This is an essay written by guest author, Allen Simmons. He has a Bachelor’s degree from Baptist Bible College and a Master of Religious Education degree from Tennessee Temple University. Allen has decades of experience studying, preaching, and teaching the Bible at several institutions including the Akron Baptist Temple, Copley Baptist Temple, and Calvary Baptist Church.
II Timothy 4:8 – “Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.”
The above verse is one that poses a mystery: “why wouldn’t everybody love the Lord at His appearing? Why is there a crown involved as if it were a hard thing that deserves a reward?” Let’s apply it to the Rapture of the Church, then the answer will become clear.
The Rapture is the catching out of the Bride of Christ so she can be judged and made ready for the marriage supper. Then will follow the receipt of the Kingdom with her Bridegroom, the Lord Jesus Christ. The main verses on this are I Thessalonians 4:13-18 (note the words “in Jesus” in verse 14 and “in Christ” in verse16), and I Corinthians 15:20 -23 (note the words “they that are Christ’s” in verse 23) with vss 50-58 (note all the “we” and “us” statements as well as “giveth US the victory” in the passage). The standard teaching is this is an event exclusive to New Testament saints who are also called the Bride and the Church. Once again, see the language of the above passages. Words like “in Christ” are used for New Testament saints who are new creatures “in Christ” because of the new birth (II Corinthians 5:17). We also know that the judgement seat of Christ is for the New Testament saints (II Corinthians 5:9-11; I Corinthians 10-17). This standard teaching you can get from any conservative, fundamentalist, Bible, believing work. At least it was. These days, no telling what you will find should you check out the themes in a book or on the internet.
It seems as we get closer to the Rapture, a kind of intellectual panic has set in among believers as they realize the implications of the event and the events of the Tribulation to follow which the Lord described in Matthew 24:21 as “For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be”. Then, in Revelation it shows people being killed in the billions and tormented in various horrible ways as the Lord pours out His wrath and judgement on the earth and her inhabitants. All of this causes people to modify the old faith and to change the event of the Rapture in the minds of people who have a controversy with the event for one reason or another to ether deceive folks deliberately, or to try to codify their denial of the consequences of the event by fervently twisting verses out of their true meaning and context.
Will you really love the Lord at His appearing? Even if it means some of your own loved ones are not part of the Bride, and therefore will not be Raptured out? Do you think God is not conscious of your fears along these lines? Do you think Romans 8:28 will be raptured up when you go? Rather than destroy the context of passages that have nothing to do with the Rapture in a vain attempt at making everybody feel better about what is about to happen, try looking at it from the Lord’s point of view.
If the Lord tarries, there will eventually come a time (like in the days of Noah) when the Earth is going to produce worse and worse generations of reprobates. Barely anyone will be saved. Generations of sweet little babies will be born only to grow up and end in Hell almost inevitability. Already, in the United States, the so-called generation Z is choosing to become part of the alphabet soup of sex perverts and deceived people to the tune of 20%. What about their kids? We will win some, but a new generation will follow theirs, and so on and so on. It is the Lord’s prerogative to draw the line somewhere. Wherever he draws it, I’m pretty sure, the Biblically conscious will have a problem with it because of the very real consequences of His choice. If you truly deserve the crown, you will see things from His standpoint and not put you and yours above Him and His necessary choices. You will defiantly NOT twist the Bible to help you with your emotional state. He HAS to put a stop to this mess and set up His Son to take over before He has to put another addition to Hell to accommodate the future lost (see Isaiah 5:14 for an instance of this).
What do we do? At least ACT like you trust God to work things out in the best manner possible even if your loved one isn’t in the Bride. People will get saved in the Tribulation (Revelation 7:9-17). Remember to trust God and for the sake of others STOP ACTING THE FOOL. Post II Timothy 2:23 on your bedroom wall. Let it become your motto: “But foolish and unlearned questions avoid, knowing that they do gender strifes.” It is still time to win the crown.
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