The Rapture: Biblical Truth or Modern Interpretation?

Hey, what has to happen, what must happen before the rapture of the church takes place? Is this something that is clear in Scripture? Yeah, we're going to find out. Let me start this way, if you would. The previous time together, I shared with you my personal experience, and you can check that out if you'd like, regarding why and how the Bible had to direct me in where I landed in the Bible. on what is called eschatology, which by the way is so true about soteriology, israelogy, dispensations, is that word even in the Bible? What about foreknowledge, predestination, justification, glorification, sanctification, all these things you have, I have to study and that is over our lifetime of discipline and being a student of the Word of God. Look, I love you, but when people get all excited and all pumped up about their potential, and this and that, and that and the other, I don't even let that ruffle me, because neither should you, because a lot of people are on their journey, but they still have access to the internet or social media. they say things that they don't even know what they talk about. You say, why don't you address them? That'd be impossible, and I'm not going to waste my time. Over time, it's the Holy Spirit's job to disciple us in the Scripture. We are to present ourselves to the Word of God, and then the Spirit of God, as Jesus promised us, will teach us all truth and guide us into all truth. That said, let me start by saying this. Regarding the first coming of Jesus Christ, it's important you know when that happened. That's right. The first coming of Jesus Christ already happened. When did that happen? The Bible told us in the Old Testament what to look for, and the Gospels, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, recorded for us. The first coming of Christ, as predicted in the Bible, and recorded in the New Testament, was Palm Sunday. Read Matthew chapter 23. and that will be very, very clear to you. But that said, Zechariah 9.9 and many other passages of Scripture. It is His official first coming. By the way, it was announced in the Bible and in the event recorded, there's eyewitness accounts, including Jesus himself, make mention of that with assurance. In fact, he says regarding the 118th Psalm, he says, You, Israel, you won't see me again. Listen, he says to Israel, you won't see me again. Excuse me. If he says you won't see me again, that means they're going to see him again, but they won't see him again until he says, until you say, blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. Here's the test. When will that happen? They said it. They said, Hosanna, Hosanna, blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. on Palm Sunday. But of course, according to God's sovereign salvation plan, the national leaders, the religious leaders, did not accept Christ, rather they condemned him. And Jesus says, you're not gonna see me again until, this is great, because this blows up replacement theology views, which is insane. Jesus says, hey, nation of Israel, you're not gonna see me again. until you are able to confess and say, blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. So that's a future event, according to Jesus. When will that be? The second coming. At the second coming, throughout Scripture, Joel, Zechariah, Jeremiah, book of Revelation, the second coming, Hosea, the second coming, They will call out to him and he will respond to them and they will proclaim, blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. And the Lord even says, I believe it's Hosea. Don't quote me on that, but I'm going from memory right now, which is scary, right? Because I'm old. I think he says something to the effect in Hosea. They will petition me once. They will petition me twice. But on the third time, I will come to them. Them. It tells you who them is. It says Israel. It's at the end of the tribulation period. It's amazing. First coming predicted in Scripture. Many prophecies have to be fulfilled for the first coming to take place. Second coming, many prophecies have to be fulfilled for Christ to come back again to Israel as the first coming. Second coming, both Israel, both Jerusalem, both to the Jewish people, both to the Jewish leaders. But the second coming, they will receive him, though it be a remnant. But there's prophecies that have to be fulfilled out of the Old Testament and in the New Testament as well that have to happen. You say, well, Jack, what does that have to do with anything? You're talking about the rapture. Well, let's talk about the rapture. If you were with us last time, I told you what was my big stumbling block that when I stumbled over it, I fell right into the peace of God and the joy of the Lord. And you remember it was this, it was John chapter 14. The words are read in your Bible because Jesus said them. He said, let not your heart be troubled. You believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father's house are many mansions. And if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go to prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to myself, that where I am there, you may be also. And where I go, you know, and the way, you know. Jesus said that. Jesus has been preparing a place in heaven, according to his own words, to bring us there. That's what he says. But in my post-tribulation rapture view, I've got Christ coming at the second coming out of heaven. And we've got the post-tribulation view of us going up to meet him as he descends. So he's coming in, he's re-entering into Earth's atmosphere. We get pulled up into that and meet him and then come down and land with him. And he establishes his thousand year rule and reign, beginning with the judgment of the nations, Matthew chapter 25. I never get to go up there to see the mansions. I never get to go up there to where he has been preparing. I never get to go up there to where he is. There's no reunion up there with a post-tribulational view. It doesn't work. That was hard for me. And so I swung back through the scripture and study slowly, but I swung back to the post-tribulational, pre-millennial, literal view of scripture, what is also known as futurist view of prophetic interpretation. Why would I do that? Get ready. Here we go. 1 Corinthians chapter 15, verses 51 and 52. Behold, I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep. I think you know this, right? When a believer is referred to as sleep or sleeping, for the believer, it's speaking of the body, right? not the soul. There's no such thing as soul sleep. That's a cult view. There is no soul sleep. There's only when we depart from the body, we are present with the Lord. When we bury you at Forest Lawn here in LA or Rose Hills, we're burying your body. We're not burying you. We're burying your carcass until the resurrection. Okay? Keep that in mind. But he says something crazy awesome. So I show you a mystery. The Greek word is mysterion, which means it's not a secret. It means it is something that has always been, but listen carefully, the word mysterion means something that has always been, but there was no need to reveal it. It wasn't time. So as an example, God gives Daniel the book of Daniel, and then at the end of the book of Daniel, God tells Daniel, seal up the book. It's not for you. It's for a later time. So it's true, but God told Daniel, it's not for you. You're not gonna see it. There's gonna be empires and kingdoms. You're gonna sleep with your fathers. The book of Revelation is the opposite, by the way. The book of Revelation is, oh, by the way, here's the prophecies and let them fly. Read it. Blessed are you if you read the book of Revelation and blessed are you if you hear it be read. Wow, which is why we spent three hours reading the book of Revelation a while back. So this is fun. Watch this. So, behold, I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep. We're not all going to die, but we shall be changed. Really? Verse 52, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet, don't confuse that with the seven trumpets of God's wrath. There's the first trumpet and the last trumpet, but it's not of the seven trumpets in the trumpet judgments in the book of Revelation. God told Moses, side note, God told Moses to make two silver trumpets. for the calling of Israel together. He would blow one of those trumpets to gather Israel together. He would blow that same trumpet to inform Israel. And you can read about that. But even to this day, scholars often wonder, why did God tell him to make two trumpets when Moses only blew one? The other one was not used. What's with that? Moses blew the first trumpet to gather together God's people. The second trumpet was never blown. Isn't that interesting? I believe, this is my belief, I believe that that last trumpet is that very trumpet that God will have blown. Because we know this, it has nothing to do with the seven trumpets, one, two, three, four, five, six, seven trumpet blasts of the wrath of God and the trumpet judgments in the book of Revelation. Maybe I'm giving you too much... right now, but I'll try to pick it up here. For the trumpet will sound and the dead will be raised incorruptible and we shall be changed. So that's 1 Corinthians 15, 51 and 52. Whatever Paul is talking about to the Corinthians, this is amazing. Whatever he's talking about, he's talking about two different peoples having the same unifying moment happened in their life. And it has to do with those whose bodies are dead and also a group of people whose bodies are alive. What's remarkable to me is Paul says, we. He says, we shall be changed. He didn't say they shall be changed. He said the dead, their bodies are gonna be changed. But not everybody's gonna die. There's gonna be somebody, a group of people, who regarding this mystery that has always been, but will be revealed, some people are gonna be alive when it happens, and their body's gonna be changed without death. And Paul put himself in what is known as the we, W-E, the we statements of Paul. That's a fun, by the way, that's a fun Bible study. What are the we statements of Paul the Apostle? It's awesome to find out. He always included himself in the group that was going to be changed or transformed while alive. But the only time he surrenders that, gives up on it, is in 2 Timothy 4 at the end of his life. He says, I have loved the Lord's appearing. And I rejoice for that day that he's going to give me a crown. And then he says in 2 Timothy 4, I have loved his appearing. It's the only time he's spoken past tense. Translation, I'm going to be dying here in Rome. I'm going to get my head cut off. I've loved his appearing though. Only then did Paul succumb to the realization that he was not going to be getting raptured, but he was in fact going to be a martyr. I find that tremendous. I'd love to argue that in court, if you want to put it that way. How about this one? 1 Thessalonians 1. Verse 10. In fact, let me do this. I'm going to go. The reason why I'm reading off the paper right now is because I don't have my glasses, but that's okay. Let me try this. And this is kind of fun, you guys. This is kind of fun. You ready? Get ready to mark this down, please. Mark down 1 Thessalonians chapter 1, verse 10. Here's the reason why. There's five chapters that Paul wrote to the Thessalonian believers in Thessalonica. By the way, which is really cool, you can go to Thessalonica today. It's one of the oldest cities in the world. And check this out. So chapter 1, verse 1, chapter 1, 1 Thessalonians chapter 1, verse 10. Sorry, verse 10. Listen to this. And we are to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, who delivers us from the wrath to come. Question, what's the wrath to come? You have to answer that. Some people will say it's about hell. It's not the right word. Nowhere in the Bible is that Greek word used for wrath in our English Bible applied to hell. The word wrath in the Bible is connected to the words indignation, vengeance, judgment, judgment. It's God's wrath. It's not man's wrath. It's God's wrath. It's not hell. It's God's judgment upon a Christ-rejecting world. It's called the tribulation period, the wrath. The seven years, first half seemingly peaceful, prosperous, and quiet, it's wrath by deception God will allow people to be deceived because they will believe the lie. They will embrace it. They'll love it. The latter half are the seal judgments, the trumpet judgments, and the bowl judgments. That's the last three and a half years. This is something completely different. Let me read it to you again. 1 Thessalonians 1, verse 10. Wait for his son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, who delivers us from the wrath to come. Well, that's a one-off. Well, first of all, it's the Bible. There can be a one-off. It's pure truth, but it's not a one-off. 1 Thessalonians 2, verse 19. For what is our hope or joy or crown of rejoicing? Is it not even you? In the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at his coming? Interesting. 1 Thessalonians 3, verse 13. so that we may establish your hearts blameless in holiness before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all his saints." That's rapture. Because listen, my mom, for example, died believing in Jesus. Where is she? According to the Bible, where is she? She's with the Lord. Where's her body? At Forest Lawn. When the rapture takes place, the Bible says you'll see it in a moment. The dead in Christ will rise first. And he's going to bring them with him, by the way. Listen, that's what? Which one is it? It's both. He's going to bring with them who died in Christ, and he's going to raise their bodies. They're going to get their resurrected bodies. And if it's going to happen in our lifetime, you and I, we're going to be walking along, and we're going to be changed in an instant and meet them in the air. I'm going to read that in a moment. I know I'm going fast. Hang in there with me. You might have to press play or slow down. the cadence of all this. The saints that are coming with Jesus are saints like my mom, maybe those loved ones you know who died in Christ. We're gonna meet them in the air. That's not my opinion. 1 Thessalonians 4 beginning at verse 13. Listen to this. But I do not want you to be ignorant. The word ignorant in the Greek language is, I do not want you to be uninformed. Don't miss what is to be known, but know it. Brethren, concerning those who have fallen to sleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with him those who sleep in Jesus. Speaking of their bodies, but he's bringing them, their spirit, with him. Watch this. For this we say to you by the word of the Lord. That's the New Testament way of saying, thus saith the Lord. Isn't that cool? That we, Paul says, 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 the shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first, then, that's a time stamp statement, then, something can't happen until then, the dead in Christ rise first, then, watch what he says, we, Paul includes himself, we who are alive and remain shall be, there it is, rapture, Harpazo, rapture, caught up. By the way, the word means violently removed from one spot to the next. Wow. Caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore... getting big arguments about this and break fellowship with your friends and create your own denominations and beat pre-tribulation, mid-tribulation, post-tribulationists up, getting a big fight about it? No. He says, therefore, comfort one another with these words. How cool is that? 1 Thessalonians chapter 5, verse 9. For God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ. Another verse of deliverance regarding the tribulation period. So that's fun stuff. How about some more on this? How about... Where am I? Oh, this is great. Philippians 3, verse 20 and 21. For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed or fashioned to his glorious body, according to the working by which he is able even to subdue all things to himself. That's rapture talk, folks. What about Titus 2, verse 13? Looking for the blessed hope and the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ. Wow! What are you supposed to be doing as a Christian? Living your life for Christ. Always looking up. Ready to meet the Lord. In fact, Titus 2, verse 13. Our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ. Wow! What about this? 1 John 3, verse 2. Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be like, but we know that when he is revealed, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. And everyone who has this hope in himself purifies himself even as he is pure. In other words, we mimic Christ. How about this? How about Revelation 3.10? Excuse me. Because you have kept my command to persevere, I also will keep you from the hour of trial, which will come upon the whole world to test those who dwell on the earth. Revelation 3.10. There's a division between those who will be delivered and those who will not be delivered. And then for time's sake, let me give you this one. It's kind of fun. It's not kind of fun. It's kind of profound. Revelation chapter 4, so verse 1. Revelation 4, 1. So Revelation chapter 1, it's the introduction to the book. In Revelation chapter 1, the outline of the book is given. God tells John to write down the things that have been, the things that are and the things that shall be. In Revelation chapter 2 and 3, it's all about God addressing God. the seven letters to the seven churches, but it encapsulates the church age over these last 2,000 years as well as it encapsulates each individual particular heart of a believer. Your life may be described by the church at Smyrna. There are believers right now, as I sit here, who are being martyred for their faith. And so Smyrna applies to them. There may be those who are saying that they're of the church, but they're not even the church. They're not even born again. And I think that's the believers mixed in with the unbelievers at Laodicea. There's the Philadelphian believer, who I want to be like, who does not deny the word of God nor the name of Christ and is a missionary church. God promises them, you'll be delivered from the things that are coming upon the earth. Wow. I'm going to throw this one out there to you. What about Luke chapter 21 verse 36? Pray always that you may be able to escape those things that are coming upon the earth and stand before the Son of Man. Wow. So friends, the reality is this, that the rapture is not an escape for fearful people I told you in the previous podcast that God showed me it's much more robust and masculine. I say that in a loving way. And I mean that in the application of not gender, but I mean it for any believer to be more robust and strong to determine Christ could come back at any moment. Though I do not see him, I long for him and I'm looking for him. I'm commanded in the Bible to look for him. It's crystal clear. And there's parables given about being watchful and ready. And so because I love him, I want to be ready to meet him. It also galvanizes me to not fall for the arguments of man. I don't care what anybody says about that. What does the Bible say? Well, this person is really charismatic. You should listen to what they have to say. That's your qualifier? Brother, if that's your qualifier, you're heading for trouble. Because I think Satan can produce a lot better charismatic people than what God will release on Earth because God doesn't share his glory with anybody. No, follow the truth. And I want you to know this. God has blessed, I mentioned last time the church that I happened to pastor. You know what's fun about it? There's so much about it that's awesome. But so you show up on a Sunday or a Wednesday or any other day of the week, there's something happening every day at that church. But that said, it looks like the United Nations. There's people from the UK. Mexico, Brazil, Switzerland, Romania, Russia, Ukraine, Hawaii, China, Philippines. If you've never been here and you can make it here, you should test what I'm saying. It's insane. It's awesome. From my vantage point, standing behind the pulpit, I wish you could see what I see. I love it. I call it the United Nations. Looks like heaven. That said, it's amazing because last week a young girl drove down from San Francisco to come to the church for the first time. And she said to me, what makes you think you've got the truth because you're just a result of your denomination? And I said, I want to thank you so much for saying that. So number one, I've never been in a denomination and this is a non-denominational church. We have no membership. We have no loyalty to any man-made traditions but the Bible." She said, what? She was young. I think she was like 21 or 22. She said, what? And I go, why did you drive down here? Well, because I know the Bible and I'm studying the Bible. I get the Bible when I tune in. Oh, so that's why you came. You get the Bible. Yes. I said, let that be a good testimony to you. Did you hear anything today that was not the Bible? No. Great. So why don't you stay tuned as long as we're proclaiming the Bible clearly and the Spirit of God is bearing witness with your spirit that you are a child of God through what you're hearing through the Word of God. But don't listen to what I have to say. The moment I give you a Bible verse and then I start talking about I went to a delicatessen or an air show, your ears better get perked up and ready for discerning. Like, boop, boop, boop, boop, boop, boop. What's he saying? Where's this going? Is it going to illustrate the truth he just gave me? Or is he going to say something goofy? That's how every single one of us should conduct ourselves. If you, I got to end, I got 40 seconds. If you walk around saying things like this, well, I believe in the church fathers. I don't. I only believe in the church fathers who are rightly quoting the scripture. Every one of the church fathers had a blind spot or two, and so do you, and so do I. But watch out in these days when you start to quote church fathers or famous theologians when the Bible says otherwise. You know what you're guilty of if you're doing that? Exactly what Jesus warned about to the Pharisees. He said to them, why do you teach as though it were doctrine the traditions of men? You've replaced the teachings of God. with the traditions of men. You are beautiful whitewashed sepulchers on the outside, but inside you're full of dead men's bones because you have made the statements of man to override and challenge the word of God. Watch out, because as that increases in our world, and it is increasing, People are saying things like this, well, you need to only read this Bible now, or that Bible now, or hear this group now, or that group now. Turn it off. Get an iced tea, get a bag of almonds, go sit in a tree and read your Bible. You'll be way better prepared to be a theologian in the 21st century than going and getting your doctorate in the traditions of men. Who cares? Back to the Word of God, back to the Bible, and back to the blessed hope and the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ. Don't let anyone steal your joy. Get ready. He could come back at any moment. Are you ready? In the meantime, let's be busy about our Father's business.