We continue today with our series in Revelation. Now, remember what we said previously about the paper fan, how time is compressed and touching each other. There are times in this book where John is transported forwards from his resent reality to the future reality and back again.
Broadly he is speaking about his past, present and future (Revelation 1:19).
Today we are going to look at Revelation chapters 4-5. We are dealing with the chapters in couplets to get an overview but also context.
Now chapter 4-5 John is transported to the far future, his future and ours, to events that have yet to take place: these are the Rapture chapters. We are not told when the Rapture happens in terms of a year. We are told in a chronology of events, it sits before the tribulation (which we will come to later in the series).
The Rapture
To help us, I’ll share this timeline. Now, I don’t have time to go into everything now. We will cover a lot int he coming messages. But I want you to see where we are.
The word “rapture” is not found in Scriptures — rather, it comes from the Latin translation of the Greek “caught up” in 1 Thessalonians 4:17:After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever.
Rapture refers to:
- The translation of living believers from earthly mortality to heavenly immortality, and…
- The resurrection of the dead bodies of believers to heavenly resurrected bodies.
One of the clearest passages on the rapture is found in Paul’s letter to the 1 Thessalonians 4:13–18: Brothers and sisters, we do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in death, so that you do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope. 14 For we believe that Jesus died and rose again, and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him. 15 According to the Lord’s word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16 For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. 18 Therefore encourage one another with these words.
Paul explains that:
- The Lord will return literally,
- There will be the voice of the archangel and the trumpet call of God,
- The dead in Christ will rise
- Christians who are still alive get “caught up” and join those who rose first
- Believers will meet the Lord in the air — Jesus is not coming down to earth during the rapture, He is instead bringing believers up, out of the world, and
- Believers will be with the Lord.
Will the taking-up be seen by the inhabitants of the earth? It appears not. How is this possible?
The star of Bethlehem was discerned and followed only by the Magi; the voice of God addressing His Son from heaven was taken by the crowd to be thunder; the companions of Saul on the road to Damascus perceived only light.
It is possible that, in the same way, the voice of the archangel and the sound of the trumpet, giving the signal for the Rapture, may only be heard directly by believers.
Jesus described this rapture, this catching up of believers, as him coming unexpectedly:
Matthew 24: 36-44: “But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. 37 As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. 38 For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark; 39 and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. 40 Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other left. 41 Two women will be grinding with a hand mill; one will be taken and the other left. 42 “Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come. 43 But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into. 44 So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.
Paul describes this as a thief in the night, which means suddenly:
1 Thessalonians 5:1-3: Now, brothers and sisters, about times and dates we do not need to write to you, 2 for you know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. 3 While people are saying, “Peace and safety,” destruction will come on them suddenly, as labor pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape.”
Although it is not possible to foresee the exact time of the rapture, there are signs which God has provided in Scriptures. Apostle Paul makes it clear that the church will be taken up once the totality of those who want to accept Christ have come into the church.
Romans 11:25–26: I do not want you to be ignorant of this mystery, brothers and sisters, so that you may not be conceited: Israel has experienced a hardening in part until the full number of the Gentiles has come in, 26 and in this way[a] all Israel will be saved. As it is written: “The deliverer will come from Zion; he will turn godlessness away from Jacob.”
After the church is raptured, Israel will be reinstated to the position which it formerly occupied before God. We will look at this more later in series
When is the Rapture?
There are several different positions as to when the rapture will occur.
Pre-tribulation is the strongest Scriptural position:
- The church is not appointed for wrath — the tribulation will be a time when God pours out His wrath on the wickedness of the world. Paul says at the beginning of 1 Thessalonians 1:10:, “And to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come” and later 1 Thessalonians 5:9: “For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ”. (See also 2 Peter 3:7).
- The Church is absent in Revelation passages speaking of the tribulation — the first three chapters are addressed to churches, then John hears a trumpet and is called up to heaven. Following this, Revelation chapter 4–18 describe judgements on the earth during the tribulation. The church is only mentioned in reference to a few glimpses in heaven.
- Promises to the church — the church is promised to be kept from temptation, not during temptation (Revelation 3:10-13) implying a rapture before the tribulation.
- The order of Scriptures — Paul speaks first of the rapture, then of the “Day of the Lord” and the tribulation in proceeding chapters.
Nothing Left to Do?
Now, what does this mean for us today. Should we have a bus stop mentality? We are just waiting to be rescued? No! There’s work to do for us before the Rapture occurs; we are on mission:
Romans 11:25: I do not want you to be ignorant of this mystery, brothers and sisters, so that you may not be conceited: Israel has experienced a hardening in part until the full number of the Gentiles has come in.
Left Behind?
One second after the Rapture, the only people who will be left on Earth will be those who had not yet put their faith in Jesus (John 6:28-29).No Born-Again Christian will be left behind.
Let’s think for a minute about what a Christian is:
“Christian” is a term used to describe someone as a follower of Christ. The term originated in the city of Antioch - Acts 11:26.
Jesus described His followers as those who:
- Believe in the One whom He (God) has sent. (John 6:28-29).
- Do the Will of the Father. (Matthew 7:21).
- Have been ‘drawn’ by the Father. (John 6:44). It is the love of God that draws us to Him.
- Are Born Again and believe. (John 3:16-18).
Hopefully you’re seeing a common theme. The fine line between someone who is and isn’t a Christian is where and when they have personally received a relationship with Christ through belief in His claims and what He’s done to verify them.
Now, you may be church-goer. That does not make you a Christian. I used to have a gym membership. I’ll say that gain, I used to have a gym membership. Do I look like it? You may be around church but have never accepted Jesus into your heart and made Him Lord of your life.
Some of these people will likely be the first ones who will speak out after the Rapture and deny that it just happened. They will say "Well, I'm a Christian, and I'm still here, so it wasn't the Rapture." Entire churches may even still be here after the Rapture if their pastors never preached the true gospel to their congregations!
Jesus warns that people can do all sorts of amazing things such as prophesying in his name and casting out demons, but still not have a personal relationship with him which comes through faith (Matthew 7:22-23).
There will be many people who will believe in Jesus after the Rapture, and so they will be eternally saved. They are the ones who will have to endure through the Tribulation, and many of them will be killed for their faith (Revelation 6:9-11). They are also the ones who will be resurrected to rule along with Jesus and the Church during the Millennial Kingdom as a reward for being killed (Revelation 7:9-17, 20:4).
However, this group of believers are not the Church. How do we know this? Because Jesus promised that the gates of hell will not overcome the Church (Matthew 16:18). Yet God will allow the Antichrist to persecute believers who are on Earth during the Tribulation (Revelation 13:7). Therefore, they are two different groups of people.
There is confirmation of this in how we see that Christians who make up the Church are promised that we will not face God's wrath:
Romans 5:8-10: 8 But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 9 Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him! 10 For if, while we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life!
So this verse says that being justified is different from being saved from God's wrath. Being saved from God's wrath is a benefit for Christians who live before the Rapture, in addition to having our sins forgiven by God.
This is confirmed in the following verse:
1 Thessalonians 5:9-11: For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ. 10 He died for us so that, whether we are awake or asleep, we may live together with him.
Now, here’s a thought. Everything that is being seen by John in Revelation chapters 4-5 in Revelation is seen by you too, if you are Born Again!
4:1: John is seeing the rapture, “come up here”. He is being caught up as though raptured.
The Throne Room - Chapter 4!
As I said previously, I won’t be interpreting every symbol.
They Worship the Creator (4)
The key word in this chapter is throne; it is used ten times. In fact, this is a key word in the entire book,
appearing forty-six times. No matter what may happens on earth, God is on His throne and is in complete control.
John is emphasising the glory and sovereignty of God.
“In our opinion the reader of Revelation makes a mistake to find meaning in every image in this vision of the heavenly throne room What we should be taking in is the overall impression of divine majesty which leads us to raise God ourselves. (Wall, Robert, W., Revelations, (Paternoster Press, 1995), 91.)
Using the throne as the focal point, we can understand this exciting chapter.
Praise Who is On the throne—Almighty God (vv. 2–3a).
This is God the Father, since the Son approaches the throne in Revelation 5:6, and the Spirit is pictured before the throne in Revelation 4:5. There is no possible way for human words to describe what God is like in His essence. John can only use comparisons.
Praise Surrounds the throne—a rainbow (v. 3b).
This rainbow was a complete circle, not merely an arc, for in heaven all things are completed. The rainbow reminds us of God’s covenant with Noah (Gen. 9:11–17), symbolic of His promise that He would never again destroy the earth with a flood. God’s covenant, was not only with Noah, but with all of His creation.
Judgment is about to fall, but the rainbow reminds
us that God is merciful, even when He judges (Hab.
3:2). Usually, a rainbow appears after the storm, but
here, we see it before the storm.
A pure crystal sea symbolises God’s holiness, and
the mingled fire speaks of His holy judgment. The
crystal “firmament” or “vault: in Ezekiel’s vision also comes to mind (Ezek. 1:22); it was the foundation for God’s throne. We shall see this “sea of glass” again in Revelation 15.
4a-6b: four living creatures: like a lion, ox, one had a face like a man, the last a flying eagle. These are angelic beings - their meaning has been disputed - but it seems to me that they are heavenly representation of the created order. These creatures are worshipping God.
Whenever the living creatures glorified God, the 24 elders would fall before the throne and praise Him. The exact identity of these elders is unclear (I know some of us will have theories, but the identity of these are not explained to us). But their function is clear (9)! They are singing and worshipping, falling down before God as a representation of God’s people.
Praise Before the throne (vv. 8–11).
8b:“‘Holy, holy, holy
is the Lord God Almighty,’
who was, and is, and is to come.”
(See Isaiah 6:3 - he glimpses what John sees).
The fact the verse mentions the word holy three times has a significance. Often, in Scripture, repetition means to draw reader’s attention to a certain quality or phrase in a passage, a hallmark of ancient writing.
In triplicate, holiness not only draws the eye to God’s perfection, but the three times could point to a trinity of holiness or to the holiness of the Trinity.
"Almighty," in this verse, in the Greek means God “holds sway over all things.” In other words, He’s all powerful. The rest of this verse points to His omnipresence, ability to transcend time and have control over the past, present, and future.
Nowhere else in Scripture (Isaiah 6 and Revelation 4) does this triple holiness appear, but holiness is mentioned several times.
We must lose the significance of this because we may sing a lot of songs about it.
Worship fills the throne room!
11: “You are worthy, our Lord and God,
to receive glory and honour and power,
for you created all things,
and by your will they were created
and have their being.”
The book of Revelation is filled with hymns of praise (Rev. 4:8, 11; 5:9–13; 7:12–17; 11:15–18; 12:10–12; 15:3–4; 16:5–7; 18:2–8; 19:2–6).
The Redeemer - Chapter 5!
5: 1-4: Then I saw in the right hand of him who sat on the throne a scroll with writing on both sides and sealed with seven seals. 2 And I saw a mighty angel proclaiming in a loud voice, “Who is worthy to break the seals and open the scroll?” 3 But no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth could open the scroll or even look inside it. 4 I wept and wept because no one was found who was worthy to open the scroll or look inside.
The Scroll
5:1-4: The scroll has writing on both sides. This is highly unusual. Scrolls found in Qumran, the Dead Sea Scrolls, all had writing on the inside of the scroll to protect the text. Here we see something different. The text is on both sides, sealed with seven seals (we will enid these seals in future weeks).
John knows what this scroll is. It reminds him of something he is familiar with. The seven churches would have been familiar with it too. So what is it?
In those times there was a type scroll that had writing on both sides and normally one wax seal. Would you like to know what this type of scroll was?
It was the title deeds to a property. The writing on the outside identified the property, the writing the inside identified the boundaries of the property and who owned it.
Jesus is taking the title deeds of the earth, and indeed, the whole of creation.
John weeps in verse 4 if no one can open the scroll.
Why does John weep? Why is this so significant?
The title deeds scroll was sealed, here seven times - remember 7 is the number of God’s perfection. The seal on the title deed could only be broken and the scroll read when something significant happened. Would you like to know what that is?
All the debts against that property (mortgage in the natural sense) had to be paid in full before by the rightful owner before the title deed - the agreement of ownership - could be opened.
He is our “Kinsman-Redeemer” who was willing to give His life to set us free from bondage and to restore our lost inheritance (see Lev. 25:23–46; the book of Ruth; Jer. 32:6–15)
John weeps (v4) because without the rightful owner taking possession of the scroll the world is lost.
“Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen
[nations] for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts
of the earth for thy possession” (Ps. 2:8)
5: Don’t weep! The Lion of the Tribe of Judah has triumphed. He can open it! Which means Jesus has paid it all!
A title deed or will can be opened only by the appointed heir, and this is Jesus Christ. No one in all the universe could be found worthy enough to break the seals.
The theme praise in Chapter 4 is God the Creator, while in Revelation 5 the elders praise God the Redeemer. The praise in Revelation 4 is given to the Father on the throne, while in Revelation 5 it is directed to the Son (the Lamb) before the throne.
Reasons why we worship Jesus Christ:
Because of who He is (vv. 5–7).
Three unique titles are given to the Lord to describe who He is.
- He is the Lion of the tribe of Judah. The reference here is to Genesis 49:8–10, where Jacob prophetically gave the scepter to Judah and made it the tribe of the kings.
The image of “the lion” speaks of dignity, sovereignty, courage, and victory.
He takes the scroll as the Lion, the King!
- Root of David. Jesus Christ is the only living Jew who can prove His kingship from the genealogical records. “Son of David” was a title often
used when He was ministering on earth (see Matt. 1).
But He is also the Root of David, which means He
brought David (and David’s line) into existence. As far
as His humanity is concerned, Jesus had His roots in
David (Isa. 11:1, 10), but as far as His deity is concerned, Jesus is the Root of David.
This speaks, of course, of our Lord’s eternality; He is indeed the “Ancient of Days.”
- The Lamb. When John turned to see, he saw not a lion but a lamb! Jesus Christ is called “the Lamb” at least twenty-eight times in the book of Revelation (the Greek word used means “a little pet lamb”) and the emphasis is not hard to miss.
God’s wrath is “the wrath of the Lamb” (Rev. 6:16).
Cleansing is by “the blood of the Lamb” (Rev. 7:14). The church is “the bride of the Lamb” (Rev. 19:7; 21:9).
The theme of “the Lamb” is an important one throughout Scripture, for it presents the person and
work of Jesus Christ, the Redeemer. He is the sacrificial lamb, slain for all our sins.
John the Baptist: “Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world” (John 1:29).
The choirs of heaven sing, “Worthy is the Lamb” (Rev. 5:12).
The description of the Lamb (Rev. 5:6), if produced literally by an artist, would be grotesque picture, but when understood symbolically, conveys spiritual truth.
Since seven is the number of perfection, we have:
- perfect power (seven horns),
- perfect wisdom (seven eyes), and
- perfect presence (seven Spirits in all the earth).
The theologians would call these qualities
omnipotence, omniscience, and omnipresence; and all three are attributes of God. The Lamb is God the Son, Christ Jesus!
We worship Jesus Christ because of who He is. But
there is a second reason why we worship Him.
Because of where He is (v. 6).
To begin with, Jesus is in heaven. He is not in the manger, in Jerusalem, on the cross, or in the tomb.
He is ascended and exalted in heaven.
He has defeated every enemy and is now controlling events from glory! He too suffered, but God turned His suffering into glory.
But where is Christ in heaven? He is in the midst. The Lamb is the centre of all that transpires in heaven the centre of the throne.
All creation centres in Him (the four living creatures),
as do all of God’s people (the elders). The angels around the throne encircle the Saviour and praise Him.
Because of what He does (vv. 8–10).
When the Lamb came and took the scroll (see Dan. 7:13–14), the weeping ended and the praising began.
God’s people and the representatives of God’s creation joined their voices in a new song of praise.
Note that praise and prayer were united, for incense is a picture of prayer rising to the throne of God (Ps. 141:2; Luke 1:10). We shall see the “incense prayers” of the saints again (Rev. 6:9–11; 8:1–6).
When we sing songs that Jesus is worthy, do we really know what we are singing? We know what the word ‘worthy’ means. Rather, do we understand why He is worthy in heaven? Because He paid it all. It is not a holiness statement, although it is linked, it is a reminder to you and I that he died for us, paid the price in full for us, has done it all! Don’t forget that!
Because of what He has (vv. 11–14).
In this closing burst of praise, all the angels and every creature in the universe joined together to worship the Redeemer.
What a cascade of harmony John heard! In this hymn,
they stated those things that Jesus Christ deserved to receive because of His sacrificial death on the cross.
- He was born in weakness and died in weakness, but
- He is the recipient of all power.
- He became the poorest of the poor (2 Cor. 8:9), and yet He owns all the riches of heaven and earth.
- People laughed at Him and called Him a fool, yet He is the very wisdom of God (1 Cor.1:24; Col. 2:3).
- He shared in the sinless weaknesses of humanity as
- He hungered, thirsted, and became weary. Today in glory, He possesses all strength.
- On earth, He experienced humiliation and shame as sinners ridiculed and reviled Him. They laughed at His kingship and dressed Him in a mock robe, crown, and sceptre. But all of that is changed now! He has received all honour and glory!
The worship service climaxed with the entire universe praising the Lamb of God and the Father seated
on the throne!
And there was even a loud “Amen!” from the four living creatures! In heaven, we are permitted to say “Amen!”
Keep in mind that all of this praise focussed on the
Lord Jesus Christ, the Redeemer.
All of heaven’s praise came because the Lamb took the scroll from the Father’s hand. God’s great eternal plan would now be fulfilled and creation would be set free from the bondage of sin and death. One day the
Lamb will break the seals and put in motion events that will eventually lead to His coming to earth and the establishment of His kingdom.
Wrapping This Up:
The Rapture is coming, we cannot predict it. Things may get worse. But it is going to happen.
We are children of th Holy God.
We worship the worthy Jesus.
——————
Blog Bonus:
The Tribulation is the last seven years that are assigned to Israel in order for them to complete God's purposes for them (Daniel 9:24-27). One of these purposes is for God to bring Israel to the point of recognizing that Jesus is their true Messiah, which is the condition that must be fulfilled before Jesus' second coming (Matthew 23:39, Zechariah 12:10–11, 13:8–9). For more on this, see my post here.
More about the Rapture (adapted from Dr. Janelle Zeeb).
The reason that all Christians who believe in Jesus before the Rapture will be saved from the Tribulation is because the Tribulation is when God will pour out his wrath on the Christ-rejecting world (2 Peter 3:7). Yet Jesus promised Christians who live before the Rapture that we won't even experience the time of the Tribulation (Revelation 3:10).
This is because God's wrath is only meant for those who reject him (John 3:36, Ephesians 2:3, Romans 1:18, 2:8). Paul instructed the Thessalonian Christians to "wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead—Jesus, who rescues us from the wrath that is coming" (1 Thessalonians 1:10, NRSV). This is a clear promise that the Rapture will happen before the Tribulation.
Thus, the Church will not be on Earth during the Tribulation. Instead, Christians will be safely with Jesus in his Father's house (i.e., heaven), just as he promised us (John 14:2-3, Isaiah 26:19-21).
This makes sense when we remember that there is no reason for the Church to be on Earth during the Tribulation.
The Tribulation period will also be a second chance for everyone who didn't believe in Jesus before the Rapture to believe and be eternally saved before Jesus' second coming. But the Church already knows that Jesus is our Messiah, and we have already believed in him. Therefore, there is no reason why Christians who have believed in Jesus before the Rapture must go through the Tribulation.
However, there are still some verses that can trouble Christians because if these verses are not interpreted correctly, it can appear that they teach that true Christians will go through the Tribulation.
The Parable of the Ten Bridesmaids/Virgins
This parable in Matthew 25:1-13 is frequently used to claim that only Christians who are somehow "ready" for Jesus' return will be raptured, while the rest will have to go through the Tribulation.
This parable is not talking about Christians and the Rapture at all, because it's actually about believers who will live through the Tribulation period.
The setting of this parable is that ten bridesmaids are waiting with their lamps/torches in order to perform what was called a "torch dance". This was a common part of a Jewish wedding celebration during the first century AD. It would have been considered an honour for the girls who were chosen to perform this dance for the bridegroom, bride, and their guests at their wedding feast.1
Thus, the bridesmaids are not the bride (i.e., the Church), and they are not the ones getting married to the bridegroom. Yet the bridesmaids are to have a special role in the wedding celebration.
In the parable, while waiting for the bridegroom (and bride) to come start the wedding feast, all the bridesmaids fall asleep. When they get woken up by a shout that the bridegroom is coming, only half of the girls were wise enough to have brought extra oil to re-light their torches/lamps.
Those girls who had the extra oil and re-lit their torches/lamps are able to go directly into the wedding feast with the bridegroom and bride to perform their dance and enjoy the celebration, while those girls who were foolish and unprepared are locked out of the party while they are away trying to buy more oil.
Zane Hodges interprets this parable as saying that during the Tribulation, only some believers will have spiritually prepared themselves to make it through the extra-difficult last three-and-a-half years of the Tribulation. Those believers who remain faithful despite the severe persecution of Christians during this time will be rewarded by ruling with Jesus and the Church during Jesus' Millennial Kingdom.
In contrast, those believers who do not remain faithful are still eternally saved, but they will lose their physical lives and will not be resurrected until after the Millennial Kingdom is over. This outcome would fulfill Jesus' warning that only those who endure (in faith) to the end (of the Tribulation) will be (physically) saved (Matthew 24:12-14).3
This judgment on unfaithful believers during the Tribulation seems harsh, but it makes sense.
At the Sheep and Goats Judgment in Matthew 25:31-46, Jesus judges everyone who has physically survived the Tribulation to see if they will be permitted into his Millennial Kingdom, apparently based on whether they did particular good works. However, there is no category at this judgment for true believers who did not do good works.
You Must Be Strong Enough/Counted Worthy To Escape The Tribulation
One of the more difficult verses that often scares Christians into thinking they might not be raptured is Luke 21:34-36.
After Jesus gave his disciples many details about things that will happen during the Tribulation, he said:
But watch yourselves lest your hearts be weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and cares of this life, and that day come upon you suddenly like a trap. For it will come upon all who dwell on the face of the whole earth. But stay awake at all times, praying that you may have strength to escape all these things that are going to take place, and to stand before the Son of Man. (Luke 21:34-36, ESV)
On the surface, it does seem like Jesus is saying that Christians need to pray to be somehow 'strong' enough to be included in the Rapture, and thus escape the Tribulation period. But because this is not taught anywhere else in the Bible, especially in the clear passages about the Rapture, it cannot be the correct interpretation.
Now, it is possible that Jesus could be referring to the people who will live through the Tribulation. As was discussed earlier in the Parable of the Ten Bridesmaids, those people who will believe in Jesus after the Rapture will need to pray that they will be strong enough to hold onto their faith and survive the judgments of the Tribulation in order for them to "stand before the Son of Man" at the Sheep and Goats judgment.
After all, an important principle of Biblical interpretation is that clear Bible verses must be used to interpret the unclear verses, not the other way around.
This verse is one of the rare instances in which there is a significant difference between the few Greek manuscripts that different English Bible translations use.
Most modern English Bibles translate Luke 21:34-36 in ways similar to the verse shown at the start of this section from the ESV. Alternatively, the KJV and NKJV use a different manuscript and translate this verse as:
But take heed to yourselves, lest your hearts be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness, and cares of this life, and that Day come on you unexpectedly. For it will come as a snare on all those who dwell on the face of the whole earth. Watch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man. (Luke 21:34-36, NKJV)
In this case of the KJV/NKJV variant, it is easier to explain how this verse is compatible with the Rapture in a way that does not imply that only some Christians will be raptured.
For example, let's compare this verse with 1 Thessalonians 5:2-3: For you yourselves are fully aware that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. While people are saying, "There is peace and security," then sudden destruction will come upon them as labor pains come upon a pregnant woman, and they will not escape.
Yet Paul goes on to say: But you are not in darkness, brothers, for that day to surprise you like a thief. For you are all children of light, children of the day. We are not of the night or of the darkness. So then let us not sleep, as others do, but let us keep awake and be sober. For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk, are drunk at night. But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and for a helmet the hope of salvation. For God has not destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us so that whether we are awake or asleep we might live with him. Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing. (1 Thessalonians 5:4-11)
So this entire passage in 1 Thessalonians seems to parallel quite well what Jesus says in Luke 21:36, KJV/NKJV.
Both passages discuss an "escape" in relation to the disastrous events that the world will experience in the end times. In Luke, the focus is on some people who will escape the sudden start of the Tribulation, and in 1 Thessalonians, the focus is on others who will not escape from the sudden destruction.
Both passages include instruction for Christians to stay alert and watch for Jesus' return, and behave properly while watching. These verses also include hints that some people who are not watching will be very surprised when the Rapture happens.
But again, neither of these passages teach that some true Christians will be left behind.
However, the Bible does warn in several places that not all Christians will be equally ready when Jesus returns at the Rapture. In fact, this is exactly what Jesus is warning about at the start of these verses. Some Christians will be too caught up in sinful behaviour or worrying about the things of this life to want to think about being caught up at the Rapture.
The same warning is repeated elsewhere in the Bible.
Paul explains that if Christians are paying attention, we will be able to see the day of Jesus' return at the Rapture approaching. The appropriate behaviour then is to give up living in ways that sinners do, and to soberly watch and be ready for Jesus to return in the clouds (1 Thessalonians 5:4-8, Romans 13:11-14).
This may be why the crown that Paul says Jesus will give to everyone who is eagerly looking for Jesus' return is called the "crown of righteousness" (2 Timothy 4:8). In contrast, Christians who scoff about the nearness of Jesus' return are said to do so because they want to keep indulging their own sinful desires (2 Peter 3:3-4).
So yes, Christians should watch for Jesus' return, and pray that the Holy Spirit will help us avoid living in ways that look no different than the unsaved world world that we will be leaving behind at the Rapture. Not all Christians will do this though, and so some will be living in ways that make them look like they should not have been "counted worthy" to escape the Tribulation. Yet even these Christians will still be raptured.
I’ll leave it there! Hope you enjoyed reading a bit more about the Rapture.
——————————
Comments
Post a Comment