Heaven Explained 4 | The Rapture | Allen Nolan

this morning as the 4th the sermon in our series on the subject of heaven and my main objective in teaching this series is to correct the misconceptions that most people have concerning heaven the first misconception has to do with where people go when they die you see most people believe that when they die they immediately go to the place where they're going to stay for all eternity in other words they believe that when they die they immediately go to their final destination but people that's just not true it's not true for unbelievers and it's not true for believers if you are an unbeliever and you die your soul will go to hell your body will be buried it will begin to decay in the ground but you need to understand something hell is just a temporary holding place that is not your final destination because the Bible tells us in the book of Revelation that after the Millennium your soul is going to be given up it says hell gives up the dead so your souls going to be giving up and your body is going to be resurrected it's going to be reunited with your soul and you're going to stand before God at the great white throne judgment to be judged for all of your sins and then you're going to be cast into the lake of fire you're going to have an immortal body that's why you will not burn up you will suffer for all eternity because you were created to have an immortal body but you need to understand that hell is just a temporary holding place it's the same for believers when we die we go to heaven but we need to understand that that is not our final destination yes it's heaven but it is a temporary and intermediate heaven you see there are several things that happen before we actually get to our final destination in fact look at the timeline on the back wall hopefully you kept your timeline hopefully you have it with you so you can make some notes but here's what I want you to notice about this timeline from the cross to the end of the tribulation you have what we call the prison heaven in other words that's where we go right now when we die or if we're still living at the time of the rapture that's where we're gonna go when we're raptured but we're only gonna stay there listen to me for a certain of time because when it's time for Jesus to return to this earth we are going to return to this earth with him which takes us to the next segment on the timeline notice that from the end of the tribulation to the great white throne judgment you have the Millennium now during that time Jesus is going to live reign and rule on this earth and we are going to live rule and reign with him on this earth so during this period of time we're no longer in heaven but we're on the earth not a different earth not a new earth this earth you're going to come back from heaven to this earth what yeah we're going to come back to this earth with Jesus Christ to live rule and reign for him forth with him for a thousand years now after the great white throne judgment you have the future heaven our final destination it's act in actual City that comes down from God out of heaven to sit on the new earth and that's where we're going to live for all eternity so you have the present heaven and the future heaven and in between the two you have the Millennium so you need to get it through your head once and for all that when you die and you go to heaven that is not your final destination does everyone get that because that's a common misconception that most people have and my hope go and teaching this series was to correct that misconception your final destination is located in the New Jerusalem on the new earth and you don't reach reach that destination until after the Millennium and the great white throne judgment the second misconception that most most people have has to do with the nature of heaven you see most people believe that heaven is ethereal how many of you remember what ethereal means ethereal means lacking material substance in other words everything is spiritual and nothing is physical so when people die and go to heaven they're like ghosts they're disembodied spirits and they're just kind of hanging out on floating clouds and they're playing a harp and even the harp isn't real you could stick your hand through it its ethereal but think that's wrong the truth is we will have physical bodies in heaven now we might not have a physical body initially when you get there if it's before the rapture then you're gonna have a spiritual body but here's what's great about this spiritual body as we read the parables and we read the other verses in the Bible that talk about this we understand that all five of our senses are going to be working when we have this spiritual body we're going to be able to see we're going to be able to hear we're going to be able to smell we're gonna be able to taste we're going to be able to feel we're going to be able to recognize other people so we have they have a form and we have a form because people are going to be able to recognize us we're actually going to be wearing clothes we know this because of the book of Revelation the martyrs those who were killed during the tribulation they are giving white robes so we're going to have white robes we're going to have forms but it's not a physical body but when the rapture occurs our physical body will be resurrected and reunited with our soul or if we happen to be alive when the rapture occurs our physical body will be transformed but people that will be a physical body and when I say physical body I mean flesh and bones here's what I want all of you to do if you would just bend your arm place it right here on your belly if you have a big belly like my knee to rest there and then I want you to grab that elbow you feel how bony that is you will be flesh and bone which brings me to what I want to talk about this morning which is the rapture so let's talk about the rapture and let's start with what the rapture is and what the rapture is not first of all the rapture is not the second coming of Jesus Christ really yeah you see as Christians we have the tendency to combine those two we tend to think of the second coming of Jesus Christ as being the rapture and the rapture is the second coming of Jesus Christ but I want you to understand something the rapture is not the second coming of Jesus Christ you see when the Bible talks about the second coming of Jesus Christ it's reached it's referring to Jesus fizzle we'll return to the earth at the end of the seven year Tribulation Period at that time Jesus is going to destroy the nations that have gathered against Jerusalem in this place called Armageddon and after Jesus destroys those nations he's going to set up his kingdom on this earth and he's going to rule and reign for a thousand years the rapture on the other hand is an event that happens before the tribulation and when it happens every person who's ever put their trust in Jesus Christ as their personal Lord and Savior both the living and the dead will be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air and they're taken to heaven to be with the Lord forever so the rapture and the second coming of Jesus Christ are two separate events and they happen at two different times in fact let me do the comparison of these two events so that you can see the difference now I could give you a lot of differences as we compare these two things but I'm going to stick with the most basic so follow along with me on this chart that's going to be coming up here you have two events you have the rapture and you have a second coming when the rapture occurs you have the translation of believers when the Second Coming occurs there's no translation involved now everyone knows what I mean by translation right I can read Greek actually I can muddle through it when I graduated from jbu I could actually read Greek pretty good I could turn just about anywhere in the New Testament and I could read from the Greek transfer from the Greek manuscripts if you don't use it you lose it and so now I can muddle through the Greek but I want you to understand many times I tell you what a Greek word is and I say this word was translated from this Greek word and I tell you what it means but that's what translation means it means to change from one form to another when we're talking about language it means to change from one language into another language you need to understand when we talk about us being translated we're talking about our body being changed from one type of matter to another type of matter so when the rapture occurs there's going to be the translation of believers when Jesus comes in the second coming there's no translation involved at the rapture the Saints go to heaven at the Second Coming the Saints return to the earth two different things the rapture is imminent the Second Coming happens at the end of the tribulation now what do I mean by imminent imminent I mean that it could happen in a moment so there's really no signs that really need to be involved now we see certain signs and it tells us the rapture speak it is becoming closer and closer and I believe that we are the generation that will see the rapture I believe that because of the prophecy that's found in the Book of Ezekiel in that prophecy it predicts the very day the very month and the very year that Israel would become a nation and then you had the prophecy of the valley of dry bones it tells the generation that when you see these things happen you know that the Lord's going to bring these things about we are the generation that saw Israel become a nation and we see Israel coming back or the Jews coming back to Israel that tells us that we are the generation that will see these things come to pass but I want you to understand something it's imminent it could happen anytime there's not anything that really has to happen before the rapture occurs but that's not true when it comes to the second coming of Jesus Christ there are signs let me just tell you something when the Antichrist enters into the temple and commits the abomination of desolation you can count 1260 days and you will know that that is the day that Jesus is coming back to this earth the Bible tells us that there's a seven year period it's divided into a period of three and a half years and three and a half years it goes further in the book of Revelation says 42 months and 42 months and then it goes further and tells you 1260 days and then it tells us when the Antichrist enters into the into the temple commits the abomination of desolation it will be 1260 days and Jesus Christ okay it is not imminent you don't have to be watching and ready you can just know this is when it's going to happen the rapture affects believers only the Second Coming affects all men on the earth the rapture happens before the day of wrath Revelation chapter 3 verse number 10 tells us that there's actually three Oh testament scriptures that allude to us being able to to escape the tribulation I hear people say all the time when I saw in the Old Testament yes it is you just haven't studied your Bible enough I'll go a little bit further the Second Coming concludes the day of wrath at the rapture Jesus is coming for the Saints at the second coming he's coming with the Saints at the rapture he comes in the air at the second coming he comes to the earth at the rapture he comes for his bride at the second coming he comes with his bride when the rapture occurs only the Saints see him I want you understand when Jesus comes in the clouds and we're caught up to meet him in the air I want you to realize that no one will see him except believers it happened so fast that no one even sees it that's left here on this earth but when Jesus Christ returns at the second coming every eye on this earth will see him after the rapture the Great Tribulation begins after the second coming the millennium begins I want you to understand something the rapture is not the second coming of Jesus Christ these are two different things and they happen at two different times now I've explained what the rapture is but let me go a little bit deeper because you need to understand something the rapture is when Jesus comes back for his bride you see as believers we're in a marriage covenant relationship with Jesus in fact the Bible says in 1st Corinthians chapter 6 verse 17 that were joined with Christ and we have become one spirit with him just as a married couple is joined and they become one flesh except our covenant relationship with Jesus is a spiritual marriage not a physical marriage so Jesus is the bridegroom and we are the bride now the rapture is when Jesus comes for his bride in fact to truly understand the rapture you have to be familiar with the ancient traditions of a Jewish wedding how many of you are familiar with the ancient traditions of a Jewish wedding you've studied it out how many of you not familiar with the ancient traditions of a Jewish wedding all right well let me give you the basics because I really don't have time to go into detail someday I'd like to do a series on this because it is fascinating but let me just give you the basics for Jews and G they did not allow dating or courtship it wasn't allowed you just didn't do that marriage to them was a practical legal matter established by covenant it began with what was called the ketubah let me pronounce that for you again ketubah ket you bah the ketubah was like a prenuptial agreement it was a covenant laying out the terms of this proposed marriage and it included what was known as the Mohar which was the bridal price in other words it was the price that a bridegroom had to pay in order to marry the woman of his dreams now if both parties agree to the terms in the ketubah and to the bridal price the bride and groom would drink a cup of wine together this signified that they were accepting the Covenant and that both parties were doing this it was kind of like a toast but really what it signified is okay we both agreed to the ketubah the the Covenant and we're accepting this the bridal price and then the groom would pay the Mohar in other words he would pay the bridal purchase price after paying the Mohar the bridegroom would depart to his father's house but before leaving he would always say this it was a it was a phrase it was a saying that all Jews said they would say I go to prepare a place for you but I will come again and receive you unto myself and what he meant by that receive you unto myself it was I will receive you as my bride and we will live together as husband and wife now at that point the bride was being what was called sanctified in other words she was set apart to be that man's bride and for all intents and purposes she was considered to be married even though they weren't living together as husband and wife and that's very important because if you remember the story of Joseph and Mary she was betrothed to him what did that mean it meant that they had actually agreed to the ketubah Joseph and his father had gone to Mary's home Mary was there with the father and they laid out this covenant it's a prenuptial agreement it lays down all of the benefits and the conditions of what this marriage would be then they said this is what we're willing to pay this is the bridal price what most people don't understand is probably Mary father took her out of the room and said do you want to marry this person and if she said yes they would come back in and talk about it and if they agreed they would drink a cup of wine at that point she was supposed to be sanctified or set apart to be the bride of Joseph and for all intents and purposes she was considered to be married to him even though they didn't live together as husband and wife everyone with me so when she gets pregnant this is a big deal because she's supposed to be set apart with Joseph and she's been fooling around hmm yeah most people don't know that now after the groom would make this speech I'm going to prepare a place for you but I will return to bring yourself to me or to come out in to me after he made that Spri speech the groom would return to his father's house and he would begin building a home for his bride on his father's property and when it was completed he would stalk a room in his father's house with provisions now let me explain something he would go and he would build this home for him and his wife on his father's property because again if you remember how the Jewish system was set up the land was inherited by families and so that would be passed down from one family to another so the son would go out and he would build this home on his father's properties going to help to work this land as a family but that's not where they would honeymoon if his father had any means they would have what was called a guest chamber just like you have a guest bedroom probably in your home and that's going to become the bridal chamber so what would take place is when he finished the home and the father said it was good he would then begin to stalk the guest bedroom in his father's house and the reason he was stalking it with provisions is because he and his bride were going to remain inside of it for seven days now the father of the groom was the one who decided when the home was finished and when the bridal chamber was ready to be stocked with provisions so no one but the father knew when he was going to come for his bride not even the groom even the groom didn't know when he was going to go for his bride but the bride was obligated to be watching for his return and ready to leave with him in fact custom dictated that she had to have an oil lamp ready in case he came late at night many of you are remembering and thinking about the ten foolish virgins didn't have wool for their lamps Oh big mistake but the reason she was supposed to have that is because she had to be ready to go at a moment's notice now when the groom's father said that it was time the groom would assemble his friends to accompany him to claim his bride and they normally set out at night in order to surprise her but there was also a practical reason for this and their day they didn't work five days a week and have two days for a weekend you worked six days a week normally 10 to 12 hours a day now here's what's interesting when the father came to the son and said I've inspected the home I want you to prepare the bridal chamber it was his job in the morning to go get everything and he made it as nice as could be make sure that the sheets are washed easily his momma would do that for him he would lay out as his best clothes had to have chamber pots if you don't know what that is you can look that up but anyways you bring it all the food in you get everything ready for it and it would take you all morning and then in the afternoon you went over to where your friends were working and you would say I'm going today to get my bride and they would go great when we get off work we're gonna go with you so they would have to work and they don't get off to 6:00 and o'clock in the evening then they go home and you're gonna have to bathe because this is a party they get their best clothes on just like you would put a suit on to go to a wedding and then they assemble at the bridegroom's home and you got this group coming in it's late evening kind of in the nighttime it's just starting to get dark and then they're going to get the bride now this was considered to be very romantic to come at night to the Jews but it was also very practical and when it happened the bride was said to be stolen by the one who had proven his love for her by paying such a high Bridal price so you didn't want to have to pay a cheap price for your bride because it meant she wasn't worth much wasn't very pretty didn't have very shapely figure wasn't a good worker kind of slow oh no believe it or not it was kind of an honor to have to do that it wasn't honored to the woman he's putting himself in a financial hardship like the engagement ring there's so much month salary you're supposed to do this this is saying this is how much she means to you so anyways here they would come and when they took her it was as if she was stolen by her true love and then of course she was taken back to his father's house where the celebration would begin it would continue for one week now that didn't mean that the people didn't have to work so they would only assemble in the evening at the evening they had to get up in the morning go to work so they didn't stay too late and they went and went back home they went to work and they would come back the next evening now during that week the couple remained in the bridal Chamberlin's in his father's house and they didn't come out until after the seventh day yeah can you imagine that seven days at which time they were honored with the feast that was known as the marriage supper and when the marriage supper was over he took his bride to his home now hopefully you can see how Jesus followed this Jewish wedding tradition down to the smallest detail in establishing a marriage covenant with us it's not a physical marriage but it's a spiritual marriage first you had the ketubah where the couple a couple drank a cup of wine to seal the covenant between them and Christ did this with his disciples on the night he was betrayed and we do the same thing during the Lord's Supper because the Eucharist is only for those who have accepted Jesus Christ as their personal Lord and Savior now if you grew up as Baptists you know that is the Lord's Supper so I'll say it this way the Lord's Supper was only for those who have accepted Jesus Christ as their personal Lord and Savior or in other words by those who want to be the Bride of Christ look at 1st Corinthians chapter 11 verse 25 in the same way he took the cup of wine after supper saying this cup is the new covenant between me and you an agreement confirmed with my blood do this and remembrance to me as often as you drink it now people this is a legal practical marriage established by covenant jesus then paid the purchase price look at 1st Corinthians chapter 6 verse 20 this is the Mohar for you have been bought the price the bridal price therefore glorify God in your body what does he mean by that you've been bought with the price the Mohar has been played paid you're supposed to be sanctified set apart by him don't do anything that would embarrass your husband and then the church is the bride as I said is set apart it's sanctified look at 1st Corinthians chapter 1 verse 2 to the Church of God which is at Corinth to those who have been sanctified in Christ Jesus set apart unto him Saints by calling we're called Saints with all who in every place call upon the name of the Lord Jesus Christ now notice this their Lord in ours in other words we're set apart for Jesus he is our bridegroom Jesus then left for his father's house after telling us that he was going to go prepare a place for us and that he would return for us look at John chapter 14 verses 2 and 3 every Jew knew what Jesus was talking about when he said these words he said in my father's house are many mansions he's quite wealthy we're going to have a nice bridal chamber if it were not so I would have told you I go to prepare a place for you and if I go and prepare a place for you I will come again and receive you unto myself that where I am there you may be also so now what are we supposed to do well we're supposed to be ready and watching for the Lord to come and to do what to steal us away so as you can see the raptures when Jesus comes for his bride to take us back to his father's house for seven years instead of seven days now you need to understand something if your family was wealthy you did this for seven days this is why when Jesus came to the wedding he probably wasn't there in the first day he probably wasn't with the groomsmen that went to steal the bride but his mother had gone the very first day so when he gets there he's probably the second or third day into it she she comes to him says throughout a wine this is so embarrassing because it shows they're not very wealthy a woman why do I have to do with thee in other words it's not yet my time but I'm gonna honor you should fill up these pots with water why are they doing this because this is part of this wedding celebration gee this is dropped in on it people were supposed to drop in on it now as we're waiting and watching we're waiting for Jesus to come back and so when we get there we're gonna do it for seven years instead of seven days why seven years because our Father I should say Jesus father is the wealthiest person I'm just in the world not just in this universe not even galaxies he's the creator of all things this is for seven years and then right before we return to this earth with him we're going to celebrate his recipients of honor at the marriage supper of the land so after the seven years and remember the rapture doesn't start the tribulation the signing of the seven-year so we're gonna actually come out after seven years but it's shortly before he returns and we're going to enjoy the marriage supper of the Lamb read what it says in there in Revelation chapter 19 verses 7 through 9 now here's what throws people off before we read this let me just say this sometimes as you're reading through the New Testament it talks about us as being guests at the marriage supper of the Lamb and people go wait a minute I thought we were the bride you need to understand something the bride was the guest of honor they were the recipient they're the reason this whole thing is happening so when the bride comes out after seven days she's fixed herself up she's in her best appearance she comes out she is the guest of honor so that's why we're portrayed as the guest but were also portrayed as the bride because were the recipients of honor look at Revelation chapter 19 verses 7 through 9 let us be glad and rejoice and give honour to him for the marriage of the lamb is calm it's finally here and his wife who is the wife the church hath made herself ready how are we making ourselves ready does anyone know well during the seven-year period while we're in this bridal chamber the Bible tells us we're going to be in front of the Baima the judgment seat of Christ not to be judged for anything that we've done because our sins have been paid for but to see what rewards were going to have and what's interesting is we're going to come out with crowns we're going to come out with different types of robes signifying what we're going to rule and reign over and so we're May yourself ready so when we come to this marriage sufferer we're all fixed up so his wife has made herself ready and to her was granted that she should be arrayed and fine linen clean and white for the fine linen is the righteousness of safe so we're clothed with the righteousness that Jesus Christ has given us and he saith unto me write blessed are they which are called into the marriage supper of the lamb and he saith unto me these are the sutras the sayings of God so as you can see you cannot understand the rapture if you do not understand the ancient traditions of the Jewish wedding because everything that Jesus did was because he's coming for his bride and we are his bride now let's look at what's gonna happen when Christ does come for his bride or in other words what's gonna happen when the rapture occurs turn with me if you would to the book of 1st Thessalonians chapter 4 verses 13 through 17 and now dear brothers and sisters we want you to know what will happen to the believers who have died so you will not grieve like people who have no hope now I want you to understand something when a loved one dies we mourn but we don't grieve like those who have no hope my momma's down 260 pounds I keep telling you about I don't know how she's living she'll probably live another year my father has strong will she truly wants to see the rapture of the Lord she's told me that and I think it's why she's holding out but if she passes away before the rapture occurs I want you to know something I will not grieve like those who have no hope in fact I'll celebrate cause she's going home to see her mom and her dad and her brother and her sisters I will not be grieving like those people who had no hope it'd be tough but we won't grieve like those who have no hope and then he tells us why we don't grieve like people have no hope verse 14 for since we believe that Jesus died and was raised to life again we also believe that when Jesus returns what does it mean returns returning for us God will bring back with him the believers who have died we tell you this directly from the Lord in other words Jesus Christ is the one who gave this revelation to Paul we who are still living when the Lord returns will not meet him ahead of those who have died for the Lord Himself will come down from heaven with the commanding shout with the voice of the Archangel with the trumpet call of God first they're Christians who have died will rise from their graves then together with them we who are still alive and remain on the earth will be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air then we will be with the Lord forever wherever he is we are wherever he goes we go why because the bride is meant to be by his side and we are his bride we have entered into a covenant relationship with Jesus now Paul makes it very clear in verse 14 that that only those who believe that Jesus Christ has died for our sins and rose again will be raptured only those that believe those who don't believe that will be left behind and they're going to have to face the tribulation hopefully they'll get saved during the tribulation they'll be martyred but at least they'll have all eternity with Jesus in fact Jesus paints a picture of the rapture in Matthew chapter 24 verses 37 through 42 when the Son of Man returns it will be like it was in Noah's day and Noah's day they didn't know the judge was judgment was coming even though Noah tried to warn them they thought he was crazy we talked about Jesus coming back people think we're crazy but he said judgment is coming if I go study what the named Methuselah means interesting I won't tell you what it is or you can get my teaching verse-by-verse on the book of Genesis very interesting but here's what it says it's gonna be just like it wasn't Noah's day they don't believe that judgment is coming in those days before the flood the people were enjoying banquets and parties and weddings right up to the time Noah entered his boat and they're still laughing at him people didn't realize what was going to happen until the flood came and swept them all away that is the way it will be when the Son of Man comes two men will be working together in the field one will be taken the other left two women will be grinding flowers two mill one will be taken the other left so you too must keep watch for you don't know what day your Lord is coming in other words in it you don't know what it's going to happen now if you believe that rapture happens at the end of the tribulation so that means that you don't have to be watching and ready because when the Antichrist goes into the temple you know that's the abomination of desolation you can count 1260 days that's when Jesus is returning but it's not talking about the second coming it's talking about the rapture you don't know when he's coming you better be watching and ready but here's the point that Paul is trying to make in 1st Thessalonians chapter 4 when the rapture occurs every believer who's ever died we'll come back with Jesus in order to be reunited with their resurrected body look at the last part of verse number 14 this is important that you understand for since we believe that Jesus died and was raised to life again we also believe that when Jesus returns for his bride God will bring back with him the believers who have died now look at verse 16 for the Lord Himself will come down from heaven with a commanding shout that shouts to wake him up those in the graves with the voice of the Archangel with the trumpet call that God first the Christians who have died will rise from their graves now wait a minute verse number 14 just said that Christians that have died were coming back with Jesus so if we're coming back with Jesus how can we be rising from our graves we'll remember what happens to a person when they die when a person dies their soul goes to heaven but their body goes into the ground it begins to decay so what this is saying is that when the rapture occurs all of the people who have died and gone to heaven all of the souls in heaven are gonna come back with Jesus in order to be you reunited with their resurrected body now what about the believers who are alive at the time and still living on the earth what happens to them when the rapture occurs we'll look at verse 17 then together with him we here are still alive and remain on the earth we'll be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air then we will be with the Lord forever so according to Paul the Dead will be resurrected but those of us who are alive will be instead we're going to be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air now what does he mean by caught up with that phrase caught up is translated from the Greek word harpazo and it literally means to be snatched up or to be taken suddenly the best way to describe what this word means is picture you're playing with the toddler he's about a year and a half old and they can't really walk very good but they're still getting where they can and they're trying to run from you and you chase them how many ever done that you're kind of chasing them and you're going real slow mm-hmm and they're just laughing as they run and then when you're ready to get them you just grab them under the arms and you snatch them up into your arms that's what harpazo means it says we're going to be snatched up we're going to be taken so here's what Paul is telling us those of us who are alive and remain on the earth when Jesus come back for his bride are going to be snatched up to be with the Lord in the air in other words we're going to be taken suddenly we're going to vanish we're gonna be gone now to get a better picture of what's going to happen when this occurs turn to 1st Corinthians chapter 15 verses 52 through 53 he says it will happen in a moment now most of us don't catch what that saying that word moment is translated there it is I'm going to transform this word from the Greek language in the English language what that word means or what that that word moment it's translated from the Greek word animus or we would probably say at Tomas our word Adam comes from it at one time the reason we've brought that word Adam is we thought that that was the smallest particle there was hmm what he's telling us though at a moment when it's used for a moment it means the smallest amount of time that there is now here's what's interesting most of us don't realize this if you were to take a piece of rope or you take anything and lay it out and you were to divide it in half and you keep dividing it in half in theory you think that you could keep on doing that in theory right and it would always be there maybe you wouldn't be able to see it without the most powerful magnifying glass or microscope but you could in theory be cutting that in half you cut it in half you gotta love the piece you cut it in half you got another piece but here's what physics tells us physics tells us that you can only cut something in half up to one times 10 to the negative 43rd power and at that point it disappears that's what además means to the point where something disappears it will happen in a moment and then when it says in the blink of an eye we think it means this it doesn't mean that it means where this light goes through the retina in fact it's at this one times ten to the negative forty third power it's gone just boom this is gonna happen in a moment and everyone's going to be gone when the last trumpet is blown for when the trumpet sounds those who have died will be raised to live forever and we who are living will also be transformed for our dying bodies must be transformed in bodies that will never die our mortal bodies must be transformed into immortal bodies now notice what Paul is saying at the end of verse 53 he says and we who are living will also be transformed I want you to underline that word transformed transformed is translated changed from one form in into English it's translated from the Greek word alas oh and it means to change from one thing into another so what Paul is saying is that our bodies are going to be changed from one form or one thing to another when the rapture takes place now Paul gives us a little more detail about this transformation in Philippians chapter 3 verses 20 through 21 let's read what he says there it says but we are citizens of heaven let me tell you something I'm proud to be a citizen of United States of America but my loyalty brought lies with God because I'm a citizen of heaven and that takes precedence for the Lord Jesus Christ lives and we are eagerly awaiting for him to return as our Savior why because we're his bride we're eagerly waiting for him to return he will take our weak mortal bodies and change them into glorious bodies now here's what I want you to see underline this in your Bible like he is owned using the same power with which you will bring everything under control now want you to notice what Paul is saying he's saying that when the rapture occurs our body is going to be changed from weak mortal bodies into glorious bodies just like his body like whose body like Jesus body do you see that we're going to have the same type of body that Jesus had when he was resurrected well what does that mean well that means that our resurrected body will consist of flesh and bone turn with me if you would to the Book of Luke chapter 24 Luke chapter 24 is after Jesus Christ was resurrected notice what it says in verses 39 and 40 jesus said look at my hands look at my feet you can see that it's really me touch me and make sure that I'm not a ghost because ghosts don't have flesh and bones as you see that I do as he spoke he showed them his hands and his feet they came up and they thought he's a ghost we saw that he was dead he was in this he's resurrected now we're seeing him here and they want to come up he says touch me feel me I'm not a ghost we're gonna have a body just like his resurrected body it will be flesh and bone we'll also still eat food in Luke chapter 24 same chapter he's been resurrected he's appeared into them notice what he says in verses 41 through 43 because they still can't believe he's not a ghost how is he gonna convince them he's gonna eat - still they stood there in disbelief even though they felt him filled with joy and Wonder then he asked him do you have anything here to eat I'm a little bit hungry they gave him a piece of broiled fish and he ate it as they watch people you know flea there's not gonna be any calories in it when I'm out there I want you to understand I'm gonna look like a 28 year old man I'm gonna be the stud muffin that Lisa married gotta have some hair now gonna have a lot of hair and a lot of hair in high school but I won't you understand something I could eat and I'm not gonna become fat our friends and our families will be able to recognize this look at Luke chapter 24 same chapter verse 31 suddenly their eyes were open and they recognized him it's Jesus they're recognized me it was kind of funny sometimes I see people that I haven't seen since I graduated from high school and they'll do a double-take and I realize they think they know who I am but they're not sure now some people think I'm Doug that's my brother I may have forgotten me and my brother Doug mixed up anyways but some of them are going I think I know him but he looks different that he did in high school but I want you understand something I'm gonna go back to that time and people gonna be able to recognize but just as they recognize Jesus but here's the kicker and this is what I want you to see but our bodies these resurrected bodies will not be subject to the normal laws of time and space you see on two separate occasions Jesus went right through the walls of the room where the disciples were meeting the doors were locked the windows were shut Jesus was not in the room and food he was there look at Luke chapter 24 verse 36 and then we're gonna look in John and that's after the resurrection - notice what says and as they thus Spoke Jesus himself stood in the midst of them and said unto them peace be unto you now when it says stood in the midst of them we don't really catch it let you read that in context it's like all of a sudden he just instantly appeared now look what it says in John chapter 20 we're going to read verse 19 and then we're going to jump down to verse 26 because these are two separate events notice what verse 26 says that's Sunday evening after the resurrection the disciples were meeting behind locked doors because they were afraid of the Jewish leaders the doors are locked the windows are closed suddenly Jesus was standing there among them peace be with he said in other words who now can you imagine sciples Jesus don't do that you scared us to death but he's there instantly look at verse 26 same chapter after the resurrection eight days later the disciples were together again and this time Thomas was with him the doors were locked again they're still kind of afraid because the Jewish leaders are in an uproar and he's been resurrected he's appeared to us but you know it's still kind of scary so the doors are locked again the windows are closed but suddenly as before Jesus was standing among them peace be with you he said in other words boom on another occasion he vanished from sight look at Luke chapter 24 same chapter that we did originally after the resurrection verse 31 suddenly their eyes were opened and they recognized him and at that moment he disappeared in the Greek it means he vanished he didn't walk away he was just there one moment and gone the next listen to me this is what's so cool you're going to be able to do that in fact if you weren't able to do that then you're resurrected body would be trapped inside your coffin six feet underground imagine if all of a sudden Jesus brought your body back to life but you've been dead for two hundred years or maybe thirty years or maybe a thousand years your body is in that coffin it's in the ground six feet but if you didn't have the ability to just boom go through these walls go through that dirt go through that coffin we'd be having a dick you up when the rapture occurs if we're in this building and I'm preaching because I kind of think that Jesus is going to come at night in Israel or eight hours behind it was two o'clock in the morning I'm gonna get up here to preach I'm gonna be here preaching and all of a sudden the rapture is going to occur if we didn't have the same type of body that Jesus Christ had when he was resurrected we would go up and boom we hit the ceiling and we gotta be stuck and we need to kind of crawl our way do we get to the foyer and then we get down and go through the antenna to see Jesus in the air Oh what you to understand something we're gonna operate in a whole nother dimension that's a turkey counting word nether everyone hold another is we're gonna operate in a whole nother dimension now I want to go back to one of my main objectives for teaching this series why do we need physical bodies why aren't we just gonna be a spiritual body well I'll tell you why it's because it's because we're coming back to this earth this physical earth we're gonna rule and reign over people who made it through the tribulation and they're mortals I'm gonna show you some things next week about the Millennium but we're gonna be ruling and reigning we're gonna have flesh and bone like them but we're gonna be different we're gonna have a resurrected body we're gonna be able to vanish and we're gonna be able to appear we're gonna be able to eat but we're going to rule and reign on this and then after the great white throne judgment this Old Earth and this odd heavens going to pass away God's going to create a new heaven a new earth but it's going to be a physical earth because there are people that's gonna make it through the millennium and there's gonna be that great rebellion but not everyone's going to rebel and so there's going to be people who live through the millennium and they're gonna live on this new earth and we are the ones that were resurrected with Jesus as his bride and we live in the New Jerusalem on the new earth but there's gates that go out into this new earth and we're gonna talk about the new earth in the New Jerusalem and the week after next but I want you to understand something heaven where we go right now is a temporary or an intermediate place it is not our final destination we're going to come back to this physical earth to rule we're going to live in our final destination in a new city on a new earth but it will be a physical earth and it's not going to be ethereal we will be flesh and bone why because we're gonna live on a physical earth I've even never been taught that that's what the Bible teaches now if you're here this morning you ever receive Jesus you need to because I promise you the rapture is going to occur there were people that thought that when Jesus came the first time well he's not coming have you ever heard me teach on that even the Sanhedrin meant when the scepter was lost from Judah they went and they had to discuss this and the reason they discussed it is because the prophetic scripture says that when the scepter departs from Judah the Messiah will come the scepter departed from Judah and the Messiah wasn't there or they thought what they didn't realize in the very same year that they had that debate in the Sanhedrin Jesus appears in the temple as a twelve year old boy and he he actually talks to the Jewish leaders and they should have recognized him then oh he was there that prophecy was fulfilled but they weren't ready to receive him thought it wasn't going to happen there are those that are thinking that Jesus isn't gonna come people he's gonna come but he's coming for those who are watching and ready that are set apart as the bride and they're excited because we're getting close if you're here this morning never received Jesus let me say this when you die you will not go to heaven you will go to hell even that is a temporary holding place your body will be resurrected one day after the Millenium you're gonna have an incorruptible body in other words you won't burn up you'll be thrown a lake of fire this is why it's so important that you make it this decision this morning to receive Jesus because if you don't you're sealing your eternal destiny and there's no second chances after this earth there's not that God wants to do that but God is just and all sin must be punished it's either punished in Christ Jesus or punished apart from Jesus you want your sin to be punished in Christ Jesus you want to receive Jesus so if you're here this morning never received Jesus I'm gonna make it simple I'm gonna say a very simple prayer and if you want to receive Jesus all you have to do is repeat this prayer the prayer is not magic just because you say the prayer doesn't mean your sins are forgiven but if you believe what you're saying your sins will be forgiven when you die you'll get to go to heaven you'll be part of the Bride of Christ you're gonna have all these great promises when you die it will actually be better better than sex better than marriage better than Hawaii want everyone to bow their heads close their eyes if you want to receive Jesus repeat this prayer after me Jesus I know I'm a sinner and I know that my sin has separated me from you but God I believe that Jesus came to die for my sin and I believe that when Jesus died his soul went to hell to pay the penalty for my sin but I also believe God that would all my sins were paid for you raised Jesus from the dead Jesus I want you to forgive me I want you to be my Lord and Savior I want to be a I want to be your bride I want to be eagerly waiting for you to return from me thank you for that

Channel: Cornerstone Fellowship

Views: 10,291

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Keywords: what does the bible say about heaven, heaven in the bible, heaven bible study, answers about heaven, heaven description, What Will Heaven Be Like According to the Bible (Part 3) with Pastor Allen Nolan, what will heaven be like according to the bible, what will heaven be like, what is heaven like according to the bible, the book of revelation explained, the book of revelation explained bible study, the book of revelation in the bible summary, revelation, rapture, tribulation

Id: k1bNViKVLCg

Length: 50min 10sec (3010 seconds)

Published: Thu Nov 01 2018