Bad News, Jesus is Coming Soon!

When He shall come with trumpet sound,

Oh may I then in Him be found…

The Rapture (Greek harpazo, “caught up”) is a clearly outlined doctrine of scripture, (1Thes 4:17, 1Cor 15:51-52, etc.). It’s the “snatching away” of all Believers at the Second Coming of the Lord to meet Him in the air.

Nevertheless it’s interesting, (and sadly ironic), that whereas Paul cites the Rapture to reassure the Believers, the Rapture today is being used as a threatening tool against Believers.

Essentially every post we see on Social Media today evinces a warped understanding of the concept and purpose of the Rapture. The result of this is a church populated by members who’s hearts skip whenever the soon-coming return of their Lord is mentioned.

What can be said to be the root behind this dread of the prospect of the final uniting of a ransomed bride with her Groom? One word: QUALIFICATION.

How many times have we heard things like,

·“Those of you who feel you can skip church service because of bad weather should know that Jesus can come at any time”

· Don’t delay that tithe till next week, what if the Rapture meets it in your hand?”

·“Have you had communion this week? Always live ready”,

·“Are you prepared? Remember Jesus expects 100% perfection”

· etc.

Are those the things that qualify us for the Rapture? The qualification for the Rapture is perfect, absolute righteousness – the very righteousness that the Believer already has in Christ (2Cor 5:17). Indeed, if there should be any concern we should have about the Rapture, it should be the one Mr Mote worries about in the last stanza of his famous hymn: that we should be...

…Dressed in His righteousness ALONE,// FAULTLESS to stand before the throne.

Certainly, the spectre of an unannounced return of Christ should be a cause of dread and alarm for the hypocritical “church-goer”, but for those who have placed their faith in Christ and on His finished work on the Cross, it should be an object of hope and anticipation.

 “On Christ the solid Rock we stand,

All other ground is sinking sand…

All other ground is sinking sand.

AMEN.

More Blessings await you today; you’ll not miss them in Jesus’ Name.

GREG ELKAN