Revelation Chapter 14

VERSE 13-14 continued “Then I heard a voice from heaven saying to me, “Write: ‘Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.’ “Yes,” says the Spirit, “that they may rest from their labors, [but] their works follow [with] them.” Then I looked, and behold, a white cloud, and on the cloud sat One like the Son of Man, having on His head a golden crown, and in His hand a sharp sickle.”

Two Raptures

“In the light of the foregoing, one is in a better position to see that there are to be two raptures of the Church at the end of the age: first, an invisible rapture of the sleeping saints as a body, and later on, a second invisible rapture of the living saints as a company.

1 Thess 4:13–17 is not primarily concerned with the experience of those individual saints (the living saints) who die during the interim between these two events or raptures. It is Rev 14:13 that more particularly discusses the details affecting individuals who die subsequent to A.D. 1878, the date of the first rapture, up to the latter, still future rapture, indicating they receive an instantaneous resurrection change at the moment of death.

Paul, in his epistle to the Thessalonians, informs the Church that those participating in the second rapture—the living remnant—are to be (a) “caught up together [as a company]” and (b) “in the clouds [symbolic of trouble and persecution upon the faithful], to meet the Lord in the air.” Strictly speaking, this has not been the experience of all saints who have died either before or after A.D. 1878. Yet several scriptural references pertaining to the closing days indicate that the very last members will suffer violence and death, thereby being abruptly caught or snatched up from the earthly fold. Their experience would be comparable to that of Elijah (typically representing not an individual but a class), who was caught up in a fiery chariot (severe persecutions) and an accompanying whirlwind (fierce trouble) 2 Kings 2:11. Other pictures illustrate the same lesson, such as:

The Beheading of John the Baptist (Mark 6:17–28)

Gideon and the Broken Earthly Vessels (Judges 7)

The Bruising of the Heel Members of the Body of Christ (Gen. 3:15)

Vitalization of the Image of the Beast, Followed by the Persecution and Death of True Christians (Rev. 13:11–18)

After careful consideration of these and other Scriptures, the conclusion seems reasonable that there will be no particular individual who can, in the future ages of eternity, be looked back upon as the one last member of THE CHRIST. To have one such individual would detract from the preeminence of Jesus as the Head of The Christ company and would violate, to a certain extent, the principles laid down respecting the office of the High Priest (Lev. 21:17–23).

Thus, the last members will depart as a company, and the Gospel Age, as it applies to the Very Elect, will have a distinct and abrupt ending, even as the Church had a definite commencement at Pentecost. Now the expression “together” (1 Thess. 4:17) takes on its full significance: being caught up at the same time or instant as well as to a place and association with the Master.”

Continued with next post.