So, About The Rapture ...

“For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another with these words.”

( 1 Thessalonians 4:16-18)

So, about the rapture. I don’t know if you know this or not, but last week, some Christians believed that Jesus was coming back on the 23rd or 24th of September … despite Jesus stating that no one knows the hour He will come (Matthew 24:42). I can appreciate their longing to see Jesus. The anticipation of being caught up in the air with our Lord is a hope that every believer should have. It is our greatest hope. So, I can’t be mad at them for being excited, but I can blame them for being ignorant of what our Lord said about His 2nd coming.

And it just so happens that we’ve been in 1 Thessalonians for weeks and this week, we have arrived at the text that speaks about what many people call the rapture– the verse about being caught up in the air with our Lord. Listen … I am looking forward to this day just as those who were deceived last week were. To finally see my Lord … wow! Just wow. It’ll be unreal. Majestic. Divine. Beautiful. Overwhelming. I just don’t have the words for how wonderful it will be.

So, this week’s article is timely considering this recent belief amongst believers. But I’d like to say one thing about those being deceived about the false prophecy of last week’s rapture. I’d just like to kindly remind us that we have all been deceived at some point in our lives.

Anytime we sin against God, deception is involved. And since we have all sinned, we have all been deceived. Choosing fleshly desires in opposition to God’s Word is the epitome of deception. You are 100% deceived if you believe the fulfillment of your flesh is greater than a full surrender to the Lord. Because choosing sin is choosing death. It’s choosing false peace. It’s choosing less than what God wants for you. And anytime someone willingly chooses a less than satisfactory choice over a complete and perfect choice, they are without doubt, deceived.

If a third of God’s angels were deceived into following Satan, then we shouldn’t be so high-minded to believe that we can’t also be deceived. It can happen to any of us. This is why reading God’s word and praying for wisdom and understanding is paramount in the faith. So, let’s pray for all who were deceived, because believe it or not, you were once deceived too.

Okay, now let’s get into this text. Let me start by saying this: I am a student of God’s word. I am learning and refining my learning as I grow. I read, pray for understanding, and come to a conclusion just like any other believer.

I am not above correction, and I am willing to hear other perspectives, but I do not believe in the rapture as some people believe. I do believe that we will be caught up in the air with our Lord just as Paul wrote. I do believe what Jesus said in Matthew 24. “Two shall be in the field; one shall be taken, and the other left.” (v.40).

But I am not convinced that we will be raptured away before the tribulations listed in the Book of Revelation. Hear me out. If you believe that Christ will descend to take us up before He comes and reigns judgment on the earth, then you believe in a 2nd and 3rd coming of Christ.

Paul says, “For the Lord Himself will descend…” So, the Lord will descend to take us up. He will leave His throne to meet us in the air. But Revelation 19 also mentions Christ descending. John wrote in Revelation 19:11-16 that “heaven opened, and behold, a white horse. And He who sat on him was called Faithful and True … His eyes were like a flame, and on His head were many crowns …He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God.”

But the descension of Christ listed in Revelation is after the seven seals were opened. This is after the terrible trials and tribulations. Yet, some Christians believe we will be raptured before the tribulations. And if you believe this, you must also believe in a 2nd and 3rd coming of Christ ... That He is descending a 2nd time to rapture away His Bride before the Great Tribulation and a 3rd time for His last descent after the tribulation to war against the nations as stated in Revelation 19. I believe only in a 2nd coming after the trials and tribulations.

Also, I believe Christians will not be raptured before any trials because of what Jesus said in Matthew 24:22. In this text, Jesus is talking about the Great Tribulation and He said, “Unless those days were shortened, no flesh should be saved, but for the elect’s sake those days will be shortened.” Jesus said for the sake of His people, He will shorten the tribulation. But if we were raptured away, there wouldn’t be a need for Him to shorten the days for us.

Additionally, Revelation 7 states in the end times, four angels will be standing on four corners of the earth. Then a command is given to them in Verse 3, “Do not harm the earth, the sea, or the trees till we have sealed the servants of our God on their foreheads.” If we are raptured away, whose foreheads will be sealed? Possibly those who became believers after we were raptured? And maybe Jesus promised to shorten the tribulation for those who began to believe in Him after a pre-tribulation rapture?

Again, I am willing to be corrected if I am wrong. But as of now, I believe we will be caught up with the Lord on the same day as Judgment Day. I believe just as Paul wrote in 1 Thessalonians 4. The dead in Christ will rise first, then the living Christians will rise. Then, as we are ascending to meet Jesus in the air, He will also “strike the nations and tread out the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God” as stated in Revelation 19.

But rather you believe in a pre-tribulation rapture or a post-tribulation rapture, Paul wrote to the believers about being caught up in the air with the Lord as encouragement. In the last verse of the chapter, he wrote, “Comfort one another with these words.” (1 Thessalonians 4:18). The comfort is knowing that despite dying, we have hope.

Paul mentioned that some people were sorrowful and had no hope because of death. So, he mentioned the dead and the living in Christ being caught up in the air with Christ because even after death, there is hope for believers. So, whether we are caught up today or tomorrow, before the tribulation or after, our hope is to be with God after all this suffering in a beautiful, holy city full of love and light. And that is comforting.

So reader, that wraps up this week’s article and discussion. I pray it has blessed you, or at minimum, I pray it has encouraged you to study the End Times and Second Coming of Christ for yourself. And if we disagree on this topic, you are still my brother or sister in the Lord, if you are in fact in Him. Therefore, I look forward to being caught up with you in the air with our Lord one of these faithful days. In the meantime, let’s be watchful and let’s be ready.

May God bless you and keep you! Until next time, take care.

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Thank you for reading this week's Write On! Wednesday article. New article and YouTube video posted every Wednesday at 12 pm. YouTube Channel is here: http://YouTube.com/@nowthatsaword

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Sincerely,

Quin Arrington