The Rapture and the Appearing

… Titus 2.13 We look for that blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ. It has been announced that while the Word of God is addressed to all of our hearts and consciences, that this morning's meeting has been convened particularly with the young in mind. I will therefore make the following concessions to you. I will assume that we are all young in heart and young in spirit. I will assume that we all love the Lord Jesus, who loved us and gave himself for us. I will assume that we have not yet lost our first love, our chief love. I will assume that we are interested in the subject matter that the Scriptures reveal. I shall also assume that we are alert in our minds, that we read the Scriptures and pray every day, and because of that it won't be necessary to repeat things more than once, and that we'll be concentrating sufficiently to move quickly from one point to another. Building upon what we've had so far this weekend, this morning's exercise is to see what light Scripture gives on the distinction between the rapture and the appearing. There may just be time for a brief comment on the timing, the relative timing of the events, but mostly we will be concentrating on the distinction in character of the rapture and the appearing. My basic suggestion is this. The rapture is entirely a matter of privilege. The appearing is related to our responsibility. So let us start with those two words, privilege and responsibility. And just so that we remember these things, I want to suggest a few simple words related to this great privilege of the rapture, and just to fasten it in our minds, each of those words will begin with the letter P. And when later we come to consider the appearing as such, again, just to remind us that this is a matter of responsibility, I want to suggest a few words, each beginning with the letter R. I would love to know the original tongues in which the Scriptures were written, but I don't. But one of the things we want to encourage ourselves in this weekend, is that even if we haven't a knowledge of the original tongues in which the Scriptures were written, the Scriptures in our hands, in ordinary English, are sufficiently clear on the matters we are considering to leave us in no doubt at all. So, as far as possible, I'll be using simple words of English, and if you have any simpler ones to give me afterwards, I'll be delighted. First of all then, let us get straight into this happy matter of the rapture. The first thing I want to say, and we did touch upon it on Saturday in the reading, that we need have no doubt at all that this is positive. Now that's our first P. There's no doubt at all that the rapture will occur. The Scripture we read in 1 Thessalonians 4, this I say unto you, said the apostle, by the word of the Lord. This is not ecclesiastical theory. This is not the opinion of a sect or section of Christendom. This is basic truth from the Scriptures. This I say unto you by the word of the Lord. It's positive. A Scripture we haven't read in detail this weekend, but it is referred to and probably will be referred to again, is the first epistle to the Corinthians, chapter 15, words something like this. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed. This mortal must put on immortality. This corruptible must put on incorruptibility. It's positive. No shadow of doubt in any of the Scriptures. So again, looking at the time, we will pass quickly on, bearing that in mind that we are considering something which Scripture attests as a positive truth, one of the cardinal features of Christianity. I think we need to consider again, as though we never heard it for the first time, that the rapture will be personal. And that's my second P. How often have our souls been ravished to realize the Lord's own words, personal from him to us as individuals. I will come again. John 14. He personally will come. 1 Thessalonians 4. The Lord himself and not another. I often consider that it is quite appropriate, as we read the Scriptures, that many important things are delegated to angels. Many things are delegated to men. But some things are so precious, so important, that they are delegated to neither angels nor men. They will be done by the Lord himself. Oh, how sweet that the personal ingathering of his saints to himself is so precious to the Lord Jesus that he will not delegate this to another. The Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout and so on. We wait for his son from heaven. 1 Thessalonians 1. Personally, we wait for him. Philippians 3. We look for the Savior. Note that we have a knowledge of Scriptural truth, happy as this is. We look personally for the Savior. And I like that little touch that Paul gives to Timothy. We might discuss at great length what is the Christian hope. But I love Paul's salutation to Timothy when he talks about, he says, the Lord Jesus Christ, our hope. Now, there is much bound up with our hope. But unless it's held personally in relation to him who is coming, we are accepting less than the best that Scripture offers us. We are thinking then of that which is personal. The Lord Jesus Christ personally is our hope. The rapture will be private. It will be private. The Lord Jesus said, commenting on the world's rejection of him, the Lord said, The world seeth me no more. How right it is that when they have rejected him in unmistakable manner, it is right that when he comes for his own, that it will be private to him and to his own. And we can base our thoughts upon that specific Scripture, the world seeth me no more. We think again of Scriptures like Ephesians 5, that private occasion when we are told by the apostle that Christ will present to himself a glorious church not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing. Again, that will be a private matter. Almost the same, I suppose, at the end of that stirring epistle of Jude. Right at the end, he says in this grand doxology, Unto him who was able to present us faultless in his presence. And that will be an occasion which is private and not to be seen by the public at large. I think at the present time, one of the most vital things we can say about the rapture after character is that all Christians are included. Give me a better word if you have one, but I would use the word plenary. I suppose in the course of our jobs and our studies, we are used to councils, committees, groups, and there are sometimes when things are, there's one small group or another, subcommittees, working parties, councils, the rest of it, but every now and again, they have what is called a plenary session. When everyone is there and no one is missed out, the rapture will be like that. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed. In a twinkling, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, and so on. The Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, one Thessalonians 4. The dead in Christ, the living saints, caught up together, not one missing. Again, not a theory, not a proposition. The clear, unequivocal statements of Scripture that none are to be excluded. It will be a plenary session. None will be missing. And I think in a positive way, we need to consider. One last Scripture before we move away from that. In the epistle to the Corinthians, chapter 15, about the middle of the chapter, Paul, commenting on the resurrection, he says, everyone will be raised in their own rank. And he says, in that context, he says, there that are Christ's at his coming. Not selective, not partial, there that are Christ's at his coming. Oh, let us have no doubt that this being a matter of privilege, keep responsibility out of our minds altogether for the moment. As a result of the work that Christ has done, and because of his personal intervention, he himself will come for us, and our responsibility, important as it is, will not affect whether or not we are ingathered at the rapture. It is positive. It is personal. It is private. And it is plenary. Now, I have a bit of difficulty with the next word, with my simple English tongue. I've looked round for a word which will tell us that it will be instantaneous. No warning, either to the Christians or the world at large. Let us remind ourselves, there is no unfulfilled prophecy in the Bible which needs to be fulfilled before the rapture. In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, instantaneously, without any delay, the rapture will occur. I've sought in vain for a word beginning with P for that. The best I can find is prestissimo. I don't know Hebrew. I don't know Greek. I struggle with English, but the only word I can find is prestissimo. My musical friends tell me that prestissimo is the shortest possible interval of time that can be envisaged. Now, you think of a word that means that, a word of one syllable beginning with P, I'd be delighted to have it. But until I get it, the best I can offer you is prestissimo. No delay, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye. Isn't that wonderful? While we're gathered here, in a twinkling of an eye. Time doesn't permit to go into illustrations of that. We must pass on. A simple word about the rapture, it will be permanent. So shall we ever be with the Lord. Not on probation. Not on trial. Not to be reconsidered at any later stage. The Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout. The dead in Christ shall be raised. The living changed. So shall we ever be with the Lord. No doubt about it at all. I will come again, John 14. I will come again and receive you unto myself, that where I am, there ye may be also. The eternal Son is coming for us, to take us to be with himself. And once he's engathered us to himself, we'll never be away from him again. It will be permanent. All this is wonderful for us. But one little word I'd like to give you. For Christ, the rapture will be sheer pleasure. The rapture is for the pleasure of Christ. How wonderful that something which is for our joy and blessing is for the pleasure of Christ. Oh, with what feeling the Lord said, I will come again and receive you unto myself, that where I am, there ye may be also. Ephesians 5, Jude 24 referred to before, the delight to the heart of Christ in presenting to himself that which is most precious to him, Christ's assembly, his bride, that upon which he has set his affection, to him that pearl of great price. It will be for his pleasure, his joy. It is a matter of joy, whereas the appearing will be a matter of judgment and justice. So make a note of that word, pleasure, and it's something that will give delight to your own heart. Thinking about that word, privilege, I would suggest to you that the rapture is pure grace and mercy. That's my letter P, pure grace and mercy. If you like, privilege. From start to finish, our blessing is governed and based upon pure grace and mercy from the outset, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he has saved us, right unto the end. Jude, isn't it, who says, awaiting the mercy of our God. Oh, I like to think that having saved us by his mercy, by grace, having cared for us all the days of our life, the last act of mercy of our God is to take us out of this scene altogether to be with himself forevermore. Those of you who are interested in the truth that comes to light in the book of Nehemiah will have noticed that in that circuit of the city, the first gate and the last gate is the sheep gate. Oh, everything that is encompassed in that which is precious to God begins and ends on the ground of mercy. So we need to consider and remind ourselves again and again that from start to finish, everything is pure grace and mercy. The verse I read from Titus 2, it's the climax of verses that remind us that the grace of God, which brings in its train salvation to all, has appeared in the past. That at the present time, the grace of God educates us to be sober, righteous, and godly in this present course of things. But the final touch will be when that blessed hope is realized, when the Lord Jesus comes to take us to be with himself. I think it is a happy thing at the beginning of every day to think that the rupture of the saints will be perhaps today. Perhaps today. Again, let us say, there is no unfulfilled scripture which could cause the delay for a moment longer when Christ will come for his own. We read at the end of scripture, the spirit and the bride say come. Increasingly, the saints of God appear to be having a sense of the preciousness of the coming of Christ. Increasingly, the bride is saying come. I would suggest that when the moment comes, when that response of affection is at its climax, and when the spirit adds his voice to that of the bride, when the spirit and the bride say come, he that shall come will come and will not tarry. The spirit and the bride, in unison with all our hearts, saying come, Lord Jesus. I think I'd better move on from there. Perhaps we'd better look at the book of Daniel, chapter 9. Daniel, chapter 9, and verse 24. Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city to finish the transgression, to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most holy. Know therefore and understand that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks and threescore and two weeks. The street shall be built again and the wall even in troublous times. And after the threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself. And the people of the Prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary and the end thereof shall be with a flood. And unto the end of the war desolations are determined. This morning will only permit this to be said. It is a matter of authenticated history that from the commandment of Artaxerxes that permission should be granted for the rebuilding of Jerusalem until that moment when the Lord Jesus manifested himself offering himself as Messiah at Jerusalem was identically in line with this prophecy. These weeks are demonstrably weeks of years, sevens of years. Seven times 69, 483 is exactly the period between the issuing of the decree and the Lord Jesus Christ presenting himself to the nation. That's a matter of history which can be followed up. This prophecy says that after that time one week of prophecy remains to be fulfilled as to timescale. The Bible is clear that the church period as such is not a matter for prophetic fulfillment. This is in parenthesis. This last 2,000 years since the Lord Jesus presented himself as Messiah if you like, God's prophetic clock has stopped ticking and it will resume ticking after the rapture. I have not quite said at the rapture but after the rapture the keen student of scripture can come to no other conclusion than that the appearing in glory of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ will take place about seven years after the rapture. There are certain things that the scriptures speak about in Daniel and Revelation which give a slight blurring of the edges at the beginning of the seven years and the end of the seven years. But we can be clear as to this. At about or just a little more than seven years after the rapture Christ will appear. Now that's all I have time to say but would you look now please at the Gospel of Matthew chapter 24. Just to orientate our minds. Now have in the back of your mind these matters of privilege that we've been talking about for the last half an hour. The affection, the sensitivity, the intimacy of these matters relating to the rapture and discern immediately the difference in tone of scriptures about the public appearing of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Matthew 24 verse 27. As the lightning cometh out of the east and shineth even unto the west so shall also the coming of the Son of Man be. For wheresoever the carcass is there will the eagles be gathered together immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened and the moon shall not give her light and the stars shall fall from heaven and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken and then shall appear the sign of the Son of Man in heaven and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn and they shall see the Son of Man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory and he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds from one end of heaven to the other. Very little as to detail is said in scripture about the rapture. A great deal is said about the appearance in fact it is patent in scripture that the appearing in glory of our Lord Jesus Christ is the grand climax the focal point of all bible prophecy not the rapture but the appearance and perhaps we'll have a few moments to consider the reasons for that. Matthew 24 reminds us something that was implied forecast, prophesied in Daniel 9 that between, in this last seven years before the kingdom of our Lord Jesus Christ is ushered in that this will, half way through the period become a time of great tribulation and trouble to God's earthly people Israel I would only say again by then, because the rapture has occurred we will not be personally involved on earth. God's people on earth at that time will experience a time of great sorrow we were reminded, weren't we in passing the other day this time of Jacob's trouble Jeremiah 30 and other scriptures speak about that but the grand climax of the prophetic word is the appearing in glory of our Lord Jesus Christ now I think we need to bear that in mind when we think about responsibility one of the difficulties when we read the New Testament and the Old is that there are things which don't directly affect us we are not the subject of the prophetic matter but God, in his wisdom draws to our attention things that don't directly affect us in the fulfillment but are anticipated will affect us now now if there's time I'll say this at the end but in case I forget I'll say it now prophecy may well give us information about the future but that is not the prime intent of the prophetic word God's intent by the Holy Spirit in giving us details about the future is in order that our conduct at the present time might be regulated, affected in the light of what God tells us about the future and again, in case it's squeezed out by time let me say this God is pleased to give us details about his ultimate, absolute judgment on things so that now at the present time in our days of responsibility we can come to that same moral judgment now at the present time which will affect our lives now in the light of what God is going to do in the future now it's because of that and because it is largely related to responsibility that I have used that word responsibility in directing our attention to salient matters that arise in the study of the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ Matthew 24 where we've read and many other scriptures tell us that one of the matters at the appearing will be that those who wait for it will find it a matter of great relief now that's my first R rest and relief God's elect on earth at that time will be in such a state of agitation that they will be longing for Messiah to come because it will give them the rest and relief from the pressure, difficulty and affliction which this world has never seen before now because of that it is not surprising that occasionally in the New Testament epistles addressed to Christians the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ is linked with this matter of rest and relief would you turn please, just briefly to 2 Thessalonians chapter 1 which is a case in point bear in mind again the apostle is not speaking of matters which will happen on earth while we are here but he does bring to bear the truth of the appearing upon their present circumstances 2 Thessalonians chapter 1 and verse 7 to you who are troubled rest, that's the word, rest with us when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels in flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his power it is a matter of great relief in present pressure for the Christian who doesn't know where to turn absolutely distracted to be conscious of the fact that the day will come when everything will be put right everything will be set in order everything will be seen in proper perspective when as the scripture says God has appointed a day in which he will rule the world in righteousness by that man whom he has ordained and it is a matter of present relief to the saints of God to think on to the time when everything shall be put right and what matter if it is the Lord's will that I have some little trial some little difficulty some little pressure at this present time it is a matter of rest and relief to me to know that for him as well as his people the day will come when everything is put right I think that's the significance of that expression we love his appearing wasn't it grand to know that we are longing for the day when the Lord Jesus shall hold universal sway when everyone shall bow their knee to him and it is a matter of consolation at the present time affecting our attitudes now to know that in the future that day will occur in passing let us notice that the day that day is one of the significant expressions in the New Testament telling us about his appearing that day when he shall hold rightful sway I think I'd better move on a bit and Matthew 24 tells us that the Lord Jesus Christ Thessalonians 1 as well 2nd Thessalonians 1 as well as being a matter of rest and relief for God's people at the time and by inference to us now it will be the time when retribution is afforded, accorded to the enemies of God those who obey not God will have due retribution levied against them this is not a matter of being vindictive this is not a matter of enjoying other people's difficulties this is not a matter of selfishness saying well it'll be fine for us we'll be with the Lord and it's all they deserve those who've obeyed not the gospel of God as well as responsibility it is a matter of righteousness that the rights of God are given due accord and it is only righteous that those who have set themselves against the Son who will rule in righteousness that they should be dealt with that's all I can say it's a matter of judgment upon the enemies of God and it is a matter of righteousness that it be so now would you turn please to 2 Thessalonians chapter 2 where we read from one of the gains of spending a weekend together are the things that there aren't time to say or not appropriate to say on the first day can perhaps be covered a little on the second 2 Thessalonians chapter 2 and verse 6 you remember in verse 6 we considered that there are certain things at the present time which need to be changed before Christ appears in power and great glory one thing we considered in verse 6 that there is that which restrains at the present time when the church is a restraining influence we were also reminded that in verse 7 that there is he who restrains that if the church is a restraining influence that the Holy Spirit is a restraining power but when the Holy Spirit indwelling the church as such and when the church as such is removed at the rapture in chronological sequence it is then possible in verse 8 to say and then another confirmation that by the time these events take place upon earth the church and those who compose the church will no longer be here the mystery of iniquity already works secretly insidiously just bubbling up to the surface oh we feel increasingly don't we that the lid is being taken off the cesspool of iniquity more and more is bubbling through laying open the way for the horrible mass to take effect when the church and the Holy Spirit have been taken away and here we find that when that occurs it will no longer be in mystery form but that which is seen to those who have an eye anointed to see at the present time will become full-blown and it will need the full-blown revelation of the Lord Jesus Christ in order to deal with it and that's my next R revelation everything will be seen in perspective everything will be seen in its true colours and we are reminded in this scripture again in Luke 19 at the time the Lord Jesus was on earth it was not appropriate that the kingdom should come to light in outward show in manifestation but when he comes again at his appearing in power and great glory with his consult with him he will then be seen in his rightful array and social everyone and everything else if we lament at the present time that things are not as they seem to be clear, plain revelation of all things and all people the secret of all men being revealed awaits the appearing of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ now just one scripture I'd like to cement that home John's first epistle chapter 2 the last verse, verse 28 and now children abide in him that when he shall appear when he shall appear we may have confidence and not be ashamed before him at his coming we come back to this again when he appears there'll be nothing hidden everything will be seen in its true light how tragic if there are some things about us now which will only be seen and dealt with when Christ appears everything will be seen in proper perspective then and John among others brings to bear the moral import of this and says in the light of his appearing let us so live let us so act that things that need to be dealt with are dealt with in this present life again, scripture goes into detail after the rapture we are told, 2nd Corinthians 5 isn't it we must all appear at the judgment seat of Christ not as to our persons not to us as to our security but as to our works responsible acts that we have performed we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ after the rapture before the marriage supper of the Lamb Revelation 19 we must all individually be interviewed by the Lord personally and get everything sorted out that's both an encouragement and a challenge but here in the light of these things John writing to Christians says to the whole family I write unto you children that when he appears that it will be seen then that we are not put to shame from before him at his coming things will be revealed in their right colours let us think of the Lord Jesus personally how it will affect him it gladdens my soul to appreciate that at the appearing there will be due recompense recompense for the Lord Jesus for all his suffering for all his rejection for the mocking and the sneering that has been accorded to him in the days of his flesh a Christian that many of us have appreciated for a long time has often said it gladdens his heart to know that the devil will say Lord to Jesus that those who have the name of Jesus only upon their lips as an oath and a curse will say Lord to Jesus will give it all to him in the praise, the worship and adoration of our souls I've moved on of course in these crowns to something that might well be called the rewards the rewards rewards have nothing to do with the rupture they relate to the appearing let me pinpoint this again it is a matter entirely of responsibility when we think of the appearing entirely a matter of privilege when we think of the rupture a very happy thought about the appearing is that it will be then that we will be seen to be in relationship with Christ Christ and his assembly where we started reading on Saturday we had this haven't we yes if we believe that Jesus died and rose again even so them also which sleep through Jesus sleep by Jesus will God bring with him oh let us enjoy that again sleeping by Jesus subject to his sweet constraint how nice that he layeth his beloved to sleep not a moment in life or in death which is attributed to any other first cause than the Lord Jesus Christ in life or in death this word sleep we discussed sleep not in the sense of lack of awareness or lack of consciousness but sleep in the sense of something transient something which is passing something out of which we shall be awakened and those whose relatives thought that they might be missing something might be excluded from some blessing were let into the secret of the sweetness of the portion who those who were caused to fall on sleep as a result of the sweet constraint of the Lord Jesus Christ but he goes on to say even so those also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him he is coming for us at the rapture so that at about seven years later in earth's timetable we might be with him we are going to be with him we are going to be conformed to his image in order that we might be associated with him at the appearing and throughout the kingdom of our Lord Jesus Christ what a happy thought conformity in full degree to our Lord Jesus Christ when he comes again for us again we have these words Colossians 3 we know that when he shall appear we shall be like him in glory we shall be with him and we shall be like him and again the verse we've quoted from 1st John chapter 3 time has almost gone but I would just like to come back to an all important matter and it's the last or I would like to leave with you and that is the word regulator regulator there is nothing better calculated to regulate our present life than to see God's will revealed after the future particularly in relation to the rapture and the appearing I have known I have heard from platform brethren say that prophecy is cold that prophecy is academic now I would say this anything that affects him who is precious to me should affect my heart and conscience and if it's important to Christ that these things should be revealed about him on the day of his glory it must be important to me but I must also see that if God gives us information as to the future as he does it's in order that our lives at the present time might be duly regulated we've mentioned 2nd Timothy chapter 4 again let us say it Paul was ready to be offered conscious that henceforth there was laid up in store for him a crown of righteousness not only for him but for all who loved his appearing and he said that had effected the way that he lived and served the master towards the end of 1st Timothy 6 and I cannot remind the words I'll look at them 1st Timothy 6 14 that thou keep this commandment without spot irrevocable until in relation to the appearing of our lord Jesus Christ which in his times he will show who was the blessed and only potentate king of kings and lord of lords but my last scripture due to the brevity of time will be 1 John chapter 3 and I want to read 3 verses and I would covet for each of us the opportunity of hearing God's word bearing upon our consciences in relation to everything we've heard this weekend so far and what we shall hear for the rest of the day 1 John chapter 3 behold what manner of love, what an unheard what kind of love the father hath bestowed upon us that we should be called the sons of God therefore the world knoweth us not because it knew him not beloved now are we the sons of God it doth not yet appear what we shall be but we know that when he shall appear we shall be like him for we shall see him as he is now listen to this have this hope in him purify of himself even as he is pure this is not an exhortation although it bears its exhortation with it it is a statement of fact he or she, that Christian who has who holds all truth in relation to the person of Christ he whose hope is centered in him not should or might or may but does he that hath this hope in him purifies himself as he is pure now may the Lord help us as we discuss and study any aspect of scripture truth let it have this effect upon us whether we think of the privileged occasion of the rupture whether we think of all responsible matters which relate and have their bearing upon the appearance let us bear all in relation to the person of Christ that our hope being centered in him will have the practical moral effect now of giving us that judgment upon things that God will ultimately execute upon all things and it will have this practical result that we shall be pure in practice even though the standard is so high even as he is pure …