Hi Folks. Welcome to the podcast. Last time, I said we’d talk about the purposes of the Rapture on the next podcast and here we are, so let’s dive right in.
The Purposes of the Rapture, not necessarily in order of importance, are as follows:
1. The first purpose of the Rapture is to deliver believers - the Church - from the wrath to come, the 7 year Tribulation.
Which wrath? The 7 year Tribulation or the Lake of Fire? It has to be The Tribulation. Why? Because the Apostle Paul is talking to believers, the Church at Thessalonica. Let’s read the relevant verse:
1 Thessalonians 1:10 (NKJV) and to wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, even Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come.
So he can’t be talking about the Lake of Fire. No, he is explaining one of the purposes of the Rapture to these believers. They will be saved from the wrath to come. His message is not an evangelistic one. It is a teaching. This delivering from the wrath to come is first in the sequence of purposes. It shows us today that it is OK for us to tell unbelievers that they can be delivered from the wrath to come, meaning The Tribulation, if they believe in the finished work of Yeshua on the cross.
2. The second purpose of the Rapture is to reveal the Antichrist.
2 Thessalonians 2:7-8 (NKJV) For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only He who now restrains will do so until He is taken out of the way. [8] And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord will consume with the breath of His mouth and destroy with the brightness of His coming.
By means of the Rapture, the Holy Spirit in the Church - He who now restrains - is removed causing the Antichrist to be revealed. And then, the Antichrist will make a 7 year covenant with Israel and that commences The Tribulation (Daniel 9:27).
Daniel 9:27 (NKJV) Then he shall confirm a covenant with many for one week; But in the middle of the week He shall bring an end to sacrifice and offering. And on the wing of abominations shall be one who makes desolate, Even until the consummation, which is determined, Is poured out on the desolate.”
The following purposes of The Rapture are because of The Tribulation that results from the Rapture.
3. The third purpose of the Rapture is to reap a harvest of souls.
These are unsaved people who will enter the Kingdom of God but not as part of the Church (which has been raptured). Let’s read about three clear instances of this. There may be other instances during these 7 years but these are clear:
a. Revelation 7:4, 9-10 The 144,000 Jewish witnesses:
Revelation 7:4 (NKJV) And I heard the number of those who were sealed. One hundred and forty-four thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israel were sealed:
Revelation 7:9-10 (NKJV) After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could number, of all nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, with palm branches in their hands, [10] and crying out with a loud voice, saying, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!”
b. Revelation 11:3 The two Jewish witnesses in Jerusalem.
Revelation 11:3 (NKJV) And I will give power to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy one thousand two hundred and sixty days, clothed in sackcloth.”
c. Revelation 14:6-7 (NKJV) The angel who witnesses to every people group.
Revelation 14:6-7 (NKJV) Then I saw another angel flying in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach to those who dwell on the earth to every nation, tribe, tongue, and people— [7] saying with a loud voice, “Fear God and give glory to Him, for the hour of His judgment has come; and worship Him who made heaven and earth, the sea and springs of water.”
4. The fourth purpose of the Rapture is the final salvation of the Jewish nation by allowing the Antichrist to be revealed in his final form.
The Antichrist has already been revealed as the ultimate false Messiah - that was the first seal of Revelation 6:2, the rider on the white horse carrying a bow but no arrows - but at the midpoint of the Tribulation he is revealed as the man of lawlessness who sets himself up in the temple as god and that begins the last half of The Tribulation. The abomination of desolation occurs at this point. In this second half of the Tribulation, the Antichrist will attempt to kill every last Jewish person in the world. 2/3 of the Jewish people will die but 1/3 will survive and these will comprise the All Israel will be saved of Romans 11:26. These will enter the Millennial Kingdom to rule and reign with their Messiah, the Lord Jesus Christ.
5. The fifth purpose of the Rapture is to allow the Second Coming of Christ followed by the setting up of His Millennial Kingdom.
Jesus will not return until the Tribulation is completed.
For a summary of some of this material and some additional background information, please see the brief slide presentation embedded in the written presentation on Substack. Click on it to download it. Please don’t miss that.
Application:
* If you are an unbeliever, whether you are a Jew or a Gentile, please take heed. You don’t want to enter the Tribulation. Don’t ever plan to keep on sinning now and then to enter The Tribulation and be saved. Bad idea! It may never happen.
* If you are a Church member and a believer (or not) you must stand with Israel. God expects it. The Jewish people are not perfect, far from it. But God loves them and expects you to do so too. Don’t miss this. Remember:
Genesis 12:2-3 (NKJV) I will make you a great nation; I will bless you And make your name great; And you shall be a blessing. [3] I will bless those who bless you, And I will curse him who curses you; And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”
Thanks for listening today, Folks. Next time we’ll wrap up our deep dive into the Rapture.
This is Art Wolinsky.
Slide Presentation:
