Let's just get right to the point here at the beginning, the biggest problem with current theologies and argumentation in the Church, around the RAPTURE and trying to frame it in biblical context, or deny it altogether, cannot seem to satisfy, or reconcile with all Apostolic doctrine. The fact is that people have been ascending after death, in rapture to Christ in His Kingdom since He ascended up to where He is now.
SOME INTERPRETATIONS demand Jesus set up a throne on earth in context of humanity as presently sustained in procreation of mortality in body after the seed of Adam, which greatly presumes upon God, for the continuation of procreation in the body of mortality for an additional thousand years after the only Apostolically presented and Biblically defined purpose and manifestation of the consummation at the return of Christ in second and final appearing as listed in the whole of the Bible.
In other words, they don't accept His present Kingdom as literally and bodily enthroned in heaven as His preordained millennial reign and transition to immortality for the rest.
Biblical Purpose For Christ's Return:
1 To change the righteous Immortal.
2 To punish the wicked and put an end to all death, by destruction of the present heavens and earth, so that no other human being can be born in the mortal body.
Note: For death to be ended, the habitation of humanity has to be destroyed along with the unsaved, for there can be no further persons born in the body consigned to death from Adam's lineage, from the time of Jesus's fully performed redemption of the body to immortality, forward; the natural reproduction of humanity has ceased in progress and a final purpose in the number of the redeemed has been reached, and destruction of the wicked has been engaged. At that point, Christ has gathered all the voluntarily saved from the total number of all humanity, to Himself, beginning to end.
The Bible speaks of His first appearing for salvation, and His second appearing for consummation of our "blessed hope", which is the universal clothing upon with bodies of Immortality in likeness to His own glorious, eternal, and immortal body. And the total destruction of the wicked, "along with the earth" as disclosed in Gen 6:13, and 2 Peter 3.
Reckoning with the hard fact that there is only ONE instance of JESUS COMMANDING AN END TO ALL MORTALITY AS BEING SWALLOWED UP COMPLETELY BY IMMORTALITY is the key to understanding the present heavens and earth endures as it is from the beginning until He comes to command the consummation.
According to the appointed and inspired message and doctrine of all of the Apostles, this happens AT HIS SECOND AND FINAL APPEARING.
We can ascertain and be certain, THERE IS NOT ANOTHER INSTANCE OF THE ENDING OF ALL DEATH DESCRIBED BY ANY OF THE PROPHETS OR MORE SPECIALLY BY ANY OF THE APOSTLES THAT MIGHT BE RESERVED FOR A LIKE AND IMAGINED PERFORMANCE OF A THOUSAND-YEAR EXTENSION OF HUMANITY IN REPRODUCTION OF THE NATURALLY CREATED MORTAL BODY AFTER HIS APPEARING. How can He enter the present atmosphere without performing it?
At what other time does anyone suppose that it is biblically given then, that may be appointed for His command to swallow up ALL mortality period, other than at that time that He comes off His mercy seat and enters again bodily into the present earthly environment with ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands of saints and angels that are presently in His surround as "contained" in the heaven of heavens, the third heaven until that time, as Peter powerfully asserts in Acts 3:21?
Can't we see clearly with the "eyes of our understanding" and as outlined in the Bible and throughout all ages, that it is in this glorious moment of truth at God's sovereign predestination of final disposition, (by a trumpet blast, shout and command, from heaven, the order issues and the commandment is made to put an end to the present heavens and earth environment and end all death all together and completely and all at once in that moment) so that likewise the instance thereby also demands at His appearing to save those who are alive and remain from ever dying, when the present and visible heavens will be rolled up like a scroll, and the earth and the elements there of are melted away with a fervent heat?
The righteous are changed, immortal like the twinkling of the eye to survive it and remain with the Lord in the like body of Immortality forever.
Likewise the key issue being, there can be no more new persons being created and born into a body that is from it's origination earthy and mortal in lineage by Adam, and no more environment that can in any wise any longer be used to sustain the natural fleshly body in subjection to death in the future or that any person of that order in creation of natural body, who can somehow survive that moment without the intervention of Christ Himself in person of power, glory and intercession for the rejoin of His beloved Bride, to Himself, in tranformation of the body remained in faithful and blessed hope to be changed to the body immortal, in everlasting rejoin to Him who is at present alone immortal preparing a place for us with Himself?
Because if He comes without conquering death in universal expression and without interruption of the present heavens and earth environment, then when and how could all those things, as that which is clearly set forth and narrated throughout the Bible and described with certain clarity by all the prophets and Apostles, as the moment of destruction to all the wicked, actually happen?
And when thereafter, then, would be the opportunity and occasion of biblical description, in total fulfilment, of that which He is preordained and disclosed to do, all of that which all the prophets and Apostles testified will happen at His appearing to all? Can He come and not do all that He has preordained and pledged from the very beginning to do at the end?
How, and at what time thereafter, will He close out the existence of the present heavens and earth in preference of a new heaven and earth where as the Bible clearly narrates there is no more death, nor sorrow, nor tears of groaning which are only present in the body of mortality as verified in lineage of procreation from the created order and seed of Adam?
The sorrows of suffering we all clearly know and presently experience in this present groaning, because of sin and mortal death in the body.
Therefore, we can easily validate and understand the truth of which is presently existing in troubles and woes are all associated in part and parcel with the body of mortality and the present environment necessary to sustain the same, as existing from the beginning, wherein sin and death by mortality of the naturally born body are still existing.
However, none of these things, as they presently exist, can be maintained to exist at all, in the greater body of immortality, but only peace and fellowship in a comparable body with Jesus Christ in righteousness forever after.
This is the promise of the Father from the beginning, that we will be changed and clothed upon with a greater body in likeness to the body of glory that Jesus Himself is clothed upon with at present.
So this remains for us NOW, to become the sons and daughters of God through the firstfruit gift of His Holy Spirit in expectation of our complete redemption in the body of immortality when He comes!
Our "blessed" hope, and more sure word of prophecy retained and witnessed in the glory of Jesus bodily resurrected and exalted to the third heaven 'contained', as God declares it to us, by His Holy Spirit, so that we who are alive and remain to that moment of His command will be changed into His likeness in body, without ever dying in separation from our body at all.
The biblical description of which is the vanquishing of death altogether, and is found in prophetic declaration throughout the whole of the Bible, but no place more clearly laid out than here in Paul's condensation of the whole truth of it in one chapter, in his first letter to the Corinthians, Chapter 15!
1 Cor 15:25,26
The desire to know (or seem to know) more details about the situation on the ground preceding the moment of our transition to IMMORTALITY, along with much supposition about what God the Father, in His sovereignty, will do thereafter, creates a general, but understandable, misunderstanding of prophecy and the power of God as exercised universally and in sovereign over all creation, to save the greatest number possible by voluntary solicitation through the intercession of Jesus Christ immortal during His Kingdom from heaven.
So just as the present environment of heaven and earth which was at the first created for the initiation of every eternal and living soul by proliferation of the body in mortality through Adam is universal and ongoing by the sovereignty of God with a predetermined end, so also but greater than, is the context for being born again by His Spirit to consummate what happens at the return of Jesus Christ who is the author of life in the beginning and the finisher and closure of all things redeemed by His universal command to IMMORTALITY, for all the saved of humanity, and a resurrection of the wicked to eternal judgment secondarily!
And just as all things as they are have been in continuity from the beginning as Peter reveals, so also that which is ever enduring in greater permanence forever after, is performed in a universal gloriously sustained forever and ever after irreversible change to immortality, the Alpha and Omega, beginner and finisher of God's plan to finally separate, defend and substantiate the just from the unjust as the primary issue from the beginning, so that all humanity will be especially foreclosed upon at the change to immortality in the singular unprecedented and irreversible universal command of Jesus Christ.
The predetermined just (as those that are secured in heaven having already passed under the review board of Christ on His mercy seat and being gathered "secretly raptured" to Him as they are now, and those who are alive in the mortal body having taken refuge in Christ and remained alive faithful to His appearing and are changed in the moment and instant to immortality) will comprise the FULL number of those dwelling together with Jesus Christ in immortality in the new heaven and new earth where there is ONLY righteousness forever.
These are the saved and redeemed of all humanity, while the final disposition of death to all the rest of mortality in humanity is accomplished, and they are also secondarily resurrected to immortality to be brought to the great white throne of Judgement as the present heaven and earth have passed (fled) away, or been folded up like a used garment. God, having gotten everything He ever wanted out of it from beginning to end through the ministry of reconciliation vested in Christ and the Church alone.
Now, this is no doubt, mysterious in the finality, which requires an understanding of the difference God makes for the faithful, both at the death of His saints, and the change to immortality in that moment of destruction for the rest, for the whole environment in that day is in likeness to the three Hebrew children upon whom the fiery furnace had no ill effect whatsoever. Because God sent His angel to be with them and preserve them, as none other before them who had been cast into the furnace ever had been.
In the case of the end of all mortality, as was in that case of historical example, the mortal body can not survive it, and no one who was thrown into it by the King had ever before survived it, however, even though the furnace was at an intensity level 7 times hotter than necessary to consume the mortal body, (on a universal scale "as in the days of Noah" all the elements would also melt) they who were afforded the presence of one like the Son of God, were not in the slightest harmed at all, not one hair of their heads was harmed, nor did their clothes which were not burned up or singed, become affected by the smell of smoke whatsoever, indeed it was impossible by the intervention of God, for them to be harmed at all, and so they remained in the midst of the furnace built for destruction, of the wicked, in the safety of His very presence by His joining them there in the instance and in the midst of the flaming furnace, for He is the Author and Sustainer of all human life whether in the body or absent from the body, and more especially in the change and clothing upon with immortality in likeness to His own Glorious Body.
1 Cor 15:22
The "secret rapture" as so many perceive of from the biblical language they ponder, is of those being caught up to the safety and power of His immortal presence, and it is presently occurring through death of the first nature body as our eternally living souls are separated from the body, and the righteous are ascending from among the unrighteous, like dew from the ocean the souls of just men and women made perfect, by the profession of Christ in intercession in them, and through them, by His Spirit, all passing before the MERCY SEAT of Christ IMMORTAL, so that it is in fact while AS YET unseen to the natural eye, and the invisible rapture is currently occurring and in continuation throughout the remainder of humanity, to the moment of universal and corporate change to immortality at His command WHICH IS A BODILY ASCENSION IN UNIVERSAL EXPRESION AND VISIBLE TO ALL. The way the Apostles saw Jesus ascend in His Immortal body.
In other words, the main thing to grasp is that, until that moment of Jesus' command for us who are alive and remain to be immediately clothed upon with immortality, we are subject to death along with all the rest, at our death in the body however, and during the interim we are immediately caught up in eternal life, and security to the New Jerusalem where He is, at the death of our first nature body.
And how precious in the "sight" of the Lord, though invisible to the five senses of the mortal body, is the ascension after death of His saints. Psalm 116:15
So, we who believe and are saved by faith, in receipt and seal of His Holy Spirit, now, are being secured to HIM every individual at the instance of death to the body, gathered by ascending to Him in secret and Spirit, and until our blessed hope is fulfilled by the open and universally commanded ascension and momentary instant change to redemption in the body to immortality of those of us who are alive and remain in the body of our first nature to His appearing, then we are changed all together universally in visibility and open display to all, with those that have ascended before us without the body at His command to immortality.
The preservation of Christ is deliverance from death and destruction of the body in two ways, first while mortality is temporally sustained as in the days of Noah floating above the circle of the earth, we are gathered to Jesus, every living soul is gathered to Him immediately if we die and are separated from the body, and secondly we are clothed upon immediately with our body immortal at the change for those yet alive and remaining to His shout and command over all.
So that in the generation of His Return, and at His return, we will never die bodily by any degree of separation from the body at all, as we will be rejoined to the LORD in immortality of body commanded to likeness with Him and rejoined to Him in that moment called the consummation and the restitution of all things, and so will we ever be with the Lord forever after.
The Lord has made Israel and the Church ONE corporate body, both of those who are in heaven already, and we who are pledged to HIM in the Church on the ground.
Hebrews 12:22-25 (everyone who has died in the Faith of Christ, both before He appeared and especially after, is already with Him now in His eternal living person bodily immortal, awaiting the pronouncement of immortality of the rest, which cannot be afforded to anyone but Christ Himself, until last one of every one of us is included by the predetermined will of God.)
The three Hebrew children were preserved in the furnace of flame because the pre incarnate CHRIST joined them in the flame and preserved them as a witness of our own preservations when the global event, as described by 2 Peter 3:10-13, is initiated by the trumpet and shout command of Jesus to universal expression in immortality.
The rest of natural bodies will be burned up (Isaiah 66:24), and JESUS will give back His millennial Kingdom to the Father for the great white throne judgment of the rest resurrected secondarily. He will establish the New Heaven and New Earth for the righteous alone. And the eternal lake of fire, for death, hell, and the grave, along with the resurrected wicked.
There is thereafter no more mortality at all, forever after.
1 Cor 15:26
The judgment of God over all humanity resurrected occurs, and only the righteous inherit the NEW heaven and New Earth for dwelling together with Jesus Christ forever.
There is no more death, no more tears, no more sorrow, and no more necessity of dominion, for the wheat has been fully harvested from all humanity.
This event is compared to the "days of Noah", because only the saved in Christ will survive it by change to immortality in that moment of joyful gathering to CHRIST, joined to Him forever in immortality of body in likeness to His own glorious body.
And all the rest, as in that case in the "days of Noah" where their breath was withheld in judgment by immersion in water, while Noah and his family were preserved in flotation above the circle of the earth, will be consumed by fire, as was reserved to the end in Gen 6:13, and resurrected to 2nd death judgment in the body of immortality.
The restitution of all things to God's original intent, Acts 3:21, means God has gotten everyone and everything He wanted from the beginning when He created Adam in His earthly image until the preordained end, through the gift and glorious command of Jesus Christ, to the redemption of the body to IMMORTALITY of the redeemed.
1 Cor 15:22
Trying to answer the question of when this will occur using other markers than the shout and command of Jesus to immortality is to put the cart before the horse. In other words, all the event markers can only make sense within the constructs of the MESSIAH IN KINGDOM as the BEGINNING OF IMMORTALITY BY CHRIST ALONE IN KINGDOM FROM HEAVEN and THE END of all mortality BY THE FINAL COMMAND OF CHRIST IN KINGDOM FROM HEAVEN to end all necessity of dominion, where there is no more body of unrighteousness at all, by final destruction of the body of rebellion against the Lord, there is no more necessity of dominion at all.
Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power.
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| 1 Cor 15:25 For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet. |
The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death.
A theology that divides among the people prematurely or establishes a division again between the jew and the gentile, of which the Lord, immortal in person, body, and Spirit, has removed forever, is error.
Both in the old testament and the new.
Romans 10:9
The big blocks OF TRUTH should be at the foundation of our faith.
1 Jesus is the Christ and messiah spoken of by all the prophets of the Jewish heritage and has exalted them together with Himself. To rule and reign with Him over the residue of humanity during a limited sustenance of humanity in mortality.
Heb 12:22-25
2 He Himself, in the body He was born with, which was formed by the Spirit of God, in the womb of the virgin Mary, was made immortal through His resurrection of the same body, firstborn from the dead. He is ruling and reigning over the residue of humanity on the Throne of His choice, from the City not built with human hands in Messianic reign to transition all humanity to Immortality. For the purpose of finally separating between the righteous to dwell in the NEW heaven and earth, and the unrighteous to be disposed to the eternal lake of fire in the second body of their resurrection.
3 Death is the final enemy TO BE vanquished by His messianic Kingdom, 1 Cor 15:26 to fully transition the Kingdom of all creation, back to the Father, called the restitution, for dwelling with the saved of humanity together with Jesus in the body of IMMORTALITY, called also the consummation and final pronouncement of marriage forever. Rev 21:5
If the lens of immortality as God's goal for us from the beginning, is perceived, it is easier to find the Way, the TRUTH and the LIFE at the core of all prophecy so we can live, LOVE and endure, in our blessed HOPE by being in Him and He in us through communion with His Holy Spirit, so that whether by ascension after death or at the commanded change of our bodies to immortality we will also continue to be with Him forever.
We have such a blessed HOPE by partnership in Jesus' resurrection, now, for being rejoined to HIM in the mutuality of IMMORTALITY for dwelling together in the Kingdom of God with HIM.
In the NEW heaven and NEW earth, where there is no longer any potential of evil among us at all, having been completely separated from us by eternal judgement, and bodily change to likeness with Jesus forever, for thereafter is only righteousness and communion with the Son and the Father, FOREVER! AMEN! AMEN! 1 Thessalonians 4:18 AMEN!
God open the eyes of our understanding. Amen. :-)
Blessing in the Love of Christ,
Dave Thomas
Intercessory Missionary
My Journey to IHOPKC
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