Who Will Be Taken In The Rapture?

Some claim that "all" the Church are to pass through the Tribulation; others that "all" the Church are to be caught out before the Tribulation, while some claim that only the "waiting" and "Watching" Saints shall be caught out before the Tribulation, and that the rest must pass through it.

The latter base their claim on Heb 9:28 , where it says-"Unto them that look for Him shall He appear the second time without sin unto salvation."

While this might apply to the living when He appears, it certainly cannot apply to the dead. There are tens and hundreds of thousands who "fell asleep in Jesus" who never heard of the Premillennial Coming of the Lord, or at least never grasped its meaning, and who therefore never "watched" and "waited" and "looked" for His Appearing.

They surely are "In Christ"; and the "Dead in Christ" are to rise at the Rapture.

Paul does not say in 1Th 4:16 , 1Th 4:17 , that it will be the "dead" who "watched" and "waited" and "looked," and those who are "alive" and "watch" and "wait" and "look" for His Appearing that shall be "caught out," but the dead "In Christ," and we who "Are Alive And Remain." 



The order of the Resurrection is-"Christ the 'First Fruits,' afterward they that 'are Christ's at His Coming.' "

Paul says-"Behold, I show you a Mystery; we shall not all 'sleep,' but we shall ALL Be Changed." 1Co 15:51

Then there is another fact that we must not forget, and that is, the Unity of the Church. 

"For as the Body Is One, and hath many members, and ALL the Members Of That One Body, Being Many ARE ONE (BODY; so also is Christ. For by One Spirit are we ALL Baptized Into One Body." 1Co 12:12 , 1Co 12:13

All then who have been "born again" Joh 3:3-7 are part of Christ's "Body," and we cannot conceive of Christ's "Body" being divided; part of it remaining "asleep" in the grave, and part of it "raised in glory"; part of it left to pass through the Tribulation, and part of it "changed" and caught up to meet Him in the air. 

If "all" the Church are to pass through the Tribulation, then instead of waiting and watching "for the Lord," we should be waiting and watching "for the Tribulation," which is contrary to the teaching of Christ Himself. Mat 24:42-44

The Tribulation Is Not For The 'Perfecting Of The Saints'

The Tribulation is not for the perfecting "of the Saints." It has nothing to do with the Church. It is the time of "Jacob's Trouble" (Jer 30:7 ), and is the "Judgment of Israel," and it is God's purpose to keep the Church Out Of It.  Rev 2:10

The Book of Revelation is written in chronological order. After the fourth chapter the Church is seen no more upon the earth until she appears in the nineteenth chapter coming with the Bridegroom "from" Heaven.

The entire time between these two chapters is filled with appalling judgments that fall upon those that "dwell on the earth," and as the Church is not of the earth, but is supposed to "sit together in 'Heavenly Places' in Christ Jesus" (Eph 2:6 ), she will not be among those who "dwell on the earth" in those days. 

The confusion is largely due to the fact that students of Prophetic Truth do not distinguish between Christ's coming FOR His Saints, and WITH His Saints. The former is called the "Rapture," the latter the "Revelation." 

Numerous passages in scripture speak of Christ coming "with" His Saints (Zec 14:5 , Col 3:4 ,1Th 3:13 , 1Th 4:14 , Jude 14), but it is evident that they cannot come "with" Him, if they had not been previously caught out "to" Him. All such passages refer therefore to the "Revelation" and not the "Rapture."

The typical teaching of the Scriptures demand that the Church be caught out "before" the Tribulation. Joseph was a type of Christ and he was espoused to, and married Asenath, a Gentile bride, during the time of his "rejection by his brethren," and "before the famine, which typified the Tribulation, because it was the time of "Judgment of his Brethren." This is the time of Christ's rejection by "His Brethren"-the Jews, and to complete the type He must get His Bride the church, "before" the Tribulation. 

Moses, who is also a type of Christ, got his bride, and she a Gentile, "after" his rejection by his brethren, and "before" they passed through the Tribulation under Pharaoh. Exo 2:23-25

Enoch, a type of the "Translation Saints," was caught out "before the Flood, and the Flood is a type of the Tribulation, and Noah and his family of the "Jewish Remnant" or 144,000 sealed ones of Rev 7:1-8 , who will be preserved through the Tribulation. 

The Blessed Hope!

How thrilling the thought that some of us shall not die, that in a moment, in the "twinkling of an eye" without being unclothed by the ghastly hands of Death, and instead of the winding sheet of the grave, we shall be instantly changed and clothed with the glorious garments of immortality.

What a transport of joy will fill our being as we suddenly feel the thrill of immortality throbbing through our veins., and find ourselves being transported through the air in the company of fellow Christians and of our loved ones who fell asleep in Jesus.

What welcome recognitions and greetings there will be as we journey up with them to the "Bridal Halls of Heaven," where we shall join in the new and triumphal song of Moses and the Lamb.Rev 5:9 , Rev 5:10 .   source - Clarence Larkin's Dispensational Truth

The Blessed Hope

"Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.
These things speak, and exhort, and rebuke with all authority. Let no man despise thee." Titus 2:13-15

The Blessed Hope is not just about being taken out, it's all about meeting JESUS in the air!

The Tri-fold power of having the Blessed Hope within us

Titus chapter 2 is an amazing chapter because it tells us that the pretribulation rapture of the church is our 'blessed hope', in which we are to do the following while we wait on His return:

So you see that the Blessed Hope is a means by which God uses it to prepare us and purify us as we wait. It is not simply a "get out of jail free card", it is a refining tool of the Lord to make us ready on a daily basis. After all, death is a reality for over 250,000 people a day every day around the world, with lots of them being bible believing Christians.

Don't you think that to be "ready at any moment" is a pretty good idea? Having the blessed hope in our lives pushes us towards readiness, and way from stagnation and slothfullness in our spiritual walk with the Lord Jesus.

Salvation is by grace through faith plus nothing strengthens the Blessed Hope

As bible believeing Christians in the age of Grace, we live in a period of time that people of no other dispensation were afforded. Salvation by grace through faith is a gift that we in this life will never understand the full measure of. We read about this in the second chapter of the book of Ephesians:

"But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)

And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in [his] kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.

For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them." Ephesians 2: 4-10

"And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean." Revelation 19:14

We who are saved did nothing to save ourselves, and we do nothing to keep ourselves saved. It is all of the Lord Jesus, this is His great gift to us. We can't fall out, be pulled out, be pushed out, or be talked out of the eternal life He gives us at the moment we recieve this free gift. We can't even jump out! Paul addresses this in the eighth chapter of the book of Romans:

"For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord." Romans 8:38,39

God knows that we are redeemed sinners who still have to live everyday in unredeemed bodies of flesh. He knows that we will still commit sin. So He gives us verses like Romans 8 to assure us and comfort us that we can never be separated from His love no matter where we wander. The Prodigal Son, while he lost his inheritance (a picture of loss of rewards at the Judgment Seat), he never lost his sonship with the Father.

Of course, it is God's desire to see us not become like the Prodigal, and to strive to live our lives as He would have us to live them.

Beloved, the bible teaches us that Jesus will 'never leave us or forsake us' after we have been saved. That's a promise you can hang your eternal destiny on. His return for His church to take us our before the Tribulation is also another precious promise you may trust with all your heart.

He said He would come get us...and He will. Be ye always ready....this is our BLESSED HOPE.

"WATCH"
By Warren M. Smith.

Oh, the glory fast approaching, of Ascension's happy morn, 
When the watchful servants quickly to His bosom shall be borne;
When the dear ones left behind us, shall for us oft seek in vain, 

But our spirits shall have risen to the Lamb for sinners slain.
Caught up in the air to meet Him, oh! the heights and depths of joy,
Lengths and breadths of love surpassing, purest bliss wi ' thout alloy; 

Now we see with darkened vision, then we'll see Him face to face, 
And we will, through countless ages, sing the glories of His grace.
Two shall at a mill be grinding, one be taken, one be left, 

Two shall in a bed be sleeping, one of these shall be bereft; 
Oh, what wonder and amazement, shall the ones on earth, possess, 
They shall pass through tribulation, pain, and sorrow and distress.

We shall live with Him forever, in the sunshine of His love, 
We shall meet to part, no never, with th' angelic host above; 
There we'll hear our Father's welcome, as He calls us, one by one,

Saying to each one in person, "Faithful servant, 'tis well done."
Let us, then, our lamps keep burning, and our wedding garments on, 
Ready to go forth to meet Him, when we hear Him say, "I come; 

There will be no time to slumber, lest He come whil'st we're asleep
And the door be shut between us; let us then our vigil keep.