RAPTURE

On the Docket

For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first…

Standing Secure in Christ

False teaching had shaken the Thessalonians’ faith. It had persuaded them they were living in the Day of the Lord…

Things to Come

We believe everyone who ever lived, including unbelievers, will be bodily resurrected from the dead and receive a new, immortal body. However, not everyone will spend eternity enjoying immortality…

The Christian’s Life

“At the Rapture,” wrote Bible scholar John F. Walvoord, “Christians will see their loved ones who died and preceded them to heaven. It will also end their earthly problems, and they will be forever with the Lord.”1 For these reasons, the Rapture has been a…

Our Blessed Hope

1 Thessalonians 4:13–18: When Paul established the Thessalonian church, he taught believers there about Jesus Christ’s imminent return. They were told, “wait for His Son from heaven…

Antique fountain pen on parchment.

From the Editor Jan/Feb 2018

When I was a brand new believer many years ago, a wonderful woman in my church invited me to her home for lunch. I knew nothing about Christian doctrine. All I knew was that I was a sinner, Jesus had died for me…

The Rapture

When the word Rapture is mentioned, responses differ. Some people know it refers to Christ coming to take the church to heaven. Others incorrectly associate the rapture with Christ’s Second Coming. Still others have no idea…

Gone?

Rapture, Antichrist, and Tribulation are words Josiah Hesse associates with his apocalyptic upbringing—an upbringing he says was built on “the urgency of avoiding hell.” In his article “Apocalyptic upbringing: how I recovered from…

When Do People Receive Their Resurrected Bodies?

Every person born since the creation of man will receive a resurrected body. Some will enjoy eternal life with God, while others will suffer eternal damnation and judgment in the Lake of Fire. This chart explains the various resurrections.

When Is It?

Christ’s premillennial Second Coming to Earth is evident even from a casual reading of the Scriptures. The Bible, taken at face value, clearly states the Messiah will return to establish His worldwide, earthly Kingdom, headquartered in Jerusalem .

What We’re Spared

Think of the worst disasters in history. They’re nothing compared to what lies ahead—but not for the bride of Christ. “Husband Charged With Domestic Violence.” It’s an all-too-familiar headline. Sometimes the offender is a celebrity…

Coming for His Bride

Townspeople lined the street as the handsome young bridegroom rode slowly by on a donkey. He looked like a king—dressed all in white, with a gold cloth wrapped around his waist. A white, Bedouin-style cloth covered his head; and he wore sandals (more like slippers) decorated in splendid, ornamental lace.

Waiting for His Shout

It is not difficult to picture the scene Jesus’ disciples witnessed when the resurrected Lord ascended from the surface of the earth, rising higher and higher. Their squinting gaze no doubt focused…

God’s Signs

Signs are important to me because I travel a lot, and they point me in the right direction. Biblical signs are somewhat different. Though they point us in the right direction…

The Rapture: Who Is Left Behind?

A completely different world is coming—one that, for a time, will not contain a single, genuine, Bible-believing Christian. The event that removes them is called the Rapture…

The Seven Keys to History Conclusion

A correct perspective on world history provides a proper framework for living and prevents us from being easily deceived or led astray. One day, life as…

The Seven Keys to History Part Six

Of all the events that have shaped history, there have been none more important than the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ. God’s ultimate solution to sin…

Awaiting the Bridegroom

Ever been somewhere so comforting you never wanted to leave? Well, that’s nothing compared to what lies in store if you belong to Jesus.

Just Passing Through

Is life getting you down? Don’t be discouraged. This life is not all there is. Read this, and take heart.

Why I Am a Pretribulation Rapturist

There are five views concerning the Rapture: pretribulation (pretrib), midtribulation (midtrib), posttribulation (posttrib), partial Rapture, and prewrath. Pretrib says the church will be raptured before…

The Glory That Awaits

The church won’t be here forever. In fact, it has a future that unfolds like a symphony, with four distinct movements—all of them magnificent!

Why Study Biblical Prophecy?

Many people have negative attitudes toward the study of biblical prophecy. Some say, “I’m only concerned about the present, so don’t bother me with ideas about the future.” Or, “Nobody…

The Rapture

At least seven years before He sets His feet on planet Earth once again, Jesus Christ will descend from heaven. The bodies of Christians who have died during the Church Age…

The Second Coming of Jesus Christ

The Second Coming of Jesus Christ is one of the cardinal doctrines of the Christian faith. It is sometimes confused with the Rapture of the church. However, there are distinctions…

Expecting a Call at Any Moment

Are you looking for the undertaker or the “uppertaker”? Theological complexities certainly do exist. But the vast majority of the Bible is unmistakably simple.

The Judgment Seat of Christ

Works cannot carry you to heaven. But that doesn’t mean they count for nothing when you get there.

The Rapture Question

Confused by the many views on the Rapture? This illuminating article will help you understand what the Scriptures teach about this exciting event.

Perhaps Today

Is the idea that the Lord can return at any moment just wishful thinking? Read
this article and learn what the Bible has to say about imminency.

Caught Up With Christ

Gone in an instant! How can that be? But it can be, and it has happened before.

Aftermath of the Rapture

When the Lord returns to take His church, the world will become a very different—and frightening—place to live.

The Imminency of Christ’s Return

The expression the imminency of Christ’s return means that Christ could return at any moment. Nothing else has to happen before His return.

The Restrainer, the Rebel, the Rejecters

The beginning of 2 Thessalonians 2 makes it clear that at least two events will precede the advent of the Day of the Lord: the arrival of the great apostasy and the unveiling of the…

Silhouette of man speaking.

Come September

One of my treasured childhood memories is of trips taken to the farm home of my grandparents in upper Michigan. Old barns smelling of leather harnesses and farm animals are a great source of fascination…

The Comfort Of His Coming 1 Thessalonians 1

Comfort is the operative word Paul gave to the suffering saints at Thessalonica. As was often true for first-century Christians, this church was born in affliction and immediately immersed in the caldron of persecution.

A Call to Hope 1 Thessalonians 4

The New Testament epistles do not teach systematic theology. That statement may appear shocking to some readers, but a little reflection will clarify what is meant. A systematic theology textbook gathers all that the Bible…

Hallelujah Revelation 19:1–6

Revelation 19–21 moves history into its glorious Hallelujah phase. In the first six verses of chapter 19, four resounding Hallelujahs (praise the Lord) are raised—the only place in the New Testament where this word…

Interpretations and Beliefs of Christian Reconstructionism

Our previous article noted that the heart of Christian Reconstructionism (also known as Dominion Theology and Theonomy) is a postmillennial view of history. According to this view, at the time of creation God gave man…

The Day of the Lord Zephaniah 1:7–2:3

On June 22, 1990, a massive earthquake rocked northern Iran just after midnight. Iranian radio estimated the death toll to be approximately 45,000, with as many as 130,000 injured. Entire villages were either reduced…

The Rapture of the Church

We believe in the premillennial and pretribulational return of Jesus Christ. This means that Christ’s return for His bride (the Church) is imminent and therefore can happen at any moment (1 Th. 4:13–17; 5:6).

The Beginning and Nature of The Church

Covenant Theology and Dispensational Theology disagree concerning two major matters related to the Church. Those two matters are: first, the time that the Church began, and, second, the nature of the Church.

The Time of Christ’s Return

The disciples were crushed. Jesus was leaving. They had followed Him for three years. The way had been long, the road rough, the obstacles many and the confrontations with the Jewish leadership perplexing.

The Four Horsemen are Coming

Every informed Christian should view the future with an attitude of ultimate optimism. Of all earth’s peoples, they alone have “. . . an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away…

World Crisis And The Second Coming of Christ

One of the most exciting studies in Scripture is the Second Coming of Christ. This topic is the most written-about doctrine in the Scriptures. In fact, there are twice as many verses on the Second…