CHRIST RAPTURES BORN-AGAIN CHRISTIANS

Rev Dr Timothy Tow
(Preached at Life BPC, 23 January 2000)

“Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, 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. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality” (1 Cor 15:51–53).

Mystery of Mysteries

The Apostle Paul reveals to us this mystery of mysteries concerning a worldwide Event involving millions upon millions of born again Christians, both dead and living, who will be airlifted, superior to rockets, to meet Jesus in the clouds. This Event of Christians being caught up into the sky, by Jesus’ A-power (Ascension power) is known, in Christian terminology, as the Rapture. Rapture is a Latin word meaning “seizing and carrying away”.

This is also called the First Resurrection, when those who died in Jesus Christ, the born again ones, will rise from their graves with a new body, and we who are alive will be suddenly transformed and propelled by the same Ascension power that first airlifted our Lord to heaven.

To those outside Christ this is no more than a fairy tale. To us Christians, born again ones, this is our lively hope (1 Pet 1:3). But, if you are not born again, only Christian in name, you will be left behind. “I tell you, in that night there shall be two men in one bed; the one shall be taken, and the other shall be left. Two women shall be grinding together; the one shall be taken, and the other left. Two men shall be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left” (Lk 17:34–36). If you are not sure of your salvation, why won’t you receive Jesus as your Saviour right now? Do not delay as it will be too late.

What is the rationale of this global catching away of born again Christians? Jesus’ second coming is at the end of this age, in the midst of the Third World War. The most terrifying weapons of war will be used. Nuclear bombs, chemical and bacteria bombs will be hurled. There is simply no shelter on earth to hide from the nuclear blast, not as in WWII. The only route of escape is skywards. Hence the Rapture, the airlifting of B.A. Christians, for we will be snatched by His Hand into the clouds, yea, into space, way up in the tranquil regions above the earth. There we will be safe until Jesus brings us back to earth to reign with Him a thousand years. It is our Lord, the Prince of Peace, who can end all wars. And, we who are given new bodies after the pattern of this Resurrection will die no more, but live forever more with Him.

Three Rapture Views

Now, while we all wait for the Blessed Hope of His coming to take us up, there are different viewpoints on the timing of the Rapture. Generally, there are three.

I. First there are the Pre-tribulationists, i.e. those who believe Christ will come at the beginning of the Seven Years when the Antichrist will rule. This view is popularised by the Scofield Reference Bible and the point where the Rapture will occur is Rev 4:1 which says, “After this I looked, and, behold, a door was opened in heaven: and the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me; which said, Come up hither, and I will shew thee things which must be hereafter”.

Why the Rapture before Tribulation? In order to save us from bodily injury, “For the great day of his wrath is come” (Rev 6:17). This saving from His wrath is repeated in Rev 11:18 and Rev 16:1. The Apostle Paul says further in I Thess 5:9, “For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ”. To be raptured before the Tribulation means while the earth is at peace, all of a sudden, millions upon millions of believers will disappear from their jobs and their homes. Their unexpected, secret departure will bring consternation to their unbelieving loved ones and colleagues. This any moment coming of the Lord which is called “imminent” makes it doubly incumbent for us to be always ready. This is the oldest view.

II. The second view of the Rapture is called the Pre-wrath Rapture. It is a breakaway from the first view. According to this view (by Marvin Rosenthal) God will pour out His wrath during the second half of the Seven Years under Antichrist rule. It begins with the opening of the Sixth Seal, by which come the cosmic disturbances (Rev 6:12–17) These cosmic disturbances occur some time in the seven years of Antichrist rule, some time during the final World War of three and a half years. And the Rapture takes place with the opening of the seventh seal and blowing of first trumpets.

III. The third view is my view which I learned from my teacher Dr Buswell 50 years ago. It takes Paul’s statement on our Rapture to occur at the blowing of the last trumpet. Now the last trumpet, in the light of Revelation, is the seventh trumpet. “But in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he shall begin to sound, the mystery of God should be finished, as he hath declared to his servants the prophets” (Rev 10:7). What mystery of God should be finished or fulfilled? The mystery which Paul mentioned in 1 Cor 15:51–52, “Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, 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”.

Now we come to the juncture in Revelation when the last trumpet is sounded, “And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever ... And the nations were angry, and thy wrath is come, and the time of the dead, that they should be judged, and that thou shouldest give reward unto thy servants the prophets, and to the saints, and them that fear thy name, small and great; and shouldest destroy them which destroy the earth” (Rev 11:15–18). Does this not refer to the mystery of the raising of the dead and the rapture of the saints in 1 Cor 15:52?

Now the blowing of the last trumpet which is the seventh in Revelation occurs before the pouring out of the wrath of God in Rev 16. So, we can also call the last trumpet rapture as Pre-wrath Rapture. To identify our position we will call ours the last trumpet Rapture. But it is not the Pre-Tribulation Rapture wherein those raptured experience no Tribulation at all. We believe, however, that Christians will go through a period of Tribulation, even through the midst of Great Tribulation, for “we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God” (Acts 14:22). Throughout Church history Christians have all suffered for their faith, even unto death.

The worldwide, world-shaking Event, the sudden catching away of Christians out of a burning earth, is it not described in some part of Revelation? I have asked this question ever since I came into the study of Revelation. Yes, it is right here in Rev 7:9–17, “After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands; And cried with a loud voice, saying, Salvation to our God which sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb. And all the angels stood round about the throne, and about the elders and the four beasts, and fell before the throne on their faces, and worshipped God, Saying, Amen: Blessing, and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and honour, and power, and might, be unto our God for ever and ever. Amen. And one of the elders answered, saying unto me, What are these which are arrayed in white robes? and whence came they? And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they which came out of great tribulation …”

Who are these, which no man can number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, clothed with white robes and palms in their hands? The answer is v.14, “These are they which came out of great tribulation …”. The saints saved in the blowing of the last trumpet, i.e. seventh trumpet, who have come out of the great tribulation of the final world war truly answers our question. We believe we must go through the Tribulation, short of the Wrath of God.

Make Sure You Are a B.A.

So there are three views, that of the Pre-tribulation Rapture, the Pre-wrath Rapture and the Last Trumpet Rapture. Which is the one that fits the Scriptural teaching? Whichever view you take be sure you can go when the Lord comes to take us.

Three people were arguing about the right time of departure of the plane leaving Singapore for New York. Each was armed with a time-table. Irrespective of what time table they were holding, it is the one who had bought a confirmed ticket that went up the plane. Those without tickets were left behind. Do you have your ticket to heaven? Are you a B.A. (born again Christian)? “Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God” (Jn 3:5) Amen.

[Ed: Pastor Tow held to a Mid-trib view. I, on the other hand, am Pretrib. As Pastor Tow also noted, the seven-year Great Tribulation is a time of God’s wrath from start to end (Rev 6:17, 11:18, 16:19). As such, the Pretrib Rapture is truly Pre-wrath fulfilling 1 Thessalonians 1:10, 5:9–11, “And to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come … For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ, Who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him. Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also ye do.”

When discussing such mysteries, let us be mindful of Pastor Tow’s wise counsel: No need to argue too much about the departure time. What is most important is that you have your BA ticket, not forgetting your boarding pass, so that when the Rapture plane takes off, you are in it. Thanks to Dr Sim Tiong Peng for bringing the article to my attention. Shalom. JK]

“I John, who also am your brother, and companion in tribulation, and in the kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, was in the isle that is called Patmos, for the word of God, and for the testimony of Jesus Christ.” (Rev 1:9)