இயேசு அரசாளுகிறார்
A Brief His-Story of Time
His-story of the Future
Section IV
Page
402
Chapter 143
His Return in His-story – the Rapture - Part 1
Section IV
Rapture is an event in the future when believers are caught up and carried away in great joy by their Lord at His return. It is called the glorious hope and is the most-looked-forward event in His-story on this earth.
There is no secrecy/invisibility element to this event as is evident from several scriptures to the contrary. "Beware: In case of Rapture this car will be driverless" shows only ignorance of the scriptures. He is not coming secretly for the Church exactly seven years before His glorious coming (which will invariably reveal the exact date of His (second!) coming) – wouldn’t that make it His third coming? He will appear a second time – just one more time. Unto them that look for Him shall He appear the second time without sin unto salvation. – Heb 9:28. The Lord’s coming to the air (first heaven) is nevertheless a coming – certainly He should come out of Heaven’s door! And His coming is not to cause random accidents on the road but to cause eternal destruction. – 2 Thes 1:7-10. Yes, His coming will be like a thief in the night – but it only tells about the surprise element – the unexpected time – and this, for the unbelievers. Believers will however remain prepared and anticipate His return (Tit 2:13). They should! And, there is no mention of the saints being with the Lord for a short time (exactly 7 years) in heaven – we will be with Him forever.
As the lightning cometh out of the east (of the one part under heaven), and shineth even unto the west (unto the other part under heaven), so shall also the coming of the Son of man be in His day. In that night there shall be two men in one bed; the one shall be taken, and the other shall be left. Two women shall be grinding together; the one shall be taken, and the other left. Two men shall be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left.
And there are more signs of His return. Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken:
And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with great power and great glory. And He shall send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other, from the uttermost part of the earth to the uttermost part of heaven.
God will bring with Jesus all those who sleep in Him. Those who are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them who are asleep. For the Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God (at the last trump): we shall all be changed; the dead in Christ shall rise first, shall be raised incorruptible and be made alive. Then we which are alive and remain, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye shall be changed (those who bear the image of the earthy (Adam) with flesh and blood and cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption) For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality and the image of the Heavenly. He must reign, till He hath put all enemies under His feet. The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death. So, when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, Death is swallowed up in victory. We shall be caught up together with them (that were raised from the dead) in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air; so shall we ever be with the Lord. – 1 Cor 15:20-55, 1 Thes 4:14-17.
This is what the Lord has to say about the last day: And this is the Father's will which hath sent Me, that of all which He hath given me I should lose nothing but should raise it up again at the last day. And this is the will of Him that sent me, that everyone which sees the Son, and believeth on Him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day. No man can come to Me, except the Father Which hath sent Me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day. Whoso eats My flesh, and drinks My blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day. – John 6:39, 40, 44, 54. This last day will be as long as the first day!
Does the Bible teach that there will be one last day for this world? Yes, and the Bible tells us what events will happen on that last Day.
1. The visible return of Jesus – 2 Thess 1:5-10; Rev 1:7
2. The rapture of the saints – 1 Thess 4:13-18
3. The resurrection of all the dead – Acts 24;15, 1 Cor 15:35-58.
4. The judgement of all mankind – 2 Tim 4:1; Rom 14:10
5. The destruction of Satan – Matt 25:41, 46; Rev 20:7-10
6. The Church gathering as New Jerusalem – John 14:2, 3; Rev 21:1-7
7. The burning of the planet earth – 2 Pet 3:10-13; Heb 12: 27-29
-Ron Graham https://www.simplybible.com/f997-ldays-events-of-the-last-day.htm . The day might not be a 24-hour day. The first three days were not.
What happens when a believer dies in his faith? The believer’s spirit returns to God that gave him breath to live on earth. The believer’s soul goes to heaven, a temporary place of rest from the tiresome earthly life. The believer’s body returns to the dust. On the last day, which incidentally will be the day Jesus will return for His Church, the dead in Christ shall rise first. The soul of the saint will return with his Lord from heaven to put on a glorious body. (He has promised to raise the faithful believers on the last day). So, the Lord will raise the believer’s body, but this body will be a perfect, spiritual, powerful, incorruptible, immortal, undefiled body which will not fade away. It will not be carnal – flesh and blood cannot inherit the Kingdom of God. The believer will bear the image of the Heavenly One. He will descend to earth in the spiritual body with the Lord Who will judge the ungodly. Believers who comprise the Church of which He is the Head, will award final judgement to the fallen angels. Then, the believer, with the other believers will arrive at the presence of God – the third heaven. He, along with his fellow believers, collectively called the Bride of the Lamb will cherish the presence of the heavenly Bridegroom. There will be the marriage supper of the Lamb – a great occasion of joy, praise and thanksgiving. Then, the believer, as a member of the Church, will descend from Heaven as the Lamb’s wife, the New Jerusalem to the New Heaven and the New Earth to be with the Lord forever.
What happens to the believer who lives and remains faithful to the Lord Jesus Christ till His return? The believer’s body will be transformed at the twinkling of an eye. The Lord will use His mighty power to change the believer’s vile body into a perfect, spiritual, glorious, powerful, incorruptible, immortal, undefiled one and which will not fade away. The body will not be carnal – flesh and blood cannot inherit the Kingdom of God. The believer will bear the image of the Heavenly One. The believer in the spiritual body, together with the other believers who have simultaneously transformed bodily and, all those who died in Christ but have risen a moment before him/her with transformed bodies, (who comprise the Church of which he is a part), will descend to earth with the Lord Who will judge the ungodly. Believers who comprise the Church of which He is the Head, will award final judgement to the fallen angels. Then he with the other believers will arrive at the presence of God – the third heaven. He/she, along with his fellow believers, collectively called the Bride of the Lamb will cherish the presence of the heavenly Bridegroom. There will be a marriage supper – a great occasion of joy, praise, thanksgiving and bliss. Then, the believer, as a member of the Church, will descend from Heaven as the Lamb’s wife, New Jerusalem to the New Heaven and the New Earth to be with the Lord forever.
Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when He shall appear, we shall be like Him; for we shall see Him as He is. – 1John 3:2