THE DAY OF THE LORD IS COMING

PROCLAMATION

“The Lord Almighty has a day in store for all the proud and lofty, for all that is exalted (and they will be humbled) … People will flee to caves in the rocks and to holes in the ground from the fearful presence of The Lord and the splendor of His majesty, when He rises to shake the earth.”  Isaiah 2:12-19 (NIV)

EXPLANATION
Here the prophet Isaiah presents the vision that he saw concerning the future of Jerusalem and Judah. (Isaiah 2:1)  This is a prophecy regarding the last days, the end of the world as we know it.  The chapter begins with the enlargement of God’s kingdom on earth by the calling of the gentiles as believers from all nations, and they will all come to the mountain of The Lord. (Isaiah 2:2-3)  Isaiah then briefly describes those who have fallen away from The Lord and become involved in the worship of idols. (Isaiah 2:6-9)  These are the people who will be trying to hide from the presence of The Lord on the day when He returns. (Isaiah 2:10-11)  They will be humbled and hiding.  This prophecy is repeated in the sixth chapter of The Bible Book of Revelation. (Revelation 6:15-16)

APPLICATION
The coming day of The Lord will be the time when God will take His vengeance upon all of the non-believing sinners.  The church, all of the believers, will have been removed from the world beforehand in the rapture.  He will deal with the proud (Isaiah 2:13), governments and societies (Isaiah 2:14), the world’s armies (Isaiah 2:15), businesses and commerce (Isaiah 2:16), the arrogant (Isaiah 2:17), and all false religions. (Isaiah 2:18)  The Lord God will deal with everything and everybody that is outside of the church when He comes.  Do not be like the people who were left outside of the ark in Noah’s day when the flood came. (Genesis 7:16-21)  Don’t be one of those who is left behind when the rapture occurs. (1 Thessalonians 4:17)  Believe in The Lord, confess your sins, accept Him as your personal Savior, and you will be saved. (Romans 10:9-10) There will come a day when it will be too late for you. (Luke 13:27)

THE RAPTURE OF BELIEVERS

Proclamation:

“According to The Lord’s word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left until the coming of The Lord, will not certainly precede those who have fallen asleep.  For The Lord Himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first.  After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet The Lord in the air.  And so we will be with The Lord forever.”  1 Thessalonians 4:15-17 (NIV)

Explanation:

These words were written by the apostle Paul, under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God, to the believers in the church at Thessalonica.  Paul begins this fourth chapter by urging them to live in order to please God, more than they were already doing.  He told them that it was God’s will for them to avoid sexual immorality, to exercise control over their own body and live holy and honorably. (1 Thessalonians 4:1-5)  He acknowledged that they already demonstrated love for one another, but he encouraged them to mind their own business so that their daily lives would win the respect of non-believers. (Thessalonians 4:9-12)  Then he addressed the rapture and made it clear that the dead in Christ would rise first, and after that those who were still alive would meet them and The Lord in the air. (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18)

Application:

This is a comforting thought for those of us who have lost loved ones.  Although they are now asleep in death, we will meet them again when The Lord Jesus, The Christ, returns to rapture all believers.  Unfortunately, there will be some people who will be left behind after the rapture occurs and removes all believers from the earth. (Matthew 24:40-42)  In the twinkling of an eye, all believers will be changed from corruptible mortals to spiritual beings of incorruptible immortality. (1 Corinthians 15:51-54)  Woe be unto those who are left behind.

WHEN THE RAPTURE OCCURS DON'T BE LEFT BEHIND

Proclamation:

“Once, on being asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, Jesus replied, ‘The coming of the kingdom of God is not something that can be observed … For The Son of Man in His day will be like the lightning, which flashes and lights up the sky from one end to the other.’ … ‘It will be like this on the day The Son of Man is revealed … I tell you, on that night two people will be in one bed; one will be taken and the other left.  Two women will be grinding grain together; one will be taken and the other left.  Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other left’”  Luke 17:20-36 (NIV)

Explanation:

These are the words of Jesus, The Christ, as recorded by Luke, the physician, under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God.  In this chapter Luke continues to record the words which Jesus spoke to the crowd which included His disciples and the Pharisees.  First, He said that things will come that will cause His people to stumble and sin, but woe be unto them through whom those things come to His people. (Luke 17:1-2)  Then, after telling about them forgiving those who sin against them (Luke 17:3-4) and having faith, (Luke 17:5-6) He told them how they treat the servant who does his duty. (Luke 17:7-10)  Leaving there, as He continued on His way to Jerusalem, Jesus healed the ten men who had leprosy and noted that only one of them returned to thank Him. (Luke 17:11-19)  Then, in response to a question from a Pharisee, Jesus gave them a lengthy description of what it will be like when The Son of Man returns. (Luke 17:20-35)

Application:

When The Son of Man returns He will be visible in the sky to everyone like lightning in the clouds. (Luke 17:24 and Revelation 1:7)  He will come in all His power and glory.  With a great sound of a trumpet, He will gather His elect from the four corners of the earth. (Matthew 24:30-31)  We refer to His gathering of “the church” as the rapture, when we will caught up and meet The Lord God in the air. (1 Thessalonians 4:17)  There are those who believe that when we are taken up, our clothes will be left behind.  People will be going about their normal daily activities when the believers will be instantly taken up while those that we were with at the time will be left behind. (Matthew 24:40-41 and Luke 17:34-36)  Don’t be like the people in the days of Noah who were left out of the ark, or the people in Sodom when Lot left the city. (Luke 17:26-29)  Confess, believe, and repent while there is still time.

DON'T BE LEFT BEHIND DURING THE RAPTURE

Proclamation:

 "As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of The Son of Man.  For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark; and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away.  That is how it will be at the coming of The Son of Man.  Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other left.  Two women will be grinding with a hand mill; one will be taken and the other left.  'Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come.'" Matthew 24:37-42 (NIV)

Explanation:

The Apostle Matthew recorded these words of Jesus, The Christ, as He described to His disciples the things which will occur when He comes again.  Jesus made it clear that no one knows exactly when that will be except our Heavenly Father. (Matthew 34:36)  However, He stated that people will be suddenly taken up from the earth, and that some people will be left behind.

Application:

When the rapture occurs, everyone will not be taken up to meet The Lord God in the air.  Some people will be left behind.  The Bible clearly states that when Jesus, The Christ, returns, He will be coming back for His Church.  He died for The Church so that He could present it to Himself, cleaned up, without spot or blemish. (Ephesians 5:25-27)  He said that He was going away to prepare a place for His people. (John 14:2-3)  When He comes back, the dead in Christ will rise and meet Him in the air first, then those of us who believe and are still alive at that time will join them in the air. (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17)  Only the believers will be taken up from the earth, the non-believers will be left behind.  Two people will be walking, or working together, and one of them will be taken up while the other will be left behind. (Matthew 24:40-41)  No one knows when this will happen, The Day of The Lord will come like a thief in the night. (1 Thessalonians 5:2)  We need to be ready for it.  Don't be left behind.  You do not want to be left here on earth after The Church has been taken out of this world.

The Rapture Don't Be Left Behind

 "As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of The Son of Man.  For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark; and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away.  That is how it will be at the coming of The Son of Man.  Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other left.  Two women will be grinding with a hand mill; one will be taken and the other left.  'Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come.' "  Matthew 24:37-42 (NIV)

The Apostle Matthew recorded these words of Jesus as He described to His disciples the things which will occur when He comes again.  He made it clear that no one knows exactly when that will be except our Heavenly Father. (Matthew 34:36)  However, He stated that people will be suddenly taken up from the earth, and that some people will be left behind.

When the rapture occurs, everyone will not be taken up to meet The Lord God in the air, some people will be left behind.  The Bible clearly states that when The Lord returns, He will be coming back for His Church.  He died for The Church so that He could present it to Himself, cleaned up, without spot or blemish. (Ephesians 5:25-27)  He said that He was going away to prepare a place for His people. (John 14:2-3)  When He comes back, the dead in Christ will rise and meet Him in the air first, then those of us who believe and are still alive at that time will join them in the air. (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17)  When the believers are taken up, the non-believers will be left behind.  People will be talking, or working, and one of them will be taken up while the other will be left behind. (Matthew 24:40-41)  Don't be left behind.  You do not want to be left here on earth after The Church has been taken out of this world.