Rapture

 

Acts 1:11

“Men of Galilee,” they said, “why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.”

The debate surrounding the rapture of the church is currently very topical indeed. We can hardly open YouTube without encountering someone hotly disputing what another YouTuber has posted on the subject, and there is nothing about it that is not under fire - is there a rapture; when is the rapture; who will be raptured; who will stay behind; is it pre-trib, mid-trib or post-trib (referring to the tribulation), and on and on the list goes.

What I find so tragic about the whole dispute is the way that some church members go about voicing their opinions. The derogatory language that is sometimes thrown about in the comments toward one another is not only lamentable, but also so very un-Christlike. When one believer calls another believer stupid, or a moron, or uneducated, it goes against everything Jesus taught in John 13:35 By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”

We do not have to agree with every doctrine our fellow Christians believe to be true, in order for the church to stand united in Christ. And unity in Christ is extremely important in the age that we are living in, so that the church may advance in strength of purpose and not be divided and conquered by the enemy of our souls.

What should the basis of agreement between all believers be? As Paul writes in Gal 1:8 Let God’s curse fall on anyone, including us or even an angel from heaven, who preaches a different kind of Good News than the one we preached to you. The pure gospel as preached all through the New Testament proclaims that God so loved the world that He gave us His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ of Nazareth, Who died on Calvary as an offering making atonement for our sins, Who rose again on the third day and ascended to heaven where He is now seated on the right hand of the Father. He will be returning one day to gather us to Him, and to finally judge sin. Whoever believes in what Jesus did and in Who He is (with the result that he confesses this with his mouth and in his obedience to Him), will live forever, even if his body dies. The Holy Spirit was sent to dwell in us as a deposit here on earth, until we inherit everything God has promised us. On these fundamental matters there should be full agreement between believers. And if there are other doctrinal issues where there is no agreement, please voice your opinions in a humble and respectful way, harbouring a teachable spirit – you might find Holy Spirit convincing you that your thinking may be wrong!

What I personally believe about the rapture? Let me give the above verse as a clue. When the angels said that Jesus will return in the same way the disciples saw Him leave, what did they mean? Well, He left alone on clouds; without millions of white horses; and only disciples were present to witness this. Does this not imply that He will return (for His secret coming) on clouds; without white horses (these will be present for His very visible second coming); and only believers will eagerly be waiting….

Pearls to ponder:

Clues and hints concerning the rapture are scattered all through the Bible like hidden puzzle pieces. Search for them and start building the bigger picture!

Red Rocks Worship, Tyler Roberts - The King Is Coming (Official Live Video)