The Rapture of the Church
The Rapture of the Church
Watchful of the prophetic moment that the faithful Church is currently living, it should announce without ceasing, the return of the Lord Jesus to rapture the Church (Mat. 24:40-44), referred to as His Bride in the Scriptures. The rapture is a doctrine that is expressed in the Holy Scriptures. It is up to the faithful Church to pay attention to the signs of the times, recognizing that the ones predicted by the Lord Jesus in His prophetic sermon are almost completely fulfilled (Mat. 24:3-14 and 29-36), although the day or hour are not known.
In these days the Church should seek to live in sanctification, producing the fruit of the Spirit, in obedience to the God’s Word and the determinations of the Holy Spirit, and announce without ceasing the Salvation that is present only in Jesus Christ – by grace, through faith – and His glorious return to rapture His Church (I Tess. 5:4-10).
Nowadays the faithful Church should seek not only to be baptized in the Holy Spirit, but also to live filled with the Spirit (Eph. 5:18-21). Similarly to what happened to the wise virgins, the Church that will be raptured will nave not a little bit of oil, but a reservoir of oil (Mat. 25:1-13). The faithful Church will be prepared for the return of the Lord, for it is a glorious Church, without spot (sin) or wrinkle (spiritual aging), as described in Ephesians 5:26-17.
The Church not only expects the return of the Lord, but loves His Return (II Ti. 4:8). On the other hand, the unfaithful church criticizes this expectation and this yearning by the faithful Church (II Peter 3:4), because it is not prepared for this glorious moment of History of Salvation. But the faithful Church is being edified each day, it is having its faith and hope in the Return of the Lord Jesus constantly strengthened as it witnesses (1) the signs that are confirming the preaching of the Gospel, (2) the operation of the spiritual gifts, and (3) the counsels and orientations of the Lord.
“Surely I am coming quickly. Even so, come, Lord Jesus!” (Rev. 22:17, 20).