Part Two
In Part One of "Jesus Is Coming Soon - Are You Ready for the Rapture?" we introduced the First Coming of Jesus, the Rapture, and the Second Coming of Jesus. We also discussed reason number one of why we believe in a Pre-tribulation Rapture.
THE REMAINING FOUR REASONS WE BELIEVE IN A PRE-TRIBULATION RAPTURE
TWO: The Rapture and Second Coming Are Two Different Events
THREE: Christians Are Not Appointed To God's Wrath
FOUR: The Restrainer or Holy Spirit-Filled Church Is Removed
FIVE: The Galilean Wedding Tradition
TWO: “RAPTURE” and “SECOND COMING” ARE DIFFERENT EVENTS
The second reason we believe in a pre-tribulation rapture is that the Bible describes the Rapture and the Second Coming as two different events. Clearly, the Scriptures teach the Rapture and Second Coming as different separate events that do not occur at the same time having completely different reasons and purposes.
RAPTURE | SECOND COMING |
Christ comes FOR His own; believers meet Christ in the air, and living believers obtain glorified bodies (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18) | Christ returns WITH His own, Christ returns to the Mount of Olives to meet the believers on earth, (Revelation 19:14) |
Believers are taken FROM earth to Father’s House, heaven (John 14:3) | Believers come with Jesus TO Earth, from heaven (Matthew 24:30) |
Jesus is seen only by true believers (1 Corinthians 15:52) | Every Eye will see Him (Matthew 24:30) |
Church not appointed to wrath, no judgment on the earth, the world left in its sin (1 Thessalonians 5:9) | All the Earth judged the world is judged; righteousness is established (Revelation 20:4-5) |
It’s A Mystery, no one knows the time (1 Corinthians 15:51) | Foretold in the Old Testament (Zechariah 12:10) |
Christians are taken first by God (Matthew 13:28-30) | Wicked Unbelievers were taken first (Revelation 3:8-10) |
Jesus comes to gather the Church to Himself (2 Corinthians 11:2) | Jesus comes with His Church to set up His Kingdom Rule (Revelation 19:6-9) |
Occurs in a twinkling of an eye (1 Corinthians 15:52) | Comes to earth to do battle (Zechariah 12:9-10) |
Jesus descends with a shout, revealed only in the New Testament, and deals only with Christians (1 Thessalonians 4:16-18) | No shout mentioned revealed in both Old and New Testaments, deals with both saved and unsaved (Revelation 19:11-21) |
Changes Believers bodies (1 Cor 15:51-53) | Changes hearts of Jews (Zech 12:10) |
Concerns only Church, those "In Christ" (1 Thessalonians 4:14,16) | Concerns Israel and the nations (Zechariah 12:2-9) |
The distinct differences between the two events are harmonized naturally by the “pre-tribulation” position and would rule out a “post-tribulation” Rapture scenario.
THREE: CHRISTIANS ARE NOT APPOINTED TO GOD'S WRATH
The third reason we believe in a pre-tribulation rapture is that true born-again, Holy Spirit regenerated Christians are not appointed to God’s Wrath. The Tribulation is God’s wrath upon the unbelieving world, and not for those who are saved, the Church-Christ's body and bride.
Yes, believers have suffered for Christ all throughout human history and still are. But there is a special time (just like the Flood) set apart called the Day of the Lord for God’s wrath. Christian suffering for Christ’s sake and the Tribulation are completely different.
Here, we learn that the Tribulation is a time of God’s wrath being poured out on the “earth-dwellers.”
“And the kings of the earth, the great men, the rich men, the commanders, the mighty men, every slave, and every free man, hid themselves in the caves and in the rocks of the mountains, and said to the mountains and rocks, fall on us and hide us from the face of Him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb! For the great day of His wrath has come, and who is able to stand?” (Revelation 6:15-17)
“Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of such things God’s wrath comes on those who are disobedient (who don’t believe in Jesus)” (Ephesians 5:6).
Those who’ve been born-again are not appointed to God’s wrath, yet that is precisely what the Tribulation is – the hour of God’s wrath, testing the hearts of the earth-dwellers.
“For God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us, that … we should live together with Him. Therefore, comfort each other and edify one another (encourage, build-up), just as you also are doing” (1 Thessalonians 5:9-11).
“Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him” (Romans 5:9).
God’s wrath against sin was fully satisfied at the Cross of Jesus Christ. When Jesus declared, “It is finished” He meant the holy demands of God’s justice were completely satisfied. Jesus took our place on the Cross as the object of God’s wrath.
“When Christ, who is your life, appears (rapture), then you also will appear with him in glory (glorified body)” (Col 3:4).
Therefore, it would be unjust or against God’s Holy Word for God to inflict His wrath on those who believe in Jesus. Christians won’t be here for the Tribulation because it is the hour of God’s wrath we’ve already been saved from.
FOUR: THE RESTRAINER OR HOLY SPIRIT-FILLED CHURCH IS REMOVED
The fourth reason we believe in a pre-tribulation rapture is that the rapture and the removal of the restrainer (Holy Spirit-filled Church) occur at the same time.
In 2 Thessalonians, the church at Thessalonica was afraid due to a false report that they had entered the Day of the Lord (Tribulation) and had somehow missed the Rapture. The Apostle Paul assured them that the Antichrist would not be revealed until a “restraining force would be taken away” so that the Man of Lawlessness could be revealed. We believe this refers to the rapture because the Church is clearly the biggest obstacle to the Antichrist becoming a world ruler. Why? The church is a living organism of people who believe and have faith in Jesus Christ (not a building). God, the Holy Spirit lives and indwells in every true Christian.
“Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own?” (1 Corinthians 6:19).
Because the revealing of the Antichrist coincides with the beginning of the 7-year Tribulation starting with his peace treaty with Israel (Daniel 9:27), then the Restrainer has to be removed before the Tribulation.
Why it is NOT the Holy Spirit Being Removed?
As the Holy Spirit is the primary source of revelation leading to belief and faith in Jesus, the world’s only means of salvation from sin and death. It is the Holy Spirit that convicts the world concerning sin, righteousness, and judgment now and during the Tribulation (John 16:8-11).
It is the Holy Spirit that convicts people of their sin of unbelief (John 16:9), convicts people that Jesus is the righteousness of God (Romans 10:3-4), and convicts people that the power of Satan has been broken (John 16:11). Because this is how people come to God’s saving grace the Holy Spirit must remain during the tribulation.
Then it is the Church that must be the “Restrainer” that is removed. Therefore, the Rapture and the removal of the Church must coincide at the beginning of the seven-year tribulation. This will usher in the man of lawlessness and the wrath of God. True believers in Christ during the end of the Church Age, NOW, are promised,
“Since you have kept My command to endure patiently, I will also keep you from the hour of trial (tribulation) that is going to come upon the whole world to test those who live on the earth” (Revelation 3:10).
FIVE: GALILEAN MARRIAGE WEDDING TRADITION
The fifth reason we believe in a pre-tribulation rapture is the Galilean Wedding Tradition. The 1st-century Galilean wedding ceremony had very different customs, traditions, and rituals and was distinct from the rest of Israel. For us to better understand the words and parables of Jesus, we must first understand the culture He lived. All of Jesus’ disciples were from Galilee.
To be able to understand what Jesus meant when He spoke to His disciples, especially about the end times, it is helpful to know about the traditions of the Ancient Galilean Weddings. Learning more about these wedding customs can dramatically help us understand what the Bible has to say about the return of Christ and the rapture of the church.
The Church is depicted as the bride of Christ in the New Testament and is waiting and yearning for the coming of the bridegroom. The Church does not refer to a religious institution. Rather, it refers to those individuals that put their trust in Christ Jesus—true born-again Christians. (See my blog on Salvation) The Galilean Wedding is an example of the pre-tribulation Rapture in the context of cultural tradition, the language of the 1st Century disciples, and the words Jesus spoke about the end times in Matthew 24 and 25.
The Father Chose a Bride for His Son
The Holy Spirit goes out to choose a bride for Jesus.
"For many are called, but few are chosen” (Matthew 22:14).
"In the same way then, there has also come to be at the present time a remnant according to God’s gracious choice” (Romans 11:5).
"So that God’s purpose according to His choice would stand, not because of works but because of Him who calls” (Romans 9:11b).
The Bride’s Consent
All believers give consent, and confess Jesus’ name, even though they don’t see Him.
"that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation” (Rom 10:9-10).
"Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not see him now, you trust him…” (1 Peter 1:8).
The Price is Negotiated for the Bride
The bride’s price was negotiable, but it raised her status, and it set her free from her current household. All Christian believers are the bride of Christ, and their status has changed. Jesus has paid at the cross for His bride.
"Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage” (Galatians 5:1).
The Marriage Contract
The marriage contract stated the promises of the groom and the rights of the bride. The bride’s father, the groom, and the synagogue kept a copy – with a seal – only a judge could break. The New Covenant is our contract, sealed with the blood of Jesus Christ. The Bible is the “document” that states His promises to us and our rights as His bride.
"And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant…” (Hebrew 12:24). "For there is one God, and one mediator also between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus” (1 Timothy 2:5).
A Glass of Wine to Seal the Contract
The bride and groom would commune. The groom would drink from the cup, afterward, it was handed to the bridegroom, when the bride drank the wine, it was a sign that she is accepting the covenant.
Christians drink wine during the holy communion, in remembrance of the new covenant. Holy Communion is one of two sacraments Jesus commanded his follower to observe. Jesus shed His blood at the cross for the forgiveness of sins.
For this is my blood of the New Testament/covenant” (Matthew 26:28).
The Betrothal
There was a legal bond between the betrothed couple. Even though they did not live together yet, the bride belonged to the groom.
The Church (all authentic born-again believers) belongs to Christ. Even though we don’t live together yet, we belong to Him.
"For I am jealous for you with a godly jealousy; for I betrothed you to one husband, to present you as a pure virgin to Christ” (2 Corinthians 11:2).
Presents For the Bride
The bride received gifts to remind her of the bridegroom’s love for her during their separation. The bride of Christ receives the gifts of the Holy Spirit while waiting.
"There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them” (1 Cori 12:4).
An Immersing Cleansing Bath
The bride is immersed in a cleansing bath. This is a symbolic sign of spiritual cleansing before the wedding took place.
Baptism is one of two sacraments Jesus told His followers to observe. Of course, the other is communion or the Lord’s Supper.
"That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word. That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish” (Ephesians 5:26-27).
Preparation of the Wedding Chamber
The groom went back to his father’s house to prepare the bridal chamber, called a chuppah. It meant building onto the family’s house a room or home for the bride. He would prepare a home for his bride where they would live together. The bride could only upgrade to a better home. Rabbis were called in to check it.
Right now, Jesus is in heaven preparing a place for the Church, His bride.
"In my Father’s house are many rooms: if it wet not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you” (John 14:2).
When the time came, the father gave permission to his son to fetch his bride. The wedding could not proceed until the father said it was time. No one in the wedding party, even the groom, knew the day or the time, only the father. Everyone had to be ready and watching.
Also, Christians don’t know the day or hour that Jesus is coming.
"But of that day and that hour knows no man, no, not the angels which are in heaven, neither the son, but the father.”
Only Christians are chosen to attend the wedding and they represent the bride of Christ.
The Bride is Lifted Up and Carried Away
The groom left with an escort, carrying an “Aperion” to lift the bride and carry her away to her wedding, feast, and new home. Also, the escort had trumpet players to announce the arrival of the groom which usually took place in the middle of the night. All who were coming to the wedding had to be prepared.
Pre-tribulation teaches this event as the Rapture. Jesus will come to lift up or snatch away the church, carrying believers away, meeting all of them in the clouds, taking true believers to His wedding and feast as His bride, and eventually their new home in Heaven.
"Behold, I am telling you a mystery; we will not all sleep, but we will all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed” (1 Cor 15:51-52).
"For the Lord, Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who remain, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. Therefore, comfort one another with these words” (1 Thessalonians 4:16-18).
The Bride had to be Alert at All Times
The bride knew the groom would come during the night; she needed enough oil for her lamp. referring to being filled with the Holy Spirit. Christians are called to watch and be ready.
"Watch, therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of Man cometh” (Matthew 25:13). "But while they were on their way to buy the oil, (5 foolish virgins) the groom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding feast, and the door was shut. Yet later, the other virgins also came, saying, ‘Lord, Lord, open up for us.’ But he answered, ‘Truly I say to you, I do not know you.’ Be on the alert then, because you do not know the day nor the hour” (Matthew 25:10-13).
The Wedding
The bride and groom go into the marriage chamber to consummate the marriage. The groom’s father will close the door behind them. When they appear after seven days, the world gets to see the bride and rejoice with the groom. Every Galilean wedding lasted seven days, but that of a king lasted seven years.
Jesus will marry His bride at the time of the Rapture.
"Your dead will live; Their corpses will rise. You who lie in the dust, awake and shout for joy, for your dew is as the dew of the dawn, and the earth will give birth to the departed spirits. Come, my people, enter your rooms (enter thou into thy chambers) and close your doors behind you; Hide for a little while until indignation runs its course. For behold, the Lord is about to come out from His place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their wrongdoing; and the earth will reveal her bloodshed and will no longer cover her slain. (Isaiah 26:19-21).
At the same time, the earth will go through indignation, the wrath of God called the seven-year tribulation.
Therefore, this is the fifth reason we believe in a pre-tribulation rapture because it follows the pattern of a Galilean Wedding. They would have understood this marriage language when Jesus talked about the end times in Matthew 24 and 25.
Before the Wrath
A movie that depicts the correlations between the pre-tribulation Rapture and the Galilean Wedding is “BEFORE THE WRATH”
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Again and again, Scripture states the Church is not meant to endure God’s wrath during the End Times.
Are we in the End Times and what Biblical Prophecies confirm it?
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