JESUS IS COMING AGAIN SOON!
By David J. Stewart | January 2010 | Updated November 2015
1st Thessalonians 4:16-18, “For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first. Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words.”
We Shall Behold Him! Jesus is coming back to Earth. He will come back in the same manner that he left the Earth (Acts 1:11). He will come back and meet us in the clouds at the Rapture. This is the Pretribulation Rapture. The word “Rapture” means “caught up,” which is taught in 1st Thessalonians 4:17, “Then we which are alive and remain shall be CAUGHT UP together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.” Note: All Scriptures are quoted from the old trustworthy King James Bible. All modern Bible versions are corrupt.
1st Thessalonians 4:17 is where the teaching of the Rapture comes from. It means to be “caught up.”
Some unlearned skeptics have denied the Biblical teaching of the Rapture, alleging that the doctrine wasn't taught until just a couple centuries ago. As you've just read from the Bible yourself, the teaching of the Rapture is nothing new. The Apostle Paul, who wrote under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit of God, taught that the saints will be CAUGHT UP to meet with the Lord in the air. Paul penned that Scripture 2,000 years ago!
Seven years later after the Rapture of the Church from the world, then Jesus will return at the great “Second Coming” to reign over the Earth as “King of kings” and “Lord of lords.” Even so, come, Lord Jesus! In contrast to the Rapture when Christ comes FOR His own in the air; the Lord will return to the earth WITH His own at His Second Coming. There are numerous contrasts between the Rapture and the Second Coming. Such as, the reign of the Antichrist follows the Rapture; whereas the reign of Jesus Christ follows His Second Coming. Following the Rapture there will be judgment and war upon the earth; whereas after Christ's Second Coming there will be peace and harmony throughout the world, when Satan will be bound in Hell, and Jesus will rule over mankind. Clearly, the Rapture cannot happen at the same time as the Rapture. Thus, a PostTribulation Rapture is unbiblical.
Are you ready for the return of Jesus to the Earth? If you are not saved, you will be left behind at the Rapture, and you won't be ready for Christ's Second Coming. Many I am afraid will not be ready. Jesus said that “While the Bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept.” It has been almost 2,000 years now since Jesus ascended in the clouds up to Heaven. Many skeptics say today, “Where is the promise of His coming?” (2nd Peter 3:3-9). Nevertheless, “A day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years is as a day” (2nd Peter 3:8). Jesus is coming, but according to His own timetable and not ours. Albeit, the handwriting is upon the wall of Biblical prophecy. We are clearly living in the feet of clay mixed with iron on Nebuchadnezzar's prophetic image in Daniel chapter two. If this interests you, please read my exegesis of Revelation 17:10-12 titled, “The Eight Kings Of Revelation.”
Are you indeed ready for Christ's return? You are not ready if you are trusting in your good works to save you from God's impending Judgment against your sin (2nd Thessalonians 1:8-9). Good works cannot save anyone (Romans 3:20). The problem is that you have committed many sins against God, having broken His laws (Romans 3:23; Galatians 3:24-26). Every time that you have broken God's laws, it was recorded by God in His books in Heaven (Revelation 20:11-15). You are not able go up to Heaven to erase those records out of God's books. Your good works will not erase those records, not a single one (Isaiah 64:6). Forsaking your bad works cannot erase your past sins. God will judge you one day according to those records in His books. “The soul that sinneth, it shall surely die” (Ezekiel 18:4). You will pay for your sins in Hell (Romans 6:23; Revelation 20:6).
There is a better way though. Jesus has already paid for your sins on the cross with His own blood (Revelation 1:5). He wants to save you and can save you because He has already paid for your sins on the cross (1st Peter 1:18-19). Acts 10:43, “To Him give all the prophets witness, that through His name whosoever believeth in Him shall receive remission of sins.” Won't you trust the Gospel now? Why put it off? Jesus is coming in the clouds one day, probably very, very soon. It will be too late to get saved if you wait until after Jesus comes back (2nd Thessalonians 2:10-11). The Gospel is that Christ DIED for our sins, He was BURIED, and bodily RESURRECTED the third day according to the Scriptures (1st Corinthians 15:1-4). If you acknowledge your sinnership in God's holy eyes, and BELIEVE the Gospel, you will be saved immediately, permanently, irrevocably and securely. Salvation is a NEW BIRTH, regeneration; not reformation, education or rehabilitation!
Will you be caught up in the Rapture when Jesus returns? Or will you be LEFT BEHIND with the wicked? The choice is yours alone to make. “Ye must be born again,” Jesus said (John 3:3). If you want to be saved, then acknowledge your guilt of sin and come to God on that basis alone—believing on Jesus, the Christ, the Son of God—Who died on the cross for our sins, and raised up three days later for our justification. We are saved by HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS (Matthew 6:33), i.e., by the righteousness of Jesus Christ (2nd Corinthians 5:21; Romans 4:5-6; 10:3-4).
Revelation 1:7, “Behold, He cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see Him, and they also which pierced Him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of Him. Even so, Amen.”
