The Rapture & The State of the World: We are told in the Bible that Jesus said He would be, one day, coming back for His Church. [1 Thess 4:13-18]. Christ in His discourse to His disciples said “And I Go to prepare a place for you … I will come back and take you to be with me” [John 14:1-6]. Later on Jesus likened His Church to a chosen Bride. In that part of the world at that time, young men proposed to their brides, and after having become betrothed, the young men would then go home to their father’s house and prepare a new home for their bride. When the house was finished they would then return to their awaiting bride and take her back home to the house he had prepared. Jesus used this as an illustration as to what He would be doing, by going back to Heaven to prepare a place for His disciples.
In 1 Thessalonians, Paul gives a very detailed description of Christ’s return for His Church. “But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus. For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep. For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with 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.” [1 Thess 4:13-17NKJV]. However there was one item not mentioned by the Lord. The timing, when would He come back? The Bible goes on to say that the Lords return will be at a time when no one knows it is going to happen. One indication of when, is given in 2 Thessalonians Chapter 2, where it indicates that the Churches Rapture will be before the Antichrist is revealed. Another indication is that the Church is not mentioned between Chapters 4 and 19 of the book of Revelation. The timing for The Marriage Supper of the Lamb to take place, must be during the final Tribulation period and that is mentioned after the fall of the revived Babylon, and before Christ returns to take up His rule of Israel and becomes King of Kings of the world.
One of the strong indications of the position of the Rapture in the scheme of things is the state of mankind at that time. The return of Christ is likened to the “Days of Noah” [Matt 24:37-44], where people just went on their own way heedless of God and of the future. Would you say that today is very similar? People are just carrying on amidst the terror and mayhem of the world and hoping it will not affect them. Jesus also likened the behaviour of people at that time to the “Days of Lot.” The Bible tells us quite an amount about that area of history. Supporting archeologically proof of that time also tells us much about the people alive then. In Noah’s day it is understood that Satan’s fallen angels had come to earth, taken human women to themselves and had children. These were giants and they did great acts of unusual ability. They were however evil in nature against God. Mankind thought the Giants were “men of renown” and looked up to them. Not only did mankind ignore God but followed these Satan inspired men who did and taught things that were not in God’s will. It was very interesting that only Noah and his family followed God. Violence and wickedness were everywhere, In Luke, Jesus likened the end days to those of Lot and the inhabitants of the cities of the plain. [Luke 17:28]. Again violence and evil were the way the people lived. Many were homosexual’s, and Lot called his visitors into his house to keep them safe as it was unsafe to spend the night in the town square. Just as God rescued Lot and his family, out of Sodom, so the Lord will rescue us out of this world to save us from the terrible time coming during the Tribulation, where Satan will hold sway. Those who have studied the time of Noah, believe genetic experiments and other total wickedness were carried out. The more we read of what’s happening today around the world, the more it appears that it is becoming very much like the time’s Christ referred to.
“For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment; And spared not the old world, but saved Noah the eighth person, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood upon the world of the ungodly; And turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into ashes condemned them with an overthrow, making them an example unto those that after should live ungodly; And delivered just Lot, vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked: (For that righteous man dwelling among them, in seeing and hearing, vexed his righteous soul from day to day with their unlawful deeds;) The Lord knows how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust until the Day of Judgment to be punished.” [2 Peter 2:4-9 KJV].
So what manner of people ought we to be as we see the day approaching. The Lord has given us the signs of His coming. For example; the way of living of people around us at the time of His coming. How are we living before the Lord. When my Bible class students used to ask me if something was right or wrong in Gods sight. “I always told them: “would you like Jesus to find you doing that or would you mind the Lord finding you in that place. If He unexpectedly arrived?” As God said one day to Elijah: “What are you doing here Elijah?”[1 Kings 19:13]. Do we find ourselves in places we should not be, or caught up in the things that people are doing around us, and the way they are living? Are we ready to meet Jesus?
Brian D Papworth