We are fast approaching that time of year in which we remember the death of the Lord Jesus and celebrate His victory over death through His resurrection.

Over these next three weeks, I would like to focus on Jesus’ ministry following the Passover meal He shared with His disciples in the Upper Room.

There Jesus revealed many new truths for the forthcoming church age to those who would become its “foundation” (Eph. 2:20)—though they were certainly unworthy and lacking understanding at this time (see John 13:24 and 14:5 for examples). All of this commenced once Jesus had identified and dismissed Judas, the betrayer (John 13:21-30).

The disciples were certainly not cognizant of almost anything that was about to play out at this most poignant moment in history. They were absolutely unprepared for Christ’s death, which would take place in less than 24 hours—to say nothing of His resurrection or ascension. They had no grasp at all of a complete dispensational change, which would see God’s focus move away from the nation of Israel to a brand “new man” (Eph. 2:15) called the church.

Jesus was preparing His disciples for this amazing set of events that would transform the world—only a little more than 50 days away! But He did not ease into His conversation. Rather, He begins at the end—the end of the church age, that is—with the rapture of the church.

Personally, I had to be convinced that John 14:1-4 was really a specific prophecy of the pretribulational rapture rather than a general statement about Christ’s second coming. What finally persuaded me was the very clear connection between this passage and the classic rapture passage in 1 Thess. 4:13-18.^[i] As LaHaye and Mayhue state: “Note the close parallels between the promises of John 14:1-3 and 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18.”^[ii]

I agree here with The MacArthur Study Bible in its comment on John 14:2-3: “This is one of the passages that refers to the rapture of the saints at the end of the age when Christ returns.”^[iii]

Notice the similarities between the two passages that support this thesis:

• Jesus does not want His disciples to “be troubled” (John 14:1). Paul does not desire his readers “to be ignorant” (1 Thess. 4:13) but rather to spread “comfort” (1 Thess. 4:18). Both passages yield the same result in the life of a believer.
• Participation in the event being described in each case is based upon one’s belief in Jesus (John 14:1; 1 Thess. 4:14).
• Both passages offer descriptions of “heaven” (1 Thess. 4:16) as the starting point for this event—and the ultimate destination for believers (see John 14:2-4).
• John 14:3 says Jesus “will come again and receive” believers—taking them to their heavenly home. 1 Thess. 4:17 says we will “meet the Lord in the air”—strongly implying that we will return to heaven with Him.
• Also, according to John 14:3, we will therefore live with Jesus forever. As Paul phrases it, “We shall always be with the Lord” (1 Thess. 4:17).

To sum up, it seems clear to me that Jesus was opening New Testament teaching on this previously unknown subject—which we now call the pretribulational rapture.

The rapture and the details surrounding it are termed “a mystery” in 1 Cor. 15:51. Some would argue that only the Apostle Paul had the ministry of revealing mysteries regarding the church age.^[iv] But Paul himself testified that this was, in fact, not the case. He said these were “revealed … to His holy apostles and prophets” (Eph. 3:5). A New Testament mystery is not defined as something that was revealed only through Paul. Rather, it is truth that was never prophesied in the Old Testament that relates to the church age—which was itself “hidden in God” (Eph. 3:9) in the time before the first coming of Christ. I believe that Paul defines a mystery as such in Rom. 16:25-26.

Jesus had, in fact, given the first hints about this new church dispensation in Matt. 16:18 and 18:15-17. And we will continue to think along that theme in the next installment.

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Paul J. Scharf (M.A., M.Div., Faith Baptist Theological Seminary) is a church ministries representative for The Friends of Israel Gospel Ministry, based in Columbus, WI, and serving in the Midwest. For more information on his ministry, visit sermonaudio.com/pscharf or foi.org/scharf, or email pscharf@foi.org.

Scripture taken from the New King James Version.

[i] One of the greatest Bible teachers in the history of The Friends of Israel Gospel Ministry, Dr. Renald Showers, wrote: “… since John 14:2-3 and 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 refer to the same coming of Christ, and since Christ’s coming in 1 Thessalonians 4 is the coming to rapture the church from the earth, His coming in John 14:2-3 is also the coming to rapture the church from the earth” (Maranatha: Our Lord, Come! [Bellmawr, NJ: The Friends of Israel Gospel Ministry, Inc., 1995], p. 163).

[ii] Tim LaHaye and Richard Mayhue, “Rapture,” in The Popular Encyclopedia of Bible Prophecy, Tim LaHaye and Ed Hindson, gen. eds. (Eugene, OR: Harvest House Publishers, 2004), p. 312.

[iii] John MacArthur, gen. ed., 2nd ed. English Standard Version (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, 2021), p. 1,468.

[iv] No less an authority within dispensationalism than Dr. Alva J. McClain wrote: “… if in His discourse to the Eleven He was preparing all His disciples for an interim between His departure and His return to establish the Kingdom, then His silence as to the latter becomes understandable. And this undoubtedly was the main purpose of the discourse” (The Greatness of the Kingdom [Winona Lake, IN: BMH Books, 1974], p. 374). Dr. Andy Woods states likewise: “… Christ’s … farewell address to the church (John 16:12-13) is found in the Upper Room Discourse (John 13-17)” (The Coming Kingdom [Duluth, MN: Grace Gospel Press, 2016], p. 152).

 

Some will agree that “24 little hours” makes such a difference, as the song said a number of years ago. However, as mortal humans, we must remember 2 Peter 3:8; “But do not overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord, one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.” (ESV – all emphasis mine)

The last person I know that needs to lecture anyone about patience – is me. It’s like a child around Thanksgiving thinking about how far away Christmas is, or being a High School student waiting for graduation. Neither of the above events ever seem to be close at hand, but suddenly they are past, and we wonder where the time went.

Having studied Bible prophecy for a number of years and then reading or hearing prophecy experts talk about where we are compared to the end of this age, I start every day with, “It really isn’t too early, Lord, as we’re ready when You are.” Maranatha – Come, Lord Jesus!

The thing is, our Heavenly Father has an agenda that was not made overnight, and He is completely in control as to the when and how. He gave us the prophecies in His “Love Letter,” the Bible, to show us signs of what’s coming, just not the day or hour. We do know without a doubt one fact; when God says it will happen – it will happen.

Consider Genesis 6:8, the story about Noah and the great flood. It didn’t happen in an instant, but Noah believed what God said, and through faith, he built an enormous ark that took him over 100 years to complete. Everyone thought he was crazy because, up to then, there had never been something called rain. Noah and his family were faithful down to the last detail, and when God brought the animals to be put on the ark, he again followed instructions to the letter. When completed, God shut the door, and the flood came. For the time being, evil was “washed away,” but Satan wasn’t going to let it stay that way.

From the first sin in the Garden of Eden in Genesis 3 all the way to today, sin has been here in various degrees. We were told by Jesus that in the last days, there would be a turning away from the faith, and more would accept the so-called pleasures of this earth than would receive and accept what He had to offer. Some may ask why God didn’t just wipe out man again and start over. Genesis 9:11 states, “I establish My covenant with you, that never again shall all flesh be cut off by the waters of the flood, and never again shall there be a flood to destroy the earth.”

Going to verse 13, God said, “I have set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between Me and the earth.” He has kept His covenant with us through all of history and right up to today. The next time the earth will be destroyed will be at the end of the Millennial Reign of Jesus on the earth.

Yes, there have been devastating natural disasters, but the world is still here. We were not promised a perfect earth, only a perfect Savior. Even lately, we are seeing an increase in abnormal weather patterns that are causing havoc around the world, and earthquakes are increasing daily.

John 16:33; “I have said these things to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”

Not one thing that is happening today surprises our Most Holy Trinity. False prophets are increasing in number daily. Former evangelical churches are changing the Holy Word to make the messages more “listener friendly.” This fulfills Paul’s prophecy in 2 Timothy 4:3-4; “For the time is coming when people will not endure “sound teaching,” but having itching ears, they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will wander off into myths.”

Jesus spoke of false prophets; Peter, John, and others did also. In fact, in Matthew 7:13-14, Jesus stated there would be more people on the broad road to destruction than on the narrow path that leads to eternal life.

Satan and his demons are being given more freedom to operate than ever before. This alone should tell us to be in preparation, as our Savior is drawing near (Luke 21:28). Within just the past few years, we have seen churches of Satan being established in various places, and statues of satyrs holding children’s hands outside some courthouses. One would think there would be a major outcry over this, but there’s almost absolute silence instead.

Using the rainbow to designate a non-biblical sexual movement is another “In Your Face, God” action from the secular world. Because nothing has taken place to stop them right now, the perversions only become bolder.

The movement against anything that pertains to Jesus and Christianity is getting stronger daily. Believers are being called “haters,” which is exactly the opposite of our Savior’s commandments. Matthew 22:37-40; “And He said to him, you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it; you shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.”

Yes, we are to love everyone, for we all have an immortal soul. We just don’t have to like what they do, and we actually don’t have to like them personally. Jesus loved everyone, even those who nailed Him to a cross. However, He had the most problems with the religious leaders and gave them warning after warning of what their eternity would be like.

False teachers, prophets, or whatever you may call them, say there are many ways to Heaven, even without Jesus. However, as we see in 2 Corinthians 5:10, believers will appear before the Judgment Seat of Christ to receive or lose rewards for what we have done here. The main point here is that all who appear at this judgment are not condemned. We gain or lose rewards for how we were on earth, and then we have eternity with our Lord and Savior Jesus.

But, on the other hand, Revelation 20:11-15 is the Great White Throne Judgment. It is for everyone from the beginning of time to Calvary that did not follow the will of the Father, and from Calvary to the end of the Millennial Reign of Jesus for all who would not receive and accept Him as their Savior. All, everyone, no exceptions, at this judgment, will spend eternity in the Lake of Fire with Satan and his demons.

There is no other option. Just to say you believe in Jesus and God is not enough. James 2:19; “You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe and shudder.”

A true believer is one who follows Romans 10:9-13, which states you must admit you’re a sinner; believe Jesus is God’s Son and has the power to save you; call out to Him and ask Him to forgive you and be your Savior forever.

The final word on this is found in Romans 10:13; “All who call on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

There is no “and” after this. Ephesians 2:8-9 plainly states we’re saved by grace through faith, and not by any works we can do. It’s a gift of the Father for accepting His Son; period.

Today, you may be totally lost, or just haven’t called out yet to be saved. No one has sinned so badly that they cannot be forgiven. The only unforgivable sin is to breathe your last breath here without having Jesus as your Savior. You can correct that right now – today.

From the moment you receive and accept His free gift, you are a new creature, and the Holy Spirit will live within you as long as you are on this earth.

Heaven or hell; your choice. Call out now, and you will know “What A Difference A Day Makes.” Hope to see you at Home!

huebshman46@gmail.com