Rapture Watch

            In an earlier blog we said that the first crooked place that needs to be made clear is the purpose of His coming. The purpose of His second coming is to gather His Bride to Him and take us back to our prepared place and our future calling. His coming is when we are resurrected at the rapture.
            “For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep. For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord” (1 Thess. 3:15-17).
            We know from the scriptural connections we’ve been making that we shall see the final sign of this age of celestial darkness over the whole earth as the 6th Day in God’s prophetic great Week ends. When the 7th Day (the last Day) dawns, we shall see our Lord coming in the clouds. We know this glorious Day is also called the Day of the Lord.
            In His teaching about the end of this age and His coming known as the Olivet Discourse, Jesus told us to “watch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man” (Luke 21:36). We’re to watch so that this Day doesn’t come upon us unawares or as a snare (vs. 34-35).
            So why did Jesus say to watch when we know when that Day shall come? We know it happens 2,000 years after His baptism for ministry when He was 30 years old.  Hebrews 10:25 reminds us that we can “see the Day approaching.” 
            The Greek word for “watch” here means to be awake, both physically and spiritually. It means to be spiritually aware of how God is moving. The Greek word for “pray” here is in the middle voice, which means to bind oneself to—another reminder for us to be knit together to His will. The phrase to “be counted worthy” means to be deemed entirely deserving. It means we know who we are in Christ, in right-standing with God through the blood of Jesus. We are righteous in Christ by faith. The word for “escape” here means to vanish away by overcoming strength, as we are changed in a twinkling of an eye.
            Notice where we end up: standing before the Son of Man. The Greek word for “stand” here is to abide, to make our appointment, our covenant relationship. We are not kneeling or bowing, but standing with Christ as joint heirs in the presence of God!
            Yet the scene doesn’t stop there. Daniel 7:9-10 gives us another view of this scene. “I watched till thrones were put in place, and the Ancient of Days [God the Creator] was seated; His garment was white as snow, and the hair of His head was like pure wool. His throne was a fiery flame, its wheels a burning fire; a fiery stream issued and came forth from before Him. A thousand thousands ministered to Him; ten thousand times ten thousand stood before Him. The court was seated, and the books were opened.”
            In case you’re wondering, the raptured Bride is the thousand thousands and the ten thousand times ten thousand standing before our Father God. And yes, we are the heavenly court, the immortal government for whom the many, many thrones were put in place.
            This is our next assignment, and the ultimate purpose of the rapture. We release the ruling judgments that defeat the Antichrist and bring God’s vengeance against Satan and all evil. So do you see who you are yet? Do you see the Day approaching? Is it changing how you respond to the news of our times? Does it change your priorities? Does it give you boldness to share your faith with others? Watch therefore!