Preparing for the End Times – God’s Timetable (Part 1) – The Rapture of the Church

Pastor Phil Andrukaitis, September 3, 2023

The Apostle Paul’s Second Letter to the Thessalonians

General Theme:  Living Righteously While Waiting Patiently for Jesus to Return

Sermon Title:  Preparing for the End Times – God’s Timetable (Part 1) – The Rapture of the Church

Sermon Text:  Second Thessalonians 2:1-3a

Subject:  Upsetting confusion surrounding the “Day of the Lord”

Complement:  When evil forces confuse God’s people about end times, sacred Scripture
steadies the shaken soul.

Dominating Idea:      Sacred Scripture steadies the shaken soul.

Introduction

The Bible describes a coming a day, an event, when tens of millions of people will suddenly be “evacuated” (forcibly removed) from this world, leaving behind in its wake a world in chaos.  Students of Scripture and Christians identify this event as the Rapture.  It is an event whereby God rescues His church (the body of Christ) on a global scale prior to His judgment upon this world.

Who could have imagined thirty, twenty, even ten years ago the issues we are presently experiencing (from gay marriages to transgenderism to the mutilation of children to abortion of babies up to the moment of birth)?  What’s next?  Euthanasia?  Yes, our culture is moving away from the sacredness of life.

There is moral decay in every nation.  The Bible is no longer revered in our culture.  In fact AI has generated its own “scripture” thus, attempting to usurp the place of Holy Scripture.

Governmental agencies once trusted are riddled with corruption and partisan politics.  Moreover, the incompetence of state, national, and world leaders, along with their drive to conform this world into a global community, and the efforts of the World Economic Forum, have led to increased chaos in major cities, the invasion of other countries, and an unstable global economy because sinful man believes he can create and govern this world better than Jesus Christ.

Transitional Thoughts

The title of this sermon is Preparing for the End Times:  God’s Timetable (Part 1), based on 2nd Thessalonians 2:1-3a.  It is the first of four messages based on 2nd Thessalonians 2:1-17.

Paul’s second letter to the Thessalonian church is his response to a “disturbance in their spirit” regarding the “Day of the Lord.”  A crisis had arisen in the Thessalonian church.  Amid the persecution of the church (Nero during Paul’s ministry; Domitian during the apostle John’s ministry), charlatans, false teachers, and cult leaders, were nothing more than wolves dressed in sheep’s clothing.

These “DUDS” were teaching that the “Day of the Lord” had come.  No wonder there was a “disturbance in the spirit” within the church.  The church was upset because these enemies of God had convinced some of the Thessalonian believers that they missed the Rapture and were living in the midst of God’s wrath upon this world.  (Remember, the “Day of the Lord” is when God’s divine judgment and wrath come upon this world prior to Christ’s return.)  I like what Warren Wiersbe said, Date-setters are usually up-setters.

To calm the Thessalonian church and to realign their theology about Christ’s return, Paul graciously requests his brothers/friends to not to be shaken in mind (alarmed) (v. 2); and not to be deceived (v. 3a) by addressing four issues:

  • The Rapture of the Church (2:1-3a) – (9/3) TODAY’S FOCUS
  • The Revelation of the Antichrist (2:3-5, 7-12) – (9/17)
  • The Restrainer of Evil (2:6) – (9/24)
  • The Resolve of God (2:13-17) – (10/8)

The Rapture of the Church (2:1-3a)

The Concept of the Rapture of the church is under attack.  Consider what critics have stated:[1]

  • The word “Rapture” is not in the Bible.  Not true.  (Neither is Trinity, Atheism, Divinity, Incarnation, etc.); however, the concept is present in the Bible.  Moreover, the word, “rapio” (rapture) appears in the Vulgate, the Latin version of the Bible.
  • The concept of the Rapture came from a Scottish demon-possessed teenage girl, Margaret MacDonald in the 1800’s. Again, not true.  Yet, the concept of the Rapture was circulating among Bible prophecy scholars and writers, 200-years prior to Margaret MacDonald.
  • The Rapture and the 2nd Coming of Jesus are a combined event and will take place at the end of the Tribulation.  Not true.  Critics say premillennialists teach “three comings of Christ.”
  • The church has come down with a bad case of escapism.  Not true.  Critics have stated, since the early church endured persecution at its birth (Book of Acts) and down through history, the church will also experience great suffering in the Tribulation period.  After all, trials and tribulations will purify the church.  THIS LAST STATEMENT IS BLATANTLY FALSE!  The church is made completely pure by the cross of Christ.  Don’t ever forget this truth.

Four Views of the Rapture

When it comes to “end times,” most Christians agree on these three events:  First, there is coming a Great Tribulation such as the world has never seen.  Second, after the Great Tribulation, Jesus will return to this world to set up His kingdom.  Third, there will be a rapture – a translation from mortality to immortality.[2]

Before I address this text, it is important to know and understand the four different views regarding the Rapture.  Here is a brief description of each view:

  • Pre-Tribulation View: The belief that the Rapture will occur before the Great Tribulation (Revelation 6:1 – 19:11) occurs; this view states that the church will meet Jesus in the air and bring His bride to heaven.  Meantime, the Antichrist is revealed, and the Tribulation begins.  After seven years, Jesus returns with His church to set up His kingdom.
  • Mid-Tribulation View: The belief that the Rapture will occur at the midpoint of the Tribulation; at that time, the seventh trumpet sounds (Revelation 11:15) and the church will meet the Lord in the air.  Once safe in Jesus’ presence, the bowl judgments are poured out upon the earth (Revelation 15-16).  Moreover, the church will not be raptured until the Antichrist is revealed.
  • Pre-Wrath View: The belief that the rapture occurs before the “great day of His wrath” (Revelation 6:17); according to this view, believers go through most of the tribulation but not God’s wrath and are raptured between the midpoint and endpoint; about ¾ through the tribulation. Thus, the church will endure Satan’s wrath and man’s wrath.  Consequently, this view interprets the six seals in Revelation 6 as the wrath of Satan, not the wrath of God.
  • Post-Tribulation View: The belief that the rapture occurs at the end of the Tribulation as Jesus is descending to the earth; the church will meet Jesus in the air and turn right around and return to the earth with Jesus.  Consequently, the church goes through the entire Tribulation.

Addressing a Crisis of Faith in the Church

A.  Reminding the saints

“Now concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ
and our being gathered together with Him…”
(2nd Thessalonians 2:1)

Once again, Paul reminds the Thessalonians that Christ Jesus will “come” for His church (Parousia) and “gather” (episyragōgēs) His church together with Him.  See 1st Thessalonians 4:13-18 and John 14:1-3.

The false teaching, that the church would have to undergo the “Day of the Lord,” denies the church its promised rest from God.  While the church knows and expects trials and tribulations in this world, God’s people have the promised peace presence of Jesus because Jesus has overcome the world (John 16).

NOTE:  The “Day of the Lord” cannot begin without a world-wide apostasy and the appearance of the Antichrist (2nd Thessalonians 2:3).

NOTE:  The “Day of the Lord” (The Great Tribulation) will begin either immediately or shortly after the Rapture of the church.

NOTE:  Consequently, the Thessalonians were not living in that time period known as the “Day of the Lord.”  And neither is the church living in that period now.

NOTE:  First comes the Rapture of the Church, followed by the Great Tribulation (God’s judgment on this world – see Revelation 6-19), followed by the Return of Jesus Christ from heaven, Who will rule this world from the city of Jerusalem for a 1,000-years.

B.  Reinforcing the saints

“…we ask you brothers,
not to be quickly shaken in mind or alarmed,
either by a spirit or a spoken word, or a letter seeming to be from us,
to the effect that the day of the Lord has come.
Let no one deceive you in any way…”
(2nd Thessalonians 2:1c-3a)

Having reminded and comforted the saints regarding their removal from this world before the “Day of the Lord” comes, Paul’s pastoral heart reinforces their faith and hope in God by telling them not to be alarmed / shaken especially when false teachings come into their church.  See 1st Thessalonians 1:10; 5:9.

Having identified three avenues by which this false teaching / unbiblical speculation had entered the Thessalonian church – erroneous prophecies, testimonies, and even a forged letter from Paul himself, Paul reassures the Thessalonian church that the “Day of the Lord” had not come.

The concept of the “Day of the Lord” is mentioned 4 times in NT and 19 times in the OT.  Here are several references:

  • Isaiah 2:12 God’s Day when He judges the proud and lofty; they will be brought low.
  • Isaiah 13:6 Day of destruction
  • Isaiah 13:9 Pangs and agony will seize them; they will look aghast at one another
  • Jeremiah 46:10 Day of vengeance; God will avenge Himself on His enemies.
  • Joel 1:15 Day of destruction
  • Joel 2:11 Great and very awesome; who can endure it?
  • Joel 2:31 The sun becomes dark; moon turns to blood; great and awesome day
  • Amos 5:20 Is not the Day of the LORD darkness and not light, and gloom with no brightness?
  • Zephaniah 1:14-16 Read it.

SUMMATION:  The “Day of the Lord” is a day of doom, a day of vengeance, and a day of divine wrath.  This day will not come upon the church. 

Concluding Applications

So, you might be saying to yourselves, “Well, Pastor, that was all very well and interesting.  So what?  How does this message transform me?”

First, let’s remind ourselves that when our souls are shaken by the events in our lives and even our world, the only true and lasting source of peace and understanding comes from the Scripture.  Paul brought the Scriptures to them in the midst of their persecution and confusion and reminded them again:  “Do you not remember that when I was still with you I told you these things?” (2nd Thessalonians 2:5).  Read, review, remember the Scripture so that no one may delude you.

Second, when the Pharisees and Sadducees attempted to “trap” Jesus with His words, Jesus said to them, “Hypocrites!  You can discern the face of the sky and of the earth, but how is it you do not discern this time?” (Luke 12:56).  But to His disciples, Jesus said, “Watch therefore, for you do not know what hour your Lord is coming” (Matthew 24:42).

Third, knowing that we are living in the last days and can see the evil all around us, look again at prophetic passages.  Why?  God has revealed several purposes for revealing pre-history.  Consider the following:

  • To enable God’s people to know what to expect
  • To encourage God’s people to live with confidence
  • To prevent God’s people from being deceived by teachers who make false claims
  • To give God’s people hope so as to persevere in the midst of trials and tribulations
  • To inspire God’s people to evangelize the lost.

Are you prepared for the End Times?  Don’t be alarmed, shaken, or deceived.  Get back into the Scriptures.  Remember, sacred Scripture steadies the shaken soul.

[1] David R. Reagan, The Rapture under Attack, [doc online] from https://christinprophecy.org/articles/the-rapture-under-attack/#The%20Common%20and%20Frequent%20Criticisms, accessed 2023, Sept. 2.

[2] Got Questions.org, What are the strengths and weaknesses of the pretribulation view of the rapture?, [doc online]; from https://www.gotquestions.org/pretribulationism.html, accessed 2023, Sept. 2.