THE RAPTURE OF THE SAINTS – Part 1

SUNDAY, 27TH AUGUST, 2023.

Author: PASTOR DR. SAMUEL AYORINDE

TOPIC:  THE RAPTURE OF THE SAINTS – Part 1

MEMORIZE: “In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.” 1 Corinthians 15:52.  

SCRIPTURE READING: 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17.

“For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.”

EXPOSITION:

There were two phases of our Lord’s first advents, so there will be two phases of his second advents. He came as God-manifest in the flesh to die for the sins of the world. He appeared at a later stage as the victorious, risen and glorified Saviour, in this form ascending in to heaven. We believe that God’s word clearly teaches two phases of the second advent, separated by a period of time.

THE RAPTURE AND THE REVELATION

1. THE RAPTURE is the first stage, when the Christ comes in the air, catching up to himself all living true believers, uniting them to the great throng of resurrected saints (1Thess. 4:16-17 “For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.”)

2. THE REVELATION is the final stage when he will return with all his saints to this earth, his feat resting upon the mount of olives (Zech. 14:4 “And his feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east, and the mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst thereof toward the east and toward the west, and there shall be a very great valley; and half of the mountain shall remove toward the north, and half of it toward the south.”).

At the RAPTURE, he appear as the bridegroom to take his bride to himself. At the REVELATION he will come with his bride to establish his reign over all the earth. Zech. 14:9 “And the LORD shall be king over all the earth: in that day shall there be one LORD, and his name one.”. Between these two phases of his coming, the great tribulation will run its course. The greater portion of the book of Revelation has to do with the events that will transpire on this earth between these two stages of his appearing – Revelation 22:16. 

At the RAPTURE Christ appears as the “Morning Star”. At the REVELATION, he is seen as “THE SUN OF RIGHTEOUSNESS” Malachi 4:2. The rapture particularly concern all the believers of whatsoever nation, tribe or tongue. The revelation puts in action his program for Israel and the nations. Informed believers are waiting for “that blessed hope” – (the Rapture). “And the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ.” Titus 2:13. 

THE MEANING OF THE WORD “RAPTURE” 

Strange to say, the word itself does not appear in the Bible. The English word means: to transport to a state of happiness. It comes from a Latin word “rapio” meaning “to seize quickly or suddenly or to snatch away.” If you will carefully consider 1 Thess. 4:13-18, you will note that in the day of Christ’s sudden coming for his own, they are to be “snatch up suddenly”. From this, we derive the term, “rapture” commonly used among the pre-millennial teachers in referring to the first phase of his second advent.

This same Greek word is used in another place where its meaning is perfectly clear. In Acts 8:38-39, we read that “the Spirit of the Lord caught away Philip that the eunuch saw him no more.” This is an illustration of what will happen in the case of every true believer when Christ comes as the Bridegroom. 

We have another Greek word also translated by the thought of catching up. It is “harpazo”, literally meaning “to take away by force”, as when a beast seizes and carries off its prey. It is of interest to observe when this word is used. We have it in Matthew 13:19 – the wicked one catching away the good seed sown in human hearts. In John 10:12, it expresses the catching away of the sheep by wolves, a reference hireling shepherds who failed to care for their sheep. This is the word used in John 10:28-29 when it rendered “pluck” – “no man is able to pluck them out of my Father’s hand.” In Jude 23, the same word is translated “pulling” in exhorting the Christian workers to pull the unsaved out of fire. Thus we have the thought of being seized, catch up, snatch away by force, pluck out, pull out, etc.

Now let us turn to John 14:3 “If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.” A Greek word rendered: “receive you” is the same strong term: “take you by force”. Who will he take by force unto Himself? Those who are truly believe in Him – his saints. The word is translated “come again” literally means: “a going forth to return with.” It is the word used in Acts 28:15 telling how Paul was nearing Rome. Jesus Christ clearly promised He is coming back as the King and the Judge of the earth. Prepare and be ready for His coming. 

ACTION POINT:  Give and dedicate your life unto Jesus Christ today as your Lord and personal Saviour. Don’t be caught unaware unprepared. Tomorrow may be too late.

DAILY BIBLE READING IN A YEAR –  Jeremiah 12 – 15.

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ANCHOR OF LIFE is the daily devotional guide written by PASTOR DR. SAMUEL AYORINDE, General Overseer, Anchor of Life & Redemption Ministry Int’l. It is an extraction of God’s word designed to draw the sincere seekers closer to God on a daily basis through an insightful exposition and analysis of God’s Word. 

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