REVELATION
SIMPLIFIED
CHAPTER 4.1.
Gleanings
from the Book of Revelation:
A
Weekly Verse-by-Verse Bible Study Series
The
REVELATION
TO JOHN
(The
Apocalypse)
Chapter
Four
SECTION
THREE
THE
THINGS WHICH SHALL BE HEREAFTER
Introduction Continued…
THE RAPTURE
QUESTIONS:
1. What does the Rapture mean?
2. Is there a rapture?
3. Is it biblical?
4. When will this event take place?
5. How many believe it will happen?
6. To whom does the Rapture apply?
7. Is it the same as the Second Coming?
During the second part of the introductory study,
before we begin the next section of Revelation, these questions will be
discussed.
Rapture
Nowhere in the Bible is the word rapture found. Theologians have coined
this word from the Latin verb rapere; meaning to carry off, to snatch, to
catch away, to snatch away, or to catch away quickly – to transport from one
place to another; a catching up. For this study, the rapture will be used for simplification.
The Scripture verse directly related to this word
is found in:
1
Thessalonians 4:16-17 - 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.
It is an instantaneous two-phase airlift from the
earth to the third heaven:
A. The dead in Christ will meet the Lord in the air
B. Those who are alive and remain will be caught up
The text does not read the Lord will come down to
the earth, but all believers involved, dead or alive, will meet Him in the air
and will forever be with the Lord.
Following the rapture, the next event on God's
timetable will be the Great Tribulation Period.
Matthew
24:21 - For then shall be Great Tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to
this time, no, nor ever shall be.
The hermeneutical (interpretative) law of the first
mention of the rapture is found in the following passages:
Genesis
5:24 – And Enoch walked with God:
and he was not (no more or disappeared); for
God took him [up, away].
Enoch's experience is thus confirmed by:
Hebrews
11:15 - By
faith Enoch was translated (transported,
taken up or away) that he should not see death; and was
not found, because God had translated him: for before his translation he had this testimony, that
he pleased God.
In the New Testament, the first recorded
revelation of the rapture of believers appears at the Last Supper, after Judas
left the table when Jesus told His disciples:
John
14:1-3 - Let
not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my
Father's house are many mansions: if it
were not so, I would
have told you. I go to prepare a place for
you. And if I go and prepare a place for
you, I will come again, and receive (take) you unto Myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.
Question:
Does this passage refer to the Rapture or the
Second Coming?
Answer:
At the Second Coming, Christ returns to earth. No
one goes to Heaven. This passage has nothing to do with Jesus coming to earth
to establish His Kingdom.
Matthew
24:29-30 - Immediately
after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon
shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers
of the heavens shall be shaken: And then shall appear the sign of the Son of
man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of Man coming [down] in (on) the clouds of heaven
with power and great glory.
Therefore, the Rapture and the Second Coming are
entirely two different events.
The
Differences Between
(A) THE RATURE and (B) THE
SECOND COMING
A. Saints meet Christ in the air
B. Christ returns to earth with His saints
A. Saints are raptured
B. No saints are raptured
A. Christ comes for His saints
B. Christ comes with His saints
A. The body goes to Heaven
B. The body comes to earth
A. Applies only to the saved
B. Applies to the saved and lost
A. The Mount of Olives is untouched
B. The Mount of Olives splits in two
A. The world is not preceded by signs or warnings
B. The world is preceded by detailed signs and
wonders
A. The world is not judged and sin increases
B. The world is judged, and sin is abolished
A. The promise to the Church was to be taken out of
the world into the Father's house
B. The promise to Israel was a Kingdom established on
earth
A. Chapters 1-4 – The church is mentioned approximately
32 times
B. Chapters 19:1 – The Church returns
Rapture Views
1. The
Post-Tribulation View – The
Church goes through the Tribulation and is raptured at the very end. Therefore,
the Rapture and the Second Coming are the same events.
Problematic:
A. If the
saints were raptured at the very end, everyone will know when Jesus is coming.
Matthew
24:36 - But of that day (the rapture) and hour knoweth no man,
no, not the angels of Heaven, but My Father only.
B. It removes
the greatest motive for purity in the Christian life.
1
John 3:2-3 - 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.
C. The fact that Jesus could come at any moment would
be negated.
1
Corinthians 15:52 - In a moment, in the
twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for
the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall
be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.
2. The
Mid-Tribulation View – The Church
is raptured in the middle of the 7-year tribulation period at the 3½ year mark.
The Church remains in heaven for the last 3½ years and then returns at the
Second Coming. This view also alleges the trump of 1 Thess. 4:16, the last
trump of 1 Cor. 15:52, and the 7th trumpet of Rev. 11:15 are equal.
Problematic:
A. If the trumpets were the same, then the church
will remain for the 1st 6 trumpets as well as the 1st 6
seals. Dr. John F. Walvoord of Dallas Theological Seminary presents a good rebuttal
for this argument:
There
are a series of warning bells that sound before a class is to begin and then
there is a final bell. When the professor says, "That's the last
bell," he does not mean it's the last bell that will ever sound. It simply
means it is the last bell in a series of bells having to do with a specific
class. To equate that statement with an ultimate bell, the last bell to ever be
rung simply does not make any sense.
B. There were always trumpets in connection with God
summoning His people.
a. Throughout the History of Israel trumpets
(shofars) were blown
b. A Trumpet will be blown after the Church
c. Seven trumpets will be blown during the judgment
on the earth
3. The
Pre-Tribulation View – The
Church will be raptured before the Tribulation. The Church remains in Heaven
for 7 years and returns with Christ at the Second Coming.
Agreement:
A. Most fundamental conservative Bible scholars
concur the Pre-tribulation view is the correct one the Bible intended.
Millennial
Views
1. The Amillennial
View (Amillennialism) – No
Kingdom will take place. A 2,000-year period exists between the First Coming of
Christ until The Second Coming. This period is simply symbolic and spiritualization.
Problematic:
A. It does not
harmonize with the present world situation.
Revelation
20:3 – [The
Angel or messenger will] And cast him(Satan) into
the Bottomless Pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should
deceive the nations no more, till the
thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that, he must be loosed a little season.
2. The Postmillennial
View (Postmillennialism) – The Lord
Jesus Christ returns and gives one final judgment of the living and the dead
after a millennial era of universal peace and righteousness has run its course.
Paralleling evolutionism, the world progressively improves until eternal bliss.
Problematic:
A. It
contradicts Scripture:
Matthew
24:6ff - And
ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.
3. The Premillennial
View (Premillennialism) – Christ
reigns in Jerusalem in a literal Kingdom on earth for 1000 years. Antichrist
and his armies are defeated at the battle of Armageddon and Satan is bound
along with his fallen angels.
Agreement:
A. The Law goes out of Zion (cf. Isaiah 2:3; Micah
4:2)
B. The curse is removed from the earth (cf. Zechariah
14:11; Revelation 22:3)
C. The lion lies with the lamb (cf. Isaiah 11:6;
65:25)
D. Christ destroys the Antichrist and his armies at
the Battle of Armageddon (cf. Daniel 18:25; Revelation 19:20)
E. The binding of Satan and his angels takes place (cf.
Revelation 20:2; Jude 6)
F. It supports Matthew 24 and 25
NOTE: The position taken in this study is the
Pre-Tribulation, Pre-Millennial View; and a literal Rapture (being caught up).
Although there are convincing arguments that purport alternative viewpoints,
even via liberal theology, for personal gain, oftentimes they do not thoroughly
align with the plan and purposes of God. It is strongly suggested one become a Berean (cf. Acts 17:11) and search for oneself
the whole counsel of God to test for literal accuracy.
A precautionary measure:
2 Timothy 2:15 - Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that
needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing
the Word of truth.
THE THINGS
WHICH SHALL BE HEREAFTER
Outline
Chapter 4:1-5:14 – A Vision of the Heavenly Scene
Chapter 6:1-17; 8:1-5 – The Seven Seals are Opened
Parenthesis
– (Two Saved Multitudes):
Chapter
7:1-17 – 144,000 of Israel
Chapter
7:9-17 – People from all Nations
Chapter 8:6-9; 11:15-19 – The Seven Trumpets are
Blown
Parenthesis:
Chapter
10:1-11 – The Little Book
Chapter
11:1-2 – The Temple Measured
Chapter
11:3-14 – The Two Witnesses
Chapter 12:1-17 – The Woman and the Dragon
Chapter 13:1-18 – The Two Beasts
Chapter 14:1-5 – The 144,000 on Mt. Zion
Parenthesis:
Chapter
14:6-20 – Angelic Announcements
Chapter 15:1-16:21 – The Seven Vials (Bowls) of
Wrath
Chapter 17:1-8 – The Great Harlot: Babylon
Chapter 18:1-24 – The Great City: Babylon
Parenthesis:
Chapter
19:1-6 – Heavenly Voices
Chapter
19:7-10 – The Marriage Supper of the Lamb
Chapter 19:11-21 – The Second Coming
Chapter 20:1-6 – Satan Bound and the Millennial
Kingdom
Chapter 20:7-10 – The Final Rebellion
Chapter 20:11-15 – The Great White Throne Judgment
Chapter 21:1-8 – The New Heaven and Earth
Chapter 21:9-22:5 – The New Jerusalem
Chapter 22:6-21 – The Epilogue
The above is a basic outline of the third and last
major section of the Book of Revelation. The
Things which shall be Hereafter encompasses all future prophetic events
that will surely come to pass.
It is the Story of The Last Days (The Doctrine of
Eschatology), a revelation from and of Jesus Christ. Though the length of time is
not specifically given, this portion will transpire in sequential order.
However, within the parenthetical chapters and passages, the intention is to give
a detailed analysis of what is to take place.
As we venture into uncharted territory, read and
retain the following Scriptures:
Matthew
24:33 - So
likewise ye, when ye shall see all these
things (events of
Matthew 23 and 24), know
that it is near, even at the doors.
Revelation
3:10 – [To the Church at
Philadelphia]: Because thou hast kept the word of my
patience, I
also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which
shall come upon all the world, to try them
that dwell upon the earth.
Matthew
24:21 - For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not
since the beginning of the world to this
time, no, nor ever shall be.
John 5:24
- Verily,
verily, I say unto you, He that heareth My Word, and believeth on Him
that sent Me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come
into condemnation; but is passed from death
unto life.
1
Corinthians 15:54 - So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption,
and this mortal shall have put on
immortality, then shall be brought to pass
the saying that is written, Death is
swallowed up in victory.
Luke 21:36
- Watch ye therefore, and pray
always, that
ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the
Son of Man.
QUESTIONS:
1. Define Rapture?
2. Why or why not Is the rapture the same as the
Second Coming?
3. What happened to Enoch?
4. What rapture view is most scripturally sound?
5. Where does the Millennium fit into God's plan?
6. What events transpire after the Millennium?
7. How are we to prepare for the future?
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to others.
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