The Rapture of the Church: The Rapture in Relation to the Day of the Lord Lesson # 11
The Rapture of the Church • Sermon • Submitted • 1:15:42
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Next, we will note the relationship between the day of the Lord and the rapture.
Specifically, we will demonstrate that the Scriptures teach that the rapture will precede the day of the Lord.
But before, we do, we must determine what is the day of the Lord?
One of the major lines of prophecy running throughout the Old Testament and continuing through the New Testament is the prophetic truth related to the “Day of the Lord.”
It is a critical phrase in understanding God’s revelation regarding the future of planet earth, the city of Jerusalem, the nation of Israel as well as the Gentiles.
The writers of the New Testament use this phrase based on their understanding of the Old Testament prophets.
This phrase was used by the prophets of Israel in the Old Testament when they were speaking of both near historical events as well as future eschatological events.
The New Testament writers understood this and applied the phrase to both the judgment which will terminate the tribulation period of Daniel’s Seventieth week as well as the judgment which will bring the creation of the new heavens and the new earth.
The term “Day of the Lord” occurs in the following passages: Isa. 2:12; 13:6, 9; Ezek. 13:5; 30:3; Joel 1:15; 2:1, 11, 31; 3:14; Amos 5:18 (twice), 20; Obadiah 15; Zeph. 1:7, 14 (twice); Zech. 14:1; Mal. 4:5; Acts 2:20; 1 Thess. 5:2; 2 Thess. 2:2; 2 Pet. 3:10.
The phrases “that day” or “the day” or “the great day” also refer to the day of the Lord and appear more than 75 times in the Old Testament.
To summarize, many of “the day of the Lord” prophecies have already been fulfilled in history in several different ways: (1) Assyrian deportation of the northern kingdom of Israel in 722 B.C. (Amos 5:18, 20), (2) locust plague in Joel’s day (Joel 1:15), (3) Babylonian exile of Judah between 605-587 B.C. (Zeph. 1:7; Ezek. 13:5), (4) Babylonian defeat of Egypt in 587 B.C. (Ezek. 30:3), (5) destruction of Edom (Obad. 1-14).
There are several “day of the Lord” prophecies which will be fulfilled during the last three and a half years of Daniel’s Seventieth Week (Zeph. 1:14; Joel 2:1; 2:11, 31; 3:14; Zechariah 14:1-2; Is. 13:6-16).
There are some that will be fulfilled through the Second Advent of Jesus Christ (Zech. 14:3-8) and His subsequent millennial reign (Zech. 14:9-21; Joel 3:17-21).
There are certain features with regards to all of these “day of the Lord” prophecies.
First, there is God’s judgment of sin and His sovereignty over the nations including Israel.
There is also the concept of imminency in regards to those prophecies having a near fulfillment (Joel 1:15; Is. 13:6; Zeph. 1:7; Ezek. 30:3) as well as those having a far eschatological fulfillment (Obad. 15; Joel 3:14; Zeph. 1:14).
There was also the idea of God’s blessing on the nations and Israel and her future restoration under her Messiah and King.
Therefore, we can conclude that the phrase “the day of the Lord” prophecies described the immediate future as well as those events taking place during the Seventieth Week of Daniel and Christ’s Second Advent and millennial reign.
Thus, in a far eschatological sense, the “day of the Lord” is “not” a literal twenty-four period but rather, it is an extended period of time.
It begins with God’s dealing with Israel after the rapture of the church that takes place prior to Daniel’s Seventieth Week.
It extends through the Second Advent of Jesus Christ and His millennial reign, culminating with the creation of the new heavens and the new earth.
However, the day of the Lord could also be a period of time taking place during the prophet’s own lifetime or not too long after.
As we noted, in 2 Thessalonians 2:1-13, the apostle Paul teaches the Thessalonian Christian community that the rapture of the church will precede the day of the Lord.
He sought to assure the Thessalonian church that the day of the Lord had not yet begun.
2 Thessalonians 2:1 Now we request you, brethren, with regard to the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him, 2 that you not be quickly shaken from your composure or be disturbed either by a spirit or a message or a letter as if from us, to the effect that the day of the Lord has come. 3 Let no one in any way deceive you, for it will not come unless the apostasy comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction, 4 who opposes and exalts himself above every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, displaying himself as being God. 5 Do you not remember that while I was still with you, I was telling you these things? 6 And you know what restrains him now, so that in his time he will be revealed. 7 For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only he who now restrains will do so until he is taken out of the way. 8 Then that lawless one will be revealed whom the Lord will slay with the breath of His mouth and bring to an end by the appearance of His coming; 9 that is, the one whose coming is in accord with the activity of Satan, with all power and signs and false wonders, 10 and with all the deception of wickedness for those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth so as to be saved. 11 For this reason God will send upon them a deluding influence so that they will believe what is false, 12 in order that they all may be judged who did not believe the truth, but took pleasure in wickedness. 13 But we should always give thanks to God for you, brethren beloved by the Lord, because God has chosen you from the beginning for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and faith in the truth. (NASB95)
As we noted, the noun apostasia, “the rebellion” mentioned in 2 Thessalonians 2:3 refers to the great rebellion led by the Antichrist during the seventieth week of Daniel.
It does not refer to a great apostasy in the church since this event and the other two take place during the day of the Lord, i.e. the seventieth week of Daniel.
This “rebellion” is described by Paul in the rest of 2 Thessalonians 2:3 and 4, namely, “and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction, 4 who opposes and exalts himself above every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, displaying himself as being God.”
Therefore, since the noun apostasia is ambiguous and begs to be defined, the apostle Paul explains what he means by his use of the word.
Thus, this “rebellion” is Antichrist opposing God by demanding the human race worship him rather than God.
Of course, Satan is behind the Antichrist since Isaiah 14:12-14 teaches that he desires the world to worship him and not God.
In 2 Thessalonians 2:4, the apostle Paul also refers to the Antichrist’s desecrating the temple and declaring himself God and demanding the worship of the world.
Also, the Antichrist must be revealed for the day of the Lord to take place.
1 Thessalonians 5:1 Now as to the times and the epochs, brethren, you have no need of anything to be written to you. 2 For you yourselves know full well that the day of the Lord will come just like a thief in the night. 3 While they are saying, “Peace and safety!” then destruction will come upon them suddenly like labor pains upon a woman with child, and they will not escape. 4 But you, brethren, are not in darkness, that the day would overtake you like a thief; 5 for you are all sons of light and sons of day. We are not of night nor of darkness; 6 so then let us not sleep as others do, but let us be alert and sober. 7 For those who sleep do their sleeping at night, and those who get drunk get drunk at night. 8 But since we are of the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet, the hope of salvation. 9 For God has not destined us for wrath, but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, 10 who died for us, so that whether we are awake or asleep, we will live together with Him. 11 Therefore encourage one another and build up one another, just as you also are doing. (ESV)
Notice in verse 2, Paul asserts that the Thessalonians were fully aware that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night.
In verse 3, the non-believers will be thinking they are safe and secure but the day of the Lord will take them by surprise and they will not escape the day of the Lord.
Then, in verse 4, he reassures them that they are not in the darkness about the day of the Lord and they will not be taken by surprise it like a thief.
The day of the Lord refers to the seventieth week of Daniel and in particular the last three and a half years of this seven-year period which Jesus describes in Matthew 24:21 as the “great tribulation.”
This period is described by the apostle John in Revelation 6-18.
During this time, God will exercise His wrath against the inhabitants of planet earth for their rejection of Him and His Son.
Then, in 1 Thessalonians 5:9, Paul asserts that the Thessalonians were not destined to experience God’s wrath during the day of the Lord.
In contrast ot the non-believer, they are destined for salvation, which means the completion of their salvation when they receive a resurrection body.
Therefore, this passage teaches that the rapture will take place before the events of the seventieth week of Daniel.