Barry Stagner - The Rapture: Biblical Doctrine or Human Invention?

[Music] so looking forward to our topic this morning as I mentioned I've talked to different people over the years because of my involvement with his challenge speaking of prophecy conferences literally all over the world people seem to think that Calvary Chapel Tustin that's all we ever talked about well we study the Word of God here week by week line upon line precept upon precept and what actually happens is we never talk about prophecy here unless it comes up in the passage but this morning we're going to deal with a subject that we just sang about this morning Jesus is coming for his church some day he told his disciples he's going to meet them in the air which in and of itself is miraculous he said I'm gonna come again and receive you unto myself that where I am you may be also now this morning the title of our time and topic is actually what I spoke on Friday night at the conference open to Larry and that is the rapture is it a biblical doctrine or is it a human adventure and it's a very exciting top they can't some see it not as exciting but rather inciting it incites arguments it incites debates when is it going to happen is it part of the Bible's narrative at all and in response to the growing number who deny the presence of rapture in the scripture we need to address the issue for two reasons one being proper hermeneutics hermeneutics is just a multi syllable word for interpreting the Bible and accurate eschatology eschatology means the study of last days things now I think this morning that we're all pretty much excited about the fact that in a moment in a twinkling of an eye we're gonna be out of here someday so therefore our question is not or our time is not necessarily going to be convincing you of the rapture but rather since the purpose of church is to equip the Saints for the work of the ministry our time is going to be dedicated to defending the rapture giving you defense for the reason that we have a hope for a immediate and permanent removal from this earth now here's the hermeneutical question or the biblical interpretive question does the Bible teach the rapture well the short answer obviously is yes but you didn't come here for the short answer I hope we're gonna get the long answer this morning so since the Bible clearly teaches rapture let's quote all the verses this morning where the word rapture is you go okay now how can we be assured of an accurate eschatology with a word that's absent in Scripture of course we know that there are none at least in our Bible where that word is incorporated but let's use that argument to make a point and here's our first question even though we don't find the rapture in our English Bibles is there another or are there other major doctrines that are described by a single word that I've found in the Bible but one comes to mind for sure the Trinity is our obvious choice and it is an essential doctrine that cannot be denied without compromising the principles of saving faith now one of the most appropriate sets of verse is to defend the Trinity in its presence in Scripture is in Jesus baptism recorded in mark 1 9 through 11 we're told it came to pass in those days that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan and immediately coming up from the water now watch this scene he saw the heavens parting and the spirit descending upon him like a dove or a dove like fashion settling upon him then a voice came from heaven you are my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased now we find in this scene the three distinct personages of the one yet triune God all three members of the Godhead are present in this scene now by the way this decimates what's known as oneness pentecostalism or also known as modalism that the one god appears in three different modes at different times meaning that when we arrive in heaven there'll be no father there'll be no spirit there will only be Jesus that's what oneness pentecostalism is that's what modalism teaches well my question is who was Jesus praying to in the Garden of Gethsemane was he talking to himself or was he praying to the Father who is in heaven and who was this that was descending upon him at his baptism like a dove now the fact is in Judaism a father and a firstborn son were legal equals that's why the Jews were always accusing Jesus of blasphemy because in claiming to be the son of God he was making himself equal with God unless that if anybody says that the Bible never teaches that Jesus claimed to be God they've got the wrong Bible that's the whole reason Jesus was killed was because he claimed to be of an equal status with God now John 14:26 tells us that when the Holy Spirit comes Jesus teaching he says he will teach you all things now this is kind of a no-brainer even though it's early on a Sunday morning but in order to teach all things don't you have to know all things and therefore there's only one who has a characteristic of omniscience knowing all things and that is God therefore the son is God the Father is God and the Holy Spirit is God yet do we find the word Trinity in the Bible no we don't so we don't need the presence of the rapture the word rapture to be in the Bible for the doctrine of the rapture to be valid now one of the most common objections made concerning the rapture he said it's kind of a johnny-come-lately in the doctrinal scene of church history in other words they didn't believe in the rapture early in church history well Paul seemed the talk about it he was in Thessalonica as we found last week for a mere three weeks and yet he taught them about the day of the Lord in the rapture of the church now some say the rapture was first introduced into modern church history by a 19th century theologian and scholar named John Nelson Darby and it's always presented as though he was some kind of wacko that was following after the dreams of a little girl and that's where he came up with these ideas about the rapture well let me tell you something about John Nelson Darby John Nelson Darby is one of the most prolific Christian writers in the history of Christianity and he personally was instrumental in founding 1,500 churches around the world John Nelson Darby also translated the entire Bible into three different languages English French and German and he translated the New Testament into two other languages and adding Dutch and Italian and Darby is one of the most important Christians since the Reformation period now but our time this morning isn't about what John Darby said about the rapture our time is going to be spent about what the Holy Spirit said about the RAF's here in the infallible and inspired Word of God so this morning how can we arrive at the conclusion that an implied event or a sound doctrine is indeed just that even though the word doesn't appear in Scripture we're going to use three elements this morning to establish the fact that the rapture is indeed valid doctrine and it is part of how any valid doctrine is established now two of the things we're going to look at are general one is case specific as it pertains to our topic the three things we're going to use to prove the raptures a valid doctrine is Old Testament precedent or typology New Testament clarity and the case specific aspect is prophetic necessity in other words does the absence of the doctrine of the rapture in the prophetic chronology leave a hole in the prophetic timeline or narrative now if we answer these three questions I believe we can arrive at a safe and sound conclusion that the rapture is neither new nor is it a human invention it says sound as any other doctrine in the Bible even though the word isn't used in our English Bibles now one more thing this morning and we're still in our introduction by the way one more thing before we dig in as it relates to the view that the rapture is a johnny-come-lately in its recent rise of popularity and agenda evangelical thinking is just that it's just a rise in thinking Daniel 12:4 he was told you Daniel shut up the words and seal the book until when the time of the end many shall run to and fro and knowledge shall increase now we've obviously seen an exponential rise in knowledge around the world in recent years specifically the last hundred plus years since the Industrial Age began and moved into the Information Age but the knowledge is going to increase in the last day specifically that is directed or spoken about in Daniel 12:4 is the knowledge of what he was given the visions that he was given concerning the history of Israel and the last days in other words knowledge shall increase about the Book of Daniel in the last days much of what's recorded in the Book of Daniel concerning the fourth kingdom is dealt with in the book of Revelation now to summarize and paraphrase what was told to Daniel we can understand that those who are living closer to the end are going to have more prophetic clarity than those who lived in previous generations now this too is problematic for those who espouse that belief in the rapture is false based solely on its recent popularity one of the accusations I think that's almost comical is that people say you know Christians today believe in the rapture because they're escapist they just want to escape this world guilty I want out of here don't you I want to go with the rest y'all I don't want to go by the individual plan I want to go on the group plan in the moment in the twinkling of an eye but the Bible says this and not popular opinion but the Bible says not those who try and force their belief into the text to fit their eschatological scheme or timeframe the Bible says that there are some elements concerning the last days that only those living in the last days are going to be able to see and therefore understand with clarity but that's and aside because the fact is the pre-tribulation rapture has a much deeper biblical base than simply saying it's a recent awareness within the church this is an invalid argument so this morning our time is going to be dedicated to being Bereans and putting this doctrine to the test and see if it holds up under the criteria of Old Testament precedence or typology z' will be our first effort so let's pray this morning before we begin father we thank you again for reminding us of these things today thank you for the table talk show to speak to Jesus had with his own disciples telling them that he was going to prepare a place for them that he might come again and receive them unto himself that where he is they may be also in telling Paul the things we'll talk about this morning to give us a confidence and an expectation that there is coming a moment and twinkling of an eye but we are going to be removed from the face of this earth and forever be with you even so come quickly Lord Jesus and should you choose not to come before the end of this message be with us from start to finish we pray and give us ears to hear what your spirit is saying in Jesus name we pray that all God's people agree by saying Amen so let's look at the Old Testament for a moment and again we're not going to do what we normally do in exegete a particular passage of Scripture we're going to be kind of all over the map but let's start with this for a set of first corinthians and it's not in the Old Testament obviously but 1551 252 says behold I tell you a mystery we shall not all sleep but we shall 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 incorruptible and we shall be what changed we'll talk more about into what in a moment now Paul says behold I tell you a moose tirion that is the greek word user it means not obvious to the understanding in other words it's going to take some digging to understand what he means by this change and not everybody that is going to die now well more about this in our second criteria but the point it makes for us is that there are scriptural things in the Old Testament that are not obvious to the understanding of the reader and those who are closer to their fulfillment will be able to see them more clearly like the statue of Daniel chapter 2 and the kingdoms that are pointed to through the metals that the statue is made of and the fact that we can now as time marched on look back and see clearly the Daniel statue in chapter 2 was talking of the Babylonian Empire followed by the medo-persian Empire followed by the Greek Empire and then finally the Roman Empire two phases we can see that clearly but it couldn't be clearly seen at the time that it was written so therefore we can ask the question can the mysteri on the mystery of the rapture be established by a foreshadowing of it in the Old Testament much like the four kingdoms prophesied in Daniels vision now the first thing we need to ask is exactly what is the rapture well as a doctrine it implies two things the first is an instantaneous translation from this world to the eternal realm by means of a supernatural agent and the second thing the rapture means is a separation from of God's people from his direct wrath on the earth so let's look first for the instant translation from this life into the next into the Old Testament and see if we can establish an Old Testament precedents for people being caught up in a moment and the twinkling of an eye and translated into the heavenly realm our first proof text so to speak is Genesis 5 21 to 24 where we're told that Enoch lived 65 years and begat Methuselah and after he begat Methuselah Enoch walked with God 300 years and had sons and daughters so all the days of Enoch were three hundred and sixty-five years and Enoch walked with God and he was not for God did what God took him snatched him off the face of the earth now the word took his key obviously in the Hebrew means to fetch or to tarry or catch away now interestingly it also means and can be translated as to Mary and do we not have a marriage awaiting us a marriage supper awaiting us after were caught away that's where you say yes that's where all of you say yes we are going to go to the marriage supper of the lamb and second Kings 2:11 also tells us and then it happened as they continued on a talk suddenly a chariot of fire appeared with horses of fire and separated the two of them Elijah and Elisha and Elijah went up by a whirlwind where he went it did he died no so he was supernaturally translated by means of a supernatural agent into the heavenly realm so based on our findings in the Old Testament we could say that the first half of our criteria has been met there is an Old Testament precedent of taking living human beings directly into heaven and by passing death all together now this validates for us the instantaneous translation from this life to the next of living flesh and blood human beings now there's another reality we need to incorporate that will help us combat one of the arguments against Old Testament types of the New Testament rapture now in 1st Thessalonians 1 9 to 10 Paul says for they themselves declare concerning us what manner of entry we had to you and how you turn to God from idols to serve the living and true God and to wait for his son from where from heaven whom he raised from the dead even Jesus who does what for us delivers us from the wrath to come so Jesus he saves us by his own blood amen he teaches us by His Holy Spirit but he also and this is what we're waiting he delivers us from the wrath the table and we're gonna deal with other new testament scriptures concerning our deliverance from God's direct wrath in a moment but this introduces the concept for us so I'll ask you again is there an Old Testament precedence for the instantaneous and eternal translation of living human beings into the heavenly realm have we established that fact this morning now therefore as Old Testament types of deliverance from the wrath we can note these st. now here's what I want you to consider this morning concerning that issue Noah was delivered from God's wrath when the ark lifted him above the flood waters of the earth which was the manifestation of God's wrath on the whole world lark was delivered from God's wrath on sodom and gomorrah when he was removed from the place he had a change of location that allowed him to avoid god's wrath being poured out on sodom and gomorrah the israelites listened now were delivered from god's wrath when the last seven plagues pounded the egyptian to the submission to the will of god for his people now here's something to take note of a couple of things some say aha your theory breaks down there because the Israelites were still on the planet when God was pouring out his wrath or they were still in Egypt I should say when God poured out his wrath and therefore that means a typology must say the church actually goes through the tribulation of God will supernaturally protect them as he protected the Israelites in Egypt first of all Israel is Israel and the church is the church the church has not replaced Israel so the experiences of the Jews are going to be distinct in the prophetic realm that is from that of the church when the church age ends after that the 70th week of Daniel begins now pay close attention here this morning neither Noah nor lot were Jews now remember a typology or precedent isn't the same thing happening once before and it's going to happen again later it's something that points to its ultimate fulfillment in the future Noah was not a Jew and a lot was not a Jew both of their locations were changed to separate them from God's the Rath Noah was lifted above the waters lot was removed from Sodom now as far as the Israelites are concerned in Exodus 8 22 and 23 we're told and in that day the Lord speaking to Pharaoh I will set apart the land of Goshen that's where the Israelite slaves live in which my people dwell that no swarm of flies this is a fourth plague by the way they did deal with the first three plagues but there was no cataclysmic element to the first three plagues they were just very inconvenient waters turning into blood and lice and frogs all over the place now he says that none of these are going to come near my people in order that you may know that I am the Lord in the midst of the land I will make a difference between my people and your people and the Lord told Pharaoh tomorrow this sign shall be so Israel stayed in Egypt and Egypt is a type of the world during the time of the ten plagues but they were supernaturally protected by God during the last seven plagues how long's the tribulation lasts seven years or the Jew is going to be on the planet during the Tribulation Period yes are they going to be supernaturally protected by God at least the remnant of them who believe absolutely we know that they are they will be protected from God's direct wrath and you can read Zechariah 12 to 14 for more information there however Noah was removed from the flood when the door of the Ark was shut by God himself a supernatural agent lot was removed from the wrath that was going to come on Sodom and Gomorrah when angels met him and led him out of Sodom so a supernatural agent God's hand Himself angels with the case of Sodom and Gomorrah were used in changing the location of non-jews so they would be out of the path of the wrath of God or raised above it so in the case of Noah and lot we have a supernatural agent we have a change of location that delivered them from God's wrath in Egypt a type of the world we have the protection of the Israelites during the time of God's wrath just as it's going to be during the tribulation notice also that when the Lord spoke to Pharaoh the separation of God's people from God's wrath was meant to be a sign to the world so do we have as a precedent in the Old Testament the instantaneous translation of human beings into the heavenly realm yes please more than three of you say yes I want to make sure this is good throughout there now do we have in the Old Testament the removal of non-jews from the direct wrath of God do we have in the Old Testament their protection of Jews during the wrath of God yes we do so what is the rapture it is the catching away by force of God's people at the sound of a trumpet blast by a supernatural agent to meet the Lord in the air before he pours out his wrath on this world that's what the rapture is by definition now are there things in the Old Testament that are precedents and typology of the New Testament booths tirion of the rapture of the church and the answer there is three letters why I'm not giving you the other two yes so we have established clearly and unquestionably Old Testament precedent and typology for the rapture of non-jews and the sustaining of the Jews throughout the time of Wrath so what about New Testament clarity some people say well the word rapture isn't present how then is the mystery of the old made clear in the new well let me ask you a couple of questions this morning the first thing we need to deal with is the statement that the word rapture is not in our bible is the word Gracias in your Bible no but it is in Spanish Bibles how about the word bulls your or merci is that in your Bible no but it's in French Bibles the fact is those are words that are that are translated as thank you or hello or even greetings now in first Thessalonians 4:15 to 17 we're told by this for this we say to you by the word of the Lord that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep for the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout with the voice of an archangel and with the trumpet of God and the dead in Christ will rise first then we who are alive and remain shall be what caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air and thus we will always be with the Lord I'll wait for that to land out there their great news this morning now as most of us know the word transcendent is caught up is the Greek word our pods oh and it means to pluck it means to pull up or catch away by force and if your Bible was in Latin our pod zone would actually be translated as the word Raptor O's and that is where we get our use of the word rapture so yes the word rapture is in the Bible just not in yours unless you're sitting here this morning reading a Latin Bible and if that's the case I'd like to talk to you afterwards now Paul says living people will be caught up together with dead Saints and meet the Lord in the air and forever be with them now that last statement carries with it some great implications including the instantaneous translation from this life to the next via the means of a supernatural agent because now listen close to live eternally we will forever be with the Lord you believe that this morning after the rapture we will for ever be with the Lord and therefore if we are going to be forever with the Lord we need a body that can live forever and this is why Paul goes on to say in 1st Corinthians 15:51 2:55 behold I tell you a mystery we shall not all sleep but we shall all be changed in a moment in the twinkling of an eye at the last trumpet for the trumpet will sound the dead will be raised incorruptible and we shall be changed for this corruptible must put on incorruption and this mortal must put on what immortality so when this corruptible has put on incorruption and this mortal has put on immortality then shall be brought to pass say that is written death is swallowed up in victory or death where is your sting o Hades where is your victory now remember sleep is just an idiom for death and Paul says we're not all gonna die but we are all going to be changed changed into what incorruptible immortal be capable of eternal existence how fast in a moment and a twinkling of an eye isn't that instantaneous so just like in the Old Testament we have the instantaneous translation of human beings into the eternal realm via a supernatural agent we're going to be meeting the Lord we're in the air something has to happen to us in order to do even that how long are we going to be with him forever death will no longer be a threat now there are many who say things like what Paul wrote is figurative at first Corinthians 15 you know this twinkling of an eye the last trumpet the dead raised meeting the Lord death no longer having power over us immortal mortality putting on immortality I'd like to ask what in the world are these things figured about if they're not the supernatural translation of human flesh into eternal living capable models now some say well this is just a picture of salvation he can't be a picture of salvation you know why which let me tell you why because we don't get me a body food we're saved I wish we did don't you big old fat head of hair man I can't wait for my new body when we get to heaven no more hearing aids no more glasses no more limping no more sore feet or backs or any of those things we don't get all that when we get saved doing so we can't be talking about the moment of salvation there's no way to make that case now some would say well actually it speaks of the soul no it can't speak of the soul the soul is already immortal the soul is already going to live forever whether you live in Hell or live in heaven the soul is going to exist eternally so it can't be in reference to the soul it has to be in reference to something else what can it mean Philippians 3 22 21 gives us our answer for our citizenship is in Orange County thank the Lord it isn't amen our citizenship is in heaven from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior the Lord Jesus Christ listen who will transform our lowly body or mortal corruptible body that it may be conformed to his glorious body according to the working by which he's able even to subdue all things to himself remember this is what we are predestined to according to Paul in Romans chapter 8 we are predestined to conformity into the image of Christ in other words some day we are going to put on immortal incorruptibility and aren't you glad it's not going to be a process it's going to be an instantaneous event boom we're gonna be changed and forever be with the Lord living in eternally capable bodies eternal existence capable bodies now Romans 8:22 225 says we know that the whole creation groans and Labor's with birth pangs until now not only that but we also who have the firstfruits of the Spirit even we ourselves groan within ourselves eagerly waiting for the adoption what is the adoption the redemption of our what of our bodies pointing to what we just read in Philippians 3 these lowly bodies being conformed to his glorious body for we were saved in this hole but hope that is seen is not hope for why does one still hope for what he sees but if we hope for what we do not see we eagerly wait for it with perseverance or Hooper mone tearful in Durance now we're told about the redemption of our bodies and the word redemption means a releasing affected by the payment of ransom the word Redemption means a releasing by releasing affected by the payment of ransom as Jesus paid a ransom has he paid it all as our sin-debt been marked paid in full by the blood of the Lamb so therefore what we are awaiting is for our bodies to be redeemed having been confined to the expectancy of death and Romans 8 does not give the details of the transition of these bodies into the glorious ones like Christ and does however say that such a thing is awaiting else now 1st Corinthians 15 tells us the speed of the transition in a twinkling of an eye Philippians further explains a mortal and corrupt ability as the destination of the transition which is described as a glorious christ-like body so is there clarity in the New Testament on that which was a mystery in the old yes absolutely and therefore we can understand more fully the correlation or the or the translation rather of the body into an eternally existent capable model through what is written in the New Testament so we have Old Testament types and precedents we have New Testament clarity what about prophetic necessity do we do harm to the prophetic narrative if we remove the rapture of the church and thank you for asking because now we can get to our last section will there be holes left in the narrative if there is no rapture I guess you can I bet you can guess the answer this morning the answer is obviously yes well let's start with asking a question most of all the Bible's prophecies be fulfilled in order for the Bible to be considered inerrant oh absolutely excuse me can unconditional and eternal promises before fitted or applied to another group and the Bible still be a source source of immutable meaning unchangeable truth no you cannot migrate promises made to one group and assigned him to another therefore what once was true is still true today amen now therefore check this out in revelation 6:15 217 we're told and the kings of the earth the great men the rich men the commanders the mighty men every slave and every free man in other words everybody hid themselves in the caves and then 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 now in John's day the word every meant every in our day the word every means every so when he says every slave and every free man hid themselves in the caves and the rocks and the mountains and said hide us fall on us and hide us from interestingly here we have two members of the Trinity mentioned here him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb everybody is going to make that Proclamation during the tribulation rich or poor slave or free every person on the earth tries to hide from the wrath of the Lamb and there's a rhetorical statement that follows and who is able to stand and the answer is no one now do you see the word except there any where does it say no one is able to stand except for the church no that's not present there you see the church mentioned in the text anywhere no absolutely not do we know elsewhere in Scripture where the Lamb of God becomes a lion against his old bride do we have scriptures that tell us that Christ beats up the church no we have none of those things or he pours out his wrath on the church or that the Lord kills her along with evildoers without discrimination no we don't have any of these Saints as precedents in the New Testament for the Bride of Christ here's why first jesel onehans 5 9 through 11 says that God did not appoint us to wrath but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ who died for us that whether we live or die wake or sleep we should live together with them therefore comfort each other edify one another just as you also are doing now listen if there is no rapture then there is a contradiction between 1st Thessalonians 5 and Revelation chapter 6 now let me add this second Thessalonians 2 1 through 8 Paul also says now brethren and remember that always includes and incorporates believers only believers brethren concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to him we ask you not to be soon shaken in mind or troubled neither by spirit or my word of my letter as if from us as though the day of Christ had come let no one do what deceive you by any means for that day will not come unless the falling away comes first and the man of sin is revealed the son of perdition who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshipped so that he sits as God in the temple of God showing himself that He is God do you remember that what I was still with you I told you these things remember he was there in Thessalonica for three Sabbath's he was there for three weeks and he was teaching them about the rapture the church in the last days things of the last days and now you know what is restraining that he may be revealed in his own time for the mystery of lawlessness is already at work and it's been working overtime lately only he who now restrains will do so until he is taken out of the way and then when the lawless one will be revealed when the Lord whom the Lord will consume with the breath of his mouth and destroy with the brightness of his coming if you'd like to read more on that turn to Revelation chapter 19 start reading about verse 11 now it doesn't make it on the rapture or the radar often but I believe the rapture is found here in the phrase gathering together and some would say it's actually in the word apple Stasia that is translated as falling away but I don't believe that that's an accurate interpretation because we are going to be gathered together in one place in the phrase or the word gathering to him is the same word used as the gathering of believers the church setting so to speak but the word directly translated means the whole collection and that's what Paul is saying now concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and the whole collection of us being gathered together to him or brought to where he is not to be shaking her mind as all that day had already come so we are going to some day be assembled in one place which is the end result of the rapture of the church now again the applause Tashia can be translated as departure but the fact is the only other use of the word in the New Testament is found in relation to the Jews departing from the law therefore it's never used in the sense in the Bible of a departure from one location to another even though the Greek language will use it elsewhere outside of scripture to describe moving from one place to the other but you cannot use non biblical text to interpret biblical text because the first rule of interpretation is context context context and you can establish biblical context from non biblical text somebody say Amen so therefore if apple stayshia we're pointing to the rapture again gathering together is pointing to the rapture then Paul would say the rapture couldn't happen let's rapture happen first that doesn't make any sense does so Paul does it I didn't think so Paul says don't let the words or letters of others shake you up concerning our complete collection to him and we shouldn't let the words of the naysayers trouble us today either because the rapture deniers are all around us but this is prophetic in and of itself because second Peter 3:3 to 7 says knowing this first that scoffers will come when in the last days walking according to their own lusts and saying where is the promise of his coming since the father's fell asleep or died all things continue as they were since the beginning of creation for this they willfully forget that by the Word of God the heavens were of old and the earth standing out of water and in the water by which the world that then existed perished flooded with water but the heavens and the earth which are now preserved by the same word are reserved for what fire until the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men are there rapture scoffers today yes there are now Paul tells the church don't let anybody deceive you about this and then he offers a progression of events that initiate the march toward the destruction of the man of sin by the brightness of Jesus second coming now lawlessness is already at work today amen lawlessness is already at work today the Antichrist and his kingdom coming into power is restrained until he who restrains is taken out of the way and then only and only then will the Antichrist be revealed now what is the restraining force that is holding back complete lawlessness in the world today it's the Holy Spirit right the Holy Spirit is restraining complete lawlessness where does the Holy Spirit live in us listen that is something I think we need to recognize as Christians that is exclusive only to Christians the indwelling of the Holy Spirit is something that only the church enjoys the Holy Spirit is we have been seeing in 1st Samuel would come upon Saul or come upon David but the end rolling of the Holy Spirit is something that happens only for members of the church so if the restraining force holding back the rise of the Antichrist of power is the Holy Spirit and the Holy Spirit dwells within the members of the church then the church has to be taken away for the lawless one to rise to power and if there is no rapture the progression doesn't make sense for how can the world's only source of salt and light be ineffective in their role and job on the earth as a restraining force of absolute lawlessness now that leads another to another question can the true church real Christian can they be present on earth and not be a restraining force by the power of the Holy Spirit well if that were the case and Jesus was wrong when he said you are the light of the world you are the salt of the earth in other words you are the purifying enlightening and preserving influence in the world and you are the soul of those sayings none of the other teachings or religions around the world have that capacity we are the salt of the earth we are the light of the world so what is a solution to our question of prophetic dilemma it's the rapture it is the only way that the lawless one can be revealed now in Luke 21 34 to 36 Paul says this but take heed to what other people are doing take heed to yourselves lest your hearts be weighed down with carousing drunkenness and the cares of this life and that day come upon you unexpectedly for it will come as a snare on all those who dwell upon the face of the whole earth watch therefore and pray always that you may be counted what worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass and stand before the Son of man the word escape means to flee out of listen this is a time that Jesus described as one that no flesh would survive if he did not return to stop it he said it would be a time of global judgment now here's the question if it's a time of global judgment where do hundreds and hundreds of millions of Christians flee in order to escape that and if the whole world is under judgment there has to be a rep through the church or the prophetic narrative and timeline breaks down now what are those verses mean if the church goes through the tribulation now there's a lot of talk today about mid-trib or pre-wrath rapture post-trib rapture meaning we miss the wrath and are here for the first half of the tribulation I think that's kind of easily taken care of because the fact is the whole 7 years is the wrath of God the first half is the the wrath that man has incurred the consequential wrath of God for man's own deeds and rejection of God and it's rather interesting that we see in the 4 Horsemen of the Apocalypse that begins in Revelation chapter 6 that the first rider he rides on to the world scene and he has a bow but he has no arrows now that's interesting for this reason when the Lord made a covenant with the earth that he would never destroy the whole earth with water again what was the sign of that governor it was a bow that he hung in the sky and it was a symbol of his covenant and therefore were told that the rider on the first horse of revelry of the four horsemen in the apocalypse comes with a bow Daniel says that he will make a covenant with many for one week the rider on the first horse just because he's on a white horse doesn't mean that he's Jesus after all Satan masquerades as a messenger of light he comes on a white horse he comes with a covenant of peace and the consequential wrath of God that is basically the law of sowing and reaping takes place during the first half of the tribulation during the second half of the tribulation is the undiluted wrath of God himself in the bowls that are poured out upon the earth in Revelation 16 and beyond so clearly the whole Tribulation Period is the wrath of God so the mid-trib position is invalid as far as i'm concerned the fact is we have to be gone for the whole time because the wrath of God consequential and in cataclysmic is in the two halves of the tribulation now those two positions and the post-trib rapture I think that's easily dealt with as well what's the point what's the point of being raptured when you went through the whole tribulation there's no point and that's an invalid argument I believe as well and whether mid-trib pre-wrath or post-trade those positions conflict with the church and during the rise of the Antichrist to power because he comes to power immediately at the beginning of the tribulation establishes a 7-year covenant with the nation of Israel allows them to rebuild their temple and at the halfway point of the Tribulation Period meaning he had to be present in the first half he commits the act that Jesus described as the abomination that makes desolate in other words he sits in the most holy place of an unsanctioned temple the Bible never sanctions the third temple and only sanctions a temple during the millennium that will be in Jerusalem upon which the King of Kings the Lord of lords will rule from Jerusalem with a rod of iron and the Antichrist is going to sit in the most holy place the rebuilt third dimple and he's going to declare himself to be God and then the cataclysmic wrath of God begins on a christ-rejecting world because the fact his revelation says the whole world is going to follow after him and the message of the false prophet is going to be believed by all who worship the Beast now the Antichrist has given power to rain during the first forty-two months of the tribulation we know this as I said from the first of the four horsemen so in conclusion does the Bible teach the rapture the church can we establish it from the Old Testament can't we find clarity of it in the New Testament is it a prophetic necessity so here's the fourth question are you ready for it Jesus is coming soon amen therefore you also be ready for the Son of Man is coming in an hour where he is not expected pray with me please father we are thankful we can gain truth and insight from your word and it doesn't change thank you that we can have confidence that though there may be in more enthusiastic response to the rapture of the church in this last and final generation your word says and that is something that is biblical it's not something to be rejected or something to be confused about and what we thank you that we have that expectation and glorious hope of your appearing and Lord it is a source of hope and therefore we don't sorrow as those who have no hope so we thank you Lord for the many promises the establishment from the Old Testament of your ability to take a human being whether it be one or hundreds of millions simultaneously you can supernaturally translate people into the next life and in a moment and twinkling of an eye put on immortal in corruptibility we thank you that you are such a god we thank you that you promised that this was going to happen for but a single generation but it's appointed unto man once to die and after this the judgment there's a single generation that shall not die but shall be changed Lord it seems to indicate that we are that generation and to that we say come quickly Lord Jesus and we pray these things this morning with thankful hearts filled with expectancy of your catching us away and in Jesus name we pray and all God's people said amen listen this morning our hope of this time is that it motivate us and that we see the shortness of time Jesus is coming Jesus is coming soon we all know people who are perishing without him the only solution to their dilemma is him they must hear the gospel of Jesus Christ and if we truly believe that we are living in the last seconds of the last days then let's be about the father's business and go tell people about Jesus as we came in you believe in the rapture [Music] you [Music]

Channel: The Truth About God - Barry Stagner

Views: 31,337

Rating: 4.9059353 out of 5

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Id: MbMaTeVrtHg

Length: 50min 12sec (3012 seconds)

Published: Mon Apr 01 2019