Yes, God’s sovereign control over the universe makes the rapture entirely within His power.
Les Feldick teaches that Jesus Christ upholds all things by the word of His power and keeps every star in its place, so calling a few million believers out of the earth is not difficult for Him. The rapture is hard for the human mind to comprehend, but the accuracy of fulfilled prophecy gives reason to believe the Bible’s promise.
Hebrews 1:3 — This verse shows Christ's power to uphold the universe, which is the basis for Les's confidence that God can manage the rapture.
1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 — This passage describes the rapture event itself, showing the Lord will descend and believers will be caught up to meet Him in the air.
The Bible reveals that Jesus Christ is the brightness of God's glory and the express image of His person, and He is 'upholding all things by the word of his power' (Hebrews 1:3). Paul describes the rapture event: 'For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air' (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17). He also calls it a mystery: 'Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump' (1 Corinthians 15:51-52). Jude records Enoch's prophecy: 'Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints' (Jude 14).
Les Feldick acknowledges that the rapture is difficult to comprehend. In a split second, Christ will leave glory, the trumpet will sound, the archangel will shout, dead believers will be raised, and living believers will be changed and caught up into the air. 'I mean this is hard to comprehend,' he says. To show that God is able to do this, Les points to the universe. On a clear night we see billions of stars, and now astronomers say there are billions of galaxies, each with billions of stars. Not one of them is out of control. 'Because Christ has them all under control.' If God is aware of every celestial body, He is certainly aware of every believer and can gather them in an instant. Les also uses fulfilled prophecy: Israel's return to the land and Russia's rise as a world power were written in Scripture before they happened, and the unsaved world has no concept of how accurately the Book is being fulfilled. For Les, this supernatural accuracy is the reason he believes the rapture promise. He also notes that Enoch, who was translated before the flood, could prophesy that Christ would return with ten thousands of His saints. 'How can He return with the saints unless He takes them out first?' Thus God's management of the rapture is consistent with His sovereign control and with Scripture's fulfilled predictions.
Les Feldick frequently uses the night sky as proof of God's sovereignty. He says there are not just billions of stars, but billions of galaxies in which there are billions of stars. Yet not one of those stars has ever gone out of control, because Christ upholds all things by the word of His power. Les's logic is simple: if God knows and controls every celestial body in the vast universe, He certainly knows and can take care of every believer on earth. If He can hold galaxies in orbit, He can call a few million believers out of the earth in a split second.
Les says the rapture is hard to understand because it is hard to envision millions of people suddenly congregating in the atmosphere and then going back with Christ into heaven. He says, 'No wonder the unbeliever scoffs at it. I can understand why he would, because it takes some faith to believe that all of a sudden Christ will leave glory, will come to the atmosphere, the trumpet's going to sound, the archangel is going to shout, and all of a sudden all the dead believers of the church age are going to be raised.' Yet he concludes, 'But what's the book say? Just exactly that, and so I believe it, even though I can't comprehend it.'
Les points out that Russia becoming a world power and Israel becoming a nation again were foretold in Scripture long before they happened. He says the unsaved world has no concept of how accurately this Book is being fulfilled. Everything prophesied concerning Christ's first coming was fulfilled to the last jot and twiddle, and end-time prophecy is now falling into place according to God's timetable. For Les, this prophetic accuracy is his reason for believing the Bible from cover to cover, including the promise of the rapture.
Les notes that Enoch, the seventh from Adam, was translated just shortly before the judgment of the flood, and he prophesied that the Lord would come with ten thousands of His saints (Jude 14). 'Well, the first thing I have to say is, how can he return with the saints unless he takes them out first?' This implies that God has both the power and the plan to remove believers before He returns with them in judgment.
Les says the rapture will be a quiet disappearance, not the chaotic cartoon scene of airliners going down and car wrecks everywhere. There are simply not that many true believers who will be gone. The emphasis is on the meeting in the air, and the comfort that follows: 'and so shall we ever be with the Lord.' This reflects God's orderly management of the event.
Fulfilled Prophecy Proves Scripture's Accuracy
Les points out that the unsaved world doesn't see how accurately Bible prophecy is being fulfilled, which is why he trusts the whole Book, including the rapture.
The Rapture Is Hard to Comprehend
Les explains that the rapture happens in a split second, with the Lord descending, the trumpet sounding, and believers being raised and caught up - a hard but believable promise.
Christ Upholds the Universe
Les shows that Christ controls every celestial body, so He is fully able to oversee the rapture of believers.
Believing the Mystery Revealed to Paul
Les says that although he cannot envision millions of people meeting the Lord in the air, he believes it because the Book says so.
The Quiet Disappearance
Les clarifies that the rapture will be a quiet removal of a relatively small number of true believers, not a dramatic worldwide catastrophe.
Billions of Galaxies Under God's Control
Les uses the billions of galaxies and stars to show that God's knowledge and power far exceed what is needed to gather all believers at once.
Enoch: Taken Out Before Judgment
Les draws the implication from Jude that if Christ returns with His saints, He must have first taken them out of the earth.
God's Timetable Fulfilled
Les marvels that everything prophesied about Christ's first coming happened exactly, and end-time prophecy is falling into place, showing God is managing history.
Hebrews 1:3: Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high:
This verse shows Christ's sustaining power over the universe, which Les uses to show God's ability to manage the rapture.
1 Thessalonians 4:16: For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:
This describes the Lord's descent and the resurrection of the dead in Christ at the rapture.
1 Thessalonians 4:17: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.
This describes the living believers being caught up with them in the clouds, the actual 'outcalling' event.
1 Corinthians 15:51: Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,
Paul reveals the rapture as a mystery, and Les emphasizes this was a secret until revealed through Paul.
1 Corinthians 15:52: In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.
This explains the instantaneous change that will occur when the rapture takes place.
Jude 14: And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints,
Enoch's prophecy indicates that Christ will return with His saints, which implies a previous taking out.
Jude 15: To execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him.
This confirms that the return with saints is for judgment, aligning with Les's point that saints must be taken first.
Daniel 12:10: Many shall be purified, and made white, and tried; but the wicked shall do wickedly: and none of the wicked shall understand; but the wise shall understand.
Daniel's prophecy shows that in the end time the wicked will not understand what God is doing, while the wise will understand.
Yes. Les says that the same God who controls billions of stars in billions of galaxies can certainly call a few million believers out of the earth in a split second. The power that keeps the universe in order is the same power that will accomplish the rapture.
Les says it takes faith because it is beyond human comprehension that a group of believers could suddenly go from earth to the atmosphere in a split second. He acknowledges that even he finds it hard to envision, but he believes it because the Bible says it and because fulfilled prophecy confirms the Bible is true.
Les points to Jude's prophecy that the Lord will return with ten thousands of His saints. He asks, 'How can he return with the saints unless he takes them out first?' This shows that believers must be removed before they can return with Christ.
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