The DeGRAFF FREE WILL BAPTIST CHURCH
State Route 235/ 100 East Miami Street
DeGraff, Ohio 43318
Phone: (937) 585-4463
Pastor James Roby
"The Rapture of the Saved"
by Pastor James Roby
Any moment now, night or day, multitudes of people will suddenly disappear from this planet. The Bible says that it will happen in the twinkling of an eye...in a fraction of a second! Every truly born again Christian will vanish from the Earth and will be caught up to meet the Lord Jesus Christ in the air, leaving behind a shocked and bewildered world. Friend, this is not a joke. It is not a fanatic's dream. It is the event that Christians call "the Rapture." The truth about the Rapture is expressed clearly in 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17: "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." Let's break down the sequence of events, step-by-step...
1.) THE LORD HIMSELF SHALL DESCEND FROM HEAVEN. This is the very same Jesus Christ Who was crucified and paid our sin debt on the Cross! This is the very same Jesus Christ Who rose again from the dead and ascended back to Heaven. He promised "I will come again and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also." (John 14:3). You can count on it! Jesus Christ will come again, descending from Heaven with a shout!
2.) THE DEAD IN CHRIST SHALL RISE FIRST. When a believer dies, he goes immediately to Heaven to be with the Lord Jesus. "...absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord." (2 Corinthians 5:8). When Jesus Christ descends from Heaven at the Rapture, those who are now in Heaven will come back with Him. "For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them that sleep in Jesus will God bring with Him." (1 Thessalonians 4:14). The dead and buried bodies of these returning ones will be resurrected from their graves, glorified, and reunited with the persons who once lived in them. Notice, it is not their souls or spirits that sleep at death, but their bodies! Those bodies will, indeed, be raised from the dead when Jesus returns. At the Rapture, the graves of believers who are now in Heaven will burst open and their dead bodies will be resurrected.
3.)THEN WE WHICH ARE ALIVE AND REMAIN SHALL BE CAUGHT UP TOGETHER WITH THEM IN THE CLOUDS, TO MEET THE LORD IN THE AIR. Not only will the bodies of dead Christians be resurrected, but every living Christian will be caught up to meet Jesus in the air (the atmosphere above the clouds). Those believers who are alive when the Rapture takes place will be given glorified, resurrection bodies on the spot, without ever having to die! "Behold, I shew you a mystery (i.e. I'm going to reveal something to you that has been a mystery up to this time); We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed." (1 Corinthians 15:51-52). When Jesus comes, then, every living believer will suddenly be caught up, thus disappearing from the Earth. He will be taken back to Heaven with the Lord Jesus Christ and all of the other Christians. You can imagine the mass panic as millions of people suddenly vanish. "Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left. Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left." (Matthew 24:40-41). "I tell you, in that night there there shall be two men in one bed; the one shall be taken, and the other left. Two men shall be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left." (Luke 17:34-36). Just think of it...The police will not be able to control the mobs and the looting as thousands of homes and businesses are suddenly vacated. Hospitals will be in a state of mass confusion due to missing patients, doctors, and nurses. EVERY BABY IN EVERY HOSPITAL will be gone, not to mention babies in homes and Day Care Centers all over the world! Suddenly airplanes will crash, cars will be left driver-less. Many trucks, busses and trains will be involved in collisions because some drivers and passengers have disappeared. Traffic jams on expressways will be gigantic, bridges will be blocked, fire trucks and emergency vehicles will have great difficulty responding to emergencies. Even some of their own crew members will be missing! The Bible says that those who are left behind after the Rapture will endure a horrible time of great Tribulation such as the world has never known. Horrible things will happen on the Earth as God pours out His wrath upon all who have refused to come to Jesus Christ. At this same time, Satan will make his final attempt to destroy and enslave mankind. Jesus said, "For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be." (Matthew 24:21). A description of this horrible future time is given in the book of Revelation, chapters 6-19.
The Bible says, "Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man." (Luke 21:36). It IS possible to escape this horrible time of Tribulation that will terrify the whole world. Those who are accounted worthy...NOTICE IT DOES NOT SAY THOSE WHO ARE GOOD ENOUGH...IT DOES NOT SAY THOSE WHO ARE DESERVING BECAUSE THEY'VE DONE GOOD WORKS! It says "those who are ACCOUNTED worthy." The Bible is very clear that "all have sinned and come short of the glory of God." (Romans 3:23). No one is worthy! But we can be accounted worthy by trusting in what the Lord Jesus Christ did for us when He shed His blood on the cross and gave His life for our sins. The Bible says that "the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." (Romans 6:23). If you will trust in Him, God will account you worthy by imputing His righteousness to you. He will take away all of your sins and make you His own child! Then, you will be ready for the Rapture of the saved. "Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not, the Son of man cometh". (Mathew 24:44)
