What is the end of time really like? Most people today think of Matthew 24 as speaking about the end of time; about the end of the world. A time when two men are working in the field, and suddenly one will be gone. You may hear a song about this or see bumper stickers that say, "In case of rapture, this car will be driverless." Where do these ideas of a secret rapture come from? They come from a futurist interpretation of Matthew 24:40 which says. "Then there shall be two men in the field; one will be taken and one will be left." But the key question is, "Is that what the passage is really describing?" Not, "Is it popular?" but, "Is it true?" In this section, we will look at four verses and try to figure out whether the popular view of “The Rapture” is biblical or not.

        In 1 Corinthians 15, Paul is dealing with the question of the resurrection. There was a question in the early church about whether or not there really was a resurrection. Paul argues that if Jesus was in fact resurrected, then there is a resurrection. If he was not resurrected, then "…we of all men most to be pitied." (verse 19) That is because we are basing our lives on a lie; the promise of a resurrection that did not occur and will not occur. In the book by Frank Morison entitled "Who Moved The Stone?" the author, (a British journalist) began writing the book in order to disprove the resurrection and in the process of his investigation became a Christian. His findings? Based on the historical evidence, the resurrection of Jesus Christ is the most documented FACT in all of history. Paul was dealing with that same question in his day and he is saying the same thing early in the chapter. Paul argues that you should look at the evidence and you will know that Jesus was in fact resurrected. Then toward the end of the chapter he writes:

        1 Corinthians 15: (v50) Now I say this, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor does corruption inherit incorruption. (v51) Behold, I tell you a mystery; we shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, (v52) in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for the trumpet will sound and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. (v53) For the corruption must put on the incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. (v54) But when this corruptible will have put on the incorruptible, and this mortal will have put on immortality, then will come about the saying that is written, "DEATH IS SWALLOWED UP in victory."

        Paul is saying that we, in our sinful flesh, cannot come before God. We are corruptible, corruption, because we are in a sinful world. We must put off the old man completely, which we are in the process of doing on a day by day basis, and put on the new man. God has made us new. We are in his reality, complete. At our salvation, we are truly changed. We are no longer natural, we are spiritual (in God's reality). But in our reality, we tend to slip back and forth between the sinful and the spiritual (up and down like the stock market). This is the process that the Bible calls "sanctification." In our reality, we are becoming more and more like the reality God sees (or knows). Now, when the trumpet sounds we will be changed completely into God's reality. Our reality will then become God's reality. That is what Paul is talking about in 1 Corinthians 15. In this body we cannot be with God. We shall all be changed, even those who are alive; we shall all be changed in an instant, "in the twinkling of an eye," and we will be with God for eternity.

        Another passage most people think is pertaining to the end of the world is 2 Thessalonians 1 & 2.

        2 Thessalonians 1: (v4) therefore, we ourselves speak proudly of YOU among the churches of God for YOUR perseverance and faith in the midst of all YOUR persecutions and afflictions which YOU endure. (Notice the Thessalonians were being persecuted and afflicted) (v5) a plain indication of God's righteous judgment so that YOU may be considered worthy of the kingdom of God, for which indeed YOU are suffering. (Notice again they, the Thessalonians, are being purified through suffering) (v6) For after all it is only just for God to repay with affliction those who afflict YOU, (v7) and give relief to YOU who are afflicted and to US as well (Paul is saying here there will come a time when God will turn the tables and afflict the persons afflicting the Thessalonians and He will reward you who are suffering now.) The question is "When will that be?" (v7) when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with His mighty angels in flaming fire, (v8) dealing out retribution to those who do not know God and to those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. (v9) And these will pay the penalty of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power, (v10) when He comes to be glorified in His saints on that day, and to be marveled at among all who have believed – for our testimony to YOU was believed.

        What is Paul talking about? Let’s look at verse seven. Paul is saying it's expected soon. In the context he is saying this is going to happen very quickly, giving you and us relief. Notice he is including himself in this event. Let's continue on in chapter two:

        2 Thessalonians 2:1 Now we request YOU, brethren, with regard to (the parosia) the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and our gathering together to him, (v2) that YOU may not be quickly shaken from YOUR composure or be disturbed either by a spirit or a message or a letter as if from US, to the effect that the day of the Lord has come. (v3) Let no one in any way deceive YOU, for it will not come unless the apostasy comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction, (v4) who opposes and exalts himself above every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, displaying himself as being God.

       I have heard all kinds of interpretations of these verses, saying that this apostasy is still future in our day and that this man of lawlessness or man of sin has not yet appeared, that this is the antichrist who's going to appear sometime in the future, and he will take his seat in the temple. That's why people believe the Temple has to be rebuilt and the sacrificial system reinstituted. How else can this person seat himself in the Temple and declare himself to be God? But is that what the Bible really says? Look at verse five.

        (v5) Do YOU not remember that while I was still with YOU, I was telling YOU these things? (v6) And you know what restrains him NOW, so that in his time he may be revealed.

        Is the man of lawlessness future in Paul's time? No. Paul is clearly saying, "YOU, Thessalonians know what is restraining the man of lawlessness NOW." The Bible is clear; the man of lawlessness was contemporary to Paul's time. He says “don't you remember I was telling you about him?” So it obviously makes a lot more sense to say that the Temple was still standing at this point and that the man of lawlessness was going to seat himself in that present Temple and declare himself to be God. Therefore, this passage is not about the end of the world, is it? It pertains to something that occurred in Paul's day.

        (v6) And YOU know what restrains him NOW, so that in his time he may be revealed. (v7) For the mystery of lawlessness is ALREADY at work;  (When is the mystery of lawlessness at work? It is already at work; not some 2,000 years into the future) only he who NOW restrains will do so until he is taken out of the way. (v8) and then that lawless one will be revealed whom the Lord will slay with the breath of His mouth and bring to an end by the appearance of His coming; (v9) the one whose coming is in accord with the activity of Satan, with all power and signs and false wonders, (v10) and with all the deception of wickedness for those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth so as to be saved.

        Paul is talking here about the Lord coming in judgment upon the temple, which is still future at the time Paul is writing to the Thessalonians. So again, here is a passage that in our day is taken to mean that it is addressing something in the future because we don't look at what has really been written.

        I am sure some will want to know, “Who is the lawless one?” There are several different interpretations of that. Some scholars think it was the high priest. Some commentators think it was Nero. Nero wanted to put a statue of himself in the Temple. There are different interpretations. Frankly, I don't think there's enough information in the passage to conclusively pin it down to a specific person. But there is enough information here to pin it down to a specific TIME. That was the time of Paul.

 Let’s move on then to 1 Thessalonians 4:13-17, where Paul addresses the rapture.

 1 Thessalonians 4:13 But we do not want you to be uninformed, brethren, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve, as do the rest who have no hope.

 The contemporary situation was that in the church in Thessalonica, people were expecting the Lord to return at any moment. They were also saying that if you'd already died, then you were not going to be with the Lord. For those who had died already, it's too late. Paul is saying, "No, you don't understand!" He's dealing with this particular theological question in the church at Thessalonica. He says, (v14) For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus. He is saying that if someone is a Christian and falls asleep (dies), then when Jesus returns, they're going to return with him. (v15) 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, shall not precede those who have fallen asleep. (He's saying there's no difference between Christians here. There's no hierarchy.) (v16) For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet of God; and the dead in Christ shall rise first. (v17) 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.

        He's saying that when the trumpet sounds on the Last Day; when Christ returns, those who are alive will be with Him and so will be those who are dead in Christ at that time. We will all be together. (v18) Therefore comfort one another with these words. (Look forward to that reality which is God's.)  This is the only place in the Bible that talks about any kind of a "rapture." But it is not talking about a rapture as is generally understood in the church today, a sneaky sort of silent rapture where one person will be taken and the other will be left. Notice how noisy it is here. “The Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet of God…” When Jesus returns on the Last Day it not be in secret. Everyone will know He has returned. On that day there will be judgment for the wicked and reward for the righteous.

       You see, the key is to always look for time clues. The time clues here tell us that this event (the rapture) will occur when the general resurrection of the dead and the living occurs. Even though it doesn't tell us when this will happen, it tells us what will happen. We must look elsewhere in the Bible to find out when that's going to happen. For example, John is very clear on when the general resurrection will occur. In several places in the gospel of John he uses the phrase "the Last Day" (th'/ ejscavth/ hJmevra) which specifically refers to the end of time. He uses this phrase over and over. Another time clue in 1 Thessalonians 4 is the phrase "and so we will be with the Lord God" at that point in time. Paul is speaking about the eternal state when all Christians will be with Christ.

 John 5 Jesus says (v24) "Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears my word, and believes him who sent me, has eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life (Notice it's not 'will have,' rather it is, "if you believe, you already have — right now." Ephesians 2 tells us that in God's reality, we're seated at the right hand of the Father right now in Jesus Christ. Of course, we still see our sanctification being worked out, but in God's reality things are different.) and does not come into judgment."

        This another point that needs to be strongly addressed. Many Christians talk about having to stand before the judgment throne of God. No Christian will stand before the judgment throne of God. We will stand before the throne of God, but not in judgment. We will stand there as trophies of God's grace, so everyone will understand that we are in heaven for one reason and one reason only — the perfect righteousness of Jesus Christ alone. It is the non-Christian, the ungodly, who will stand there in judgment and in that case, everyone will clearly understand that they will be going to hell as the just reward of their own sinfulness.

        Jesus says they do not (v24) come into judgment, but (have) passed out of death into life.  (v25) Truly, truly, I say to you, an hour is coming (not just a day) and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God; and those who hear shall live. (v26) For just as the Father has life in himself, even so he gave to the Son also to have life in himself; (v27) and he gave him authority to execute judgment, because he is the Son of Man. (v28) Do not marvel at this; for an hour (notice he repeats it again) is coming (but this time he doesn't say ‘and now is’ because it's future, at the Last Day), in which all who are in the tombs shall hear his voice (v29) and shall come forth; those who did the good to a resurrection of life, those who committed the evil to a resurrection of judgment.

             Notice that Jesus himself says that there is no thousand years between the resurrection of the righteous and the resurrection of the wicked. It happens not only on the same day, but at the same hour.