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study of the seven churches of revelation has come to an end, and we
are now living in the white space on the page between Revelation 3 and
4. There is a gap of time between chapters three and four. Chapter 3
ended with the last of the seven churches (about A.D. 100). Revelation
4 will take us to the throne room of God in heaven where we will see
a vision of the events that will occur before the start of the Tribulation.
We do not know how much time will occur between Rev. 3 and 4, but so
far 2,000 years have elapsed. In Rev. 1, 2, and 3 we saw many references
to “church” or “churches;” but from Revelation
4 to the end of the book in Rev. 22:16, there is no reference to church
or churches on this earth but only in heaven. Why are there no references
to the church on earth between Rev. 3 and Rev. 22? The answer to this
question is in this study.
The Tribulation. What is the Rapture? The Rapture is the next major event
in God’s timeline of the future. Christians are waiting for it because
Jesus Christ will return and remove them from this evil world before the
Tribulation starts. The Tribulation is an event the entire world will experience.
It is a seven year period of suffering, war, famine, destruction, pain, and
great sorrow. The prophet Daniel tells us that the first part of the seven
year Tribulation lasts for 3.5 years. It begins when a government leader
makes a peace treaty that includes Israel. This brings peace to the Middle
East.
And he will make a firm covenant with the many for one week, but in the middle of the week he will put a stop to sacrifice and grain offering; and on the wing of abominations will come one who makes desolate, even until a complete destruction, one that is decreed, is poured out on the one who makes desolate. (NASB) Dan. 9:27 However, in the middle of the Tribulation, the leader ends the peace
with Israel and so divine judgment comes onto the world. Jesus warned
us about the last 3.5 years of the Tribulation. He called these years
the “Great Tribulation.”
But pray that your flight may not be in the winter, or on a Sabbath; for then there will be a great tribulation, such as has not occurred since the beginning of the world until now, nor ever shall. (NASB) Matt. 24:20-21 God told the church in Philadelphia that this time of trouble or “testing” would
be worldwide and not just a local event. It will be the world against
Israel and God against the world. Because you have kept the word of My perseverance, I also will keep you from the hour of testing, that hour which is about to come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell upon the earth. “I am coming quickly; hold fast what you have, in order that no one take your crown.” (NASB) Rev. 3:10-11
Worried
Christians. Earlier we said that the Rapture comes before the Tribulation.
The English word “rapture” comes from the Greek word HARPAZO
that means “to snatch away, pluck up, or to be caught up.” Where
is the Rapture referred to in the New Testament? It is found in the first
letter to the Thessalonians.
For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet of God; and the dead in Christ shall rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and thus we shall always be with the Lord. (NASB) 1 Thess. 4:16-17 The phrase “caught up” is
the Rapture. When the Rapture occurs, Christians who are already dead
will receive new bodies and “rise first” to meet Jesus. Then
those Christians who are alive will be “caught up” or will
ascend upwards to meet Jesus in the air. The Greek word for “air” is
AER, which means “atmosphere.” Since the atmosphere is as
high as 560 kilometers (348 miles), this could imply that Jesus will
meet His saints anywhere from the clouds and upward. What we do know
is that Jesus will not meet us on land. Why were the Thessalonians worried?
It is important to remember that Jesus’ First coming was as a human
on earth and His second coming is a return to the earth. The second coming
is a return. The Rapture is not a return to the earth. When the rapture
occurs, Jesus does not return to the earth. We will meet Him in the air.
The problem in Thessalonica was that someone was teaching them that dead
Christians would miss the rapture. So the apostle had to correct the
false teaching in 1 Thess. 4-5.
Worried Again. Later the apostle discovered that he had to correct yet
another false teaching. Therefore in his second letter to them he says, Now we request you, brethren, with regard to the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and our gathering together to Him, that you may not be quickly shaken from your composure or be disturbed either by a spirit or a message or a letter as if from us, to the effect that the day of the Lord has come. (NASB) 2 Thess. 2:1-2 They are worried that the Day of the
Lord had already come. Why? Why should they care? Were they worried that
they had missed the Kingdom, Christ’s second coming, or the Rapture?
But why would they worry about something that they could not miss? If the
end of the world had come and men and women had gone to either heaven or
hell, they would be in one of those places. If Jesus Christ had returned
to the earth (Christ’s second coming) and then set-up the kingdom on
earth, they would not have missed that either, since the scriptures say, BEHOLD, HE IS COMING WITH THE CLOUDS, and every eye will see Him, even those who pierced Him; and all the tribes of the earth will mourn over Him. Even so. Amen. (NASB) Rev. 1:7
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| Revelation: Prophecy of the Future | |||||
