What You Need to Know about the Rapture

---

John 14:1-3 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 1 Corinthians 15:51-52

Why the Rapture? When will it occur?

________________

The Old Testament had miracles and mighty acts of judgment.

The Gospels had miraculous signs.

The book of Acts has miraculous signs But by the end of Acts, they begin to cease.

But these signs were meant to be temporary (Hebrews 2: 3-4).

But for 20centuries there has been a silence from God.

No Red Seas or plagues or earthquakes to free prisoners or Herod's worms or

Nebuchadnezzar's madness, or 185,000 dead Assyrian soldiers or sodomites consumed.

Rather there has been suffering, persecution, violent oppressors, and empires leaving

martyrs in their wake.

It's why 2 Peter 3:2-4

________________

It is because the ultimate consummating miracle has occurred. (Acts 17: 30-31; Romans 1: 4 ) Previous miracles were signs pointing to the last day.

The work of Christ has now been followed according to Jesus by a “greater work.” (John 14: 11-12) The gospel and the age of Grace. Salvation is a miracle or work that is spiritual, eternal, and worldwide as opposed to a miracle physical, temporal, and local. Christ's salvation is the heavenly work to which all other miracles pointed.

________________

Why the silence and suffering for 20 centuries? An amnesty and pardon has been granted by God to all since the death of Christ.

“Father, forgive them. They know not what they do.”

2 Corinthians 5:17ff “Come unto me all who are weary... and I will give you rest.”

________________

How has the world responded to this offer of pardon? 2 Thessalonians, 2:1ff. And this apostasy is why God will send Anti-Christ and “The Day of The Lord” or “The Tribulation.” Because His final mercy has been rejected.

________________

But first., “The Restrainer must be taken away.” (As Lot, Noah, Rehab, Enoch, Methuselah, and Elijah) Who is “The Restrainer”?? It is us. The bride, who must be “gathered together to him” (2 Thess. 2:1)

________________

And that is why there is a "rapture" (1 Thessalonians 1:10)

________________

But we are those who have not rejected him. Rather, we have stood for him and suffered for him. Our testing and purifying is occurring now. (1 Peter 4: 14-19)

Thus, we are kept from “the hour of testing that is coming upon the whole Earth.”

(Revelation 3: 10)