Visions (and Spectres) of Rapture

“Visions of rapture now burst on my sight;” – Fanny Crosby (Blessed Assurance, Stanza 2)

VI·SION (noun): a beautiful or pleasing sight

SPEC·TRE (noun): a threat or prospect of something unpleasant.

Fanny Crosby was blind essentially all of her life; so the rapture must have really been something for her to look forward to. Indeed, her disability heightened her expectation: “When I get to heaven,” she says, “the first face that shall ever gladden my sight will be that of my Saviour.”

Mrs Crosby evidently knew the purpose of the Rapture. Unfortunately today, as a result of our pulpits’ practice of not putting a difference “between the holy and profane,” (Eze 22:26), the Rapture is taught to blood-washed saints as something to be scared of. The Vision has been turned into a Spectre. Instead of “Watching and waiting, looking above,” we’re worried and fretting, that Jesus would soon come.

In 1Th 4:16-18, the Apostle Paul clearly spells out the picture of the Rapture:

“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 who 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.”

Beloved, the point of Salvation is to deliver us from all the pain, shame and wanton wickedness all round us. Paul explained the Rapture in order to encourage, not terrify, the Brethren. The coming of our Lord is something we should look forward to, and something to tell everyone we know about. Let’s tell them that “Jesus is coming soon; and it doesn’t have to be bad news for you, it’s actually good news for me, because I’m finally going to be reunited with my Saviour for the rest of eternity”.

HALLELUJAH!!! Now that’s why we call it Good News, isn’t it?

AMEN.

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

GREG ELKAN