A comprehensive knowledge of the contents of the Bible, indicates that the history of the human race previous to the eternal conditions, is rapidly drawing to a close. The next great event in God’s prophetic calendar is the coming of Jesus of Nazareth for His Church.
THE NEXT great event in the prophetic calendar in the Bible, is the coming of Jesus of Nazareth for His Church. The event is imminent. There are no prophecies unfulfilled which would withhold His coming. Briefly, its purpose is to raise the righteous dead from Adam to the time of this coming, and to translate believers who are on earth at that time. This will involve the bringing of the former with Him from heaven, the transforming of their dead bodies which have moldered into dust, into perfect glorified bodies, the transformation of the bodies of believers then on earth into like perfect, glorified bodies, and the transportation of both classes to heaven. This event is called in theological circles, The Rapture of the Church, in that the Church of Jesus Christ will be joined forever to her great Bridegroom, Jesus of Nazareth.
Our Lord speaks of His coming for His own in John14:1-3, where He tells His disciples that He is going to His Father’s house to prepare a place for them, and that He will come again and receive them to Himself. In other words, He is coming from heaven into the atmosphere of this earth to take the Church with Him back to heaven. And this event may take place at any moment. Believers will be taken to heaven, and unbelievers will be left on earth to undergo the terrible times of the Great Tribulation period.
We will address ourselves to the question as to what is involved in this great event. First of all, where is heaven, how far is it from the earth, how long will it take the Lord Jesus to traverse that distance, and just how close to the earth will He come?
As to the locality of heaven, Isaiah gives us some hints. He reports the words of Lucifer, the mightiest angel God created, who was His regent on the perfect earth of Gen 1:1 (Isa 14:12-14). Lucifer said, "I will ascend into heaven." This means that he was not in heaven when he rebelled against God. "I will exalt my throne above the stars of God." This tells us that Lucifer had a throne below the stars of God, on this earth, and having a throne, he reigned over a pre-Adamic race of beings, directing their worship to the God of heaven. This last utterance also teaches that God’s throne is beyond the stars of the universe. God’s throne, the place of His centralized authority, is in heaven. Heaven is outside of the universe. Lucifer speaks again: "I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north." This localizes heaven as above the earth in a line with the axis of the earth, above the north pole, and in a place beyond the farthest star. Heaven is not above the earth in all directions. The inhabitants at the equator look up and see blue sky. But heaven is not above them as they look directly up from where they stand. The explorers of Antarctica looked up and saw blue sky. But heaven was not above them. Heaven has a fixed location above the north pole, in a line with the axis of the earth.
But how far is heaven from the earth? By new and more powerful telescopes, astronomers have recently discovered stars that are 500,000,000 light years from the earth. That means that it has taken light from these stars, travelling at the speed of 186,000 miles per second, 500,000,000 years to reach this earth. But how far are these stars from the earth? Multiply 500,000,000 by 60 (seconds), that number by 60 (minutes), that number by 24 (hours), that number by 365 (days), and that number by 186,000, and you will have the number of miles which these stars are from the earth. The number is 2,932,848,000,000,000,000,000. Heaven is at least that many miles from the earth. These astronomers say that beyond these stars, there is a thinning out of stars, indicating either that the material universe ends here, or that there may be a relatively empty space, after which stars may again appear. Such figures stagger one’s imagination. Think of the great God who could speak such a universe into existence by divine fiat.
He spoke the word, and a universe sprang into existence. Job (Job 38:7) says that the sons of God (the angels) shouted for joy when they saw the universe come into existence. And we should be careful to note that they did not exclaim with joy over a chaos, but a kosmos, a perfect, ordered creation. The chaos came as the result of Lucifer’s fall.
Our Lord then, when coming to take out His Church from the earth, will travel a distance of 2,932,848,000,000,000,000,000 miles. If He travelled through space at the speed of light, 186,000 miles per second, it would take Him 500,000,000 years to reach the earth. But a bird’s eye view of Bible history and prophecy shows that the divine program for the human race on earth previous to the new creation is only 7,000 years, 6,000 of which have just about rolled around. No, this Jesus of Nazareth who is Very God of Very God, will come with the speed of thought from heaven, one moment in heaven, the next, in the atmosphere of this earth.
But just how close to the earth will He come? Paul, in his classic account of the Rapture (1Th 4:13-18) says that we will "meet the Lord in the air." The Greeks have two words for "air," aer, referring to the lower, denser atmosphere, and aither, speaking of the rarefied, thinner atmosphere. A Greek would stand on the summit of Mt. Olympus which is 6,403 feet high, and pointing downward would say, aer, and pointing upward, would say aither. Now, which word did Paul use? A glance at the Greek text shows aer. All of which means that the Lord Jesus, when He comes for His Bride, the Church, will descend to a distance within 6,403 feet of the earth.
The great apostle was writing to the Thessalonian Christians who were sorrowing over the loss of loved ones who had died. He tells them not to sorrow as others who have no hope. The tombstones in the cemeteries of Thessalonica were inscribed with the words "No Hope." These pagan Greeks, striving to pierce the future through their philosophies, could never arrive at any positive assurance of a reunion with loved ones in the after life. They had no hope. To these Christian Greeks, Paul holds out the assured hope of reunion with loved ones who were believers, a reunion in the air, when Jesus comes for His Church. He says that since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, God will bring with Jesus from heaven, our loved ones who have fallen asleep (euphemism for death) in Jesus. He states that we who are alive when Jesus comes, will not prevent (old English for "precede") the dead in the order in which we will receive our glorified bodies. They will receive their new bodies first.
After receiving our new bodies, we who are alive when Jesus comes, will be caught up together with the dead who have been raised. We will be caught up in the clouds (A. V.). There is no definite article in the Greek text before the word "clouds." There should not be one in the translation. We shall be caught up in clouds, clouds of believers. That is, the great masses of glorified saints going up to heaven, will have the appearance of clouds. The Greek word for "clouds" here is used in Heb 12:1 in the clause, "Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses," the inspired writer visualizing a Greek stadium with its thousands of onlookers occupying the tiers upon tiers of seats. The same word is used in the Greek classics of a large army of foot soldiers.
Paul says that we will be caught up. The Greek word translated "caught up" has a number of meanings which give us some important information regarding the Rapture. The word is harpazo. It means "to carry off by force." And this gives us the reason why the Lord Jesus will descend to 6,403 feet above the earth. Satan and his kingdom of demons occupy this lower atmosphere. Paul speaks of him as "the prince of the power of the air" (Eph 2:2), and uses the Greek word aer which speaks of the lower, denser atmosphere in which we live. The demons inhabit this portion of the atmosphere around the earth in order that they may prey upon Christian believers. They attempt to disrupt the workings of the Church, spoil the testimony and service of Christians, and prevent the unsaved from receiving the Lord Jesus as Saviour. They are trying to insulate the Church from heaven. At the time of the Rapture, they will attempt to keep the Church from going up to heaven with the Lord Jesus. Jesus of Nazareth will exert His omnipotent power in taking the saints with Him to heaven through the kingdoms of Satan, and against his power and that of his demons.
The word harpazo also means "to rescue from the danger of destruction." That means that the Church will be caught up to heaven before the seven year period of great tribulation occurs on earth. By the Church here we do not mean the visible organized present-day church composed of believers and unbelievers, but only those in the visible church whose Christian profession will stand the test of actual possession of salvation. The nominal Christian, that person merely identified with the visible church by membership, and not possessing a living faith in the Lord Jesus as Saviour, will be left on earth to go through the terrible times of the Great Tribulation.
As to the pre-Tribulation Rapture of the Church, more might be said. The divine analysis of the Book of the Revelation "the things seen" (the Patmos vision of the Lord Jesus), chapter one; "the things that are" (the Church Age), chapters two and three; "the things which shall be after these things" (events happening after the Church Age), chapters four to twenty two, found in Rev 1:19 of the Revelation, indicates that the Church will be caught up before the tribulation period begins. Chapters six to nineteen describe that period. These events take place after the Church Age. Again, the promise given the Missionary Church which is in existence today and which blends with the last age of Church history, the Laodicean, to the effect that God will keep that Church from the hour of "the testing" (Rev 3:10), namely, the tribulation period, also indicates a pre-tribulation rapture.
Again, there is nothing in Scripture which indicates that the Church will either enter or pass through the tribulation. Israel is given many signs which will warn her of the near approach of that period (Matt. 24), but the Gospels and epistles are entirely devoid of any sign given to the Church. The epistles speak of the Day of Christ Jesus (Php 1:6), an expression not found in the Old Testament or the Gospels. This is a day to which the Church is to look forward with joy. It is the end of the pathway of the Christian Church. If this day does not occur before the tribulation, then there is no place for it in the prophetic calendar of events which will take place during or after that period.
The Great Tribulation period is a time when the divine wrath is to be visited upon earth-dwellers, particularly upon Israel. But the promise to the Church is that it has been delivered from the wrath to come (1Th 1:9-10; 1Th 5:8; Rom 5:9). The Bible expressly states who will be the objects of the divine wrath during the tribulation period, namely, Israel and the ungodly of the Gentile nations. If the Church were destined to suffer, surely, the Bible would make note of that fact along with the mention of the above two companies of individuals. The biblical attitude of the believer is one of waiting for the glorification of his body (Rom 8:23), and of looking for the Saviour (Php 3:20-21, 1Th 1:9-10). The language is clear that the believer is to expect Him at any moment, not look for Him in connection with some predicted event for which signs have been given to Israel and not to the Church.
To teach that the Church will go through the tribulation period, is to nullify the biblical teaching of the imminent coming of the Lord Jesus for the Church. Events on earth are not yet in readiness for the Great Tribulation. Indeed, at this writing (1951), that period cannot come for years yet. But the Lord may return for His Church at any moment. Paul (Php 4:5), Peter (1Pe 1:13-15), and John (1Jn 3:2-3) all make the imminent coming of the Lord for the Church a ground of appeal for holy living and diligent service.
Finally, Paul in 2Th 2:1-12, states that the day of the Lord (the Great Tribulation), cannot come unless the departure of the Church from the earth comes first. There are four days in Scripture; the day of man ("man’s judgment," 1Co 4:3), today, when man has his day under the permissive will of God; the day of Christ (Php 1:6), when Christ has His day, the Rapture, when He comes for His Bride; the day of the Lord (2Th 2:2, best Greek texts, not day of Christ, but day of Lord), when the Lord has His day of judgment, the tribulation period and the Millennium; the day of God (2Pe 3:12), the Millennium merging into eternity. In our 2 Thessalonian passage, Paul is speaking of the Great Tribulation. Someone had written a letter to the Thessalonian church, stating that the period of the Great Tribulation was then present, and had forged Paul’s name to the document. The great apostle calms their fears by saying that that day cannot come until "a falling away" (A. V.) comes first. The Greek word translated "falling away" has as one of its meanings, "a departure." The definite article appears before it in the original text. This word is used in other places in the New Testament, and in these places the context indicates that from which the departure is made. But here there is no such information. It follows that this particular departure must have been in the teaching of Paul to the Thessalonian saints, and was known by them and him. Paul had taught them about the Rapture in 1Th 4:13-18. The context speaks of the Holy Spirit, the One who restrains iniquity on earth through the Church, leaving the earth for heaven (2Th 2:7, "letteth," old English for "restrain"). When He takes His departure, the Church must go with Him, for He indwells the Church. The words "falling away" are an interpretation of the Greek word, not a translation. Furthermore, no apostasy would withhold the coming of Antichrist and the Great Tribulation, but on the other hand, would prepare for the coming of both. Thus, the departure of the Church precedes the Great Tribulation. The Church will thus be rescued from the danger of destruction.
The word harpazo is used of divine power transferring a person marvellously and swiftly from one place to another. It refers here to the act of the Lord Jesus taking with Him to heaven all believers from Adam’s time to the Rapture. How long will it take the Church to traverse that immense distance between earth and heaven? If the Church travelled 186,000 miles per second, it would take 500,000,000 years to reach heaven. The only solution to the problem is that it will go to heaven with the speed of thought. If it went any slower, the time consumed would be enormous. Believers will have new powers of locomotion in eternity. A supernatural "carpet" will whisk them to any part of the universe in an instant of time.
Again, harpazo means "to claim for one’s self eagerly." Here, the great Bridegroom of the Church, comes from heaven to claim His Bride, the Church, and take her to Himself. Finally, the word means "to snatch out and away." This tells us that the Rapture will occur so suddenly that it will take the Church by surprise.
Some day soon that great event will take place. How soon? It cannot be far off. Glance down Bible history for a moment. It is significant that God has been in the habit of doing some great thing with reference to salvation, at the turn of a millennium or of two millenniums. The date of Adam is approximately 4,000 B. C. The plan of salvation in which God the Judge was to step down from His judgment throne to take upon Himself the guilt and penalty of human sin in order that He might satisfy His justice, maintain His government, and at the same time open the flood-gates of mercy to lost sinners, was pre-figured in the sacrifices which He instituted when He made coats of skins and clothed Adam and Eve. The initial step in the fulfillment of this plan He took 2,000 B. C., when He called Abraham to be the progenitor of the Jewish nation from which would come the Saviour who would die and pay for sin. The next step He took in 1,000 B. C, when He started the dynasty of David, from which line of kings the Messiah and Saviour would come. The next step was taken in A. D. 1, when God, in the Person of His Son came to earth, became incarnate in the human race by virgin birth, and died on Calvary’s Cross, the substitutionary atonement for sin. That was His first Advent. The second Advent of the Son of God is predicted in Scripture. All indications point to the fact that the second Advent is near at hand. The Church has been in existence almost two thousand years. It would seem logical that God would repeat His custom of doing something of great importance at or near the turn of these two millenniums, that is, within the next half-century or so. That would be His coming to earth a second time. But the Rapture must take place before the second Advent. All of which means that we are fast approaching the wind-up of things. The Rapture should occur within the next fifty years or so. It could occur at any moment.
Or, look at this matter from the standpoint of Church history. The second and third chapters of The Revelation, contain the history of the Church, divided into seven periods or ages. They are as follows: The Apostolic Church, A. D. 33-96; The Martyr Church, A. D. 96-316; The State Church, A. D. 316-500; The Papal Church, A. D., 500-; The Reformation Church, A. D., 1500-; The Missionary Church, A. D., 1793-; The Apostate Church, now. We are living in the seventh and last age of the Church history. The Rapture will close the Church Age. So near are we to that great event.
Gentle reader. Are you ready for the coming of the Lord Jesus to take His Church with Him to heaven? If you have never seen yourself as a lost sinner and Jesus Christ as the Saviour of sinners, and never by an act of heart-faith put your trust in Him as your Saviour from sin through His precious blood, you are not ready for His coming. Should He come while you are in that state, you will be left on earth to go through the terrible times of suffering and affliction. But you can be ready. The day of grace is not over yet. He will receive you if you come to Him in faith believing.
Perchance, the reader is a saved individual. Are you ready for His coming? Is there anything between yourself and the Lord Jesus that would prevent communion with Him? Are you in the center of His will, living a life of constant yieldedness to the Holy Spirit?
