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 A STUDY ON THE RAPTURE
Section Three


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A STUDY ON THE RAPTURE

Section 3 - The Different Operations of Holy Spirit
................ The Nations Are Being Called Now
..................What Lies Ahead
 

The Different Operations of Holy Spirit

Holy spirit is associated with believers of the Circumcision. But it was not dispensed freely until the Lord had been glorified.

Jn.7:39  Now this He said concerning the spirit
which those believing in Him were about to get.
For not as yet was holy spirit given, for Jesus is not as yet glorified.
After the resurrection of Jesus, when He manifested Himself to His disciples in the locked room we read of its dispensation for a specific purpose.
Jn.20:21-23  Jesus, then, said to them again, "Peace to you!
According as the Father has commissioned Me, I also am sending you."
And saying this, He exhales and is saying to them, "Get holy spirit!
If you should be forgiving anyone's sins, they have been forgiven them.
If anyone's you should be holding, they are held."
At Pentecost the dispensation of holy spirit was conditioned upon personal repentance and submission to the rite of baptism in water.
Act.2:38 Now Peter is averring to them, "Repent and
be baptized each of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the pardon of your sins,
and you shall be obtaining the gratuity of the holy spirit.
Under this evangel good works plays an essential role so that it appears that it depends on some contribution on the part of those called to be the chosen. In the parable of 'The Wedding Feast', the man without the proper apparel (which figured a required personal righteousness) was deemed unacceptable.
Mt.22:11-14   "Now the king, entering to gaze at those lying back at table,
perceived there a man who has not put on wedding apparel. And
he is saying to him, `Comrade, how did you enter here having no wedding apparel?'
Yet he was still. Then the king said to the servants,
`Binding his feet and hands, cast him out into outer darkness.'
There shall be lamentation and gnashing of teeth.
For many are the called, yet few are the chosen."
Under the evangel of the Uncircumcision, however, the granting of holy spirit is not contingent upon repentance and personal works. It is given to each one who is called the moment we believe, at that point when God grants us His gift of faith. By God's grace, we are given the belief! And, the moment we do believe, we have God's holy spirit. All, of God's doing! Without requiring any contribution on our part. Not even needing co-operation on our part!
Rom.8:28-30  Now we are aware that God is working all together
for the good of those who are loving God, who are called according to the purpose
that, whom He foreknew, He designates beforehand, also,
to be conformed to the image of His Son,
for Him to be Firstborn among many brethren.
Now whom He designates beforehand, these He calls also,
and whom He calls, these He justifies also;
now whom He justifies, these He glorifies also.


The Sealing With Holy Spirit and The Earnest Of The Spirit

Eph.1:13,14  In Whom you also--
on hearing the word of truth, the evangel of your salvation--
in Whom on believing also, you are sealed with the holy spirit of promise
(which is an earnest of the enjoyment of our allotment,
to the deliverance of that which has been procured) for the laud of His glory!
Only under the evangel of the Uncircumcision is there this revelation concerning holy spirit. It seals believers, marking us out as God's reserved property. Holy spirit is the currency for the earnest, the down-payment, in a transaction between God and each one who receives it, as His guarantee to ustowards a final payment, in the same currency of holy spirit, when He actually takes delivery of those whom He has thus procured!
Eph.4:20  And do not be causing sorrow to the holy spirit of God
by which you are sealed for the day of deliverance

2Cor.1:21,22  Now He Who is confirming us together with you in Christ, 
and anoints us, is God, 
Who also seals us and is giving the earnest of the spirit in our hearts.

The evangel of the Circumcision has no such revelation for those under its auspices. We read of the sealing of the 144,000 celibates only (Rev.14:3-5) for God's special protection on Mt.Zion during the terrible day of His indignation. But these are not sealed with holy spirit - their seal consists of the name of the Lambkin and that of the Father on their foreheads!.
Rev.7:2-4  And I perceived another messenger ascending from the orient,
having the seal of the living God.
And he cries with a loud voice to the four messengers
to whom it was given for them to injure the land and the sea, saying,
"You shall not be injuring the land, nor yet the sea, nor yet the trees,
until we should be sealing the slaves of our God on their foreheads."
And I hear the number of those sealed: a hundred forty-four thousand.
Sealed out of every tribe of the sons of Israel are:

Rev.14:1  And I perceived, and lo! the Lambkin standing on mount Zion,
and with It a hundred forty-four thousand,
having Its name and Its Father's name written on their foreheads.


The Homing In Of Holy Spirit

Another important teaching of Scripture that belongs exclusively to the evangel of the Uncircumcision concerns that of holy spirit making its home in each believer. It is this factor that ensures vivification with its immortality and incorruption.

1Cor.3:16,17  Are you not aware that you are a temple of God
and the spirit of God is making its home in you?
If anyone is corrupting the temple of God, God will be corrupting him,
for the temple of God is holy, which you are.

2Tim.1:13,14  Have a pattern of sound words, which you hear from me,
in faith and love which are in Christ Jesus.
The ideal thing committed to you,
guard through the holy spirit which is making its home in us.

Rom.8:9-11  Now those who are in flesh are not able to please God.
Yet you are not in flesh, but in spirit,
if so be that God's spirit is making its home in you.
Now if anyone has not Christ's spirit, this one is not His.
Now if Christ is in you, the body, indeed, is dead because of sin,
yet the spirit is life because of righteousness.
Now if the spirit of Him Who rouses Jesus from among the dead
is making its home in you,
He Who rouses Christ Jesus from among the dead
will also be vivifying your mortal bodies
because of His spirit making its home in you.

As with the sealing of the spirit, and the earnest of the spirit, this homing in us of holy spirit sets us apart, for now at least, from all others of humanity. We belong to God and we have God's word on it that we will not, ever, fall under His condemnation and indignation. Though we are advised and encouraged towards a walk worthy of our Lord, even if we do miss the mark and sin, and even if we offend Him, these have all already been taken into account of by the all-sufficient sacrifice of Christ. As has been mentioned earlier, our salvation depends entirely on God - from His foreknowing us from before the eons were created to His glorifying us at the 'snatching away'!
Rom.8:1,2 
Nothing, consequently, is now condemnation to those in Christ Jesus.
Not according to flesh are they walking, but according to spirit,
for the spirit's law of life in Christ Jesus frees you from the law of sin and death.

1Cor.6:12 All is allowed me, but not all is expedient.
All is allowed me, but I will not be put under its authority by anything.

1Cor.10:23,24 All is allowed me, but not all is expedient.
All is allowed me, but not all is edifying.
Let no one be seeking the welfare of himself, but that of another.

Rom.5:20,21  …Yet where sin increases, grace superexceeds,
that, even as Sin reigns in death,
thus Grace also should be reigning through righteousness,
for life eonian, through Jesus Christ, our Lord.

This teaching is not part of the evangel of the Circumcision! Those who are to receive eonian life in the kingdom of God on earth must have their names still in the scroll of life, which predicates a continuing worthy walk in the Lord. Nothing is said of the presence of holy spirit, a seal of the spirit, an earnest of the spirit, or of its homing in!
Rev.13:8 And all who are dwelling on the earth will be worshiping it,
everyone whose name is not written in the scroll of life of the Lambkin

Rev.21:27   and under no circumstances may anything contaminating,
or one who is making an abomination and a lie be entering into it,
except those written in the Lambkin's scroll of life.

Rev.17:8  …And marvel shall those dwelling on the earth,
whose names are not written on the scroll of life from the disruption of the world,
when they observe the wild beast,…

Rev.3:5  The one who is conquering, he shall be clothed in white garments,
and under no circumstances will I be erasing his name from the scroll of life,
and I will be avowing his name in front of My Father and before His messengers.

While there is no more condemnation for those under the evangel Paul preached, those of the Circumcision have the proverbial 'sword of Damocles' hanging over them. Failure to keep to the works of the law could have drastic repercussions. They can 'fall into the hands of the living God'! Salvation, for them, is conditional.
2Pet.2:20,21  For if, while fleeing from the defilements of the world
by the recognition of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ,
yet, being again involved in these, they are being discomfited,
their last state has become worse than the first.
For it were better for them not to have recognized the way of righteousness,
than, recognizing it, to go back to what was behind,
from the holy precept given over to them.

Heb.6:4-6  For it is impossible for those once enlightened,
besides tasting the celestial gratuity and becoming partakers of holy spirit,
and tasting the ideal declaration of God,
besides the powerful deeds of the impending eon,
and falling aside, to be renewing them again to repentance
while crucifying for themselves the Son of God again
and holding Him up to infamy.

Heb.10:26-31  For at our sinning voluntarily 
after obtaining the recognition of the truth,
it is no longer leaving a sacrifice concerned with sins,
but a certain fearful waiting for judging and fiery jealousy,
about to be eating the hostile.
Anyone repudiating Moses' law is dying without pity
on the testimony of two or three witnesses.
Of how much worse punishment, are you supposing,
will he be counted worthy who tramples on the Son of God,
and deems the blood of the covenant by which he is hallowed contaminating,
and outrages the spirit of grace?
For we are acquainted with Him Who is saying,
Mine is vengeance! I will repay! the Lord is saying, and again,
"The Lord will be judging His people"
Fearful is it to be falling into the hands of the living God!

A very graphic illustration of this mode of operation is given in the dramatic case of Ananias and Sapphira (Act.5:1-11)!

Matthew 24, Mark 13, and Luke 21 are parallel passages concerning the events that signal 'the last days' before Christ's coming to set up the kingdom. Believers of the Circumcision, to whom these are addressed, are advised to watch that they keep up with their good works while praying that they may be counted worthy to escape the ordeals of the 'great affliction'!
 
 

The Nations Are Being Called Now

Now is the era during which God is calling out individuals out of mankind to believe Him to become righteous, and to be members of a special body of believers.

Under God's pre-determination, Israel has been set aside for now. His revelation to them is in abeyance. Our human wisdom, of course, finds this rather confusing! How can it be that God does not want His people to know about Him now? Such wisdom interprets this teaching as an anomaly, a contradiction, to the accepted understanding of what revelation means.

It is God's prerogative to reveal to His creatures salient and relevant details of His plans and operations on a 'need to know basis'. He determines what we should know and when we will know it. Until this day no one knows when the 'snatching away' will take place, or even when the start of the countdown will be for Christ's coming in glory for Israel!

Our part is to believe what God tells us for our belief.This is faith! And Scripture asserts that God, in His wisdom, has determined a schedule and a program to carry out His intentions. It is not that Israel does not want to believe now - it is because God has made it so that she cannot believe! She does not have the freedom to choose to believe or not!

2Cor.3:14,15   But their apprehensions were calloused, for until this very day
the same covering is remaining at the reading of the old covenant,
not being uncovered, for only in Christ is it being nullified.
But till today, if ever the reading of Moses should be reached,
a covering is lying on their heart.

Rom.11:8  even as it is written, God gives them a spirit of stupor,
eyes not to be observing, and ears not to be hearing,
till this very day.

Act.28:25-28 "Ideally the holy spirit speaks through Isaiah the prophet, 
to your fathers, saying, `Go to this people and say,
"In hearing, you will be hearing, and may by no means be understanding,
And observing, you will be observing, and may by no means be perceiving,"
       For stoutened is the heart of this people,
          And with their ears heavily they hear,
             And with their eyes they squint,
             Lest at some time they may be perceiving with their eyes,
          And with their ears should be hearing,
      And with their heart may be understanding,
And should be turning about, And I shall be healing them.'
Let it be known to you, then,
that to the nations was dispatched this salvation of God, and they will hear."

But God has not cut them off permanently. He has chosen them to be His people. His Name, His integrity, demands that He remain faithful in spite of the 'incorrigible' unfaithfulness of Israel. He will not stoop to their level of unreliability. The time must come when this temporary estrangement will be over and He will resume His loving relationship with them. And, this is exactly what Scripture says.
2Cor.3:16  Yet if ever it should reach a turning back to the Lord,
the covering is taken from about it.

Rom.11:25-27  For I am not willing for you to be ignorant of this secret, brethren,
lest you may be passing for prudent among yourselves,
that callousness, in part, on Israel has come,
untilthe complement of the nations may be entering.
And thus all Israel shall be saved, according as it is written,
Arriving out of Zion shall be the Rescuer.
He will be turning away irreverence from Jacob.
And this is My covenant with them Whenever I should be eliminating their sins.

Rom.11:28-32 As to the evangel, indeed, they are enemies because of you,
yet, as to choice, they are beloved because of the fathers.
For unregretted are the graces and the calling of God.
For even as you once were stubborn toward God,
yet now were shown mercy at their stubbornness,
thus these also are now stubborn to this mercy of yours,
that now they also may be shown mercy.
For God locks up all together in stubbornness
that He should be merciful to all.


The Body Of Christ

We, believers under the evangel of the Uncircumcision are likened to parts of a human body in that each has an essential, different but complementary, function in its operation. Scripture recognises us as members of the body of Christ.

Nowhere else, except under this evangel of the Uncircumcision, is there a promise of believers finding their rightful place in heaven. Elsewhere, any such notion can come only through an unwarranted inference which equates 'eonian life' with 'going to heaven'!

But here, Scripture assures us, members of the body of Christ, that this is our destiny. Our real home is in the heavens for that is where we really belong. It is our realm, our sphere of influence and operation.

Phil.3:20   For our realm is inherent in the heavens,… 
(Greek: politeuma, MANY-effect)
NIV           But our citizenship is in heaven
RSV          But our commonwealth is in heaven
Scripture looks on us as ambassadors of the celestial realm, as representing God and His Christ to the citizens of this world. We have a commission to carry out, a message to propagate. It is a stupendous honour and privilege to be told that we act for Christ in this operation. God speaks through us, the members of the body of Christ acting for its Head, this message of conciliation!
2Cor.5:18-20  Yet all is of God
Who conciliates us to Himself through Christ,
and is giving us the dispensation of the conciliation,
how that God was in Christ,conciliating the world to Himself,
not reckoning their offenses to them,
and placing in us the word of the conciliation.
For Christ, then, are we ambassadors, as of God entreating through us.
We are beseeching for Christ's sake, "Be conciliated to God!"
This message is exclusively ours to spread during our 'tenure of office'. We have no injunction in Scripture to stop preaching it, or even to alter it in any way in order to accommodate changing situations.
 
 

What Lies Ahead

God's Indignation

Scripture is clear that there is coming a time when this period of 'amnesty', wherein God does not take into account the offences of mankind, will end. Then He will take all of these into reckoning and will demonstrate His indignation at their injustices! It will be a time of devastation and destruction, this day of God's indignation when the fury of God is unleashed on all evildoers!

Eph.2:1-3 you, being dead to your offenses and sins, in which once you walked,
in accord with the eon of this world,
in accord with the chief of the jurisdiction of the air,
the spirit now operating in the sons of stubbornness
(among whom we also all behaved ourselves once in the lusts of our flesh,
doing the will of the flesh and of the comprehension,
and were, in our nature, children of indignation, even as the rest),

Eph.5:3-6  … all prostitution and uncleanness or greed--
let it not even be named among you,
…and vileness and stupid speaking or insinuendo, which are not proper …
no paramour at all or unclean or greedy person, who is an idolater,
has any enjoyment of the allotment in the kingdom of Christ and of God.
Let no one be seducing you with empty words, for because of these things
the indignation of God is coming on the sons of stubbornness.

Col.3:5-7  Deaden, then, your members that are on the earth:
prostitution, uncleanness, passion, evil desire and greed, which is idolatry,
because of which the indignation of God is coming on the sons of stubbornness--
among whom you also once walked, when you lived in these things.

By God's grace, we who have died to sin in the death of Christ, are no more under condemnation. We have received the conciliation; we have been reconciled to God. We have peace with God.
Rom.5:10,11  being enemies, we were conciliated to God through the death of His Son,
much rather, being conciliated, we shall be saved in His life.
Yet not only so, but we are glorying also in God, through our Lord, Jesus Christ,
through Whom we now obtained the conciliation.

Rom.6:6,7   ...our old humanity was crucified together with Him,
that the body of Sin may be nullified, ..
for one who dies has been justified from Sin.

Rom.5:1   Being, then, justified by faith, we may be having peace toward God,
through our Lord, Jesus Christ,

We present no qualification through intrinsic quality or expended effort. Good works are not at all involved in this salvation that we enjoy. It is not our 'righteousness' that saves us, but God's righteousness given to us through the faith of Christ.
Eph:2:8,9  For in grace, through faith, are you saved,
and this is not out of you; it is God's approach present,
not of works, lest anyone should be boasting.
Just as works, of whatever quality, do not qualify us, so also such works of any sort do not disqualify us from this salvation. Therefore, though we are advised to be clear-minded and watchful concerning our works, our success or failure in these is not reckoned against us for this. As such, Scripture assures us that we have been saved, already, from His indignation that is impending.
1Thes.5:6-10  Consequently, then, we may not be drowsing, even as the rest,
but we may be watching and be sober.
For those who are drowsing are drowsing at night,
and those who are drunk are drunk at night.
Yet we, being of the day, may be sober,
putting on the cuirass of faith and love, 
and the helmet, the expectation of salvation,
for God did not appoint us to indignation,
but to the procuring of salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ,
Who died for our sakes, that, whether we may be watching or drowsing,
we should be living at the same time together with Him.

Rom.5:8,9 yet God is commending this love of His to us, seeing that,
while we are still sinners, Christ died for our sakes.
Much rather, then, being now justified in His blood,
we shall be saved from indignation, through Him.

1Thes.1:10  and to be waiting for His Son out of the heavens,
Whom He rouses from among the dead,
Jesus, our Rescuer out of the coming indignation.

It is certain that God's indignation is coming! What will the situation be for us, the ambassadors of His Christ? Are we to be left to fend for ourselves, abandoned in 'enemy territory'? We cannot come under God's indignation - but are we to be captured by the minions of the Enemy and become sacrificial pawns in this impending crisis? Are we to still continue preaching a contradiction, spreading the 'good news' of an existing peace and conciliation, during the period when God is venting His indignation on mankind?

Of course not! While our commission is being carried out, while the amnesty is in force, God will not initiate the next phase of His operation. Though the secret of lawlessness has been working, even from the time of Paul, it cannot bring its scheme into effect and culminate in the ascendance of the 'man of lawlessness', the Antichrist, until God recalls His ambassadors, and thereby withdraws His message of conciliation. He will then allow this wicked system to reach the zenith of its power and influence that He has pre-determined!

2Thes.2:6-12  And now you are aware what is detaining,
for him to be unveiled in his own era.
For the secret of lawlessness is already operating.
Only when the present detainer may be coming to be out of the midst,
then will be unveiled the lawless one
(whom the Lord Jesus will despatch with the spirit of His mouth
and will discard by the advent of His presence),
whose presence is in accord with the operation of Satan,
with all power and signs and false miracles
and with every seduction of injustice among those who are perishing,
because they do not receive the love of the truth for their salvation.
And therefore God will be sending them an operation of deception,
for them to believe the falsehood,
that all may be judged who do not believe the truth, but delight in injustice.
Not only will the ambassadors who are alive at that time, but also those who would have been put to repose by then, will be snatched away physically from the scene of war!
 

The Sequence at the Snatching Away

This 'escape' from indignation is not left to us to engineer. Let us recall that God works out everything for our good (Rom.8:28) so that everything that has been our experience is His doing! One thing has still to be accomplished - our glory.

Rom.8:30    Now whom He designates beforehand, these He calls also,
and whom He calls, these He justifies also;
now whom He justifies, these He glorifies also.

Rom.5: 2  through Whom we have the access also, by faith,
into this grace in which we stand,
and we may be glorying in expectation of the glory of God.

At present our earthly, soilish, bodies are severely limited in many ways. Though our spirit, the factor that keeps us alive, disposes us towards virtue and tends towards life, our flesh disposes us towards sinning and tends towards death. The dying factor, which was passed through to humanity from Adam, inhibits and debilitates us. Until this weakness is removed, we remain in humiliation, sinning and falling short of the glory of God!
Rom.8:6-8  For the disposition of the flesh is death,
yet the disposition of the spirit is life and peace,
because the disposition of the flesh is enmity to God,
for it is not subject to the law of God, for neither is it able.
Now those who are in flesh are not able to please God.

Rom.3:22,23 … for there is no distinction,
for all sinned and are wanting of the glory of God

Rom.5:12  …through one man sin entered into the world, and through sin death,
and thus death passed through into all mankind, on which all sinned-

This situation will be changed. Death will be removed from our make-up to enable us to please God, truly. Our weak, inhibited, bodies will be transfigured. For this we wait for our Saviour from heaven.
Phil.3:20,21  For our realm is inherent in the heavens,
out of which we are awaiting a Saviour also, the Lord, Jesus Christ,
Who will transfigure the body of our humiliation,
to conform it to the body of His glory,
in accord with the operation which enables Him even to subject all to Himself.
He will not delegate this responsibility to others of the celestial hosts. He will come in Person to summon us and will snatch us away from this foreign country, where we live among people alien to our calling, to bring us back with Him to our real home. We must be changed from mortal to immortal, from corruptible to incorruptible, from miserable dying creatures to vivification and glory! And all in the twinkle of an eye!
1Cor.15:51-55 Lo! a secret to you am I telling!
We all, indeed, shall not be put to repose, yet we all shall be changed,
in an instant, in the twinkle of an eye, at the last trump.
For He will be trumpeting,
and the dead will be roused incorruptible, and we shall be changed.
For this corruptible must put on incorruption,
and this mortal put on immortality.
Now, whenever this corruptible should be putting on incorruption
and this mortal should be putting on immortality,
then shall come to pass the word which is written,
Swallowed up was Death by Victory.
Where, O Death, is your victory?  Where, O Death, is your sting?
The snatching away was never hinted at to any of the other writers of Scripture! Paul, our apostle, received it directly 'by the word of the Lord' for our belief. The operation, though it be swift, will not be hurried and haphazard. There will be a precise sequence of actions.
1Thes.4:15-18 For this we are saying to you by the word of the Lord,
that we, the living, who are surviving to the presence of the Lord,
should by no means outstrip those who are put to repose,
for the Lord Himself will be descending from heaven
with a shout of command,
with the voice of the Chief Messenger, and
with the trumpet of God,
and the dead in Christ shall be rising first,
Thereupon we, the living who are surviving,
shall at the same time be snatched away together with them in clouds,
to meet the Lord in the air.
And thus shall we always be together with the Lord.
So that, console one another with these words.
These passages may be broken down into a series of events, thus:
  • The Lord Himself will come for us, His body and complement.
  • His is the office of the Chief Messenger of God.
  • He will give a shout of command.
  • He will sound the trumpet of God.
  • At the last blast of the trumpet, the dead in Christ will rise first, incorruptible
  • The living will be changed - corruptible to incorruptible, mortal to immortal.
  • At the same moment these immortals, will be snatched away together
  • And rising as clouds of believers
  • They will meet their Lord at last, in the air.
  • They will be always together with the Lord.
  • The faithful take their places inherent in the heavens and are to judge messengers
All these will take place before the 'man of lawlessness' is revealed and the Day of the Lord commences.
2Thes.2:1-5 Now we are asking you, brethren,
for the sake of the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ
and our assembling to Him,
that you be not quickly shaken from your mind, nor yet be alarmed,
either through spirit, or through word, or through an epistle as through us,
as that the day of the Lord is present.
No one should be deluding you by any method, for, 
should not the apostasy be coming first
and the man of lawlessness be unveiled, the son of destruction,
who is opposing and lifting himself up over everyone termed a god 
or an object of veneration,
so that he is seated in the temple of God, demonstrating that he himself is God?
Do you not remember that, still being with you, I told you these things?
November 2001


Back to:
....Main menu of articles

....Section 1 - Introduction
....Section 2 - God's Different Operations
................... - The Different Evangels of Scripture

Proceed to:
....Section 4 - Post-Rapture Operations
....Section 5 - The Second Coming of Jesus Christ
................... - Comparison Between Rapture and Second Coming
....Section 6 - Conclusions

 

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