Today we live in a world, and in fact a town, wherein there exists a number of Christian denominations.  Amongst these denominational systems there exists a host of issues that are disagreed upon.  While we pray for unity through the Holy Spirit around the truth of the Word of God, there are issues that historically have been a test of the ability to call oneself a Christian. Paramount among these beliefs is the deity of Jesus Christ, that is a belief evidenced in scripture that Jesus is God. Another issue is the belief that the Bible is the inspired Word of God and therefore infallible and inerrant in it’s origin.  The Gospel, or good news, upon which Christianity rests is the reality of God coming as a man, Jesus, and dying on the cross as a just sacrifice for our sins. From the early days of the New Testament Church to the present there has been a consistent belief in the literal return of Christ for his church, called the Rapture.  Though this belief and the “apocalypse” has been falsely depicted in many recent Hollywood films there are still biblical Christians who believe that what Christ promised, he will do. Only recently has it become popular in many denominations around the world to deny the promise of Christ’s return.The apostle Paul, who authored much of the New Testament counted the return of Christ as his “blessed hope”, ( Titus 2:13  Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ).  This event is what ought to give us hope as Christians. To believe that Christ will return and take his church (Christians) with him to Glory is a blessed motivating factor in the life of a Christian. While there is some disagreement amongst Christians as to when the return of Christ will happen, we must rely upon the testimony of the Bible to understand when the rapture will occur.  The issues of Biblical prophecy can become very confusing and outlining a biblical understanding of prophetic events is not the purpose of this article.  However, we must consider what the Bible tells us about the rapture in light of what else we see in scripture.  Matthew chapter 24 describes an event known as the Tribulation which is a still future event where God will bring judgment upon the world. Matt. 24:36 tells us that the date of this event and the final destruction of the world is unknown to any but the Father. In Revelation 6:16 the term “wrath” is used to refer to the Tribulation, and in I Thessalonians  1:10 and 5:9 we have a promise of deliverance from wrath because of our salvation in Christ Jesus. Revelation 3:10 also promises deliverance for Christians from the trials which will afflict the whole world, the Tribulation. So then while we do not know when the Tribulation will occur we do know that the Rapture of the Church will happen before God’s judgment is poured out on the ungodly.We must also consider that when the apostle Paul wrote to the Thessalonians he counted himself as one who would be alive at the rapture.1 Thessalonians 4:13-18  But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.  14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. 15 For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep.  16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:  17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.  18 Wherefore comfort one another with these words.Paul, in verse 17, considered the rapture as an immanent possibility.  He believed it could happen in his lifetime and certainly the Tribulation had not occurred yet.  That belief affected the way that he lived and the way that he taught others to live.  Biblically, we must understand that the Return of Christ for His Church could happen at any moment. There will not be a 24 hour advance notice of Christ’s return, I Corinthians 15:51 says it will happen in the twinkling of an eye, and so we must live each day in a way that is representative of the love we claim we have for Christ because of what he did for us on the cross.  I Corinthians 15 is a lengthy passage that relates to the rapture of the Church and verse 58 sums up the attitude we should demonstrate in light of the immanent return of Christ; I Corinthians 15:58   Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.
 


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