Weekly Devotional 12-28-15 “When?”
Jesus told His disciples that He would build His church (Matthew 16:13-20 “18”) and that its building would be accomplished by them, at least its beginning. He then spent two plus years creating in them the foundation needed to lay that foundation. He promised that even though He would not be with them in the physical sense He would be with them in Spirit form. That He would send His Spirit (the Holy Spirit) to indwell and empower them. Fifty days after His crucifixion and resurrection, forty days after His ascension into heaven, the Holy Spirit descended upon and empowered them to accomplish their mission; not only them, but 120 of their brethren, fellow Jews who had come to faith in Him. The church was born and exploded (grew in great numbers) on that day. We read from chapters 2-4 of the Book of Acts that 8,000 people were saved and added to the church. But, it didn’t stop with them. In Acts 5 we read that multitudes were constantly (daily) added to the church. After a period of time, when great persecution rose against the church, most of them were scattered back to the areas from which they had come. Nonetheless, they didn’t go back into those areas silently; for we read from Acts 8:4, “Therefore those who were scattered went everywhere preaching the word.” This has continued now for 2,000 plus years and millions have been added to the church.
However, after all of this the church still was and is a temporary entity. God did not intend for it to live on into perpetuity. God will once again establish Abraham’s children through Isaac and Jacob as His royal priesthood (Exodus 20:5-6). We read from Paul’s letter to the Romans that the church will continue until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in, that is, until the last Gentile is saved that is to be saved during this age, the church age. Then God will reestablish Israel once again as His royal priesthood (Romans 11 “see vs. 25-26”).
The questions that arise from this are: what will happen to the church? And when will it happen? The latter question is partially answered by the quotation above, “when the fullness of the Gentiles has come in.” It is further answered in the Lord’s letter He had instructed John to pass to seven churches of his day. We read Revelation 3:10; “Because you have kept My command to persevere, I also will keep you from the hour of trial which shall come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth.”
There is coming a day, perhaps sooner that we might think, when God will judge mankind (corporately) for their rejection of Him, but He will not cause the true (the born again) church to go through this judgment. He will catch it up into heaven and there it shall ever be with Him. (See 1st Thessalonians 4:13-17). This is called in Christian circles the rapture of the church. Further, as we read from Paul’s letter to the Thessalonians we learn that they were worried about loved ones who had died. Had they missed the rapture, if they did, what was to become of them? In answer to that worry Paul wrote; “15For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep. 16For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. 17Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. 18Therefore comfort one another with these words.” (1 Thessalonians 4:15-18 NKJV).
Paul and those of the Thessalonian church fully expected that the Lord’s return was imminent and that when He came He would catch up the church into heaven. This belief is affirmed in his second letter to these same Thessalonians (2:1-7). Paul affirms that the wicked one (the Antichrist) will not be revealed until after the restrainer, the Holy Spirit, is taken out of the way. Because He indwells the church and will never be taken from it, it must be taken out of the way, be caught up—raptured.
The answer to the questions, what will happen to the church? And when will it happen? is, the church will be caught up into heaven and this will happen when the last Gentile is saved that is to be saved, during this pre-sent age, before the Antichrist is revealed and before God commences to judge the world for its rejection of Him.
A more important question is, where are you in all of this, are you a member of the church? If you are not you will enter into God’s judgment and most likely die in your sins. That will not be good. Consider Revelation 20:11-14; “11Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. And there was found no place for them. 12And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books. 13The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works. 14Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. 15And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.”
But, you can avoid this. You do not need to be one who will be so judged. Scripture emphatically affirms that all who trust in and commit themselves to God’s provision will be saved. John 3:16-21 and 3:36 are just two of the many passages that affirm this truth, consider:
3:16-21 “16For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. 17For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. 18He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. 19And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. 20For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. 21But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God…. 3:36 “He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.”
Believe on, that is, trust in God’s provision the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved. What a way to end the year, as a redeemed child of God.
stevelampman@comcast.net stevelampman.com
Transforming Power; The Work of God on Behalf of Man