Study the Bible
      with Pastor Gregory
      ByronBible Home

      Would you like to ask Pastor Gregory a question?



      "The Promise of the Rapture"
      John 14:3
      Theme:       One who sets his affections on things above will expectantly await the fulfillment of Christ’s promise to come for him.

        1. The Pledge that Assures the Rapture – "I will come again …"

          1. The Credibility of the Redeemer

            1. The great issue of the Christian faith is the ability to be fully and finally reconciled to God forever.
            2. This issue will be settled once and for all only when the believer stands victorious before the Creator in glory – the recipient of the full inheritance of eternal life.
            3. In this passage, Jesus utters a pledge that serves as the foundation for the hope of the consummation of our redemption – the ability to dwell with God.
            4. In the previous section, we dealt with the fact that Christ urges the disciples to believe Him when He promises them that He will see them safely home to glory in His "Father’s house."
            5. He tells them that he is going to "prepare a place" by means of the atonement that He would provide on the cross of Calvary.
            6. However, He goes beyond that and assures them that if He prepares a place for them, all would be futility if He did not also enable them to arrive at the place so provided.
            7. Thus, He promises us that He "will come again" to take us to glory with Him.
            8. In the Greek language, when one wanted to stress the certainty of a promise, they would use the present tense (or at times even the past tense) to refer to a future event – treating it as though it had already happened to stress certainty – which is the case here – "will come again" is in the present tense.
            9. Thus our hope of glory is dependent not on our own abilities to perform acceptably spiritually, but on the credibility of Christ Jesus who has made room for us through His atonement and the promise to come and consummate His promise of salvation by taking us with Him to glory.

          2. The Consummation of Redemption

            1. The believer has received a temporary "down-payment" of what finally awaits him in glory – cp. Ephesians 1:13-14
            2. However, we do not yet possess the comprehensiveness of our inheritance – which awaits the beholding of Christ Jesus in His glory – cp. 1 Peter 1:4-9; 1 John 3:1-2
            3. The question remains – "to whom will the Lord return to take away to obtain this inheritance?" – cp. Romans 10:13
            4. The Coming of Christ Jesus to gather the Church unto Him is the final event in the course of redemption
              1. It was to this that we were predestined – Romans 8:29
              2. It is what is in view in the progressive nature of sanctification – Philippians 1:6; 1 Corinthians 1:7-9
              3. It is the great anticipation of every believer – 2 Timothy 1:12

        2. the process that accomplishes the rapture – "… and receive you to Myself, …"

          1. The Distinctiveness of this Coming of Christ

            1. Some have been confused as to what is being referred to here – is it:
              1. The Second Coming?
              2. The Arrival of the Holy Spirit?
              3. The Rapture of the Church?
              4. Or some other event?
            2. Clearly this event cannot be a reference to the Second Coming when there is no emphasis on a change in our location – but the arrival of the Son of God back to earth – cp. Revelation 19:11-15
            3. Clearly this event cannot be a reference to the arrival of the Holy Spirit – because once again this refers to the delivery of a gift to be with them in Christ’s absence until such a time as they are reunited – cp. John 16:7
            4. Clearly it refers to the Rapture of the Church when believers are "caught up" together with Christ in the clouds – thereby "received" unto Him.

          2. The Details of this "Collection" to Christ

            1. Perhaps the most explicit passage detailing the event Christ is describing here is found in 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18
            2. The Rapture is an event that does not require any prophetic fulfillment prior to its occurrence – it is therefore described as imminent.
            3. The Rapture will unfold as follows:
              1. The Lord Jesus will "descend from heaven with a shout:"
              2. This shout will be accompanied "with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God"
              3. Those who have died in Christ "will rise first" – that is they will be resurrected from the graves and "caught up" into the air
              4. Then believers who "are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds"
              5. Both groups will "meet the Lord in the air"
              6. Believers will thus forever thereafter "be with the Lord"
            4. John 14 clarifies that He takes us at this time back to Heaven to enjoy the fellowship and blessing of His Father’s House.

        3. The Priority That Anticipates the Rapture – "… that where I am, there you may be also."

          1. The Preeminence of Being with the Person of Christ

            1. Jesus knows that the greatest blessing – that which is disturbing the disciples – is the ability to enjoy fellowship with the Person of Christ.
            2. He states here that the essence of our eternal reward is to focus on "where I am" – the ability to be with Christ.
            3. Heaven is Heaven because it is where Christ Jesus is – our fellowship with Him is what we yearn to enjoy and that to which Christ is committed to accomplishing.
            4. His presence is all that we need for peace, joy, purity, rest, love and fulfillment.
            5. Paul described it right – that to be absent from the body is to be at home with the Lord – 2 Corinthians 5:8
            6. Paul further states that he possessed the consummate desire to depart and to be with Christ, for that is very much better – Philippians 1:23
            7. The great anticipation of Heaven is the ability to "see His face" – to look upon the One who loved us to death – His own on Calvary to pay for our sins – cp. Revelation 22:4
            8. We will eternally marvel at the sight of His glory – the same glory that consumes those who are wicked will enthrall those who believed – cp. 1 Thessalonians 1:10

          2. The Pleasures of Being in the Presence of Christ

            1. "… there you may be also" – the place of Christ’s presence guarantees great pleasure – Psalm 16:11
            2. This is the place that is called the place of rest – cp. Hebrews 4:9
            3. Anything opposed to the perfection of God’s presence will be barred and eliminated from our experience – cp. Revelation 21:4-5
            4. Thus Heaven is exclusive to those who are consumed with the Lord Jesus Christ and desirous of glorifying Him – fulfilling the great desire to know Him who currently transcends our fullest comprehension – cp. John 17:2-3; Ephesians 3:18-19.

        BCBC Home Page