REASON # 12 – There Are No Signs That Point To the Rapture – So Be Ready

We have come to the conclusion of this series of messages in looking at why we should believe in the Pre-Tribulation Rapture of the Church. Here is a list of the previous eleven; 1) The Unfulfilled Promises of God to Israel, 2) Scriptural/Historical Evidence of Previous Raptures, 3) The Scoffers Who Disclaim the Promise of Christ’s Return, 4) Jesus Said He Would Come Again and Take Us To a Prepared Place, 5) The Church Has Not Been Appointed to Wrath, 6) This View Maintains the Imminent Return of Jesus Christ, 7) Because of The Stronger Emphasis on Evangelism and Missions, 8) Because Israel is Put Aside for a Time; The Lord is Working In the Church Today, 9) The Scriptures Refer to “The Blessed Hope”, 10) Causes Us to Look for Jesus, 11) The Church is the Temple of the Holy Spirit, Who Restrains Evil.

 

“ Then certain of the scribes and of the Pharisees answered, saying, Master, we would see a sign from thee.  But he answered and said unto them, An evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given to it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas:  For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale’s belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.  The men of Nineveh shall rise in judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: because they repented at the preaching of Jonas; and, behold, a greater than Jonas is here.  The queen of the south shall rise up in the judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: for she came from the uttermost parts of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and, behold, a greater than Solomon is here” Matthew 12:38-42

 

If that generation did not need a sign, but the sign of an empty tomb, then, those who are in Christ today do not need any sign to be ready for the sudden appearing of the Lord Jesus to take us to Himself.

 

It seems that all the signs that the Scriptures give are for the coming Tribulation – Wrath of God – upon the people of the earth, and/or the Glorious Appearing of our Savior and His one thousand year reign on the restored earth.

 

I. ALL SIGNS WHICH HAVE BEEN GIVEN ARE SIGNS FOR THE DAY OF WRATH, OR THE GLORIOUS APPEARING OF JESUS TO RULE AND REIGN ON EARTH.

A. What about the preaching of the gospel being throughout all the earth?

1. “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” Matthew 24:14.

2. Even the signs given for the period Jesus speaks of in the Sermon on Olivet; or the Olivet Discourse as it is called; are signs for the period of the Tribulation [This includes chapters 24 and 25 of Matthew’s gospel].

B. When the apostle Paul is writing of the Rapture in the Thessalonian letters he mentions nothing about signs being fulfilled, but rather awaiting the return of Jesus. “And to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come” 1 Thes. 1:10. “For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Are not even ye in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at his coming?” 1 Thes. 2:19. “ But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.  For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.  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.  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 which 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.  Wherefore comfort one another with these words” 1 Thes. 4:13-18. “For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ…” 1 Thes. 5:9. “And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ” 1 Thes. 5:23.

II. PAUL AND THE CHRISTIANS AT THESSALONICA WERE EXPECTING THE RAPTURE IN THEIR DAY, AND LIFETIME.

A. There were some who were concerned about their loved ones who had died and the Lord had not returned before.

1. There was concern that the rapture had already happened; IT HAD NOT.

2. In 2 Thessalonians Paul assures them that it had not already occurred.

“Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him,  That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand” 2 Thes. 2:1-2.

B. That expectancy is seen in the verses read previously in the first letter chapter 4 and verses 13 through 18.

 

III. SINCE THERE ARE NO SIGNS GIVEN FOR THE RAPTURE WE MUST CONSTANTLY BE READY FOR OUR LORD’S RETURN FOR HIS BRIDE.

“Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh” Matthew 24:44.

“Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and 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.  And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure” 1 John 3:2-3.

A. As Believers in Christ we should not spend our time gazing into Heaven, but ever be vigilant to the task to which we have been called.

B. The strongest drive in the heart of the Christian will be to glorify our Lord and Savior, and do that by telling others of His greatness, majesty, power and glory, and of what He has done and is doing for us.

C. We must always be ready, always alert, always watchful, always thankful – for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning us who are in Him

 

As Jesus ascended into heaven there were angels standing by and asked the disciples the question, “Why stand ye gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen Him go into heaven.” It seems the call of these messengers is go to the task and the call you have been given.