In this presentation we will study what the Bible teaches about the rapture—a topic that has become the theme of the movie Left Behind. Get ready to be challenged by what the Bible teaches about it.

<p>In this presentation we will study what the Bible teaches about the rapture—a topic that has become the theme of the movie Left Behind. Get ready to be challenged by what the Bible teaches about it.</p>

<p>Free sharing permitted under the Creative Commons <a rel="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/us/">BY-NC-ND 3.0 (US)</a> license.</p>

Warren Seventh Day Adventist Church

Jesus on Prophecy

Giancarlo De Miranda

02 Prophecy’s Final World Superpower

03 Jesus’ Answer to Evil

04 Prophecy’s Final Judgment Hour

05 Jesus on the Anti-Christ

08 Jesus Solves Death’s Mystery

09 Revelation’s 1,000 Years and Hell

10 The Mark of the Beast

11 The United States in Bible Prophecy

13 How to Observe the Day of Worship?

12 Which Church Will Jesus Join?

14 Jesus on Revelation’s Rapture

01 Prophecy Unfolds Today

16 Jesus on Earth’s Final Deception

17 Prophecy’s Final Destination

18 Jesus on End-Time Prophets

19 Jesus on Burying The Past

15 Jesus on Faith, Fitness and Health

20 Jesus on Armageddon

21 Jesus on Living Free and Forgiven

So tonight we are going to delve into our topic Jesus on Revelations Rapture And I invite you to pray with me 1 more time asking the Lord's blessing for our study.

Let's pray Father in heaven We are going to open up your word right now and we claim the promise of the Holy Spirit that he will guide us, he will teach us and he will transform our lives according to your will.

I want to start by sharing a story but often space launch calls the attention and the imagination of many people.

But there was 1 in particular a few years ago that really caught the attention of this nation and probably many other places of the world, and that was the Columbia Space Shadow, when they were returned to Earth.

So it calls our attention space journeys because we think of the space and getting to know other places like the moon and other planets and stars and seeing all that.

But this 1 in particular, What caught the attention was the re-entry when they were coming back to the planet Earth.

If you remember the Columbus space shuttle, there were 7 astronauts there, but on their way back something happened.

The shuttle broke and those 7 astronauts, they lost their lives in a moment.

And of course, that was the reason that particular trip also caught the attention of many, many places in the world, especially this nation.

But I want to talk about a particular journey, a spatial journey today that will not end in the same way that this 1 ended.

This journey will not only begin well, it will, what everyone?

And I'm talking about the returning of Jesus to take his people home.

Our commander Jesus Christ is going to get us home and we'll will experience a space journey a spatial journey going through the moon our next neighbor so to speak from this planet and then go through all the planets of this galaxy going to the nebula and in that open space in Orion we're going to enter with Jesus our commander the central theme of the book of Revelation is who everyone is Jesus Christ it is a revelation of Jesus Christ and in that book we also find God's end time plan for his people and I want to invite you to open up your Bibles to Revelation chapter 14 if you will We're going to the book of Revelation and in chapter 14 That's right after the proclamation of the 3 angels messages to the world where the everlasting gospel is part of it where we have an emphasis in the worship of the Creator God we have also the exposure of Babylon and the beast the image of the beast and the mark of the beast we have a presentation of God's end time people in verse 12 here's the patience of the Saints here those who keep the commandments of God in the faith of Jesus and then in verse 14 we have this glorious event that we find in Revelation then I looked and behold a white cloud and 1 and on the cloud sat 1 like the Son of Man.

Who is this Son of Man coming in the clouds of heaven here?

As we said, the book of Revelation is a revelation of Christ and revelations introduced Jesus as 1 coming in the clouds of heaven and then it says having on his head a golden crown implying that he will come as a king no longer as a servant no longer as 1 to give his life for sin but he will come as a king and in his hand a sharp sickle now go with me to revelation 19 just a few chapters after we're going to revelation 19 and verse 11 we find again another picture revelation revealing Christ as 1 who is coming as a king to this earth and I want to call your attention to verse 11 and verse 14 beginning verse 11 the Bible says then I saw heaven what is the next word everyone open and behold a white horse and a white horse is a symbol of victory is a symbol as 1 coming to conquer and he who sat on him was called what is the name of the of the horseman faithful and true who is this person who is riding this horse called faithful and true that's Jesus and then the Bible says and in righteousness he judges and make war notice in verse 14 what it says and the army is in heaven this is talking specifically of the holy angels as we're going to unpack this morning clothed in fine linen white and clean follow him on white horses as well friends again white horse is a symbol of purity victory and triumph so revelations introduced Christ as coming again as 1 that has achieved victory victory over evil over Satan and his power over sin and over death.

Now there are 2 main questions that often people ask about the return of Christ.

I want you to see here in the slide with me for a moment How will Jesus come back the second time?

That's the first question, the manner of his coming.

The second question is how can I know that I will be, what everyone, ready when he comes?

Is that an important question, yes or no?

We want to know how Christ will come and we want to know how we can be ready for that event first of all Christ come will be what kind of event everyone a literal event And I want to show that from scriptures and I invite you to go with me to the book of Acts We're going out to the book of Acts in chapter 1 We have Jesus is spending time with his disciples there and then after Jesus gave them Instructions the Bible says that the disciples they saw Jesus ascending up to heaven ascending up to where everyone?

To heaven and I want to pick up the story in verse 11 because they were you know sad to see their Lord to depart to heaven but they knew that there was a promise that he gave to them the outpouring of the Holy Spirit but an angel approached them and said these words in verse 11 the Bible says this same Jesus who was taken up from you into heaven notice carefully will so come and what everyone like manner as you saw him going into heaven so according to these angels the coming of Christ will be in the same way that his ascension was as far as the ability to see Jesus going up and we will see Jesus also coming down a real Christ ascended up to heaven a real Christ will what everyone will descend Christ is coming down from above he won't rise up from below.

So let me now address this question here or this topic here.

Christ coming will be what kind of event everyone?

A visible event as we've been discussing I want to take you back to the book of Revelation now in chapter 1 so let's go there if you will to Revelation chapter 1 and we're going to read verse 7 and we will see that not only God's people will be able to see Jesus coming but everyone will be able to see how many people will be able to see?

Everyone somehow that event will be a major event in the history of this world that no 1 will miss that event notice what the Bible says in verse 7 of Revelation 1 behold he is coming with what everyone?

Clouds the same picture of Revelation 14 and how many eyes?

Every eyes will see him friends when the Bible says every eye will see him we better believe that it will be a visible event that not only God's people will be able to see but everyone will be able to see the Bible even goes on to say that even those that pierced him Now Christ's coming will be an audible event will be a what kind of event everyone?

Audible not only visible as we already saw but also audible and I'll take you to 1st Thessalonians chapter 1 chapter 4 excuse me we're going now to 1st Thessalonians chapter 4 and we're going to see that it will be an event that will also be audible and we need to see that from scriptures we're going to 1 Thessalonians chapter 4 and let's read verse 16 notice carefully what the Bible says pertaining to the coming of Jesus the Bible says for the Lord himself who is the Lord here that's Jesus the Lord himself shall what is next word everyone descend from heaven with with a child with the voice of the Archangel and with the trumpet of God.

Friends, I don't know how loud is the trumpet of God, but I know that God can blow, and it can be audible.

He will come with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ shall, what everyone?

Friends, it will be so audible that even the dead will hear the voice of Christ coming.

And friends, we see here that another major event is connected with the coming of Christ it says that the dead in Christ will rise first friends what a beautiful promise that we have especially for those in our midst that have lost loved ones Christ is promising to come again and when he comes Those that died in Christ will rise again The dead in Christ shall rise first Yes, he is promising to restore families to give back your loved 1 that you have lost we find in verse 17 in the same passage there then we which are alive those that will see Jesus coming without experiencing death We which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them that were resurrected in the clouds to meet the Lord where everyone?

In the air and thus we shall always be with the Lord." so Christ will not come and put his feet on this earth.

He will meet his people in the air, and that's already a sign of a false or a counterfeit coming of Christ.

Whenever you see somebody professing to be Christ here on earth you know it's a false Christ because Christ will meet his people in the air let's go to first Corinthians chapter 15 we are going there now to first Corinthians in chapter 15 notice carefully what the Bible says concerning that promise and I want you to see that because at the same time that there is a beautiful promise here of resurrection there is a misunderstanding in this passage in 1st Corinthians chapter 15 that some people believe that the coming of Christ will be in a twinkly of an eye.

And I want to just address that for a moment here.

Notice what it says here, behold in verse 51.

We are in 1st Corinthians chapter 15 verse 51 the Bible says behold I tell you a mystery this is Paul writing to the church we shall not all what have you 1 sleep is he talking about sleeping problem here yes or no not at all he's talking that not everyone will experience what everyone?

Death not everyone will die but we shall all be what's next word everyone?

Changed you know how quick will be that change?

In a moment in a twinkly of an eye at the, what everyone?

So some people understand that the change of our body into a glorious body, they believe that that change in a moment in a twinkly of an eye is actually some form of secret rapture like you blink your eyes and it's gone but that's not what the text is saying we're going to continue to unpack that this morning but you see here that it's not talking about the coming of Christ in a twinkly of an eye but it's talking about the change of our bodies in a twinkly of an eye.

Notice the verse goes on to say for the trumpet will what everyone?

Sound will be audible event just like we saw in 1st Thessalonians chapter 4 and the dead will be what everyone?

Raised incorruptible So there will be a resurrection when we hear the sound of that trumpet.

And then it says in verse 53 for these corruptible talking about our mortal bodies must put on in corruption and this mortal must put on what everyone immortality that's why we call the coming of Christ the blessed hope it is the hope of resurrection it is the hope of reconciling or or coming together with the ones that we love it is the hope also of restoring our health and having a glorious body an immortal body now let me take you to the book of Matthew let's go to the book of Matthew and in the book of Matthew he spends a lot of time that's Jesus himself he spends a lot of time talking about his coming so if Jesus himself spent a lot of time talking about his coming so if Jesus himself spent a lot of time talking about his coming the book of Revelation is spends a lot of time talking about the second coming of Jesus it must be what kind of event is that important or unimportant it must be important he even talks about deception in the last days pertaining to his coming but we must keep in mind that the coming of Christ will be a glorious event what kind of event everyone?

A glorious event notice here in Matthew 24 verse 26 Jesus says therefore if they say to you look he is where everyone in the desert do not go out if anybody says to you about the coming of Christ that he's come will be secret somewhere that nobody else saw it and then the message says do not go out and then the very next verse making a contrast with this kind of approach that Christ will come secretly the Bible says as Jesus speaking for as the lightning comes from where everyone the east and fleshes to the west so also will be the coming of the Son of Man friends the real Christ is coming in the sky and it will be a visible and audible event when the dead in Christ will rise and we're going to go through that journey that spatial journey that journey that will have a happy ending now you're here in Matthew chapter 24 I want to just read a couple verses here to summarize what we already saw this morning we are in Matthew 24 and we're starting now in verse 30 notice carefully what the Bible says the Son of Man will what is next word everyone appear in heaven so it will be visible and then all the tribes of the earth will what everyone?

Mourn and they will what is the next word?

See the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory and then verse 31 the Bible says and he will send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet will be audible and they will gather together his elect from the 4 winds from 1 end of the heaven to the other so we see the 2 groups of people some mourning and some are being gathered to meet the Lord in the air with the assistance of the holy angels Christ coming will be a climatic event in the history of this planet in the history of this universe when Christ will put an end to the suffering that we experience where he will again give back the ones that we have lost.

Perhaps as I speak here this morning someone someone here has the heart burdened with a loss perhaps you have lost your husband or your wife you have lost even a child or you have lost your sister your brother or your parents Christ is promising 1 day to give them back to you notice what we find in Isaiah 25 verse 9 just quickly here behold this is our God we have waited for him he will save us this is the Lord we have waited for him we will be what everyone glad and rejoice in his salvation friends Christ wants to rescue us from the guilt of sin he offers justification he wants to save us from the power of sin he offers us sanctification he wants to rescue us from the presence of sin he offers us glorification at his coming what happens when Jesus comes Just a quick review here and I'm going to continue to unpack that but quickly here we have earthquake and the earth is desolated at the presence of Jesus as we have studied also in previous nights righteous dead raised and then what happens next righteous living changed in a moment in a twinkly of an eye, immortality bestowed wicked living destroyed and we're going to see that in a little bit again.

And then, righteous welcome Christ, and finally, righteous go to heaven.

What about the secret rapture, as many people promote?

We even have a famous movie called what's the name of the movie do you remember?

Left Behind and of course we cannot base our faith in a movie even if it is a Christian movie and we see more and more stories from the Bible being used in movies but of course many times not all the time but many times the details or even not even the details but major points are changed and we need to base our faith on the Word of God.

Let me take you here to Matthew 24, you're probably there still, we are reading verse 36, so let's talk about this secret rapture, is that really biblical?

We begin to see already that Jesus will not come in a twinkly of an eye but the transformation of our bodies will be in a twinkly of an eye.

Now notice this verse here because some people says how about the verses that says that Christ will come as a thief in the night.

Is he really talking about the manner of Jesus coming, how he will come, or is he talking about the time that he will come?

So let's see what the Bible says here Matthew chapter 24 verse 36 I want you to see now the emphasis that Christ gives the Bible says but of that day talking about his coming an hour how many people knows no 1 knows not even the angels of heaven but my father only now notice in verse 43 we are talking about not knowing the day not knowing the hour of Jesus coming verse 43 the Bible says but know these that if the master of the house had what is next word everyone had known what hour the thief would come he would have what everyone watch it and not allow his house to be broken into can you see that the emphasis here is the time of Jesus coming it will come in a time that people don't expect like for instance the coming of a thief in the night we don't expect the coming therefore he's addressing the time not the manner of Christ coming when Jesus comes as a thief the world will not expect it that's the message that Christ is communicating notice if that's not clear notice the very next verse that we just read Matthew 24 verse 44 the Bible says therefore you also be ready for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not what everyone you do not expect In fact if we go to 2nd Peter, what book are we going now?

2nd Peter let's go there if you will so let's go to 2nd Peter chapter 3.

I want to show the same expression here connected with the coming of Jesus, but it shows that it is a very Visible Event that will take place.

We are going to 2nd Peter chapter 3 and we're going to read verse 10 Let's start in verse 10.

Notice what the Bible says but the day of the Lord will come as a what everyone?

A thief in the night and you already know it's talking about the second coming of Jesus the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night in which the heavens will pass away with a great what everyone?

Noise So Christ coming as a thief in the night does that mean that nobody will see?

But He will come with a great noise and the elements will melt with fervent heat.

Both the earth and the works that are in it will burn up.

The second coming is a surprise to what kind of people, everyone?

And Christ is warning in His discourse in Matthew 24 that we need to prepare ourselves for that event.

We need to be ready every day, in fact, because tomorrow is not promised.

Now, the next question, what about the expression, 1 taken and the other, what everyone?

Let's see what the Bible has to say there.

You know, that's, you know, kind of the emphasis given for those that promote the left behind series or theology.

Notice what it says in Matthew 24 and we're reading verse 40 we find these analogy here that we need to understand in the context in what everyone in the context the Bible says then 2 men will be in the field 1 will be what everyone taken and the other left even give also an example of a 2 women 1 taken the other left now let me show you the verses prior so we can understand this analogy here what Christ is actually saying 1 taken the other left he begins in verse 37 saying this notice carefully but as the days of Noah were so also will be what event everyone the coming of the Son of man okay so he compares the coming of Christ with the days of Noah with what happens in the flood so some were taken who were taken that were spared in the days of Noah Noah and his family they were taken and then some were left who are those that were left everyone that didn't believe right that were leaving according to Genesis chapter 6 their thoughts were continually evil okay so the 1 that was left and we already know who they are is not Noah's family and himself but the ones that were left outside of the ark were they left alive or were they destroyed?

They were destroyed okay so they were destroyed so 1 was taken the the others were left but they were destroyed and then in Luke chapter 17 the same discourse Jesus says likewise and it was also in the days of Lot even so it will be in the day when the Son of Man is revealed friends in the same chapter in Luke chapter 17 he used that same knowledge you know like 1 man will be taken the other will be left and he compares with the days of Lot who was taken in the days of Lot out of the city of you know that you know for for not to perish you know Sodom and Gomorrah was destroyed with that fire that came from God and Lot and his daughters right came out because the wife look back okay her heart was in in Sodom it was in Gomorrah in that lifestyle she looked back showing where the treasure of her heart was actually and not with God and she perished so they were taking Lot and his daughters and who was left?

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Series

Jesus on Prophecy

14 Jesus on Revelation’s Rapture

Transcript

Description

Parent Series

Sponsor

Recorded

Dustin Pestlin Weekend

How to be Victorious in God’s End-Time Judgment

47m

Admonitions for the Last Days

5. Itching Ears

1h

Jesus on Prophecy

01 Prophecy Unfolds Today

48m

Jesus on Prophecy

09 Revelation’s 1,000 Years and Hell

1h 3m

Preparing the Ark: Lessons from Noah’s Faith

1h 4m

Back to the Mission

The Battle Cry of the Remnant

1h 1m

Direction is Everything

44m

Prophecies of Hope

07 Heaven Our Final Home

55m

If Only You Knew

38m

Plenary

Empowered by Him

51m

What Jesus Said

14. The Rapture of the Saints

1h

Sound Doctrine