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If you know anything about Charles Capps Ministries, you know that I have taught predominately on the power of words and "faith and confession" for 25 years. I have said many times that I was going to leave all the end-time teaching to Hilton Sutton and other prophetic ministers. But in 1996, the Lord said, "You can't do that anymore. There are too many people who don't have a clue as to what is about to transpire on planet earth." Those who teach there will be no Rapture are having a field day, so to speak. They are causing confusion concerning the events that will soon end this age.
The subject of the Apostle Peter's second epistle was end time events. "This second epistle, beloved, I now write unto you; in both which I stir up your pure minds by way of remembrance: That ye may be mindful of the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets, and of the commandment of us the apostles of the Lord and Savior: Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, and saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation". (2 Peter 3:1-4)
Then the Apostle John gives us one of the major reasons why it is so important for the church to understand the sequence and timing of end-time events. "Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure". (1 John 3:2-3)
In these verses, John is referring to the "blessed hope"-- the Rapture of the Church--which Paul referred to in Titus 2:11-13: "For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ".
John said, "Every man that has this hope in him purifies himself". In other words, they are quick to repent when they make a mistake. They keep their life cleaned up. They stay ready for the coming Rapture.
Who Will Go Through the Tribulation?
Yet in the churches today there are many who don't believe in the catching away of the Church before the Tribulation, as Paul taught in 1 Thessalonians 4:15-17 and 2 Thessalonians 2:1-8. It has become popular in some circles to scoff and make fun of the Rapture, calling it the "great escape", the "pie in the sky" or the "great snatch". Yet it is the way of escape that God has prepared for the righteous, much the same as He did in Noah's day.
I am concerned about the number of people who profess to be Christians and believe they are going through seven years of Tribulation. Some of them will almost fight you for the right to "tribulate". I believe some of it stems from the fact they have forced the wrong pieces of the prophetic puzzle into the wrong place in the Scriptures. Therefore, they confuse the Second Advent with the Rapture of the Church. One such passage is Matthew 24:29-31, which clearly describes the Second Advent, not the Rapture.
Some are confused concerning the elect mentioned in Matthew 24:22. This scripture refers to the elect of Israel and not the Church. But some have forced parts of the prophetic word into places where it does not fit, and this has caused much confusion concerning the sequence and timing of end-time events. These prophetic passages must be kept in the right perspective so we can understand the approaching events that will end the Church Age.
Hebrews chapters ten and eleven give us what I call the faith-and Rapture connection: (Hebrews 10:34-37) "For ye had compassion on me in my bonds, and took joyfully the spoiling of your goods, knowing in yourselves that ye have in heaven a better and an enduring substance. Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompense of reward. For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise. For yet a little while, and he that shall come will come, and will not tarry".
Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and was not found, because God had translated him: for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God. But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him". (Hebrews 11:1, 5-6)
Faith and the Rapture
It is evident from these scriptures there is a faith connection that links us to that blessed event called the Rapture. This causes me to pose the question: Will those who don't believe in the promised Rapture be partakers of that which God has provided?
We know Enoch was translated by faith, and the Scripture states without faith it is impossible to please God. The Rapture is God's plan for the righteous to escape the seven years of Tribulation destined to come upon the wicked of the earth. Then, knowing the very principles of faith causes more concern about this matter. Jesus said to the centurion... "As thou hast believed, so be it done unto thee (Matthew 8:13)... Whosoever shall say... not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith"(Mark
11:23)
Those who say they are going through the Tribulation may be, because of what they say and believe. To say the least, that seems to be a possibility. However, the answer to this whole matter may be in the fact that the revelation concerning the Rapture will become so clear and irrefutable to everyone whose heart is right before God before it takes place.
Daniel said: "...none of the wicked shall understand; but the wise shall understand". We are coming to the close of 6000 years of human history and the Church Age will soon come to an end. The Apostle Paul taught that the Body of Christ will be raptured before the seven years of Tribulation begin and the seventh millennium will usher in 1000 years of peace on earth (read Daniel 12:1-10). God has released to this generation the revelation of the end time as never before in any generation. It seems that God has held this revelation in a time-lock code until the generation appeared on the scene that would experience these events. There is no question that this generation will experience the fulfillment of the blessed hope, the glorious appearing of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
Some call it "millennium fever". They state that every new millennium has brought the flakes out of the woodwork calling doomsday destruction for planet earth. Why is this new millennium any different? It is different because the Scriptures reveal it to be the seventh and last millennium before eternity. Beyond any doubt, the prophetic Word reveals 6000 years of human history will finish God's dealing with man under the Earth-lease established in Genesis 1:26-28 (see Mark 12:1-9). Then there will be one more 1000 year period in which the righteous of the earth will rule and reign with Christ here on earth before eternity. (Revelation 5: 10 and 20:10)
Every prophetic time line from Genesis to Revelation points to 6,000 years of human history before the seven years of Tribulation and then one more 1000 years of peace before eternity. That's what makes this millennium different from any other millennium in all of human history.
The seven years of Tribulation seems to be a transitional period that fits between the sixth and the seventh millennium as far as God's calendar is concerned. It seems that this transitional period will include the Endtime Harvest, the Rapture of the Church, and the seven years of Tribulation. As the Tribulation ends we find in Revelation 19, Jesus descends from Heaven with the saints that have been with Him there for seven years being taught how to rule and reign with Him. They descend on the Mount of Olives, destroy the armies of the anti-Christ, then satan is bound and cast into the bottomless pit and there will be a thousand years of peace and righteous rule on planet earth.
The Earth-lease is about to expire and planet earth is about to face the most traumatic change in 6,000 years of human history. To use the words of the Apostle Paul: "You (The Body of Christ) are children of light, and not of darkness... And God has not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation and deliverance by our Lord Jesus Christ". The Body of Christ above all others should have a good understanding of this matter so we can proclaim the truth concerning this glorious event called the Rapture that is about to take place on planet earth.
Copyright 2005 by Charles Capps (Used with permission TheChristianOnlineMagazine.Com)
