RAPTURE OF THE BRIDE

THE BRIDE WILL NOT BE HERE

God’s word made it quite clear, we will face tribulations in this world, that the rain falls on the just and the unjust. The sun rises on evil and good. We can not get through this life without troubles, suffering, natural disasters or loss of a loved one.

⁴⁵ that you may be sons of your Father in heaven;

for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good,

and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.

MATTHEW 5:45

³³ These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace.

In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer,

I have overcome the world.”

JOHN 16:33

⁴ For, in fact, we told you before when we were with you

that we would suffer tribulation, just as it happened, and you know.

1 THESSALONIANS 3:4

We know Paul suffered great tribulations before he was killed, as all the apostles did. But many Christians realize that we are now living in the end times, the beginning of sorrows, as labor pains upon a pregnant woman. The entire planet is groaning and laboring also. We can see this by all the volcanoes that have erupted, the storms are stronger, and the earthquakes have also gotten stronger too. 

⁸ All these are the beginning of sorrows.

MATTHEW 24:8

²² For we know that the whole creation groans and labors

with birth pangs together until now. ²³ Not only that, but we also

who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within

ourselves, eagerly waiting for the adoption,

the redemption of our body.

ROMANS 8:22-23

God said the destruction come on them, they will not escape. He did not say on us, His believers. His wrath falls on all those who did not believe and but their trust in Jesus. We will not be here. But we the saints will return with Jesus when He executes judgment on this ungodly world.

² For you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord

so comes as a thief in the night. ³ For when they say, “Peace and safety!”

then sudden destruction comes upon them, as labor pains upon a pregnant

woman. And they shall not escape. ⁴ But you, brethren, are not in darkness,

so that this Day should overtake you as a thief.

1 THESSALONIANS 5:2-4

¹⁴ Now Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied about these

men also, saying, “Behold, the Lord comes with ten thousands of His saints,

¹⁵ to execute judgment on all, to convict all who are ungodly among them

of all their ungodly deeds which they have committed in an ungodly way,

and of all the harsh things which ungodly sinners have spoken against Him.”

JUDE 14-15

As evil spreads we can see God is warning us that soon He will pour out His wrath on this evil ungodly world which He calls the great tribulation. The seven year tribulation is only for those who have not accepted Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. The true believers in Jesus will not be here, Jesus came to save us from God’s wrath, so He will take (rapture) His bride off this earth before God pours out His wrath. Only true believers in Jesus will be counted worthy to escape the tribulation.

³⁶ Watch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted

worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass,

and to stand before the Son of Man.”

LUKE 21:36

¹⁰ and to wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead,

even Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come.

1 THESSALONIANS 1:10

How do we know this?  First, if you believe Jesus is the bridegroom and the church is the bride. God our Father will not pour His wrath on us, His Son’s bride, His children. If you believe you will be here during the tribulation, that means not only is God pouring His wrath on you, but also on His Son’s body. And I know God loves His Son and us, and that He will never do that. We the bride will be gone.  

²⁹ He who has the bride is the bridegroom; but the friend

of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices

greatly because of the bridegroom’s voice.

Therefore this joy of mine is fulfilled.

JOHN 3:29

² For I am jealous for you with godly jealousy.

For I have betrothed you to one husband,

that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ.

2 CORINTHIANS 11:2

⁶ one God and Father of all, who is above all,

and through all, and in you all.

EPHESIANS 4:6

Second, we are told that Jesus is the head of the church and we are His body, we have His spirit living in us, we are joined to Him.

¹⁷ But he who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with Him.

1 CORINTHIANS 6:17

²⁴ I now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up in my

flesh what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ,

for the sake of His body, which is the church,

COLOSSIANS 1:24

²³ For the husband is head of the wife,

as also Christ is head of the church;

and He is the Savior of the body.

EPHESIANS 5:23

²² And He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head

over all things to the church, ²³ which is His body,

the fullness of Him who fills all in all.

EPHESIANS 1:22-23

Third and foremost the reason we will not be here through the seven year tribulation is that Jesus came to save us from God’s wrath. People will ask, what makes us so special we will not have to go through the tribulation? Tell them the blood of Jesus Christ makes us that special. 

⁹ Much more then, having now been justified by His blood,

we shall be saved from wrath through Him.

ROMANS 5:9

¹⁰ and to wait for His Son from heaven,

whom He raised from the dead, even Jesus

who delivers us from the wrath to come.

1 THESSALONIANS 1:10

When we see these things happening know that Jesus is near, at the door. He knows your name and will lead His bride, you out by name, your redemption is near.

²⁸ Now when these things begin to happen,

look up and lift up your heads,

because your redemption draws near.”

LUKE 21:28

³ To him the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep hear his voice;

and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.

JOHN 10:3

That is why, not only are we to spread His saving gospel to all nations, not all people, but all nations, but also the churches are to keep watch for His glorious appearing.

¹⁴ And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached

in all the world as a witness to all the nations,

and then the end will come.

MATTHEW 24:14

Watch therefore, for you do not know

what hour your Lord is coming.

MATTHEW 24:42

¹³ looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing

of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ,

TITUS 2:13

³ Remember therefore how you have received and heard;

hold fast and repent. Therefore if you will not watch,

I will come upon you as a thief, and you will not know

what hour I will come upon you.

REVELATION 3:3

All these things are happening now.

⁶ For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am He,’ and will deceive many.

⁷ But when you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be troubled;

for such things must happen, but the end is not yet. ⁸ For nation will rise

against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be earthquakes

in various places, and there will be famines and troubles.

These are the beginnings of sorrows.

MARK 13:6-8

Therefore we know the rapture is our hope, what we are looking forward to, His appearing will be glorious, but His return at the end of the tribulation, when He sets up His kingdom, all people of the earth will mourn at His coming. For they will have no hope as they stand before Jesus, their Judge.

 

Preach the Word

4 I charge you therefore before God and

the Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the living and

the dead at His appearing and His kingdom:

 

2 TIMOTHY 4:1

 

Do not grumble against one another, brethren, lest you be

condemned. Behold, the Judge is standing at the door!

 

JAMES 5:9

 

⁷ Behold, He is coming with clouds, and every eye will see Him,

even they who pierced Him. And all the tribes of the earth will mourn

because of Him. Even so, Amen.

 

REVELATION 1:7   

These are two separate events, first, His appearing to rapture His church. Jesus Himself comes for His bride.

 

¹⁶ For 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. ¹⁷ Then 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.

1 THESSALONIANS 4:16-17

And second, His return to set up His kingdom. When He sends His angels to gather those who became believers through the tribulation.

³¹ And He will send His angels with a great sound

of a trumpet, and they will gather together His elect

from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.

MATTHEW 24:31

For God to pour out His wrath on the church of believers, the bride of Christ who has His Holy Spirit living in them would mean that God is pouring His wrath out on Himself. Jesus made it quite clear that He is in the Father, we are in Him, and He is in us. We are all joined together as one. We will not be here during the seven year tribulation.

²⁰ At that day you will know that I am in My Father,

and you in Me, and I in you.

JOHN 14:20

²⁹ For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes

and cherishes it, just as the Lord does the church. ³⁰ For we are

members of His body, of His flesh and of His bones.

EPHESIANS 5:29-30

¹³ By this we know that we abide in Him, and He in us,

because He has given us of His Spirit.

1 JOHN 4:13