City on a Hill Practical Tribulation Safety Message 6 “The Rapture: A Foundation of End Time Endurance” I.

The Great Tribulation is intended to produce a pure and spotless Bride for Jesus A. John tells us in Revelation 1 that the KINGDOM, THE PATIENCE, and THE TRIBULATION of Jesus all go together:

Revelation 1:9 I, John, both your brother and companion in the tribulation and kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, was on the island that is called Patmos for the word of God and for the testimony of Jesus Christ. B. The Book of Revelation is primarily telling the story of a wedding i. Chapter 1 introduces the groom, Jesus ii. Chapter 2 and 3 introduce the “bride to be”, or the seven characteristic churches of the end time iii. Chapter 4 introduces the government that makes the marriage legal, and the officiate of the wedding, the Father iv. Chapter 5 is the initiation of the wedding events with Jesus taking the scroll v. Chapters 6 through 18 are describing the events that culminate in the Bride being prepared, or sanctified…set apart from the others. vi. Chapter 19 describes the fulfillment of the wedding process: Revelation 19:5-8 Then a voice came from the throne, saying, "Praise our God, all you His servants and those who fear Him, both small and great!" 6 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! 7 Let us be glad and rejoice and give Him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready." 8 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. C. The 7-year tribulation, ending with the Great Tribulation, is the wedding week (Dan 9) D. Traditional Jewish weddings take one week Genesis 29:27 (NLT) "But wait until the bridal week is over, then we'll give you Rachel, too—provided you promise to work another seven years for me." E. In Hebrew and classical rabbinic literature, betrothal is frequently referred to as SANCTIFICATION (Hebrew: Kiddushin, ‫)ק יד וש י ן‬, on account of the bride becoming "sanctified" (dedicated) to the groom. Winnowing = sanctifying F. The book of Revelation describes 7 divided spotty churches in Rev 2 and 3 becoming one Bride. After the trouble starts, we never hear of separate churches again…only one Bride who “makes herself ready” through a time of trouble. G. The rapture is the moment of reward for the works of preparation, the moment of GLORIFCATION for ALL believers past and present at the time of the rapture: 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 13 But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope. 14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus. 15 For this we say to you by the 1|Page

City on a Hill Practical Tribulation Safety Message 6 “The Rapture: A Foundation of End Time Endurance” word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep. 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. 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. 18 Therefore comfort one another with these words. H. The rapture is the moment that we will be seen forever for how well we loved Jesus. We will shine, have glory, have capacity to be near Jesus, have wealth, and have a role in Jesus’ government that is in accordance with how much we responded to Jesus THROUGH the tribulation allowed into our lives: 1 Corinthians 15:39-42 All flesh is not the same flesh, but there is one kind of flesh of men, another flesh of animals, another of fish, and another of birds. 40 There are also celestial bodies and terrestrial bodies; but the glory of the celestial is one, and the glory of the terrestrial is another. 41 There is one glory of the sun, another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars; for one star differs from another star in glory. 42 So also is the resurrection of the dead. The body is sown in corruption, it is raised in incorruption. I.

The Rapture is a mystery…the same mystery that is described as the marriage between God and man:

1 Corinthians 15:50-52 Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor does corruption inherit incorruption. 51 Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed— 52 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. J.

The Mystery IS the wedding:

Ephesians 5:25-33 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, 26 that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, 27 that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish. 28 So husbands ought to love their own wives as their own bodies; he who loves his wife loves himself. 29 For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as the Lord does the church. 30 For we are members of His body, of His flesh and of His bones. 31 "FOR THIS REASON A MAN SHALL LEAVE HIS FATHER AND MOTHER AND BE JOINED TO HIS WIFE, AND THE TWO SHALL BECOME ONE FLESH." 32 This is a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and the church. 33 Nevertheless let each one of you in particular so love his own wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband. K. Tribulation PRODUCES the character necessary to make the divided Church a United Bride: Romans 5:1-4 Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in

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City on a Hill Practical Tribulation Safety Message 6 “The Rapture: A Foundation of End Time Endurance” hope of the glory of God. 3 And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; 4 and perseverance, character; and character, hope. L. The primary Character Trait that will mark the end time Bride is HOPE. The rapture IS the blessed hope: Titus 2:13-15 looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, 14 who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works. 15 Speak these things, exhort, and rebuke with all authority. Let no one despise you. M. Since tribulation is good for believers. Great Tribulation is Great for believers. The Great Tribulation is what will produce the most pure generation of believers. The most trouble, and the most potential for greatest is held up until the time of the end time harvest: Daniel 12:1-4 "At that time Michael shall stand up, The great prince who stands watch over the sons of your people; And there shall be a time of trouble, Such as never was since there was a nation, Even to that time. And at that time your people shall be delivered, Every one who is found written in the book. 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. 3 Those who are wise shall shine Like the brightness of the firmament, And those who turn many to righteousness Like the stars forever and ever. 4 "But you, Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book until the time of the end; many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall increase." II.

The Clarity of the Rapture: A. The rapture, including the timing of the rapture, is one of the clearest doctrines of the Bible. The disputing of the rapture timing is not a theological question, it is a faith question. B. The truth doctrine of the rapture requires a response in advance of the trouble. That response will make people more safe. The false rapture theology, including a pretribulation rapture, takes away the incentive to respond to the coming of Jesus in advance. C. The entire process Jesus set in motion at his first coming will produce a harvest of wheat and tares that must be sifted in the events leading to His second coming. The tares and the wheat are so close together…they are both in churches AND in the world:

Matthew 13:27-30 So the servants of the owner came and said to him, 'Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have tares?' 28 He said to them, 'An enemy has done this.' The servants said to him, 'Do you want us then to go and gather them up?' 29 But he said, 'No, lest while you gather up the tares you also uproot the wheat with them. 30 Let both grow together until the harvest, and at the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, "First gather together the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them, but gather the wheat into my barn." ' " 3|Page

City on a Hill Practical Tribulation Safety Message 6 “The Rapture: A Foundation of End Time Endurance” D. By this passage alone, we can be SURE that the rapture will happen AFTER the great sifting, called the Great Tribulation. E. The rapture will REWARD the wheat, who will bear fruits of repentance at Jesus’ coming: Matthew 16:27 For the Son of Man will come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and then He will reward each according to his works. F. Jesus laid out the chronology of His return in the Olivet discourse (Matthew 24, Mark 13, Luke 21). We aren’t supposed to wonder when the rapture happens: Matthew 24:9-14 "Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name's sake. 10 And then many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another. 11 Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many. 12 And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold. 13 But he who endures to the end shall be saved. 14 And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come. Matthew 24:29-31 "Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. 30 Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. 31 And He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other. III.

We are SUPPOSED TO KNOW exactly when the rapture will happen once the Great Tribulation begins: A. The Great Tribulation begins with the “abomination of desolation” (Matthew 24:15-22) B. The Days of the Great Tribulation have been set…or numbered

Matthew 24:21-22 For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be. 22 And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect's sake those days will be shortened. C. Daniel saw it was exactly 1,260 days from that moment until the rapture: Daniel 12:7 Then I heard the man clothed in linen, who was above the waters of the river, when he held up his right hand and his left hand to heaven, and swore by Him who lives forever, that it shall be for a time, times, and half a time (3.5 years, or 1,260 days); and when the power of the holy people has been completely shattered (broken apart/threshed), all these things shall be finished. D. This same time period is mentioned NUMEROUS times in the Bible. Once the Great Tribulation begins, the Bride will begin counting days…

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City on a Hill Practical Tribulation Safety Message 6 “The Rapture: A Foundation of End Time Endurance” Revelation 13:5-7 And he (Antichrist) was given a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies, and he was given authority to continue for forty-two months. 6 Then he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme His name, His tabernacle, and those who dwell in heaven. 7 It was granted to him to make war with the saints and to overcome them. And authority was given him over every tribe, tongue, and nation. E. The 1,260 days will culminate with the 7th Trumpet, when Jesus comes to take authority from the antichrist. F. There comes a point in the tribulation, called the last trumpet (the seventh trumpet of Revelation), that this work of winnowing/purifying is finished, and then the rapture WILL happen for all who wanted to be married and responded in increasing holiness and consecration: Revelation 10:7 but in the days of the sounding of the seventh angel, when he is about to sound, the mystery of God would be finished, as He declared to His servants the prophets. G. The mystery/wedding/rapture is the moment Jesus is going to join all things back together Ephesians 1:9-10 having made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He purposed in Himself, 10 that in the dispensation of the fullness of the times He might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are on earth—in Him. H. For this, you will need a body capable of relating to both the supernatural realm, and the physical realm. This is the point of the rapture. Not to take people away to heaven, but equip them to live in heaven on earth. I. As the events of the Great Tribulation unfold, many believers who have wrongly believed the rapture would rescue them from trouble will become offended and try to fight back. This will lead to much betrayal in the church and the falling away…or quitting…of many believers who take the mark of the beast for fear of starvation and persecution. J. The first believers warned of this many times: 2 Thessalonians 2:1-5 Now, brethren, concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him, we ask you, 2 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. 3 Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition, 4 who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God. 5 Do you not remember that when I was still with you I told you these things? K. Fighting with weapons will not help, nor will hiding. What will make us safe is learning patient endurance NOW, while there is time! Revelation 13:7-10 It was granted to him to make war with the saints and to overcome them. And authority was given him over every tribe, tongue, and nation. 8 All who dwell on the earth will worship 5|Page

City on a Hill Practical Tribulation Safety Message 6 “The Rapture: A Foundation of End Time Endurance” him, whose names have not been written in the Book of Life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. 9 If anyone has an ear, let him hear. 10 He who leads into captivity shall go into captivity; he who kills with the sword must be killed with the sword. Here is the patience and the faith of the saints. L. The Bible promises for those that respond, more grace will be given as we need it: 1 Peter 1:3-10 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, 5 who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. 6 In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials, 7 that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ, 8 whom having not seen you love. Though now you do not see Him, yet believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, 9 receiving the end of your faith--the salvation of your souls. 10 Of this salvation the prophets have inquired and searched carefully, who prophesied of the grace that would come to you,

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