Podcasts about secret rapture

The Secret Rapture; is it really a thing that the Bible speaks about? Is the Secret Rapture when those who have been faithful to got get taken away *before* the time of trouble? Are we really reading those texts in the Bible correctly?Robert and Andrew tackle the question of Taken Away or Left Behind while reading Luke 17:26-37Matt 24:37-44Rev 24:24-28What is really being spoken of in these verses?Support the showQuestions or Comments? Please reach out to us through email at questions@truewisdom.info or on twitter @truewisdom_podGive instruction to a wise man, and he will be yet wiser: teach a just man, and he will increase in learning. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding. Proverbs 9:9-10We encourage you to download our primary Bible Study resource called “The Key Principles of Effective Bible Study” from http://bit.ly/17vs3LU, and listen to the associated explanatory podcasts that Andrew has provided at https://BibleStudy.asbzone.com/357512/8572886.We pray that this resource will be very helpful to you in your Bible Studies overall.

Delivered By Pastor Brad Smith on 13th October 2024. Before we disprove the "secret rapture", let us look at the teaching... 1. The rapture takes place when Jesus suddenly and secretly comes to the earth to gather all "born again" Christians to heaven. Importantly, this occurs without warning or sign -- and literally happen any day now. 2. According to most proponents, the rapture includes both living Christians and those "dead in Christ". A minor view holds that the rapture is only for those Christians alive in the last days. 3. The rapture occurs before the onset of "the" Great Tribulation -- hence, it is often called the pre-Tribulation rapture. Thus, Christians are spared the horrors of the Great Tribulation (this seems to be the motive behind the teaching). 4. Depending on the particular school of thought, "the" Great Tribulation -- described as a time of unprecedented trouble on the entire world -- lasts either three and one half years, or seven years. 5. After "the" Great Tribulation, Jesus will "officially" and visibly return to fight in the great Battle of Armageddon. Factual points to consider... The word 'rapture' {secret or otherwise} is not used in the scripture... the rising of the overcomers at Christ's return is the reference. "Great Tribulation"... there is no such thing as 'THE' Great Tribulation... the word 'the' is not used. "Antichrist"... neither is 'THE' Antichrist a specific person... 'the Antichrist' is not used in Revelations. 'Antichrist' (antichristos) as a word has a simple meaning... 'anti-' (against or instead of) & -christ (the anointed or anointing). It is not a person, but rather a doctrinal attitude towards the anointed or the anointing. A PDF copy of the talk notes is available at: https://www.brf.org.au/articles/articles.jsp?category=9

Restless reacts to the viral clip from the Tucker Carlson show interviewing John Rich where he mentions a conspiracy about the origin of the Scofield Reference Bible. We discuss the state of theology. We discuss dispensationalism. We discuss the 2nd coming. Life comes at you fast. This reaction comes at you faster.  We think you would be helped by our friend Rob Mckenzie's book- Identifying the Seed. We also referenced this book by Ian Murray- The Puritan Hope. The next people who join our patreon will win a copy of each book. Join our patreon for bonus episodes every single week! You can follow this podcast all over the internet. twitter,   instagram.    or facebook Or email us at restlesspodcasting@gmail.com

Is the Hebrews 4 rest a physical or spiritual rest? What about keeping the Sabbath? Why does 1 Corinthians 15 mention two kinds of bodies? Are we going to have two bodies? A pastor taught me the return of Christ might go unnoticed by many who are left behind. Could this be true?

Is the Hebrews 4 rest a physical or spiritual rest? What about keeping the Sabbath? Why does 1 Corinthians 15 mention two kinds of bodies? Are we going to have two bodies? A pastor taught me the return of Christ might go unnoticed by many who are left behind. Could this be true? To support this ministry financially, visit: https://www.oneplace.com/donate/1258/29

Is the return of Christ a secret rapture or is it more public and obvious? Is there one return of Christ or two? What is the general order of events at the end of the age? Do we need to re-dedicate our lives to Christ? How should we view a refocus later in life? Do I need to find church fellowship? Do I need to tithe to a church? Why will Jesus tell some churched people to depart from Him? Whom do I pray to - the Father, the Son, or the Holy Spirit? To support this ministry financially, visit: https://www.oneplace.com/donate/1258/29

Is the return of Christ a secret “rapture” or is it more public and obvious? Is there one return of Christ or two? What is the general order of events at the end of the age? Do we need to re-dedicate our lives to Christ? How should we view a refocus later in life? Do I need to find church fellowship? Do I need to tithe to a church? Why will Jesus tell some churched people to depart from Him? Whom do I pray to - the Father, the Son, or the Holy Spirit?

Prophecy Watchers --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/aei-leon/message

View this on YouTube- https---www.youtube.com-watch--v-MAfK3Eu-2V4

A new MP3 sermon from Pineville Sovereign Grace Fellowship is now available on SermonAudio with the following details: Title: Further Discussion Regarding Secret Rapture and Preterism Subtitle: Special Meeting Speaker: Larry Phillips Broadcaster: Pineville Sovereign Grace Fellowship Event: Special Meeting Date: 1/5/2023 Bible: Matthew 24:8 Length: 11 min.

As we revealed in our lessons during the two last weeks, the Bible is clear that when Jesus comes back, His feet will not touch the ground. It says the righteous will be caught up to meet Jesus in the air (1 Thessalonians 4:17). That is why Jesus emphatically warned us in, “Matthew 24:26-27, "Wherefore if they shall say unto you, Behold, he is in the desert; go not forth; behold, he is in the secret chambers; believe it not. For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be." Satan cannot replicate a worldwide, devastating event of the magnitude of the real second coming. However, if he can seduce the world into believing false theories such as the secret rapture, he won't need to. It is important to know and understand what Jesus says about the rapture and His second coming! Will there be a rapture when Jesus returns? YES! Will the rapture be secret? NO!

In Part 1 of our lesson from last week, we ended that lesson talking about the saved or the righteous people going through the Great Tribulation with Christ. For clarity, please let me take a moment to define “The Great Tribulation”. This is a great time of trouble for God's people at the end of time spoken of by Daniel, in Daniel 12:1, Jesus, in Matthew 24:21, and the apostle John, in Revelation 7:14. You can be assured that the Lord will carry His faithful believers through this difficult time as revealed in Revelation 3:10. It occurs just before the second coming of Jesus. Let's wrap-up this lesson on what the Bible says about a secret rapture.

As to the manner of Christ's coming there can be no doubt. It will not be hidden from the eyes of men. He will be seen by those living on the earth. This episode will focus on the nature of the second coming of Christ.

Prophecy helps us to understand where we are in the stream of time, and to view world events in prophetic perspective. In this podcast we study the theory of the secret rapture because it has gone mainstream and is believed by many Christians.We'll be looking at what is happening in the world and what other people say about Dispensationalism. We'll be interviewing Pr. Werner Eiselen for more understanding about why people are disillusioned by the theory of the secret rapture. Hereafter we turn to the Bible for answers. We observe the 3 pillars of the secret rapture theory after which we compare it to the Bible. We find that the secret rapture is unbiblical. 

Saat ini kita memang sedang berada di masa akhir dunia, jadi misi penyelamatan terbesar dari sejarah dunia akan segera terjadi. Apakah anda siap?The Rescue, Christ, Second Coming, Literal, Audible, glorious, false, secret rapture, The counterfeit,

Saat ini kita memang sedang berada di masa akhir dunia, jadi misi penyelamatan terbesar dari sejarah dunia akan segera terjadi. Apakah anda siap?The Rescue, Christ, Second Coming, Literal, Audible, glorious, false, secret rapture, The counterfeit,

The secret rapture was created to comfort those that believe in the lies of theologians, and ministers who have no problem joining in the falsehood of this so called doctrine of devils. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/iupr-bible-episodes/message

This episode is also available as a blog post: http://whitestone2020.com/2022/03/25/only-one-second-coming-no-secret-rapture/

There's a popular myth that the second coming of Jesus Christ can happen at any time--maybe even tonight. Do you realize, dear friends, that is a false doctrine? He will not come tonight--not according to the Word of God. But wait, you may think. Doesn't He return in a secret rapture that can happen at any moment to protect His true servants from the great tribulation? Again, not according to the Bible. On today's Tomorrow's World program, instead of looking to popular Left Behind novels, we'll open up the Bible and see what it actually says about this subject. We'll see that Jesus Himself listed specific signs that must precede His return. What are they? And more importantly, what is the warning He gave along with that first sign? It's an important one. No, Jesus will not come tonight, tomorrow, this year, next year, or the year after. You or I may die tonight, and we'll meet Him in our next conscious moment, but He will not return to earth tonight, not even in a secret rapture. I'll show that on today's program. And I'll also be offering you a free DVD, “Is the Rapture Your Incredible Future?” So be sure to take down our contact information that will be shown at various times during this program. Stay with me as I'll be back to answer these important questions from the pages of the Bible. And I'll also reveal what Jesus gave as the first sign of the end of the age, and just as importantly, the warning He gave that accompanies that sign.

This episode is also available as a blog post: http://whitestone2020.com/2022/02/02/a-secret-rapture/

In this episode, Brian and Becky discuss the infamous doctrine of eschatology.  From the Mark of the Beast and the Secret Rapture to the Antichrist and Millennialism, the duo tackles some of the most controversial topics from a Reformed perspective.  

This daily broadcast will bring you inspiring hope-filled messages from God’s Word! Each speaker will help you grow in your walk with the Lord. You’ll find hope for these times in God’s Word! For more information email: messageofhope@lifetalk.net or call (800) 775-4673.

Siya ay babalik sa upang tayo ay tubusin sa ating pagkakasala

Siya ay babalik sa upang tayo ay tubusin sa ating pagkakasala

Saat ini kita memang sedang berada di masa akhir dunia, jadi misi penyelamatan terbesar dari sejarah dunia akan segera terjadi. Apakah anda siap?

Saat ini kita memang sedang berada di masa akhir dunia, jadi misi penyelamatan terbesar dari sejarah dunia akan segera terjadi. Apakah anda siap?

Be sure to subscribe for more - Creation Grounds Podcast Know who casts what and measure your way to your bookings with Auditiontrackers.com ________ Helene Kvale Imdb Website: Helene Kvale Upcoming documentary: The Loom Helene Kvale was born in Norway, grew up in San Francisco until she was eleven and then lived in London. She received a BSc Econ Honors. from the London School of Economics, reading Anthropology and then gained her post graduate actor training diploma at The Drama Studio, London. As an actor, Helene performed on the West End stage in Burning Blue (winner of 2 Olivier Awards), Life During Wartime, and To Kill A Mockingbird. She also starred in numerous regional and touring productions including The Secret Rapture, Roman and Marys, Diary of Anne Frank, Getting Out, Brand, Canadian Gothic, Sexual Perversity in Chicago. Helene was part of the National Theatre Company playing Lady Anne opposite Ian McKellen in Richard III and in King Lear (Brian Cox) as well as Napoli Milionaria. At the NT Studio she played opposite Ray Winstone in Shift and in Gitta's Atonement, directed by Brian Cox. Helene has appeared in over twenty television dramas including Prime Suspect 4, Soldier Soldier, Daddy's Girl, London Bridge, This Life, Deceit, Lovejoy, The Bill. Film work includes Tomorrow La Scala! (British Academy Award Nomination and Juried at the Cannes Film Festival), Talk and 5:45 (Winner Berlin Short Film Festival). In 2003, she returned to the USA to join the faculty in the Department of Dramatic Arts at the University of Connecticut as Assistant Professor in Residence. Helene is also a director and writer. She is the founding Artistic Director of Bated Breath Theatre Company where she produced, conceived and directed Hunger, The Parkville Project and her translation of A Doll's House at the Gene Frankel Theater in New York. Helene regularly directs for The Connecticut Repertory Theatre including If We Were Birds, Eurydice, Big Love, Pride and Prejudice, Too Much Memory, The Skin of Our Teeth and Gut Girls. She also directed Marat/Sade for the Studio D Series. Helene is an alumna of The Lincoln Center Theater Directors Lab. As a screenwriter, Helene co-wrote the independent films Burning Blue (national release July 2014) and When You're Not Looking. She is currently writing a TV pilot called Indivisible. She currently is working on a documentary near and dear to her heart slated for release in 2023. ________ Some Questions I Ask: When did your interest for the arts begin? (3:35) About the day she decided to start taking action towards building career as artist? (5:06) On transition from the US to Europe (6:45) What was the London Arts scene like and how was your journey to success there (10:18) On working opposite Ian McKellen & Brian Cox at National Theatre (13:52) What was it like building your Lady Anne? (19:32) On television career (21:05) What prompted shift from TV career to teaching? (24:22) What biggest foundation lesson do you want actors to walk away from the things you teach? (26:30) On directing (30:50) Favorite kind of actors to direct (34:10) What led to the formation of your theater Bated Breath? (37:17) What do you believe today that you didn't believe 10 years ago & why? (38:49) On her interest for documentaries (41:56) When you think of the word creative who comes to mind for you and why? (51:14) How can people connect with you? (55:00) ____________ You can follow Arron at: Website: ArronLloyd.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/arronlloyd/ Facebook: Arron Lloyd Twitter: https://twitter.com/ArronLloyd Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/arronsl316 TikTok:Arronslloyd Youtube: Arron Lloyd This is NYC merch -

Ang pagbabalik ni Jesus ay hindi lihim, ito ay makikita at maririnig.

Listen as Sarah and David talk with Tim Bice about the Secret Rapture and work to uncover the what Scripture has to say about this weighty end times teaching.

As we see yet another picture of the churches role in the last days, we see the church portrayed as two witnesses, faithfully proclaiming the Word of God and eventually being martyred for it, just as Christ our Lord was. But in the end we also see the victory of God in the resurrection!

The rapture teaching hides the truth of the Bible. It keeps you from understanding God’s magnificent plan for you.

Hashtag not-so-humblebrag alert! This week, I talk about the child-like excitement of winning a contest that FragranceNet hosted, scoring YSL Libre and Maison Margiela's Jazz Club for a steal, and the perfume that knocked Victoria's Secret Rapture out of its spot as the only fragrance I will ever say is objectively bad (spoiler alert: it's in the title). I also review Tenue de Soirée by Annick Goutal, a new startup that aims to take the pretentiousness out of buying fragrance, and a charming op-ed about Flower by Kenzo.  Mentioned in this Episode: Tenue de Soirée (Goutal Paris): https://www.goutalparis.com/collections/tenue-de-soiree/products/tenue-de-soiree-eau-de-parfum?variant=32590048886830 Fragrance startup Snif won’t tell you what their perfumes smell like. You have to sniff them for yourself: https://www.fastcompany.com/90562875/fragrance-startup-snif-wont-tell-you-what-their-perfumes-smell-like-you-have-to-sniff-them-for-yourself Snif (official website): https://snif.co/ The First Time I Saw Myself in a Perfume: https://www.thecut.com/2020/10/review-2020-flower-by-kenzo-perfume.html Connect: Instagram: @pinotandperfume Email: sarahchacon784@gmail.com

Do you believe in the secret rapture? Listen in as we study the Bible with Steve Wohlberg and learn what the word of God says about this event. You'll gain knowledge that will help you understand Bible history. Jesus is coming soon! Let us all get prepared! Visit our website for more information: https://www.whitehorsemedia.com. Donate online: https://www.whitehorsemedia.com/donate/

Speaker - Pastor Alan Stephens

Is the teaching of a "Secret Rapture" taught in the Bible?

This daily broadcast will bring you inspiring hope-filled messages from God’s Word! Each speaker will help you grow in your walk with the Lord. You’ll find hope for these times in God’s Word! For more information email: messageofhope@lifetalk.net or call (800) 775-4673.

This daily broadcast will bring you inspiring hope-filled messages from God’s Word! Each speaker will help you grow in your walk with the Lord. You’ll find hope for these times in God’s Word! For more information email: messageofhope@lifetalk.net or call (800) 775-4673.

Second in the new series (3) of Fresh Bread: Your Kingdom Come (OWR 234) – based on the book, Oh What Rapture by Raymond McCullough   Raymond reads:   Chapter 2 – The Resurrection   Chapter 3 – Origin of Secret Rapture   Chapter 4 – Surprise, but no secret   with music from:   King Boru (Northern Ireland, UK) 'The Lord is Good in All His Ways' (Anam Cara)   Low Country Boys (Northern Ireland, UK) ‘Nashville Skyline’ (Gran Time Comin)   Sarana VerLin (Michigan, USA) 'Kyrie' (Bats & Buttterflies)   Be'ersheva (Tübingen, Germany) 'Intro' (Yeshua's Call)   Eden Burning (England, UK) ‘The Reel of Pickering Pick’ (Smilingly Home)     Produced by Precious Oil Productions Ltd for Kingdom Come Trust

Paul talks about the new 'Left Behind' film and examines the claims that the Pre-tribulation Rapture can be found in the scriptures. What is the influence of the secret rapture theology on the church- Are dispenationalism and futurism biblical-

Part 1 of 5 in our series - 5 Things the Bible Doesn't Teach - There are some prevailing ideas about Christianity today that sadly have no basis in the Bible. For example, many Christians believe the state of Israel plays a role in final events, when in fact the Bible says differently. Another prominent opinion is that at the end of time there will be a Secret Rapture where some faithful ones will be whisked away to paradise in secret while those who are 'left behind' will get a second chance to get their act together. But the Bible actually teaches something entirely different. If you've ever heard of any of these issues, you will enjoy this message to help you clarify what Christians teach and if in fact the Bible confirms or denies that popular teaching.

Chris & Kevin join from Don't Let Them Burn Ministries join Sheila on a fantastic exposé of Avengers ENDGAME.

Mike and John are back, revisiting the the last two weeks of April 1994. April 22, 1994 gave us Bad Girls, Chasers, and The Inkwell. April 27, 1994 gave us You So Crazy, Martin Lawrence's concert movie. April 29, 1994 gave us The Favor, I Am My Own Woman, the Ray Liotta thriller No Escape, the college comedy PCU, The Secret Rapture, and the college drama, With Honors.

Mike and John are back, revisiting the the last two weeks of April 1994.April 22, 1994 gave us Bad Girls, Chasers, and The Inkwell. April 27, 1994 gave us You So Crazy, Martin Lawrence's concert movie. April 29, 1994 gave us The Favor, I Am My Own Woman, the Ray Liotta thriller No Escape, the college comedy PCU, The Secret Rapture, and the college drama, With Honors.

Writer David Hare reflects on his new play I’m Not Running, chaired by Helen Lewis. David Hare is a playwright and film-maker. Hare first worked at the National Theatre in 1971. Seventeen of his plays have since been presented there including Plenty, Pravda (with Howard Brenton), The Secret Rapture, Racing Demon, Murmuring Judges, Skylight, Amy’s View, Stuff Happens, The Absence of War, Behind the Beautiful Forevers and The Red Barn. Film and TV includes Collateral, Licking Hitler, Dreams of Leaving, Saigon: Year of the Cat, Wetherby, Damage, The Hours, The Reader, and the Worricker Trilogy: Page Eight, Turks & Caicos and Salting the Battlefield.

Our God shall come, and shall not keep silent; A fire shall devour before Him, And it shall be very tempestuous all around Him. Psalm 50:3

Have you ever wondered if you have been “left behind?” Who will be on earth after the rapture? Many seek to discover clues as to when Jesus will come back. And yet, despite the many predictions, believers are still waiting for Him to come again. Daniel 9 is a passage frequently used in this discussion of the end-times, yet the language it employs is often mysterious and open to debate over its meaning. At the center of the debates are verses 24-27 that refer to various weeks that the events will fall on. Some interpret these events as still awaiting fulfillment, but Martyn Lloyd-Jones makes his case for why he believes the events to have been fulfilled with the life of Jesus Christ and the destruction of the temple and defeat of the Jewish people in 70 A.D. Dr. Lloyd-Jones also provides a commentary on a topic that has been steadily gaining traction in evangelical circles: the rapture of Christians. Many people are surprised to learn that this theological idea is not commonly found until after the 1800s. How should Christians approach this topic? Listen to this sermon as Lloyd-Jones provides an alternative view of Daniel 9 and a biblical foundation for understanding the idea of an end-times rapture of the global church.

On the program, I discussed a couple of issues. First, I talked about the pretrib theological expression “secret rapture.” I explained what that means in pretrib parlance and why it is an unbiblical concept. By “secret,” pretribulationists are referring to Jesus' purported unperceived snatching of saints at the rapture, not “secret” in the sense of […] Related Posts: A Response to the Criteria for Pretribulation… Will Jesus Come FOR HIS CHURCH at the Rapture, But… Why Charles Ryrie's Concern about Progressive… The post A Very Brief History of the “Secret Rapture” Pretribulation Theory – Ep. 64 appeared first on ESCHATOS MINISTRIES.

Directed by Stephen Unwin, The Secret Rapture is set in Margaret Thatcher’s Britain and explores the impact of Thatcherism on personal relationships within the family of a junior government minister after her father’s death. Although written in the 1980s, David Hare’s play remains a timely and important piece. In this podcast we talk to the director, plus cast members Bessie Carter and Rose D'Aulbey, along with student sound and lighting designers Tom Bosworth and Tom Salmon. The Guildhall production of the Secret Rapture runs in Milton Court Studio Theatre from 12-17 October 2015.

Chad Vegas, "Eschatology: Is there a secret rapture?" from the Sovereign Grace Men's Theology Study series. More sermons available online at www.bakersfieldchurch.org.

A little Throwback from 1994. I record this set on cassette when I had a residency at Lift @ DV8 Now commonly know at Temple Nightclub in San Francisco. Lift was a legendary party that happened every Thursday night with Aaron O, Ruben Mancias, Jay-J, DJ Black, and amazing guest DJ's who created the mixing bowl of our Soulful sound of San Francisco back in the day!!! Thank you Lydia for reminding me of this recording. Also, thank you Lil Dave who not only had the cassette but has a treasure chest of almost all my mixes from '93 to today. Love You!!!

Part 2 of a throwback from 1994. I record this set on cassette when I had a residency at Lift @ DV8 Now commonly know at Temple Nightclub in San Francisco. Lift was a legendary party that happened every Thursday night with Aaron O, Ruben Mancias, Jay-J, DJ Black, and amazing guest DJ's who created the mixing bowl of our Soulful sound of San Francisco back in the day!!! Thank you Lydia for reminding me of this recording. Also, thank you Lil Dave who not only had the cassette but has a treasure chest of almost all my mixes from '93 to today. Love You!!!

Introduction Isn't it a marvelous, marvelous thing how it says in the scripture: Take delight in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart. That's a beautiful thing, isn't it? All my life, I have wanted to fly. That's true. I have wanted to just be able to jump off the surface of the earth and go up to the clouds. It's a desire that I have, and I don't think I'm the only one that has this desire. It says in the book of Ecclesiastes - I bet you're wondering what's coming next - It says in the book of Ecclesiastes that God has put eternity in the hearts of men. But I think just from a common experience, I think he's also put flight in the hearts of men, too. We would love to be able to fly like the birds. I remember when I was in Acadia National Park looking at birds of prey just soaring on thermals and just riding higher and higher, and I thought, I would love to be one of them. Sitting on a cliff overlooking Echo Lake there in Maine, at that beautiful park. And I saw the same thing in the Grand Canyon. When I was a teenager, I had a dream, the most vivid dream of my life, literal dream, middle of the night. And I dreamt that I was standing on the parapet of an ancient castle, Bavarian kind of castle in the Alps. I just was standing on the wall, and then moved by some impulse, I just threw myself from the wall. And instead of falling, one of those falling dreams, I started to soar out over this beautiful Alpine lake. It was an unbelievable thrill. And I thought, “Wow, this is incredible.” I saw these sailboats sailing below me. I saw birds next to me and I was doing better than they were. I was having the time of my life. Until, suddenly, I woke up. And with bitter disappointment, I realized that had just been a dream, but I still remember the details of the dream. It was in the Alps somewhere, I was on a castle and I was flying over a lake. I remember it distinctly. Thinking, “Oh God, I would love to be able to do that. I would love to be able to just soar through the air.” Now, people, I think from ancient times past have had this desire. Ancient Greek mythology have Daedalus and Icarus who make wings out of wax and feathers, they didn't choose good engineering materials, dear friends. And they went up too high and they got too close to the sun god, and his heat melted the wax and they fell to their death. But, I didn't realize this, in around the year 1,000 AD or 1,010, somewhere in there, a Benedictine monk in England named Eilmer of Malmesbury made a glider and flew 250 feet in it, till he crashed. He didn't die. But that meant this has been a desire that human beings have had for a long time. Leonardo da Vinci invented all kinds of stuff, on paper only, never built it, flying machines, including one he called an aerial screw. It looked like a kind of propeller that would just kind of screw you up into the air. I don't think that was gonna work, but he had some helicopters and some other things that actually look pretty much like what we have today. Now, we all live in North Carolina, which has seized from the state of Ohio the claim “First in Flight.” I'm not a native of North Carolina. If any of you who are, wanna come and quibble with me, you do what you want. I see the license plates. I know what it says. Orville and Wilbur, two Ohio boys, brought their research from Dayton, Ohio, here to some sandy place where the winds were right, and they flew here. And the 20th century has seen a, has seen a tremendous development of flight, but you know something? That's not what I'm talking about. I have taken 11 different flights in the last three weeks, up and down, take-off and landing 11 times. I'm sick of it. I'm sick of taking my shoes off in public places, having people rummage through my private things. I'm grateful for the TSA agents that keep us all safe. I would like them to know I am not a terrorist, and I'm not going to hijack any airplane, but they don't know me, so I don't mind taking off my stuff and surrendering my beverages and my shaving cream that's a little bit too big and didn't fit in the bag. But the fact of the matter is, that's not the kind of flying I'm talking about. I would just like to just slip from the earth and fly through the clouds. That's what I would like. And you know, the amazing thing is, the Lord has in some mysterious way, promised that all of us in Christ are gonna get at least one such flight. Now, the closest thing I've seen recently, to any of this, is a crazy YouTube video of some base jumpers in a fjord in Norway. I don't know if you've seen these guys. They stand on a cliff and then they just jump, and they've got these tiny little parachutes behind them. They've got these web suits that look like flying squirrels. And they fly down, 120 miles an hour, near the cliffs, and they land safely, so beautifully. Isn't that wonderful? On their feet. Closest thing to flying you'll ever see. That's not flying, that's falling, dear friends. And they don't tell you that many of these base jumpers die for their sport. Now, I don't wanna die. I just wanna fly. When the space shuttle Challenger blew up, Ronald Reagan, president at the time, quoted this poem, “How they slipped the surly bonds of earth and touched the face of God.” Yes, but they died. I wanna slip the surly bonds of earth and touch the face of Christ and not die. I wanna meet the Lord in the air. And so do you, don't you? And that's what we're talking about today. We're talking about the doctrine of the rapture. The doctrine of the rapture is that Jesus Christ will return and he will dispatch angels and he will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other. And we will meet the Lord in the air. And so we're looking at Matthew 24:31. I also want you to take time, while I'm speaking now, to put your finger or some bookmark in 1 Thessalonians 4:13-17, which teaches the same thing. And by looking at these two passages of scripture, I think we're going to get a good grounding in this doctrine of the rapture of the church. And as I do, I'm going to present a positive doctrinal assertion of what the Bible does, in fact, teach about the rapture, what it is, what it means, what's happening with it. But I also have to do some negative work too, and I have to do my best to defend you, I think, from doctrinal error. And I consider the so-called secret rapture, which is very popular in most evangelical circles to be an error. It's not a major error. It's not a killing, a soul-killing error, but it's an error nonetheless. I was speaking to Tom Geers before worship today, and I likened it to, remember those cartoons when you were growing up, and some character in the cartoon in the midst of some kind of frenzy, runs off a cliff. And he's doing just fine, he's floating in mid-air until suddenly, he stops and looks around. And he looks down in particular and realizes that there's nothing under his feet, and then he looks at us, and then he drops. Right. Well, I want you to have solid doctrine under your feet at all times. I want you to be able to trace everything you believe about the Christian faith to some passage of scripture rightly exegeted. I want us to rightly divide the word of truth. And so, I think it's important for us to have a right understanding of the rapture, and so I have to preach against a very popular view, and that is the so-called secret rapture. Popular Views of the “Secret Rapture” What do we mean by the secret rapture? First of all, in one sense, the Rapture isn't secret at all. Some of those that defend it hate the term “secret rapture” and say, “We're doing everything we can to make the rapture very public and open and honest,” but that's not what I'm talking about. It's secret to those that are left behind. That's the point. And they don't know what happened after it's over. And so, to some degree, the second coming of Christ, the first version of the second coming of Christ in that doctrinal scheme is a secret to those that are left behind. They don't know what happened, and they kinda have to figure out what happened. To them, it's a secret. Jesus not only comes as a thief in the night, but he leaves as a thief in the night with the church, steals her away, saves all of the redeemed, brings them out just before the seven-year tribulation. It's called the pre-trib rapture, and what I call the secret rapture, because it's a secret to those that are left behind. They don't understand it. They don't know what's happened, and I find this un-Biblical. I think that when Jesus returns and catches the church up in the clouds, everybody's gonna know it's the second coming of Christ. That's what I believe. Now, I think it's possible to disagree. I just wanna be sure that your methodology is right. I wanna be sure that you have, in fact, certain passages of scripture under your feet, and that you've understood them the best way possible. Left Behind: A Worldwide Phenomenon Now, the secret rapture scheme has been presented and popularized in a lot of different ways, most recently, of course, the Left Behind series. Without the secret rapture, you don't have the Left Behind, because it's a real short time. Those that are left behind go to judgment by Jesus as he returns, so there's not enough time for... What is it? 15 books that are written after they're all left behind. I do believe there are gonna be many people left behind, but they're gonna be left behind not for long, because Jesus is coming back in judgment, and destruction is gonna come on them suddenly as labor pains on a pregnant woman. That's what it says. Judgment is coming. I do believe that there will be many left behind. Matthew 24 teaches that. We'll get to that later, but the fact of the matter is, in this scheme, there's a long delay in time for a whole development, a whole history, the seven-year tribulation. The book begins with a pilot, Rayford Steele, who's a 747 pilot, flying out, I guess, over the Atlantic, the middle of the night. Suddenly, he sees a woman in the story, Hattie Durham, and she's just shaking inconsolable, doesn't know what to do. People are missing from the plane, hard to do on a plane over the Atlantic, but there's lots of people missing, dozens of them, and their piles of clothing kind of fully arranged in the original position, and they're just there, and people have gone. And it turns out to be not just on that plane, but all over the world. This is the rapture. Christ has come back in that story and taken the church, and off they go. By the way, I want you to notice that in Matthew 24:31, it says he comes and gets the elect. It doesn't say he comes and gets all the believers. I believe elect equals believers at that point. All of the elect have come to faith by then. I believe that, okay. But at this point, it's all that all of those that are ready, those that have come to faith, and he comes and the Lord comes and gets them. And so, Tim LaHaye and Jerry Jenkins, they claim that while their series is fiction, they say it's based on absolute biblical facts, all of theology and good exegesis. That's the thing I'm questioning today. I don't think so. They have added some vivid details, which, I would like to know where the solid theology is for like the necklace around the lady's neck that's left, that the indentation in the pillow, that kind of thing. There are all kinds of vivid details that really capture the imagination, but where are the verses? How do we know the necklaces are gonna be left behind? And the clothing, too. These are just surmisings. For me, I just want eschatology to be based on scripture, and to not speculate, but instead just see what the scripture says. And so, we're gonna look at Matthew 24:31, and 40 and 41. We're gonna look at 1 Thessalonians 4:13-17. Secret rapture is the definition that Christ returns not once, but twice. First time as a thief in the night to catch as many true believers that are ready at that point in the middle of life, leaving unbelievers to wonder where they went. And I'm gonna say in this message that, that was the doctrinal innovation that came in in the 19th century. It was unheard of before then, for the most part, and instead, the doctrine of the Rapture is taught and we're gonna see that today. The Rapture Described Let's look at what it says. Look at verses 29-31 in Matthew 24. “Immediately after the distress of those days, the sun will be darkened. The moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from the sky, and the heavenly bodies will be shaken. At that time, the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky and all the nations of the Earth will mourn. They will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky with power and great glory. And he will send his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other.” Well, first, let's deal with this word “rapture.” It's in the sermon title. I tell you, it's not found anywhere in the English Bible. It doesn't mean that it's not a biblical truth, that, that word isn't found in the Bible. We know that the word “trinity” is not found in the Bible, but we think it's a helpful term to help us understand the doctrine of the trinity, etcetera. The word “rapture” comes, I think, from the passage in 1 Thessalonians 4, like I told you to look there, just keep your finger in these two passages, we're going back and forth. But if you look at 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17, it says, “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, and the dead in Christ will rise first.” Now, look at verse 17. “After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up”- Caught up - “together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so, we will be with the Lord forever.” That's the Rapture, caught up. The word “rapture” is really just an English version of a Latin word. The Latin word from which we get the word “raptor” also, kind of birds that come like eagles or vultures, that snatch up their prey or grab them up, or a falcon, something like that. And so, the idea in the Greek is of being caught up or snatched up in some way. The Greek word here is passive, so something happens to you. It's nothing you do. You don't go get yourself raptured. You have to be raptured, something has to happen to you. 1 Thessalonians 4 doesn't say how, but that those who are left will be caught up together with them. And so, there's something sudden, I think, something passive that happens. Matthew 24:31 Gives The Agents of the Rapture: Angels Back in Matthew 24:31, go back, we're going back and forth. But if you look at verse 31, it says how it's going to happen. Gives you the agents of the rapture, and they are angels. Now, the Bible says repeatedly in the second coming of Christ, there will be angels. Not a few angels, lots of angels, myriad angels, mighty angels, a mighty warrior host returning with Jesus. Matthew 16:27 says, “The Son of Man is going to come in his Father's glory with his angels, and then he will reward each person according to what he has done.” And then in the next chapter, in Matthew 25:31, next from where we're at, it says, “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his throne in heavenly glory, and all the nations will be gathered before him and he will separate the people one from another, as a shepherd separates the sheep and the goats.” Mark 8:38 says this, “If anyone is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him will the Son of Man be ashamed when he comes in his Father's glory with his angels.” I mean, it's again and again, it's not one or two, it's many. Even Enoch, seventh from Adam, foresaw this angelic host returning with Jesus. Jude 14 says, “Enoch, the seventh from Adam prophesied about these men,” false teachers, “Behold, the Lord is coming,” listen, “with thousands upon thousands of his holy ones.” I mean, that's the seventh man from Adam, and God showed him the second coming of Christ. The Lord planned this before the foundation of the world, how it was gonna be, and he was gonna come with angels. Daniel 7 implies that there are 100 million angels and the angelic host is going to come. And so, Revelation 19 makes it plain that Christ is returning at the head of an immense army of angels. Revelation 19:11 says, “I saw heaven standing open, and there before me was a white horse whose rider is called faithful and true.” And verse 14, “the armies of heaven were following him riding on white horses dressed in fine linen, white and clean." The Dispatch of Christ: Rescue My People And so, Jesus returns verse 30, in verse 31, he sends out his angels, he dispatches them. Verse 31, “He will send his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds from one end of the heavens to the other.” Christ is coming for the sake of his elect to rescue them in every way from this sin-cursed planet. Now, the word “elect” means chosen ones. It's a biblical doctrine that God knows his elect. He knows his chosen ones, he knew them by name before the foundation of the world, chosen in Christ, before the creation of the world. The word elect is mentioned three times in this chapter, Matthew 24:22. “If those days had not been cut short, no one would survive. But for the sake of the elect those days will be shortened.” Matthew 24:22. And then again in 24:24. It says, “False Christs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and miracles to deceive even the elect - if that were possible. See, I've told you ahead of time.” And now here in this verse, verse 31. Now, who are the elect? Well, they are the ones that God chose in Christ to be Christians. Ephesians 1:4 and 5 says, “He chose us in him,” that is, in Christ, “before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight.” Chosen in him. These are love gifts from the Father to the Son, the elector, and not one of them can be lost. Isn't that a beautiful thing? Rest in that. Rest in God's sovereign election. He knows you by name, he has called you my name, you are his sheep, and he will not lose you. And so it says in John 6:37-39, “All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me, I will never drive away. For I've come down from heaven, not to do my own will, but to do the will of him who sent me. And this is the will of him who sent me, that I shall lose none of all that he has given me, but raise them up at the last day.” Notice how Jesus says in John 6, “I have come down from heaven.” He's talking about his first coming, his first advent coming down from heaven to go to the cross and the empty tomb, all of that. But he's gonna come down from him, and the second time also for the elect, that he shall lose none of them but raise them up at the last day. Isn't that a beautiful thing? And so, he sends out his angels and he's going to come and get you. Nobody's gonna get missed, there's no one that should be coming that will be left behind, no one falls through the cracks, he is perfect in what he's doing, the angels know you, and they're going to come and get you, and they're going to grab you, so be ready friends, be ready. I remember we were at a birthday party at the fire station for one of my sons, and the fireman came in in all of his scary garb, he had this rubber mask on and this breathing thing. Like that. And he's saying, “Now, don't be afraid, don't be afraid when I come in and get you, and rescue you because I'm here to help you. Okay?” Don't be afraid dear friends, when the angels break into your daily life, when the angel comes and gets you, he's here to help you, he's here to rescue you from this sin-cursed world. And so, not one of the elect is going to be missing. The Angelic Mission: “Elect from Every Nation” And notice the extent of it. They're going to go all over the world. All over the world. The angels are gonna break into the middle of life, “As it was in the days of Noah, so will be the coming of the Son of Man, because in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and given in marriage.” We'll talk about that next. Not today. But the angel's gonna be breaking in and they're gonna go all over the world, “He will send his angels and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other.” Now, remember earlier in Matthew 24 and verse 14, it says, “This gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world, as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.” The gospel, dear friends, is going to be effective all over the world, there are going to be elect from every nation, and the angels have to go to every nation on earth and get them. Oh, what a beautiful and glorious gathering that will be, as the gospel had its way, and the gospel was triumphant and victorious, and missionaries spent their lives to go get those elect. Paul says, “I endure everything for the sake of the elect, that they too may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory.” The gospel was effective dear friends, and the angels have to go, and they're happy to go all over the world to get them. The geographic scope, and notice that standing next to one of these elect people will do you no good if you're not one of them. Proximity to a believer will not help you at that point if you're not a believer. And so look again in verse 40-41, it says, “Two men will be in the field. One will be taken, the other left.” Verse 41, “Two women will be grinding with a hand mill, one will be taken and the other left.” Friends, it will be too late at that point to repent and believe, the door will have closed, there's no chance at that point for faith. The sign of the Son of Man is already shining in the sky, there's no chance for faith, the day is over. Those that are left behind there, they don't get a second chance during the tribulation, they're done, they're finished, it's over. Dear friends, don't be left behind then. He's coming to get the elect. Now, you may say, how can I know whether I'm elect? It's very simple. This morning, you have already heard and you will hear again the gospel of Jesus Christ, you'll hear how Jesus came to earth and how he shed his blood on the cross for sinners like you and me, and how you are a sinner, and you violated the laws of God, and you're not ready to stand before God in judgment. The wrath will come on you, it's eternal wrath, not temporary, and you're in great danger if you're not in Christ, and all you need to do is flee to Christ, is trust in him. Everyone who calls in the name of the Lord will be saved. The Bible teaches us the only ones that respond to that are the elect. You wanna know if you're elect, respond to that. Come to faith in Christ. You're to make your calling and election sure, you believed years ago? Okay, let your heart resonate with what I'm saying now and say, “That's my gospel, that's the message that saves me a sinner.” That's how you know you're elect, by response to the gospel of Jesus Christ, trust in him, call on the name of the Lord. I freely admit that the rapture is not one of the central doctrines of the Bible, I freely admit. But this one is, the gospel of Jesus Christ is, and if you will repent and believe in him, you will be saved. And part of that is he's gonna send an angel to come get you. So believe in him. Meeting the Lord in the Air All over the world, the gospel is going to spread, and he's gonna send out angels, and what are they going to do? They're gonna gather the elect and they're going to meet the Lord in the air. The Lord is returning to the earth, he has a purpose. He's coming from heaven to earth to rescue his church and to destroy the antichrist and Satan and all of his works. And establish a righteous kingdom that will be eternal, and so the rapture enables us to meet him in the air. He comes back with the clouds, surrounded by the awesome turbulence of the clouds, they're always mentioned. We will defy gravity in the grip of an angel and fly up to meet the Lord. The Timing of the Rapture At the Second Coming of Christ Now, when will that happen? Now, that's an interesting question, isn't it? And here I want to just cling to the passage that was read, that Jack Evans read so beautifully for us. I think it gives us a very clear timetable. So look down in Matthew 24:29, “Immediately after the distress of those days.” Now, the word “distress” is translated in another version, “tribulation.” Okay, let's just stick that one in there because I think it's helpful. “Immediately after the tribulation of those days, the sun will be darkened and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from the sky and the heavenly bodies will be shaken.” Talked about that last time. Verse 30, “At that time, the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky and all the nations of the Earth will mourn. They will see the Son of Man coming with the clouds of the sky with power and great glory.” That is the second coming. Preached about that last time and the time before that. Tribulation. Second coming. What's verse 31? What would you call verse 31? “And he will send out his angels, and they will gather the elect from the four winds from one end of the heavens to the other.” That is the rapture friends. Tribulation, second coming, rapture. And Second Coming, rapture, same time. That's it. I think that's a good order, don't you? Friends, let's just stick to the scripture, let's just go with the order that you find in the Bible, tribulation, second coming, and the rapture. I think that's it. But if you need some more help, go over to 1 Thessalonians 4, 1 Thessalonians 4 gives us the same teaching. 1 Thessalonians 4:15-17, “According to the Lord's own word, we tell you, we who are still alive, who are left 'til the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. 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, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up” - Rapture - “With them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever.” This is the second coming of Christ. The word “coming” at the coming of the Lord is “parousia” in 1 Thessalonians, the Greek term for the second coming. Verse 16, in 1 Thessalonians 4 speaks plainly of the second coming, “The Lord himself will come down from heaven.” That sounds like the second coming to me. What do you think? “The Lord himself will come down from heaven.” If I were to say “What doctrine does that describe?” You would say, “Second coming.” At the Same Time as a Loud Command... the Voice of the Archangel...the Trumpet Call of God “The Lord himself will come down from heaven with a loud command, the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet call of God.” What is the loud command? I think he's commanding the archangels to go. The archangels then are commanding other lesser angels to go and, like an army, that's the way it is, Jesus is the commander of a great army and everything is orderly, and there's discipline and structure, just like the centurion saw in Matthew chapter 8. There's just order and he gives an order, and then it just goes down and the voice of the archangel, and then they come and gather us. “Bring forth my elect,” says Jesus, and they go. At the Same Time as the Resurrection of the Dead in Christ And what is this trumpet call of God? Well, it's also mentioned in 1 Corinthians chapter 15, the great resurrection chapter, which according to 1 Thessalonians 4, that's when this is happening, at the second coming, at the rapture is the resurrection. I don't deny that there's difficulties when we read Revelation 20, it's hard to put all this together. You know what it seems with eschatology? It's like a puzzle and you put it in all these pieces and they fit so neatly except this one piece, and whatever scheme you have, there's always at least one piece that just doesn't seem to fit. What I do with that is, I don't take out scissors and trim off that offending tab, and fill in the other part that just doesn't seem to... I just say, look, I don't know how to put all this together. I'll do the best I can. In particular, millennium, how that fits together, difficult for me to say. But 1 Thessalonians 4, I don't think it's that difficult when it comes to the resurrection. The dead in Christ rise. We also meet them. 1 Corinthians 15 then says, “in a flash, in a twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet, we will be changed.” And there's your resurrection body, we have resurrection bodies that we're still alive, the dead in Christ get theirs as well, and so we will be with the Lord for how long? Forever, forever. And so there it is. The Secret Rapture Rejected The Secret Rapture Messes with the “Coming of the Lord” So I think we need to reject the concept of the secret rapture, secret rapture, basically says it's going to be a secret. It's going to be here in the inner rooms, or there out in the desert, and Jesus said, don't do that. As lightning that comes from the east is visible in the west, everybody will know what's going on. Everybody. The Secret Rapture Is a New Teaching Secret rapture as I said, is a new teaching, I will not bore you with details, but it came in in the early 1800s was popularized by a Scottish pastor named Irving, Edward Irving, and he got it from a 15-year-old girl that had a vision of basically two second comings. J.N. Darby, who really started dispensationalism, I think, influenced C.I. Scofield. Scofield put it in a reference Bible that was printed a million strong up to 1930, and it just spread everywhere, the idea of the two-second comings and the secret rapture popularized by the Scofield Reference Bible. Then 1970, Hal Lindsey put it in The Late Great Planet Earth. 1972, there was a movie made called A Thief in the Night that popularized it, and now we have the Left Behind series, and so it's with us. And all I want you to do is just be noble Berean, that takes it and says, “Is it so? Is it so?” The Secret Rapture Is a New Teaching I think that the secret rapture is driven by the desire to escape the tribulation. Look, who would want to go through the tribulation? Read the book of Revelation, find out just how horrible it is, but it all comes down to one verse, I think in particular, in Revelation 3:10, the Lord says, “Since you have kept my command to endure patiently, I will also keep you from the hour of trial that is going to come on the whole world to test those who live on the earth.” So they take that one verse, which is to one of the seven churches, and they extend it out to all true believers, and all true believers will miss the final seven-year tribulation period. First of all, the translation itself is questionable, could be, “I will keep you in the hour of trial that's gonna come on the whole earth.” And isn't that God's usual way? Not so much to whisk us out, but to preserve us, protect us so that we make it through, and doesn't that actually fit Matthew 24 a little bit better? Matthew 24:22 says, “If those days had not been cut short, no one would survive but for the sake of” - who? “the elect, those days will be shortened.” Why? Because they're going through it, because they're suffering through it. Frankly, even the Left Behind people, they tell you some of God's elect you do go through it, they don't talk much about election, I notice. But some of God's people, they call them tribulation saints. They go through the tribulation, they go through it. They weren't ready when Jesus came. And so therefore, in my opinion, I think they're being spanked, punished by God, so they have to go through the tribulation. None of this makes much sense to me, and whether it makes sense or not, I don't find it in the Bible. To put the whole thing down on one verse, I think is inappropriate. Instead, isn't it God's usual way to preserve and protect his church in the midst of great suffering and trial? And that's what I think he does. Frankly, in Revelation 16:12-15, it seems that the elect actually are going through the tribulation. It says, “The sixth angel poured out his bowl in the great river, Euphrates and its water was dried up to prepare the way for the kings of the East. Behold, I come like a thief!” Listen to this, “Blessed is he who stays awake and keeps his clothes with him so that he may not go naked and be shamefully exposed,” Notice the thief statement, he says, “I'm coming, therefore, blessed are those who are ready and are…” And that's right in the middle of all the bowls and the seals of Revelation. So I think actually, biblically, it's more likely that God's people will have to endure a time of great suffering before the end. But Jesus comes back to rescue us from it. Amen. Isn't that beautiful? He's coming back to get his bride and get her out of trouble, because those days had been cut short. Someone Will Do a U-Turn... Christ or Us Frankly friends, when it comes to the second coming, someone is going to do a U-turn, it's either gonna be us or Jesus. Jesus comes from heaven down to the earth, or toward the earth, right? The rapture means we're gonna meet the Lord where? In the clouds, but neither Jesus nor us is staying in the clouds, that's not our final home. Somebody is doing a U-turn. Do you not to see it? Either Jesus gets the church and goes back up to heaven for seven more years, or we meet the Lord and we do a U-turn and escort him back to the Earth. And frankly, the Greek word for “meet” in 1 Thessalonians is that precise term of a delegation sent out from a city to meet a coming king or dignitary, and escort him back into the city. And I think that's precisely what is happening at the rapture, we go up, we meet the Lord, and we come down to do some damage, friends. Although frankly, if you read Revelation 19, we don't need to do much damage, all the damage is done by Jesus, 'cause you got the sword coming out of his mouth, and he can slay anyone he wants any time, because he is the Sovereign God. And when he says to the antichrist, “Be dead.” That's it, because he slays them with the breath of his mouth. But we're gonna be there as witnesses, Amen. And we're gonna be with the hosts of heaven, and we're gonna meet the Lord in the air and we'll be with him forever. But What about the “Thief in the Night” Passages? Now, what about the thief in the night passages? Not yet. Later we'll come to them. But basically, if I can say simply, it's this. It comes like a thief in the night to those who don't read the Bible and are not ready. Jesus doesn't want us to be like that and so he's told us plainly what's gonna happen, and he's saying that they will not surprise you like a thief in the night, you will be ready. And part of the rest of Matthew 24 is to get you ready, so that you're ready for the second coming of Christ and live every moment for the second coming of Christ. The Significance of the Rapture It Demonstrates Christ’s Power So what is the significance of the rapture? Well, it demonstrates Christ's power, we see his power in the clouds of the sky with great glory, specifically his power over the antichrist and overall force of evil, we will see that. His power also to raise the dead, because the dead in Christ will be raised at that point and Jesus's power over death will be open and obvious. Amen. At the rapture, we will see his power, we will be in resurrection bodies. It Demonstrates Christ’s Love for His Church It demonstrates also Christ's love for the church. He said on the road to Damascus, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?” He takes it personally when his elect are beat up on earth and he's coming back to rescue them. Conversely, he takes it very personally when his elect are well-treated on earth in his name. And he rewards people, sheep and the goats, you'll see it, but he rewards people based on how his people are treated. And so He is coming back because he loves the church. It is a Reward for Faithful and Courageous Service It's also, the rapture is, a reward for faithful and courageous service. Revelation 7:13-17, “One of the elders asked ‘These in white robes - who are they and where do they come from?’ I answered, ‘Sir, you know.’ And he said, ‘Well, these are they that have come out of the great tribulation. They've washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the lamb, and therefore, they are before the throne of God, and they serve him day and night in his temple, and he who sits on the throne will spread his tent over them, and never again will they hunger, and never again will they thirst, and the sun will not beat on them, nor any scorching heat. For the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their Shepherd, and he will lead them to springs of living water. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.’” And it says at the end of Revelation 22:12, “Behold, I am coming soon, and my reward is with me.” Rapture is part of his reward. Catch you up in the clouds to meet the Lord, It Enables Us to Accompany Christ to the Earth And the rapture enables us to be with the Lord as he comes down. I wanna be with him, don't you? Don't you wanna see him, don't you wanna see him in his hour of glory, in his hour of triumph? To be there as an eyewitness? You didn't get to be there as an eyewitness with the first generation, those were the apostles, that wasn't us, but we get to be eyewitnesses of his second coming glory. We get to glorify him. It Signifies the End of the Old Order of Things It signals also the end of the old order of things. The resurrection is the end. The old order of things will have passed away. It Begins Our Face to Face Fellowship with Christ and Our Perfect Unity with Each Other It begins also our face-to-face fellowship with Christ that will last forever, and our perfect unity with each other. We're not going to precede those that have fallen asleep, we're gonna be together, the dead in Christ, the living in Christ together, we'll be together from every tribe, and language, and people and nation, and we will be one. It Fulfills the Lifelong Yearning of Many to Fly And finally, it fulfills my lifetime yearning to fly, so at least I'm happy about that. If any of you else would just be honest and say, “I actually always wish I could fly too.” Then don't feel you're yearning to go. If you couldn't care less, it doesn't matter, you're going if you're a Christian, so he's going to come and get you and you will fly as well, at least just one time. Application Come to Christ Now! So what application can we take from this? Well, first, come to Christ now, this could be your last chance to hear the gospel. I'm not trying to be melodramatic, but you don't know when you're going to die, you don't know how many more minutes you have on earth, come to Christ now, look to the blood of Christ, trust in him, don't put it off, not because the rapture might happen tonight, but because your death might happen tonight. Be ready at every moment. Delight in the Power of Christ to Protect His Church and Relish the Togetherness of the Church And delight in the power of Christ in protecting his church. Relish the togetherness of the unity of the church, so we're gonna be together forever. Yearn for that. Think Carefully About the Secret Rapture...and Reject It Think carefully about the secret rapture. If I haven't persuaded you, then go back and look at the passages on rapture and see if you can place it. See if you can find a place where Jesus comes secretly, gets the church, and disappears for seven years. And if you can support it and believe it, show me the passage, and I'd like to learn as well. Be Strengthened by the Coming Triumph of Christ And one final thing from a hymn we sang earlier for all the saints, it's powerful while we're seeing it just hit me how important this is, you know why we need to teach on the second coming of Christ? You know why this is important? Well, listen to this verse, and for all the saints, “And when the strife is fierce, the warfare long, steals on the ear the distant triumph song, and hearts are brave again and arms are strong. Hallelujah. Hallelujah.” If you're feeling weak in your battle with sin today, hear the distant victory song today and say, someday you're going to triumph over all sin. So be strong today against temptation. And if you're weary of evangelizing and the whole missionary endeavor, let the distant victory song steal in your ear and get brave again in sharing the gospel. Let your arms be strong one more time. Close with me in prayer.

Blair Brown discusses her role on stage in the Lincoln Center Theatre production of Sarah Ruhl's "The Clean House", and her part in the play winning the prestigious Susan Smith Blackburn Award; explains how she ended up going to drama school and beginning her career in Canada; recalls her role in the triumphant Richard Foreman production of "The Threepenny Opera" and her anguish over the brief Broadway life of "The Secret Rapture"; and considers the experience of humanizing so-called "intellectual" plays like "Copenhagen" and "Arcadia". Original air date - December 29, 2006.

Blair Brown discusses her role on stage in the Lincoln Center Theatre production of Sarah Ruhl's "The Clean House", and her part in the play winning the prestigious Susan Smith Blackburn Award; explains how she ended up going to drama school and beginning her career in Canada; recalls her role in the triumphant Richard Foreman production of "The Threepenny Opera" and her anguish over the brief Broadway life of "The Secret Rapture"; and considers the experience of humanizing so-called "intellectual" plays like "Copenhagen" and "Arcadia". Original air date - December 29, 2006.

Blair Brown discusses her role on stage in the Lincoln Center Theatre production of Sarah Ruhl's "The Clean House", and her part in the play winning the prestigious Susan Smith Blackburn Award; explains how she ended up going to drama school and beginning her career in Canada; recalls her role in the triumphant Richard Foreman production of "The Threepenny Opera" and her anguish over the brief Broadway life of "The Secret Rapture"; and considers the experience of humanizing so-called "intellectual" plays like "Copenhagen" and "Arcadia". Original air date - December 29, 2006.

This week's Desert Island Discs castaway is the playwright and theatre director David Hare - a man who has made his name with plays like Pravda, Plenty, Lickin' Hitler and, most recently, The Secret Rapture. He'll be talking to Sue Lawley about the impact of the theatre on post-war Britain and his own role as one of the leading writers of left-wing intellectual drama.[Taken from the original programme material for this archive edition of Desert Island Discs] Favourite track: Young and Foolish by Mabel Mercer Book: Larousse Gastronomique Luxury: Cricket bat & bowling machine

This week's Desert Island Discs castaway is the playwright and theatre director David Hare - a man who has made his name with plays like Pravda, Plenty, Lickin' Hitler and, most recently, The Secret Rapture. He'll be talking to Sue Lawley about the impact of the theatre on post-war Britain and his own role as one of the leading writers of left-wing intellectual drama. [Taken from the original programme material for this archive edition of Desert Island Discs] Favourite track: Young and Foolish by Mabel Mercer Book: Larousse Gastronomique Luxury: Cricket bat & bowling machine