Psalms 50:2-5 Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty, God will shine forth. (3) Our God shall come, and shall not keep silent; a fire shall devour before Him, and it shall be very tempestuous all around Him. (4) He shall call to the heavens from above, And to the earth, that He may judge His people: (5) "Gather My saints together to Me, Those who have made a covenant with Me by sacrifice."
It is important to note that when the rapture of the church takes place, the saints will leave the physical realm and enter into the spiritual realm to meet the Lord Jesus in the air. When the saints enter into the spirit realm, at that point they will step outside of time. So why is that concept important for us to recognize? It is important because a number of things will take place both in heaven and on the earth during the period that the church will be absent from the earth. The first thing that will take place in heaven is that the Lord Jesus will at that time enter into judgement with His church. In the above quoted passage of scripture the Holy Spirit reveals to us that when the Lord Jesus returns to the earth that He will gather all of His saints from both heaven and the earth so that He may judge His people. In other words it will during that time that each saint will stand before the judgement seat of Christ to give an account for their lives conducted in the earth. The outcome of that judgement will result in each saint being either rewarded for their faithfulness or suffering loss for their unfaithfulness (2 Corinthians 5:10).
1 Thessalonians 5:1-9 “But concerning the times and the seasons, brethren, you have no need that I should write to you. (2) For you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night. (3) For when they say, "Peace and safety!" then sudden destruction comes upon them, as labor pains upon a pregnant woman. And they shall not escape. (4) But you, brethren, are not in darkness, so that this Day should overtake you as a thief. (5) You are all sons of light and sons of the day. We are not of the night nor of darkness. (6) Therefore, let us not sleep, as others do, but let us watch and be sober. (7) For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk are drunk at night. (8) But let us who are of the day be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet the hope of salvation. (9) For God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.”
In the above quoted passage of scripture the apostle Paul describes what will transpire on the earth after the rapture occurs. In this passage Paul mentions that the inhabitants of the earth will be taken completely by surprise, for he tell us that sudden destruction will come upon them and they will not escape. The sudden destruction that Paul is referring to in this passage is the wrath of God that is about to be poured out on the earth. Paul goes on in this passage to explain why the church will not be present on the earth during that time, for he tells us that God has not appointed the church to wrath. And so we see that the church will not experience the wrath of God because He would have removed the church from the earth before His wrath is poured out. So what impact will the sudden removal of the church have on the earth? The answer to that question is, not very much. The reason for that is because the church’s population in the earth is relatively small (i.e. those who are genuinely born-again), accounting for approximately only one percent of the earth’s total population. And so other than in certain locations where there is a greater concentration of saints living and perhaps certain saints who may be well known personalities, the removal of the church from the earth will go mainly unnoticed. For example, think about the impact that Noah and his family had on the earth when they entered the ark. That act had zero impact on the earth. What did impact the earth however, was God’s judgement that was poured out on the earth after Noah and his family entered the ark. And so in the same manner, the removal of the church will have zero impact on the earth. God’s judgement that will be poured out on the earth after the rapture takes place however, will have a catastrophic impact on the whole of the earth. As an aside, someone who will most definitely notice the removal of the church is the anti-Christ, for he would have spent the entire three and a half years of his reign trying to destroy it.
Daniel 8:13-14 “Then I heard a holy one speaking; and another holy one said to that certain one who was speaking, "How long will the vision be, concerning the daily sacrifices and the transgression of desolation, the giving of both the sanctuary and the host to be trampled underfoot?" (14) And he said to me, "For two thousand three hundred days; then the sanctuary shall be cleansed.”
So how long will God’s wrath be poured out on the earth? In the above quoted passage of scripture the angel gives us insight into how long that period of time will be; for he tells us that from the time the Lord’s sanctuary is trampled underfoot until the temple is cleansed once again, that a period of two thousand three hundred days will elapse. The Lord’s sanctuary being trampled underfoot refers to the reign of the Anti-Christ when he will sit as God in God’s temple (2 Thessalonians 2:4); and the cleansing of the sanctuary refers to the cleansing of God’s temple that will take place when the Lord Jesus returns to begin His millennial reign on the earth. We know that the reign of the anti-Christ will last for forty-two months and that the church will be present on the earth during his reign (Revelation 13:5). And so the period of two thousand three hundred days minus forty-two months, leaves a period of just short of three years for the outpouring of God’s wrath on the earth. It is during that time that the church will be absent from the earth.
Revelation 19:5-9 “Then a voice came from the throne, saying, "Praise our God, all you His servants and those who fear Him, both small and great!" (6) And I heard, as it were, the voice of a great multitude, as the sound of many waters and as the sound of mighty thunderings, saying, "Alleluia! For the Lord God Omnipotent reigns! (7) Let us be glad and rejoice and give Him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready." (8) And to her it was granted to be arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright, for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints. (9) Then he said to me, "Write: 'Blessed are those who are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb!' “And he said to me, "These are the true sayings of God.”
During the three years in which God’s wrath is poured out on the earth there are two major events that will take place in heaven which will impact the church. The first event which we have already mentioned is that the Lord Jesus will judge the works of the church, so they can receive their eternal rewards or lack thereof. After the saints have been judged, the church will then ascend into heaven with the Lord Jesus to stand before the throne of God. It is at this time that the second major event will take place. The above quoted passage of scripture describes this event to us, i.e. the marriage of the Lamb to His wife the church.
Psalms 45:9-15 “Kings' daughters are among Your honourable women; At Your right hand stands the queen in gold from Ophir. (10) Listen, O daughter, Consider and incline your ear; forget your own people also, and your father's house; (11) so the King will greatly desire your beauty; because He is your Lord, worship Him. (12) And the daughter of Tyre will come with a gift; the rich among the people will seek your favour. (13) The royal daughter is all glorious within the palace; her clothing is woven with gold. (14) She shall be brought to the King in robes of many colours; the virgins, her companions who follow her, shall be brought to You. (15) With gladness and rejoicing they shall be brought; they shall enter the King's palace.”
Once the marriage of the Lamb has taken place the church will no longer be one who is betrothed to the Lord, for she will then have become the queen of heaven. The above quoted passage of scripture describes the bride of Christ after she has been joined to the Lord Jesus in eternal matrimony. After the marriage supper of the Lamb the Lord Jesus will then return to the earth seated on a white horse, followed by the armies of heaven on white horses. And so we see that when our Lord Jesus finally returns to the earth to begin His millennial reign, that He will return with the church as His bride. The Lord’s return to the earth will coincide with the end of the three years of God’s wrath being poured out on the earth.
Michael E.B. Maher
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