R437 The Rapture Pt.1

We're always excited to share the message of Dr. Don Wilton with you, but today, a message on the rapture is coming up, and we are ecstatic. Dr. Wilton has many different areas of expertise in Scripture, but the end times is just one of those where he has spent a lot of years studying.

And today, as we open Thessalonians chapter 4 and Revelation chapter 1, we'll begin a two-part series on the rapture. Excited about opening God's Word together and know that we're open to you, love to talk with you, pray with you. You can connect on our website at www.tewonline.org. That's www.tewonline.org. While you're there, see the resources available and sign up for the daily encouraging word email from Dr. Don. You'll be blessed. Or if you need to call, 866-899-WORD is the number.

That's 866-899-9673. And now today's message, the rapture with Dr. Don Wilton. I want to speak to you this morning on the rapture, the rapture of the church. And I'm going to try to do four things for you today. I'm going to try and answer four questions. Number one, what is the rapture? What is it? Number two, when will the rapture occur?

When is it going to happen? Number three, why do I believe what I'm saying to you today? What is my source of authority?

Why do I have convictions? Why do you have convictions about this? And number four, what does this mean to me and to you?

How relevant is it for us today? Now we're going to begin this morning by turning to a wonderful passage and I'm going to ask you to turn in the Bibles to 1 Thessalonians 4. I'm going to ask every person here today to have access to God's Word. It's vitally important that you see what the Word of God has to teach us. We're going to begin in 1 Thessalonians 4. There is a Bible provided for you, by the way, in the Purak in front of you.

You may want to take a copy of that. 1 Thessalonians 4 and verse 13. Now needless to say, I'm going to stop a number of times in this first passage because it has so much and I believe that we need to understand some things very clearly concerning the rapture as we try to discover what it is.

Here's what Paul says, verse 13, Alright, let's stop right there. It is very important to understand that the Bible makes a distinction between two groups of people who die. Now death is something that we are all faced with. But the Bible has death in two categories. First of all, the Bible talks about believers who die and they are called those who have fallen asleep.

It's a wonderful picture here. And right throughout the scripture you're going to find this and when you get into the book of Revelation you're going to find it. Those who have fallen asleep.

I wish I had time to get into details today but obviously I cannot. But just think about it. You see the Bible says that we have no fear of death when we love the Lord Jesus. And when you die as a believer you're going to open your presence, your eyes in the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ. You are going to fall asleep. It's just like falling asleep.

It's a wonderful picture. There's no pain involved in that, no agony, no separation. So that's the first category. But then those who have no hope, those who die outside of Jesus Christ, the Bible calls them the rest of the dead. The rest of the dead.

So you've got two categories. You've got those who have fallen asleep on the one side and you have the rest of the dead on the other side. And in fact we read about the rest of the dead, for example in Revelation chapter 20. The Bible talks about the rest of the dead. In Revelation chapter 19 when the battle of Armageddon takes place and God in Jesus Christ speaks the word the armies of the world and the kings of the world are annihilated, we find a reference to those people who are killed there being categorized as the rest of the dead after Jesus comes back again for the second time and he sets up his thousand year reign upon the earth. He talks about the rest of the dead not being a participant in the thousand year reign.

Why? Because they are outside of Christ Jesus. Now it's very important to understand this as we come to try and understand what the rapture is.

Now let's continue here. Brothers we would not want you to be ignorant about those who fall asleep, believers, or on the other hand to grieve because it's only non-believers who have a reason to grieve or to grieve like the rest of the men and why do they grieve? There it is because they have no hope. Look at verse 14. We believe that Jesus died and rose again and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep with him. Now do you notice there the Bible tells us exactly who the people are that are going to be with Jesus Christ? It's those who have fallen asleep and in fact the Apostle Paul makes a great theological statement of deep theological significance because he ties the hope of the believer into the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. Do you see that? They are tied together there. He's basically saying that as believers our hope in Christ despite death is because of Jesus' resurrection.

He just puts those two things together. Now let's read that verse again. Verse 14. We believe that Jesus died and rose again and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him. According to the Lord's own word, he said it many times, John's Gospel and other places, we tell you that we who are still alive and who are left at the coming of the Lord. Now let's hold on. All right. First of all, have you ever heard someone say that the world is going to destroy itself?

I have. You know recently India detonated some nuclear material and there's a big furor going on. The world has the capability to destroy herself but not according to scripture. Now we can hurt ourselves, we can obliterate a lot of people, we can do major damage but do you know what folks? The Bible says that there are going to be people alive at the rapture of the church. Here it is, very clear. There are going to be in verse 15, according to the Lord's own word, we tell you that we who are still alive and who are left till the coming of the Lord.

Hold on right there, watch me. The Bible talks about death in two ways. Christians have fallen asleep, those who have no hope and grieve are the rest of the dead but the Bible also talks about two comings of our Lord Jesus Christ. The first coming of our Lord Jesus Christ is called the day of the Lord in scripture or the coming of our Lord. And folks, the coming of our Lord or the day of the Lord refers to the rapture of the church. The second coming of the Lord Jesus Christ is called just that, the second coming of the Lord Jesus Christ and the second coming of the Lord Jesus Christ is going to take place at the end of the seven year tribulation period just before the marriage supper of the Lamb and the battle of Armageddon that we read about in Revelation chapter 19. And it's called the second coming, why? Because Jesus has already come the first time, hasn't He? Remember when He was born in Bethlehem's manger to Mary and Joseph and He grew up and then He was crucified on a cross, put in a grave, then He ascended to be seated at the right hand of the Father. Jesus was the one who said, hold on, do not let your heart be troubled.

You believe in God, you believe also in me. In my Father's house there are many mansions and if it were not so I would have told you and if I've told you I'm going to prepare a place for you and if I go and prepare a place for you I will come again and I will receive you unto myself that where I am there ye may be also in the acts of the apostles the disciples stood there gazing up into heaven and the angels came to them and said to their men of Galilee, why are you standing there looking up into heaven? This same Jesus who has ascended up into heaven is going to come back in exactly the same way. This is the second coming. He's going to come and land on the Mount of Olives just as He ascended. And He's going to set up His millennial kingdom, the thousand year reign upon this earth that we read about in Revelation chapter 20.

All right, are you with me now? The rest of the dead, those who have fallen asleep, the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ as opposed to or in relation to the second coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. The second coming is when Jesus will put, literally land back upon this earth.

Now beloved this morning it is very important to understand these truths. If we're going to understand the rapture, the coming of the Lord or the day of the Lord refers to the rapture of the church. Now let's read about the rapture, shall we? Verse 15 again, 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. Why will we not precede them?

Because they're already in the presence of the Lord Jesus even though their bodies are in a grave. Now listen to what happens. 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.

I want you to remember that trumpet. And the dead in Christ will rise first. After that we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together. Now that word caught up is the word that we get rapture from.

I'm going to come back to it in a minute. It literally means to be snatched up, to be caught away. It means to be delivered from. Just I should imagine like parents would notice something on television and then they would go and switch it off because they want to prevent their children from watching something that's not good for them. It is the parental protection of those that love them.

It is the deliverance of the child from something that is untoward. The rapture of the church literally means that God in Christ Jesus is going to protect us from the wrath to come. He's going to catch us up.

He's going to snatch us away. Now look what happens here. After that we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them where? Where are we going to be caught up? In the clouds, all right? Now remember this is the day of the Lord and we are being caught up in the clouds.

Now watch this. With them in the clouds to meet who? Who are we going to meet? The Lord Jesus Christ. Where are we going to meet him? In the air. Are you with me now folks or should I say are we with God's word this morning?

All right? There is a difference between the second coming and the day of the Lord. The day of the Lord is the rapture of the church. It is the time at which we are going to be caught up to meet him in the air.

The second coming is when Jesus Christ is going to come back to this earth. Guess who's going to be with him? Do you love the Lord this morning? Would you raise your hand if you love the Lord this morning? You're going to be with him.

All right, I'm going to ask you now, you love the Lord, would you put up your hand this morning? You are going to be raptured. That's what the Bible says. You're going to be caught up. You're going to be taken away.

All right, let's read here. Verse 18, I love that. Therefore encourage one another with these words. Now brothers, about the times and dates, we do not need to write to you, says Paul.

And then he goes ahead and writes anyway. For you know very well that the day of the Lord, you hear that? Not the second coming. The day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night while people are saying peace and safety. Destruction will come on them suddenly.

Can I put that into modern terminology? While Secretary of State Madeleine Albright is running a shuttle diplomacy between Jerusalem and Washington, calling for the peace of Jerusalem. While the Undersecretary of State representing President Clinton is running over to Pakistan and India and asking them not to set off nuclear bonds. While President Clinton of the United States of America is de-planning Air Force One in Birmingham, England to undergo a new treaty of cooperation with the European Common Market. While there are announcements going on at the moment about the beginning of the Euro, E-U-R-O, on the first of January 1999, guess what? Europe is going to have one single currency. All of Europe. You're going to go to Europe from now on. You don't have to get Deutsche Marks and French francs and Italian liras and all the other things. You just go in there with one currency.

It is controlled by one central bank. But folks, this is very important in understanding. Look what he says here. He says while, this is verse three of chapter five, while people are saying peace and safety. Destruction will come on them suddenly.

Just as labor pains on a pregnant woman and they will not escape. But you brothers are not in darkness so that this day should surprise you like a thief. You all are sons of light and sons of the day. We do not belong to the night or to the darkness.

So then let us not be like others who are asleep but let us be alert and self-controlled for those who sleep sleep at night and those who get drunk get drunk at night. But since we belong to the day let us be self-controlled putting on faith and love as a breastplate and the hope of salvation as a helmet for God did not appoint us to suffer wrath. Now I'm going to say to you just a little while later why do I believe these things about the rapture?

Here's one of the reasons. God did not appoint us. God did not determine that believers would have to suffer the wrath to come but rather to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.

He died for us so that whether we are awake or whether we have actually died physically we may live together with Him. Therefore encourage one another and build each other up just as in fact you are doing. Isn't that an amazing passage of scripture?

It is absolutely action-packed. Folks I want to say several things to you today. There's so much I want to say. I want you to turn now over to the book of Revelation. It's the last book in the Bible, Revelation and I want you to turn with me to chapter 4. Revelation chapter 4.

Now let's just understand something here this morning. There are many passages in Corinthians, in Matthew in 1 Thessalonians chapter 1, 1 Thessalonians chapter 4 in Revelation chapter 1 through 3 which deals with the letters to the seven churches in Asia which is the church age. There are announcements after announcements warning after warning about the rapture of the church. In Revelation chapter 4 we actually read about the time that the rapture occurs. Revelation chapter 4 begins the rapture of the church and the rapture of the church signals the beginning of the seven year tribulation period.

Well let's just read about it here. Revelation chapter 4. After this I look. Now after what? What is the writer saying here?

What is John saying? After what? Well after the church age. That's the age in which we live. After all these things that have happened since Jesus ascended into heaven to be with God forever.

After these things you see chapters 1 through 3 in the book of Revelation deal with the letters to the seven churches and the seven churches are you and me. This is the day of grace. This is the time that we live in when every person has an opportunity. Folks I'm going to say something.

I want you to listen. I will guarantee you that there is at least one person here today. Maybe a young teenage man, maybe a young lady, maybe a boy, girl, maybe a grandparent. I'll guarantee you. God forbid but I'll guarantee you there's at least one person here today who's not paying attention. I'll guarantee you today that there's at least someone here today who is scoffing at even the thought of this. I'll guarantee you that there is someone here today who is saying listen man I don't need all this man. I don't want to listen to all this stuff. Man I've got too many other things to do.

I've got a beautiful girlfriend man. I don't need to worry I'm building a home. I'm raising a family. I'm trying to get my bank balance straight. I don't need this.

I don't need to hear about this. You see we're living in the day of grace. Folks it's as simple as saying to you right now would you give your heart to Jesus? Would you do it right now? Would you settle that issue?

Because you cannot afford not to. And so it is that John writing in chapter 4 of the book of the Revelation. Let me show you something here. Watch me. Alright. They had a heart attack.

Thought I was going to jump off there. Alright. This is what happens in the book of Revelation. The book of Revelation is pointing from point A to my brother Jim over there who directs our orchestra. And from me to Jim over there is the revelation of God and what Revelation is all about. It is the systematic unfolding or the revelation of everything that God has for us. Forgive the interruption. I told you it would be a great day of opening God's Word together and gaining insight together. There's more where this came from. Perhaps you're just now tuning in and haven't heard all of this and didn't realize Dr. Wilton was such an expert.

That's the wrong. He would not like me using that word. He's such an authority in the sense that he has studied so much on the book of Revelation and end times. There's a lot of resources on our website at www.tewonline.org that kind of bears out that heart. You just need to know we're here to open God's encouraging Word and gain insight. And while we do so, the resources that are available online at www.tewonline.org or if you call for resources at 866-899-WORD, the greatest resource we have to offer is the power of prayer.

If you'd like to have someone pray with you and for you, why don't you call us? 866-899-WORD is the number. Jot it down.

Store it in your cell. As Dr. Don would say, we'd be happy to be one of your 2 a.m. friends at 866-899-9673. Now back to today's great teaching with Dr. Don Wilton. It's slowly opening the pages of God's book and telling us who we are and where we're going and how we're going to get there and the reason why we're going to get there. That is the revelation of God. And the overriding message of the book of Revelation is that Jesus Christ was, He is, and He always will be totally victorious. We know the end, Brother Jim, from the beginning. We know what happens at the end because God's Word tells us.

Well, here in Revelation chapter 4, we have the announcement about the rapture. After this, I looked and there before me was a door standing open in heaven and the voice I had first heard speaking to me, like what? What does that say there? Excuse me? Like a trumpet. Have you heard that before? The voice speaking to me like a trumpet said, come up here. Now wait a minute now, folks. What is the second coming? That's Jesus coming down here. Hear the trumpet sounds in line with what Paul taught the church at Thessalonica and John is told to come up here and I will show you what must take place after these things. In other words, what is about to happen is just the beginning of what is about to happen.

Now you say to me, wait a minute, Pastor. Here in chapter 4, we begin the tribulation period. There's going to be a time of unmitigated disaster and pain and torment upon the people who are literally left behind.

What about us? Well, look back at Revelation chapter 3 and verse 10. Just look back there at verse 10. Since you have kept my command to endure patiently, I will also keep you from the hour of trial that is going to come upon the whole world to test those who live upon the earth. God's Word is absolute. It is absolutely precious and absolutely assuring. We can have absolute confidence in the Word of God.

Why? Because God's Word says if you love Him and you believe in Him and you've received Him into your heart, you are going to be raptured. You're going to be snatched away. So what does He say there in verse 2? At once, that word at once is the rapture of the church. At once, immediately, I was in the Spirit and there before me was a throne in heaven with someone sitting on it and so we go on into the rest of the description of the throne room and what happens in the book of Revelation and it begins not unsurprisingly in verse 8 by the angel standing around the throne room saying, Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord God Almighty who was and is and is yet to come.

Boy, isn't that something? Indeed it is something and oh, there's so much more to study and this two-part series on the rapture will begin again tomorrow with more of these details but before we go to tomorrow, before we leave today, could it be that the Lord has done more than give you insight about the rapture, done more than drawn you closer to Scripture and Revelation and Thessalonians? Perhaps the Lord is opening your heart to a decision that needs to be made. As Dr. Don leaves the pulpit, so to speak, and comes into the studio, I pray you'd open your heart to what he wants to share next. Are you ready to give your heart and life to the Lord Jesus Christ? Why don't you pray this prayer with me right now? Dear God, I know that I'm a sinner and I know that Jesus died for me on the cross. Today I repent of my sin and by faith I receive you into my heart. In Jesus' name. My friend, I welcome you today into the family of God.

This is exciting news. If you just prayed to rededicate your life to Christ or give your life to Christ for the very first time, we are so excited about what God is doing to the power of his living Word, the encouraging Word, the Bible itself. We want to put some resources in your hands. Dr. Don has prepared these for you if you'll call us at 866-899-WORD.

That's 866-899-9673. Anytime, day or night, we'd love to not only pray with you and for you but also connect you with great resources that will help you grow. We are in spiritual warfare. We are in a battle. And these resources will help you equip yourself to be prepared for that battle. Are you spiritually dressed for today's battles? As Christians, the Word of God equips us on how to prepare and fight spiritual battles.

The Apostle Paul reminds us in Ephesians 6-12 that our struggle is not against flesh and blood but against principalities and powers, against spiritual forces of evil in heavenly places. Join Dr. Wilton as he unpacks Fortified, a powerful four-message series to help you understand the spiritual battle we are in and teach you how to put your spiritual armor on. Plus, to further equip you, you will receive the bonus book, The Strategies of Satan, How to Detect and Defeat Him by Warren Wiersbe. Call us at 866-899-WORD.

That's 866-899-9673. And request Fortified and The Strategies of Satan for a gift of $25. Thank you for supporting The Encouraging Word as we continue to proclaim the life-changing gospel of Jesus Christ around the world. It's a powerful resource. That and so much more is available on our website at www.tewonline.org. Now tomorrow we'll dive into Part 2 on the Rapture. But if you missed parts of today's program, you need to know that there are video and audio versions of all these teachings on our website, a great resource of activity, www.tewonline.org. That's the place to be while you're there. Sign up for the daily devotional and so much more resources. That's tewonline.org.