The Rapture Secret Most Christians Miss — 1 Corinthians 15:51

Hello, and welcome to Through the Bible with Les Feldick. An Oklahoma rancher and farmer, Les Feldick has been teaching homestyle Bible classes for 20 years in Iowa, Oklahoma, and Texas. Les Feldick's unique style of Bible teaching has made the books of the Bible come to life. When Les is teaching, it's so interesting that people say time just seems to fly by. And now, here is Les Feldick. Okay, let's turn once again right where we left off after our last program, and that would be in 1 Corinthians, and we got all the way down to verse 51. So we'll pick up there in this half hour, but again, we'd like to welcome our television audience and let you know that all our past programs are available on videotapes and audiotapes as well as they've all been transcribed into corresponding little books, word for word. And in order to hold the cost down, we have put six hours on each one of the videos and six hours on the audio. And then of course, each little book is also six hours of television teaching. So if you're interested in any of those things, you give us a call on the 800 number or drop us a note and we'll get you all the information you need. All right, let's get right back into where we left off in our study. And as I mentioned in my closing remarks, it's amazing that in this little letter to the Corinthians who were so carnal, they were such babes in Christ, and where Paul spends the first part of the letter dealing with all of their problems, and they had a bunch of them, but now all of a sudden here in chapter 15, he delves into some of the deepest aspects of our whole Christian faith, and that of course is resurrection. There is probably more on resurrection in this one chapter than all the rest of the Bible put together. Now it's interesting as we come to verse 51, that Paul uses that word that is so intrinsic to his writings, and that is the word mystery. Yep, you're already seeing it. Behold, he says in verse 51, I show you a mystery. Now for those of you who are unacquainted with the Greek, or have not been a real Bible student, always remember that this word mystery comes from the Greek word mysterion, which simply means secret. And so the words are used synonymously or interchangeably throughout Paul's letters, where he says, behold, I show you a secret. And you know, whenever we speak of secrets, I guess maybe now is the time to do it as well as any. Let's go again all the way back to Deuteronomy 29.29. It's been a while since we've used that verse, but I like to use it especially whenever there's a reference to Paul's use of the word mystery, because you have to realize that God in His sovereignty has every right, as well as every reason, to keep things secret as long as He wants to keep it secret. But once He reveals it, then He expects mankind to believe it, take it by faith. Deuteronomy 29.29, and I'm going to wait till you all find it, and I hope they can put it on the screen, because this verse is so loaded when it comes to understanding what Paul says, I'm revealing a secret. Deuteronomy 29.29, "...the secret things belong unto the LORD our God, but those things which are revealed..." Now you see revelation and secret go together. Deuteronomy 29.29, "...the secrets then that are revealed belong unto us and our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law." Now this of course was written to the nation of Israel, but it still shows that attribute of God, if I may call it that, that He has the prerogative to keep things secret. And He doesn't have to reveal it until He's good and ready. And this is one of the basic things to understand the Word of God, is that He does not reveal everything all the way up, but He'll reveal it at the right time. Now on your way back to I Corinthians, just stop at Luke 18. I alluded to it in one of the previous programs without reading it, but now in Luke 18 this is so evident that God actually with the Twelve kept things secret from them that they did not understand until He was ready to reveal it. In Luke 18, beginning at verse 31, Luke 18, verse 31, "...then He took unto Him the Twelve..." Now remember this is at the end of His earthly ministry. This is just shortly before they go up to Jerusalem. Luke 18, verse 31, "...He took unto Him the Twelve, and He said unto them, Behold, we go up to Jerusalem, and all things that are written by the prophets concerning the Son of Man shall be accomplished." See, otherwise prophecy becomes nothing, but everything that was written in the prophetic Word had to be fulfilled. Luke 18, verse 31, "...for he shall be delivered unto the Gentiles, and he shall be mocked, and spitefully entreated, spitted on, they shall scourge him, put him to death, and the third day he shall rise again." Plain as day, I don't see how He could have said it any plainer. Now look at the next verse, "...and they," the Twelve, "...understood none of these things." Well, was He speaking a foreign language? No. Was this the first time He had ever said something to them? No. He's been with them for three years, and He talked the same language. So why didn't they understand? Well, the verse tells you, "...and so they understood none of these things, and this saying was," what? "...hid from them." Why? Because that's one of the prerogatives that God has, is to keep things secret, and to keep them hidden until it's time to reveal it. All right, now then as you come back to 1 Corinthians 15 for probably just a minute or so, Paul now says that he is going to reveal a secret, or a mystery, which means it has never been revealed before. Now I cannot emphasize this enough. All of these things that are wrapped up in that ball of knowledge, in that whole sphere of doctrines and revelations that have now come to us through this apostle, were for the most part kept secret in the mind of God until He revealed them to the apostle Paul. And he makes reference to that, that it was to him first that God revealed these things, and why shouldn't He? He had the right to keep it secret. So keep that in mind now, that what he's now going to unveil has never been alluded to, it has never been hinted at, it has certainly never been spoken, and that is that at a point toward the end of time there will be a group of believers who will not die physically. All right, let's read it. Verse 51. I show you a secret, we shall not all sleep or die physically, but we as believers shall all be changed. Now that's why it took so much time in those previous programs to show that our resurrected body is going to be fashioned after Christ's resurrection body. It's going to be a lot like our physical body, but it's going to be different. It's going to be a spiritual body without blood. It's going to be flesh and bone, but no blood, and it's going to be activated by the Spirit. So he says there is coming a group of people who will not die physically, but they shall all be changed. And of course Paul writes as though it would happen in his lifetime, and so those of us who adhere to this line of teaching, we speak of it as the imminent coming of Christ for the Church. Which means it may be tonight, it may be tomorrow, it may be 10 years from now, but we are to expectantly look for it at any time. There is no set prophetic program to be fulfilled for this event to take place. Now contrary to that, the Second Coming, when Christ actually returns to the Mount of Olives, when Christ comes to the Mount of Olives in fulfillment of the Second Coming, that will have prophetic events leading up to it. So that there will be no doubt as to when He'll be coming at the Mount of Olives. But this event, there is no prophetic sign, there is nothing to indicate at what day or year that we can expect this to happen. Let's read on and then maybe we can come back. Let's look at verse 52. This is going to take place 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. That's what we were talking about earlier in the chapter, that which was sowed in corruption will be raised in incorruption. So now He's referring to those who have died, and we, thinking that He would be still with us who are alive and remain, will not die and be resurrected, but we shall be changed. We will be changed from this body of corruption to a body of incorruption in that split second at the trumpet call. Verse 53 This corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal body that is prone to death must put on immortality. It too must lose the flesh and blood concept, and become flesh and bone and activated by the Spirit. Now the trumpet, there's the word that throws a curve at so many people. And let's go back, and the one they always throw up to me is Revelation. Come back with me to Revelation, I think it's in chapter 8. Revelation chapter 8, and for some reason or other the best of people want to tie the trump of God in Paul's teaching concerning the rapture with these trumpets in Revelation, which of course will be at about the midpoint. But I'm going to point out something, and I hope you'll take it to heart. In Revelation chapter 8, and drop down to verse 2. And I saw the seven angels who stood before God, and to them were given not the trump of God, singular, but were given to them what? Seven trumpets, plural. Now that's a big point, I think. This is not the trump of God, these are angelic trumpets. The angels are going to blow them, and it's seven and not one. Now you see, when you come back to 1 Corinthians 15 again, compare Scripture with Scripture. The seven angelic trumpets can no way, shape or form, as I understand language, be a part of the trump, singular, not of an angel, but of who? Of God Himself. In other words, God has a trumpet reserved, made, however He makes trumpets, for just this event and this alone. For the calling out of the Body of Christ. Now I think for those who understand a little bit about the Roman army and their function and so forth, I think maybe the Roman army used the trumpet to put out commands, much like our American cavalry used to. Those of you who have seen enough Westerns, you know that the old trumpeter up there at the head of that long line of cavalry would blow his trumpet, and the fellow way at the back of the column would know exactly what the command was. Well I think it was the same way in the Roman army. When the battle was over, and the Romans were victorious, and the generals would want to let the legionaries know, we're going home to Italy. We're going back to Rome. That was the trumpet call that every legionary could be exalted by. And what a message! The battle is over, we've won, and we're going home. You show me a soldier that doesn't get excited about going home after a battle. Well you see that's where we are. We are in a battle, and even the press is finally waking up, and even Congress is waking up, that Christianity worldwide is coming under ferocious attack. Persecution is rampant against Christians, and I'm using the full breadth of the term. It's a warfare, and it's going to get worse. My what a joy to then hear that trumpet call, hey the battle's over, come on home, and we're going to be out of here. I believe it with all my heart, and we're getting closer and closer to the day when that trumpet call will take us out of this existence, and we will suddenly as Paul says be changed. Now in order to get the full picture of all this, we of course have to go over to the corresponding portion, and most of you already know where that's at, you probably beat me to it. 1 Thessalonians chapter 4, and this is just another extension of this revelation of this part of the mystery, which he now refers to as being caught up. Now I've had a lot of people try to corner me by saying, well lest the word rapture isn't in my Bible. Of course it isn't, I know that. Not in the English version anyway, but we're going to see down the line a little bit that there are two words that mean the same thing, so what's the big deal. All right, 1 Thessalonians chapter 4 verse 13. He's got much the same language as in chapter 15 of 1 Corinthians. He said, I would not have you to be ignorant brethren, and he could have just as well said concerning a mystery, but he doesn't, so we'll just read it as it is in the text. I would not have you to be ignorant brethren concerning them who have died physically. They are asleep. That you sorrow not, even as others who have no hope, for if we, what's the word, believe. See, if we believe that Jesus died and rose again. What is that? The gospel. See, if we believe the gospel, and I mean believe it, to the place where God has now imparted salvation. If we believe the gospel, even so them also who sleep in Christ, or in Jesus, who have died, God will bring with Him. Now here's another one of those Scripture portions where Jesus and God are synonymous. It's the same God, the same Jesus. All right, read it again. If we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them who sleep in Jesus. Now, I didn't want to do this, but I'm going to have to. Hold your hand in 1 Thessalonians and come back to Ephesians. Ephesians. Now I'm not going to look at all of them, but because if I'm not mistaken, there are 96 of these in the six chapters of Ephesians. 96. What am I talking about? The prepositional phrase, in Him, in whom, in Christ, in whatever, speaking of Christ Himself. All right, we're going to look at just a few of them. Ephesians chapter 1, verse 1. Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God to the saints, that's the believers, who are in Ephesus, and to the faithful, what are the next words? In Christ Jesus. See, in Christ. All right, verse 4. Ephesians chapter 1, verse 4. According as He hath chosen us, in Him. And all we could just go on through. Over and over you have this prepositional phrase, in Christ. All right, down to verse 12. That we should be to the praise of His glory, we who first trusted in Christ. And in verse 13. In whom. You also trusted, or placed your faith. And all the way through these six chapters, 96 times, if I'm not mistaken, you have this prepositional phrase, which is our position in Christ, or in the body of Christ. Now, come back to Thessalonians again, if you will. And so, for those who are in Christ, they have been baptized into the body by the Holy Spirit, not with water, but with the power of the Spirit. And we are in Christ. And if those kind of people are already dead, they will be raised in resurrection power. But that body that's raised in resurrection power is still void of the soul and spirit, remember, because they were separated at physical death. So what does God have to do? Well, the soul and spirit of that believer is already in glory. Now I've got to take another portion. 2 Corinthians chapter 5. We've got to do everything with Scripture, or otherwise it doesn't mean a thing. 2 Corinthians chapter 5. Keep your hand in 1 Thessalonians 4. I'm going to come right back to it, and then if I've got time, I'm going to put this on the board. First, 2 Corinthians chapter 5. 2 Corinthians chapter 5, and let's just drop all the way down to verse 6. 2 Corinthians 5, and verse 6. Therefore we are always confident knowing. That's what I like about the writing of Paul. There's no ifs, ands, buts about it. We know that while we're at home in the body, while we're living in this tabernacle, we're absent from the Lord. For we walk by faith, not by sight. Now verse 8. We are confident and willing rather to be absent from this body, and then what? Present with the Lord. Now had someone asked me that not too long ago, what happens to the believer's soul and spirit at death? It immediately goes into paradise in heaven. Immediately into the presence of the Lord. But only in soul and spirit. The body is placed in the grave. That's obvious. And so Paul says that so far as the soul and spirit is concerned, absent from the body is present with the Lord. Now let's come back to I Thessalonians chapter 4. If we believe that Jesus died and rose again, then God will bring those departed souls and spirits of believers only. Not of unbelievers, but of only the believers, and He will bring them from heaven down to the atmosphere. Now verse 15. For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain, in other words that's this one group of people he's talking about in I Corinthians 15, who have not died, but they will be changed in the twinkling of an eye. So those who will alive and remain to the coming of the Lord shall not precede or go ahead of them who are asleep, or who have died, for because 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. Those who are going to have to be resurrected, they're going to be brought out of the tomb, and wherever they're buried, and reunited then with their soul and spirit which God has brought from His presence into the atmosphere. Verse 17. Then after the resurrected saints have been reunited with their new body, and with their soul and spirit which Christ has brought with Him, then we who are alive and remain shall be raptured. Now it's caught up in the King James, but it's the same meaning. That's where we get the term raptured. So if you don't like that word, just say caught up. The day is coming when we're going to be caught up. We're going to be out of here in a split second. I think I've referred to it once before. I've got a gentleman out in our Denver audience, and I'm sure he came from a rather rough background. But we were having dinner with him one night, and we had a seminar out there, and I've never forgotten it. Jim, if you're listening, you're going to smile from ear to ear. He's got a bunch of young hunks that work for him. He has a trucking business of moving office furniture within the cities. He's got about 25 or 26 of these young fellows, and they're all the rough and ruddy hunk types. One morning he was having a devotional with them. He always has them read Scripture before they begin their day, and he says, One of these days you're going to see old Jim's truck sitting downtown Denver at a stoplight, and he's out of there. And you know it just thrills my heart when someone like that has been able to see this whole thing so clearly. And it's true. If the Lord comes in our lifetime, just suddenly we're going to be out of here. Whether we're driving down the highway, whether we're asleep in bed, it doesn't matter. We're just suddenly going to be out of here. Here it is now, verse 17. "...we who 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." Now just for a quick comparison of Scripture, I want to bring you all the way back. First let's stop in Acts chapter 1. Here they are on the Mount of Olives, the same Mount of Olives that we visit every time we go to Jerusalem. And the Lord is there with the eleven. His 40 days of resurrection experience has now come to an end. Verse 9 of Acts chapter 1. "...and when he had spoken these things, while they beheld..." Now don't forget what we've been reading about this resurrection body. They walked with Him, they talked with Him, they ate with Him, they felt and saw His wounds. It was a physical body, but it was flesh and bone. "...and so while they beheld, he was taken up, and a cloud received him out of their sight. And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven, as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel, who also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, the physical, spiritual Jesus who is taken up from you into heaven, shall show come in like manner as you have seen Him go." Now to put it in a lighter vein, I always say He went head first, and He's going to come back feet first. Now Zechariah quickly. That's the last book in your Old Testament. Find Matthew and then just go back to the left through Malachi and Zechariah. Zechariah 14, and compare the language. Paul says Christ is only going to come to the atmosphere. We meet Him in the air. But here in Zechariah 14, verse 4, it's just like in the Book of Acts where it says, "...and His feet shall stand in that day upon the Mount of Olives, which is on the east before Jerusalem." Thank you for watching Through the Bible with Les Feldick, a weekly Bible study. 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