Grace for the Rapture

Thought of Revelations - Grace for the Rapture

One of the paragraphs that stirs my thought:

Partial-Rapture Theory

Horton Stanley¹ in touching on the Partial-Rapture wrote “Many who teach a partial Rapture are also very legalistic and look at the rapture as something they must deserve, rather than seeing it as part of the blessing of being heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, something that is ours by grace through faith.” Robert Gundry rightly points out that “viewing the tribulation period as time of purgation for living believers who failed to qualify for the rapture” calls for some sort of purgatory for believers “who died in a state of Christian immaturity”

Stanley clearly pointed out that there is a part of man whereby we like to earn something by our own strength. It is in our nature to prove that we deserve something and receive it and it is also true in this context of the rapture.

An example is in the working out of our salvation. If we have our theology wrong, then we will naturally think that after God saved us, we are left to ‘work out’ or earn our final redemption. And one verse we used is in Phil 2:12 to justify our works towards redemption.

Philippians 2:12-13 (NASB95) ¹² So then, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your salvation with fear and trembling; ¹³ for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.

It is not wrong to work out our salvation and we must work out our salvation but we have to also allow God to work in us (Phil 2:13). After that, we will be able to work out our salvation (Phil 2:12). There must be a balance in the ‘working in’ of God and the ‘working out’ of individuals.

Coming back to the context of our rapture, I am inclined to think that just as we received our salvation because of God’s grace through faith (Eph 2:8), likewise it will be of the rapture. Therefore, the challenge is really to walk close to God, allow Him to work in us. Even if at the end of the day, we may not get the specific details of the doctrine correct. But if we are in Christ, we are assured and secured of our redemption.

------

¹Stanley M.Horton, Our Destiny, Springfield, Missouri,Gospel Publishing House: Logion Press books, 2006, pp126-127

666 Are you interested in this number?

Over the years or even centuries, many have been speculating what or who is 666?
Speculators tried to put names to this number.
- Nero Caesar in the transliterated Hebrews as Neron Kaisar totaled up to 666.

- Richard Nixon in Hebrew totaled up also to 666.
And according to Stanley Horton, the list goes on...

Personally, I agree with Horton that the idea of adding up Hebrew letters is not reasonable, for the Book of Revelation was written in Greek and makes reference to letters in the Greek alphabet.

One of the better explanation is by John F. Walvoord in commenting on Rev 13:16-18:
"Probably the best interpretation is that the number six is one less than the perfect number seven, and the threefold repetition of the six would indicate that for all their pretentions to deity, Satan and the two beasts were just creatures and not the Creator. That six is man’s number is illustrated in many instances in the Bible, including the fact that man should work six days and rest the seventh.
The practice of gematria, the attempt to find hidden meanings in numbers in Scripture, was prominent in the ancient world. Maybe John had in mind a particular person whom his close associates would be able to identify. Literature from the early church fathers, however, reveals the same confusion and variety of meanings that exist today, so probably it is best to leave this puzzle unsolved. Probably the safest conclusion is that of Thomas F. Torrance, “This evil trinity 666 apes the Holy Trinity 777, but always falls short and fails” (The Apocalypse Today, p. 86)."


In Revelation 13:18 (NASB) ¹⁸ Here is wisdom. Let him who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for the number is that of a man; and his number is six hundred and sixty-six.

My thoughts regarding this number are:
- It is a man or a creature that is trying to be God.

- And the best clues we can have regarding the 666 is not in speculation of the number but in the previous verses offered in Revelation 13:11-18 (NASB) ¹¹ Then I saw another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb and he spoke as a dragon. ¹² He exercises all the authority of the first beast in his presence. And he makes the earth and those who dwell in it to worship the first beast, whose fatal wound was healed. ¹³ He performs great signs, so that he even makes fire come down out of heaven to the earth in the presence of men. ¹⁴ And he deceives those who dwell on the earth because of the signs which it was given him to perform in the presence of the beast, telling those who dwell on the earth to make an image to the beast who *had the wound of the sword and has come to life. ¹⁵ And it was given to him to give breath to the image of the beast, so that the image of the beast would even speak and cause as many as do not worship the image of the beast to be killed. ¹⁶ And he causes all, the small and the great, and the rich and the poor, and the free men and the slaves, to be given a mark on their right hand or on their forehead, ¹⁷ and he provides that no one will be able to buy or to sell, except the one who has the mark, either the name of the beast or the number of his name. ¹⁸ Here is wisdom. Let him who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for the number is that of a man; and his number is six hundred and sixty-six.


Does what/who you think is 666 fits the description? Have you identify this 666? What implication does it have to your lives?

Whatever conclusion we make, it is important to note that we, if we are in Christ and obtained our standing in Him in the end, we will be the winners and overcomers. Therefore, let's focus on Jesus.

Jesus the Judge

Some thoughts while I was reading the Book "Our Destiny" by Stanley Horton on the part of "Jesus the Judge" (pp83):

The Bible speaks in John 5:22-23 (NASB95) ²² "For not even the Father judges anyone, but He has given all judgment to the Son, ²³ so that all will honor the Son even as they honor the Father. He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent Him.

And also in Acts 10:42 (NASB95) ⁴² "And He ordered us to preach to the people, and solemnly to testify that this is the One who has been appointed by God as Judge of the living and the dead.

Jesus is the Judge, one of the roles that He will execute when He comes again.
But this judge will be able to give the right judgment. He has also the authority and the right to judge because He is the Son of Man (John 5:27). In Heb 4:15, we understand that this judge, also our high priest and the Son of Man, has gone through what we have gone through yet overcome. He has been through the temptations that we are exposed to and yet overcome. He has been through the difficulties that human has to go through yet overcome. He has been through the feelings that we experienced and yet overcome. He has been through what humanity has gone through yet without sin. All these give Him the right to judge correctly and without error.

Therefore at the judgment of God, whether we are believers or not, we cannot excuse ourselves by saying "God, you do not understand my situations and difficulties" because Jesus understands and had demonstrated the right way. We are all accountable to God and responsible for the things we do.

Let's pray for God's grace upon our lives, especially that we can live the way whereby at the end, we can receive the praise from God (1 Cor 4:5) and that we can be the good and faithful servants of His.

Reflection: Are we confident to meet the Lord Jesus confidently knowing that the works we do will gain praises and rewards from Him?

_____