Continuing the Study

I am continuing today with the subject of the Lord's Return, showing from the Scriptures that the Bible does not teach a two-stage coming of Christ — a supposed secret coming for his saints, followed by a public and glorious return. Rather, the Bible teaches plainly that Christ returns only once, and that when he returns he gathers together his elect in a moment of time, in the twinkling of an eye, changing the living saints and resurrecting the dead ones — all on the last day. That, in a nutshell, is what the Scriptures show over and over again.

In Part I we looked at Matthew 24, tied it to 1 Thessalonians 4 and 1 Corinthians 15, and to the four remarkable statements in John 6 where our Lord four times said the resurrection would occur on the last day. We haven't by any means exhausted the scriptural references, so now I will continue to various other passages in the New Testament.

John 17:15 — Christ Did Not Pray for His People to Be Removed from the World

“I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil.” (John 17:15)

Jesus did not pray that the Father would remove his people from the world — not at any time, and crucially, including not at the end of the world. If all Christians were to be taken out of the world seven years before the second coming of Christ, who would be left on earth to preach the gospel, to be salt and light in the world, to testify for Christ? No one.

Futurists are aware of this problem and have a novel solution: they say that when the church is raptured, 144,000 Jews will be converted and will evangelize the world during those seven years of tribulation, basing this on Revelation 7 and 14. But this is completely absurd. These passages do not refer to natural Jews. In the highly symbolical language of Revelation, they refer to Christians.

Furthermore, according to futurism, the Holy Spirit too will have left the earth at the time of the rapture. But is it not the great work of the Holy Spirit to convert men to Christ? Is it not his work to regenerate and convert? It is. If he is not on earth, how can anyone be converted? Only Arminian futurism can promote such nonsense.

“And I saw another angel ascending from the east, having the seal of the living God: and he cried with a loud voice to the four angels, to whom it was given to hurt the earth and the sea, saying, Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads.” (Revelation 7:2–3)

The number 144,000 is symbolic, not literal. Almost nothing in Revelation is written literally — it is written throughout in highly symbolical language on purpose. The 12 tribes of Israel in chapter 7 are symbolic. For example, Judah means praise — and Christians are to be to the praise of God's glory. Gad means a troop — and Christians are the army of the Lord. As Romans 2:25–29 and Galatians 6:16 show, Christians are the spiritual Israel of the New Testament. These passages in Revelation refer to the church of God, not the nation of Israel.

“Lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world.” (Matthew 28:20)

Not unto seven years before the end. Not unto three and a half years before the end. Unto the very end of the world. And right up until then his church will be carrying out the great commission.

1 Corinthians 15:22–24 — At His Coming, Then the End

“For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ's at his coming. Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power.” (1 Corinthians 15:22–24)

As plain as day. At his coming — not seven years before — they that are Christ's shall be made alive. And then immediately: then cometh the end. Compare with Matthew 13:39: The harvest is the end of the world. The gathering of his people to himself is the end of the world — there is no gap of seven years between them.

1 Corinthians 15:51–52 makes it unmistakably clear: the catching up of the living, the resurrection of the dead, will happen in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump — when Christ returns visibly and powerfully on the last day. Their bodies will be made incorruptible, glorious, powerful, and spiritual — fit for a heavenly existence. As 1 John 3:2 puts it: We shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is.

1 Thessalonians 4–5: One Coming, Not Two

We return once more to 1 Thessalonians 4 and 5, for this is a key text. Verse 15 says: we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord. Note the phrase — the coming of the Lord. There is only one, not two. It is the same Greek word used in Matthew 24:27, 37, 39 and in 2 Thessalonians 2:8, where Paul says the Lord shall destroy the Antichrist with the brightness of his coming. If this were a secret coming, it could hardly be described as brightness. It is that one and only glorious, visible return.

Verse 16: The Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God. Without any shadow of a doubt, that is Christ's very visible, very public second coming. There will be a great shout. The voice of the archangel will be heard. A trumpet blast shall sound. Nothing secret about any of this — it is loud, triumphant, glorious, and spectacular.

“Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him.” (Revelation 1:7)

Verse 17: Then the living saints shall be caught up together with the resurrected dead to meet the Lord in the air — and so shall we ever be with the Lord.

1 Thessalonians 5: The Thief in the Night

Chapter 5 continues without a break:

“For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape. But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief. Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day.” (1 Thessalonians 5:2–5)

Futurists have latched on to the expression a thief in the night and say it proves a secret rapture. But they fail to read on to verses 4 and 5. Who does this day overtake as a thief? The brethren? No — the brethren are the children of light. That day will not overtake believers as a thief. It is the unbelieving world that will be caught unawares, just as in the days of Noah and Lot, going about their business, eating, drinking, buying, selling, until the very day judgment came and they could not escape. Believers are to be watching and ready.

“Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come. But know this, that if the goodman of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken up. Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.” (Matthew 24:42–44)

Scripture interprets scripture. Futurists have absolutely no grounds for squeezing a doctrine of a secret rapture from these verses in Thessalonians. They have to do with the suddenness of Christ's coming for the unbelieving world — not any secret rapture.

2 Thessalonians 2:1–2 — One Coming, One Gathering

“Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him, that ye be not soon shaken in mind... as that the day of Christ is at hand.” (2 Thessalonians 2:1–2)

Notice that verse 1 combines the coming of the Lord with our gathering together unto him, and both refer to the day of Christ. It is again quite clear: we are gathered together unto the Lord on that last day.

Titus 2:13 — The Blessed Hope

“Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ.” (Titus 2:13)

The blessed hope is the glorious appearing of Christ — one event, not two. And 1 Timothy 6:14 uses the same Greek word for appearing when it says to keep this commandment until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ. Christians will be on earth right up until his glorious appearing. Another nail in the coffin of the secret pre-trib rapture theory.

Conclusion: How Then Shall We Live?

The Scriptures speak with a clear, plain, and unanimous voice. They leave us in no doubt: at the very time of the return of the Lord Jesus to this earth, the saints of past ages whose bodies now lie in the graves will be raised, and the saints alive at the time will be changed — and both groups will meet the Lord in the air as he returns to this earth in power and great glory, visibly, spectacularly, on that last day, to judge the world in righteousness.

The futurist pre-trib rapture is a hideous false doctrine. It is Jesuitical in its origins. It has led millions of Christians to believe they need not prepare for tribulation — a terrible lie. Christians must be taught that through much tribulation we enter the kingdom of God.

“For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.” (Titus 2:11–14)

Yes — comfort yourselves with the wonderful truths we have been studying. Be encouraged. Lift up your heads — your redemption draweth nigh. But do not simply sit back and wait for some secret rapture that will be an escape route. You have work to do. Our Lord said: Occupy till I come. We cannot spend all our days gazing up into heaven. We have a great commission to fulfil. Draw comfort and strength from these glorious things written in God's Word about his return — and then go about your work, living soberly, righteously, and godly in this present world, a peculiar people, zealous of good works. The Lord bless you.

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