earth.
If someone very credible came and said, “Jesus appeared to me today and told me to tell everyone He is coming back on Monday” most of us would probably rush to call all of our friends and relatives to try to get them born again.
The point is, Jesus could come at any moment. He could come today; He could come in the next thirty minutes! The Rapture should be the greatest inspiration for witnessing available to us.
Don’t Let Any Man Deceive You
“Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him… ” (2 Thessalonians 2:1)
“And then shall the wicked One be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming.” (2 Thessalonians 2:8)
Notice, there is a coming in verse one and a coming in verse eight. At the coming in verse one, the church is gathered to Him, but at the coming in verse eight, Jesus will destroy the Antichrist by the brightness of His coming. In verse one we have the rapture of the church and in verse eight we have the Second Coming. In verses two through seven we have all the events that occur between the two comings.
“That you be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, that the day of Christ is at hand.” (2 Thessalonians 2:2)
Paul is simply saying, “There is a mindset that seems to have spread throughout the church that you are living in the Tribulation. Do not be moved by the different winds of doctrine that are circulating. Also, people are distorting the Word of God to support the theory that the Tribulation has come.” Paul continues, “I don’t care if there is a letter contradicting my first letter, it is wrong. Don’t let anyone shake you up and convince you that the Tribulation has arrived, because it has not. Don’t be soon shaken in mind.”
Every time any major war arises, people begin to shout, “We’re in the Tribulation!” When Hitler rose to power, many said, “He is the Antichrist.” When Mussolini rose to power they said, “Mussolini is the Antichrist. He is a ruler from Rome, and Rome is the revived Roman Empire, therefore he must be the Antichrist!” Not too long ago, people were saying that the Russian leader, Gorbachev was the Antichrist because he had a birthmark on his head.
In our generation and throughout the centuries, people try to take circumstances and make them fit the Word of God, when instead the Word of God should be the standard by which circumstances are judged.
Antichrist will be Jewish. Why would the Jews accept him as their Messiah if he were not a Jew? John said, “…there are many antichrists” (1 John 2:18). Until the Antichrist is revealed, there will be many false prophets operating in the demon spirit of Antichrist. Hitler and Mussolini were antichrists; they were not the Antichrist. Hitler had to have been demon possessed, but when the Antichrist is revealed in the earth, he will be possessed by Satan himself! Not only will Satan possess this man, he will operate through him with mighty signs and wonders, but they will be lying signs and wonders. Antichrist will do supernatural things and deceive many people.
“Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition.” (2 Thessalonians 2:3)
Paul is saying, “Don’t let any man deceive you in any way, whether by spirit or word or a letter as if from us.” The reference to “that day” in this verse is a reference to the Tribulation. I personally believe Jesus Christ will return while there is a great revival in the earth. Many prophecies have come forth over the years in numerous places around the world saying we will enter into the greatest time of evangelism and soul winning the world has ever seen, which will sweep us right into the rapture of the church. However, many people look at verse three and say, “No, this verse says Jesus can’t come until there is a great falling away first. Many are going to turn away from Him first and because of the great apathy in the earth, He is going to return.”
The Greek word for “falling away” is “apostasia” which means “departure.” Putting it back into context in this verse it could actually be translated, “Don’t be fooled by any means, for the Tribulation cannot come until the departure occur first.” The “departure” is speaking of the rapture of the church.
