THE CAUGHT UP: A COMFORT OF HOPE

By: Brother Albert Gran

1 Thessalonians 4:13-17King James Version (KJV)

13 But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.

14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.

15 For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep.

16 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:

17 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.

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RAPTURE: IS THIS MAN'S INVENTION?

As the word "rapture" not found in scripture, many thought this is not an event real according to God's plan. Although this statement is true in the sense the word itself is nowhere found in scripture, yet there is no rule to mean using other word except what is read in the scripture invalidates the truthfulness of it. However, it's so obvious that when word equivalence has its wrong meaning, then it leads to a wrong doctrine already. The word "KJV Bible" is nowhere found in the pages of Scripture except that which you have found in the book's cover, and yet believers acknowledged that "KJV Bible" is the word of God and we believed it today as our Final Authority. Should we not believe and use the Bible because such word is nowhere found in every page content of God's Word, the Scriptures, which is also known an the word of truth? Can we not use the Bible in our life and get our spiritual establishments because the word Bible is not in the vocabulary of God?     

The term rapture is derived in 1 Thes. 4 as "caught up" and this term has equivalent sense or value of the word. When a preacher or believer denotes this term rapture based on this inspired account, then how come we say it's only man-made invention? In such, if we connect this sense to other accounts in the word of God to mean hope for both believers under the law and under grace, then we fall short at sight to whom this hope is addressed.

The "caught up" is the comforting event God had promised to the Church the Body of Christ. Why?        

14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.

Now ask yourself this idea? Do you think John the baptist, Peter and the 11 apostles preached this gospel during the time of Christ? Had Peter preached this truth to the kingdom saints? Did the Lord Jesus Christ revealed this gospel when he was on earth so that his death, burial, and resurrection shall be means of salvation ALONE apart from the righteousness of the law?

When God gave a a revelation to Peter, James, and John, this is the truth about the gospel of Christ's cross work and His shed blood in the  New Covenant for the world to come. It's the future account when this recent interrupted dispensation of grace shall resume for the salvation of Israel in His Second Coming.      

We couldn't say God will bring those believers in the "caught up event" prior Paul's ministry as they never knew about the gospel how Jesus died, and rose again. This is the gospel they learned about how Israel must believe Christ as their Messiah. Take a look on this:

John 3:16King James Version (KJV)

16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

Those who claimed of the actual event and the recipient to whom the truth of John 3:16 was declared, the saints today knew this gospel is way back when Christ was presented as the Messiah and King of the Jews. It is the period when Christ was still a minister to the circumcision ( Rom. 15:8).

HOPE OF CHRIST'S SECOND COMING ON EARTH

Matthew 24:3King James Version (KJV)

3 And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?

Acts 1:11-12  King James Version (KJV)

10 And while they looked stedfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel;

11 Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.

12 Then returned they unto Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is from Jerusalem a sabbath day's journey.

Those little flock who followed Jesus Christ from His earthly ministry until his ascension in the Mt. of Olive, who were being baptized by the baptism of John and received the preaching that the kingdom of heaven is at hand (except today's wet cleaners for their spiritual salvation and those today in the dispensation of grace who hoped for His second Coming) WERE ONLY THOSE WHO CAN ENTER INTO THE KINGDOM. There are those also who will ENDURE in THE GREAT TRIBULATION who had not received the mark of the beast.  

Revelation 20:4King James Version (KJV)

4 And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.

EVERYBODY CAN SEE THE SECOND COMING OF CHRIST: A GENERAL AMAZEMENT 

Matthew 24:30King James Version (KJV)

30 And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.

These are the future specifics of Christ's second coming when it brought mourning to all the tribes of people on earth. Everybody will see the SIGN of His coming. Christ has to fight against the terror of evildoers who caused affliction to His people before he reign a thousand years. This is the event when Christ will defeat the Anti Christ after the seven years when he broke the peace pact in the middle of the week (three and a half years) then finally Satan will be bound by Christ in the bottomless pit for a thousand years.

Gentiles today must need to rightly divide the word of truth so that they will not be swayed from any religious perspectives not based on the wisest plan of God over the ages. Our hope today in the dispensation of grace was promised to us through Paul in heaven which event fall the time when Christ shall APPEAR IN THE AIR. We hope to the event when we believers (both dead in Christ and alive being transfigured) WILL MEET WITH HIM TO BE FOREVER WITH THE LORD.  

Rapture or Second Coming?


Grace and peace