SERMON RAPTURE THE WORD RAPTURE IS NOT IN

SERMON: RAPTURE

THE WORD “RAPTURE” IS NOT IN THE BIBLE DON’T GET HUNG UP ON WORDS: TRINITY MILLENNIAL REIGN DEMON NEED TO UNDERSTAND CONCEPTS

ROOT OF THE WORD “RAPTURE” 1 THESS 4: 16 -17 "For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. " GREEK WORD “HARPAZO” RAPTURE = LATIN WORD MEANING SOMETHING HAPPENING QUICKLY “RAPERE”

JESUS RETURNS ONCE OR TWICE? ONE MORE PUBLIC & ONE MORE IN SECRET

2 DISTINCT APPEARANCES 2 Thessalonians 2: 1 Now, brethren, concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him, we ask you, not to be soon shaken in mind or troubled, either by spirit or by word or by letter, as if from us, as though the day of Christ had come. COMING = PAROUSIA = RETURN OR MAKE NEAR GATHERING TOGETHER = ESPEPISUNAGOGE = MEETING PLACE

COMING TO JUDGE THE NATIONS OLD TESTAMENT & NEW TESTAMENT LORD RETURNS WHEN ISRAEL HAS NO HOPE JUDGES THROUGH WAR ON THE ISRAEL’S ENEMIES MESSIAH WILL SET UP HIS KINGDOM FROM JERUSALEM WHAT ABOUT THE CHURCH?

ESPEPISUNAGOGE A greeting place where all the elders and people came together JEWS = SYNAGOGUE CHRISTIANS = CHURCH Root word for Espepisunagoge means: To collect something in the same location Paul uses the word Espepisunagoge: We are gathered together or caught up together in the same location for a specific purpose

GENERAL ASSEMBLY/CHURCH Hebrews 12: 22 -23 But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, to an innumerable company of angels, to the general assembly and church of the firstborn who are registered in heaven, to God the Judge of all, to the spirits of just men made perfect,

THE GREAT ASSEMBLY GENERAL ASSEMBLY MEANING GREAT ASSEMBLY Great Assembly: occurred every 7 years in Jerusalem Included Everyone—the woman and children and this is one that the King actually participated in They would not use a shofar (rams horn) nor a silver trumpet which is used on certain occasions They would use a Gold Trumpet Gold can represent deity or divinity in the Word of God When looking at the scriptures you realize that a trump of God is going to sound at the return of the Lord

CHURCH OF THE FIRSTBORN Paul calls the General Assembly of the Church of the firstborn which are written in Heaven Who’s names are written in Heaven? Your name if you’re are born again is written in Heaven How do you become a part of the Church? The Church of the living God Everyone in the World who’s name is in the Lamb’s book of life in Heaven We are apart of the Church of the firstborn

DON’T LIKE THE WORD RAPTURE? “ESPEPISUNAGOGE” OR “GENERAL ASSEMBLY” MEETING PLACE & GATHERING TOGETHER

THERE’S A CONNECTION

DEAD WILL RISE 1 THESSOLONIANS 4: 16 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. EPHESIANS 5: 14 “ Awake, you who sleep, Arise from the dead, And Christ will give you light. ” DANIEL 12: 2 And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, Some to everlasting life, Some to shame and everlasting contempt. ISAIAH 26: 19 Your dead shall live; Together with my dead body they shall arise. Awake and sing, you who dwell in dust; For your dew is like the dew of herbs, And the earth shall cast out the dead.

MESSAGE TO BELIEVERS John 14: 2 -3 In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also… 1 Thessalonians 4: 17 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. 1 Corinthians 15: 50 -52 Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep (those who died in Christ), but we shall be changed —in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet.

WE WILL ALL HAVE IMMORTAL BODIES I CORINTHIANS 15 & JOEL 2 SPEAKS ABOUT INCORRUPTIBLE BODIES

JOEL 2: 14 -16 Who knows if He will turn and relent, And leave a blessing behind Him— A grain offering and a drink offering For the LORD your God? Blow the trumpet in Zion, Consecrate a fast, Call a sacred assembly; Gather the people, Sanctify the congregation, Assemble the elders, Gather the children and nursing babes; Let the bridegroom go out from his chamber, And the bride from her dressing room.

BRIDEGROOM COMING FOR HIS BRIDE REVELATION 19: 6 -10 And I heard, as it were, the voice of a great multitude, as the sound of many waters and as the sound of mighty thunderings, saying, “Alleluia! For the Lord God Omnipotent reigns! Let us be glad and rejoice and give Him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb (JESUS) has come, and His wife (THE CHURCH) has made herself ready. ” And to her it was granted to be arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright, for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints. Then he said to me, “Write: ‘Blessed are those who are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb!’”

JESUS RETURNS W/SAINTS REVELATION 19: 11 -16 I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True. With justice he judges and wages war. His eyes are like blazing fire, and on his head are many crowns. He has a name written on him that no one knows but he himself. He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and his name is the Word of God. The armies of heaven were following him, riding on white horses and dressed in fine linen, white and clean. Coming out of his mouth is a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations. “He will rule them with an iron scepter. ” He treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty. On his robe and on his thigh he has this name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.

MARRIAGE SUPPER = WAR REVELATION 19: 17 -18 Then I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the birds that fly in the midst of heaven, “Come and gather together for the supper of the great God, that you may eat the flesh of kings, the flesh of captains, the flesh of mighty men, the flesh of horses and of those who sit on them, and the flesh of all people, free and slave, both small and great. ” EZEKIEL 39: 17 -20 “And as for you, son of man, thus says the Lord GOD, ‘Speak to every sort of bird and to every beast of the field: “, And drink blood till you are drunk, At My sacrificial Assemble yourselves and come; Gather together from all sides to My sacrificial meal Which I am sacrificing for you, A great sacrificial meal on the mountains of Israel, That you may eat flesh and drink blood. You shall eat the flesh of the mighty, Drink the blood of the princes of the earth, Of rams and lambs, Of goats and bulls, All of them fatlings of Bashan. You shall eat fat till you are full meal Which I am sacrificing for you. You shall be filled at My table With horses and riders, With mighty men And with all the men of war, ” says the Lord GOD.

THE LAST BATTLE GREAT & TERRIBLE DAY OF THE LORD JUDGEMENT ON NATIONS WAR OF GOG AND MAGOG ARMAGGEDON

LORD’S ARMY FIGHTS JOEL 2: 11 The LORD gives voice before His army, For His camp is very great; For strong is the One who executes His word. For the day of the LORD is great and very terrible; Who can endure it? ISAIAH 13: 3 -4 I have commanded My sanctified ones; I have also called My mighty ones for My anger— Those who rejoice in My exaltation. ” The noise of a multitude in the mountains, Like that of many people! A tumultuous noise of the kingdoms of nations gathered together! The LORD of hosts musters The army for battle. PSALM 50: 4 He shall call to the heavens from above, And to the earth, that He may judge His people: “Gather My saints together to Me, Those who have made a covenant with Me by sacrifice. ”Let the heavens declare His righteousness, For God Himself is Judge.

TESTED 3 TIMES ENOCH ELIJAH JESUS CHRIST

WHEN DOES THE RAPTURE HAPPEN? MATTHEW 24: 36 “But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only. MARK 13: 32 “But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. …Watch therefore, for you do not know when the master of the house is coming—in the evening, at midnight, at the crowing of the rooster, or in the morning— lest, coming suddenly, he find you sleeping. And what I say to you, I say to all: WATCH!

KNOW THE SIGNS LIKE THE DAYS OF NOAH WARS & RUMORS OF WARS FAMINES EARTHQUAKES FALSE PROPHETS NATIONS WILL HATE YOU FOR HIS NAME

THE LORD’S FEASTS PASSOVER-FULFILLED FEAST OF UNLEAVENED BREAD-FULFILLED FEAST OF FIRSTFRUITS-FULFILLED PENTECOST-FULFILLED FEAST OF TRUMPETS-UNFULFILLED OCCURS ON A NEW MOON NO ONE KNEW THE DAY OR HOUR

DOES EVERYONE MAKE THE RAPTURE? GOODMAN OF THE HOUSE-Matthew 24 Then two men will be in the field: one will be taken and the other left. Two women will be grinding at the mill: one will be taken and the other left. Watch therefore, for you do not know what hour your Lord is coming. But know this, that if the master of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched and not allowed his house to be broken into. Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect. STORY OF 10 VIRGINS: There were 5 wise virgins and 5 foolish: THEY WERE ALL VIRGINS 5 HAD GOOD OIL & 5 DID NOT 5 WERE PREPARED WHILE THE OTHERS DECIDED TO GO BUY MORE THE LORD CAME AND SHUT THE DOOR BEHIND HIM BRIDEGROOM SAYS I NEVER KNEW YOU

MANY CALLED; FEW WILL GET IN KINGDOM OF HEAVEN COMPARED TO WEDDING BANQUET (Matthew 22: 13) EVERYONE INVITED WRONG WEDDING ATTIRE REMOVED FROM THE WEDDING MANY WILL BE CALLED BUT FEW WILL GET IN “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, ’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name? ’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’