THE RAPTURE OF THE CHURCH

©Carlos Padilla, January 2010

The rapture of the Church is, no doubt, one of the prophecies for Christians who are alive on the Day of the Lord, as well as for those who have been called to the walk of faith in the Gospel of the Kingdom of the Lord whose door is Jesus Christ, Yahshua.

The two Bible texts below provide an excellent starting point to enter into this eschatological subject (eschatology deals with prophetic events of the end of the world). The rapture or snatching away of the disciples of Christ on His coming is an event that we Christians await with great joy, but we also announce it to every person who has not been born again yet from the Holy Spirit, as part of the Gospel, so that they receive Jesus Christ as saviour, so that they repent from their sins, being called to the faith to become part of this event that will take them to eternal paradise if they are alive on that Day. But if they have received Jesus Christ and are not alive on that Day, they also have the hope of this event, because they will resurrect and be caught away together with those who await Him, so that together in the air we receive the Lord Jesus Christ, who will come with power and glory, and every eye will see Him, Revelation 1:7. Whichever circumstance you may find yourself in, if you persevere in the faith and a holy life, you have the door open in Christ if you open up your heart to God. I announce and call you to the Kingdom of Heavens in the name of Jesus Christ.

...But as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. 38 For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, 39 and did not know until the flood came and took them all away, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. 40 Then two men will be in the field: one will be taken and the other left. Matthew 24.

...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 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. 1Thessalonians 4:17.

ESTABLISHED INTERPRETATIONS ABOUT THE RAPTURE OF THE CHURCH

The Church, in its different denominations, has interpreted the rapture in different prophetical contexts, but they all agree on the rapture itself, since is is a promise given by Jesus Christ to the Church, to those of us who await Him.

The orthodox interpretation, in the traditional sense of the word, is that the rapture will take place the day of the glorious manifestation of the Lord Jesus Christ, when every eye will see Him, i.e.: across the universe, and nobody will have to tell his neighbour: look, here is the Lord! because everyone will see Him in that Day that only the Father knows (Matthew 24:36). Just like the Lord teaches us, it will be an event preceded the same Day by the resurrection of the holy dead, who will be joined by the living Church on the air meeting the Lord. This is the interpretation taught by the majority of Protestant churches, such as baptists, reformed and traditional evangelical, and also the catholic church and the greek orthodox. They all coincide in the vision of the rapture in the coming of the Lord.

On the other hand, the point of view of dispensationalist churches, since the 19th century, introduce the "secret rapture", a word or concept that is not in the Bible and which really refers to the rapture of the Church before the manifestation of the Lord. According to this interpretation we are at the threshold of the coming of Jesus Christ, but the rapture will be a secret event, prior to the coming of the Lord, and which will be followed by the Great Tribulation. It may be understood as the liberating event of the Church and Israel before the end of the world. This interpretation is known as pre-tribulationist and it is usually pre-millennialist, understanding the millennium in Revelation 20 as a kingdom on earth lasting 1000 literal years, and of course Messianic Jews support it as well. The actual vision of this doctrine was finally shaped during the beginning of the 20th century. This doctrine of the "secret rapture of the faithful church" announces that the rapture will be only for those believers who are watching at the time, a "partial rapture", to take them up to heaven before the coming of the kingdom of the antichrist for seven years. These seven years come from the last of the 70 weeks of the prophecy in Daniel 9:27, a week that is interpreted as not fulfilled yet.

These churches emphasize the persecution of human kind by the antichrist just before the end of times, and those Christians who are lukewarm in their faith will be left behind in order to be "purged"; it looks like some kind of "dispensationalist purgatory" whereby those who are lukewarm and go through this Great Tribulation (understood as the persecution of the antichrist) could be cleansed and return to the fire of the Lord. The Cross of Christ is what saves us from going through tribulations. This interpretation has made the film and the fiction series "Left Behind" famous, and it has influenced millions of believers, especially in North and South America, but also in Europe and it is now expanding to the rest of the world in great evangelistic crusades by major denominations. The Jews are also left behind, and by going through the Great Tribulation they repent and receive the true Messiah Jesus Christ, Yahshua. Although it is true that the Lord announces in Revelation 3:10 that we should keep the word of His patience and thus we will be saved from the hour of trial that shall come upon the whole world, Christians are saved by faith, not depending on whether their faith is weaker or stronger, and this will be judged by the Lord who sees the heart and we shall know ourselves by our fruits.

On addition to the two interpretations, we must know what the Great Tribulation is and how it relates to the "secret" rapture of the Church. We will deal with this in a specific prophetic Bible Study, which is a fundamental part of the eschatological studies, together with other studies about the events of the end of times until the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ, such as the destruction of heaven and earth, the coming of the new earth and the new heavens in the Kingdom of the Lord. We will identify whether the Great Tribulation that the Lord Jesus Christ announced is the event of the cataclysmic supernatural events of the day of the end of the world, or whether He was referring to the year 70 and the destruction of the temple, or both: ... See! Your house is left to you desolate; 39 for I say to you, you shall see Me no more till you say, ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!’”...Matthew 23:38-39. Within the premillennial view, the rapture may be understood, with respect to the Great Tribulation, as an event happening after, in the middle of, or prior to this period. These concepts are known as: post-tribulationism, mid-tribulationism and pre-tribulationism, respectively.

The word rapture comes from the latin "rapio", snatched away, from the Vulgate Bible version, therefore it is a different way of expressing the promise given to those who are made children of God (John 1:12), from every nation, as He announces in His Word: ...3And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also. John 14.

What does the Scripture say? Is this secret rapture the event when multitude of Christians who are lukewarm, whose faith has cooled down, will be left behind on earth together with millions of evil individuals, and the Jews, to go through the great tribulation that will come (Daniel 12 and Matthew 24) in the kingdom of the antichrist as governing leader of the world, as the doctrine of the secret rapture says?

There is no entry in heaven for five of the ten virgins who had no oil in their lamps and whose light was going out when the bridegroom came, there is no sign of them going through a tribulation to fill their lamps, on the contrary, the reply is: I do not know you. They don't even have time to buy it from those who "sell" it. Nevertheless, they all fell asleep but the five of them who had oil were received in the wedding. Matthew 25. The oil of the anointment is obtained by the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name, by obeying the Lord, through the good deeds because we have love for our neighbour (Matthew 25:31-46) and by laying down our lives for the Lord and the Church (1John 3:16-18), through a life of God's love. For those who have abandoned faith, their hearts burdened by life's issues and not serving the Lord, letting God's fire in their heart be put out, forgetting Christian life and returning to the world, there is no option, and this is what the Lord calls them: foolish. At least this is the teaching of the eschatological texts in the Gospels: Matthew 24, Mark 13 or Luke 21. The Scripture also warns us: Revelation 1:7 says: ...Behold, He is coming with clouds, and every eye will see Him, even they who pierced Him. And all the tribes of the earth will mourn because of Him. Even so, Amen. Therefore we must take heed to ourselves (Luke 21:34-36) because the Lord tells us: Watch!
 

It is important to have a clear perception of the rapture when the Lord Jesus Christ, Yahshua, comes, because as children of God we must watch constantly for our faith and give fruits of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22); to watch in the symbolic meaning of the watches of the night, which the Gospel tells us about, every day of our lives, because we do not know the day or the hour when the Lord will come, the Son of God in His Kingdom, what we call imminence, but we do know about the times when it will happen and the characteristics of those times are being fulfilled, because He has taught us to identify them in His Word. To study in further depth these subjects about the end of times, go to Prophetic Studies.

RAPTURES IN BIBLE HISTORY

We find several cases in Bible history of characters who were snatched away, holy people who did not see death, such as Enoch (Genesis 5:24) and Elijah (2Kings 2:11).

Apart from the above, the most relevant person who has ascended to heaven is undoubtedly our Lord Jesus Christ, which although Revelation 12 refers to it as being caught up due to the context of the prophetic story, His rapture was the ascension, this is to say that He has the power of ascending because He has laid down His life for us having the power of laying it down and to take it again, John 10:18.

The last one will be the case of the living and faithful Church of the Lord, in His coming, 1Thessalonians 4:17, made up by all those people who love the Lord and the brethren in their heart; the five of the ten virgins who have their lamps-souls full of oil-anointment. Loving God includes obeying His Commandments, faith in His Son Jesus Christ and a holy life, meaning not the way of life of the anti-christ society which we live in, even though we live in it. Titus 2:11-15.

BIBLE TEXTS WITH COMMENTARY

MATTHEW 24:29, MARK 13:24, LUKE 21:7

...29 “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. 32 “Now learn this parable from the fig tree: When its branch has already become tender and puts forth leaves, you know that summer is near. 33 So you also, when you see all these things, know that it is near—at the doors! 34 Assuredly, I say to you, this generation will by no means pass away till all these things take place.

According to this Text, there is no trace of a secret rapture but of one that is completely visible universally, after the tribulation of those days, after the falling of the stars, after the signal of the Son of Man appears and after seeing Him coming over the clouds with power and glory. This generation that sees these things will not pass away without seeing the coming of the Lord. The fig tree - Israel - already puts forth leaves, and many messianics already give fruit of their lips giving thanks to His name. A generation, biblically speaking, is 70 years. Israel has just celebrated their 60th anniversary in 2008. Could this be the generation?

35 Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away.36 “But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only. 37 But as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. 38 For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, 39 and did not know until the flood came and took them all away, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. 40 Then two men will be in the field: one will be taken and the other left. 41 Two women will be grinding at the mill: one will be taken and the other left. 42 Watch therefore, for you do not know what hour your Lord is coming. 43 But know this, that if the master of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched and not allowed his house to be broken into. 44 Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.

However, although in the first part of the Text the event is described as the Day of the Lord, in this second part it also teaches us that it will come as a thief and, suddenly, from two individuals who are together, one of them will be taken and the other one left behind. This is what the secret rapture refers to, the fact that the action of the rapture itself will not be seen, but the Son of Man will be seen coming with His saints. All of this within the Day of the Lord.

As in the days of Noah. I started the introduction with this Text because it is one of the most relevant ones amongst those that refer to the people of the Lord being caught up and saved from the Lord's punishment for the evil humanity. Thus will the Coming of the Man be.

Now, as we will see in the Text below, please note that when the Son of Man comes and everyone sees Him, everyone referring to all the tribes on earth, then they will gather their chosen ones from the four winds, it does not say the earth, but from one end of heaven to another. This clearly shows us that the chosen ones will be caught up in the air before the end of the word, since we will meet in heaven, not on earth, as it is confirmed in the Word by Paul in 1Thessalonians 4:17 ... we ...shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air... It is also confirmed by the following key Text: 10 Because you have kept My command to persevere, I also will keep you from the hour of trial which shall come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth. 11 Behold, I am coming quickly! Hold fast what you have, that no one may take your crown. Revelation 3.

JOHN 14

2 In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.

This is part of the lyrics of a very famous gospel songs:...In My Father's house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you so...which is like saying one of our biggest hopes in Christ, knowing that we are joint heirs with Christ in the Kingdom of the Lord and that there are many heavenly mansions or dwellings where we will live with the Lord and all the saint in the eternal paradise. The Lord announces that He comes again to receive us to Himself.

1 CORINTHIANS 15

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.

...In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye...Again, Paul talks to us about the mystery of the rapture and our ascension to heaven, like our Lord Jesus Christ did. This will take place in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the final trumpet. Similarly and with the same message he wrote to the Thessalonians in his first letter, 4:17, as we quoted at the beginning, where he specifies that the Lord will come with come with the trumpet of God and that it will be sounding when He comes.

The final trumpet is revealed in Revelation 11:15 as the seventh one, and the message prophesizes that the sound of this trumpet announces that the kingdoms of this world already belong to Jesus Christ: ...15 Then the seventh angel sounded: And there were loud voices in heaven, saying, “The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever!”

1 THESSALONIANS 4

15 For this we say to you by the 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.

Here we have a relevant piece of information: The Lord comes with voice of archangel, the commander of the angels, the Lord is King of the angels just as He is of men, Archangel or archangels and King of kings, because all authority has been given to Him in heaven and on earth. The Lord reigns in every dimension.

In this key text, the message is the same as to the Corinthians, but now he is addressing the Thessalonians prophesising about the rapture and making it very clear that we will indeed be caught up in the air.

1 THESSALONIANS 5

1 But concerning the times and the seasons, brethren, you have no need that I should write to you. 2 For you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night. 3 For when they say, “Peace and safety!” then sudden destruction comes upon them, as labor pains upon a pregnant woman. And they shall not escape. 4 But you, brethren, are not in darkness, so that this Day should overtake you as a thief. 5 You are all sons of light and sons of the day. We are not of the night nor of darkness.

The prophecies about the coming of the Day of the Lord and the judgment that will come over the world will be a moment that will coincide with humanity in apostasy thinking that they are under peace and security, dedicated to a world apart from the Lord, busy and occupied with projects of life where God is not glorified and worshipped; and it is applied in the prophetic contexts to the false peace that will be agreed over the land of Israel and the deceit of the antichrist. They also talk about the construction of the third Temple of Jerusalem so that in those days, suddenly, the Lord comes unexpectedly for those who are asleep, meaning those who have not believed our announcement, but we will not be surprised by the times, even though we do not know the day or the hour, we do know, like verse 1 says "the times and the seasons" about the Day of the Lord.

2 PETER 3

10 But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up. 11 Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, 12 looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be dissolved, being on fire, and the elements will melt with fervent heat? 13 Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.

Peter also talks about the imminent coming of the Day of the Lord, that will come as a thief in the night, unexpectedly, because this is what he learnt from the Master. Peter also talks about the new heavens and the new earth where justice dwells, but he also gives us the guidelines so that we do not get lost or lose our faith, so that we can partake in the Kingdom of Heaven. All the world-wide events that are announced will happen in the Day of the Lord, but it is said that such Day - do not ignore this - is like a thousand years for the Lord. But this is a different subject which is dealt with in the studies about the millennium. This text from Peter the Apostle is essential and speaks for itself, since it is prophetic Word of God. Read it again!

THE RAPTURE AND THE DAY OF THE LORD

2 THESSALONIANS 2

1Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him, 2That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand. 3Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; 4Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.
 

The final phrase in verse 2: "as that the day of Christ is at hand" in the original Greek text reads: "as though the day of the Lord HAD COME". The word used in 2Thessalonians 2:2 is "ejnevsthken". The relevance of this is that some Thessalonians understood that the Kingdom of God was already established spiritualizing the term, literally, i.e.: they did not expect any heavenly sign of the coming of the Lord, which is a mistake, even though the Day of the Lord has already arrived to our hearts this does not imply that prophetically the event is fulfilled at the end of times. Even though we can say that it has arrived to our soul and spirit, to our lives, to the Church and to every congregation, or when a new brother has accepted the Lord, the prophetic and future vision of the phrase implies that it is still a future event to take place to a universal level, and not something that has already happened, and with regards to it the rapture is still pending and it is obvious that it has not already happened in the past, but it is due to occur. Along this line there are many who spiritualize so many things that they lose their true and prophetic bearings of the meaning of the Lord's sound doctrine.

The Day of the Lord implies not just one day in the way we measure time on earth, in 24-hour cycles, but just like in the Creation the Lord talks to us about days, and we can believe that they have a definite or literal time of 24 hours. Likewise, the Day of the Lord refers to a change of cycle, a change of era, the devil's era deceiving man ends and the Lord's era comes, as far as we are concerned, because the Lord reigns over every dimension eternally.

On the other hand, this Text calls the attention because it is relevant to see how nowadays many Christians let themselves be easily influenced, they change their mind and go from one church to another or from one Christian group to another, not because the doctrine they are teaching is the sound doctrine, or because the are treated with brotherly kindness or not, but because of issues of the flesh, due to a lack of compromise and commitment with the work of the church, for judging and criticizing brethren and elders, because they do not like the ministry's programme and an endless list of excuses so they do not obey the project of evangelizing and doing good works, and not wanting to make a commitment or fighting in the work of the Lord with their efforts and support, as if this Text was being fulfilled now, in our times, but no, in the times of the Apostles it also happened. They look for freedom but they remain slaves of their flesh and mind. We have to look for the difference between the truth of the Holy Spirit in the Bible and men's teachings...and to do this, many people ask: how will I be able to know which one is the true teaching, which church teaches it? The reply is John 3:3. Paul already warned about it in Thessalonica almost two thousand years ago. Those who teach lies will be held accountable for them in the Tribunal of Christ.

Paul ends his warning about avoiding the lie of any announcement of the coming of the Day of the Lord and the rapture without the fulfilment of the prophecies that we now see, such as the return of the Jews to Israel (Ezekiel 38 and 39) or without the revealing of the falling away in the Church in general and many cool down in their faith, and many others go here, there and everywhere trying to look for the ideal Christian community without wanting to commit their lives to the Great Commission of Matthew 28. Today's Christianity is so far away from the first Christians!...it is certainly a sign to take into consideration, together with many others in our days.

THE COMING OF THE LORD WITH HIS SAINTS

First we will be caught up in the air to meet the Lord and once we are together with Him, we come with Him while He establishes His Kingdom. These Texts talk to us about the coming of the Lord with His saints. The events are part of the Day of the Lord, this is why there are differences in the interpretation, because some say that one event will happen and others say the other one, but the two of them occur in Biblical order.

ZECHARIAH 14

5 Then you shall flee through My mountain valley, for the mountain valley shall reach to Azal. Yes, you shall flee as you fled from the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah. Thus the Lord my God will come, and all the saints with You.

1 THESSALONIANS 3

13 so that He may establish your hearts blameless in holiness before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all His saints.

JUDE 14

14 Now Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied about these men also, saying, “Behold, the Lord comes with ten thousands of His saints.

ORDER OF EVENTS OF THE DAY OF THE LORD AND THE RAPTURE

First, the Lord comes down from heaven with a loud command and trumpet call of God.

The dead in Christ resurrect first and will be taken up to the clouds. The sepulchres will open, there will be a great roar in cemeteries, and wherever there are dead on earth or sea.

Those of us alive in Christ will be caught up in the air, to the clouds, to receive the Lord together with those who have just resurrected.

Once we are caught up in the air, the resurrected dead together with those who are alive, and all together as one and only people are transformed receiving the new body, we will come down to earth with the Lord so that He establishes His Kingdom.

The brightness of His coming casts the enemy into the lake of fire and brimstone, along with his angels and the part of human kind that has fallen away, who will spend eternity in hell and there will be no remembrance of them, as a result of the final judgment.

The new heavens and the new earth are established. The New Jerusalem descends over Mount Zion. The Kingdom of God is established in every dimension for eternity. Welcome to the Paradise of the Lord, our Father.

The rapture is, therefore, one of the events that are part of the so-called "Day of the Lord".

CONCLUSION

The rapture is the hope for those Christians who are alive the day when the Lord comes, and their bodies will be transformed as they are caught up in the air towards the Lord. For all those who are dead, they will also resurrect with new bodies and they will also be caught up in the air. Therefore, the rapture is the gathering of the dead in Christ, resurrected, together with the living Church.

The Lord teaches us in several occasions and with different Texts that He will come with all His saints and his angels and he also teaches us that we will not be caught up until the day of the coming of the Lord in the clouds, and the revealing of the falling away and the wicked, not before.

Therefore, there are two events together and in order: one is the rapture and another one is the coming of the Lord with the saints; one after the other, in the same Day, one event immediately after the other. That Day has a specific duration according to God's time-measurement system, not man's; the Day that includes several events. With the brightness of His coming the wicked is destroyed, not only him but all of God's enemies, and it is also announced that there will be a cataclysmic situation destroying the existing earth and heaven but we await from the Lord new heavens and new earth where justice dwells, the new Jerusalem that descends from Heaven where there is no Temple, because the Lord is the Temple and the Lamb.

But the Lord will come and receive us to Himself:...Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. 2 In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also. John 14.

So the Lord came the first time to win for His bride (us) and will come again for us to establish His Kingdom: ...28 so Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many. To those who eagerly wait for Him He will appear a second time, apart from sin, for salvation. Hebrews 9.

There is still time to preach this Gospel of the Kingdom for love towards our neighbour like the Lord and other brethren has love for us, now we must preach to them so they may enter the Kingdom of the Lord through faith in the salvation of Jesus Christ, obtained on the Cross, having resurrected, pardoned our sins, knowing that He lives and reigns and that He will come for His Church. And to do the good deeds of the Lord which He has prepared for us beforehand! So, whatever we have not done before, we can start doing it straight away. Therefore...we have been given the food in due season...

Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour

I say again be vigilant! and pray

Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation and the worries of the world, the desires of the flesh and the vain glory, which are the devil's weapons, deceive you and stop you from entering into the Eternal Paradise of the Kingdom of God because Jesus Christ, Yahshua, has given His life so we may enter it. The rapture comes as a thief in the night, and we know the day, therefore again, watch and pray! because "Maranatha", the Lord comes.

1Thessalonians 4 ...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. Amen. Therefore, let's be vigilant because: ... 7 Behold, He is coming with clouds, and every eye will see Him, even they who pierced Him. And all the tribes of the earth will mourn because of Him. Even so, Amen. Revelation 1. Hallelu-Yah. Jesus Christ returns. Are you ready?

P.S.: Regarding the rapture or being caught up in the air with our transformed bodies, and to praise the Lord I would like to dedicate in this subject a musical piece for violin and flute with orchestra or piano, composed by our brother and Christian composer of the Hymns of the Church of England, Ralph Vaughan Williams in 1914: The Lark Ascending www.youtube.com/watch?v=TsKi7KBrhJ8&feature=related. This is, in my personal opinion, one of the most precious pieces of classical music ever. A beautiful allegorical symbol for the Church ascending, so that when we listen to it our heart is moved in intimacy with the Lord, and we feel ourselves flying up to heaven, just like this bird, small and with shield-like feathers on his neck - the shield of faith - that sings whilst flying, just like we have to praise the Lord whilst we live in the Spirit, and as we will do when we are caught away by the Lord; the lark is also a bird that lives in couples and in community, like the true Church with the Lord. Let us fly while the Lord comes, in the Holy Spirit. Glory, honour and praise be to Him until the day of eternity. Amen.