I am starting a new series of studies specifically regarding the mystery rapture of the Church the Body of Christ. In recent years the pre-tribulation rapture of the Church the Body of Christ has been under attack and has become "less popular" within Christendom. It's also true that many professing Christians within Christendom have never even heard of the pre-tribulation rapture (especially many Catholics and protestants except for some of the Baptists). But the rapture is actually very important for a believer to know about and understand for various reasons including it producing hope within us and a full understanding of the eternal spiritual security that we have in Christ.
I want to make a few recommendations before we begin.
1. First, it's important that as a believer you become established in basic foundational grace doctrine in the book of Romans. You must read and study the book of Romans verse-by-verse to get a full understanding of justification, sanctification, eternal security, walking in the Spirit, the dispensational transition and other important foundational grace doctrines. Without this basic foundation of grace doctrine built up in your inner man, you will NOT fully understand the purpose of the pre-tribulation rapture. Then, once you have studied it out, continue to read and study all of Paul's Epistles for more edification. You can also then study the whole Bible with an understanding of right division.
2. Learn to rightly divide the scriptures. Without understanding the dispensational changes that occurred in the book of Acts, you will NOT understand the purpose of the pre-tribulation rapture. You will more than likely believe that we must go through the tribulation period and won't understand the differences between the prophetic program for Israel and that of our mystery program of grace which is in effect today.
3. Do a side study in the books of 1st and 2nd Thessalonians. These books in particular really address the issue of the pre-tribulation rapture.
Anyone can come to know and understand the doctrine of our Blessed Hope. You do not have to attend seminary school, be a pastor or a theologian. You just need to be a believer, and have a King James Bible, then read it and study it and believe it. The more that we study, the more we will understanding and mature spiritually.
Tit 2:13 KJV -
13 Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;
So what exactly is "Our Blessed Hope"? First of all it is important to know that hope here in the King James Bible means "a confident expectation". So, we are confidently awaiting the rapture. All of our Blessed Hope includes:
• The pre-tribulation rapture of the Church the Body of Christ. This is when all believers from the dispensation of grace are gathered together in the clouds and we meet the Lord up in the air (in the clouds).
• We receive our new, glorious bodies at the very moment of the rapture.
• We are then taken to our new heavenly home. Believers in the dispensation of grace have a heavenly inheritance.
• We are at some point after the rapture judged by the Lord Jesus Christ for our level of spiritual maturity (the sound doctrine built up in our inner man) and given our positions of power in God's heavenly government. All false doctrine in our inner man will be burned away. We will receive rewards and crowns (which, I believe will equal positions of power) for laboring with the Lord while we were on the earth. All believers will rejoice at this event.
• We are presented to the Father as perfect in Christ.
All of this marks the beginning of our life in the heavenly places. The moment that we believed the Gospel began our eternal life in Christ, but the rapture marks the beginning of us actually leaving this planet and living in our new heavenly home together as the "one new man", a new species of man that will dwell and even reign in the heavens with Christ forever.
Interestingly, this is one of the first doctrines that Satan wanted to corrupt. The doctrine of the rapture and our Heavenly inheritance produces something IN us as believers that Satan doesn't like. Hope.
But not just any kind of hope. There is worldly hope and then there is the BLESSED hope. Worldly hope is not a for-sure thing. But our Blessed Hope is a for-sure thing, and it has to do with us placing our trust and faith in God fulfilling his heavenly promises to us and He will! We can trust and believe God completely! Unlike worldly hope that isn't a for-sure thing, our blessed hope IS a for sure thing! We are to eagerly await Christ's glorious appearing!
The Lord Jesus Christ specifically meets us up in the air, in the clouds, because the church the Body of Christ is a heavenly people with a heavenly inheritance. The heavens include the atmosphere above the earth, all of what we call "outer space" and the 3rd heaven that is even far above space where God's throne is (and where believers are transported to by Angels in their spirit and soul to rest with Jesus before the rapture if they physically die before the rapture. Saints in heaven are also eagerly awaiting the rapture.).
The moment of the rapture also includes us receiving our glorified bodies, that are like Jesus's (Christ's) glorious body, and we will never experience pain, sickness, or death; we also will no longer sin nor be tempted to sin. We will be a heavenly creature in every aspect -- spirit, soul and body and capable of traveling, exploring and living in the heavenly places forever.
It's called our Blessed Hope because we will be:
• With God/Jesus/Holy Spirit in every way forever
• Completely free from a sin cursed world
• Free from a weak, fleshly body and given a new glorious body that lives forever in perfect health
• Free from pain, sickness and death
• Free from emotional pain and all kinds of mental and emotional suffering
• Free from sin and the temptation to sin
• Free from Satan's deceptions and from all spiritual warfare
We will also be eager to receive our
• Believers judgment; to have all false teachings removed from our minds (and hearts) and have clearer understanding and awareness of God's word
• To receive our Heavenly rewards
• To be given our new heavenly careers
• To be taken to our new heavenly home
• To take our governmental positions in the heavenly places
We also understand that it means
• Satan only has a short time left
• Satan and his devils permanently removed from all of the positions of power in the heavenly places (replaced by the Church)
• Israel's program will also be fulfilled on the earth in due time
• Satan and all of the spiritually lost will eventually be judged and cast into the lake of fire
• God will eventually create a new heaven and a new earth
In this series I'll be going into all of these important things with scripture verses to help you in understanding rapture doctrine. My hope is that it will produce in you a real understanding of your eternal security in Christ Jesus and His great love for you, and an eagerness and true hope for the Lord's glorious appearing both for yourself and for all believers.
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