Steemchurch / The Rapture (Rapture) of the Church
The Hope of Christians
The Rapture of the Church
For many years this event has captivated the people of God. That great revelation of Paul embodied in the epistles to the Corinthians and the Thessalonians has kept every Christian around the world in expectation. To this day many Christians await this event as their lifeline, that is, that their problems and anguish will end that day. There is an impression that the vast majority of modern Christians live in fear (rather fear!) Of knowing that if they stay on earth after the rapture occurs, they will be victims of the cruelty of the Antichrist who will " will torture and persecute "during the so-called period of the Great Tribulation. This fear is understandable from the human point of view, but not for those who are led by the Spirit of God "14 For all who are led by the Spirit of God, these are children of God. 15 For you have not received the spirit of slavery to be in fear again, but you have received the spirit of adoption, by which we cry: Abba, Father! 16 The Spirit himself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God "(Romans 8: 14-16)
And if we are his children, why fear? There is no doubt that every day that passes the economy becomes more difficult, violence everywhere, immorality, homosexuality, pornography, wars, pestilences, earthquakes all over the world, famine and the increase of science, is undoubtedly the sample that we live in the time that the Lord Jesus called "PRINCIPLE OF DOLORES" Any person who has lived a war, or found past hunger, or pestilence or the effects of an earthquake can corroborate that we are definitely living that stage.
But despite these difficult situations we must strengthen ourselves in the peace that Jesus gives us. A peace very different from the one the world offers "Peace I leave with you, my peace I give you; I do not give it to you as the world gives it. Do not let your heart be troubled or be afraid "(John 14:27) The world offers a false peace that is reduced to a good job, a nice house or a good account in the bank; but the Lord offers peace in the midst of anguish, pain and affliction "These things I have spoken to you so that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have affliction; but trust, I have overcome the world. " (John 16:33) Jesus Christ overcame the world which means that if we do according to his will he will give us the power to overcome also, and not forsake us in times of greatest need.
However, it is very strange that the way Jesus triumphs is through afflictions and pain. And in the same way his true children will suffer persecution and anguish to become like his older brother Jesus Christ. So the children of God are NOT in this world to have a good time and enjoy the privilege of being children of a great King. Paul said manifestly that those who want to live piously in Christ will suffer persecution "12 And also all those who want to live piously in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution; 13 But evil men and deceivers will go from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived "2 Timothy 3: 12-13.
But many think that the gospel is a source of profit that only serves to enjoy to the maximum the "material blessings" that our Father inherited us. This type of Christian is not well grounded in the word and they are those that the writing says that they lack root and that when the day of the test comes they will not be able to sustain themselves (Mark 4:17), now, many defend the belief that the God's people will not pass the Great Tribulation because they assume that they will be raptured before that happens, and that is precisely the neglect of many; they simply do not care to know something that contradicts this belief even though the Word of God says otherwise. They prefer to place their trust and faith in the hands of Biblical teachers who fill them with false hopes of blessing and prosperity as the false prophets did in the past. "16 Thus says the Lord of hosts: Do not listen to the words of the prophets who prophesy to you; they feed you with vain hopes; they speak vision of their own heart, not of the mouth of Jehovah. 17 They say to those who annoy me boldly, The LORD said, Peace you shall have; and to everyone who follows the stubbornness of their heart, they say, "No evil will come on you." 18 For who was in the secret of the LORD, and saw, and heard his word? Who has given heed to his word, and heard it? 19 Behold, the tempest of the LORD shall go forth in fury; and the tempest that is ready will fall on the head of the wicked. 20 The wrath of Jehovah will not depart until he has done it, and until he has fulfilled the thoughts of his heart; in the last days you will understand it fully "Jeremiah 23: 16-20
What is the purpose of the Rapture?
"In a moment, in the blink of an eye, at the final trumpet; for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we will be changed "(1 Corinthians 15:52) and (1 Thessalonians 4:16) these verses has been the basis for saying that the Church will be ravished or kidnapped in any way. moment, in the blink of an eye when the trumpet sounds! I have heard all kinds of explanations trying to say that the last trumpet is not really the last.Some say that the trumpet to which Paul refers was similar to those used in Jewish weddings to call the bride and groom, or that the last trumpet was the first in a series of trumpets and other explanations that there would be no time to count them, but we can not remove the fact that the last trumpet is THE LAST. Thank God for Paul who wrote this little detail !!! The word of God is the only one that can clarify these doubts and we must not get out of it to try to interpret it. ices that mention the sound of a trumpet. In each and every one of them, the use of the trumpet was associated with the call to battle of the people of God, and to draw the attention of the people at the time of a notice or a very important news.
"Then you shall sound the trumpet loudly in the seventh month, on the tenth day of the month; You shall blow the trumpet throughout your land on the Day of Atonement "(Leviticus 25: 9); (Judges 7:18); (1 Samuel 13: 3); (2 Samuel 6:15; 15:10; 18:16; 20: 1; 20:22); (1 Kings 1:34; 1:39; 1:41); (Nehemiah 4:18; 4:20); Job 39:24; (Psalm 47: 5; 81: 3); (Isaiah 18: 3; 27:13; 58: 1); (Jeremiah 4: 5; 4:19; 4:21; 6:17; 42:14; 51:27); (Ezekiel 7:14; 33: 3; 33: 4; 33: 5; 33: 6); (Hosea 5: 8; 8: 1); (Joel 2: 1; 2:15); (Amos 2: 2; 3: 6); (Zephaniah 1:16); (Zechariah 9:14) (1 Corinthians 14: 8) (Hebrews 12:19).
Paul received many and great revelations which he was not allowed to say (2 Corinthians 12: 4), however, he said that the rapture would happen at the last trumpet, now well. At what time will the trumpet sound? Logic tells us that if there is a "last trumpet" it is because there will be "other" trumpets that will sound before that "last". It is likely that they are about the trumpets mentioned in the book of Revelation because it is the book that describes the events of recent times. It is to be expected then, that the rapture is part of those last times. And as the Gospel of Matthew describes it, we know that this "last trumpet" will be to warn the chosen ones that the time of their redemption has arrived. Jesus Christ said when this event will happen: "29" Immediately after the tribulation of those days, the sun will be darkened, the moon will not shine, the stars will fall from heaven and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. 30 Then the sign of the Son of Man in heaven; and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven, with power and great glory. 31 And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other "(Matthew 24: 30-31)
If we review the order in which events will happen around the return of Jesus, we will realize three primordial events:
1. The great tribulation will happen before Jesus appears and picks up his chosen ones.
2. Jesus will visibly appear and send the angels so that with the "voice of a trumpet" they gather and gather (abduct) their chosen ones that are scattered around the world.
3. When Jesus appears accompanied by his millions of angels Revelation 9: 15-17 he will do it with great power and glory and it will not be a hidden event
It is after Jesus appears in the heavens (and not before) that he will call his chosen ones, for which, we can affirm that until we have seen the things that the Lord described in Matthew 24, that is, after seeing the heavens move and the earth tremble ... God will "Rapture" his chosen ones. God will perform miracles and wonders in the end times that can only be compared to the departure of the people of Israel from Egypt "The voice of which moved the earth then, but now has promised, saying: Even once, and I will touch not only the earth, but also heaven "Hebrews 12:26 after the heavens and the earth are moved we will see Jesus descend with great power and glory.
This is the moment that will come our redemption "27 Then they will see the Son of Man, who will come in a cloud with power and great glory. 28 When these things begin to happen, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is near "Luke 21: 27-29
With Great Trumpet Voice
This "trumpet" mentioned in Matthew 24 is similar to the one heard on Mount Sinai when the people came out of slavery and it was so terrible for those who heard it that they could not approach the mountain because of the power emanating from that place. " 18 For you have not come near the mountain that could be felt, and that burned with fire, with darkness, with darkness, and with the storm, 19 at the sound of the trumpet, and at the voice that spoke, which those who heard it begged that they should not be spoken to again "(Hebrews 12: 18-19). And this is precisely what Paul says in the Epistle to the Thessalonians:" 16 For the Lord Himself with a voice of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with trumpet of God, will descend from heaven; and the dead in Christ will rise first "17 Then we who are alive, we who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord" (1 Thessalonians 4:16 -17)
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These verses like Matthew 24:31 says it will be until Jesus appears physically among the clouds that we will be caught up to receive him in the clouds. Therefore, the rapture will not be any day BUT IN HIS GLORIOUS RETURN !!! (Matthew 24: 30-31) The chosen ones will be called when the trumpet sounds with the intention of telling them that the time of their redemption has arrived, and both quotes agree that being kidnapped or called has the purpose of receiving the Lord in the clouds. So we can assure that there will be only one return of Jesus to the earth and not two as is currently being taught.
Jesus will be visible to every eye and will be a glorious moment for those who wait on the Lord. The saints and the righteous have a very good chance of being taken as worthy; However, in the end it is a choice that concerns only God, it does not depend on the effort of man but only on the will of God. Many servants received the promise to dwell with the Lord forever, so that when Jesus Christ returns to earth he will raise each of them to sit in places of privilege. David was one of those blessed ones. "15 What shall I say? The one who told me, he did it himself. I will walk humbly all my years, because of that bitterness of my soul. 16 O Lord, for all these things men will live, and in all of them is the life of my spirit; for you will restore me, and make me live. " (Isaiah 38: 15-16) (Psalm 49:15; 71:20).,
Daniel also received the promise to resurrect to take the inheritance that God has prepared for those who love him and do his will "And you will go to the end, and you will rest, and you will rise to receive your inheritance at the end of the days." (Daniel 12:13) The Lord will fulfill his promise to each of his servants the prophets and this will be fulfilled in the voice of the Seventh angel "but in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he begins to sound the trumpet, the mystery of God will be consummated, as he announced to his servants the prophets. " (Revelation 10: 7)
It is during the seventh trumpet, that is, in the "last" trumpet that God will fulfill what he promised them "The seventh angel sounded his trumpet, and there were great voices in heaven, which said: The kingdoms of the world have come to be of our Lord and his Christ; and he will reign for ever and ever. " (Revelation 11:15)
How is it possible that biblical teachers say that the trumpet referred to by Paul in 1 Corinthians 15:52 has nothing to do with the one mentioned in Revelation 10: 7 and Revelation 11:15? Recall that the book of Revelation was written to manifest to the servants of God the things that will happen soon and not to hide them. In other words it is a revelation of Jesus to his servants of the last times (Revelation 1: 1) so that Paul received only part of the events that will happen in the end times. He confessed that he did not know everything, so he said: "In part we know, and in part we prophesy" (1 Corinthians 13: 9) It is logical to think that he did not have all the details described in the book of Revelation, simply because this It had not been written yet, so he did not know how many trumpets would sound, but two thousand years later if we know it. Therefore, let us strive to please God and pray to the Father that we be taken as worthy to receive such an award