Will There Be Two Raptures?

Biblegems #226

Question: I have heard that some think there will be two raptures, a pre-tribulation & a post-tribulation. What is your understanding of that?

There will be only one Rapture of the Church. Here’s why.

What the Rapture Is

The Rapture refers to an event the Bible speaks of where the followers of Jesus, dead and alive, will be “caught up” to “meet the Lord in the air,” and from then on “be with the Lord forever” (1Thess. 4:17). That is the moment when, “in the twinkling of an eye,” we will be transformed and receive our glorified, resurrection bodies (1Cor. 15:52).

When The Rapture Takes Place

The two passages referred to above, 1 Thessalonians 4:14-17 and 1 Corinthians 15:51-52, contain the key information about the timing of the Rapture that the rest of Scripture agrees with.

• The Rapture Takes Place At Jesus’ Return (i.e., the Second Coming):

         1Thess. 4:14 God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him.  

In other words, when Jesus Returns He will be accompanied by His followers who have already died and gone to heaven. At the same time, Jesus’ followers who are still alive on the earth at His Return will be “caught up together with them in the clouds (i.e., ‘raptured’) to meet the Lord in the air” (1 Thess 4:17).

• The Rapture and Second Coming take place at “the last trumpet:”

         1Thess. 4:16 For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first.

The Rapture and the Second Coming of Jesus are inseparable. They are each part of the same event, and that event occurs only once, at “the last trumpet:”  

1Cor. 15:51b-52 …we will all be changed—in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. 

This “last trumpet” is mentioned in both passages as a key to the timing of the Rapture and Second Coming of Jesus. It refers to the Old Testament prophecies in which a warning is given to the peoples of the earth that the Lord is about to pour out His wrath. The “last trumpet” announces “the Day of the Lord” the prophets foretold:

         Joel 2:1 Blow the trumpet in Zion; sound the alarm on my holy hill. Let all who live in the land tremble, for the day of the LORD is coming.

Both 1 Thessalonians and 1 Corinthians place the Rapture and Second Coming “at the last trumpet” (1Cor. 15:52; 1 Thess. 4:16). Since there is only one “last trumpet,” there is also only one Second Coming and only one Rapture.

And here is the really good news in all of this: those who are “caught up” to meet the Lord in the at His Second Coming will not experience the judgment of God’s wrath on the Day of the Lord.

         1Thes. 5:9 For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Blood Moons And Bible Prophecy

Biblegems #184

Question: Are the so-called ‘blood moons’ of 2014-2015 a sign of Christ’s Second Coming? Is God using these celestial events to remind us of the ever-forward movements of His plan?

Since the universe exists as the creation of God for His purposes, all that exists has purpose and meaning. That would not be the case if the universe were merely the result of a chance explosion. The Bible explicitly states that the heavenly bodies were designed by God to serve as “signs and seasons” for mankind,  (Gen. 1:14-17; Ps. 147:4; 19:1-3. see also, Biblegems #116, Christmas In The Stars).

The word “sign” in the Bible typically refers to prophetic events, such as the Return of Christ. Of His own Second Coming, Jesus said:

         Luke 21:25 There will be signs in the sun, moon and stars. On the earth, nations will be in anguish and perplexity at the roaring and tossing of the sea.

Jesus expects His followers down through the ages to be able to understand these “signs”:

         Matt. 16:2-3  He replied, “When evening comes, you say, ‘It will be fair weather, for the sky is red,’ and in the morning, ‘Today it will be stormy, for the sky is red and overcast.’ You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but you cannot interpret the signs of the times.

Blood Moons, as well as solar eclipses, do appear to be among some of the key “signs” associated with Jesus Return in power and glory:

         Joel 2:30-31 I will show wonders in the heavens and on the earth, blood and fire and billows of smoke. The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD (see Acts 2:17-21).

However, before getting too concerned over Blood Moon appearances it should be remembered that these are familiar occurances down through history. This year’ s events—or any year’s events—do not by themsleves represent dire significance. We need to understand these “signs” in the heavens in relation to other signs the Bible indicates will be associated with the Day of the Lord.

According to both Old and New Testament prophecies, there are several “signs”—dramatic and catastrophic events on a cosmological scale immediately preceding the Day of the Lord’s Wrath. Perhaps the most complete picture in one place of this period is found in the book of Revelation:

Rev. 6:12-17  I watched as he opened the sixth seal. There

was a great earthquake. The sun turned black like sackcloth made of goat hair, the whole moon turned blood red, and the stars in the sky fell to earth, as late figs drop from a fig tree when shaken by a strong wind. The sky receded like a scroll, rolling up, and every mountain and island was removed from its place. Then the kings of the earth, the princes, the generals, the rich, the mighty, and every slave and every free man hid in caves and among the rocks of the mountains. They called to the mountains and the 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 their wrath has come, and who can stand?”

Notice the other “signs” alongside the Blood Moons which the old Testament prophecies indicate as well:

  • Massive, worldwide earthquakes (Jer. 4:23-24)

  • Mountains flattened; land masses twisting out of shape (Jer. 4:23a; Ezek. 38:20)

  • Starlight disappearing (Jer. 4:23b)

  • Stars (meteors and comets?) falling to earth (Matt. 24:29-31; 2Pet. 3:10)

  • Solar and lunar eclipses (Joel 2:30-31)

  • Shift in the earth’s axis (Amos 8:9)

  • Daytime Darkness (Amos 5:20; Zeph. 1:15)

  • The sky appearing to “roll up” in thick, dark  clouds (Zeph. 1:15)

When can humanity expect to see this cosmological disaster happen? As we saw in revelation 6:12, the Blood Moons and related events associated with the Day of the Lord take place with the opening of the “sixth seal.” That means the first five “seals” must take place first. The “Day of the Lord” described by the opening of the sixth seal takes place after the Antichrist has been revealed for who he really is:

         2Thess. 2:3-4 Don’t let anyone deceive you in any way, for that day [the Day of the Lord] will not come until the rebellion [apostasy — falling away; rebellion] occurs and the man of lawlessness [i.e., the Antichrist] is revealed, the man doomed to destruction…

The Lord’s Return in the sky in great power, according to Jesus, will be accompanied by cosmic upheaval and the destruction of the Antichrist (Matt. 24:29-30; 2 Thess. 2:8). The Rapture of the Church, also according to Jesus, will take place “at that time” as we are gathered from the whole earth “to meet the Lord in the air” (Matt. 24:31; 1Thess. 4:17; 1Thess. 5:9). The Day of the Lord’s Wrath will begin with Jesus’ appearing and our being gathered to Him, at which time God’s wrath described above will be poured out upon rebellious mankind and the earth will be purged of the effects of sin (Is. 13:9; 2Thess. 2:8).

Are the Blood Moons we experience now a sign of Jesus’ Return? Only in as much as they cause mankind to wonder what may be coming upon the earth, and as they cause believers to “watch and pray” in anticipation of Christ’s Return. For every time there is a “blood moon” the media is flooded with speculation and the world turns to biblical prophecy. God in His grace gives us all ample time to turn to Him in repentance and surrender…before it is too late.

Tribulation Confusion Part 3

Tribulation Confusion (Part 3)

Biblegems #155

Question: Do the terms “the Day of the Lord” and “The Great Tribulation” refer to the same event?

As has been shown in the first two articles, the Day of the Lord and the Great Tribulation are not one and the same.  Understanding the difference helps to unravel some other scriptural puzzles.

For instance, the Bible clearly teaches that the Day of the Lord involves the outpouring of God’s wrath upon mankind. Yet the Scripture also teaches that those who are genuine followers of Jesus will not experience God’s wrath, for Jesus has already taken God’s punishment for our sin upon Himself:

         1Th. 5:9 For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.

But once we understand that the Great Tribulation is not the result of God’s wrath it then becomes clear that the Church will suffer persecution—as it always has—during the Tribulation, but that we will be Raptured after the Tribulation, rescued from God's wrath, when the Antichrist is destroyed by Jesus’s appearing, as the first act of the Day of the Lord:

         2Th. 2:8 And then the lawless one [the Antichrist] will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will overthrow with the breath of his mouth and destroy by the splendor of his coming.

So, to sum up—

The Great Tribulation will be triggered by the refusal of Jews and Christians to worship the image of the Antichrist set up in the Temple [which has yet to be built] (Matt. 24:15-2; Dan. 9:27; 2Thess. 2:4).

The Lord’s Return in the sky in great power and glory takes place “immediately after the Tribulation,” accompanied by cosmic upheaval and the destruction of the Antichrist (Matt. 24:29-30; 2 Thess. 2:8).

The Rapture of the Church, according to Jesus, will take place “at that time” [ie., at Jesus’ Return following the Tribulation], as we are gathered from the whole earth “to meet the Lord in the air” (Matt. 24:31; 1Thess. 4:17).

The Day of the Lord will commence with Jesus’ appearing and our being gathered to Him, at which time God’s wrath will be poured out upon rebellious mankind and the earth will be purged of the effects of sin (Is. 13:9; 2Thess. 2:8).

The Church is called to suffer, yes, but not to experience God’s wrath. As the apostle Paul wrote to the Philippians:

         Phil. 1:29 For it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for him…

Jesus is coming back, and we who are alive at that time will be gathered to meet Him to meet Him in the air, to be changed and made like Him in the twinkling of an eye. This is our blessed hope, as Paul said to Titus (Titus 2:13). Between that day and this, we…wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead—Jesus, who rescues us from the coming wrath (1Th. 1:10).

Tribulation Confusion Part 2

Biblegems #154

Question: Do the terms “the Day of the Lord” and “The Great Tribulation” refer to the same event?

The Great Tribulation (continued)

The Great Tribulation describes the persecution of the Church perpetrated by the Antichrist:

         Matt. 24:9 “Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me.

The Antichrist’s reign also represents a persecution of the Jews. He will establish a 7-year covenant with Israel for her supposed protection (Dan. 9:27) and will break the agreement after 31/2 years, presenting himself in the temple as greater than any other god:

         2Th. 2:4 He will oppose and will exalt himself over everything that is called God or is worshiped, so that he sets himself up in God’s temple, proclaiming himself to be God.

The Day of the Lord

The Scripture is very clear that the Day of the Lord is not only different from the Tribulation but that it follows the Tribulation. In fact, the apostle Paul wants to make sure no one deceives us on this matter because it greatly impacts how we view the Return of the Lord and the Rapture of the Church:

         2Thess. 2:3-4 Don’t let anyone deceive you in any way, for that day [the Day of the Lord] will not come until the rebellion [apostasy — falling away; rebellion] occurs and the man of lawlessness [ie., the Antichrist] is revealed, the man doomed to destruction

There were some false teachers in the New Testament church who taught that Jesus’ Return, the Rapture, and the Day of the Lord had already taken place (2Thess. 2:1). However, as Paul says in the verses above, the Return of Christ, the Rapture of the Church and the Day of The Lord cannot take place until after the Antichrist is revealed, and after the Jews have rebelled against him because of his desecration of the temple. This also highlights the truth that none of these things can take place until after the temple has been rebuilt!

So if the Day of the Lord and the Tribulation are not the same thing, and if the Day of the Lord follows the Tribulation—what exactly is the Day of the Lord?

The Tribulation showcases the wrath of the Antichrist against those who rebel against him, whereas the Day of the Lord is God’s judgment on the Antichrist and rebellious mankind:

         Is. 13:9 See, the day of the LORD is coming—a cruel day, with wrath and fierce anger—to make the land desolate and destroy the sinners within it.

The Tribulation is sinful man’s final last stand against God, whereas the Day of the Lord is God’s cleansing of His creation from the damage done by sin:

2Pet. 3:10 But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything in it will be laid bare.

Simply put, the Great Tribulation represents the wrath of man; the Day of the Lord represents the wrath of God.