Currently, there is increasing interest in the timing of the rapture. Based upon
much of what I have heard, and due to the inept understanding of the Scriptures, I
actually feel sorry for some of the presenters and saddened for those buying
into some of the conclusions.
It will serve
us well to define the rapture and shed light on Matthew 24, the chapter that is
often pivotal in the rapture debate. Simply stated, the rapture is an unknown moment in time when
believers in Christ are snatched from the earth to meet their Lord in the air (1Thessalonians 4:17). Proving the
validity of that event is not the purpose of this post.
My sole
objective is to share a couple of thoughts on Matthew 24. It is important to note that
the Gospel of Grace/Justification by Faith, along with the concept of the Church/Body of Christ were revealed only to Paul...several years after the
death and resurrection of Christ. They
are Christ’s revelations after His ascension and the central pillars of Paul’s Gospel (Romans 16:25) and core theology of today's Church.
At the time of Matthew 24 it is vital
to note that the Disciples of Christ were totally unaware of the forthcoming Church Age, now some 2,000 years in duration. Conversely, they
were totally aware of, and eager to learn their role in the soon coming Kingdom as
promised to Israel throughout the Old Testament.
The disciples were not even aware of God's plan of salvation at the cross. They
were ardent believers in the Jewish Messiah, and primarily interested in who would be the greatest in the soon coming Kingdom (Matthew 18:1). For sure, they were clueless regarding the forthcoming Church
Age that concludes with the Rapture of true believers in Christ.
Thus, when the disciples asked Jesus about
world conditions at the time of His return, they were not alluding to the rapture,
but to the time when He would come back to the earth to establish the prophesied Kingdom, of
which they would be part of the ruling elite.
There is no mention in the Old Testament
regarding the Church Age…the Disciples were expecting to be persecuted and after a
period of time, likely 7 years, they were expecting their Messiah to return and establish His Kingdom on earth.
In Matthew
24, the Disciples had no clue as to the Rapture, and to make a case for the
Rapture based on Matthew 24 is like forcing a square peg into a round
hole.
Even though
I have an opinion regarding the timing of the Rapture, proclaiming anything
other than BE READY is not my passion.
My passion
is to inspire people to live a life of In-Syncness, regardless of world conditions. My guess is that in the future, it is only going to become more difficult to live a biblical-based life.
That is why I strongly believe every minster will greatly benefit from reading In-Syncness for Ministers, and every parishioner will greatly benefit
from reading In-Syncness for Christians.
E-book link to
Amazon or Barnes & Noble at www.insyncness.com/books
The In-Syncness books are a totally
unique read; cutting edge information that is tailored for NOW times.
Regardless of your opinion on the timing of the rapture, I can assure you that
people in ALL nations will go through perilous times and it is highly likely
that lawlessness and shortages of all kinds will precede the rapture. It behooves
all of us to be prepared in every sense of the word.
In my opinion, the In-Syncness books
are a must for these times.
