Category Archives: Bible Studies

The Rapture of the Church

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The Rapture of the church is the next great event for the Christian. Nothing needs to happen before this event, and nothing will happen before this event. Many think that the Tribulation could occur next, and some even think that we are in the Tribulation. But Scripture makes clear that before the Tribulation starts the Rapture will occur.

And for those who aren’t convinced that there even is a rapture, here are two points of evidence from the Scripture that proves it.

The Rapture of the church proved by Daniel 9:24-27.

Daniel 9:24-27

“Seventy weeks have been decreed for your people and your holy city, to finish the transgression, to make an end of sin, to make atonement for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy and to anoint the most holy place.  25 “So you are to know and discern that from the issuing of a decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until Messiah the Prince there will be seven weeks and sixty-two weeks; it will be built again, with plaza and moat, even in times of distress. 26 “Then after the sixty-two weeks the Messiah will be cut off and have nothing, and the people of the prince who is to come will destroy the city and the sanctuary. And its end will come with a flood; even to the end there will be war; desolations are determined. 27 “And he will make a firm covenant with the many for one week, but in the middle of the week he will put a stop to sacrifice and grain offering; and on the wing of abominations will come one who makes desolate, even until a complete destruction, one that is decreed, is poured out on the one who makes desolate.”

If you read this passage carefully you will see that there are a great many details to consider. And I have been careful to highlight these details in my book, Biblical Evidence of a Pretribulation Rapture—which I recommend to you.1  But in our study here we will narrow it down quite a bit. The idea that I want you to see here is that God has decreed (or determined) for His people (Israel) a period of time, with suffering, to bring them as a nation to repentance and salvation. We see this in verse twenty-four. The period is seventy weeks, which means seventy weeks of years or 490 years. These weeks are broken down in this passage into three parts: seven weeks (or forty-nine years), sixty-two weeks (or 434 years), and one week (the last seven years). The first forty-nine years is from the decree to rebuild Jerusalem (in 445 B.C.) to the closing of the Old Testament. The next 434 years is during the intertestamental period and to the first advent of Messiah, which was fulfilled at His triumphal entry in A. D. 30. The third and last seven years is during the seven-year Tribulation; that period is the period that “the people of the prince (or the antichrist) will promise to the Jews as a time of peace (v. 27).

Now you may notice that from the end of the sixty-two-week period to the beginning of the last week, there is a huge gap of time. This is where the church has fit in. This gap so far has been about 2024 years long. And please understand that the last week (which will be the Tribulation period) cannot begin until the church age is completed. So, you see what I am getting at. When God sees that it is time to end the church age and to continue again the program for Israel, He will rapture the church to heaven. But that last seven years of Tribulation doesn’t have to begin immediately—and I don’t think it will. It will not begin until the antichrist signs a covenant of peace with the Jews for seven years (v. 27).

The Rapture of the church proved by New Testament verses. There are several New Testament verses that designate the Rapture of the church. In my study I counted thirty-one such references. Here are three that are most well-known.

John 14:1-3

“Do not let your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me.  2 “In My Father’s house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you.  3 “If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also.

In this passage verse three is the key rapture verse. When Jesus comes again to receive us to Himself, this is the Rapture. And when He takes us up to heaven He will give us our own dwelling place that He has been preparing for us.

1 Corinthians 15:51-52

Behold, I tell you a mystery; we will not all sleep, but we will all be changed, 52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed.

In this passage the rapture itself (our being taken up to heaven) is not mentioned, but it is implied. It will happen just as, or immediately after we are “changed” (when our bodies are transformed); and it will happen when we are yet alive. Some people suggest that though our transformation will happen instantly— “in the twinkling of an eye,” we may go up slowly so that people will see us go up; perhaps just as Jesus was seen by His disciples when He ascended into heaven (Acts 1:9). I don’t know if I believe that, but it is a fascinating thought.

1 Thessalonians 4:15-17

 For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord.

This passage really shows quite vividly what will happen at the rapture. Our transformation is not mentioned, but it is implied. First the dead will be transformed and taken up; then we who are alive will be transformed and taken up; and we will be “caught up together with them [with those dead who went up first] in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air…”

You know, the more I read this passage the more I think this event will not at all be secret or unseen. People may see us go up, and they may also hear a shout and a trumpet sound. I wonder.

1 Stephen Nielsen, Biblical Evidence of a Pretribulation Rapture (published by Stephen Nielsen, http://www.stephennielsen.com, 2024), pp. 17-58.

Progressing Toward Heaven: the Church Age

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In the second chapter of my book on heaven I write on the timeline of events, ten events, progressing toward heaven. The church age is the first event—or the first period of time, from where we are now.

The Church Age

The church age, from Pentecost until now (for over 2,000 years) has been built on a firm foundation of faithful Old Testament believers—like Abraham, whom God chose to bless and to make of him a great nation. And it was Abraham who was looking for the city of God (Heb. 10:14); amazing isn’t it, that way back then he was looking for the city that we still have in view. And there are so many others that were also strong in faith, like Joseph who against all odds believed in God to preserve many people alive—the Jewish nation (Gen. 5:20). And then, of course, there was Moses who refused to enjoy the pleasures of Egypt in order to follow a greater calling—to lead God’s people out of Egypt. And we could not forget Joshua and Caleb who when they spied out the land of Canaan and saw that there were giants living there, they alone believed in God that he would go with them and deliver them. And there were so many others who were great in faith; but king David stands out as one of the greatest who had a heart for God all his life. And besides David there was Samuel, Elijah and Elisha, and so many other great prophets like Isaiah and Jeremiah and Ezekiel and Daniel.

In the New Testament era, the beginning of the church age, there were those who Jesus discipled—the twelve apostles, plus Paul. They, according to God’s design were the ones who were the pillars of the church. And we see in the book of Acts how after Pentecost, many were added to the church. And though there was great persecution (and martyrs) in those early days, the church grew and grew.

In more recent years, from the 1500’s and on into the 1900’s, mainly in Europe and America, holy men who were called puritans and great preachers began to be used by God. The first of these were men like Martin Luther and William Tyndale who had the calling of God to reform the church (as it had been corrupted by Babylonialism and the Catholic church), and to translate the bible into the language of the people. These great warriors were those who were brutally persecuted and even burned alive for their faith—thousands of them.

Following them, from the 1700’s on, were the great ones like John Wesley, Charles Finney, Jonathan Edwards, George Whitefield, J. B. Lightfoot, Hudson Taylor, Charles H. Spurgeon, Dwight L. Moody, F. B. Meyer, and R. A. Torrey. They were the great preachers and writers who sparked revivals. They were the movers of the Holy Spirit that kept the church alive.

Today, because of those who have gone before them, we have a great many churches in the world, especially in England and in America.  In most cities there is a church on just about every corner. However, most churches have lost their holy zeal that once existed; and with so many denominations, it is hard to find a church that is bible-believing and God-loving.

And even though the church age by definition is a time for believers (the bride of Christ) to excel in faith, we live in an age of evil and war and lawlessness. Hence we find ourselves surrounded on every side with those who are against us. Here, in ten points, is what this age of the church is facing today.

1. False prophets misleading many (1 Tim. 4:1; Matt. 24:11).This may be the most evident indication of the last days.

2. A great proliferation of evil (2 Tim. 3:1-5, 13). This will be the greatest during the tribulation, but we are beginning to see it now, and the result is a great deception and a loss of the truth.

3. Wars breaking out all over the world (Matt. 24:6). The more people are infected with evil the more they will choose war and crime.

4. Famine (Matt. 24:7; Rev. 6:5-6). Severe hunger and starvation due to drought and war is growing worse and worse every day and is a constant sign that His coming is near.

5. Earthquakes (Matt. 24:7; Lu. 21:11). Some of us do not experience earthquakes (like where I live in Minnesota). However, according to geological reports, this world on the whole, has seen both an increase in the frequency and the intensity of earthquakes in the last few decades, which is a definite sign of His soon coming.

6. Lawlessness (Matt. 24:12). This is a term that describes the Antichrist—the “man of lawlessness.” We can expect this behavior more and more in these last days.

7. False religious unity (Rev. 17). After the Rapture and into the Tribulation there will be an effort to set up a new global religion; but it will be a false religion. Even now in this church there is efforts by false teachers to push ahead this false religion and to create a false religious unity.

8. Efforts to create a global government (Dan. 7; Rev. 13 and 17). For the last few decades all the world’s technology, such as the internet, email, social networking, and central banking has been geared toward globalization. It will be here sooner than we think.

9. The persecution of believers (Matt. 10:22; 24:9; 2 Tim. 3:12; Rev. 6:9-11). This has always been an issue in the world; but it is definitely intensifying as we draw near to the antichrist system.

10. An alignment of nations against Israel (Isa. 17:1; Ezek. 38 and 39). Oh, we definitely see this happening as we hear the news! It is shocking!

Proud People Will not Be Allowed In Heaven

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I can’t believe that the media are pushing the Pride events so hard. And they seem so happy about it—that we are giving all the queer people a happy place to go, and be who they are. They announced that this whole month (in Minnesota I guess) is dedicated to Pride people (homosexuals) and that there are over 600 places for them to go. (But in the end they won’t be allowed in Heaven). I wish the church would say something—because the entire movement of pride is evil! And we ought to give them the message of truth—that God hates what they are doing, and He sees it as wicked and a rebellion against Him. (Have you noticed lately how the Pride rainbow colors are displayed everywhere?)

In the ancient world God destroyed all people except Noah because of their wickedness. Then again in Abraham’s day He destroyed two entire cities, all but Lot and his children for their wickedness. They were Pride people too!  God was grieved because of them (Gen 18:20). And I hope we as Christians are grieved too.

This sin it seems is not going away. It is multiplying! (their colors are everywhere.) Just as the whole world was infected in Genesis 6, and just as two entire cities were infected, don’t you know that the same thing is happening now. Soon Jesus will come and remove all His people (the Rapture) and He will bring seven years of His wrath on the world. Then one-thousand years later, even when Satan and the demons are locked up, the world again (at least much of the world) will be rebellious against God. This time the entire world and all this universe will be destroyed by fire. Read it in 2 Peter 3:10-12. It is also mentioned in Revelation 20:11, “The earth and heavens fled from his presence, and there was no place for them.” It sounds like God just makes the earth and the heavens disappear. In 2 Peter it reads more like a great explosion by great heat where the elements (the atoms) melt away. Finally, all evil will be gone! And God will make all things new— “A new heaven and a new earth” (Rev. 21:1). I don’t see any idea of a renovation—as most people teach.

This is the message that we ought to be preaching to the world. That all their rebellious pride will not last. It will soon be gone—destroyed. And if they want to see and be a part of the beautiful new earth they must leave behind their sin and rebellion against God, because nothing of the way they are, nothing impure will be allowed to enter heaven (Rev. 21:8, 27).

May God Send His Angel

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Today I read the familiar story of Daniel in the lions’ den (Dan. 6:16-28). I was especially struck by the parallel I saw between this story and what is happening to Donald Trump. In Daniel’s story jealous, fellow administrators were unable to find anything against Daniel so they had to concoct something related to his beliefs. In Trump’s case too, it is very hard to find anything against him (because his records are so clean). So, they concocted some bogus case and now they intend to throw him into the lion’s den—or so many years in jail!

It is amazing that in every time and in every culture we find evil men who are intent on doing evil against good men. I guess it is the nature of evil to always want to drag a good man down to your level.

I pray that the end for Trump will be much like it was for Daniel—that God would send His angel to shut the mouths of the lions and that instead the evil men would be found out and judged.

What Shall the People Do?

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What shall the people do when its leaders are corrupt, when its judges are evil? What shall we do?

We should cling to God and listen to His voice. We should do what we know is His will. We should continue in the word and in prayer and be kind to our neighbors. When the world around us is sinking in sand look to God who alone can save us. Pray concerning all things and all people. Then trust Him to do as He pleases. He will put things right; He will accomplish His will.

So, as the world of evil marches on, we must lift our head and be blameless. They may be crooked and perverse, yet we must shine as lights of righteousness and hold forth the word of life until the day of Christ.