Rapture of the Church (Part 2)

 

Most churches contain people who do not yet believe.  Some are moving in the direction of belief, and others are simply pretending.  Imposters, however, are not to be removed (Matthew 13:28, 29), for that is the Lord’s work alone.  The Good News about Jesus Christ will save us if we firmly believe it and faithfully follow it.

Paul established the Corinthian church on his second missionary journey.  In this study of 1 Corinthians 15:50-54, we will see that the church in Corinth needed the same reassurance as did the Thessalonians regarding their fellow believers who had fallen asleep (died).

Rapture of the Church (Part 1)

The rapture and the second coming of Christ are often confused.  Sometimes it is difficult to determine whether a scripture verse is referring to the rapture or the second coming.  However, in studying end-times Bible prophecy, it is very important to differentiate between the two.

The rapture is when Jesus Christ returns to remove the church (all believers in Christ) from the earth. The rapture is described in 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 and 1 Corinthians 15:50-54. Believers who have died will have their bodies resurrected and, along with believers who are still living, will meet the Lord in the air. This will all occur in a moment, in a twinkling of an eye.  The second coming is when Jesus returns to defeat the Antichrist, destroy evil, and establish His millennial kingdom. The second coming is described in Revelation 19:11-16.

To understand fully the scriptures that deal with the rapture of the church, there will be two separate Bible studies.  In Part 1 we will study and meditate on 1 Thessalonians 4: 13-18; and in Part 2, we will be studying and meditating on 1 Corinthians 15: 50-54.

Jesus is Coming!

Revelation closes human history as Genesis opened it - in paradise. But there is one distinct difference in Revelation - evil is gone forever. Genesis describes Adam and Eve walking and talking with God; Revelation describes people worshiping God face to face. Genesis describes a garden with an evil serpent; Revelation describes a perfect city with no evil. The Garden of Eden was destroyed by sin; but paradise is re-created in the new Jerusalem.

The book of Revelation ends with an urgent request: "Come, Lord Jesus." In a world of problems, persecution, evil, and immorality, Christ calls us to endure in our faith. Our efforts to better our world are important, but their results cannot compare with the transformation that Jesus will bring about when He returns. He alone controls human history, forgives sin, and will re-create the earth and bring lasting peace.