The article below is a small portion of my manuscript, Waiting for The Day and Hour:
The rapture is a pre-church promise that Jesus made to the apostles in John 14:2-3. What I mean by pre-church is before the church was even born. As the above Scripture reference states, Jesus knew that he would go back to the eternal realm to be with God his Father, after he sacrificed his life on the cross and then be resurrected. And this is why he informed his disciples that he would return for them once he prepared a place for them in God his Father’s house. This promise was made after Judas Iscariot left the room during the Last Supper (Jn. 13:1-38). At that time the church was unknown to the disciples, the Jewish nation, and the world. However, Jesus knew that the new creation would be born once he was resurrected.
Most Christians believe the
church was born in the Upper Room when the Holy Spirit came upon and filled the
followers of Christ there (Acts 2:1-4)—ten days after Jesus ascended into
heaven and 50 days after he was raised from the dead. This group believes that
when the 120 were baptized with the Holy Spirit, that was when the church was
born. Their reason is the conversion of Jews and some godly men who heard Peter
preach after witnessing the 120 speak in tongues (Acts 2: 5-41). But I disagree
with this theory. I believe the church was born when Jesus breathed on the
disciples and told them to receive the Holy Spirit (Jn. 20:22)—I have written
about his theory before.
I believe the new creation was
born on the evening of the resurrection of our Lord, Jesus Christ, on the first
day of the week (Jn. 20:1; 19a). This happened 50 days before the Upper Room
incident. On the evening of the Lord’s resurrection he breathed on his
disciples, except Thomas because he was not there (Jn. 20:24), and told them to
receive the Holy Spirit (Jn. 20:22). Jesus released the Holy Spirit to them
because he discerned their faith in him being raised from the dead (Jn. 20:19c-20;
Rom. 10:9). At that moment they would have had their spirit-being sealed with
the Holy Spirit. The disciples Jesus released the Holy Spirit to were
born-again at that moment—the church was born. When Thomas heard of the
experience of the other disciples in seeing the risen Lord, he did not believe
it because he needed proof (Jn. 20:24). Thomas was essentially the first person
to have the gospel told him, but he did not have the faith to believe. He did
get saved eight days later though. Jesus again suddenly appeared in the room
the disciples were in, and Thomas was there this time (Jn. 20:26). After Jesus
humiliated him, Thomas put his faith in the risen Savior (Jn. 20:27-29).
Thomas received the new birth 42
days before the Upper Room experience. The other disciples received the new
birth 50 days before the Upper Room experience. I believe that all the Lord’s disciples,
except Judas Iscariot, were born-again eight days after his resurrection—Judas
had hanged himself the morning after Jesus’ arrest (Matt. 27:3-5). The 40 days
between the resurrection of the Lord and his being raptured into heaven, Jesus
appeared to more than 500 people at once (1 Cor. 15:6). These 500 would have
witnessed the risen Lord like the disciples did. There can be no doubt that
either most or all put their faith in him because they saw that he had been
raised from the dead. These people were the earliest members of the new
creation. He had also appeared to James, his half-brother, who would have
likewise been saved after witnessing the Lord raised from the dead (1 Cor.
15:7). Mary Magdalene would have been the first person born into the new
creation, because she witnessed the risen Lord just hours after he rose from
the dead (Jn. 20:11-18)—she put her faith in him. Therefore, the church was
born, and growing, before the followers of Christ were filled with the Holy
Spirit in the Upper Room, and the 3,000 who heard them speak in tongues
received the Lord on the day of Pentecost.
According to the facts, the 120 people
in the Upper Room were all saved when the Holy Spirit came upon them and filled
them with his power, which enabled them to speak in tongues. So how could the
day of Pentecost be the day when the church was born? They all would have been
saved during the 50 days after Christ was raised from the dead. The apostles
would have made sure of that. Would the apostles have allowed unbelievers into
the Upper Room where they had devoted themselves to prayer (Acts 1:12-14)—the
Scripture said they were all in one accord? And while conducting church
business (Acts 1:15-26)?
Jesus told his apostles that they
would be baptized with/in the Holy Spirit, a promise of God the Father (Acts
1:3-5). He was meaning when they were gathered in the Upper Room, ten days
later (Acts 2:1). Being baptized with/in the Holy Spirit means the believer’s
spirit-being is dipped, immersed, or plunged into the power of the Spirit
similar to how a person’s earthly body is dunked into water during water
baptism (Mk. 1:8; Acts 1:5; 11:16). He told them that when the Holy Spirit
comes upon them, they will receive power (Acts 1:8a; Lk. 24:49)—this happened
while they were gathered in the Upper Room. Another way of describing the results
of when the Holy Spirit comes upon a believer, or when God baptizes them with
the Spirit is: a) Their spirit-being is πίμπλημι (pimplēmi) filled with the
power of the Holy Spirit (Lk. 1:15, 41, 67; Acts 2:4; 4:8, 31; 9:17; 13:9, 52),
or, b) Their spirit-being is πλήρης (plērēs) full or complete in the power of
the Holy Spirit (Lk. 4:1; Acts 6:3, 5; 7:55; 11:24). Both pimplēmi (filled) and
plērēs (full) have the meaning of infuse (to cause to be permeated with
something [such as a principle or quality] that alters usually for the better),[i]
and replete (fully or abundantly provided or filled).[ii] The
Scripture reveals that being baptized or filled with the Holy Spirit enables
the person to speak in tongues καθὼς τὸ πνεῦμα ἐδίδου ἀποφθέγγεσθαι αὐτοῖς (kathós
tó pnevma edídou apofthéngesthai aftoís) “As the Spirit gives them utterance” [Acts
2:4c, mGNT] (Mk. 16:17; Acts. 2:6-12; 10:44-48; 19:6; Eph. 6:18a). Speaking in
– genuine – tongues is evidence that the believer’s spirit-being is filled with
the power of the Holy Spirit. Or that they are full of the power of the Holy
Spirit. Some Christians believe there is no sign proving the believer is
baptized in the Spirit, but Acts 2:4; 10:44-46; 19:5-7, seem to say otherwise. The
believer who is baptized or filled with the Holy Spirit has been blessed with
divine power to pray in tongues, or pray in the Spirit (Rom. 8:26-27; 1 Cor.
14:14-18; Eph. 6:18a; Jude 1:20). Having the Spirit’s power λαλεῖν ἑτέραις
γλώσσαις (laleín etérais glóssais) “to speak in other languages” (Acts 2:4b,
mGNT) is so the believer can have direct access to God in prayer as the apostle
Paul wrote in Romans 8:26-27.
Being filled or baptized with the
Holy Spirit is not referring to the gift of ἑτέρῳ γένη γλωσσῶν (etéro géni
glossón) “other languages” (1 Cor. 12:10d, mGNT; 28, 30; 14:2-4, 26-28, 39). Although
a believer who has the gift of etéro géni glossón (other languages), has been
baptized with the Holy Spirit at some point in their life. The Holy Spirit will
use a Spirit-filled believer to release a word from God to the church by a gift
of other languages. However, the Holy Spirit will not prompt the believer with
the gift of tongues to speak if there is no believer present with the gift of
interpretation to interpret (1 Cor. 14:5)—a genuine gift of tongues will not be
given if there is no one with the gift to interpret that message from God. The
Holy Spirit builds the church up, he does not confuse it (1 Cor. 14:6-13). The
body of Christ is to be led by the Holy Spirit even when using his gifts.
I wrote the preceding, to prove
that the church was not birthed on the day of Pentecost, in the Upper Room. But
rather, the day of Pentecost was the initial baptism of the church with/in the
Holy Spirit’s power. That was the day the believers were first able to speak in
other languages as the Holy Spirit of God gave them the power to speak. That is
the day the church began to multiply in great numbers after the 120 followers
of Christ received the power of the Holy Spirit.
The Lord Jesus Christ is
preparing a place for his church in his Father’s house while they wait for him
to return (Jn. 14:2-3). But in the meantime, he has appointed the – initial –
apostles and prophets to be the foundation his church is to be built upon (Eph.
2:19-20). The people who appointed themselves as apostles and prophets today are
not the apostles and prophets the apostle Paul referred to. Jesus promised that
once he prepares this place, the church would be raptured out of this world so
that they can be where he is—in heaven. As I mentioned in a few places, the
hour the rapture happens is proof that Jesus has finished preparing a place for
the body of Christ in his Father’s house. And to fulfill his promise to his
apostles he will seize his followers out of this world in a moment, in the
blink of an eye. Jesus will meet his church, the dead and living, in the
eternal realm as they are newly fitted with heavenly bodies. This event will
happen before the 70th week of Israel begins. Before the ἄνθρωπος
τῆς ἀνομίας (ánthropos tís anomías) “man of lawlessness” (2 Thess. 2:3c, mGNT)
is revealed. The pre-Tribulation theory is a valid doctrine.
Could this place that Jesus is
preparing for his people be the new Jerusalem (Rev. 3:12; 21:2, 10-27)? I ask
this question because John 14:2-3 does not make it clear. When Jesus said, πορεύομαι
ἑτοιμάσαι τόπον ὑμῖν (porévomai etoimásai tópon ymín) “I go to prepare a place
for you” (Jn. 14:2b, mGNT), we assume he was referring to a dwelling in heaven
because his Father’s house is in heaven. He said that in his Father’s house are
πολλαί μονή (pollaí moní) “multiple monasteries” (Jn. 14:2a, GNT). In many
English Bibles pollaí moní is translated as: many rooms; many dwelling places; many
mansions. A monastery is a house dedicated to God. A monastery is an abbey
occupied by priests who fulfill their vows to Christ Jesus. Heaven is filled
with dwelling places for the angels of God. There are multiple rooms in heaven
for the angels to dwell. At this time, Jesus is preparing pollaí moní (multiple
monasteries) in his Father’s house for the body of Christ to dwell in once the
church is raptured.
The apostle John saw in a vision
the new Jerusalem “coming down out of heaven from God” (Rev. 21:2b, 10b, CSB).
The reference to heaven is the eternal realm and not the earth’s atmosphere or
the celestial cosmos. This event happens after this earth and heaven (the whole
celestial cosmos) have passed away and a new heaven and earth will replace them
(Rev. 21:1)—in the new earth there will be no sea. John sees the new Jerusalem
coming out of the eternal realm to rest upon the new earth. He heard a loud
voice speak from the throne room of God, the inner sanctuary, that ἡ σκηνὴ τοῦ
θεοῦ (i skiní toú theoú) “the tabernacle of God” (Rev. 21:3b, mGNT) is with men.
Some English Bibles translate i skiní toú theoú, as, God’s dwelling place. On
the new earth, the tabernacle of God, or God’s dwelling place, will be with the
people who will inhabit the new earth. These people will be the ones who survive
Christ’s millennial reign and who are not deceived by Satan once he is released
out of the abyss (Rev. 20:7). There will be people who go through the
millennial reign of Christ that end up joining forces with Satan to battle the
saints living in the land promised to Israel (Gen. 15:18; Josh. 1:4; Num.
34:1-15[iii])
and the Jerusalem that now exists (Rev. 20:8-9a). But God the Father will
destroy this evil army and cast Satan into the lake of fire (Rev. 20:9b-10).
The saints living in Jerusalem at that time are not the body of Christ. After the
body of Christ is raptured, they become heavenly beings as I mentioned above under
the heading, Salvation Completed (Made Perfect). The home of the body of
Christ after being raptured is in the eternal heaven with God the Father, and
Jesus Christ our Lord. The saints living in Israel at the time of Satan’s
release from the abyss, and during his attack on the πόλιν ἠγαπημένην (pólin
igapiménin) “beloved city,” are most likely the remnant Jews who were saved at
Christ’s 2nd coming. The offspring born to them during Christ’s
millennial reign will also most likely dwell there at the time of Satan’s
attack—they could number in the hundreds of millions.
Revelation 21:2a and 3, seem to
say, that the new Jerusalem will be God’s tabernacle on the new earth. As I
wrote, God’s dwelling place on the new Earth will be with men, the inhabitants
of the new Earth. God will dwell with the inhabitants of the new earth, and he
will be their God. These people will not be clothed in heavenly bodies like the
body of Christ will be, and as the angels of God have been since they were
created. But the Scripture seems to indicate that they will live in earthly
bodies that will never die (Rev. 21:4). After the attack on God’s beloved city,
and after the great white throne judgment has been completed (Rev. 20:11-15),
God will make all things new (Rev. 21:5a). He told John: “Write this down, for
these words are trustworthy and true” (Rev. 21:5b, ESV).
Revelation 21:3 raises a question.
If God is going to dwell with the inhabitants of the new earth, does this mean
his eternal heaven will be no more? The answer is no. Eternity will never cease
to be. It is Eternal, everlasting. Eternity is a place without beginning or
end. Just as God is Eternal; God never had a beginning and he will never have
an end. When the Scripture states that he will dwell with the inhabitants of
the new earth, it means that he will be in the new earth with men just like the
Holy Spirit is in this earth with his new creation, the body of Christ. The
Holy Spirit is omnipresent on this earth and in the heavens. He is omnipresent,
in the eternal realm. He is everywhere at all times. The Holy Spirit will be everywhere
on the new earth, but I believe his presence will be in a great measure. His
presence may be as powerful as it is in heaven. The new Jerusalem will be the
tabernacle of God on the new earth, something like the tabernacle Moses made
for God in the desert (Ex. 25:8-9). Except the new Jerusalem is built by God. The
new heaven and new earth are not a replacement for eternity, but only a
replacement for this earth and the physical universe. And, if you are
wondering, the new heaven and new earth does not become part of the eternal
realm. But rather the new heaven and new earth are the current heavens and current
earth transformed into a place where there is no more curse (Rev.22:3a)—it will
still be governed by time and space (spacetime). God has to create a new heaven
and new earth because God the Father chooses to visit with men on the new earth
so that he can bless them with his physical presence: he wants to present
himself in person (Rev.21:3). The new Jerusalem will be the place where the
inhabitants of the new earth will go to worship God and the Lamb (Rev. 22:3c).
Some people think that the new
Jerusalem is the church, because the way the Scripture presents the new
Jerusalem as if it is τὴν γυναῖκα τοῦ ἀρνίου (tín gynaíka toú arníou) “the wife
of the lamb” (Rev. 21:9b, mGNT). No! God did not sacrifice his Son for a city,
but for the people who will dwell in that city. Revelation 21:2, says that the
new Jerusalem is: “prepared like a bride adorned for her husband” (CSB). This
means it is created beautifully and amazing like (or similar to) a bride
for her husband. The new Jerusalem is adorned for the one who will dwell there,
or make his tabernacle there. And that One is God (Rev. 21:3). That is why God the
Father and Jesus the Lamb of God will both have thrones there (Rev. 22:3b). The
new Jerusalem will be adorned with the presence of God. God’s presence will permeate
the entirety of the new Jerusalem. The new Jerusalem will permeate with the
glory of God (Rev. 21:10-11a)— “Her radiance was like a precious jewel, like a
jasper stone, clear as crystal” (Rev. 21:11b, CSB). Revelation 21:12-21
describes its foundation, gates, and walls. It gives its measurements and the raw
materials it is made of. It has a high wall with twelve gates. Twelve angels
are at these twelve gates. The names of Jacob’s sons are inscribed on these
twelve gates. The high wall has twelve foundations. Christ’s twelve apostles
have their names inscribed upon these twelve foundations. The new Jerusalem
could be the place Jesus is preparing in heaven for all those who belong to
him. It could be the place in preparation for the wedding feast of God’s holy
Son (Rev. 19:7-8; Matt. 22:1-14; Lk. 14:15-24).
Picture: Pixabay (enokenoc)
Free for use under the Pixabay
Content License
[i] Infuse: To cause
to be permeated with something (such as a principle or quality) that alters
usually for the better.
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/infuse
(Accessed
2/21/2025)
[ii] Replete: Fully or
abundantly provided or filled.
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/replete
(Accessed
2/21/2025)
[iii] What is the land
that God promised to Israel?
https://www.gotquestions.org/Israel-land.html
(Accessed
2/27/2025)
