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Published by permission of the Great Commission April, 1995
Christian Outreach
Bill Eaton, Director
"He that hath an ear let Him hear"
Part # 2: Rapture....real or myth?
Rapture....going to heaven.... When?
Why then is the Lord teaching us to pray: "thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven"? Luke 11:1.
The parable of the Sower: Matt. 13:37 He that soweth the good seed is the Son of man; 38 The field is the world; the good seed are the children of the kingdom; but the tares are the children of the wicked one; 39 The enemy that sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the world (age); and the reapers are the angels. 40 As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of this world (age). 41 The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom (here on earth) all things that offend, and them which do iniquity; 42 And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth. 43 Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father (here on earth). Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.
Does it say that the Christians will be gathered first and raptured out before the tribulation that is being preached that will come upon the unsaved only? It clearly states that the tares (wicked ones, unrepented) will be gathered first and burned and the wheat (righteous) will be gathered into His barn...the Kingdom...."Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. Matt. 6:10."
...this same same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven. Acts 1:11...This is Real...Amen!
1 Thess 4 16-17; "For the Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout.... " The shout is a war cry against His people. The Lord is descending with destruction for those who are not on the alert (faithfully watching and waiting....
Luke 18:8 "when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?".
1 Thess. 5:2 For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. 3 For when they shall say, Peace and safety; (I'm saved; I'm going to be raptured out before the tribulation) then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape. 2 Peter 3:10 But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.... (The secret coming of The Lord to "rapture" the Church is not the warning here but, that the day of the Lord would come silently, without warning with a great noise and "sudden destruction" upon those that have not made their hearts right, repented, and are not watching and waiting faithfully).
11 Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness, 12 Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat?
(It does not say that this will be a silent and secret happening...it does not say to "rapture" and to deliver from tribulations....but, to the unfaithful.... and unrepented and not diligently watching will come sudden destruction )
13 Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness. 14 Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things,
(2 Pet.2:10 "brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall:")
.....be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless....
(Mark 12:30-31; loving God with all your heart and your neighbor as
yourself)
15 And account that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation; even as our beloved brother Paul also according to the wisdom given unto him hath written unto you; 16 As also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned (no time in study of God's Word) and unstable (not faithful) wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction. 17 Ye therefore, beloved, seeing ye know these things before, beware lest ye also, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own stedfastness. Rev. 3:3 Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard, and hold fast, and repent. If therefore thou shalt not watch, (living a life conforming to the image of Jesus) I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee.
(The Lord will come only as a thief to those that are not watching!!!)
Rev. 16:15 Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame. (those that are not diligently watching and waiting will be the loosers... no rapture here!)
Look at what the Prophet Jeremiah had to say about it in chapter 25:29 For, lo, I begin to bring evil on the city (the harlot Church) which is called by my name, and should ye be utterly unpunished? Ye shall not be unpunished: for I will call for a sword upon all the inhabitants of the earth, saith the LORD of hosts. 30 Therefore prophesy thou against them all these words, and say unto them, The LORD shall roar from on high, and utter his voice from his holy habitation; he shall mightily roar upon his habitation; he shall give a shout, as they that tread the grapes, against all the inhabitants of the earth. 31 A noise shall come even to the ends of the earth; for the LORD hath a controversy with the nations, he will plead with all flesh; he will give them that are wicked to the sword, saith the LORD. 32 Thus saith the LORD of hosts, Behold, evil shall go forth from nation to nation, and a great whirlwind shall be raised up from the coasts of the earth. 33 And the slain of the LORD shall be at that day from one end of the earth even unto the other end of the earth: they shall not be lamented, neither gathered, nor buried; they shall be dung upon the ground. 34 Howl, ye shepherds, (Pastors) and cry; and wallow yourselves in the ashes, ye principal (leaders of the Church) of the flock: for the days of your slaughter and of your dispersions are accomplished; and ye shall fall like a pleasant vessel. 35 And the shepherds (blind leading the blind) shall have no way to flee, nor the principal of the flock to escape. 36 A voice of the cry of the shepherds, (the hirelings) and an howling of the principal of the flock, (man appointed) shall be heard: for the LORD hath spoiled their pasture. (doctrines and traditions) 37 And the peaceable (peace and "once saved") habitations are cut down because of the fierce anger of the LORD. Isa. 42:13 The LORD shall go forth as a mighty man, he shall stir up jealousy like a man of war: he shall cry, yea, roar; he shall prevail against his enemies. Who are the enemies of God? James 4:4 Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God. If you have unrepented sin in your life (not loving God with all your heart and your neighbor as yourself) you are an enemy of God.
1 Cor. 15:51 Behold, I show you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, 52 In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, (the Lord comes "suddenly" to His temple Mal.3:1) at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. 53 For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. 54 So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. 55 O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? 56 The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. 57 But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. 58 Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.
What is the last trumpet? Isa. 58:1 Cry aloud, spare not, lift up thy voice like a trumpet, and show my people their transgression, The trump is not a sound on an instrument but, a message of warning from God....the fore runner of Jesus Christ, John the Baptist, preached repentance and those that heard cleansed their heart and accepted Jesus when He came.....and Jesus preached repentance, saying the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand. Is the Last Trumpet The Gospel message of Mat. 24:14? "And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come."
Joel 2:1 Blow ye the trumpet in Zion, (The Church) and sound an alarm in my holy mountain: let all the inhabitants of the land tremble: for the day of the LORD cometh, for it is nigh at hand; 2 A day of darkness and of gloominess, a day of clouds and of thick darkness, (spiritual darkness, false doctrines, traditions of men)... 1 Peter 4:17 For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God? 18 And if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear? 19 Wherefore let them that suffer according to the will of God commit the keeping of their souls to him in well doing, as unto a faithful Creator. Joel 2:11, for the day of the LORD is great and very terrible; and who can abide it? ....only those that have put on the whole armour of God (Eph. 6:10-18) and love the Lord God with all their hearts and love their neighbors as themselves.
Rev. 22:12 And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be. (remember, you do not leave earth, go to heaven, to get your rewards.....Jesus brings them with Him....and they are eternal life and eternal damnation) 13 I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last. 14 Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city (here on earth). 15 For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie. 16 I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches.....Mat 24:31 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. (Angels are messengers, Rev. 19:10 And I fell at his feet to worship him. And he said unto me, See thou do it not: I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren that have the testimony of Jesus: worship God: for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy. Why did John think this angel (messenger) looked like Jesus? John knew what Jesus looked like because He appeared to him and John described Him in the first chapter of the book of Revelation...the reason is that the angel (messenger), fellowservant, had been conformed into the image of The Lord Jesus Christ and it happened again in Rev. 22:8 And I John saw these things, and heard them. And when I had heard and seen, I fell down to worship before the feet of the angel which showed me these things. 9 Then saith he unto me, See thou do it not: for I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren the prophets, and of them which keep the sayings of this book:(must be someone that has already been resurrected or "caught up"?) worship God.
The trumpet is not a blast sounded but, many messengers...just as in Joel, "Blow a trumpet in Zion (The Church)" Mal. 3:1 Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me: (message of repentance) and the Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple, (we are the temple of God) even the messenger of the covenant, (Jesus) whom ye delight in: behold, he shall come, Who will be saved? Mal. 3:2 But who may abide the day of his coming? and who shall stand when he
appeareth? for he is like a refiner's fire, and like fullers' soap: 3 And he shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver: and he shall purify the sons of Levi, (who are the sons of Levi?....The Ministers) and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the LORD an offering in righteousness. 4 Then shall the offering of Judah and Jerusalem be pleasant unto the LORD,
as in the days of old, and as in former years. 5 And I will come near to you to judgment; and I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers, and against the adulterers, and against false swearers, and against those that oppress the hireling in his wages, the widow, and the fatherless, and that turn aside the stranger from his right, and fear not me, saith the LORD of hosts. 6 For I am the LORD, I change not;
The day of the Lord is not only a day of destruction but a day of refining and cleansing for those that have their heart set on Jesus (repented) and not on the things of the world....Matt. 24:3 And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world (age)? It's a tribulation time of lawlessness...Mat 24:12 And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold (will not endure sound doctrine). 13 But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved. Matt. 24:21 For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. 22 And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened. (if the faithful had been raptured out there would be no need to shortened the days for their sakes)
Christ will be revealed when His Glory comes to His temple...one that has been cleansed and purified by the washing of the water of the Word. God says of the ones that have separated themselves from the world: 2 Cor. 6:16 "I will dwell in them, and walk in them;" John 14:23 "If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him."
Matt. 24:42 Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come. 43 But know this, that if the goodman of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken up. 44 Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh. 45 Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his lord hath made ruler over his household, to give them meat in due season? 46 Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing. 47 Verily I say unto you, That he shall make him ruler over all his goods.
This says nothing about the faithful servant being raptured out of here. It's says that he is given authority to reign here on earth.....
Rev.2:26 And he that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations: 27 And he shall rule them with a rod of iron; Rev. 5:10 And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth.
To become a ruler with him, you must be qualified...there will be no novices...no man appointee's, so-called pastors, teachers of doctrines of
men, self ordained prophets of peace and "once" saved.
Now look at what is instore for the unfaithful, those found not watching, those that have not repented of sin, those committing adultery with the world...friendship with the world, an enemy of God.....
Matt. 24:48 But and if that evil servant shall say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming; 49 And shall begin to smite his fellowservants, and to eat and drink with the drunken; 50 The lord of that servant shall come in a day when he looketh not for him, and in an hour that he is not aware of, (not faithfully watching and waiting) 51 And shall cut him asunder, and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites: there shall be weeping and gnashing of
teeth.
Luke 13:23 Then said one unto him, Lord, are there few that be saved? And he said unto them, 24 Strive to enter in at the strait gate: for many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able. 25 When once the master of the house is risen up, and hath shut to the door, and ye begin to stand without, and to knock at the door, saying, Lord, Lord, open unto us; and he shall answer and say unto you, I know you not whence ye are: 26 Then shall ye begin to say, We have eaten and drunk in thy presence (we attended all the campmeetings and seminars), and thou hast taught in our streets (they heard the Word but, did not obey). 27 But he shall say, I tell you, I know you not whence ye are; depart from me, all ye workers of iniquity (not doing the Will of The Father). 28 There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when ye shall see (Heaven opens up for all to see what they have missed) Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, and all the prophets, in the kingdom of God, and you yourselves thrust out. 29 And they shall come from the east, and from the west, and from the north, and from the south, and shall sit down in the kingdom of God.
Mat. 24:29 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: 30 And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven:......
(Heaven is all around us...it is wherever God is, and it can be seen with Spiritual eyes but, now the veil is removed for all to see)
...... 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.....
(Heb. 12:1 Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses,.....all the witnesses, and many others, of Heb. Chapter 11, who by faith did not receive the promise but saw it afar off and wait for it patiently with all that are now faithfully watching and waiting) .....let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,)
....31 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.
1 Thess 4:16-17. Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up....
("caught up", taken completely with the things of God: Eph 2:6 And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: Phil 3:20 For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ: 21 Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body,)
........together with them in the clouds,..... (Heb.12:1 Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses,....as described above)....... to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.
The Apostle Paul here is not talking about a "rapture" but, a resurrection of the dead in Christ...look at verse 13, But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, (dead) that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. (unsaved) 14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep (righteous dead) in Jesus will God bring with him. 15 For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep (dead).
Resurrection, not rapture is the subject here!
2 Peter 3:7 But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men. 9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. 12 Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat?
Jesus gave the interpretation of the tares and the wheat in Matthew chapter 13; "The enemy who sowed the tares is the devil, and the harvest is the end of the age and the reapers are the angels. Therefore just as the tares are gathered up and burned with fire, so shall it be at the end of the age. The (ungodly) elements that will burn with fervent heat are: Jude:12 These are spots (ungodly men) in your feasts of charity, when they feast with you, feeding themselves (selfish ambitions) without fear (no fear of God): clouds they are without water (no Spirit of God, no understanding of The Word) carried about of winds (every wind of doctrine); trees whose fruit withereth (immature), without fruit (no Fruit of the Spirit-Gal.5:22-23), twice dead (born to woman dead due to sin of Adam and received The Word, Jesus, as Savior (saved) and"once" saved but lost it by not staying in obedience to the Word), plucked up by the roots (tares); 13 Raging waves of the sea (violent), foaming out their own shame(disobedient); wandering stars (no understanding), to whom is reserved the blackness of darkness for ever.
The devil and his angels and all that commit lawlessness, will be cast out of the Kingdom of Heaven....and righteousness will begin to reign over the earth.... Luke 1:33... and of His Kingdom there shall be no end. Micah 4:1 But in the last days it shall come to pass, that the mountain of the house of the LORD shall be established in the top of the mountains, and it shall be exalted above the hills; and people shall flow unto it. 2 And many nations shall come, and say, Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, and to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for the law shall go forth of Zion, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem. 3 And he shall judge among many people, and rebuke strong nations afar off; and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up a sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more. 4 But they shall sit every man under his vine and under his fig tree; and none shall make them afraid: for the mouth of the LORD of hosts hath spoken it.
Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man. Eccl. 12:13.
Jesus said; Occupy till I come.Luke 19:13
Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand. Rev. 1:3.
(Rev 2:7) He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God.
(Rev 2:11) He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; He that overcometh
(Rev 2:17) He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the
churches; To him that overcomethwill I give to eat of the hidden manna, and will give him a white stone, and in the stone a new name written, which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth it.
(Rev 2:26) And he that overcometh,and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations:
(Rev 3:5) He that overcometh,the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels.
(Rev 3:12) Him that overcomethwill I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God: and I will write upon him my new name.
(Rev 3:21) To him that overcomethwill I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne.
(Rev 21:7) He that overcometh (All Things)shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son.
Rev. 22:17 And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely. 18 For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book: 19 And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book. 20 He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus. 21 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.
"He that hath an ear let Him hear"
Christian Outreach Bill Eaton, Director