The Daily Word of Righteousness

The True Hope: "Rapture" or Resurrection?, #30

And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God. (Revelation 19:9)

When the Glory of the Lord comes upon the saints, the nations of saved peoples of the earth will come to that Divine light.

And the Gentiles [nations] shall come to thy light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising. (Isaiah 60:3)

To inherit the nations is part of the true hope of the Christian saint.

The saints have now been changed and have ascended to meet the Lord in the air. Although the ascension is not mentioned at this point, just as it is not mentioned in the fifteenth chapter of First Corinthians, we know it will take place because of I Thessalonians 4:13-17 and Revelation 11:12. The reader may notice we are viewing Revelation 11:12 and 19:8 as the same event, although the second verse comes much later in the Book of Revelation. This points up the fact that the events of the Book of Revelation are not in chronological order. The Lord Jesus was showing John several different aspects of the Day of the Lord, not a portrayal in order of the events of the Church Age.

For example, notice that the following passage portrays one aspect of the coming of the Day of Wrath.

And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains; And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb: For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand? (Revelation 6:15-17)

Several chapters later we find the rise of Antichrist from the sea of humanity.

And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy. (Revelation 13:1)

We understand that Antichrist will emerge before the Day of Wrath. Therefore the events are not in order but may be thought of as different aspects of the entire Church Age. It is not the order but the substance that is important.

The next event, after the saints are resurrected, will be the furious attack of the Battle of Armageddon.

And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war. (Revelation 19:11)

Those who ride with the Lord in that day will have been called, chosen, and found faithful.

These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them: for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that are with him are called, and chosen, and faithful. (Revelation 17:14)

They will be clothed in the white robes of righteous behavior. They will be terrible in the righteousness that has been created in them by the Lord Jesus.

And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean. (Revelation 19:14)

To be continued.