Ed Hindson – Can We Still Believe in the Rapture – 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18
John 14:1-3 Christian Standard Bible (CSB)
The Way to the Father
1 “Don’t let your heart be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. 2 In my Father’s house are many rooms; if not, I would have told you. I am going away to prepare a place for you. 3 If I go away and prepare a place for you, I will come again and take you to myself, so that where I am you may be also.
1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 Christian Standard Bible (CSB)
The Comfort of Christ’s Coming
13 We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers and sisters, concerning those who are asleep, so that you will not grieve like the rest, who have no hope. 14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, in the same way, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep. 15 For we say this to you by a word from the Lord: We who are still alive at the Lord’s coming will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16 For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the archangel’s voice, and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are still alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. 18 Therefore encourage one another with these words.
1 Corinthians 15:50-58 Christian Standard Bible (CSB)
Victorious Resurrection
50 What I am saying, brothers and sisters, is this: Flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor can corruption inherit incorruption. 51 Listen, I am telling you a mystery: We will not all fall asleep, but we will all be changed, 52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we will be changed. 53 For this corruptible body must be clothed with incorruptibility, and this mortal body must be clothed with immortality. 54 When this corruptible body is clothed with incorruptibility, and this mortal body is clothed with immortality, then the saying that is written will take place:
Death has been swallowed up in victory.
55 Where, death, is your victory? Where, death, is your sting? 56 The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. 57 But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ!
58 Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, be steadfast, immovable, always excelling in the Lord’s work, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.
Considering: The Judgment Seat Of Christ, The BEMA Judgment,
The speaker in this video is one of great understanding of God’s Holy Word, especially in relation to eschatology. There are differences of opinion, among the great teachers of the end times. My understanding of the Judgment Seat of Christ, which is known as the bema judgment, holds closer to that which is held by John MacArthur who is also held in great acclaim for his teachings of the end times. Consider his comments that follow 2 Corinthians 5:10.
2 Corinthians 5:10 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
10 For we must all appear before the tribunal of Christ, so that each may be repaid for what he has done in the body, whether good or worthless.
NOTE: MacArthur Study Bible. 5:10 This describes the believer’s deepest motivation and highest aim in pleasing God—the realization that every Christian is inevitably and ultimately accountable to Him. the judgment seat of Christ. “Judgment seat” metaphorically refers to the place where the Lord will sit to evaluate believers’ lives for the purpose of giving them eternal rewards. It is translated from the Gr. word be¯ma, which was an elevated platform where victorious athletes (e.g., during the Olympics) went to receive their crowns. The term is also used in the NT to refer to the place of judging, as when Jesus stood before Pontius Pilate (Matt. 27:19; John 19:13), but here the reference is definitely from the athletic analogy. Corinth had such a platform where both athletic rewards and legal justice were dispensed (Acts 18:12–16), so the Corinthians understood Paul’s reference. the things done in the body. Actions which happened during the believer’s time of earthly ministry. This does not include sins, since their judgment took place at the cross (Eph. 1:7). Paul was referring to all those activities believers do during their lifetimes, which relate to their eternal reward and praise from God. What Christians do in their temporal bodies will, in His eyes, have an impact for eternity (see notes on 1 Cor. 4:3–5; cf. Rom. 12:1, 2: Rev. 22:12). whether good or bad. These Gr. terms do not refer to moral good and moral evil. Matters of sin have been completely dealt with by the death of the Savior. Rather, Paul was comparing worthwhile, eternally valuable activities with useless ones. His point was not that believers should not enjoy certain wholesome, earthly things, but that they should glorify God in them and spend most of their energy and time with what has eternal value (see notes on 1 Cor. 3:8–14).
Strong’s Concordance – Lexicon – 968.bema – 2 Corinthians 5:10
béma: a step, raised place, by impl. a tribunal
Original Word: βῆμα, ατος, τό
Part of Speech: Noun, Neuter
Transliteration: béma
Phonetic Spelling: (bay’-ma)
Short Definition: the space covered by a step of the foot, a tribunal
Definition: an elevated place ascended by steps, a throne, tribunal.
the judgment seat βήματος bēmatos 968 a step, raised place, by impl. a tribunal from the same as basis
My note:
John MacArthur relates his understanding of the Judgment Seat Of Christ (bema judgment) to the picture of an athletic event. After the end of a track and field event, such as the 1500 meter run, the top three finishers stand before an official who will give rewards for their accomplishments. The runners stand on a platform that has three individual platforms/steps, each of which has a greater elevation from the ground. The winner of the event stands on the top step and is given a gold medal for his, or her, accomplishment. The runner who finished second stands on a step that is on the right side of the winner’s step, and lower than the step of the winner of the event. The second place runner receives a silver medal. The runner who finished third in the event, stands on the left side of the winner, and two steps below the winner, and one step below the second place finisher. A bronze medal is given to the third place winner. In this setting, all finishers receive rewards for their accomplishments; there is no rebuking of any of the runners for their lack of a greater performance.
There is no great announcement to those who have viewed that race, or to those elsewhere, as to the fact that the runners did not run as many miles as they should have run, in preparation for this particular race; the runners were given their rewards, without chastisement. Those who will be present at the 2 Cor 5:10 Judgment Seat Of Christ will be those who have been born again, are the body of Christ, and are known as the bride of Christ. At the bema judgment, the bride of Christ is given rewards and will take place in the marriage of the lamb. The bride of Christ is the “bride of all brides.” Christ is the “groom of all grooms.” Ephesians 5:25 says for husbands to “love your wives, just as Christ loved the church, and gave Himself for it. It will not be the purpose of Christ to take His bride to the marriage of the lamb, and beat her up on the way to the altar, either physically or verbally.
The bema judgment takes place in heaven after the body of born again believers in Christ, the bride of Christ, has been “caught up” from earth. Consider Revelation 19:7: “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.” The next stop for the bride of Christ is planet earth, as it accompanies the groom, “Christ,” back to planet earth, after the tribulation. for the second coming of Christ, the Battle of Armageddon, to land on the Mount of Olives. (Zechariah 14:1-16; Revelation 19:11-21; Matthew 24:29-31; Matthew 25:31-34; 41, 46; Mark 13:24-27)
Zechariah 14:1-16 http://www.biblestudytools.com/nas/zechariah/passage/?q=zechariah+14:1-16
Revelation 19:11-21 http://www.biblestudytools.com/nas/revelation/passage/?q=revelation+19:11-21
Matthew 24:29-31 http://www.biblestudytools.com/nas/matthew/passage/?q=matthew+24:29-31
Matthew 25:31-34 http://www.biblestudytools.com/nas/matthew/passage/?q=matthew+25:31-34
Matthew 25:41 http://www.biblestudytools.com/nas/matthew/25-41.html
Matthew 25:46 http://www.biblestudytools.com/nas/matthew/25-46.html
Mark 13:24-27 http://www.biblestudytools.com/nas/mark/passage/?q=mark+13:24-27
How was the bride of Christ made herself ready?” It was through the new birth, where the spirit of every born again believer in Christ had been made to be as pure as the Spirit of Christ, and at the time of the rapture, or resurrection, (1 Corinthians 15:51-53) is given a body that is without blemish. The same principle applies to the bride of Christ being removed from plant Earth prior to the Tribulation. Revelation 3:10 explains that the severity of the Tribulation, that will come upon “everyone” who is present. “Because you have kept the word of “My” perseverance, I also will keep you from the hour of testing, that hour which is about to come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth.” The testing is designed to cause those who are left behind to come to know Christ as their Messiah, as their Lord and Savior. The perseverance of the saints comes from God (notice “My”). The bride of Christ is kept “from the hour of testing,” because those who are “the church,” came to saving faith in Christ prior to the rapture of the church, which was when “they passed the test;” no further testing is needed. The purpose of Christ is not to “beat up” on His bride on the way to the marriage altar. The tribulation is brought on all of those who are left behind (from the rapture/catching up of the saints/bride), “by Christ” (Revelation 6:1), and “by the angels” (Revelation 8:1; 16:1). The severity of the tribulation will be as Christ describes it in Matthew 24:21. “For then there will be a great tribulation, such as has not occurred since the beginning of the world until now, nor ever will.” It will not be the purpose of Christ to put His bride into the midst of things that will be worse than those which had ever happened.
1 Corinthians 15:51-53 http://www.biblestudytools.com/1-corinthians/passage/?q=1-corinthians+15:51-53
Make this lesson applicable for today:
Ephesians 5:25, New American Standard 1977
Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her;
Eternity 