The Rapture And The Day Of The Lord

THE DAILY WORD
By Jim Seekamp

Wednesday February 20, 2008

1 Thessalonians 4:14-18 (NIV)
15. According to the Lord's own word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left till the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16. 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. 17. 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. 18. Therefore encourage each other with these words.

1 Corinthians 15:51,52 (NIV)
51. Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed-- 52. in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed.

The Word tells us in 1 Thessalonians 4:16 that Jesus will come to gather His people; the dead in Christ will rise first, then those who are alive on the earth will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air.

1 Corinthians 15 tells us that we will be changed; we will receive new bodies that are "imperishable!" It is important to separate this (the rapture) from the "Day Of The Lord": when Jesus returns to the earth not just in the air, but comes down to put an end to the antichrist and throws satan into the abyss for 1,000 years, during which time there is peace on the earth with Christ reigning from Jerusalem.

Notice that at the rapture we will meet Him IN THE AIR; the antichrist won't even have been revealed yet at that time. 2 Thessalonians 2 clears that up:

2 Thessalonians 2:1,2 (KJV)
1. Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him, 2. That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ (NIV: "Day Of The Lord") is at hand.

Here we see Paul telling the Thessalonians not to worry about the "Day Of The Lord" being "at hand"; he basically proves that it couldn't be at that point because the rapture has to happen first:

2 Thessalonians 2:3,4 (NIV)
3. Don't let anyone deceive you in any way, for that day will not come until the rebellion (Greek: apastasia: DEPARTURE) occurs and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the man doomed to destruction. 4. He will oppose and will exalt himself over everything that is called God or is worshiped, so that he sets himself up in God's temple, proclaiming himself to be God.

We know that the Greek word "apastasia" is correctly translated "departure" and not "rebellion" because of verses 6 through 8:

2 Thessalonians 2:6-8 (NIV)
6. And now you know what is holding him (the antichrist) back, so that he may be revealed at the proper time. 7. For the secret power of lawlessness is already at work; but the one who now holds it back will continue to do so till he is taken out of the way. 8. And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will overthrow with the breath of his mouth and destroy by the splendor of his coming.

The one who is "holding back" the antichrist has to be "taken out of the way" in order for the antichrist to be revealed. That would be the church; we have authority OVER satan (Ephesians 1:18-23, Ephesians 2:6), and he cannot rule on the earth until we're gone! Then after the great tribulation period is over, Jesus will return to overthrow the antichrist:

2 Thessalonians 2:8 (NIV)
And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will overthrow with the breath of his mouth and destroy by the splendor of his coming.

This "coming" of Jesus is the great and terrible "Day Of The Lord" spoken of so many times by the prophets; a day of horror and destruction on the earth:

Joel 1:15 (NIV)
Alas for that day! For the day of the LORD is near; it will come like destruction from the Almighty.

Joel 2:1-3 (NIV)
1. Blow the trumpet in Zion; sound the alarm on my holy hill. Let all who live in the land tremble, for the day of the LORD is coming. It is close at hand-- 2. a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and blackness. Like dawn spreading across the mountains a large and mighty army comes, such as never was of old nor ever will be in ages to come. 3. Before them fire devours, behind them a flame blazes. Before them the land is like the garden of Eden, behind them, a desert waste-- nothing escapes them.

Here is a description of the "Day Of The Lord" from Revelation 19:

Revelation 19:11-21 (NIV)
11. I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True. With justice he judges and makes war. 12. His eyes are like blazing fire, and on his head are many crowns. He has a name written on him that no one knows but he himself. 13. He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and his name is the Word of God. 14. The armies of heaven were following him, riding on white horses and dressed in fine linen, white and clean. 15. Out of his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations. "He will rule them with an iron scepter." He treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty. 16. On his robe and on his thigh he has this name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.
17. And I saw an angel standing in the sun, who cried in a loud voice to all the birds flying in midair, "Come, gather together for the great supper of God, 18. so that you may eat the flesh of kings, generals, and mighty men, of horses and their riders, and the flesh of all people, free and slave, small and great." 19. Then I saw the beast and the kings of the earth and their armies gathered together to make war against the rider on the horse and his army.
20. But the beast was captured, and with him the false prophet who had performed the miraculous signs on his behalf. With these signs he had deluded those who had received the mark of the beast and worshiped his image. The two of them were thrown alive into the fiery lake of burning sulfur. 21. The rest of them were killed with the sword that came out of the mouth of the rider on the horse, and all the birds gorged themselves on their flesh.

The antichrist comes to deceive "those who are perishing"; NOT the children of God who have received salvation:

2 Thessalonians 2:9-12 (NIV)
9. The coming of the lawless one will be in accordance with the work of Satan displayed in all kinds of counterfeit miracles, signs and wonders,
10. and in every sort of evil that deceives those who are perishing. They perish because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. 11. For this reason God sends them a powerful delusion so that they will believe the lie 12. and so that all will be condemned who have not believed the truth but have delighted in wickedness.

There is absolutely no scriptural explanation for a mid-trib or post-trib rapture without obvious misinterpretation of not only these verses, but others that are actually talking about the "Day Of The Lord" and not the rapture.

PRAYER
Thank You Father for sending Jesus fulfill the law and defeat satan. Thank You for Your Word that unveils Your truth to me so I can understand how to live my life on this earth. Help me understand Your ways better and put them into practice as I renew my mind with Your Word and allow Your Word to govern my life.
In Jesus Name, Amen.

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