The Rapture
The 2nd Advent of Christ in the sky must be beheld by the totality of human nations and languages subservient to Babylon.
Before the violence of war does throw down Babylon so as to never rise again (Rev. 18:21), it pleases God that this undefeated and undaunted government and people of Babylon’s World are made to abide on earth below while beholding the Lamb of God in His courses around the globe. By courses around the globe, I mean, hereby “every eye shall see Him” (Rev. 1:7)! Given the billions of people that inhabit the earth and the limited scope of the human eye, this is a considerable accomplishment and a time consuming one at that. Herein, it pleases God that the testimony of Christ would be vindicated before the eyes of all to the dissolving of doubts. The nations and languages that heard the Gospel of Christ’s crucifixion, resurrection, and ascension proclaimed (Matt. 24:14), refusing to believe it, will see the ascended Man descend into earth’s skyline with an otherworldly army of angels! Moreover, those who rejected the Gospel and persecuted their converted countrymen theretofore (Rev. 7:9), they’ll watch the living and the dead of the local area be instantaneously transformed into glorified bodies while ascending together to meet the Messiah in the air as He passes within sight of every City, State, Region, and Country! Why?
From a redemptive perspective, my reader, seeing Him is the transition point of an irreversible difference (Lk. 21:28, 1 Jn. 3:2, 1 Cor. 13:8-12)! And, to the dismay of Babylon’s World, the violated and weakened Christians who were the objects of public contempt will suddenly be swallowed-up by immortality in the sight of by-standing mortals on every side (2 Cor. 5:1-5, 1 Cor. 15:52)! Herein, shall all men be made to watch “the manifestation of the sons of God” (Rom. 8:19)! Hereby, shall all men marvel at “the glorious liberty of the children of God” (Rom. 8:21)! Paul called it, “the glory which shall be revealed in us” (Rom. 8:18)! My reader, we can be sure that this is a worthy time investment in the short span of approximately 27 days.
Meanwhile, as the minutes and hours pass, the assembly of immortals grows in number at an altitude as high as the clouds (1 Thess. 4:17) to wit the dumbfounded masses of mortal men rummage for a better lookout point to behold the celestial wonder! Having fled outdoors to gaze upon the heavenly sight, growing in size, the disbelievers gasp and heave deep breaths of shock and amazement. Looking on, they’ll know in their conscience that this is “them that had gotten the victory over the Beast” (Rev. 15:2)! According to John, the ever-growing assembly in the sky will be seen standing on a translucent surface likened to “a sea of glass mingled with fire” (Rev. 15:2)! Ah, this glorious sight! “When He shall come to be glorified in His saints, and to be admired in all them that believe” (2 Thess. 1:10)! Indeed, what shall sinners be made to look upon in this awful end-time event! Was it not foretold that the Lord would on this wise return: in flaming fire, according to 2 Thess. 1:8-9, insomuch that the elements of the heavens are on fire and with every passing moment, melting away (2 Pet. 3:10-12), and yet amidst the burning heat there abides an unburnt multitude standing, as it were, on “a sea of glass mingled with fire” (Rev. 15:2)! Fittingly, this assembly of the redeemed will be singing and playing melodious music with “the harps of God” (Rev. 15:2), sounds never before heard by the ears of God-hating men dwelling on earth below! The songs, sung with heavenly powers of amplification as though with angelic vocal cords, will passively yet immutably declare to earth’s inhabitants what is about to take place as they listen, and hear,
“Great and marvelous are Thy works, Lord God Almighty; just and true are Thy ways, Thou King of saints. Who shall not fear Thee, O Lord, and glorify Thy Name? For Thou only art holy: for all nations shall come and worship before Thee; for Thy judgments are made manifest.” – Rev. 15:3-4
Oh, my reader! Can you imagine the sight of your eyes if you were one among the number of those who were left behind? With earth’s landscape covered with mortals gazing upward, and as the glorified bodies of saints do “shine as the brightness of the firmament” and “as the stars for ever and ever” (Dan. 12:3), can you imagine it? Again, it is written, “Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the Kingdom of their Father” (Matt. 13:43)! This is that blessed hope, the glorious appearing spoken of by Paul, who said: “When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with Him in glory” (Col. 3:4)! Ah, this is the dawning of a new era of redemption wherein unknown glories become manifest that were of old declared, as it was written, “Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love Him” (1 Cor. 2:9)!