The Second Coming (The Rapture)

Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. 

In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. 

I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.

 John 14:1-3

Are you rapture ready?  Don’t be deceived regarding the second coming!

In regards to salvation Jesus let us know that it is only through Him that we are able to come to God: 

Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.  John 14:6 

Though the word rapture is not found in the bible; it is defined as a state or experience of being carried away and thus does have a meaning that is made applicable to being ‘caught up’ with Jesus.  Because this word is not found in the bible does not make the second coming of Jesus false.  Make sure that you have a thorough knowledge of the bible. 

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.  Therefore comfort one another with these words.  1 Thessalonians 4:16-18 

Heaven is not the final destination; it is a holding place for the saints until Satan is defeated once and for all and then the saints will inhabit the new earth.

And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.  And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.  And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.  And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.  Revelation 21:1-4  

The dead in Christ are the righteous.  We do not know who they are; only God.   The ideology that only 144,000 people are going to heaven is a misrepresentation of God’s word. 

What happens to those that were not caught up?   Yes, John saw 144,000 men that were representative of the tribes of Israel but after that, he saw:  

 After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands;  Revelation 7:9

The holding place is protection against the coming tribulation.

And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed.  And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor,  free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads:  And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.  Revelation 13:15-17

 

Corruptible is the current state of our physical being.  Our flesh goes away.  The bible does not say that we will have a "new body".  However, it states that we will put on immortality meaning that we are a spirit that lives in a body that possesses a soul.  The soul lives on forever.  It is our soul that lives on forever; either in heaven or in hell.  We are mortal bodies now.  In heaven we will be immortal.

For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?  1 Corinthians 15:53-55

Christ must descend in order to allow us to ascend.  We then go to the holding cell (Heaven) with Christ.

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:  1 Thessalonians 4:16

What is going on in the earth while we are in the holding cell?

And they worshipped the dragon which gave power unto the beast: and they worshipped the beast, saying, Who is like unto the beast? who is able to make war with him?  And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and power was given unto him to continue forty and two months.  And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven.  And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations.  And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.  Revelation 13:4-9

ANTICHRIST: 

     

The antichrist is the beast and his spirit is already in the earth.  That spirit is called deceit.  It is getting worse and worse within government and even some  preachers.  He is creeping in to cause defeat.

For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way.  2 Thessalonians 2:7  

And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spake as a dragon.  And he exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him, and causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed.  And he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men, And deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast; saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast, which had the wound by a sword, and did live.  And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed.  And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads:  And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.  Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six.  Revelations 13:11-18 

We know that [the influence of] Satan is great, but God is greater!  It is time to make serious choices.  Most of us have problems with people but we need to be delivered from people.  It is time to look up as our redemption is near.  The spirit of iniquity is already upon the earth. 

I Daniel was grieved in my spirit in the midst of my body, and the visions of my head troubled me.  I came near unto one of them that stood by, and asked him the truth of all this. So he told me, and made me know the interpretation of the things.  These great beasts, which are four, are four kings, which shall arise out of the earth.  But the saints of the most High shall take the kingdom, and possess the kingdom for ever, even for ever and ever.  Then I would know the truth of the fourth beast, which was diverse from all the others, exceeding dreadful, whose teeth were of iron, and his nails of brass; which devoured, brake in pieces, and stamped the residue with his feet; And of the ten horns that were in his head, and of the other which came up, and before whom three fell; even of that horn that had eyes, and a mouth that spake very great things, whose look was more stout than his fellows.  I beheld, and the same horn made war with the saints, and prevailed against them; Until the Ancient of days came, and judgment was given to the saints of the most High; and the time came that the saints possessed the kingdom.  Thus he said, The fourth beast shall be the fourth kingdom upon earth, which shall be diverse from all kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth, and shall tread it down, and break it in pieces.  And the ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings that shall arise: and another shall rise after them; and he shall be diverse from the first, and he shall subdue three kings.  And he shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time.  But the judgment shall sit, and they shall take away his dominion, to consume and to destroy it unto the end.  And the kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven, shall be given to the people of the saints of the most High, whose kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey him.  Daniel 7:15-27  

Why is the dominion going back to the saints?  It is the original intent of God when Adam was created.  We cannot be content where we are when God has better for us.

The righteous will not be here for the tribulation.  You will not have to make the choice of accepting the mark.

And I heard a great voice out of the temple saying to the seven angels, Go your ways, and pour out the vials of the wrath of God upon the earth.  And the first went, and poured out his vial upon the earth; and there fell a noisome and grievous sore upon the men which had the mark of the beast, and upon them which worshipped his image.  Revelation 16:1-2  

If you didn’t make it to heaven and you chose not to take the mark of the beast, what happens?  They live for 1,000 years in the millennium reign and then will be cast into hell.

Satan will be released on the earth for 1,000 years until he is sealed by God.  The righteous will not be a part of this.

And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand.  And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years, And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season.  And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.  Revelation 20:1-4

What happens to the dead who were not saved at the time of the rapture?

And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.  And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works.  Revelation 20:12-13

Choose to live right now.  

We have to realize that it is God’s authority that counts. 

It’s not time to be getting ready; it is time to be ready.

¨  Stay connected to the church.  Deliverance is found in the church and the word of God.

¨  We have to be careful to whom we are connected.  Everyone does not love God the way you do.

¨  There is no ‘type’ of hell or heaven.  They are both real.  We can’t equate our current situation; good or bad with heaven or hell.  There is absolutely no comparison.

Excerpts from Word Enrichment

Bishop Joel C. Lofton

Biblical Studies

10/24/18

07/27/20

08/05/22