0950. The Rapture Asserted–by Illustration
The Rapture Asserted–by Illustration
"Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, Why stand ye gazing up into Heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into Heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen Him go into Heaven" (Act_1:11)
The Word of God plainly says one shall be taken and the other left. It is impossible to read the Scriptures without believing in the rapture of the saints. The rapture is taught first by illustration and then by plain statement. Just now let us notice the rapture by illustration.
The Rapture Taught by Illustration
1. Enoch. "For God took him" (Gen_5:24). Enoch was walking with God for 300 years. Some one has suggested that one day he walked a little further than usual and it became late and so he just walked on into Glory. Of course, this is only imagination, for Enoch was walking with God in the home and on the field by day and by night. He always walked with God. It was the habit of his life. Perhaps, the reason God took him was because Enoch preached so faithfully, so convincingly concerning the coming of the Lord with all His saints (see Jdg_1:14). Enoch preached the rapture and God raptured Enoch making him a type of that which he proclaimed.
2. Elijah. "Elijah went up" (2Ki_2:11). The departure of Elijah seemed anticipated by the students at Bethel. The young prophets said unto Elisha, "Knowest thou that the Lord will take away thy master from thy head today?" and he said, "Yea, I know it; hold ye your peace." The prophets at Jericho made similar assertions, but Elisha followed Elijah over the Jordan until God sent His chariot and took Elijah up into Heaven.
Upon the return of Elisha to Jericho the sons of the prophets insisted that he should order a search for the body of Elijah. Finally Elisha became ashamed and sent forty men to look over the mountains and in the valleys for the body of the Prophet. The search, of course, was in vain as Elisha knew it would be. We wonder if, after the rapture of saints, they will not send out searching parties for us. We will be in the skies with the Lord.
3. Christ. "Until the day, in which He was taken up" (Act_1:2). "While they beheld, He was taken up" (Act_1:9). "As He was taken up" (Act_1:11). "Unto that same day that He was taken up" (Act_1:22).
Jesus Christ was raptured from the Mount of Olives. He remains a type of all those who some day will be similarly caught up into the air to meet the Lord. There are some who insist on worshiping a dead and buried Lord. The Lord is risen indeed and He has ascended up through principalities and powers; up through hosts of wicked spirits, and He sits a victor at the right hand of the Father. From the throne of God He speaks to us and seems to say "Because I live ye shall live also."
4. Paul. "Caught up to the third Heaven" (2Co_12:2). Paul's rapture was just as much a rapture as the others, but its story is not given in any detail. Paul could not tell whether he was caught up "in the body," or whether "out of the body." He knew, however, that he was caught up to the third Heaven and there saw unspeakable things which he could not utter. We see Paul as a type because he shows the power of God to catch away from the earth, those who are truly His.
5. John. "Come up hither" (Rev_4:1-2). John in spirit, was transported through an open door into Heaven. To our mind this picture is also a type of the rapture of those in Christ.
There are other characters which might be used. For instance, Philip, having baptized the eunuch, was caught away by the Spirit of the Lord and was found preaching the Gospel in Azotus. What we insist upon is, that it is nothing to our God to catch away all of those who are His; to change them in a moment and to receive them into Glory.
Autor: R.E. NEIGHBOUR