David: A Man After God's Own Heart

What does the Bible mean when it says that David was a man after God's own heart?  This can be answered in several ways, but most of all, as a young man, the Word says that David sought the Lord before any move that he made.

When David went out on the battlefield to defeat Goliath, the Philistine who had cursed the God of Israel, David said to him, "I come to you in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, who you have defied.  This day the LORD will deliver you into my hand, and I will strike you down and cut off your head" (1 Samuel 17:45-46).  For David, this battle was the Lord's battle and he was just an instrument in God's hands.

After David found out that King Saul had died, "...David inquired of the LORD, 'Shall I go up into any of the cities of Judah?' And the LORD said to him, 'Go up.'  David said, 'To which shall I go up?' And He said, 'To Hebron'" (2 Samuel 2:1).  Even a question as simple as where to go next was from the heart of David.  He would not move without inquiring of God for directions.  Time and time again, we read of David asking God what to do next confident that God would direct him.

If you or I were on a battlefield going up against a giant of an enemy, surely we would ask God what to do next.  But, if we are going on a trip, or even moving across town or to another city, would we bother God with such a simple question as whether we should make a move or travel down the road on a short trip or on a vacation?  David would not make a move without God for he was confident that only God could direct every step...he did not want to make a move lest he stumble.

Yes, David was a man who sought the direction of God..."a man after God's own heart."  Yet we all know that David was not perfect.  Looking back on his life, we find that he failed miserably many times.  David knew God's rules about moving the "Ark"...how it must be moved by Levite priests using two poles and to be carried on their shoulders.  Second Samuel 6 tells us of David's attempt to move the Ark to Jerusalem but he did not follow God's law concerning the moving of the Ark, nor did he inquire of God whether to move it or not.  The result was that a man named Uzzah lost his life.

We also know that David committed adultery with Bathsheba and had her husband killed to cover up his sin.  Against God's law (Deuteronomy 17:17) David took numerous wives and concubines, yet in the end, as flawed and imperfect as he was, David still was called "a man after God's own heart."

When Samuel revealed to King Saul that God had rejected Saul as king...that he would not have a royal dynasty,  the Scripture tells us that Samuel said, "The LORD has sought out a man after His own heart, and the LORD has commanded him to be prince over His people" (1 Samuel 13:14).  That man would be David.

The big difference between David and Saul was that when God confronted David with his sin, David's heart was broken and he openly grieved over his sin...not so with Saul.

R.C. Sproul writes: “In the Psalms, we see the heart of a penitent unveiled and in that I think we see most clearly the greatness of David the Great. If you read Psalm 51 and read it carefully and thoughtfully, that Psalm will reveal more than anything else in the history of David why David was called a man after God’s own heart. Because here it reveals the broken heart of a sinful man who sees his sin clearly.”

What does the heart of a man (or woman) look like who is known as "a man after God's own heart?"  It is one which recognizes their failures...their sins, confesses them daily to God, and then moves on in a direction that honors God as of first importance.  It is the desire to glorify God in his or her every move.

Chuck Swindoll says, "What does it mean to be a person after God's own heart?  It means your life is in harmony with the Lord.  What is important to Him is important to you. What burdens Him burdens you. When He says, "Go the the right," you go to the right. When He says, "Stop that in your life," you stop it. When He says, "This is wrong and I want you to change," you come to terms with it because you have a heart for God. That's bottom-line, biblical Christianity."

For the person who desires God's will in every aspect of their life, Jesus said, "Truly, truly I say to you, whatever you ask of the the Father in my name, He will give it to you" (John 16:23).  This simply means that if you desire what God desires, He will direct you.  Then you too, like King David, will be "a person after God's own heart!"

Influencing Others for Christ

Each day we encounter people who try to influence us. Some do this on purpose while others do it simply by being who they are. Every person we encounter may be influenced by us as well. We never know the impact of our life’s influence on someone else, nor what that influence will yield beyond our reach.

Our study for May 27^th brings into clearer focus the stewardship of influence. How we live before others matters. Paul’s concern for the Corinthians was that they underestimated their influence in bringing others to Christ. Rather than living in self-focused ways, Paul challenged his readers (and us) to run the race in the right way and with the right goals in mind. Let’s consider how to adorn the gospel of Christ rather than hinder it with our lives.

As we saw in last week’s lesson, a large part of this epistle was devoted to answering a list of questions the church had sent to Paul. In 1 Corinthians 8, he took up the difficult matter of how the believers should relate to pagan religious practices. Could they, for example, eat food that had previously been offered to a pagan god? Paul’s advice took into account the impact that believers’ decisions in such cultural issues might have on the conscience of other believers. In chapter 9, Paul reflected on his rights and responsibilities as Jesus’ apostle. He established that he had willingly given up his rights—rights enjoyed by other apostles—for the sake of being a good witness for Christ. He considered it a small thing to refuse to swing his weight around if it meant that more people could hear the gospel and receive an opportunity to respond. Paul often looked back to the Jewish Scriptures to bolster his points. In chapter 10, he reviewed the experience of the Israelites in the wilderness during the time of Moses. He considered their behavior a bad example and therefore a warning to the church not to fall for the same kind of temptation as the Israelites. He promised that God would provide His people an escape from falling into sin, if only they stayed alert to the warnings from the past.

Paul returned briefly to the theme of food sacrificed to idols (10:14-22) and then moved on to the issue of Christian liberty in “doubtful matters.” He emphasized that he personally enjoyed liberty in such matters, but again expressed a caveat to his God given freedom with his readiness to give up his liberty for the sake of others. The apostle was a master of thinking through—and then living out—being a good influence for Christ.   

Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 9:11b-12, “I try to find common ground with everyone, doing everything I can to save some.  I do everything to spread the Good News and share in its blessings.” (NLT)

This too should be the goal of every follower of Christ ... of every evangelical church ... to have as the primary goal for life the “spread of the Good News” of Christ’s redemptive plan for all who will believe.

(ETB Commentary, 2018)

Riding Out the Storms of Life

As we finish up studying through the book of Acts, we find the Apostle Paul in prison in Rome.  On his last known journey, we find Paul being taken to Rome, but under the direction of the Holy Spirit.  That journey took much longer than normal because of the stormy weather they encountered in the Fall and Winter on the Mediterranean Sea. Few ships dared travel those dangerous and treacherous waters during that season.  Paul warned the ship's captain and its owner, along with the Roman Centurion, that danger was ahead but he was ignored.
Storms are to be expected in life, some are caused by one's own disobedience and wrong decisions.  But, very likely, as in Paul's case, wrong decisions made by others can bring devastation and hard-ship to  innocent people.

Dr. Adrian Rogers wrote about this in an article, quoted below, and entitled:

Riding Out the Storms of Life

Sometimes the sea is calm and the wind blows softly. But other times the wind rises, the sky darkens, and we find ourselves in the midst of a terrible storm. We know that's the way life is, and in Acts 27 we read of such a storm in the life of the apostle Paul.

He had been arrested for preaching the gospel of Christ and was now being taken to Rome to be adjudicated when they encountered a huge storm. Perhaps you're even in the midst of a terrible storm yourself, and all hope has seemed to vanish.

First we need to realize there are many different types of storms we all encounter. Then we're going to see what Paul did in his storm and what we can do.

• There are normal storms. The Bible says God makes it rain on the just and the unjust (Matthew 5:45). We simply live in a world that has storms as a natural part of life.
• Then there are some storms we engineer by our own foolishness and disobedience. That's the kind of storm Jonah got into to when he tried to flee from the presence of God (Jonah 1:1-4).
• There are also storms God sends us for growth. Jesus commanded His disciples to get into a boat and go to the other side of the sea (Matthew 14:22-24). He knew a storm was brewing but was teaching them a lesson for their development.
• And then there are storms we're dragged into by other people. That's where we find the apostle Paul. He was a prisoner who had tried to warn them! But they wouldn't listen so he was dragged into his storm by others.

Sinking the Ship

The sailors on Paul's ship took some actions that made things worse. We tend to do some of these same things when we find ourselves in a storm. Let's look at some of the ways we sink the ship.

Make decisions in haste. Verse nine says much time had past, and they felt they had to do something. Have you heard some say "Let's do something even if it's wrong!" If you're in the middle of a decision, wait on God. If you feel something pushing you, I can assure you it's not the Holy Spirit. He leads and He guides, but He doesn't shove.

Depend upon worldly wisdom rather than godly wisdom. The captain and owner of the ship believed each other instead of Paul (verse 11). Don't go to the people of this world and ask them what to do. Seek a godly counselor — one that bases their counsel on the Word of God.

Take the easy way out. Because the harbor wasn't up to their standards, they decided to depart hastily (Acts 27:12). When they made their decision, it was based on what would be easy. Almost always you'll find trouble this way! Sometimes, we're called upon to endure hardness as good soldiers of Jesus Christ.

Follow the crowd. There was a crowd on that boat. When they took a vote, Paul was outvoted (verse 12). They said, "Let's sail." But if you think about it, often the majority is wrong. Don't get the idea that if everybody says it, then it's right. You may go from person-to-person trying to get permission to do what you already decided to do, but frequently, the majority is simply a lot of people pooling their ignorance.

Depend upon circumstances. In Acts 27:13 they said, "The sun is shining, the sea is calm, and the wind is blowing in our direction; it must be the right thing." There are a lot of people who are led by circumstances and say, "Lord, it must be Your will. It looks good." But that soothing south wind may turn into a horrible, ferocious storm.

Responding to Rain

When they found themselves in the teeth of this torrential rainstorm, the ungodly on this ship reacted in some curious ways. 

• In verse 15, they saw dashed dreams as the floundering vessel began to sink.
• And they also saw desperate efforts as described in verse 16. They desperately tried to get the tackle of the ship back together.
• Subsequently in verses 18-19, they experienced wasted resources. They started dumping what they thought were precious things into the ocean. What a waste!
• Then in verse 20, they lost hope. The stars, sun and moon has disappeared and they were in complete darkness.
• And finally, in verse 30, we see their foolish actions almost caused their demise as they tried to escape by lifeboats. In our lives today, we often see escapism in the form of alcohol, divorce, desertion, or even suicide. These are all foolish reactions to the storms of our lives.
In contrast to the ungodly responses, Paul said "be of good cheer" (verses 22 and 25). Can you imagine saying that in the midst of these problems? But the same One who gave him songs in the night in a dungeon at Philippi gave him peace in the midst of this storm — His name is Jesus.
We serve a mighty God! You may fail, flounder, and sin; but God is ultimately in control. Paul believed in God and could say, "Be of good cheer," even in the midst of his storm. And you can too by relying on the same God who brought him through the storm.

The Changing Face of Dispensationalism

This is the second in a series of Biblical studies on the literal translation of prophecy wherein the church will be taken out from the world (the Rapture) prior to the seven-year Tribulation time yet to come.  Furthermore, at the end of the Tribulation, Christ will bring with Him his bride (the church), referred to as the Second-Advent or Second-Coming of the Messiah and at which time the 144,000 Jews (Revelation 14:1) who have come through the Tribulation and have been protected from the "Wrath of God" will enter into the Millennial Kingdom under King Jesus.
These literal descendants of Abraham will have believed on Christ as their true and promised Messiah and will populate the Kingdom for 1000 years.
The following study, as well as the previous posted study, will help sort this all out.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

ISRAEL MY GLORY

March/April 2018  -   Randall Price

https://israelmyglory.org/article/the-changing-face-of-dispensationalism/

The Changing Face of Dispensationalism

Years ago, a dispensationalist was someone who consistently viewed the church as distinct from Israel. Today there is CD and PD—and it’s important to know the difference.

A student recently came to my office and told me he had been to a conference with pastors from mainline churches. When he mentioned he was taking a course on Dispensationalism from me, one of the pastors replied, “Does that still exist?”

Dispensationalism,* which holds to a literal interpretation of Scripture, is one of the most maligned and misunderstood theological concepts in the church today. Many Christians have abandoned it, while others seek to redefine it.

The Big Retreat

Anglican evangelicals, such as popular theologian N. T. Wright, regard the American form of Dispensationalism (what they call “Left Behind theology”) as “bizarre” and contend it is unknown in British circles. However, long before Wright made his observation, American Reformed* theologians—such as John Gerstner and R. C. Sproul, who have shaped the thinking of today’s generation—had labeled Dispensationalism heresy.1

The Emergent Church* has discarded Dispensationalism altogether as an obstacle to inclusiveness. And the modern church, appealing to millennials who largely steer clear of eschatology* (the study of future things), has little room for the broader teaching of futurism, much less the distinctions of Dispensationalism.

These trends, coupled with the recent popularity of Reformed teaching, have caused many seminaries and Bible colleges to retreat from defending Dispensational Theology.

In addition, more than two decades earlier, a reformulation of Classical Dispensationalism* (CD) had already spread throughout dispensational institutions. Known as Progressive Dispensationalism* (PD), this view attempts to understand the core tenets of Dispensational Theology through a so-called complementary interpretation, a confusing term in itself because it seeks to explain the equally confusing idea of an “already/not yet” and “both/and” eschatology.

PD’s central tenet teaches that the Abrahamic, Davidic, and New Covenants are already being progressively fulfilled today and will also be fulfilled in the Millennial Kingdom. Thus PD’s concept of futurism includes an aspect of present fulfillment in the church for the biblical covenants made with national Israel, while CD holds that the biblical covenants find their fulfillment exclusively in the Millennium.

Historical Overview

The first half of the 20th century witnessed a retreat from futurism with C. H. Dodd (1884–1973) and his “Realized Eschatology,”* which taught that the eschatological passages in the New Testament (drawn largely from the Old Testament) do not refer to the future but, rather, to the experiences of Jesus and the New Testament church.2

Many liberals, who preferred the principles of love and peace to the expectation of future apocalyptic destruction, embraced Dodd’s position. His view continues to influence evangelicals today through the writings of Wright and his “Kingdom Now” theology,* which largely characterizes the 21st-century “millennial” churches.

A different form of Kingdom Now Theology that also sees some or all Bible prophecies as fulfilled in historic events of the past is Preterism.* Once the provenance of liberal scholars, Preterism is now advanced by the teachings of conservative Christians such as radio “Bible Answer Man” Hank Hanegraaff and the late R.C. Sproul.3

Another evangelical, historic premillennialist,* Gordon E. Ladd, promoted Oscar Cullman’s “Inaugurated Eschatology,”* a view that taught the promises of the Kingdom Age were initially being realized in the Church Age.4 Many well-known, evangelical, premillennial scholars, such as D. A. Carson, have promoted this view, which forms the substance of Progressive Dispensationalism. It retains the CD distinctive concerning the future Kingdom, but also embraces a spiritual fulfillment of those promises within the Church Age.

Progressive Dispensationalism

Progressive Dispensationalism debuted in the 1990s as developed and defended in the works of evangelical scholars Craig A. Blaising (Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary), Darrell L. Bock (Dallas Theological Seminary), and the late Robert L. Saucy (Talbot Seminary).

These authors claim their view simply revises the core tenets of Dispensationalism. But PD’s inclusion of tenets from opposing systems of interpretation obscures CD’s distinctives and makes possible a progression toward the next inevitable position: Amillennialism* or Postmillennialism.*

Evangelical theologian Walter A. Elwell observed, “The newer dispensationalism looks so much like non-dispensational pre-millennialism that one struggles to see any real difference.”5

Postmillennialist Keith Mathison stated,

In my opinion…progressive dispensationalists have moved closer to Reformed theology on a number of doctrines. They now acknowledge that the kingdom has been inaugurated and that there is a present as well as a future aspect of the kingdom. They have also recognized the two-peoples-of-God theory* to be unbiblical, which, ironically, brings us to the negative side of progressive dispensationalism. If the defining doctrine of dispensationalism is the two-peoples-of-God theory, then to reject that theory is to reject dispensationalism itself.6

CD vs. PD

Classical Dispensationalism has three essential distinctives:

1. It makes a clear distinction between Israel and the church in God’s purposes.
2. It employs a consistent, literal hermeneutic* (method of interpretation), especially when it comes to the prophetic Scripture.
3. It maintains a doxological focus that sees the ultimate purpose of God as bringing glory to Himself.7

Let’s look at these three distinctives in greater detail.

1. Israel and the Church. Theologian Charles C. Ryrie said,

The one who fails to distinguish Israel and the church consistently will inevitably not hold to dispensational distinctions; and one who does will. Progressive dispensationalists seem to be blurring this distinction by saying that the concept is not in the same class as what is conveyed by the concepts of Gentiles, Israel, and Jews.8

Progressive dispensationalists maintain that the “one new man” of Ephesians 2:11–22 refers to the church as a continuation of believing Israelites in the Old Testament. Therefore, believing Jews and Gentiles constitute the “one people of God.”

This concept may be true on a redemptive level, but Gentiles and Jews are distinct historic people groups with distinct callings and promises within the biblical covenants. PD correctly sees the church as consisting of both the believing remnant of national Israel and the believing remnant of Gentiles, but it incorrectly views this unity as an “initial fulfillment” of the New Covenant, which God specifically made with Israel:

Behold, the days are coming, says the LORD, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah….I will put My law in their minds, and write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people….For they all shall know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them, says the LORD. For I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more (Jer. 31:31, 33–34).

The church’s participation in the New Covenant is a present, partial guarantee of the future, full realization of the promise in the Millennial Kingdom. It cannot be fulfilled literally until the Lord forgives the sins of the entire remnant of Israel and Judah, “from the least of them to the greatest of them” (a universal expression).

The apostle Paul said the present believing remnant of Jewish people exemplifies the future, full inclusion of national Israel. The Gentile nations are included through the spiritual promise to Abraham (Gen. 12:3):

At this present time there is a remnant according to the election of grace. Now if [Israel’s] fall is riches for the world, and their failure riches for the Gentiles, how much more their fullness! For I do not desire, brethren, that you should be ignorant of this mystery,…that blindness in part has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. And so all Israel will be saved (Rom. 11:5, 12, 25–26).

This text reveals the New Covenant cannot find initial fulfillment until the Second Advent of Messiah since Israel now remains blinded during the Church Age.

2. Literal Hermeneutic. Dispensationalism uses a consistent, literal method of interpreting Scripture. It takes the biblical text at face value, without imposing on it a theological interpretation foreign to the text. However, PD’s “complementary hermeneutic” redefines the understanding of the Old Testament through the lens of the New Testament.

It argues that Christ currently occupies King David’s throne in heaven. But the normal reading of the Old Testament understands David’s throne to be an earthly one promised to the Davidic dynasty in national Israel, even under the New Covenant (Jer. 33:17–22). It also views Christ as David’s descendant reigning in Israel as a Messianic promise to be fulfilled in the Millennial Kingdom (1 Chr. 17:14; cf. Ezek. 37:25).

Classical dispensationalists argue that the Bible never says David’s throne is in heaven during the Church Age. Instead, it specifies Christ will rule over “the house of Jacob”: “He [Jesus] will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever” (Lk. 1:32–33). While PD still views Christ’s reign as a future reality (both/and), it changes the text’s plain meaning to accommodate its theology that the Kingdom’s initial fulfillment has already begun.

PD contradicts the fact the apostle Peter tied the Messiah’s return to set up His earthly Kingdom to Israel’s national repentance (Acts 3:19–21). How could the Kingdom be inaugurated in the Church Age if national Israel remains under divine discipline and its national repentance will take place only at the end of the Tribulation?* (See Matthew 24:29–30 and Luke 21:28.) Likewise, if Messiah’s reign on David’s earthly throne depends on Israel’s repentance, then Messiah cannot be sitting now on the throne of David.

PD confuses this distinction. One of PD’s formulators conceded the fact in a theological debate with an amillennial theologian. He said the term Israel is symbolic. Later, I asked him what he meant by that statement. He simply replied, without explanation, “It is both/and.”

3. Glory to God. Dispensationalism focuses on God’s glory as the ultimate purpose for His divine plan. Progressive Dispensationalism’s rejection of this doxological purpose reveals the extent to which its system functions more like Reformed Theology than Dispensationalism.In other words, PD teaches Israel bothsymbolizes the church and literally refers to national Israel as distinct from the church. PD’s “complementary” hermeneutic permits its adherents to call their view Dispensationalism, while embracing views from an opposing theological system whose core tenets spiritualize Israel.

PD, like Reformed (Covenant) Theology, sees humanity’s redemption as the goal of “salvation history.” CD sees humanity’s salvation as a means to an end—God’s glory—not the end itself. As Ryrie stated, “Scripture is not man-centered as though salvation were the main theme, but it is God-centered because His glory is the center….The Bible is not centered in salvation history…but in God Himself.”9

Classical Dispensationalism sees God’s purposes with Israel and the church as distinct plans in history designed to bring Him glory only when each purpose is fulfilled (Rom. 11:30–33).

Cautionary Note

I want to caution those who hold to Classical Dispensationalism against overstatement in their critique of progressive dispensationalists, who may represent the dominant view of evangelical churches and seminaries today. Most advocates of PD hold to a pretribulational Rapture and believe in Messiah’s Second Coming to establish His Millennial Kingdom for Israel and the nations. They are also among the leading defenders of the evangelical faith and strong supporters of the Jewish people and the State of Israel.

My concern is for the next generation of progressive dispensationalists who may move beyond the theology of the founders. In his treatise Theology Adrift: The Early Church Fathers and Their Views of Eschatology, D. Matthew Allen explains that the eschatological shift in the ancient church from Premillennialism to Amillennialism began when the church lost its understanding of Israel as a uniquely chosen people of God with specific promises from God yet to be fulfilled.10

Hopefully, recognizing how redefinition has occurred may aid this generation of Bible students against further redefining terms and encourage them to rethink how perceived progress may in fact be a retreat from established truths.

ENDNOTES

*See Glossary.
1. John H. Gerstner, Wrongly Dividing the Word of Truth: A Critique of Dispensationalism (Brentwood, TN: Wolgemuth & Hyatt, 1991), 68.
2. C. H. Dodd, “The Kingdom of God Has Come,” Expository Times 48, no. 3 (1936) and H. G. Wood, The Kingdom of God and History (London: Allen and Unwin, 1938).
3. R. C. Sproul, The Last Days According to Jesus: When Did Jesus Say He Would Return? (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 1998). Hank Hanegraaff, The Apocalypse Code: Find Out What the Bible Really Says About the End Times and Why It Matters Today (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, 2007).
4. Ladd taught the “already/not yet” view in his essential writings on eschatology: Crucial Questions about the Kingdom of God (1952); Jesus and the Kingdom (1964); A Theology of the New Testament (1974); The Meaning of the Millennium: Four Views (1977); The Last Things (1978); The Blessed Hope (1990); The Gospel of the Kingdom (1990); and his most influential book, The Presence of the Future (1996).
5. Walter A. Elwell, “Sidebar: Dispensationalisms of the Third Kind,” Christianity Today, September 12, 1994, 28.
6. Keith A. Mathison, Dispensationalism: Rightly Dividing the People of God? (n.p.: P&R Publishing, 2012), Appendix A, 135.
7. These are the three sine qua nons given by Charles C. Ryrie. See Ryrie, Dispensationalism (Chicago, IL: Moody Publishers, 2007), 39–40. I also am indebted to H. Wayne House for many of the contrasts between CD and PD found in his paper “Danger of Progressive Dispensationalism to Pre-Millennial Theology: Reflections of a Pre-Progressive Dispensationalist,” Pre-Trib Research Center, December 2003 <tinyurl.com/yau2l2nn>.
8. Ryrie, 39.
9. Ibid., 40.
10. D. Matthew Allen, Theology Adrift: The Early Church Fathers and Their Views of Eschatology, Bible.org, May 25, 2004 <tinyurl.com/yatr7tbu>.

Dr. Price is a university professor, author and coauthor of 30 books, and world-renowned archaeologist. He is also the founder and president of World of the Bible Ministries (worldofthebible.com) and has taken more than 100 trips to Israel.

The Rapture of the Church

For those of us who believe that Jesus is coming back for His Bride, the Church, prior to the Great Tribulation and the Wrath of God, we hear various teachings which are counter intuitive to the plain teaching of Scripture.  There are those who believe and teach that some kind of catching up of the believers will coincide with the Second Coming of the Jesus; others believe that it will occur somewhere in the middle of the Tribulation, before God pours out His wrath on an unbelieving world; and, others something else.  So, just what does the Scripture teach and what should our focus be as we prepare for the End of the Age?  The apostle Paul wrote, concerning the coming of the Lord, "But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers..." And, then, "Therefore encourage one another with these words." 1 Thess. 4:13-18.
The better we understand what will happen, the less we stress and the more we are encouraged, looking for our "blessed Hope!"
I believe that the following article by David Levy, from The Friends of Israel ministry and "Israel My Glory" digital magazine, will be very helpful to you.

"The Rapture"

"What it is, and what it isn’t.
When the word Rapture is mentioned, responses differ. Some people know it refers to Christ coming to take the church to heaven. Others incorrectly associate the rapture with Christ’s Second Coming. Still others have no idea what the Rapture is.

Confusion prevails, primarily because many churches seldom teach the subject today or lack biblical clarity when they do teach it. In some circles, people even dislike or ridicule the doctrine. Often the Rapture passages are spiritualized, stripping the text of its true meaning.

The Rapture of the church is a major doctrine in Scripture, and it is incumbent on us as Christians to understand the meaning of this important prophetic event.

The Rapture Defined
The word Rapture does not appear in the English Bible. It is a Latin word, raptura, that means to “seize, snatch, or be carried away.” The Greek word harpazō does appear in the Bible (1 Th. 4:17) and means the same thing as raptura. Thus the Rapture is clearly taught in Scripture.

The Greek word harpazō does appear in the Bible (1 Th. 4:17) and means the same thing as raptura. Thus the Rapture is clearly taught in Scripture.

Two central passages describe the Rapture: 1 Thessalonians 4:13–18 and 1 Corinthians 15:50–54. The Rapture refers to when Jesus Christ will descend from heaven with a shout, the voice of an archangel, and the trumpet of God to gather all true Christians to heaven. Those who already died and those living will be caught up together to meet the Lord in the air (1 Th. 4:16–17).

The event will happen suddenly, without prophetic signs or warning. When we are transported to heaven, we will be physically transformed in the twinkling of an eye to receive glorified bodies preparing us for life in eternity. The apostle Paul wrote, “In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality” (1 Cor. 15:52–53). Our “corruptible” sin natures will be instantly eradicated, and we will experience perfection in body, soul, and spirit.

Paul said Christ will “transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to His glorious body” (Phil. 3:21). Every believer’s body will be refashioned in a resurrected form (but still recognizable), as was Christ’s body. The apostle John assured us that we “shall be like Him” (1 Jn. 3:2).

Every believer’s body will be refashioned in a resurrected form (but still recognizable), as was Christ’s body.

What was Christ like in His resurrected body? He could appear and vanish (Lk. 24:31); and He could walk, talk, eat, and rise into heaven (Jn. 21:21–25; Acts 1:11). He was not bound by gravity, time, or space; and He could travel at will from one place to another instantly. When we are raptured, we will possess the same abilities in our glorified bodies, but we do not know yet to what extent.

The Relationship Described
Our relationship with Jesus Christ resembles that of a bridegroom and his bride. John the Baptist first used this analogy in John 3:28–30. He taught that Christ is the Bridegroom, and the church is His bride.

Although the phrase bride of Christ is not in the New Testament, the idea appears throughout Scripture (cf. 2 Cor. 11:2; Eph. 5:23–27; Rev. 19:7; 21:9), providing great insight concerning our unbreakable union with Christ. It pictures the intimacy we enjoy with Him, like that of a husband and wife (the most private, personal bond possible in life).

The Rapture refers to when Jesus Christ will descend from heaven with a shout, the voice of an archangel, and the trumpet of God to gather all true Christians to heaven.

This union is a “great mystery” (Eph. 5:32), something unknowable unless God reveals it. Paul said specifically he was speaking in Ephesians 5:23–29 about more than human marriage; he was speaking about “Christ and the church” (v. 32).

The Rapture Distinctives
Many Christians associate the Rapture with Christ’s Second Coming. This is a mistake because these events are distinct from each other; and it is important to understand the differences:

1. At the Rapture, believers meet Christ in the air (1 Th. 4:17). At Christ’s Second Coming to Earth, no meeting takes place (Zech. 14:4).
2. At the Rapture, only born-again believers will see Christ come (Jn. 14:3). At the Second Coming, the entire world will see Him (Mt. 24:30; Rev. 1:7).
3. At the Rapture, believers are taken to heaven (Jn. 14:3). Unbelievers remain on Earth to endure the Tribulation. At the Second Coming, believers return to Earth with Christ to enter the Millennial Kingdom (Mt. 25:34). Unbelievers who survive the Great Tribulation will never enter the Kingdom; they will be purged and thrown into everlasting fire (v. 41).
4. At the Rapture, Christ returns for His church (1 Th. 4:17). At the Second Coming, His church returns with Him to rule on Earth during the Millennial Kingdom (Rev. 19:14).
5. The Rapture is imminent. No signs or events must precede it. Many signs and events occur before Christ’s Second Coming (Mt.24:4–30).
6. The Great Tribulation—when God unleashes His wrath on Earth—will not affect believers because they will already have been raptured (1 Th. 5:9). The Great Tribulation will torment unbelievers, all of whom will be left on Earth (Rev. 6—18).
7. Although the church is mentioned 19 times in the first three chapters of the book of Revelation, it is not mentioned again until Revelation 22. In other words, Scripture does not mention the word church when dealing with God’s Tribulation wrath in Revelation 6—18, but it does talk about unbelievers and how they will suffer and die (6:8; 8:11).

The Rapture Deliverance
The Rapture’s major mission is to deliver the church from God’s wrathful judgment of sinful humanity, which will afflict the entire earth. Paul told the Thessalonian church, “Wait for His [God’s] Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, even Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come” (1 Th. 1:10).

The Rapture’s major mission is to deliver the church from God’s wrathful judgment of sinful humanity, which will afflict the entire earth.

After speaking of the Rapture (4:16–17), Paul said, “For God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ” (5:9). Notice, God did not “appoint” (destine) Christians, who possess salvation, to experience His eschatological wrath. That event is planned for sinners who reject Him.

Many ask, “If God is going to pour out His judgment on sinful humanity, and Christians are still sinful even after we have received Christ, why would He deliver only Christians from His wrath in the Great Tribulation and not others?” Because Christ’s sacrifice of Himself was applied as payment for our sin when we accepted Him as Savior; we received Christ’s righteousness: “For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him” (2 Cor. 5:21). So God sees us as having His righteousness, obtained through faith in Christ.

However, if we reject Him, He does not see us that way, and “the wrath of God abides on [us]” (Jn. 3:36). If we receive Christ as our Savior, Christ’s sacrifice is laid on our account and pays for our sin. We are no longer under God’s condemnation or wrath (Rom. 8:1; 1 Th. 5:9). If we do not receive Christ, we must pay for our sin ourselves, and “the wages of sin is death” (Rom. 6:23).

God showers His mercy and grace on repentant sinners and withholds the punishment we deserve. In addition, in His grace, He provides the unmerited favor we do not deserve.

Today we live in the age of grace, or the Church Age. It is so named because Jesus said, “I will build My church” (Mt. 16:18). The Church Age began on the Day of Pentecost (Acts 2) and will end at the Rapture (1 Th. 4:13–18). But God’s program continues through the Great Tribulation and into the Millennial Kingdom and eternity.

Church saints will return with Christ at the Second Coming, clothed in pure white linen that symbolizes their righteous acts, and they will rule and reign with Him for 1,000 years (Rev. 19:8, 14; 20:4; cf. 2:26–28; 3:21).

What a glorious plan God has established for those who put their faith in Christ for salvation. Have you?"

David M. Levy is the Director of Worldwide Ministry Development, Education, and Ministry Relations, as well as being an author and Bible teacher for The Friends of Israel.

https://israelmyglory.org/article/the-rapture/