Barry Stagner: The Rapture, Fact or Fiction?

Is the rapture a late invention—or a clear, biblical promise? In this message, Pastor Barry Stagner walks verse-by-verse through Scripture to show that the pre-tribulation rapture is both factual and foundational to our “blessed hope.” From the prophetic timeline launched by Israel’s rebirth, to the Laodicean church age, to the open door of Revelation 4:1, we trace why the church must be gathered to Christ before God’s wrath is poured out on a Christ-rejecting world.

You’ll learn:

• Why Revelation 4:1 (“meta tauta… come up here”) fits the church’s removal before the Tribulation
• How 2 Thessalonians 2 explains the Restrainer and the revealing of the man of sin
• What the rapture is (1 Corinthians 15:51–52; 1 Thessalonians 4:15–17) and why believers receive glorified bodies
• Old Testament foreshadows: Enoch (Genesis 5), Elijah (2 Kings 2), Noah (Genesis 7), Lot (Genesis 19), and Israel in Goshen (Exodus 8)
• Why believers are “not appointed to wrath” (1 Thessalonians 5:9–11) and called to “escape all these things” (Luke 21:34–36)
• The difference between Christ’s appearing for His church and His Second Coming with His church (John 14:1–3; Revelation 19)

Key Scriptures referenced:
Jeremiah 6:16; Jeremiah 16:9–16 • Daniel 12:4 • Psalm 117:1–2 • 2 Timothy 3:1–5; 4:3–4 • 2 Peter 3:3–4 • Revelation 2–3; 4:1; 6:15–17; 19 • 1 Corinthians 15:51–55 • 1 Thessalonians 1:9–10; 4:15–17; 5:9–11 • 2 Thessalonians 2:1–8 • Philippians 3:20–21 • Romans 8:22–25 • Genesis 5:21–24; 7:17 • Genesis 19 • Exodus 8:22–23 • Zechariah 12–14 • Luke 21:34–36 • John 14:1–3 • Titus 2:11–15 • 2 Kings 2:11

Big takeaways:

• The church age ends with a divine summons—“Come up here”—before judgment falls.
• God has always distinguished His people from His wrath.
• The rapture is not fiction; denying it creates contradictions in the prophetic timeline.
• Now is the time to be ready and to share the gospel with urgency.

#Rapture #BibleProphecy #PreTribulation #EndTimes #BlessedHope #Eschatology #BarryStagner #1Thessalonians4 #1Corinthians15 #Revelation #JesusIsComing

The Rapture, Fact or Fiction?

Yes, Jesus, we praise You tonight, Lord, for Your great faithfulness in our lives—how You’ve carried us through every storm. As that song says, Lord, You are amazing, and when we look back and see that faithfulness, we know You’ll do it again and be with us every time. God, as we open Your Word tonight, speak to us—speak to each and every one of us. We need a word from You. We pray You touch each of us and stir our hearts. We thank You for this time tonight, Lord. In Jesus’ name, amen. Amen. You may be seated. Good to see you all tonight, and I hope you’re excited—wow!

We’ve got a wonderful subject in front of us tonight. Just a heads-up for Sunday: we will be looking at our word for the year Sunday morning, going back to the Old Testament, looking at Jeremiah chapter 16, verses 9–16. We’re going to address what to expect and what we should do when a nation says to God, “We’re not going to walk in Your ways.” Jeremiah 6:16 is one of my favorite verses in that book, and we’ll examine it and those surrounding it Sunday morning—so Jeremiah chapter 6, verses 9–16.

So, are you ready for the rapture? Is it real? Is it really a biblical precept and doctrine? That will be our subject tonight. I’ll remind you we’ve been making our way through the prophetic chronology of last-days events, beginning with the rebirth of the nation of Israel. We realize that event set in motion the final push toward the end of the time of the Gentiles—a time which includes the whole of the church age. The time of the Gentiles began in 586 BC under Nebuchadnezzar, when Gentile domination of the world began. When the 70th week of Daniel arises, God is once again going to deal directly with the nation of Israel. He’s already watching over them; He’s already gathering them from around the world; He’s already got His hand of protection over them.

Last week we examined what the final church age is going to look like through the lens of the church of the Laodiceans. That’s an important distinction among the seven letters to the churches in Asia Minor. We noted the other letters are addressed to “the church in” a city—Ephesus, for example. But this is “the church of the Laodiceans,” which is significant. The word “Laodicea” means “the people rule,” and that was the problem with this church. Instead of the Word of God being the authority, the people had become the authority. Their declaration was, “We are rich and have need of nothing.” Jesus said, “Your actual condition is you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked.”

Paul said this would happen in the last days, and this is why I believe there is a chronology to the letters to the seven churches in Revelation 2–3. Paul said in 2 Timothy 4:3–4 that a time will come when they—the church—will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires—like the Laodiceans—because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers. They will turn their ears away from the truth and be turned aside to fables. Saying “I am rich and have need of nothing” is a fable. Everybody needs Jesus. Amen?

Paul’s phrase “the time will come” points forward to a future season of church history. If you back up a chapter, you’ll find where not putting up with sound doctrine leads, and the specifics of the time Paul refers to. In 2 Timothy 3:1–5, Paul says, “But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: for men will be lovers of themselves”—is that going on today? Absolutely. People worship “I, my, me—the almighty three.” “Lovers of money”—going on? “Boasters, proud, blasphemers”—this is a checklist of last-days character flaws—“disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good”—is that happening today?—“traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having a form of godliness but denying its power; and from such people turn away.”

We need to pause there. We are not to turn away from the world. This is what the world is like all the time; that isn’t a last-days thing. The world is always about self. We’re not to turn away from lost people; we’re to go to lost people. The only people we are to turn away from are people who act like this and claim to be Christians. This is what Paul is talking about: in the last days this will be a dominant feature within the church.

Paul’s warning about a time when sound doctrine isn’t endured and the teaching of fables is preferred—leading to the church looking more like the world than being distinct from it—clearly speaks of the last section of church history. We closed last time with the point that, since there is a chronology of church history in the letters to the seven churches in Revelation 2–3—and there is no eighth letter—then as the church arrives in the state described in 2 Timothy 3 and in the letter to Laodicea, we’ll see this happening: the church will be more focused on self-improvement instead of fighting to save souls, twisting the Word of God instead of trusting it, and Christianity will be diminished to equal status with other world religions. Is that happening today? All around us.

So what happens after the church reaches that state? Revelation 4:1 says, “After these things”—after the church age; the Greek phrase is meta tauta—“I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven.” If there’s a door open, I say you ought to go through it! Amen? Why was the door open? John said, “The first voice which I heard was like a trumpet speaking with me, saying, ‘Come up here, and I will show you things which must take place after this’”—after the church age. Here’s what’s going to go down.

Why so many people reject the notion that Revelation 4:1 is a picture of the rapture of the church is beyond me. John says “after these things,” then the narrative pauses for two chapters. In chapter 4 and 5 all of heaven, all of earth, and those under the earth—everyone who has ever lived and died—were examined to see if they qualified to take the scroll in the right hand of Him who sits on the throne and break its seals. None was found. Then John said, “I turned, and I saw a Lamb as if it had been slain.” Jesus is qualified to take the scroll (the title deed to the earth, many believe) from the Father’s hand and begin to open the seals. As soon as He opens the first seal in Revelation 6:1, the Antichrist rides on the scene as the narrative begins to advance again, and he has a covenant he makes with the world, particularly and specifically with the Jews, in his hand.

In order for the Antichrist to ride onto the world scene, the church has to be gone. It can’t happen otherwise. That’s what the Bible says. 2 Thessalonians 2:7 says the restraining force has to be removed, and then the Antichrist—the lawless one—can be revealed. This, paired with the fact that the church is absent from the Revelation narrative and does not appear again until chapter 19, tells me that in order for us to come back with Christ, we’re going to have to already be with Christ. That’s heavy, I know, but it’s kind of a no-brainer: if we’re going to come back with Him, we already have to be with Him. How and when will we get there? The answer is the rapture.

This is one of the most debated topics in the last stage of church history—which is itself prophetic. Peter said in 2 Peter 3:3–4, “Knowing this first: that scoffers will come in the last days”—mockers; Jude warns about them too—“walking according to their own lusts, and saying, ‘Where is the promise of His coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation.’” Nothing has changed; nothing is going to happen. “We’ve been hearing about this whole rapture thing—Jesus coming back, going to prepare a place for us, coming to get us—and it hasn’t happened, so it won’t,” is the conclusion of many today.

In light of the scoffers and rapture deniers of our day, our title and topic for tonight is: “The Rapture: Fact or Fiction?” Some say the rapture—someone actually wrote this to me today—“Darby invented the rapture; early Christians didn’t believe in it.” That’s ridiculous, because the church in Thessalonica was worried they missed it, and Paul said, “You haven’t missed it; it hasn’t happened yet; other things must take place first.” Like any doctrine man has labeled for understanding, we need to be Bereans and study the Scriptures to see if these things are so. So, is the rapture fact or fiction? Let’s find out.

Pray with me, please. Father, we’re grateful for our time together tonight. We’re thankful that we have an expectation of Your glorious appearing. We pray for those we love and care for, whom we long to come to know You before that trumpet sounds, the dead in Christ are raised, and we meet You with them in the air. We pray You rescue the souls of our loved ones and friends from the impending tribulation coming upon the whole world. Teach us about this truth tonight from Your Word. We ask in Jesus’ name, amen.

Augustine made a statement that’s been paraphrased in our day: “The Old Testament is the New concealed; the New Testament is the Old revealed.” We find this validated by Paul. As we’ve been studying Ephesians, we’ve found there were things not known in other ages. That doesn’t mean they weren’t written or indicated; we’ll talk more about that in a moment. The Old Testament saints didn’t need to know about the rapture—they lived thousands of years ago; there was no expectation for them. And nobody needed to know about the “one new man”—Paul’s subject about what had been hidden in times past—comprised of Jews and Gentiles, because what we call the church today was hidden from many who lived down through the ages. It wasn’t that these things were unmentioned; they were mysteries.

Psalm 117:1–2 says, “Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles; laud Him, all you peoples! For His merciful kindness is great toward us, and the truth of the Lord endures forever. Praise the Lord.” This underscores that God rescuing the Gentiles and having a people comprised of both Jews and Gentiles (those who come to faith) is recorded in multiple places in Scripture, but was mysterious—not fully understood.

We also need to note what the rapture is if we’re going to understand it. Since we find evidence of God saving the Gentiles in the Old Testament, would we find indications of the rapture in the Old Testament as well? Yes. But first, define the rapture. Paul says in 1 Corinthians 15:51–52, “Behold, I tell 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 trumpet.” (That’s not one of the trumpets of Revelation; in Revelation, the seventh trumpet signals the opening of the bowls of God’s wrath—separate issues. Trumpets are signals in Scripture; this trumpet signals the end of the church age.) “The trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.” I don’t know about you, but I’m up for a body change. I’m ready for that—aren’t you?

1 Thessalonians 1:9–10 says, “They themselves declare concerning us what manner of entry we had to you, and how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, and to wait for His Son from heaven—whom He raised from the dead—even Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come.” The Greek word mysterion means something not obvious to the understanding—something that takes digging. Daniel 12:4 was told, “Seal up the words”—you’re not going to get it; these are reserved for understanding by people who live at the time of the end. It’s not unusual for something to be better understood by those closest to it.

So, what is the rapture? According to Ephesians and 1 Thessalonians, the rapture is two things: (1) a supernatural translation of living human beings into the eternal, divine realm—in a moment, a twinkling of an eye; and (2) the separation of God’s people from His direct wrath on His enemies. That’s what God is doing during the tribulation: protecting believing Israel and fighting against His enemies and those gathered against Jerusalem (Zechariah 12–14).

Is the rapture concealed in the Old Testament? Can the principle be found there? Let’s look at two parts—the instant translation of living human beings, and deliverance from wrath. In Genesis 5:21–24, Enoch lived 65 years and begot Methuselah. (Hebrew names matter: Methuselah—“his death shall bring.” When Methuselah died, the flood came; God’s wrath was poured out.) After he begot Methuselah, Enoch walked with God 300 years and had sons and daughters; all his days were 365 years. “Enoch walked with God; and he was not, for God took him.” The word “took” means to fetch or carry away.

In 2 Kings 2:11, as Elijah and Elisha continued and talked, suddenly a chariot of fire with horses of fire separated them, and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven. The phrase “went up” means to ascend—and can mean “to make perfect.” Elijah was carried up and made perfect—fitted to dwell in the eternal realm. Through Enoch and Elijah, we find Old Testament records of living human beings being supernaturally translated directly into God’s presence, bypassing death. That’s what the rapture is, in typology.

Some today say there’s no rapture; the church will go through the tribulation even as the saints of old went through tribulation. We know in this life we have tribulation, but that’s not the Great Tribulation. We’re not going through what the Jews are going to go through—the 70th week of Daniel—where God finalizes what was spoken to Daniel: seventy periods of seven years each. The 70th week of Daniel and the Great Tribulation are synonymous.

Back in Genesis 7:17, “The flood was on the earth forty days; the waters increased and lifted up the ark, and it rose high above the earth.” In Genesis 19, two angels said to Lot, “Have you anyone else here—sons-in-law, sons, daughters, whomever you have in the city—take them out of this place. For we will destroy this place, because the outcry against them has grown great before the face of the Lord, and the Lord has sent us to destroy it.” Noah was delivered from God’s wrath when the ark lifted him above the waters. Lot was delivered from God’s wrath on Sodom and Gomorrah when he was removed from the place where it would happen. These are typologies—pictures of God’s action on behalf of His people.

We must also point out that the Israelites were preserved through God’s wrath when the final plagues pounded the Egyptians (a type of the world). They were present, and God protected them during the last seven plagues. How long is the tribulation? Seven years—parallel noted. Some say, “Israelites were still on the planet when God pounded the Egyptians; that tells us the church will go through the tribulation, and God will supernaturally protect the church.” First, Israel is Israel and the church is the church. The only way we should cross over between what is said to Israel is when it involves the nature and character of God. If God says to Israel He’s faithful, that’s part of His character; He’ll be faithful to us. Specifics regarding the 70th week of Daniel relate strictly to Israel.

A couple of things: neither Noah nor Lot were Jews. They weren’t Gentiles either; there were no Jews and Gentiles at that time. The world was divided that way after the Lord established His people and His law. It reminds me of the one new man that Jesus made—neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female.

During the plagues, Exodus 8:22–23 says, “In that day I will set apart the land of Goshen, in which My people dwell, that no swarms of flies shall be there, in order that you may know that I am the Lord in the midst of the land. I will make a difference between My people and your people.” Israel remained in Egypt (a type of the world), and during the ten plagues they were supernaturally protected during the last seven. They experienced the first three, but not the last seven. How did the Jews bypass the death of the firstborn, the tenth plague? They applied the blood. There’s going to be a third of the Jews during the tribulation who “apply the blood”—symbolically representing belief in the Messiah—the One whom they will look upon whom they pierced and mourn as for an only son. They will be supernaturally protected throughout the time of God’s wrath.

The non-Jew/non-Gentile Noah was lifted above the wrath of God; God shut the door on the ark. I submit to you God is about to shut the door on the church age—and we’re out of here. Amen? Lot was physically removed from wrath when the angels led him out of Sodom. In Noah and Lot we have, by divine intervention, a change of location delivering people from God’s wrath—an Old Testament precedent. In Egypt, we have the divine protection of the Jews during the time of God’s wrath—just as it will be during the tribulation.

What is the rapture? It’s the catching away—by force—of the one new man at the sound of a trumpet blast, to meet the Lord in the air before He pours out His wrath on a Christ-rejecting world. That’s the Old Testament type; that’s what’s going to happen—maybe even this Wednesday night or tomorrow or the next day—we’re not date-setting.

The argument that the rapture is a recent invention is invalidated by the pattern established back in Genesis: God supernaturally translating people into His presence; God protecting His people even while pouring out wrath. That’s exactly what happens during the tribulation.

Some argue, “The word ‘rapture’ isn’t in the Bible; therefore, it’s fictitious.” First, is the word “Trinity” in the Bible? No, but it’s clearly taught; the label helps understanding. It’s not exactly the same with “rapture.” In 1 Thessalonians 4:15–17, Paul says, “For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep. 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. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air; and thus we shall always be with the Lord.” The word translated “caught up” is harpazō—“to pluck, pull up, or catch away by force.” If you were reading a Latin Bible, it would say rapturos. So “rapture” is in the Bible—in Latin.

Paul says living people will be caught up together with dead saints to meet the Lord in the air and forever be with Him. Can God do with millions what He did with one (Enoch, Elijah)? There’s nothing too hard for God. Apparently you didn’t hear that—there’s nothing too hard for God!

Remember: our translation into God’s kingdom requires the glorification of these bodies, and this must be clear in the New Testament if the rapture is fact and not fiction. We already read part of it; add 1 Corinthians 15:51–55: “We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed… the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality… ‘Death is swallowed up in victory. O Death, where is your sting? O Hades, where is your victory?’”  “Sleep” was an idiom for death. Paul says we’re not all going to die, but we’re all going to be changed—into immortal, incorruptible beings capable of eternal existence. Where will we meet the Lord when that happens? In the air. How long will we be with Him? Always.

If the rapture is a human invention, what is the figurative meaning of “putting on immortal incorruptibility”? It cannot be a picture of salvation, because we don’t receive immortal incorruptibility the moment we’re saved—we’re waiting for new bodies. Some argue it speaks to the soul; it can’t, because the soul is immortal—the souls in hell are there forever; the souls in heaven put on a glorified body and are there forever. So what does Paul mean? Let Scripture interpret Scripture: Philippians 3:20–21 says, “Our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to His glorious body.” A lot like to talk about predestination; this is the destination of predestination—we are predestined to be conformed to the image of Jesus Christ in a glorified body. Paul said, “We shall not all die,” which pertains to the human body, not the soul. These lowly, limited bodies will be, for a single generation, transformed—transfigured—into their predestined form.

Romans 8:22–25 tells us “the whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs until now. Not only that, but we also… groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for the adoption, the redemption of our body. For we were saved in this hope.” Redemption means a release effected by the payment of a ransom. Our bodies could not be redeemed until the ransom was paid. We’re waiting for our bodies to be redeemed. No one could have the expectancy of the redemption of the body until Christ became the firstborn from the dead—first to be raised and stay alive forevermore. Where is He now? Seated at the right hand of Majesty on high, living daily as our intercession. And someday, if we can picture it, there’s an angel with a trumpet this far from his lips, waiting for the command to blow, and then Jesus will say, “Come up here,” and we’re gone.

Let’s finish where our series began, when we made the point that the modern state of Israel is essential to biblical integrity. If the Jews were not regathered back in the land as the prophets were told, then God did not keep His promises to His chosen people, and thus the Bible contains errors. God not keeping His promises and the Bible containing errors would be beyond tragic—but thankfully, they’re not true. God does keep His promises, and modern Israel is proof.

Can we say the rapture of the church is not fictional but essential to the integrity of Scripture? Are there holes left in the prophetic timeline if the rapture doesn’t happen? Do all the Bible’s prophecies have to come to pass for it to be reliable, or can there be a sprinkling that don’t? It all has to be true. Can unconditional, eternal promises be forfeited or applied to another group and the Bible still be immutable truth? Can God make promises to Israel, transfer them to the church, abandon Israel, and His Word remain intact? No. What was once true must always be true.

That includes Revelation 6:15–17: “The kings of the earth, the great men, the rich men, the commanders, the mighty men, every slave and every free man, hid themselves… and said… ‘Fall on us and hide us from the face of Him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb! For the great day of His wrath has come, and who is able to stand?’” In the first century, “every” meant every. In the 21st century, “every” means every. Rich or poor, slave or free—every person on earth tries to hide from the wrath of the Lamb. The implied answer to the rhetorical question is: no one is able to stand against God’s wrath.

Did you see the word “except” there? Was the church mentioned where “every” is used twice? No. Do we know elsewhere in Scripture when the Lamb of God becomes a lion against the church? Has there been any time in history where God’s people had to hide from the Lamb’s wrath? No—never. Does He discipline us? Yes. But He says it’s always for our betterment.

We know from 1 Thessalonians 5:9–11 that “God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us, so whether we wake or sleep we should live together with Him. Therefore comfort each other and edify one another.” I don’t find it very comforting to think the church is going through the tribulation. Knowing we’re going to escape what’s coming upon the world is very comforting—even though it burdens our hearts for those we care for who will miss it if they don’t repent.

If there is no rapture—if it’s fictional—then there’s a discrepancy between 1 Thessalonians 5 and Revelation 6. One of the two would have to be in error. Add 2 Thessalonians 2:1–8: “Now, brethren”—Paul is addressing the body of Christ—“concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him…” (episynagōgē—the complete collection gathered in one place) “we ask you, not to be soon shaken in mind or troubled… as though the day of Christ had come.” The church at Thessalonica was worried they missed the rapture. “Let no one deceive you… for that day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed… who opposes and exalts himself… so that he sits as God in the temple of God… Do you not remember…? And now you know what is restraining, that he may be revealed in his own time. 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. 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.”

Because Paul mentions that the son of perdition and the falling away are packaged together, remember the Bible’s common practice (seen first in Genesis): it gives the hard facts, then goes back and gives more details. We interpret the earlier verses by what Paul said in the last two: the lawless one can only be revealed when He who hinders is taken out of the way. I believe the rapture is found in “gathering together”—episynagōgē—the end result of the rapture: the whole church gathered in one place.

Some like to see “apostasia” translated as “departure.” The problem: apostasia is never used for a physical departure from location to location in Scripture. It’s used in Acts 21 (twice) and in the Septuagint (Joshua, Deuteronomy), and it always means a defection from truth. That’s the parallel with the last of the church age: a defection from truth precedes the removal of the church. If apostasia were pointing to the rapture and “gathering together” were also pointing to the rapture, then Paul would be saying the rapture can’t happen unless the rapture happens first—which makes no sense. They both can’t be the rapture. The gathering together with Him is the rapture; the apostasia is a defection from truth at the end of the church age.

Paul says, “Don’t let the words or letters of others shake you up concerning the gathering together with Him.” Don’t let naysayers shake you up either. The rapture is a biblical doctrine. Amen? Paul offers a progression of events that initiate the march toward the destruction of the man of sin by the brightness of Jesus’ second coming—and we’re coming with Him.

Lawlessness is already at work, right? Is evil called good and good evil in our day? Basically everything God has stated is disregarded by almost every country around the world. But even though lawlessness is already at work, what restrains the rise of the Antichrist and his global domination has to be taken out of the way, and then—and only then—can the Antichrist be revealed. What is the restraining force holding back utter lawlessness? The Holy Spirit. What is the dwelling place of the Holy Spirit? In us; we are the temples of the Holy Spirit. If the restrainer must be removed before the lawless one can be revealed—and his revelation begins the tribulation—then the church has to be taken before the lawless one rises to power. We will be supernaturally translated in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye.

What’s the solution to our question and the prophetic dilemma? How are we going to get into the Lord’s presence and come back with Him? I like what Pastor Chuck said to those with a post-trib view: “If we’re raptured at the end of the tribulation, then the marriage supper of the Lamb is just a snack—it’s not a meal—because we’d have to turn right around and come back.” A lot hold to mid-trib because they view the second half as the time of God’s wrath. No—the whole tribulation is God’s wrath. The first half encompasses consequential wrath: man wanted a world leader; they’ll get one, and he will claim to be God. That’s God’s wrath—being given over to delusional thinking.

If there’s no rapture, the progression doesn’t make sense. How can the world’s only source of salt and light be present at a time where there is no restraining force to hold back the Antichrist’s rise? We have to be taken out of the way.

In Luke 21:34–36, the Lord says, “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.” Isn’t that parallel to Revelation 6? “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.” The word “escape” means “to flee out of.” Rapture deniers like to say, “You escapists!” Guilty as charged—I want to escape the whole tribulation thing; so should they. Jesus said that time is one like the world has never seen, and no flesh would survive if He didn’t come back to stop it. If it’s global and we’re supposed to be here (according to some), where do tens of millions of Christians flee to hide from the wrath of God? Where are we going to hide if it’s global?

John 14:1–3 says, “Let not your heart be troubled”—“Stop letting your heart be troubled.” “You believe in God, believe also in Me”—the same way. “In My Father’s house are many mansions… I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go… I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.” Titus 2:11–15 tells us, “The grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly… in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ.” Since the church has to be out of the way for God’s wrath, where do we escape to? The Father’s house. That’s what Jesus said.

You can say it’s fiction if you want, but His appearing and His coming are two different things. His glorious appearing is when we meet Him in the air; His parousia—His second coming—happens in Revelation 19. As for me—and I hope for you—I plan to meet the Lord in the air and escape all the things that are coming upon the earth, because as part of the church, I don’t have an appointment with God’s wrath, and neither do you. Anybody else with me?

Listen: the rapture is fact; denying it is fiction. The Jews are back in their national homeland after nearly 2,000 years. The church today is, in large part, being trampled underfoot by cultural trends and thinks it can name and proclaim health and wealth. All that tells us is that someday very soon, what happened to John in Revelation 4:1 is going to happen to us—when the Lord says, “Come up here,” and we’re gone in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye. Somebody say amen!

Father, we are grateful for Your Word tonight. We thank You for this blessed hope, this expectation we’re looking for—that day when we meet You and the dead in Christ in the air and forever be with You. We thank You for this, Lord, especially in times such as these. But we’re also mindful of those who are lost and perishing without You. We pray for those around us who don’t know You—who need You desperately. Lord, allow these sayings we study, and the nearness of the end of the time of the Gentiles (and therefore the church age), to create in us an urgency for the people around us—even those who’ve refused truth, who’ve attacked and mocked and criticized us. Give us a burden; break our hearts for these people—even as Your heart is burdened and You are unwilling that any should perish, but desire that all should come to repentance. Help us have Your heart, even as we look for and expect that great day of the Lord to come—where we meet You in the air and are forever with You. We thank You for that blessed hope. We thank You for Your Word, that we can look to and understand truth even when things are called into question. We can find definitive answers in Your Book. We thank You for these things. In the name of Jesus we pray them, and all the expectant said, amen.

“The Rapture: Fact or Fiction?” I’m going with fact. Amen. Don’t forget Sunday morning—give these verses a read. As I said, Jeremiah 6:16 is awesome: “Stand in the paths and see, ask for the old paths, where the good way is, and then you will find rest for your souls.” But those spoken to said, “We’re not going to do it; we’re not going to walk in it.” We’re going to look at some of the verses that precede it and learn what to do in times such as these, because that’s exactly what’s happening in our country and the world—people are saying, “We’re not walking in God’s ways.” Does God have a plan in the midst of that? Sure He does. He’s still saving people and will continue to do so right up until the Second Coming.

God is good.

Amen.