It is very rarely sung in many churches today, but there used to be an inspirational tune that was popular that people could tap their toes to, maybe even give their hips a bit of a swing to also. It was called, Soon and Very Soon.[1] Many churches identified this Christian worship song to be an anthem about the rapture of the church—or at least some did. I remember when I first got saved, I had a revelation about the rapture of the body of Christ that was very real, it was otherworldly. But before that, the Lord Jesus Christ led me to a church about a month after I received his salvation to a place where endtimes prophecy, especially the rapture, were presented from the pulpit regularly. And then about four months after I was saved God chose to send some cherubim to me to give me a message informing me that the Lord was coming—I say they were cherubim because of the sounds they made while they spoke;[2] I am certain they were not any other kind of angel. These cherubim relayed the message of the Lord to me in a dramatic fashion. They paralyzed my whole body except my eyes so that I could only see the clock on the dresser move ahead a period of five minutes—I suppose they held my body still because their presence frightened me greatly. While the time covered a span of five minutes, they told me over and over again that the Lord is coming. As they spoke, I heard their voices speaking all at the same time, with the sound of wind blowing at high velocity. Their voices and the wind were in unison. When they finally let me go, I got up bewildered and moved to another room to figure out what had just happened. When I sat down, they began to repeat their message over and over again for another few minutes, that the Lord is coming. This time they did not need to hold me down because the fear had already drained my body of strength; I could not flee if I tried.
I shared a portion of this experience above to say to the readers of this blog, that those who know me know that I am very impassioned about the rapture, and endtimes prophecy. Some would complain that I am too fervent about these subjects, but what I experienced when I first received salvation could be the reason why. The teachings from the pulpit from my first pastor – Art Ettinger – on the rapture of the body of Christ and endtimes prophecy, and his teaching notes that he gave me to take home and study, birthed within my spirit the same message that Jesus commanded his servants to teach the house of God in the final generation of the church-age.[3] The final generation of the church-age is the days leading up to the beginning of the seven-year Tribulation Period when the church’s rapture will happen. After that what follows is the Tribulation Period, and then the second appearance of Jesus Christ will happen at the end of the seven-year Tribulation Period.[4] Jesus did not intend to leave the church intellectually complex, he did not leave us uninformed or without knowledge, because he revealed the generation in which these three events would occur, which is after Israel would become a sovereign nation again.[5] The generation of people that witnessed Israel’s rebirth (1948) would also witness these three very important events if they live long enough—if any one of these witnesses has passed away already then obviously they will not witness any of these events. But what Jesus prophesied is that the people who witnessed Israel become a nation again could witness all three events. I repeat, this generation is the final generation of the church-age.
Unlike the days when Andraé Crouch first released, Soon and Very Soon, the eagerness and excitement for the trumpet of God to sound and for the Lord to appear from heaven to rapture the church out of this world into eternity is waning. The vigor that was once there to be caught up to the space that separates the physical realm from the heavenly realms has diminished—I am not sure why but I have an idea. That place is where the living believer who departs from this world in the twinkling of an eye will meet those that are already in heaven to be with the Lord Jesus Christ forever (1 Cor. 15:51-52; 1 Thess. 4:13-17). I hear some old-timers say that they will see dear old Mom and Dad again in heaven when they die. Why have they let doubt cloud their foreknowledge of endtimes prophecy? The old-timers know that the rapture of the church is an imminent event and that it can happen even today. I can understand today’s Christians for not having any anticipation for the rapture to happen because they are very rarely given this knowledge. If the rapture does happen to trickle out of the mouths of some pastors – usually by accident – they discourage their hearers from expecting this divine event from happening during their lifetime. It is sad, but they will have to explain one day why they have abused the church of God (Matt. 24:48-49; Lk. 12:45).
I think that many have the wrong perspective when it comes to the rapture. Instead of viewing it as an event that will ruin your life of worldly pleasures try to look at it differently. See it as a celebration rather than a time of sadness. See it as the celebration of the physical uniting of Christ and his church. The rapture is his marriage day—it is not about us but it is all about him. It is a conjoining of the Son of God with his earthly body so they can be united in the eternal realm forever. It is prophesied that on that day the believer will be clothed with a body that allows him to be physically united with Jesus forever. Some Christians get dejected when the rapture is mentioned to them. Just hearing that word scares them. Do they know why? It could be that they listen to seducing spirits easier than they do the Spirit of God. The spirits discourage them when they hear that word because they are deceived into believing that their pleasures and their agendas are more important than God’s will. The spirits and false prophets have bamboozled too many believers into believing that this world is their oyster. Putting the rapture out of your mind so that you can experience your children and grandchildren becoming adults is an insult to the Lord Jesus. Did you know that? It is an affront to him.
When a Christian is indifferent to the rapture of the church it is like insulting Christ to his face. Maybe if the church was being taught the knowledge of the rapture and all the endtimes prophecy that encompass this glorious day it might be different. But the Lord will not let you use this as an excuse—see this as a rebuke. The moment the faithful believers are raptured out of this world is the moment when the bridegroom receives his pure virgin bride as a gift from his dear Father (2 Cor. 11:2). Why do you think Jesus not only appointed the apostle Paul to preach the gospel to the Gentiles but also inspired him to record his teachings in Scripture? Paul’s writings are to get the church ready for the day of the rapture. His writings are for the express purpose to get the wise virgins ready for the day and hour their bridegroom comes to get them (Matt. 25:1-13). The Christian is likened to a chaste virgin because he is supposed to be just that. The church cannot prostitute itself to the world and think that is okay. The church has been saved by grace but they must also adhere to the instructions that the apostles have written so that they may live by them. Any believer that prostitutes themselves before the world is the person that loves the world and the things of this world (1 Jn. 2:15-16). The hour the rapture occurs there will be a celebration in heaven that will last until Jesus is ready to come and redeem the remnant Jews (Rev. 19:1-10). At the rapture of the body of Christ, the bridegroom will finally have his bride at his side forever. This will truly be a day of celebration on behalf of the Lamb of God.
Picture: Craig Adderley
[1] Soon And Very Soon (1976)
https://www.worshiptogether.com/songs/soon-and-very-soon-andrae-crouch/
(Accessed 7/11/2023)
[2] Ezekiel 10:5, 9, 13
[3] Matthew 24:45-51; Luke 12:42-48
[4] Matthew 24:9-29, 30-31, 36-44
[5] Matthew 24:32-24; Mk. 13:28-30; Lk. 21:29-32
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