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The Rapture of the Church
Introduction
Bible prophecy is a fascinating subject to study, and sincere Christians have a variety of views concerning the end-times. I believe that when we try to be as prayerful, honest, thorough, and objective as possible, the weight of Scriptural evidence supports the pre-tribulational view of the Rapture (these terms will be explained in a moment). Therefore, the intent of this article is to demonstrate that Jesus might return much sooner than any of us realize. My prayer is that this will challenge us to seek a much deeper, more intimate, and more obedient relationship with Jesus, and that it will give us a new zeal for sharing the Gospel in the short time that we might have left. I would suggest that you read these prophecy articles in order, because most of them will build from the foundations which were laid in earlier articles. I realize that it's not my job to convince anyone of anything (that's the Holy Spirit's job), so I'm simply offering these thoughts for your prayerful consideration. In these articles, no offense or disrespect is meant towards anyone who holds a different view concerning end-times prophecy. The fact is, we Christians will all be "Raptured" at the appropriate time no matter when it happens to be. If we are caught up to be with Jesus before the seven-year Tribulation period begins, then praise the Lord! But if the Antichrist comes on the scene before Jesus returns for us then praise the Lord anyway, and let's all work together to oppose the Antichrist and his "Mark of the Beast"! Does It Really Matter?
Does it really matter whether or not we know anything about the Rapture or any other end-times events? After all, our salvation is not affected by our views of end-times prophecies, so what difference does it make if we study those prophecies or not? Consider that 1 out of every 3 or 4 passages in the Bible is prophetic in nature, according to Bible scholars. This means that a huge portion of Scripture, roughly one-third of the Bible, deals with prophecy! Prophecy is obviously very important to God, and therefore it should be important to us as well. Notice some of the things that God tells us: Revelation 1:3: "Blessed is the one who reads the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear it and take to heart what is written in it, because the time is near"The book of Revelation is the only book in the entire Bible which pronounces a special blessing on those who read it and take it to heart, and we can see in the passages above that this blessing is given at the beginning and at the end of the book of Revelation. Again, prophecy is very important to God, and 1 Thessalonians 5:20 (above) says that we must not treat prophecies with contempt. Therefore, let us be careful not to dishonor God by considering Bible prophecy to be a waste of time or impossible to understand. Terminology
The remainder of this article will be devoted to providing Scriptural explanations for some terms which will be used throughout this series of articles on Bible prophecy: 1. "The Rapture" According to the Bible, Jesus will one day come down out of heaven and then He will "snatch up" all Christians (living and dead) off of the earth to meet Him in the clouds. This "snatching up" of Christians is often referred to as "the Rapture of the Church." Here are two of the main passages which describe the Rapture: "For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. Therefore encourage each other with these words." (1 Thessalonians 4:16-18)These passages tell us that Jesus will come down from heaven (with a loud command and the trumpet call of God), and then everyone who had died in Christ will be physically resurrected from the dead and will rise to meet the Lord in the air, and then all living Christians will rise to meet the Lord in the air. In "the twinkling of an eye" our physical, mortal bodies will be transformed into immortal bodies, and we will be with the Lord forever. The Greek word harpazo means "to seize ... catch (away, up), pluck, pull, take (by force)" (Strong's Greek Dictionary), and it is translated as "caught up" in 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17: "For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up [harpazo] together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever." (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17)In the Latin Vulgate Bible (see the Latin Vulgate  ),
the Greek word
harpazo
is translated as
rapiemur,
which comes from the same Latin verb as
raptus,
which means "to seize, snatch; to carry off" (for example, scroll down to "raptus" at
Latin Derivatives ).
This Latin word is where we get the English word "Rapture."
Some people do not believe in the Rapture because they say that the word "Rapture" does not appear anywhere in Scripture. However, the words "Trinity" and "Second Coming" (for example) never appear in the Bible either, yet all of these concepts are taught quite clearly in Scripture even if those specific terms are not used. Strictly speaking, though, the word "Rapture" does appear in the Bible, just not in any English translation. Again, the English word "Rapture" comes from the Latin word raptus, which appears in the Latin Vulgate translation of the Bible (using the rapiemur form of the verb). Throughout this series of articles we will discover when the Rapture will happen (in relation to other end-times events), what will happen after the Rapture, and so on. 2. "The Second Coming" The Bible says that Jesus will one day physically return to the earth and set up His government, and then He will reign on earth for one thousand years, as in these examples: "Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied about these men: "See, the Lord is coming with thousands upon thousands of his holy ones to judge everyone, and to convict all the ungodly of all the ungodly acts they have done in the ungodly way, and of all the harsh words ungodly sinners have spoken against him."" (Jude 1:14-15)Jesus' return to the earth is often referred to as "the Second Coming of Christ." Here are the basic differences between the Rapture and the Second Coming:
Throughout this series of articles we will discover when the Second Coming will happen (in relation to other end-times events), what will happen at the Second Coming, and what events will follow the Second Coming. 3. "The Antichrist" In the future there will be a "ruler" who will take over the entire world and who will carry out a horrific persecution of saints and the nation of Israel. The Bible refers to this ruler as "the man of lawlessness," "the antichrist," "the beast," and so on: "After the sixty-two 'sevens,' the Anointed One will be cut off and will have nothing. The people of the ruler who will come will destroy the city and the sanctuary. The end will come like a flood: War will continue until the end, and desolations have been decreed. He [the future ruler] will confirm a covenant with many for one 'seven.' In the middle of the 'seven' he will put an end to sacrifice and offering. And on a wing of the temple he will set up an abomination that causes desolation, until the end that is decreed is poured out on him." (Daniel 9:26-27)In 2 Thessalonians 2:3-10 (above) and Revelation 13:1-8 (above) we can see that this future ruler will be controlled by the devil, and the name that we usually use for this ruler is "the Antichrist." As we will see, the Antichrist will proclaim himself to be God, and he will take over the world for the final three and a half years before the Second Coming of Christ. In the Old Testament, the nation of Israel was monotheistic, meaning that the Jews believed in one God. The Gentile nations, on the other hand, believed in many pagan gods. In Daniel 11:36-37 (above), we see that the Antichrist will show no regard for "the gods of his fathers." The word "gods" is plural in the Hebrew in that passage, and this is an indication that the Antichrist will be a Gentile (not a Jew). In addition, Revelation 13:1-8 (above) describes the Antichrist coming out of "the sea," which often represents the Gentile nations in Biblical symbology. For example, an angel told the apostle John that "the waters" which John saw were "peoples, multitudes, nations and languages" (Revelation 17:15), which is a reference to the Gentile nations (not to the single nation of Israel). Also, the prophet Daniel was given a vision in which "Four great beasts, each different from the others, came up out of the sea" (Daniel 7:3), and Daniel was told that "The four great beasts are four kingdoms that will rise from the earth" (Daniel 7:17). Again, this describes four Gentile kingdoms, not the single nation of Israel. This evidence indicates that the Antichrist will be a Gentile. In addition, the Antichrist will somehow be of Roman origin. Daniel 9:26-27 (above) says that "The people of the ruler who will come will destroy the city and the sanctuary." In the context of that verse, "the ruler who will come" is the Antichrist, and that verse says that the city of Jerusalem and the Jewish temple ("the sanctuary") will be destroyed by the people from whom the future Antichrist will come. In 70 A.D., the Romans attacked the city of Jerusalem (see the Historical Highlights at Israel's Ministry of Foreign Affairs )
and destroyed the Jewish temple (which has never been rebuilt), which means that the Romans are "the people" from whom the future Antichrist will come. Therefore, the Antichrist is likely to be a Gentile of Roman origin.
4. "The Tribulation" The Bible describes a future seven-year period of unprecedented suffering and distress during which God will pour out His wrath on the earth. It will begin when Israel signs a treaty with the Antichrist, and it will end at the Second Coming. This seven-year period of time is often referred to as "the Tribulation." In Part Three of this Rapture series we will look at Revelation 6:9-11 (below), and we will see that it describes a persecution and martyrdom of saints during the first half of the seven-year Tribulation: "When he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain because of the word of God and the testimony they had maintained. They called out in a loud voice, "How long, Sovereign Lord, holy and true, until you judge the inhabitants of the earth and avenge our blood?" Then each of them was given a white robe, and they were told to wait a little longer, until the number of their fellow servants and brothers who were to be killed as they had been was completed." (Revelation 6:9-11)This persecution of the saints during the first half of the Tribulation will be carried out by "Mystery Babylon," which will be a one-world religious system during the first half of the seven-year Tribulation period: "One of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and said to me, "Come, I will show you the punishment of the great prostitute, who sits on many waters. With her the kings of the earth committed adultery and the inhabitants of the earth were intoxicated with the wine of her adulteries." Then the angel carried me away in the Spirit into a desert. There I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast that was covered with blasphemous names and had seven heads and ten horns. The woman was dressed in purple and scarlet, and was glittering with gold, precious stones and pearls. She held a golden cup in her hand, filled with abominable things and the filth of her adulteries. This title was written on her forehead: MYSTERY BABYLON THE GREAT THE MOTHER OF PROSTITUTES AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH. I saw that the woman was drunk with the blood of the saints, the blood of those who bore testimony to Jesus. When I saw her, I was greatly astonished." (Revelation 17:1-6)The above passage tells us that the kings of the earth will commit "spiritual adultery" with this "prostitute" (for more examples of adultery in a spiritual sense, see Jeremiah chapter 3 and Ezekiel chapter 16), which indicates that this will be a one-world religious system. This false religious system will be "drunk with the blood of the saints," which tells us that it will be responsible for a massive persecution of Christians. As we will see later, the Antichrist will break his treaty with Israel at the mid-point of the seven-year Tribulation period, and then he will begin a terrible persecution of the nation of Israel (as well as the Christians). According to the pre-tribulational view of the Rapture, the Rapture of the Church will happen before the seven-year Tribulation begins. According to the mid-tribulational view (and other views such as the pre-wrath and mid-wrath views), the Rapture will happen during the seven-year Tribulation period. According to the post-tribulational view, the Rapture will happen at the end of the seven-year Tribulation period as Jesus is returning to the earth at the Second Coming. In this series of articles we will see why many people believe that the weight of Scriptural evidence supports the pre-trib view of the Rapture. Consider that all Christians will be "snatched up" to meet the Lord in the air when He comes for us at the Rapture, and therefore those who are "left behind" will all be unsaved. During the seven-year Tribulation there will be multitudes of people who will receive salvation, and they are all referred to as "saints" in the book of Revelation, just as Christians are referred to as "saints" (as in Ephesians 1:1), and just as all of the righteous people in Old Testament times are called "saints" (as in Psalm 30:4). Since there will be "a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language" (Revelation 7:9) who will receive salvation after the Rapture (according to the pre-trib view), how likely is it that not a single one of them had ever heard the Gospel message before the Rapture? It is more probable that many of them had rejected the Gospel before the Rapture, but then they received salvation after the Rapture. This would mean that people will have a "second chance" to receive salvation after being left behind when Jesus came back for the Church. However, those who are so hardened to the Gospel that they "refused to love the truth and so be saved" will be under a powerful delusion which will cause them to believe the Antichrist's lies (2 Thessalonians 2:10-11). Again, the Tribulation will be a seven-year period of time during which God will pour out His wrath on the earth. Multitudes of people will receive salvation during the Tribulation, but they will be persecuted by the "Mystery Babylon" religious system during the first half of the Tribulation. In addition, the Christians and the nation of Israel will be persecuted by the Antichrist during the second half of the Tribulation (as we will see). 5. "The Great Tribulation" 5a. What is the Great Tribulation, and when will it begin?
The following prophecy describes a period of time which is called a "seven," and when we examine this prophecy in Part Two of this series we will see that the "seven" is referring to the seven-year Tribulation period. According to this prophecy, the Antichrist will desecrate the Jewish temple at the mid-point of the seven-year Tribulation by setting up "an abomination that causes desolation": "He [the Antichrist] will confirm a covenant with many for one 'seven.' In the middle of the 'seven' he will put an end to sacrifice and offering. And on a wing of the temple he will set up an abomination that causes desolation, until the end that is decreed is poured out on him." (Daniel 9:27)In the next passage, Jesus said that when this "abomination that causes desolation" (Daniel 9:27, above) is standing in the Jewish temple, this will signal the beginning of a time of "great distress, unequaled from the beginning of the world until now--and never to be equaled again": "So when you see standing in the holy place 'the abomination that causes desolation,' spoken of through the prophet Daniel--let the reader understand--then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. Let no one on the roof of his house go down to take anything out of the house. Let no one in the field go back to get his cloak. How dreadful it will be in those days for pregnant women and nursing mothers! Pray that your flight will not take place in winter or on the Sabbath. For then there will be great distress, unequaled from the beginning of the world until now--and never to be equaled again." (Matthew 24:15-21)The words "great distress" in the above passage are translated as "great tribulation" in some versions of the Bible. Therefore, the mid-point of the seven-year Tribulation is often referred to as the beginning of "the Great Tribulation," which will be a time of unprecedented "distress" on the earth. 5b. How long will the Great Tribulation last?
In order to determine how long the Great Tribulation will last, a little background information is needed. In Daniel 4:23-25, the prophet Daniel interpreted King Nebuchadnezzar's dream by saying that the king would live with the wild animals until "seven times" had passed by. Daniel 4:32-33 says that when this prophecy came true, King Nebuchadnezzar lived with the wild animals for "seven times," and his hair grew like the feathers of an eagle and his fingernails became like the claws of a bird. Notice that seven hours or seven days would not be long enough for the king's hair and nails to grow so long. The "seven times" refers to seven years, and in fact the NIV footnote for Daniel 4:16 says that "seven times" can be translated as "seven years." In addition, Strong's Hebrew Dictionary says that the Hebrew word for "times" in these verses means "a set time; techn. a year:--time." So depending on the context, this Hebrew word for "time" can have the meaning of "year." Three chapters later in the book of Daniel, Daniel recorded a prophecy concerning the Antichrist, and he used that same Hebrew word again: "He [the Antichrist] will speak against the Most High and oppress his saints and try to change the set times and the laws. The saints will be handed over to him for a time, times and half a time." (Daniel 7:25)We will look at this prophecy in more detail later, but for now let's look at the expression "a time, times and half a time." In this context, "time" refers to one year, "times" refers to two years, and "half a time" refers to half a year, so the total time period here is three and a half years. For example, here are some things that Bible scholars say about this expression: "Or a year, two years and half a year" (alternate translation in the NIV footnote for Daniel 7:25, above)Now, in order to determine how long the Great Tribulation will last, another useful piece of background information is the identity of the "woman" in Revelation 12:1-6: "A great and wondrous sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet and a crown of twelve stars on her head. She was pregnant and cried out in pain as she was about to give birth. Then another sign appeared in heaven: an enormous red dragon [the devil] with seven heads and ten horns and seven crowns on his heads. His tail swept a third of the stars out of the sky and flung them to the earth. The dragon stood in front of the woman who was about to give birth, so that he might devour her child the moment it was born. She gave birth to a son, a male child, who will rule all the nations with an iron scepter. And her child was snatched up to God and to his throne. The woman fled into the desert to a place prepared for her by God, where she might be taken care of for 1,260 days." (Revelation 12:1-6)In the above passage, the "dragon" is the devil (see Revelation 20:2), and we're about to see that the woman being persecuted by the dragon in the passage above is the nation of Israel. For example, notice that Israel was sometimes described as a woman in the Old Testament: "For your Maker is your husband-- the LORD Almighty is his name-- the Holy One of Israel is your Redeemer; he is called the God of all the earth. The LORD will call you back as if you were a wife deserted and distressed in spirit-- a wife who married young, only to be rejected," says your God." (Isaiah 54:5-6)In addition, the imagery of the sun and moon and twelve stars in Revelation 12:1-6 (above) is described in a dream that Joseph had: "Then he [Joseph] had another dream, and he told it to his brothers. "Listen," he said, "I had another dream, and this time the sun and moon and eleven stars were bowing down to me." When he told his father [Jacob] as well as his brothers, his father rebuked him and said, "What is this dream you had? Will your mother and I and your brothers actually come and bow down to the ground before you?"" (Genesis 37:9-10)To recognize the imagery here, recall that Jacob's name was changed to "Israel" in Genesis 32:28. Jacob (Israel) had twelve sons, who became the twelve patriarchs of Israel (Acts 7:8). One of Jacob's sons was Joseph, who had the dream in the passage above (the dream describes Joseph's brothers as "eleven stars," and Joseph himself would therefore be the twelfth "star"). There are no other symbolic descriptions of a sun, moon, and twelve stars anywhere else in the Bible, so the "woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet and a crown of twelve stars on her head" in Revelation 12:1-6 (above) is usually taken to be a reference to Israel. This is further confirmed by the fact that the "woman" (Israel) gave birth to a male child who will rule all the nations with an iron scepter, and who was snatched up to God and to his throne (Revelation 12:1-6, above). This is a reference to Jesus, who was birthed out of Israel, who was snatched up to God's throne (at His Ascension in Acts 1:6-11), and who will rule the nations with an iron scepter: "I will proclaim the decree of the LORD: He said to me, "You are my Son; today I have become your Father. Ask of me, and I will make the nations your inheritance, the ends of the earth your possession. You will rule them with an iron scepter; you will dash them to pieces like pottery."" (Psalms 2:7-9)All of this evidence indicates that the "woman" in Revelation 12:1-6 (above) refers to the nation of Israel. Now, one more useful piece of background information is the fact that the Jews used a lunar calendar (30 days per month, based on the moon's cycles) rather than a solar calendar like many of us use today (based on the sun). For example, notice that some of the Jewish religious festivals were based on the lunar cycle: "Also at your times of rejoicing--your appointed feasts and New Moon festivals--you are to sound the trumpets over your burnt offerings and fellowship offerings, and they will be a memorial for you before your God. I am the LORD your God." (Numbers 10:10)So the Jews had a lunar calendar with 30 days per month (360 days per year) based on the movement of the moon. This can also be seen in the description of the Flood: Genesis 7:11: "In the six hundredth year of Noah's life, on the seventeenth day of the second month--on that day all the springs of the great deep burst forth, and the floodgates of the heavens were opened."The verses above tell us that the waters flooded the earth for 5 months, and notice that those 5 months are equivalent to 150 days. This indicates that there were 30 days per month. Now that we have gathered some background information, we can determine how long the Great Tribulation will last by examining the following passages (recall that the Great Tribulation will be characterized by intense persecution of the saints and the nation of Israel): "He [the Antichrist] will speak against the Most High and oppress his saints and try to change the set times and the laws. The saints will be handed over to him for a time, times and half a time." (Daniel 7:25)The above passages all take place in the context of the Antichrist's persecution during the seven-year Tribulation, and we have already seen that "a time, times and half a time" refers to three and a half years (Daniel 7:25 and Revelation 12:14, above). In addition, forty-two months is also three and a half years (Revelation 11:1-2 and 13:5, above). And based on the lunar calendar (which has 30 days per month), 1,260 days is also three and a half years (Revelation 12:5-6, above). We will look at the details of the above passages later in this prophecy series, but what these passages indicate is that the Antichrist will persecute the saints and the nation of Israel for three and a half years. Since the Antichrist will desecrate the Jewish temple and exalt himself as God and begin this terrible persecution at the mid-point of the seven-year Tribulation (as we saw earlier), and since this persecution will last for three and a half years (according to the passages above), this means that the Great Tribulation is equivalent to the last half of the seven-year Tribulation period. When Jesus returns to the earth at the Second Coming, He will kill the Antichrist (and his armies) and rescue the persecuted people, which will bring the Tribulation and the Great Tribulation to an end (as we will see later in this prophecy series). 5c. Will the Great Tribulation be cut short?
When Jesus described the Great Tribulation, notice that He said, "If the Lord had not cut short those days, no one would survive": "When you see 'the abomination that causes desolation' standing where it does not belong--let the reader understand--then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. Let no one on the roof of his house go down or enter the house to take anything out. Let no one in the field go back to get his cloak. How dreadful it will be in those days for pregnant women and nursing mothers! Pray that this will not take place in winter, because those will be days of distress unequaled from the beginning, when God created the world, until now--and never to be equaled again. If the Lord had not cut short those days, no one would survive. But for the sake of the elect, whom he has chosen, he has shortened them." (Mark 13:14-20)According to this passage, the Great Tribulation (the final three and a half years of the Tribulation) will be so terrible that no-one would survive it, and therefore God has "cut short" the days of the Great Tribulation. Some people believe that God will shorten the Great Tribulation so that it will actually be less than three and a half years, but there are several problems with that view. For one thing, a moment ago we saw that the Great Tribulation will last for 1,260 days, which is a very exact timeframe. Notice that if God shortens that timeframe then the Great Tribulation will not last for 1,260 days, which would contradict Revelation 12:5-6 (above). This makes it unlikely that God will shorten the length of the Great Tribulation. For further evidence, notice what an angel did when the prophet Daniel was given some end-times prophecies: ""At that time Michael, the great prince who protects your people, will arise. There will be a time of distress such as has not happened from the beginning of nations until then. But at that time your people--everyone whose name is found written in the book--will be delivered." ... Then I, Daniel, looked, and there before me stood two others, one on this bank of the river and one on the opposite bank. One of them said to the man clothed in linen, who was above the waters of the river [i.e. an angel], "How long will it be before these astonishing things are fulfilled?" The man clothed in linen, who was above the waters of the river, lifted his right hand and his left hand toward heaven, and I heard him swear by him who lives forever, saying, "It will be for a time, times and half a time. When the power of the holy people has been finally broken, all these things will be completed. From the time that the daily sacrifice is abolished and the abomination that causes desolation is set up, there will be 1,290 days."" (Daniel 12:1,5-7,11)In the above passage we see a description of the time of unparalleled distress (just as Jesus described it in Mark 13:14-20, above), and we see "the abomination that causes desolation" (just as Jesus described it in Mark 13:14-20, above). Notice that in this context concerning the Great Tribulation, an angel lifted both of his hands and swore an oath (by Him who lives forever) that "It will be for a time, times and half a time." We have already seen that "a time, times and half a time" is three and a half years, and the angel swore a solemn oath with both hands lifted up to heaven that the Great Tribulation will last for three and a half years. It will not last longer than that, nor will it end sooner than that. In order to understand what it means for the Great Tribulation to be "cut short," let's look at Mark 13:20 again: "If the Lord had not cut short those days, no one would survive. But for the sake of the elect, whom he has chosen, he has shortened them." (Mark 13:20)This indicates that instead of allowing the Great Tribulation to continue until no-one is left alive, God has already shortened those days by decreeing that they will last for three and a half years (exactly 1,260 days). Remember, God's plans and purposes were established long before the earth was created, and the plans of the Lord stand firm forever. His purposes will be carried out exactly as He had planned them: "But the plans of the LORD stand firm forever, the purposes of his heart through all generations." (Psalms 33:11)God knows "the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come" (Isaiah 46:9-11, above), and long ago He "cut short" the length of the Great Tribulation by decreeing that it will last for exactly 1,260 days. The Great Tribulation will begin at the mid-point of the seven-year Tribulation period when the Antichrist breaks his treaty with Israel and desecrates the Jewish temple, and it will last for the final three and a half years of the Tribulation until Jesus returns to the earth at the Second Coming. 6. "The Millennium" As we will see later in this series on end-times prophecy, when Jesus returns to the earth (the Second Coming) He will set up His government, and then He will reign on earth for one thousand years. This thousand-year reign of Christ on earth is often referred to as "the Millennium." Some people believe that the "thousand years" is meant to be symbolic in the book of Revelation, and they believe that Jesus will not physically reign on earth for a literal period of one thousand years. In order to determine whether the "thousand years" is meant to be literal or symbolic in the book of Revelation, let's first look at all of the occurrences of the Greek word chilia ("thousand") throughout Revelation: "And I will give power to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy for 1,260 days [literally "one thousand two hundred sixty days"], clothed in sackcloth." (Revelation 11:3)These are all of the places where the apostle John used the Greek word chilia ("thousand") in the book of Revelation. In the passages above, if we set aside the "thousand years" for a moment and we focus on the other uses of the Greek word chilia, Bible scholars point out that the apostle John always used chilia in a literal way in those verses. Therefore, it is reasonable to interpret the "thousand years" as being a literal period of time based on John's normal usage of the Greek word chilia. For further evidence, notice that John used the expressions, "the thousand years," and, "a short time," in the same verse: "He threw him into the Abyss, and locked and sealed it over him, to keep him from deceiving the nations anymore until the thousand years were ended. After that, he must be set free for a short time." (Revelation 20:3)Some people believe that the expression, "the thousand years," in Revelation 20:3 (above) is meant to be a symbolic way of saying "a long time," but notice that the expression, "a short time," is being used in a literal way (not a symbolic way) in that same verse. Since John did not use a symbolic way of saying "a short time" (above), it is inconsistent for us to claim that John used a symbolic way of saying "a long time" in the very same verse. This type of inconsistency often occurs when we are trying to make a passage fit into our own preconceived views. Therefore, the grammatical evidence leads many scholars to the conclusion that John was speaking of a literal thousand-year period of time. Another reason for taking the "thousand years" literally is that John emphasized this phrase by using it 6 times in the space of 6 verses (as we can see in Revelation 20:2-7 above). This form of repetition in the Bible is always significant because it was a method of teaching which was used by Jewish Rabbis throughout history, and it is used periodically throughout Scripture. For example, in Genesis 2:4-9 there is a repeated emphasis on "the LORD God" (5 times in 6 verses), and this repeated emphasis on "the LORD God" is also found a few verses later in Genesis 2:15-22 (6 times in 8 verses). So the fact that John repeatedly emphasized the "thousand years" (6 times in 6 verses), plus the fact that those verses describe specific events which will happen before and after the thousand years, all support the conclusion that the Millennium will be a literal thousand-year period of time. Furthermore, notice that this period is called "the" thousand years, and notice the specific events which will happen before and after the Millennium:
Bible scholars also point out that the events in chapter 20 of the book of Revelation (including the Millennium) all follow sequentially after the events described in chapter 19 (which ends with the Second Coming). This indicates that the Millennium is a specific period of time which will come after the Second Coming. For example, The Bible Knowledge Commentary (Walvoord and Zuck, Dallas Theological Seminary, p.978) says, "There is thus no linguistic or grammatical suggestion that these events are anything other than events following the second coming of Christ and occurring in sequence." People who do not believe in this literal, future thousand-year period of time sometimes say that we are in the "Millennium" now, and that the devil was "bound" at the cross in fulfillment of Revelation 20:2-3: "He seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil, or Satan, and bound him for a thousand years. He threw him into the Abyss, and locked and sealed it over him, to keep him from deceiving the nations anymore until the thousand years were ended. After that, he must be set free for a short time." (Revelation 20:2-3)However, this view (which says that the devil was "bound" at the cross) contradicts the many New Testament passages which describe the devil as a prowling lion who is actively engaged in combat against Christians, as in these examples: "Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings." (1 Peter 5:8-9)The devil was certainly defeated at the cross, but he is still free and active. He has not yet been locked away and sealed in the Abyss. Since the devil will be "bound" in the Abyss at the beginning of the thousand years (Revelation 20:2-7, above), and since the devil is not "bound" yet (according to the passages above), this indicates that the Millennium is a future period of time. The weight of Scriptural evidence supports the literal interpretation of the "thousand years" in the book of Revelation. This thousand-year reign of Christ on earth is often called "the Millennium," and later in this series on end-times prophecy we will see numerous Scriptural descriptions of what life and government will be like during the Millennium. 7. "The Church" 7a. What is the Church?
A basic definition of "the Church" is that it is a group of people, all of whom have saving faith in Jesus Christ as their living Lord and Savior. In other words, every person from the first century until the Rapture who (during his or her lifetime) believes in the resurrected Jesus as Lord and Savior (i.e. every person who has received salvation) is a member of the Church. Every person who does not have salvation is therefore outside of the Church. When a person receives salvation through faith in Jesus, at that exact moment he or she automatically becomes a member of the Church. Notice that this has nothing to do with church attendance. There are many people who go to church but who have not yet received salvation, and they are not members of the Church. In a few moments we will see that every member of the Church has the Holy Spirit living within his or her heart. 7b. When was the Church created on the earth?
Notice what Jesus said concerning the Church: "And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it." (Matthew 16:18)Jesus said that He "will" build His Church, which indicates that there was no such thing as "the Church" when Jesus made this statement. The Church was going to be a new thing which would be created in the future. Jesus used the Greek word ekklesia in the verse above, which means "assembly, church" (Strong's Greek Dictionary). There were other ekklesias ("assemblies") in the Bible, such as "the assembly in the desert" (Acts 7:38), and public assemblies of citizens (as in Acts 19:29-41), and so on. However, in Matthew 16:18 (above), Jesus described a unique form of ekklesia which would be directly related to Him ("my church"). Notice that this new Church had come into existence by the time of Acts 2:41-47, and new members were being added to it daily: "Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls. And they continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers. And fear came upon every soul: and many wonders and signs were done by the apostles. And all that believed were together, and had all things common; And sold their possessions and goods, and parted them to all men, as every man had need. And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart, Praising God, and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church [ekklesia] daily such as should be saved." (Acts 2:41-47, KJV)Therefore, the Church was created sometime after Matthew 16:18 (above) and before Acts 2:41-47 (above). In fact, we can narrow it down even further by noticing that the Church was bought with the blood of Jesus: "Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God, which he bought with his own blood." (Acts 20:28)Therefore, the Church was created sometime after the cross and before Acts 2:41-47 (above). In order to determine when the Church began, let's examine several pieces of evidence. First, notice that John the Baptist had said that the Holy Spirit would one day be experienced by people in a new and different way through a "Spirit baptism" administered by Jesus: "John answered them all, "I baptize you with water. But one more powerful than I will come, the thongs of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire." (Luke 3:16)The Holy Spirit was active in various people's lives during Old Testament times (as in Exodus 35:30-33 and Numbers 11:25-26), but in the above passage John the Baptist said that through Jesus there would be a unique new experience of the Holy Spirit. After Jesus was resurrected, He reminded the disciples of what John the Baptist had said about a new experience of the Holy Spirit, and then He said that this new experience would happen to them in just a few days: "On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: "Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit." So when they met together, they asked him, "Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?" He said to them: "It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." After he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight." (Acts 1:4-9)So in Acts 1:4-9 (above), the Church did not yet exist because this new experience of the Holy Spirit had still not been poured out on believers. Several days later (after Jesus ascended back up to heaven in the passage above), the disciples received this new experience of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost: "When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them." (Acts 2:1-4)On the day of Pentecost (above), this new experience of the Holy Spirit was first received by believers, and this is the moment which Bible scholars tend to consider as being the birth of the Church. For further evidence that the beginning of the Church was on the day of Pentecost, notice what the apostle Peter said: "As I began to speak [to the Gentiles in Cornelius' household], the Holy Spirit came on them as he had come on us at the beginning. Then I remembered what the Lord had said: 'John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.' So if God gave them the same gift as he gave us, who believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I to think that I could oppose God?"" (Acts 11:15-17)In the above passage, Peter was telling "the apostles and the brothers throughout Judea" that when he had spoken the Gospel message to a group of Gentiles (Cornelius and his household), the Gentiles received the same new experience of the Holy Spirit that the original disciples had received on the day of Pentecost. Notice that Peter pointed out that the people who had received this gift were those who believed in the Lord Jesus Christ. Again, this experience is only for those who have received salvation through faith in the resurrected Jesus, which means that it was not available to anyone before the cross. In the passage above, Peter reminded his listeners that Jesus had said, "John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit," so Peter was specifically referring to the new experience of the Holy Spirit which began on the day of Pentecost. Notice that Peter said that "the Holy Spirit came on them as he had come on us at the beginning." In other words, the Holy Spirit had come on the Gentiles in the same way that He had come on the original disciples on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2:1-4, above), which tells us that Peter was referring to Pentecost as "the beginning." As we have seen, the Church was created sometime between Acts 1:4-9 and Acts 2:41-47, and this "beginning" which Peter mentioned (Pentecost) happened in Acts 2:1-4. The beginning of the Church was on the day of Pentecost when a new experience of the Holy Spirit was first received by believers. So now we have determined when the Church was created. Since the Church was born on the day of Pentecost, sometimes people refer to the period from Pentecost to the Rapture as "the Church Age." The Bible does not use this term, but it is a useful expression for describing the period of time in which the Church will be active on the earth. 7c. Other Scriptural descriptions of the Church
7d. What is the relationship between the Rapture and the Church?
When Jesus returns for us at the Rapture, He will be returning specifically for the Church: "For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive. But each in his own turn: Christ, the firstfruits; then, when he comes, those who belong to him." (1 Corinthians 15:22-23)Notice in these passages that when Jesus comes, He will resurrect "those who belong to Him" (1 Corinthians 15:22-23, above), and those who are "in Christ" (both of the passages above). As we saw in section 7c (above), the members of the Church are said to "belong to Christ" and to be "in Christ." For example, Noah, Abraham, Moses, David, etc., all died before the cross and before the Church was born, and therefore they were not Christians (also see Romans 10:9). They were not "in Christ," which means that they will not meet the Lord in the air at the Rapture (look closely at the above two passages). In addition, 1 Corinthians 15:22-23 (above) indicates that Christ will only resurrect those who belong to Him when He comes. Therefore, if anyone receives salvation after Jesus comes then they will not take part in the Rapture because they didn't belong to Him when He came. The only people who will take part in the Rapture are those who already belong to Jesus at the time of the Rapture, which is specifically the Church. 7e. The Church is not Israel
Some people believe that the Church has "replaced" Israel, or that the Church is the "new" Israel, or that the Church is the "true" Israel, or that the Church is the "spiritual" Israel, or that the Church is "the Israel of God," or that Gentile Christians are all "spiritual Jews." However, there is a great amount of evidence in Scripture which disproves all of those views. If you hold any of those views, or if you are not sure, then I would highly recommend that you prayerfully read my article called Are Gentile Christians All "Spiritual Jews"? before you continue with this study of end-times prophecy. The reason why I say this is because if we have an inaccurate view concerning Israel and the Church then we will also form inaccurate views concerning end-times prophecy. Israel and the Church are two separate and distinct entities, and God has separate programs for them (as we will see in Part Two of this series). Conclusion
In this article we learned the definitions for the following terms:
Now that we know some terminology, here is an overview of what we're going to see in this series on the Rapture, as well as in the other articles in this End-Times Prophecy series:
Final Note
Sincere Christians have different views concerning the timing of the Rapture, but let's keep in mind that we Christians will all be Raptured at the appropriate time no matter when it happens to be. If we are caught up to be with Jesus before the Tribulation begins, then praise the Lord! But if the Tribulation begins before Jesus returns for us then praise the Lord anyway, and let's all work together to oppose the Antichrist and his "Mark of the Beast"! I hope this has been helpful, and may the Lord abundantly bless you as you study His Word! |