Some claim that "all” the Church
are to pass through the Tribulation; others that "all”
the Church are to be caught out before the Tribulation,
while some claim that only the “waiting” and “Watching” Saints
shall be caught out before the Tribulation, and that the rest
must pass through it. The latter base their claim on Heb. 9:28,
where it says – “Unto them that look for Him shall he
appear the second time without sin unto salvation.” While this
might apply to the living when He appears, it certainly cannot
apply to the dead. There are ten and hundreds of
thousands who “fell asleep in Jesus” who never heard of the
Premillennial Coming of the Lord, or at least never grasped its
meaning, and who therefore never “watched” and “waited” and
“looked” for His Appearing. They surely are “In Christ”; and the
“Dead in Christ” are to rise at the Rapture. Paul does not say
in I Thess. 4:16, 17, that it will be the “dead” who “watched”
and “waited” and “looked,” and those who are “alive” and “watch”
and “wait” and “look” for His Appearing that shall be “caught
out,” but the dead "In Christ, " and we who "Are Alive
And Remain.”
The order of the Resurrection is – “Christ the ‘First
Fruits,’ afterward they that ‘are Christ’s at His Coming.’” Paul
says – “Behold I show you a Mystery; we shall not all ‘sleep,’
but we shall ALL Be Changed.” I Cor. 15:51.
Then there is another fact that we must not forget, and that
is, the Unity of the Church.
“For as the Body Is One, and hath many members, and
ALL the Members Of That One Body, Being Many ARE ONE BODY;
so also is Christ. For by One Spirit are we ALL
Baptized Into One Body.” I Cor. 12:12,13.
All then who have been “born again” (John 3;3-7) are part of
Christ’s “Body,” and we cannot conceive of Christ’s “Body” being
divided; part of it remaining “asleep” in the grave, and part of
it “raised in glory”; part of it left to pass through the
Tribulation, and part of it “changed” and caught up to meet Him
in the air.
If “all” the Church are to pass through the Tribulation,
then instead of waiting and watching “for the Lord,” we should
be waiting and watching “for the Tribulation,” which is contrary
to the teaching of Christ Himself. Matt. 24:42-44.
The Tribulation is not for the perfecting “of the Saints.” It
has nothing to do with the Church. It is the time of “Jacob’s
Trouble” (Jer. 30:7), and is the “Judgment of Israel,” and it is
God’s purpose to keep the Church Out Of It. Rev. 2:10.
The Book of Revelation is written in chronological order. After
the fourth chapter the Church is seen no more upon the earth
until she appears in the nineteenth chapter coming with the
Bridegroom “from” Heaven. The entire time between these two
chapters is filled with appalling judgments that fall upon those
that “dwell on the earth,” and as the Church is not of the
earth, but is supposed to “sit together in ‘Heavenly Places’ in
Christ Jesus” (Eph. 2:6), she will not be among those who “dwell
on the earth” in those days.
The confusion is largely due to the fact that students of
Prophetic Truth do not distinguish between Christ’s coming
FOR His Saints, and WITH His Saints. The former is
called the “Rapture,” the latter the “Revelation.”
Numerous passages in scripture SPEAK OF Christ coming “with”
His Saints (Zech. 14:5, Col. 3:4, I Thess. 3:13, I Thess. 4:14,
Jude 14), but it is evident that they cannot come “with” Him, if
they had not been previously caught out “to” Him. All such
passages refer therefore to the “Revelation” and not the
“Rapture.”
The typical teaching of the Scriptures demand that the Church
be caught out “before” the Tribulation. Joseph was a type of
Christ and he was espoused to, and married Asenath, a Gentile
bride, during the time of his “rejection by his brethren,” and
“before the famine,” which typified the Tribulation, because it
was the time of “Judgment of his Brethren.” This is the time of
Christ’s rejection by “His Brethren” – the Jews, and to complete
the type He must get His Bride – the church, “before” the
Tribulation.
Moses, who is also a type of Christ, got his bride, and she a
Gentile, “after” his rejection by his brethren, and “before”
they passed through the Tribulation under Pharaoh. Ex. 2:23-25.
Enoch, a type of the “Translation Saints,” was caught out
“before” the Flood, and Flood is a type of the Tribulation, and
Noah and his family of the “Jewish Remnant” or 144,000 sealed
ones of Rev. 7:1-8, who will be preserved through the
Tribulation.
How thrilling the thought that some of us shall not die, that
in a moment, in the “twinkling of an eye” without being
unclothed by the ghastly hands of Death, and instead of the
winding sheet of the grave, we shall be instantly changed and
clothed with the glorious garments of immortality. What a
transport of joy will fill our being as we suddenly feel the
thrill of immortality throbbing through our veins, and find
ourselves being transported through the air in the company of
fellow Christians and of our loved ones who fell asleep in
Jesus. What welcome recognitions and greetings there will be as
we journey up with them to the “Bridal Halls of Heaven,” where
we shall join in the new and triumphal song of Moses and the
Lamb. Rev. 5:9,10.
WHAT WILL BECOME OF THOSE WHO ARE
LEFT BEHIND
This is a sad question, but it is eagerly
asked by many. What saith the Lord?
“Then said one unto Him, Lord,
are there FEW that may be
saved? And He said unto them,
Strive to enter in at the
strait (narrow) gate: for many, I say unto you, will
seek to
enter in (when He comes), and shall not be able, when
once
the 'Master of the House’ is risen up, and hath
SHUT THE
DOOR, and ye begin to stand without, and to
knock at the
door, saying, Lord, open unto us: and He shall answer
and
say unto you, I know not whence ye are: then
shall ye begin
to say, We have eaten and drunk in Thy presence, and
Thou
hast taught in our streets. But He shall say, I tell
you, I
KNOW YOU NOT WHENCE YE ARE; DEPART FROM
ME, ALL YE WORKERS OF INIQUITY.” Luke
13:23-27.
The time of the
closing of the door is revealed in the Parable of the “The
Virgins.” It will be when the Bridegroom comes, and those that
are ready (the “Wise Virgins”) have gone in with Him to
the “Marriage.” When the “Foolish Virgins” come late, and say –
“Lord, open to us,” He will answer - "I KNOW YOU NOT.”
That is, I never knew you. You were only mere professors.
Then follow the words – “Watch therefore (be ready), for ye know
neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of Man cometh.”
Mat. 25:1-13. Note that the persons shut out are not those who
never heard the Gospel, but those who had been professing
followers of Jesus, who had eaten and drunk in His presence and
even gone out to meet Him.
It may readily be supposed that the taking away of loved ones
at the Rapture will cause many of those left behind to seek the
Lord, but as the Holy Spirit goes back with the Church, and for
the time being ceases His Office Work of Regeneration, who is to
convert those who are left? There is a passage in Hebrews that
has troubled many a sincere soul who has feared that they had
committed the “Unpardonable Sin.” It is this -
“For if we sin (continue to
sin) willfully after that we
have received the knowledge (that is know about it) of
the
truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins, but
a certain
fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation,
which shall devour the adversaries.” Heb. 10:26.
The preceding verse shows that this
warning is connected with the Lord’s Coming – “So much the more,
as ye see 'The Day’ approaching - the "DAY OF THE
LORD.” The expression - "there remaineth no more sacrifice
for sins,” implies that those who thus sin against their
knowledge are without hope.
That there will be a “Great Multitude” saved after the Church
is “caught out” in the “Time Space” between the “Rapture” and
the “Revelation,” is clearly revealed in Rev. 7:9-17, and some
of them may be of those "left behind,” but they will have
to pass through great tribulation and suffer a martyr’s death
for refusing to worship the “Image of the Beast.” Rev. 13:11-17.
And we read that – When the Lord Jesus shall be revealed (at the
close of the Great Tribulation) from Heaven with His mighty
angels, in "flaming fire” He shall take vengeance on them
that "KNOW NOT GOD,” and that "OBEY NOT THE GOSPEL OF
OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST.” II Thess. 1:7-10. Let us not run the
risk of being left behind.
