As we look at what is happening to the church in America today, it’s difficult to watch, seems to be so much distress, seems we forgot about hope, it seems we forgot about who is on the throne. It seems that God is unamericanizing the American church. And the American church will experience what the rest of the church in the world is experiencing and what the majority of the church for 19 centuries has experienced. The parallels to the northern kingdom are astonishing. The northern kingdom enjoyed unparalleled material prosperity, for them it was the best of times. So the northern kingdom exchanged their loyalty to their heritage for idol worship and the result was social injustice, violent crime, religious hypocrisy, political rebellion, selfish ignorance, and spiritual ingratitude. Hosea’s message was that although a loving and caring God had provided their abundance and prosperity, their sin, their disloyalty, their abandonment of Him, forced him to vindicate His justice and judgment and He will use their enemies as the instrument of judgment. The parallels between the northern kingdom and America today are astounding. Every man is doing what is right in his own eyes and there’s absolutely no fear of God. Christianity is merely a hobby, even with people who are born again, and do not see the path laid out before us. And are still not taking this opportunity spread the gospel of hope. Paul wrote in Philippians 4:11, “I am not saying this because I am in any need for I have learned to be content in whatever situation I am in” this is something we will learn in America. We will be content with whatever situation God provides us. Right now we have set of standards or ideas of what type of environment we need to practice Christianity. Nowhere in the Bible nowhere in scripture does it say we need a building we need pews we need an HVAC system we need power points, it’s going to be a tough lesson. We have a blessed hope given to us, it calls us not to be ignorant but why isn’t this blessed hope being preached from the pulpit seven days a week
The Blessed Hope- 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18
But we do not want you to be ignorant, brothers, about those who have died, so that you may not grieve like other people who have no hope. 14For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so through Jesus God will bring those who have died with him. 15For we declare to you what the Lord has told us to say: We who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who have died. 16With a shout of command, with the archangel’s call, and with the sound of God’s trumpet, the Lord himself will come down from heaven, and the dead who belong to the Messiah will rise first. 17Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up in the clouds together with them to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. 18So then, encourage one another with these words.
This verse comes with a very interesting command that we are to encourage one another with these words, which tells us quite a bit, that this is an encouragement is it something we need to look forward to. This is believer on believer encouragement this is not for the world, this is not for the environment, this is not for the unbeliever. If someone is not encouraged by this verse it is probably not for them. It is not to win an argument it’s a blessed hope for His bride. It’s not an academic exercise, it is our God is coming for us. If someone wants to look to the world for their blessed hope, looking to elections to parliamentary procedure, to court proceedings as their Blessed Hope, this verse is not for them this first is for the blood but bride of Christ.
If you look at the parable of the 10 bridesmaids in Matthew 25 you will see that the 10 bridesmaids heard the groom is coming. Five were foolish and five were wise. They all took lampstands but only five took lampstand and oil. All 10 went to meet the groom the only five were wise enough to get oil. All 10 fell asleep and when the shout came that the groom was here the foolish had no oil for their lamp and had to go buy some. And it says starting in verse 10 While they were away buying it, the groom arrived. Those who were ready went with him into the wedding banquet, and the door was closed. 11Later, the other bridesmaids arrived and said, ‘Lord, lord, open up for us!’ 12“But he replied, ‘I tell all of you with certainty, I don’t know you!’ 13So keep on watching, because you don’t know the day or the hour.”
Can you spot the difference between the event of the second coming in the event of a rapture?
| Rapture | Second Coming |
| Jn 14:1-3 Rom 8:191 Cor 1:7-81 Cor 15:1-531 Cor 16:22Phil 3:20-21Col 3:41 Thess 1:101 Thess 2:191 Thess 4:13-181 Thess 5:91 Thess 5:232 Thess 2:1 (3?)1 Tim 6:142 Tim 4:1Titus 2:13Heb 9:28Jas 5:7-91 Pet 1:7, 131 Jn 2:28-3:2Jude 21Rev 2:25Rev 3:10 | Dan 2:44-45Dan 7:9-14Dan 12:1-3Zech 14:1-15Mt 13:41Mt 24:15-31 Mt 26:64Mk 13:14-27 Mk 14:62Lk 21:25-28 Acts 1:9-11 Acts 3:19-211 Thess 3:132 Thess 1:6-10 2Thess 2:82 Pet 3:1-14Jude 14-15Rev 1:7Rev 19:11-20:6Rev 22:7, 12, 20 |
Certainly one can see that there are two different things going on
| Rapture | Second Coming |
| Translation of believers Translated saints go to heaven Earth not judged Imminent, any moment, signless Not in the Old Testament Believers Only Before the Day of Wrath | No translation involved Translated saints return to earth Earth judged Follows definite predicted signs Predicted in the Old Testament Affects all men on the earth Concludes the Day of Wrath |
It’s very important to remember as a Christian not only do you have to have the lampstand you have to have the oil for the lamp stand. Jesus Christ is the same today, as he was yesterday, as he will be in the future, so has something like this happened before? let’s take a look at Genesis 5 and 6. At the time that God decided to judge the entire world and you can place entire human race into three groups. Those who perished in the flood( the world) those who were preserved through the flood (Noah and his family) and those who were removed prior to the flood( Enoch). The same pattern exist when the angels remove Lot before the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. Also when you look at Isaac’s absence after his offerings in Genesis very strange that Isaac is never mentioned after the offering until he is reunited with the bride. You can also look at Daniel’s absence from the fiery furnace in Daniel 5. Ruth in the threshing floor scene is also very interesting but certainly one needs to study and pray yourself and hope the Lord blesses you with oil.
Rapture isn’t in the Bible
This is a silly argument especially when one points out the word Trinity is nowhere to be found in the Bible but we discover the Trinity through events that expressed the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. We can clearly see in Scripture that there is a Trinity. Specifically in v17 it has been translated in English to say “caught up” which is translated from the Greek word “harpazo” which means to seize upon with force or to snatch up. It’s a very popular argument that is very pointless.
The promise- John 14
“Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Believe in God, believe also in me. 2There are many rooms in my Father’s house. If there weren’t, I wouldn’t have told you that I am going away to prepare a place for you, would I? 3And since I’m going away to prepare a place for you, I’ll come back again and welcome you into my presence, so that you may be where I am. 4You know where I am going, and you know the way.”
This promise was not given to everyone, it was given to His believers, and at this point in the last supper Judas had already left. This promise parallels the bridegroom pattern in the ancient Jewish wedding which is a study on its own but I highly recommend a study on the book of Ruth to truly understand the practice.
The great tribulation
We are in fact promised tribulation in the world for three reasons, we live in a fallen world, our sinful nature and Satan. But there’s a very specific period called the great tribulation also known as the time of Jacob’s trouble. The main difference tribulation and the great tribulation is that the great tribulation comes from the wrath of God not the world not sin not our flesh. It is the time that God turns His wrath upon the world which in – 1 Thessalonians 5:9 says For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ, why because God’s wrath has been satisfied to the crucifixion and death of the Lord Jesus Christ Jesus himself said “paid in full”. Romans 5:9 says Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him” Revelation 3:10 Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour [time] of temptation [trial], which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth” Peter 2:9 The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished: Luke 21: 36 Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man. All these verses point to the escape of the great tribulation specifically marked by Daniel. Not tribulation in general because throughout the whole existence of time, no Christian that has ever existed, as ever faced the wrath of God. Because of the cross, because Jesus took our punishment but we still stuffer because we live in a fallen world of our own doing. One of my teachers simply explained it as did you beat up your bride on your wedding night.
Raptures mentioned in the Bible
| Philip Paul Enoch Elijah John Jesus TwoWintnesses | Acts 8:39(“3rd heaven”) 2 Cor 12:2-4 Gen 5:24 Heb 11:25 2 Kings 2:1, 11 Rev 4:1 Mark 16:19; Acts 1:9-11; Rev 12:5 (“Body”? GH Pember)Rev 11:3, 11-12 |
Some Amillennial Problems
• Messianic Promises throughout the Old Testament
• Destiny of Israel in God’s Covenants
• Promise given to Mary by Angel Gabriel
• Numerous reconfirmations in the New Testament
Conclusion
There are 1,845 references in the old testament to the return of Christ to rule. 17 books they give prominence to that event. For every prophecy of Christ’s first coming there are eight of His second coming. These events are going to take place and there is nothing you can do about it. There is no theology that can they can protect you from it. Jesus Christ became the Word in flesh and He came to this earth and was crucified and died for our sins. He paid the price in full and was resurrected and He is coming back for his bride. Paid in full, that is our blessed hope, our blessed hope is not politics, education, constitutions ,success in life. We enjoyed the freedom and prosperity that the northern kingdom enjoyed. We chose the path of the northern kingdom and now is the time for a correction. God will not allow his people to live in open sin. But he will allow us to turn to Him and repent. Now is the time get that oil for their lamp stand. Discover what the church is, what a gathering is, what Christ is, what worship is, soon much like the rest of the world much like the major of Christian history it will be illegal to gather, to practice Christianity. They will be no buildings, will be no pews, there won’t be HVAC systems, they won’t be PowerPoint presentations, there will only be Scripture. We will just have to give up your pride of life, we just may have to give up our lust of the flesh. For the believer, God has a way of destroying things that we place in between ourselves and Him and every time if you do not get rid of things that are in between that you and the Lord, God will do it. And that maybe the very thing that is happening, do you put America between you and God? God gave us America just like God gave them the northern kingdom and what did we choose to do with it ,we kicked God out of schools, we kicked God out of the government we’ve kicked out of the country, we even kicked God out of church. Look at revelation 3:20 Look! I am standing at the door and knocking. If anyone listens to my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he will eat with me. Look who is outside wanting in. That’s where we are, as a world, as a nation, as a church, let Him back into your life, all parts of your life, not just the eye-catching parts, but also the private aspects of your life, and the public aspects of your life. He will join us again, he did not leave us, we left him. For those who will open the door and let him back in, we have that blessed hope. The hope of the rapture of the church. Gate is strait and the path is narrow but you need to be on it. Very few people will be on it but it is the only option. There’s no reward in it there’s no fame there’s no money there’s no recognition in this world, but once you enter eternity how different will your perspective be on the purpose of your life. It reminds me of Asaph in Psalm 73 12Just look at these wicked people! They’re perpetually carefree as they increase their wealth. 13I kept my heart pure for nothing and kept my hands clean from guilt. 14For I suffer all day long and I am punished every morning. 15If I say, “I will talk like this,” I would betray a generation of your children.
16When I tried to understand this, it was too difficult for me 17until I entered the sanctuaries of God. Then I understood their destiny. We have such a great opportunity to preach this blessed hope and yet again we sit around and do nothing as if nothing happened as if nothing is going to happen. If you were a Christian and your hope is in 2022 you need to evaluate yourself and examine yourself with scripture to see if you are even in the faith. Our blessed hope is our preaching Christ crucified, Christ resurrected , and Christ’s return. Noah was an absolute fool according to the world, until the first raindrop fall the water started gushing out of the earth and I’m an absolute fool today until that moment till that shout, praise God.