Reasons for the Rapture

Transcript

GRM 1060
11/27/11
Reasons for the Rapture
Selected Verses
Gil Rugh

We're talking about prophetic matters, what God has said in His Word about the future. He sent His Son to this earth to be the Savior, to provide salvation for lost sinners so that we through faith in Him could be born again, experience cleansing, forgiveness and new life. God has seen fit to unfold in His Word something of His purposes and plans for the future. In our discussion of prophecy we've come to the subject we refer to as the Rapture of the church. That particular word as we noted is not found in our English Bible. Our Bibles were written primarily in Greek and Hebrew, a little bit of Aramaic. It refers to believers being caught up to meet Christ in the air. Rapture is a word that refers to being caught up to meet Christ in the air.

It's a subject that the world has become familiar with. I pulled off my desk out of one of my stacks an article I clipped out of a magazine a couple of months ago. This is from the first week in August, Bloomberg Business Week. And entitled “Rapture Profiteers.” And it starts out by talking about the radio personality who has been predicting the Rapture would occur and he missed it in May and so he is saying October. And in their article they say that's the fifth date he has set. Getting old doesn't make you wise. And the sad thing about these kinds of things is it holds the truth of the Word of God up to mockery. This man started a radio ministry, owns a number of radio stations that enables him to broadcast his ideas, functioning outside the local church. If he is in the local church he ought to be disciplined. He is just out here freewheeling and spreading the ideas that make a mockery of biblical truth. And of course the world picks up on these ideas and ridicules them, and deservedly so.

Talking about the different ways people get rich on promoting the Rapture and their conclusion is for most of these people it is better that the Rapture doesn't occur because when it doesn't happen, it just enables them to make more money on selling more things in anticipation of the next go-round. We start out by saying we don't know when the Rapture is going to occur. We're talking about things that the Bible does say will happen. We look at that and say, the Rapture may be going to occur very soon. If it doesn't occur for a hundred years, it won't shake my faith. The truth of the Word of God is truth and God's Word always comes true. Jesus said not one little portion of it will fail to be fulfilled.

But this article is filled with examples of some silly things. And the problem is the silly things confuse the truth. There are some good things that have been put out there, some solid truth that has been made available. But it gets all mixed in. For example you can get freeze dried culinary delights, eat astronaut space food while you are ascending through the heavens. And so those snacks are available, $1.73, and they give you the website to get them. You can also go to a company in Massachusetts that specializes in storing data for the saved and sending sensitive material to the right people. I mean, if you are going to get raptured, what about your bank accounts? Maybe you know some people who won't get raptured you'd like to get that information to. So they'll store it. Then they go to t-shirts.

We have to be careful we put a true message, David Wells talked about this with bumper sticker Christianity. And if we're not careful we trivialize the truth by the setting we put it in—bumper stickers, t-shirts and so on. We want to be careful of that.

You can get an ascension friendly blanket, it's the emergency space blanket. Uses an array of high tech metals and fibers that create a safety barrier against the stratosphere. So you can take your comfort blanket with you when you go. And this goes on. But the problem with this, they would list material we would say is sound and maybe trustworthy, but how does the world sort it out. So it makes it difficult because you talk about these matters and the world thinks, yes. And it becomes a danger when we begin to market biblical truth. We talk about the hundreds of thousands and millions of dollars people are making by the sale of these things. It does discredit Christianity because we put it in the same realm as what the world is selling and promoting and making millions of dollars selling. And we're not selling the Word of God, we're not selling biblical truth. We have to be very careful. Even when we are accurate we put it in a context that trivializes it and confuses things.

We're talking about the Rapture of the church. This is the plan unfolded. From the cross of Christ, He ascended following His crucifixion. In Acts 2 the Spirit came, we looked at passages on that in our previous study. It started the church and that's this period. This chart unfolds the resurrections as they are unfolded in Scripture, beginning with Christ who is called the first fruits in 1 Corinthians 15. After that those who are Christ's at His coming. And the Second Coming of Christ has two stages, just as the prophecies of the coming of Christ had a first coming to be crucified and a Second Coming to rule and reign, that Second Coming is further broken down as we come to the New Testament with the first stage in the air we call the Rapture of the church. The Greek word is the harpazo. It means to be caught away. The word rapture comes from the Latin translation of that, but it refers to being caught up to meet Christ in the air. This first stage Christ does not come all the way to earth. We're told that Christ will descend in the air, the dead in Christ will rise first. Their bodies will be called out of the grave, their spirits that have been in heaven with Christ, the body without the spirit is dead, to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord. Those spirits move back into those bodies which have now been glorified, which is to have a body like Christ had after His resurrection from the dead. Immediately following that believers in Christ from the church age, this period of time from Pentecost down to here, will be raised from the dead.

Then there is the seven-year, 70th week of Daniel. We'll talk more about that. This is the conclusion of God's program for Israel. Daniel 9:24 tells us that 70 seven-year periods have been determined for Israel and for Jerusalem. Four hundred eighty-three of those years ended just before the crucifixion of Christ, ended on Palm Sunday and the week Christ would die. After the conclusion of that the church was started but the 70th week is on hold. It will begin with the Rapture of the church, the signing of the agreement between the western world ruler and Israel. Daniel 9:24ff goes on to talk about that. At the end of that seven-year period, Christ will return to earth, all the way to earth to set up His kingdom. At that point in time Old Testament saints and people who were saved during this seven-year period will experience a bodily resurrection. Then you'll have the thousand-year kingdom and that will climax with the resurrection of unbelievers at the Great White Throne. And then we move on, continuing on into eternity with the kingdom. We'll look at that future time.

I want to just put this in proper perspective. We sometimes lose the picture of Scripture, we've referred to it, but let me just walk you through, what a wedding was like, an Oriental Jewish wedding in the time of Christ. And that is what we have unfolded here. We sometimes read about weddings as we read Scripture and we look at our weddings, but they were different. There was a pattern followed. Remember Jesus said in John 14, in My Father's house are many dwelling places. If I go I'll prepare a place for you and then I'll come again and take you to the place I've prepared for you. The opening verses of John 14. Well in the Jewish wedding the first phase of it, the groom would come from his father's house to where the bride lived. Would make arrangements to have her become his bride. With that there would be a price to be paid by the groom. That marked the beginning of the betrothal period, when that arrangement was made. The groom came from his father's house, negotiated, and paid the price required. That entered the betrothal period. Now remember in the Jewish betrothal that was a binding relationship, but marriage had not officially occurred and was not consummated.

That's what we have here when Christ came to earth. He left His Father's house in heaven, came to earth where the bride lived, the ones who would become the bride, and He paid the price necessary to secure the bride for Himself. He died on the cross so that He could pay the price necessary to have the church, which is the Bride of Christ according to Ephesians 5, be His bride. That couldn't happen without the death of Christ that was the required pride to be paid so that we could belong to Him.

Now in the Jewish wedding, following that paying of the price and securing and establishing the betrothal, during which time the potential wife was viewed as sanctified, set apart to that one husband. Remember Mary and Joseph when she was betrothed to Joseph, that period of time. After the arrangement was made and the bride was secured to belong to the groom, the groom returned to his home, his father's house. And in the Jewish setting he would be there for about a year. During that time the betrothed woman, bride-to-be, made preparations for her marriage. We see that today. I don't know if they do that anymore, but when Marilyn and I were married __ years ago they had hope chests, she had a hope chest. We don't have it anymore, I guess she gave up hope. But you know the bridal hope chest, you see them on Antique Road Show, old bridal chests where the bride as she got ready for her anticipated wedding put in there supposedly things that she would need for her wedding. Well in the Jewish wedding the bride was getting prepared for what she would need to become a wife.

During the same time the groom had returned to his father's house and he was preparing the place where they would live. Then he went and got his bride. So this is the period of time we are, Christ has returned to heaven. If I go I'll prepare a place for you, then I'll come and receive you to Myself. The bride is still here on earth set apart from the groom who has purchased us with His own blood, paid the price. We are set apart, we belong to Him. Remember what Christ told the Corinthians in 2 Corinthians 11? I have betrothed you to Christ. I want to present you to Him as a pure bride. So the faithfulness during this time of the bride to the groom. The groom is here preparing the place for us. When He comes here as in the Jewish wedding, then the prospective groom would return to the bride's home and get her and take her back to his father's home and the place he had prepared there for his bride. So when Christ comes here in the air, it's to get His bride and take her back to heaven, the place in the Father's house He has prepared for His bride.

In the Jewish wedding then, the wedding occurs and then there was the place where the bride and the groom would retire to and there the marriage was consummated. Now through all of this the bride has been covered, veiled. After the marriage has been consummated, the groom comes out and it's acknowledged the marriage has been consummated. The bride remained hidden for seven days, she did not come out. At the end of that then she comes out, they come, return and celebrate the marriage with a feast. That will be after the seven years when Christ returns here and you have Old Testament saints resurrected. Remember John the Baptist we talked about, he said, I am not the bridegroom, I am a friend of the bridegroom. He didn't say, I'm not the bridegroom, I'm the bride. He said I am a friend of the bridegroom. The Old Testament saints, of which John the Baptist was one, was a friend of the bridegroom.

So it's here when the bride is unveiled for all to see, full revelation before all. Remember Romans 8? The creation awaits the unveiling of the sons of God. Here we are presented as the Jewish bride, now she comes out of that bridal chamber and is revealed for all.

We return to earth with Christ here, Old Testament saints are resurrected, tribulation saints are resurrected, those who have become believers and survived to the end of the tribulation all become part of it. We go into the thousand years which all become part of the wedding feast, the celebration. So the picture follows the pattern of what would have been Jewish form of wedding, from betrothal to consummation, unveiling and celebration. So keep that in mind as we look at some verses.

But before we do look at verses go to Revelation 19 so you can see the picture here. In Revelation 19 Christ is returning to earth. Where we are is here at the return to earth, the second stage, the return to earth. So the bride has been taken to heaven, seven years she has been hidden in heaven with the groom. Now she comes to earth and is unveiled and we're ready for the wedding feast.

Verse 7, let us rejoice and be glad and give glory to Him, for the marriage of the Lamb has come. Or you could translate, the marriage of the Lamb has occurred and His bride has made herself ready, ready to be presented. It was given to her to clothe herself in fine linen bright and clean, for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints. The judgment of the church which we'll talk about, probably won't make it today, but indicates that has occurred. That will take place during that seven-year period. Then He said to me, note this, blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb. So the marriage has occurred, they have been joined here as the Jewish wedding in the picture. Now the blessing is for those who are invited to the marriage supper, going into the kingdom because those are the true believers. Anyone here not going in is doomed. We'll talk about the judgments of Scripture at a future study.

So that's where we are, we're talking about the Rapture of the church and we're looking at reasons from the Scripture why the Rapture occurs here. Called pre-tribulation, this period of time, you could write down, it's called a time of wrath. It's called a time of tribulation, it's called the Day of the Lord, that seven-year period there. They are all names for that period of time. We believe the church is a pre-tribulation, pre seven-year Rapture. Some believe in a mid seven-year Rapture, some believe in a post tribulation, after the tribulation Rapture. We'll talk about that further, we've talked a little bit about those but we'll mention them as we move along.

Okay, the fact of the Rapture we have looked at, we're looking at the reasons. The first reason we gave, just to state them is the character, the focus of the 70 weeks of Daniel. This is the 70th week of Daniel, the final seven-year period according to Daniel 9:24 in God's program for Israel, not the church. That's why the church is removed before that seven-year period. It's called a mystery. Romans 11, Ephesians 2-3 we have the mystery of the church, something that had not been revealed before. Because this period of time in Old Testament prophecy, you go right from here with the events surrounding the crucifixion and resurrection and ascension of Christ, you come down to the seven years. So this period involving the church is not part of Old Testament prophecy, that's new material. Now it doesn't change anything that has been revealed, but it made known that there was a space in here that hadn't been made known before the giving of the Old Testament. So the focus of the 70th week of Daniel, the 70 weeks of Daniel was the first reason we gave.

The second reason for a pre-tribulation Rapture, the ministry of the Holy Spirit through the church. And there is a special ministry of the Holy Spirit that takes place in the context of the church. We looked in John 14-16 where Jesus said it was necessary for Him to ascend to heaven so that He could send the Holy Spirit. But the Holy Spirit was already present, Jesus said He is with you, but He will be in you, the unique ministry of the Holy Spirit with the Bride of Christ in preparing the Bride of Christ for Christ. And part of that is restraining evil, holding back the program of Satan and the man of lawlessness until the Bride of Christ is completed. So the ministry of the Holy Spirit in 2 Thessalonians 2 we are told that the restrainer who we noted is the Holy Spirit will be taken out of the way. Then the man of lawlessness who signs the agreement with Israel that marks the beginning of the seven years will be revealed. So the Holy Spirit's ministry through the church is unique. It began at Pentecost and it will end in connection with the beginning of the 70th week of Daniel.

A third reason we gave was the absence of the church in Revelation 6-18. We noted in Revelation 2-3 the church is mentioned numerous times, 19 times in the first three chapters of Revelation. It's not mentioned at all in Revelation 6-19. Revelation 6-19 gives you the details of this period of time in the seven seals, the seven trumpets, and the seven bowls. That series of judgments—the seven seal judgments starting with the four horsemen of the apocalypse in chapter 6, then the seven trumpet judgments and then the seven bowl judgments. That will take us through this seven-year period. The church isn't mentioned, but mentioned almost 20 times in the first three chapters of Revelation and then not mentioned at all. Now we noted it is seen in heaven, represented by the 24 elders. And we went in to some explanation of that when we studied the book of Revelation a little while back. You see them in heaven, representing the church in Revelation 4-5 and then periodically through the rest of those chapters in Revelation. But it's not on earth any longer. The church is not there. So the absence of the church. But the church is in heaven where Christ has taken His bride.

Fourth reason for the pre-tribulation Rapture, the church is promised deliverance from God's wrath. Now this is important. How do people come up with different views? Well, if you're going to put the church halfway through the tribulation, you have to say this first part of the tribulation is not a time of God's wrath. If you're going to put it at the end, you're going to have say basically this isn't a time of wrath, just a little bit of time at the end. Or the pre-wrath Rapture, a variation here of the mid and the post, put it about three-quarters of the way through. All this shifting around ignores the fact that the whole seven-year period is a time of God's wrath, it's a time of tribulation, it's the Day of the Lord.

Come back to Isaiah 13. Now remember we talk about the Day of the Lord, we talk about this time of God's wrath, we talk about the tribulation—we're talking about this seven-year period. Isaiah 13:6, wail, for the Day of the Lord is near. We see this is the way prophecy talks, the coming of that event. It will come as destruction from the Almighty. So you see the characteristic of the Day of the Lord, destruction from God Almighty. Therefore all hands will fall limp, every man's heart will melt. They will be terrified. Pains and anguish will take hold of them. They will writhe like a woman in labor. Remember that analogy, it will be used by Christ in talking about this event, it will be used later in a passage we will look at later in the New Testament as well—a woman in labor. They will look at one another in astonishment, their face is a flame. Behold, the Day of the Lord is coming, cruel with fury and burning anger to make the land a desolation. And He will exterminate its sinners from it. For the stars of heaven and their constellations will not flash forth their light, the sun will be dark when it rises, the moon will not shed its light. Thus I will punish the world for its evil. You'll note the focus of this, the world, a time of punishing the world for its evil, the wicked for their iniquity. I will also put an end to the arrogance of the proud and the base, the haughtiness of the ruthless. Now note this, I will make mortal man scarcer than pure gold and mankind than the gold of Ophir. Therefore I will make the heavens tremble, the earth will be shaken from its place at the fury of the Lord of hosts in the day of His burning anger. People like to talk about the love of God and we should, but you ought to also talk about the anger of God. And just like we sing about the love of God and it cannot be measured, so the anger of God cannot be measured either. He is a God of infinite love, He is a God of infinite anger. That's what is described here.

Come over to Daniel 12. I keep referring to Daniel. Daniel 9:24ff gave us the unfolding of the 70 weeks of Daniel, the 70 seven-year period. We're coming to Daniel 12. And just for your information at the end of Daniel 11 you have a description of the man of sin, the willful king as we refer to him in Daniel 11:36. We transition the prophecy that carries us to the end. So here is where we are, we are at this time. Then we come, really, to the middle of the tribulation with what takes place at the end of Daniel 11. And Daniel 12 opens up, now at that time Michael the great prince who stands guard over the sons of your people will arise. Michael the archangel, his particular realm of responsibility is evidently guarding Israel. We do see in the book of Daniel angelic beings responsible for different nations. Michael the chief angel, the great prince, the archangel stands guard over the sons of your people. He's talking to Daniel, a Jew; your people, the Jews. He will arise and when he arises there will be a time of distress such as has never occurred since there was a nation until that time. And at that time your people, everyone who is found written in the book will be rescued. Talking about the climax of that with the salvation of Israel, their deliverance here and final salvation and resurrection. Many of those who sleep in the dust of the ground will awake, these to everlasting life. Those who are resurrected here are resurrected as believers, like David, Abraham, Daniel. That's where they are resurrected, right here. The rest will be raised to everlasting disgrace and contempt. That will happen at the end of the thousand years. So you have that summarized here. This Michael standing, he arises and then there is a time of distress which marks we're in the last 3½ years.

Come over to Revelation 12. And we've talked about Revelation 12, there is a sign seen, a woman clothed with the sun and the moon under her feet and on her head are 12 stars. This represents Israel, does not represent the Virgin Mary as we talked about. But it goes back to Genesis 37 and the parents of Joseph and represents the nation Israel. Well, we come down, you have the birth of Christ in Israel in verse 5 and then His execution and at the end of verse 5 He is caught up to God, the throne of God following His resurrection and ascension in Acts 1. Then the woman flees into the wilderness where she had a place prepared by God and there she is nourished for 1,260 days. The 1,260 days is 3½ years, 360 days, remember, a prophetic year. So for 3½ years. We know where we are here.

What happens? Verse 7, there was war in heaven, Michael and his angels. Remember Daniel 12:1? Michael arises, something happens, there is war in heaven. War in heaven? Michael and his angels and the dragon, Satan, and his angels and of course Satan loses and he and his angels are cast out of heaven. Now remember Satan with his rebellion against Christ already has lost his position in heaven, but he still has access to heaven. The opening chapters of Job we find Satan coming among the other angels to present himself before the throne of God. But here now at this point in the middle of the seven years there is war in heaven where Michael and the good angels, the unfallen angels remove Satan and the fallen angels from access to heaven. The great dragon was thrown down, the serpent of old who is called the devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world. He was thrown down to the earth. The earth becomes a key word in the book of Revelation. The word earth is used in the New Testament 80-some times, 50-some of those times is in the book of Revelation. It focuses on the earth and people on the earth, people who are part of the earth in contrast to the Bride who is in heaven and the nation Israel who will experience special deliverance. He is thrown down.

Then there is a celebration. Now the culmination of salvation, the power, the kingdom of our God, the authority of His Christ has come because there is recognition in heaven. When you reach this stage you're in the middle and there are only 3½ years to go and Christ will come. So this is the last phase of God's program and this is the last of the last. So the seven years will complete God's program and the last 3½ years are the last phase of the last phase. So there is celebration in heaven.

What happens? Verse 13, when the dragon saw that he was thrown down to earth he persecuted the woman who gave birth to the male child. The middle of verse 14, she was nourished for a time, times and a half time, pulling that from the end of the book of Daniel—a time, times and a half time, time, two times and a half time, 3½ . We know in the context it is 3½ years, 1,260 days. Down in Revelation 13:5 it will be called 42 months, 3½ years. Expressed several different times.

And so Revelation 12:17, the dragon was enraged with the woman, went off to make war with the rest of her children, and so on. So you see that's when Michael stands up there is war in heaven. Now there is trouble like never before.

Come back to Matthew 24. Jesus spoke about this seven-year period and particularly this last 3½ years in the Olivet Discourse, the discourse given on the Mount of Olives. It talks about tribulation, verse 9. There is the beginning of birth pangs with nations fighting against nations, rumors of wars, earthquakes, famines, verses 6-7. These are just the beginning. Then they will deliver you to tribulation, kill you, you will be hated. False prophets arise, lawlessness increases, the gospel of the coming kingdom will be preached throughout the world and then the end will come. We saw that also in Revelation. Then you'll note verse 15. Therefore, that's when we are at the middle here, when you see the abomination of desolation which was spoken of through Daniel the prophet standing in the holy place. What is that? Well remember in Daniel 9 we saw that the Antichrist will break his covenant with Israel in the middle of the seven-year period. So he signed a covenant marking the beginning here in association with the Rapture of the church and through this 3½ years Israel has enjoyed relative peace. The temple has been rebuilt, the sacrifices have been going on. Then the Antichrist turns against Israel, sets up an image of himself in the temple. It's evidently the abomination of desolation which Daniel talked about and which Paul talks about in Thessalonians. When you see that take place, then those who are in Judea, so particularly talking to Jews here. This is where Jerusalem would be in Judea. Must flee to the mountains. Whoever is on the housetop must not go down to get things out of his house. If you are in the field don't go back to pick up stuff and too bad if you are pregnant or nursing a baby because this is going to be a hard time. How do you take care of a young child or an infant when you are fleeing for your life? Don't even have time to get the necessities of life.

Why? Verse 21, for then there will be a great tribulation such as had not occurred since the beginning of the world until now, nor will ever be. That's why we say the worst of the worst is yet to come. The book of Revelation and the series of judgments covered in chapters 6-19 says that literally billions of people will die during that seven-year period. And the worst of it will be the last 3½ years. And look what Jesus says in verse 22, unless those days had been cut short, no life would have been saved. If Christ didn't intervene at the end of the seven years no one would survive. He intervenes to spare the elect and they will be the nucleus for the establishing of the kingdom and the repopulation of the earth.

Remember we started out with Isaiah 13 and God said, I'll make mortal man scarcer than pure gold. What does Jesus say? If He didn't cut it short after seven years by His return to earth, nobody would survive. And we saw that. Some of you talked about it when we were going through these chapters in Revelation. How would anybody survive? It's the grace of God bringing people through that time, but it's a time of His wrath. And with God's wrath being poured out, of course He could destroy it in an instant but His purpose is to spread it out. And continually day after day, week after week, month after month, year after year in that period of time things are getting worse and worse and worse. And people think that they come through here and we've never seen anything like this. And when they get here, you've never seen anything like this. So again the abomination of desolation marks the midpoint. It's a time of wrath.

Come over to Revelation 6. Revelation 6 marks the beginning of that seven-year period, the judgments of that seven-year period. Revelation 2-3 had messages addressed to the churches, we'll pick up one of those in a moment. Revelation 4-5 talked about what is going on in heaven. And the church has been caught up to heaven and we see it represented there in the 24 elders. Then in Revelation 6 we come to earth and we're ready for the judgments that are being poured out on the earth during this seven-year period. That will be carried out in Revelation 6-19, where Christ returns. The four horsemen of the apocalypse come out with the opening seal judgments. Just so you know where we are. Revelation 6:12, I looked when he broke the sixth seal and there was a great earthquake. The sun became black as sackcloth made of hair, the whole moon became like blood, the stars of the sky fell to the earth as a fig tree casts its unripe figs when shaken by a great wind. Again, if you remember Isaiah 13, the verses we read, you see picking up the same ideas. The sky was split apart like a scroll when it is rolled up. Every mountain and island were moved out of their places. The kings of the earth, the great men and the commanders, the rich and the strong, every slave and free man hid themselves in the caves and among the rocks on the mountains. And they said to the mountains and the rocks, fall on us, hide us from the presence 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 is able to stand?

This is a time of wrath. Even the unbelieving world recognizes even though they will not repent. We saw this even as you move deep into this seven-year tribulation we are told that the people harden their hearts and will not repent. Amazing what man will do to stand in arrogant defiance against God in the face of the full fury of God's wrath. You see how the depths of sin consume the human heart. Man refuses to bow. The great day of their wrath has come, it's a day of wrath, God's wrath.

Come back to Revelation 3:10. So if you are clear we established this is a time of wrath, this is a time of tribulation, this is the Day of the Lord. The wrath gets worse as you go through because the judgments build as we noted when we did the seals, the trumpets and the bowls. I mean, they are poured out, they are building upon one another. Out of the seventh seal come the seven trumpets, out of the seventh trumpet come the seven bowls. This is multiplying. So we don't say, this is not bad, this is a time of God's wrath, but God's wrath is building. That's what is going on. And this is just the living on earth. We get down here for the final display of the fullness of God's wrath which Revelation 14 describes as those that are cast into hell, they bear the full brunt of God's wrath, unmixed in the cup of His fury. Remember there is no mercy stirred in, there is no grace stirred in. It is full, unbridled fury.

So true, it is building, but all of it is a time of wrath. This attempt to divide it up and say, this part is not a time of wrath but this part is, is an artificial distinction. Even here we don't have the full fury of God's wrath, that will come when they are sentenced to hell and you endure the fury of God's wrath for eternity. But we're talking about wrath.

Back in Revelation 3, we're back in the messages to the churches in Revelation 2-3. Seven literal historical churches selected out by Christ to receive letters from Him. Those letters direct specific situations in those churches, but those churches have been selected by Christ so that they could represent His church and churches at all times. And we studied the messages of the seven churches, we see there are messages not only directed to those specific churches but to all churches.

And we want to pick up with the message to the church at Philadelphia, and we'll just pick up at verse 10 and the promise given there, and there are promises given to these different churches that apply to all churches at different times in history, down through history. Verse 10, because you have kept the word of my perseverance, I also will keep you from the hour of testing, that hour which is about to come upon the whole world to test those who dwell on the earth. So you see who it is for, this time of testing, trial. It's for the world, those part of this world system, those who dwell on the earth. Remember our citizenship is not here, it is in heaven, Philippians 3, from which we eagerly await a Savior. So the church is promised deliverance. And as true with the promises given to each of these churches, they are true for all churches. So we are promised deliverance.

Come back to 1 Thessalonians 1, we'll be referring to this passage in our study of Acts this evening. 1 Thessalonians 1:9, Paul is talking about the Thessalonians and the great testimony they have as having trusted in Christ when Paul was there and presented the gospel to them. Verse 9, the word has spread to other places and they are reporting about us what kind of reception we had with you, how you turned to God from idols to serve a living and true God. Note, verse 10, and to wait for His Son from heaven whom He raised from the dead, Jesus who rescues us from the wrath to come. He's not talking about hell here, we're rescued from all the wrath of God, but he's talking about this coming wrath as we'll see, because that's where the book of Thessalonians is going, the seven-year tribulation. He comes from heaven to rescue us from wrath. When He comes to earth it will be to take us into the kingdom, but He'll come in the air to take us, to remove us from this earth that is about to experience the full brunt of the wrath of God.

Come over to 1 Thessalonians 5:9, we'll pick up with verse 9 and then we'll look a little more at the context. Verse 9, for God has not destined us for wrath. We saw, we just went to Revelation 6 as an example, those seven years, a time of God's wrath. But God hasn't destined us as the church for wrath, but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ. That ties to what he said in 1 Thessalonians 1:10, Jesus who rescues us from wrath to come. God has not destined us for wrath, but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ who died for us. So whether we are awake or asleep, we will live together with Him.

Back up to 1 Thessalonians 4:13, which we talked about. One of the key passages on the Rapture, we do not want you to be uninformed, brethren, about those who are asleep. What are we talking about? Whether we are awake or asleep in 1 Thessalonians 5:10. Asleep refers to those believers who have died, they have left their body. Their body is lying still, unused for a time and we who believe in the death and resurrection of Christ, verse 14, Jesus will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus. 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 not precede, go before those who have fallen asleep. Believers who are alive at this point in time will not be resurrected, transformed before the dead in Christ. The Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, the voice of the archangel, the trumpet of God. The dead in Christ will rise first. Their bodies will be caught up and transformed. Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up, harpazo, raptured together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. You see he's not talking about coming to earth. When we talk about judgments of Scripture we'll see when He comes to earth to establish His kingdom and people on earth who are believers at that time will welcome Him. They are caught up to meet Christ in the cloud.

1 Thessalonians 5 opens up, now as to the times and epochs, brethren. You'll note two Greek words, peri de, translated here now as, used to mark a change in subject. Not a total new subject but new in the sense it is different from what he has been talking about but it's a continuation. And what we're going to do, we're going to move from the Rapture of the church to the Day of the Lord. Look at verse 2, for you yourselves know full well that the Day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. So you see we've changed. We're still talking about prophetic matters, but no longer talking about the Rapture. When we're caught up to meet the Lord in the air, we're talking about events following the Rapture, the Day of the Lord. It will come like a thief in the night, for while they are saying peace and safety, then destruction will come upon them suddenly. Here is our analogy, like labor pains upon a woman with child. What we saw in Isaiah 13, we saw in Matthew 24, now same analogy used here. They will not escape.

But you, brethren, are not in darkness that the day would overtake you like a thief. For you are all sons of light and sons of day. We are not of night or darkness, so live like it. That's the point. He's not saying we'll be in this but we'll be expecting it. We are not of the night, not of the darkness. We're not part of that group upon which God will pour out His wrath. That's what He is talking about in the context. What wrath? Down in verse 9, God has not destined us for wrath. The Day of the Lord is a day of wrath. Christ will rescue us from wrath to come. How? At the removal of the church, the end of 1 Thessalonians 4. So since we don't live in darkness, we are sons of light, sons of day. We live with the knowledge of God, the knowledge of the working of God, the knowledge of the plan of God, the knowledge of the return of Christ, the knowledge of coming time of wrath for the world.

So it is unfitting that unbelievers should be going around this time and have allowed themselves to be conformed to this world, rather than transformed by the making new of their minds. It is easy for us to get caught up because day after day, and moment after moment, hour after hour we live in the world even though we are not of the world. And that pressure constantly wants to conform us. Pretty soon we begin to think a little bit, we worry about the world, we . . . Wait a minute, we are sons of light, verse 5, sons of day. We are not of night or of darkness. That day won't overtake us like a thief. So don't be asleep, be alert. We are of the day, let's be sober. God hasn't destined us for wrath. I'm not worried one bit about where the world is going, how we're going to solve this problem and that problem. I'm not against doing nice things, go ahead. But this is where we are going.

That's why people don't like dispensationalism, don't like those who take the Bible literally. We are negative. You think the world is going down and going to . . . Yes, I do. Let God be true and every man a liar. If there is 100% vote in the world that this is going to happen, you know what? It's going to happen. Why? Because the only vote that matters has already been cast. God said it is going to happen. You are a pessimist, you don't want to make the world a better place. I cut my lawn, I even raked my leaves this holiday season, I trimmed a bush. I don't have to have an ugly yard, an uglier yard than anyone else. That's not the point, but the point is I'm not trying to rescue the world. There is only one person who can rescue the world, and it won't happen until He comes here. It's true the world is beyond hope, the people of the world are beyond hope, except for the hope there is in Jesus Christ.

So important to have our eschatology correct because it shapes things. The order in the book of 1 Thessalonians—the Rapture at the end of chapter 4, the Day of the Lord in chapter 5. It's a time of tribulation, it's a time of wrath, it's a time of suffering.

We are going to have to stop there with our reasons, they are getting stretched out. But you know we want to have this in view. People act like it doesn't matter, what's the difference whether it is here, or here, or here. It's a big difference. Don't talk to me about being saved from wrath if I have to go through this. Talk to me about storing food and building a shelter, maybe seeing if I can buy a piece of a cave in Petra where the Jews are going to run to hide. I'm glad the Lord is coming, but if I have to go through this, I'm looking more to prepare for this than I am for the return of the Lord. But don't. He rescues us from wrath to come, He will deliver us from the coming time of trial on this earth because, as the song says, this world is not our home, we're just a passing through. We're strangers and pilgrims. We are the Bride of Christ, we're waiting for the coming of the Bridegroom. He has set us apart and purchased us, set us apart for Himself. He is preparing a place for us in His Father's house and He is going to come and get us to take us there. That's what I am looking for. I should be worried about the world? If you are not going as part of the Bride, worry about the world. All the worry in the world won't change where it is going because God is going to pour out His wrath. And the only deliverance from wrath is the Savior. But if you won't take the only deliverance provided, the only deliverance needed, then as the book of Revelation says, they are worthy of the wrath of God. They are worthy, they deserve it, it is fitting punishment for their sin. Not amazing that God will pour out His wrath on sinners in a sinful world, it's amazing that God has provided a Savior in the person of His Son so that we could be brought into a relationship with Him as the Bride of Christ, destined to share the glory that God has provided for all that love Him.

Let's pray together. Thank you, Lord, for your plan of redemption. Thank you for the wonder of our salvation. Lord, may we not be sleepy Christians, may we not be muddling around, confused, misdirected. May we have clarity of focus. You have spoken clearly in your Word, the promises are wonderful, the hope is glorious. Lord, may we live as sons of day every day, every moment of every day. Not discouraged by the world, not disappointed in the way things happen, but fully confident, fully assured we are the Bride of Christ. Through faith in Him we have received the greatest gift of all, the gift of salvation. We have been set apart by Him for Himself. He will come at the proper time to rescue us from wrath to come. Our future is glorious and we rejoice in that glory. We praise you in Christ's name, amen.