Lesson Fourteen
THE
BODY (Glorification)
The “Rapture” is
too large a subject to cover adequately in this manuscript. It is also full of controversy about
when it will take place.
Regardless of when you believe it will happen, it WILL happen, and we
must all be ready.
The Rapture is a
“snatching away” of believers by the Lord Jesus to meet Him in the
clouds. This writer believes that
it will happen before the “Tribulation” period described in Scripture,
and that we will be with Him for a period of about seven years. During this time the earth will
experience a series of judgments from God called the Tribulation and the Great
Tribulation. This will be a period
of time in which trouble will come on the earth in greater amount and intensity
than has ever happened.
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:
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. I
Thessalonians 4:16-17.
Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep,
but we shall all be changed,
In a moment, in
the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound,
and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.
For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and
this mortal must put on immortality.
I Corinthians 15:51-53.
Our bodies at the Rapture
will be changed from mortal (corruptible) to immortal (incorruptible). The incorruptible body will be a
glorified body like the Body of Jesus after His resurrection. Our bodies will no longer get sick,
grow old, experience weakness, nor be limited to the material space and time we
occupy now. Remember that Jesus
walked through walls. We evidently
will be able to do that as well as travel without a visible method of
transportation.
The Lord knoweth how to
deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of
judgment to be punished; II Peter
2:9.
And to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised
from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come. I Thessalonians 1:10.
The Lord will spare believers
from going through the Tribulation, because it is the wrath of God poured out
upon the unbelievers. Believers
have already been judged in Christ.
For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he
who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way.
And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord
shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the
brightness of his coming.
Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan
with all power and signs and lying wonders.
And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them
that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might
be saved. II Thessalonians 2:7-10.
The old English word
“let” has changed over the centuries to now mean “hinder.” This scripture says that something is
hindering the mystery of iniquity from doing its full work. It also says that that something will
be taken out of the way, thus allowing the mystery of iniquity to charge
ahead. That something is the Body
of Christ that has been taking authority over iniquity wherever it is
encountered. After the Body of
Christ is raptured and taken out of the way, the “Wicked,” who is
the working of Satan (the Antichrist), will be revealed fully, and he will be
allowed by God to try to deceive those who are left on the earth during the
Tribulation.
A minimum of seven years will
pass after the Rapture. The Lord
will then descend from Heaven with His saints (I Thessalonians 3:13). These saints are the believers who were
previously raptured. The Lord will
set up an earthly Kingdom of God with its capital in Jerusalem. These saints will rule and reign with
Jesus the King for 1000 years (the Millennium).
Watch ye therefore, and pray
always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall
come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man. Luke 21:36.
The Lord will rapture His church in His timing. Don’t let anyone convince you it is a specific date on the calendar. We can know the general condition of the world as signs to look for, but Jesus warns us not to follow false prophets who claim to know the date. It is up to us to be obedient to His commandments through faith and be watching for Him. Regardless of what you believe about the Rapture, don’t risk missing it by playing with sin. God’s grace covers sin when there is a continual attitude of repentance. God will judge the person who does not judge himself. Respect the grace of God that was made possible by the ULTIMATE SACRIFICE OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST ON THE CROSS.
Read Matthew chapters 24 and
25, Mark chapter 13, Luke 21:15-36, and Revelation 4:18.
For further study of the
Rapture of the Church, this author recommends material by Hilton Sutton and Hal
Lindsay.
Be prepared to answer the following
questions:
1. What does the word “Rapture” mean?
2. What is the 7 year period of God’s judgment called?
3. At the Rapture of the Church, our bodies will be changed
from ___________
to _________________.
4. What entity is now taking authority over iniquity in the
earth?
5. When will the Antichrist be revealed?