Are not the ideas of many much mistaken on this subject, and do not those wrong views hinder the soul from its bright anticipation of, and desire for, the event? There is many a Christian whose wish is for a peaceful, painless, quiet death, without agony or long illness—a death like that of an old saint only the other day (eighty-nine years of age), who was ill but a few hours, and who, after expressing between pauses his readiness to go, and later ejaculating Hallelujah! and again Hallelujah! turned his head on one side and the happy spirit departed. Christian, in its essential elements, the Rapture will be very much like that. If such is the death you desire, then the Rapture is just what you do desire. It will be more instantaneous. Our withdrawal from this scene will be in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye (1 Cor. 15:52).
A Christian says, “The Lord’s coming would be too glorious; the spectacle too overwhelming; my wish is to pass away quietly.” But, for anything that the flesh can see, or feel, or hear, it will be quiet. The Lord will not be seen by mortal eyes, neither sight nor sound will reach the world—there will be no appearance to the senses (Col. 3:4), and as for you, fellow-believer, you will be changed before you know it. What can be swifter than the twinkling of an eye? We shall not be called upon to gaze at the glories until we are in a condition to bear the sight; but we shall be changed in a moment, and not until then shall we hear the heavenly sounds or see Christ Jesus our Lord. His shout will already have raised the sleeping saints unknown to us (John 5:28, 29 Thess. 4:16, 17). Then takes place our instantaneous transformation. We shall be wrought into His own likeness (1 John 3:2; Rom. 8:29), beauteously fitted for the courts above; and in that changed condition any emotion of fear will be impossible. The whole being will be in harmony with the scene around us. Every feeling of our then nature will there be perfectly at home.
Is there not something tender, and full of thoughtfulness for us, in the manner of the Rapture? Its privacy is a most precious thought. There will be no outward show to the world; that will come after. In the meanwhile, the resurrection of the sleeping saints will have taken place invisibly to this vain world, and the rapture of the living will be a private transaction between Christ and the church. As momentary and as peaceful as the painless death which you desire, even so will be your withdrawal from this life at His coming. You may be walking the road, or sitting in the house, in the railway train, or in the mart or shop; in the twinkling of an eye you will be changed, and, joining the host of the sleeping saints already in their glorified bodies, then by the omnipotent power of God the same by which He raised Christ from the dead (Eph. 1:19) you will be caught up to your Savor awaiting you in the clouds.
There is a beautiful incident in the resurrection of the Lord Jesus which somewhat illustrates this. It is recorded that Peter saw the linen clothes lying, and that the napkin or handkerchief was not lying with the rest of the clothes, but was folded together in a place by itself. This incident has been but poorly appreciated. The ordinary significance attached to this is that it indicates the calmness and orderliness of the resurrection. But surely there must be some other explanation than this. It scarcely seems a worthy supposition that the Lord or some attendant angel carefully folded the napkin and laid it apart. The thought when weighed savors of irreverence, however little intended; indeed it borders on the grotesque! But the real point of the incident is its unusualness. Ordinarily, when a person disrobes he puts his clothes together. Here it is the contrary. They are left in situ as they were. Naturally, the napkin would have been unwound and placed with the other garments, but here it is found as it had been, wrapped together, doubtless in the place where His sacred head had been; and the other linen clothes “lying,” not folded for neatness as the other interpretation would require. The received explanation deprives the account of the element of wonderment and holy mystery which obviously attaches to it. Why does the Holy Spirit make so much of these otherwise trivial facts?
John “stooping down, saw the linen clothes lying... Then cometh Simon Peter following him, and... seeth the linen clothes lying, and the napkin that was about his head, not lying with the linen clothes, but wrapped together in a place [“a distinct place,” J.N.D. ] by itself” (John 20:5-7). That indeed was a wonder. There were the linen clothes lying in position, but Jesus was gone! The napkin was not unfolded, yet the head that it had enclosed was not there. Even so; just as Jesus in His spiritual body entered the room where the disciples were gathered, though the doors were fast shut, so at His resurrection He needed not to remove the clothes, to unfold the head-band or disturb the shroud—He calmly rose, leaving them as they were. There were the linen clothes lying! This was what awed and startled John, but did not impede Peter. And so, fellow-believer, will it be with thee, if thou art alive at the Lord’s coming.
Sweetly and beautifully thy body in a moment will be changed, and taken to the clouds, while possibly the suits which clothed the once mortal man will be left as an enigma to the world.
The desirability of the Rapture to the individual personally is a thing very important for the soul to grasp. There will be no terror in the Lord’s coming for the church. It will be the visit of the Bridegroom to claim His loved object. Can you be afraid of one whose love for you passeth knowledge (Eph. iii. 19)? There will be terror in His appearing to the world, but none to the saint at His coming.
At the present moment, many things conspire to show that just now the long-looked-for coming may be at the very door. The extensive way in which the truth of the Lord’s second coming has spread, and is now held by Evangelical Christians of all parties, is a significant action of the Holy Spirit. Sixty years ago the very idea was unknown, and scriptures which speak of it were universally interpreted as meaning death. But God raised up men to demonstrate the truth, and now there is a large number of believers who are really and practically awaiting the Lord’s return.
The soul, however, who gathers light from God’s word sees other indications. Scripture informs us that “the day” of the Lord will not be until “the apostasy” has first come (2 Thess. 2:3). Some will say, Does not that refer to Romanism? Certainly not. Romanism seems clearly referred to in the fourth chapter of the Second Epistle to Timothy—but that is only a limited apostasy “some shall apostatize from the faith” (1 Tim. 4:1). That is different from what is mentioned in 2 Thess. The Authorized Version has “a falling away,” but the true translation is “the apostasy.” This is an absolute expression, without limit or qualification, and implies the total abandonment of Christianity, which cannot be while the church is here below, nor indeed can it be fully consummated until the destruction of Babylon the harlot, by “the ten horns... and the beast” (Rev. 17:16). We have not yet the apostasy. It will take place after the church is gone. But what the anointed eye cannot fail to discern evidences of every day is the preparation of the public mind of Christendom for what is coming—the entire giving up of Christianity. It is being given up in reality now.
The inspiration and authority of Scripture, the revelation of God in the Old Testament, the incarnation, the propitiatory sacrifice of Christ, the lost condition of man, the revealed judgment of the wicked, the existence of Satan, the nature of sin all these tenets, constituting the body of Christianity, are denied and preached against daily, not merely by adversaries in the profane world, but within the enclosure of that which professes to be the church. And this is virtual apostasy, but it is not apostasy in form while the name and profession of Christianity are still retained. The apostasy which is. coming will be open, shameless, and avowed abandonment, of the very form and name of Christianity. Men are not yet quite prepared for this, for the church acts as a restraint upon the world. But, in the meanwhile, Satanic agency is busy building up men’s minds in what will blossom into formal and patent apostasy after the church shall have been removed. When therefore we see a movement well in hand and far advanced which is to mature after the church has been caught away, does not this seem like an indication that that catching away may verily he near?
A third indication which should receive attention is the recent effort amongst the Jews towards a national organization. This is not so much developed as the movement in the direction of the apostasy. But it has the same character of analogy, inasmuch as it is the commencement of something which is to attain maturity after the church is gone. A recent series of articles in this paper have shown that the Jews are at “the time of the end” to attain a national position and autonomy. Now under our eyes action for this purpose has been initiated with considerable energy and enthusiasm.
The Christian should not need signs to lead him to adopt an attitude of waiting for Him whose last words to the church are, “Surely I come quickly” (Rev. 22:20). But if his normal duty be to wait for the Lord without any sign at all, is not that emphasized when we see such remarkable indications as those just referred to? At all events the hour seems to be one for drawing afresh the believer’s heart and hopes to that blessed event which Jesus Himself waits for, as well as His saints below.
“In hope we lift our wishful longing eyes
Waiting to see the Morning Star arise;
How bright, how blissful will His advent be
Before the Sun shines forth in majesty.”
E. J. T.