Prophecy

ONE SECOND AFTER, A SYNOPSIS OF THE RAPTURE EFFECT

by Charles (Chuck) Robey
12/30/16
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“But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body to be like His glorious body, by the power that enables Him even to subject all things to Himself.” (Philippians 3:20-21)

Have you ever wondered what your life would be like just after the Rapture? First let me clarify what is meant by this term "Rapture.”

The Rapture is an isolated event in human history exclusive to those who have claimed Jesus Christ as their Savior. Although the term is not a Biblical expression per se, it is a well-documented worldwide future event of spiritual and human proportions. Suddenly and without warning those who have put their trust in Jesus Christ, both living and dead, will suddenly be caught up to meet Christ in the air. (John 14:1-3) (1 Thess. 4:13-18) (1 Cor. 15:50-57) (Revelation 4:1)   

Unlike all other prophetic scriptures, the rapture event will have no preparation. It will be an imminent event, which means it will occur abruptly and unexpectedly.  So what will you be doing when this event takes place? Will you be engaged in some form of ungodly, worldly activity, or will you be in a mode of spiritual praise and worship?

As the famous English pastor Charles Spurgeon once preached, "Oh Beloved, let us try every morning to get up as if that were the morning in which Christ would come! And when we go to bed at night, may we lie down with this thought, "Perhaps I shall be awakened by the ringing out of the silver trumpets heralding His Coming. Before the sun arises, I may be startled from my dreams by the greatest of all cries, "The Lord is come! The Lord is come!" What a check, what an incentive, what a bridle, what a spur such thoughts as these would be to us! Take this for the guide of your whole life - act as if Jesus would come in the act in which you are engaged - and if you would not wish to be caught in the act by the Coming of the Lord, let it not be your act." (Titus 2:11-14)

"I have heard it said that when the first-century Christians traveled from city to city, they would stop at every crossroads and look in all directions, always anticipating the possibility that they might see Christ returning. The ensuing centuries seem to have dulled that imminent expectation, but they should not. We must ever be aware that the Rapture could occur at any moment. (Dr David Jeremiah)

In the twinkling of an eye, three simultaneous events will take place announcing this Rapture. The Lord will descend from heaven with the announcement of the Archangel Michael, followed by the sound of the trumpet of God. (1 Thess 4:16)

So, as the heading of this blog pronounces, what will it be like, one second after the Rapture?   First and foremost, we will then be instantly in the very presence of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. And then we will forever be with Him.

We know from the preceding scriptures our corruptible physical bodies will be changed to that of incorruption. (Romans 8:23)  And we will be transformed to the likeness of Christ. (Philippians 3:21) Yes, we shall be like Him. (1 John 3:2) Our new bodies will be the same as Christ's resurrected body.

In her book Heaven: Your Real Home Joni Eareckson Tada wrote: "Somewhere in my broken, paralyzed body is the seed of what I shall become. The paralysis makes what I am to become all the more grand when you contrast atrophied, useless legs against splendorous, resurrected legs. I'm convinced that if there are mirrors in heaven (and why not?), the image I'll see will be unmistakably "Joni” although a much better, brighter "Joni.” So much so that it's not worth comparing. I will bear the likeness of Jesus, the man from heaven."

Our resurrected bodies will be recognized as we are now known. Our voices will be distinguishable. (John 20:16)  We will have the same physical features. (John 20:26-29) (John 21:7). Our bodies will be flesh and bone. (John 20:17, 27) We will be able to suddenly disappear at will (Luke 24:31), and go through walls. (John 20:19)  And we will be able to eat and drink. (Luke 24:41-43)

That occurrence which we all are looking forward to will also be a blessed event with all our friends and loved ones, who have gone on to glory land before us. (1 Thess. 4:17) I can hardly wait to tell my dear old preacher Daddy, "Dad, see I told you so, I did make it home."

In his book Rapture Dr. Showers concludes, "The fact that the glorified, holy Son of God could step through the door of Heaven at any moment is intended by God to be the most pressing, incessant motivation for holy living and aggressive ministry (including missions, evangelism, and Bible teaching) and the greatest cure for lethargy and apathy. It should make a difference in every Christian's values, actions, priorities, and goals."

And according to Dr. Walvoord, "The Rapture not only confronts people with the challenge to receive Christ before it is too late; it also challenges Christians to live with eternal values in view. Since the Rapture can occur at any moment and believers' lives on Earth will thus be cut short, we need to maximize our commitment to Christ, doing all we can for the Lord in upright living and service to Him and others."

The bottom line, what if Christ were to come back today, this very hour? Would you be ready to meet Him? You see, Christ has pre-warned us that He is coming quickly. (Revelation 22:12) When this moment takes place, there will be no time to get ready to go.

According to the Scripture you cannot work your way, nor pay your way, or rely on friends or family to develop a personal relationship with God through His Son, Jesus Christ. It's simply exercising your personal faith by accepting God's free grace. (Ephesians 2:8)

Author's Postscript:

No one can really comprehend the secular tragedies the Rapture will bring on. Automobiles will crash on the freeways, airplanes will fall from the sky, trains will derail, and ships will sink, all for lack of drivers or pilots.  Relatives and family members will suddenly disappear without warning. Housing will not be maintained. All business and home utilities will cease, for lack of supervision.  Factories will halt production, for lack of workers. The grocery stores will be empty, for lack of deliveries. The drug stores will close as well. The public services will halt such as fire departments, police departments, and ambulances. Hospitals will cease operation. And the list goes on.

In his book The Rapture, Dr. LaHaye continues the Rapture aftermath imagination. "When Christ calls His living saints to be with Him, millions of people will suddenly vanish from the earth. An unsaved person who happens to be in the company of a believer will know immediately that his friend has vanished. There will certainly be worldwide recognition of the fact, for when more than one-half a billion people suddenly depart this earth, leaving their earthly belongings behind, pandemonium and confusion will certainly reign for a time. A million conversations will end midsentence. A million phones will suddenly go dead. A woman will reach for a man's hand in the dark, and no one will be there. A man will turn with a laugh to slap a colleague on the back and his hand will move through empty air.  A basketball player will make a length-of-the-floor pass to a teammate streaking down the court and find there is no one there to receive it. A mother will pull back the covers in a bassinet, smelling the sweet baby smell one moment but suddenly kissing empty space and looking into empty blankets.”   

Yes, our old world is ripe and ready for a solution to today's grievous, distressful afflictions and troublesome woes. One need only stop and read today's newspaper, tune in the international TV news, surf the Internet, or talk with that next door neighbor. The old saying "the proof is in the pudding" surely rings true in today's society. The end result is now the mark of the failure of our ungodly evil ways. Thus we see the false proof pudding recipe.  

So enter the Antichrist. This promised deceiving phony government leader will restore a false sense of  sanity. (Revelation 13:1-10). Together with his henchman, the false prophet (Revelation 13:11-18),  they will succeed in deceiving the world. However, I've read the back of the book (Revelation) and we win. Remember, keep looking up for our redemption draweth nigh! (Luke 21:28)