“Maranatha” is a Hebrew/Aramaic term meaning, “The Lord is coming soon.” God has called us to preach about the Rapture of the church. How do we define “The Rapture”? The meaning of “the Rapture” in the original language was “snatching up.” Biblically, it is the event described in the passage above, where Jesus suddenly snatches his faithful church out of this world to meet him in the air. We will go to heaven with him. Those faithful servants who are alive at the time will not face physical death, but will go directly to heaven with him. The world plunges into a period of terrible judgment known as the Great Tribulation, which lasts seven years. At the end of those seven years, Jesus returns again, with all the saints with him, to set up his Kingdom on earth. We call that event “the Second Coming,” because it will be the second time Christ actually lives and walks upon the earth – at the Rapture he does not actually reach the earth. Jesus lands on the Mount of Olives, north of Jerusalem, and enters the holy city, which will become his capital, the place from which he reigns on earth for 1000 years. This is the meaning of “The Rapture.”

“No man knows the day nor the hour” (Matthew 24:36; Matthew 25:13; Mark 13:32). We do not accept any revelations or prophecies that purport to predict the date of the Rapture. Setting dates is unbiblical, and always results in destroying the faith of many people (see Luke 21:8).  Many preachers throughout church history have done this, and they always end in disgrace.

Jesus said, however, that we would know that the day is getting close (Matthew 24:33). We can see prophetic signs fulfilled that indicate for us that the Rapture could happen soon. There are signs in the nation of Israel, and signs in the unfaithful church (apostasy, mysticism, ecumenism). There are also signs in the faithful church (prepared for the Rapture, baptized in the Holy Spirit, pleading the Blood, working as a Body), and signs in the secular world (wars and genocides, huge natural disasters like earthquakes, destruction of the forests and oceans, and the consolidation of political and economic forces).

There are no remaining signs that must occur before the Rapture can occur. The prophecies about the events preceding the Rapture have already seen their fulfillment. All the signs required before the Rapture have taken place. The Rapture can happen any time now, even today.

The Rapture is the time the faithful church leaves this world to go to eternity. It marks the beginning of the Great Tribulation, a period of seven years of judgment on this world, before Jesus comes with all the saints to reign on the earth for 1,000 years. There is one single Rapture, not multiple ones. Those who are Raptured go to eternity with the Lord, but return with him to reign on the earth seven years later.

After the Rapture, God turns his attention completely to the people of Israel, who will receive a new chance to accept Jesus as the Messiah. Israel will be in their darkest hour, feeling that the entire world is against them, and that they have no other hope besides Jesus. This process accelerates at the end of the period. The Jews will rebuild the Temple in Jerusalem and offer sacrifices there, which will point them toward the sacrifice of Jesus.

There is no salvation for Gentiles after the Rapture; the Age of Grace ends at the Rapture. Many popular books and films portray unbelievers getting another chance to receive salvation after the Rapture, but this is not our teaching. Others teach that Gentiles can be saved during the Tribulation only IF they are martyred, but there is no biblical basis for making martyrdom a condition of salvation for Gentiles. Salvation for the Gentiles is always through grace and depends solely on the blood of Jesus shed for us – it does not depend on our own sacrifice, even in the Tribulation.

The church should not spend its time speculating about theories identifying the Antichrist or the Mark of the Beast, etc. We do not need to be alarmed, because we are going to eternity before the Tribulation begins. Our only concern should be making sure we are prepared for the Rapture and that as many are saved as possible before that happens. We never take this into politics or oppose a government authority because we think the ruler fits into some prophecy.

Conclusion: The church’s remaining time is very short, so we must get busy with doing the work of the Lord.

This lesson is available in other languages:

YORUBA (Nigeria): Eko Nipa Igbasoke – 1Tessalonika 4:16-17 (YORUBA – Doctrine of the Rapture)

TOORO (Uganda): Enyegesa Yo Kutwarwa Kw’ekanisa – 1Abasesalonika 4:16-17 (TOORO – Doctrine of the Rapture)

(NIV) “Then I saw in the right hand of him who sat on the throne a scroll with writing on both sides and sealed with seven seals…“

(KJV) “And I saw in the right hand of him that sat on the throne a book written within and on the backside, sealed with seven seals…”

The Seven Seals are a series of events (mostly judgments) that have been slowly unfolding in approximately the last century in preparation for the return of Jesus Christ. Here we look briefly at the meaning of the Seven Seals in the Book of Revelation.

1. WHITE HORSE (Revelation 6:1-2) – Jesus is the Rider on the White Horse, leading the charge for the last great wave of revivals, missionary movements, church growth, and evangelism. This is symbolic of the period of revivals that began close the beginning of the 20th century (the outpouring of the Spirit at Azusa Street and other places in 1906, and the great Pentecostal and Charismatic movements that spread around the world as a result). The faithful church experiences continual revival up until the return of her Lord and Savior Jesus Christ who is later seen riding a WHITE HORSE (Revelation 19:11). The last 100 years of church history, despite the fact that it coincided with the onset of the Great Apostasy, has seen a period of productive, miraculous activity by the faithful church unparalleled since the Apostolic Era.

2. RED HORSE (Revelation 6:3-4) – Red here is a symbol of bloodshed. This speaks of the incredible wars of the last several decades, both on a large and small scale, unprecedented when compared to any other period in human history (Matthew 24:6; Mark 13:7; Luke 21:9). For the first time, entire continents were embroiled in bloody wars that killed hundreds of millions. Genocides and other atrocities became a regular event in the twentieth century.

3. BLACK HORSE (Revelation 6:5-6) – This speaks of the material famines (of food, the economy, etc – Matthew 24:7; Mark 13:8; Luke 21:11). The passage notes that nations will allow food prices to escalate in order to keep the price of oil lower, which we see happening today. Vast regions that used to be fertile have become unfruitful deserts in the last 100 years, leading to widespread starvation in many places.

4. PALE HORSE (Revelation 6:7-8) – This speaks of the pandemic diseases and sicknesses in our days, which spread further and kill more people today due to international travel. Some of these diseases, like AIDS, SARS, and certain cancers, appear to be new.

5. REWARD OF THE MARTYRS (Revelation 6:9-11) – Many throughout history have faced persecution and death for remaining faithful to the Lord. The faithful church in this last phase of church history faces persecution as well in some countries, though not to the same degree as she did in earlier periods (see the Letter to the Church of Smyrna in ch. 2). The Fifth Seal portrays them being told that the end of God’s project – and the final triumph of the faithful church – is very near. Note that this does NOT describe a wave of new martyrdoms in the Last Days, as some have misunderstood. These martyrs, from all throughout church history, are already in Heaven, waiting for God’s final judgments on the earth. God tells them that the number of martyrs will soon be complete, meaning the end is near.

6. GREAT EARTHQUAKE, SUN BLACK, MOON RED (Revelation 6:12-17) – This is the Rapture of the faithful church and the beginning of the Great Tribulation for those who are left behind. This imagery is the same as that associated with the 4^th Trumpet in Revelation 8:12. The Fourth Trumpet describes the same event as this seal. At the Fourth Trumpet, the Faithful Church will be Raptured up into Heaven to be with her Lord. The effects on the sun and moon described in connection with the Fourth Trumpet in Revelation are the same as those described by Jesus in Matthew 24:29-31, which also describes the Rapture. See also Revelation 16:10.

7. SILENCE IN HEAVEN FOR HALF AN HOUR (Revelation 8:1-2) – This is a pause of awesome silence to acknowledge the completion of the Church Age and God’s Project of Salvation, and the close of the Enemy’s dominion over the earth. The sealing of those who will be saved during the Tribulation (from Israel) completes the full number of those God will bring to salvation through Jesus Christ. Just as God rested on the Seventh Day when he finished the Work of Creation, there is a pause (even in the heavenly praise from the angels) when the Work of Salvation.

After this, the prophetic cycle starts over again with the seven trumpets, which describe the same period in history as the seven seals and the seven bowls.

We live in the last days before the Rapture, when the darkness in this world grows increasingly prevalent. We must remember our Creator (and Redeemer), Jesus Christ. We must do so through constant fellowship with the Holy Spirit now, in the days of our spiritual youth. We cannot allow ourselves to age spiritually and lose our blessing.

The days in which people say, “I have no pleasure” are the Great Tribulation, when those who are left behind will have none of the Holy Spirit’s joy or peace. The Restraining Influence (the Holy Spirit) will be removed from the world (2 Thessalonians 2:6-7).

“…Before the sun and the light and the moon and the stars grow dark, and the clouds return after the rain…” (Ecclesiastes 12:2). The darkening of the sun, moon, and stars is a sign in the New Testament for the Rapture and the judgments that come on the earth at the same moment (see Revelation 8:12; Matthew 24:29-30). One of the popular heresies in among evangelical Christians today is the notion that nominal Christians can still obtain salvation after the Rapture. This is one of the themes of the popular “Left Behind” book series. This encourages the unrepentant to continue procrastinating their surrender to the Lord, in the false security that they can repent after the Rapture and do heroic spiritual deeds during the Great Tribulation. The Bible tells us to remember our Creator before the “sun and the light and the moon and stars grow dark.”

“When the keepers of the house tremble, and the strong men stoop, when the grinders cease because they are few, and those looking through the windows grow dim…”(Ecclesiastes 12:3) The “keepers of the house” are the ministers, the pastors over the Lord’s flock, who waiver in their faith (tremble) and quake in fear of the ungodly rulers. In the End Times they succumb to the Great Apostasy, falling away into mediocre Christianity.

“The grinders cease” – Jesus alluded to this prophetic image in his prophecy about the Rapture on the Mount of Olives. “Two women will be grinding with a hand mill; one will be taken and the other left.” (Matthew 24:41)

“The doors are closed” – Jesus is the door (John 10:7-9). The door closing is a symbol in the New Testament of the Age of Grace ending at the Rapture, and salvation no longer being available. (Matthew 25:10; Luke 13:25). The songs of birds grows faint – as the voice of the Holy Spirit becomes just a distant memory.

Ecclesiastes 12:6-7 – “Remember him – before the silver cord is severed, or the golden bowl is broken; before the pitcher is shattered at the spring, and the dust returns to the ground it came from, and the spirit returns to God who gave it.”

Silver Cord Severed – Silver speaks about our redemption through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, who sold for 30 pieces of silver. On the cross, Jesus Christ paid in full the ultimate price for our sins, by His own Blood. This cord securely connects the true believers to Eternity. The severing of this silver cord speaks of that connection being lost.  Silver bands helped hold together the barrier between the Tabernacle courtyard and the outside world (Exodus 27:17).

Gold Bowl Broken – Gold is a biblical symbol of God’s power. The bowl is a vessel used to hold food, which speaks of our constant need as vessels of the Lord to be full, nourished with His spiritual food.  It is strange to talk about a gold vessel breaking; just as it is strange to talk about a true Christian falling away. Gold bowls were the holy vessels in the sanctuary.

Pitcher Shattered At the Spring – This pitcher is also an illustration of our lives as vessels. God wants to fill us with His water of life. The spring is a spiritual symbol of the Holy Spirit, the fountain of living water (see John 7:38-39). It is tragic to see Christians shipwreck their spiritual lives – as shattered, unusable vessels – right near the source of the living waters.

Wheel Broken at the Well - The wheel was part of the device for drawing up the water from the depths. If the wheel is broken, the water is no longer accessible. One day it will be too late to seek the Lord, too late to receive the Holy Spirit. We must remember to go back to the Lord before it is too late.

These verses are part of the genealogy from Adam to Noah.  When people read the Bible, they might to temped to gloss over, or completely skip these kinds of details which are less interesting for them. Yet even in these parts of the Bible, the Lord wants to teach us about His Project of Salvation for humankind through Jesus Christ.  When we read this section of the genealogy, we find a theme repeated thhroughout: someone was born, lived for a time, but later on died. Enoch, the son of Jared, was one exception.

Enoch also was born, and lived, but in his case we see that he never died. This is a notable difference from the all other people in the list.  Enoch did not experience death, because God took him.  God desires for us to have this same experience, to have eternal life.  Those who remain in the faithful Church will see eternal life.

Genesis 5:24 - Enoch walked with God, and he was not, for God took him.

God took him – One day Enoch was walking, and God suddenly took Him up.  This speaks of how one day the Faithful Church will be raptured up into eternity.  Enoch existed among the other people that lived for a time and later died.  In the same way, the Faithful Church lives along side the Unfaithful Church, and exists only for a time.  Jesus Christ during His first coming also lived along side the unfaithful religious establishment of that time.  At the end of his ministry He was taken up into heaven as well.  One daysoon Jesus is coming back.

Genesis 5:19 – Jared lived after he fathered Enoch 800 years and had other sons and daughters.

Enoch had a father whose name was Jared which in Hebrew means “come from above”.  The detail about Enoch coming from Jared (from above) speaks of how the Faithful Church is the RESULT of  the Holy Spirit who was poured out on the day of Pentecost in Acts 2.  The Faithful Church is not an invention of man.  All things of man and the enemy will be left behind at the Rapture.

The faithful Church does not vote on who gets to be Pastor, but rather seeks the Lord’s council to reveal that. Nor does she rely on psychological, philosophical, marketing, or any other fabricated schemes.  Human religious systems (even those with bibles) cannot possibly please the Lord because their goal deviates from God’s Project of Salvation, catering to man’s sinful desires and reasoning.

Enoch’s name speaks about being “disciplined,” “self-controlled” and “dedicated.” These are all characteristics of the Faithful Church.  She has discipline by the direction of the revelation, by the Lord Himself.  She knows how to seek the Lord in prayer, fasting, and early morning prayer as the Lord directs.  Human religious lacks this discipline and direction, and desires what is material or convenient.

Genesis 5:23  - “Thus all the days of Enoch were 365 years.”

Genesis 5:24 Enoch walked with God, and he was not, for God took him.

Enoch lived 365 years.  This is the same number of days in a year.  Enoch walked with God every day of the year, which is also the experience of the Faithful Church.  She too is in constant fellowship, and never absent from His presence – not even for a day.

Genesis 5:22  - Enoch walked with God…

Therefore, Enoch walked faithful with God, as should we – on the Way of Jesus, and not deviating from this path to eternity.

Genesis 5:22 –  …after he fathered Methuselah 300 years and had other sons and daughters.

Methuselah lived 969 years, which is the longest life span recorded in the bible.  This speaks about eternal life, which is forever.  This is to be the result and prayer of the Faithful Church.  We pray for others to be saved, and become a part of this Work of Salvation.  We pray also for all of us to remain, until the very end, in the Project of the Lord.

Enoch was also the great-grandfather of Noah.  In Noah’s day we know that God brought judgment on the world.  God saw how evil and wicked man was, but Noah and his family survived in the Ark. God took Enoch before the flood. God will also take the Faithful Church to heaven, so she will not experience the judgment to come.

Genesis 7:13 - On that very day Noah and his sons, Shem, Ham and Japheth, together with his wife and the wives of his three sons, entered the ark. 

Matthew 24:37-39 - As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark; and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man.

 Jesus said that the days before the Rapture would be similar to the days of Noah.  It comes on the world unexpectedly, when everyone is still making plans for the future (getting married) and celebrating.  Only Noah and his family knew what was coming; they had the revelation.

Noah had a task to complete.  God revealed to him what was coming (the Flood) and exactly what he should do (build a giant ship or Ark).  Nobody else suspected what was about to happen or received the instructions.   They were not seeking such knowledge, because they were too busy with their own pursuits and pleasures.  In the last days before the Rapture, God speaks and reveals what is happening and what is about to happen – that is, He reveals the prophetic moment in which we live.  Only the faithful church receives this revelation.  The world receives signs, but not revelation - signs in the environment (destruction of the earth’s water supplies and natural resources – se Revelation 8), signs in the heavens (disturbances in space), and the shaking of the earth (like the giant earthquakes/tsunamis that have even moved the earth’s axis in recent years.  The world ignores these signs, of course.  The faithful church, however, has revelation – God speaks and calls his people to prepare now for the Rapture.  The world continues on with its pursuits and pleasures, while the faithful church prepares for eternity. 

Just like Noah, the faithful church has a task to complete: creating a Body or structure exactly the way God wants it, and bringing in as many as possible before it is too late.  Many religious groups are busy doing the opposite.  They work to create a church structure that pleases themselves, or allows them to enjoy themselves and express themselves.  Others try to create a structure that will appeal to the culture surrounding it.  Few are concerned about how God wants things done in the church; few are willing to question or surrender their own opinions, preferences, and ideas to the Lord’s revelation.  They do this because they do not even believe that God has revealed, or would reveal, how he wants things done in the church.  They believe God left us to our own reasoning, because that is what they want – their own reasoning. 

Let us think about this.  If God was so particular about the dimensions of this giant wooden box or ship, would He not be even more opinionated about how things should be in his church?  God was so concerned about the way people worship that He gave an entire book about how to offer animal sacrifices (Leviticus), and dozens of chapters about how to build the place of worship in the Old Testament (in Exodus and 1 Chronicles).  It seems strange, then, that God would have no preferences whatsoever about what music we use in services today, or how we comport ourselves in the services, or how we should preach.  Surely he would not want us merely to look at what others are doing and then imitate the ones we like the best, that suit our tastes.  On the contrary, God reveals his project in more and more detail, just as in the days of Noah.  “The faithful church” is so named because she faithfully carries out God’s revealed instructions.  We have an Ark to build – the Body that will go up in the Rapture. Just as Jesus told his disciples to get new wineskins to hold new wine, so we need the new structures revealed by the Holy Spirit in order to hold, contain, and preserve the new outpouring of the Spirit in the last days. 

The world will continue unaware.  Marriage (and being “given in marriage” or getting engaged) is something that looks toward the future.  Nobody gets married the day before they die.  People get married because they want to spend years with the other person, to raise a family, etc.  People in the world will continue to plan for the future – with political plans, military strategies, financial or economic programs, relationships, business deals – right up to the end, with no awareness that their plans will go unfulfilled.  

In the faithful church, we do not know the day or the hour the Lord is coming – just as Noah did not know exactly when the floods would come while he was building the Ark.  We too make plans for our careers, our children’s education, and so on.  We are responsible, serious people.  Even so, we make every decision with the awareness that Jesus is coming soon to take us to eternity.  Every day we know that this could be the day.  The Ark is done.  We are in the last minutes of history before the Rapture, prophetically speaking.  NO other signs must be fulfilled before that event.  It could be tomorrow or next week.  This awareness changes all of our priorities.  We devote ourselves to the Lord’s work first of all, and attend to the material concerns only as a way to sustain ourselves to keep serving the Lord until that final day comes.  The world does not decide things with this awareness – unbelievers assume the world will continue on its present course for decades, even centuries.  They plan accordingly, and they pursue their pleasures accordingly.  We know that the end is near, and the most important thing is to prepare ourselves for eternity, and to bring as many as possible to eternity with us. 

In the period immediately before the rains began, God brought Noah’s family into the Ark, and he brought all the necessary animals to them.  Noah did not have to go out and trap animals – this was a miracle where God brought them in.  Noah’s task was to construct the Ark exactly as God wanted it so that it was ready to hold the animals when God brought them.  This is like the Faithful Church today.  God is bringing in the last ones who will be saved before the Great Tribulation, the time of judgment coming on all the earth.  God brings them in by his Holy Spirit – the growth is a miracle.  It does not depend on human techniques.  The faithful church follows the revelations and directions the Lord gives, and prepares the Ark (the church, the Body) so that as we evangelize, and God brings in the people miraculously, there is a proper place for them to be carried to eternity.  People come because of prayer, because God must operate to bring them in, just as he brought the right number and type of animals from all over the earth to Noah in those days. 

It is interesting that it says, “The Lord shut them in.”  In other words, after everyone had entered, God closed the door behind them.  They did not do it themselves – it was the hand of the Lord.  There was no more opportunity for those outside to be saved.  This is a prophetic illustration of the Rapture as well.  It is an act of God – a miracle, not something we can do ourselves.  God is the one who transports us to meet Christ in the air.  As this happens, though, the Age of Grace ends – the period during which salvation is available to the “nations” or the Gentiles.  It is just like God closing the door of the Ark behind Noah and his family.  There is no more opportunity for salvation after the Rapture for Gentiles.  

Salvation & judgment –  The Ark was salvation for those inside, but judgment for those outside.  This is the pattern in Scripture – every act of God’s salvation for his servants coincides with an act of judgment on the flesh.  This is not a popular idea today – people want to talk about the “Year of the Lord’s Favor” without mentioning that this is the same as the “Day of the Vengeance of Our God.” (see Isaiah 61:2 – “to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor and the day of vengeance of our God”).   The greatest blessing in all of history is the Rapture of the church (Paul calls it the “Blessed Hope” in Titus 2:13), but the final judgment on the world and all flesh commences at the same time – the Great Tribulation.  Today, the Lord is speaking to us as well – proclaiming the year of the Lord’s favor, and the day of the vengeance of our God.

The first occasion is where Abraham leaves Haran immediately after the Lord directs him to journey to the Promised Land.  (Genesis 12:1-5).  Abraham took his nephew Lot, and Lot’s family and herdsmen, and went to the Promised Land.  The Promise was made to Abraham (see Genesis 12:2 & 7), so Lot had no right on his own to go there to take any of it.  Yet Abraham chose him and brought him along to share in his own inheritance.  In a similar way, God the Father calls us to share in Eternity, something we have no right to ourselves, but we receive because of his calling and election.  The Father chooses us and calls us to walk with Him.  We walk with Him through the desert of this world until we arrive at the Promised Land.  And there he gives us an inheritance with him, just as Abraham allowed Lot to live anywhere he wanted.  This first occasion illustrates the work of the Father in our salvation – the Calling, the Election, the Promise of Eternity, and the Invitation to Walk with Him.  Note that Lot brought everything he had and put it together with Abraham’s possessions; he was blessed for as long as they were together.  We also should bring our entire lives, everything we are, into fellowship with the Father.

The second occasion occurs in Genesis 14, where Lot is taken captive by the invading kings from the North.  These four kings had just defeated five kings with their armies, and had conquered the entire region around there – so their coalition of armies was very powerful.  The kings represent all the forces of this world and the Enemy.  Four is usually a symbol of the world in the Bible.  Abraham goes with only 318 men – “born in his own household,” meaning he borrowed nothing from the world around him – and defeated this vast army of 4 kingdoms.

This illustrates the victory that Jesus, the Son of God, won for us through his death and resurrection.  See Colossians 2:15, “And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.” (see also Ephesians 6:12 & 1 Peter 3:22). When we were enslaved by the Prince of this World, and trapped by sin and the flesh, Jesus fought alone – with no help from the world – and won the battle to set us free.  The first story of Lot & Abraham is about Lot being invited to come along, to walk to eternity.  This story is about being delivered, set free from our captivity.  It is the operation of the Son.  It illustrates the aspect of our salvation that pertains to our deliverance from sin and the ways of this world.

The third time Abraham rescues Lot is when he intercedes for him to be spared from the judgment that is about to come on Sodom.  Genesis 18:22-33.  Because of Abraham’s intercession on behalf of Lot and his family, God sent two angels to wake them, warn them, get them ready to leave, and take them out of the city at the right moment – just before the judgment.  Lot’s departure from Sodom, and the judgment on Sodom and Gomorrah, illustrate the Rapture of the Church and the Great Tribulation respectively.  The Rapture occurs at the moment the period of great judgment begins.

Abraham’s role here illustrates the operation of the Holy Spirit in saving us.  Romans 8:27 – “the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God’s will.” The first step in preparing the church for the Rapture was the outpouring of a spirit of prayer and intercession.  Abraham’s intercessions are concerned with preserving a remnant from judgment, and this is the Holy Spirit’s objective in the Last Days.  Prayer in the Holy Spirit brings us into the Lord’s presence, opens our hearts to His operation in our midst, and sanctifies us within.  The Holy Spirit teaches us to Plead the Blood of Jesus in this Last Hour, and the church of the Rapture is a church that pleads the Blood of Jesus.  We remember that in the Exodus, the Blood of the Lamb also was associated with God’s people being saved from judgment (the death of the firstborn, also symbolizing the Tribulation) and the departure from Egypt (the Rapture).

The work of the angels comes in response to Abraham’s intercession.  Even today, the Holy Spirit leads us in intercession and prayer, and as a result there is a powerful ministry of angels in our midst.  We do not pray to the angels, of course.  Instead, we plead and pray for the Lord’s mercy on his servants, for his blessing and deliverance, and He sends his angels to operate.  The Work of the Holy Spirit is attended by the ministration of angels.  The acts of the angels in this story illustrate the ministry occurring in our midst today:

Fellowship – they entered his home and ate with him

Protection & Deliverance – they prevented the wrongdoers outside from even finding the door of the house

Warning & Exhortation to Rescue others – they told Lot of the imminent danger

Wake those who are sleeping

Hurry us to get ready to leave

This third instance, therefore, illustrates the Work of the Holy Spirit and the Ministry of Angels in preparing us for the Rapture, our “Blessed Hope.”  (Titus 2:13)  Our salvation is really an operation of the Three Persons of the Trinity – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.  We see aspects of the Trinity’s work of salvation in the three stories where Abraham saves Lot: the Call and Invitation to go to the Promised Land (the Father); the battle to rescue us from our captivity (The Son); and the intercession and preparation for leaving the place to escape the judgment (the Spirit).

Genesis 41:15-24  -  Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I had a dream, and no one can interpret it. But I have heard it said of you that when you hear a dream you can interpret it.”   

“I cannot do it,” Joseph replied to Pharaoh, “but God will give Pharaoh the answer he desires.”   Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “In my dream I was standing on the bank of the Nile, when out of the river there came up seven cows, fat and sleek, and they grazed among the reeds. After them, seven other cows came up-scrawny and very ugly and lean. I had never seen such ugly cows in all the land of Egypt. The lean, ugly cows ate up the seven fat cows that came up first. But even after they ate them, no one could tell that they had done so; they looked just as ugly as before. Then I woke up.  In my dreams I also saw seven heads of grain, full and good, growing on a single stalk. After them, seven other heads sprouted-withered and thin and scorched by the east wind. The thin heads of grain swallowed up the seven good heads.” 

Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, dreamed of seven starving cows devouring seven fat cows, and then seven withered heads of grain swallowing seven healthy heads of grain. (See also Genesis 41:1-7). The immediate application was for their local circumstances: the dreams were followed by seven years of economic prosperity, which in turn were followed by seven years of devastating famine. 

These dreams also have a prophetic meaning beyond their immediate circumstances, showing the judgment that comes on all flesh, where the glory of man fades away forever.  Ultimately, this process culminates in the seven years of Tribulation that come on the earth after the Faithful Church leaves, and which follow a period of supposed peace and prosperity. “While people are saying, ‘Peace and safety,’ destruction will come on them suddenly, as labor pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape.” (1 Thessalonians 5:3).   This time is near, so these dreams are particularly relevant for us today.  

We see signs all around us, the beginning of birth pangs. (Matthew 24:8).  For example, The First Trumpet in Revelation 8:7 speaks of the destruction of vegetation on the earth.  This century has witnessed widespread deforestation and expansion of the deserts.  Many places that once had forests or farmlands now are dry and bare.  Some of this is caused by natural events, but most of it is caused by man misusing the land on a large scale.  Never before in history has there been so much destruction of the greenery on the earth.  Today, many scientists and politicians are very worried about the elimination of forests and farmlands, because they cause huge policy problems.  Deforestation is a leading cause of climate change and decreased supplies of fresh water (cutting down forests causes erosion of the soil which fills in the rivers and streams).  The spreading of deserts, which consume the useful farmland, causes famines and starvation.  This trumpet has already sounded, but the world did not hear. 

The Second Trumpet, mentioned in Revelation 8:8-9, describes the destruction of marine life (in the oceans).  Again, the first images that John describes were visible only in heaven – but the effects are felt on earth.  The famous marine biologist Jacques Cousteau said in the 1970’s that in his lifetime, an estimated 40% of the fish in the oceans had disappeared – he had seen the decrease in his decades of deep-sea diving and research expeditions.  There is no question that the results associated with this trumpet have been fulfilled – due to pollution and over-fishing by man.  Thousands of species of sea life have become extinct in recent years. The second trumpet already sounded as well.

The Third Trumpet (see Revelation 8:10-11) deals with the destruction of fresh water sources – rivers, streams, and lakes.  It is a well-known fact that the lack of fresh water has become a worldwide crisis.  Even in countries like the United States, which has government agencies regulating the waterways, over half of the surface water (lakes, rivers, streams) is contaminated with dangerous pollutants and is unsafe to drink, according to government authorities.  Waters all over the world are contaminated by pollution (often with deadly poisons), radiation, and erosion (caused by the removal of the forests).  Even in remote, relatively uninhabited areas, rivers and lakes are contaminated with deadly mercury (from gold prospectors) and from acid rain (clouds of pollution that drift from industrial sites hundreds of miles away).  Many deadly pesticides used in the tropics to kill mosquitoes are found in high concentrations now at the North Pole and in Antarctica.  This third trumpet has already sounded, but again the world did not hear. 

The Fourth Trumpet in Revelation 8:12-13 corresponds to the Rapture of the church.  The remaining three trumpets do not affect us – because we leave at the Rapture.  They pertain only to the judgments that come on the world during the Great Tribulation (the seven-year period between the Rapture and the return of Christ to rule the earth for one thousand years).  That is why Revelation 8 shows an angel saying, “Woe, woe, woe” to the people who are still on the earth for these last three trumpets.  The judgments during the Great Tribulation are very severe, and there is no more chance for salvation or God’s mercy – except for the nation of Israel.   The Apostle Paul says that the Rapture of the church will be at the “last trumpet”: “Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed- in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality.”  (1 Corinthians 15:51-53). 

The Fourth Trumpet is indeed the “last trumpet” for the CHURCH, even though three more trumpets remain for judgment on the world.  The Fourth Trumpet is the next one that is going to sound, and it could occur at any moment.  There are no other signs that must occur first – the first three trumpets have clearly sounded, and now we wait in suspense for the next one.  The time is short.  We must prepare ourselves NOW, get right with God, ensuring that we are in step with his will.  We must be spiritually prepared for the Rapture.  

Notice the advice or discernment that Joseph gave in response to Pharaoh’s dreams: “Let Pharaoh appoint commissioners over the land to take a fifth of the harvest of Egypt during the seven years of abundance. They should collect all the food of these good years that are coming and store up the grain under the authority of Pharaoh, to be kept in the cities for food. This food should be held in reserve for the country, to be used during the seven years of famine that will come upon Egypt, so that the country may not be ruined by the famine.”  Genesis 41:34-36. 

The spiritual application of this is that we must be dedicating our resources NOW to preparing spiritually for the Rapture, preparing for Eternity.  Notice that they had to collect 20% from the people.  This is double the amount of the typical tithe – showing that we owe God much more than just a monetary offering or tribute.  We need to consecrate our lives to him.   All the administrative attention during the prosperous times focused on preparations for the coming losses.  Joseph was in charge of this and worked at it diligently.  Today, the Lord Jesus works diligently preparing the Faithful Church for the Rapture, and preparing our eternal home.  As he says in John 14:2-3 “In my Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.”  Jesus’ focus right now is on Eternity; all of his work is toward that end.

More generally, the dreams show that nothing material in this life has any lasting value, but perishes in death; only the things of eternity shall last.  This is the Holy Spirit’s core message to the world.  Jesus said about the Holy Spirit, “When he comes, he will convict the world of guilt in regard to sin and righteousness and judgment: in regard to sin, because men do not believe in me; in regard to righteousness, because I am going to the Father, where you can see me no longer; and in regard to judgment, because the prince of this world now stands condemned.” (John 16:8-11)

Joseph is a prophetic type – that is, his life was a prophetic statement foreshadowing the coming of Jesus.  Other Old Testament characters give us prophetic illustrations of certain aspects of Christ – like King David foreshadowing Jesus as the King, of the Tribe of Judah, and the High Priest symbolizing Jesus as our Great High Priest.  Joseph prophetically illustrates Jesus’ humanity, Jesus as the Son of Man, the one who would come to earth, face rejection from his brethren, suffer at the hands of sinners, and endure temptation while remaining pure and blameless.  (”Jesus was tempted in every way we are, yet without sin.” – Hebrews 4:15).  Every aspect of Joseph’s life has prophetic content. 

In the last chapter of Genesis, Joseph is about to die (at age 110, which the Egyptians considered something like the perfect number for age, pointing forward to Jesus’ eternal nature), and Joseph gave a final prophecy – and instruction – to his brethren.  

The Promise – The prophecy was a promise.  God promised, “I will take you up out of this land.”  Like most prophecies in the Old Testament, there was a double fulfillment intended here.  The immediate application of the prophecy was that 430 years later the Israelites would leave Egypt in the Exodus, after they had multiplied to the size of a national population (approximately one million people left Egypt with Moses), and were suffering under the oppression of another Pharaoh.  The ultimate application of the prophecy points to the Rapture of the church, which will happen soon, when God takes us up out of this land.  The word “Rapture” means “snatching up” or “taking up quickly.”  Joseph’s prophecy points forward to the culmination of God’s entire project of salvation, when Christ takes the faithful church to eternity.  

The Lord used the time in Egypt to grow the Israelites to the size he wanted (so that they would really be a nation, not just a large family, inheriting the Promised Land).  In the project of salvation, the Lord planned the church age so that the Bride of Christ would grow to the full number that God wants at the time of the Rapture (see Romans 11:25).   

The children of Israel lived with this promise for all those years – God would “take them up out of this land.”  During all their trials, sufferings, and hard labor, they had this promise before them.  God would surely (settled in eternity, without a doubt or contingency) bring them up out of the land.  In the same way, we can endure all our trials and afflictions today, and the hard labor of fulfilling the Great Commission, knowing that we have this promise.  Its fulfillment is coming soon.  He will take us up out of this land.  We will go to eternity.  

This is our message to the world today.  We are leaving.  Nothing in this world has lasting value.  We live in this period of the “last church,” the church that prepares for the Rapture.  We will go to eternity, and the time of judgment – known prophetically as the Great Tribulation – will come upon the earth for seven years.  For the faithful church, He promises to return.  “I will also keep you from the hour of trial that is going to come upon the whole world to test those who live on the earth.”  (Rev. 3:10).  This was Jesus’ final promise to us.  Even when he ascended into heaven, leaving this world physically, this promise came to us:

They were looking intently up into the sky as he was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them.  “Men of Galilee,” they said, “why you stand here looking into the sky?  This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go up into heaven.”  (Acts 1:10-11).  

The last words of Jesus in the Book of Revelation, in the last chapter of the whole Bible, are the same promise: “Yes, I am coming soon.” (Revelation 22:20).   He will come and take us up from this land.  (See 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18). 

He is taking us to our Promised Land, which is eternity.  Joseph said that God would take the Israelites to the “land promised to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.” The New Testament tells us that the real meaning of this Promised Land was more than just a few hundred square kilometers in Canaan – Abraham was heading toward Eternity.  Abraham was “looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God” (Hebrews 11:19); the Patriarchs were “looking for a better country – a heavenly one.”  (Hebrews 11:16).

The Instruction – Joseph told the children of Israel about God’s promise to them, and then asked them to make a promise themselves- that they would bring his bones up from the land with them.  The Israelites did indeed bring his bones with them when they left in the Exodus (see Exodus 13:19), and they buried them in Shechem after the conquest of the land (Joshua 24:32).  The Scriptures mention Joseph’s bones exactly three times after this place where Joseph gives the instruction (Exodus 13:19; Joshua 24:32; Hebrews 11:22), illustrating the operation of the Trinity in this prophetic event. 

Bones provide the structure for the body – without bones, each of us would be a shapeless bag of skin with a few organs inside.  The structure provided by the skeletal system allows our bodies to have specialized tasks for different body parts – we run with our feet, for example, but eat and grasp with our hands, etc.  

The church that Christ will Rapture is a clearly defined Body (see Ephesians 4:13, 16), a Bride with a perfect form (Ephesians 5:27).  Jesus has a BODY in the world today – a Bride prepared for the Rapture.  This is not the same as the religious movements and various institutions we call Christianity.  Christianity is just a religion, competing with the other religions in this world for power, influence, wealth, etc.  It has many adherents with good intentions (like every religion), rituals, and famous leaders.  It is not the same as a Body.  It is a religion, a sociological phenomenon.  Man is in charge.  They use Jesus’ name all the time, but the people decide what they will do, how they will worship, who will be the pastor, etc. 

There is, however, a Body today in the world as well.  The Lord is preparing a Body with a structure and form, where the Lord is in control.  Every decision belongs to the Lord.  Every doctrine comes from Him by revelation through the Holy Spirit.  Every endeavor or activity, every assignment of a member to a post, comes from the Head directly.  If the Head (Christ) is not controlling everything, then the organization is not really his Body.  The members may believe in the gospel and preach salvation, but the Body requires more than a mere collection of born-again Christians.  It requires connection to the Head (Jesus), instructions from the Head, and a structure and form that operate according to the will of the Head.  Some believe this is impossible, because they think Christianity is just a human institution and cannot be anything more.  God’s project is to prepare a Body for the Rapture, a Bride with perfect form. 

In this Body of Christ, the structure – the “skeletal system” of the Body, allegorically speaking – is the revealed doctrine.  The Lord reveals to us that we should emphasize pleading the blood of Jesus.  He tells us to proclaim to the world that the end is near, that God’s project is nearing completion, that this is the last opportunity to for salvation.  He reveals how we should handle and facilitate the gifts of the Holy Spirit that He manifests in our midst.  He tells us how to worship, how to preach, how to pray, how to baptize, how to conduct the Lord’s Supper, etc.  God is not a relativist, even though relativism is popular right now in our culture.  God has a way He wants us to do things in His Body to produce the form the Bride of Christ must have.  The structure is the revealed doctrine. 

All this doctrine will leave the world with the faithful church at the Rapture.  The Lord will return to take us up out of this land, and we will carry the bones- the structure of the Body – with us to eternity.  There will be no more remains of the faithful church here on earth.  Human religion will remain.  Religious movements and institutions will continue on into the Tribulation, not bringing salvation to anyone.  There is no more opportunity for Gentiles to have salvation after the Rapture.  The church age – the Age of Grace – ends at the Rapture.  Those who are “left behind” will not form a holy remnant, contrary to what some may think.  God’s attention will turn again to the people of Israel, who will rebuild the Temple and offer sacrifices again.  There will be no remaining operation of the Holy Spirit in this period elsewhere in the world.  The bones of Joseph go up with us.  We take all the revelations, all the structure, all the doctrine, all the revealed ministries to eternity at the Rapture.  All that remains in this world is the human system that is under judgment.  

Joseph was speaking prophetically of the structure that would emerge many years later, in the last days before the Rapture.  He foretold that God would finish the eternal project and take his people up.  Joseph prophesied that the Body would emerge with a clear doctrine and structure before that time.  We live today in this period.  

When the Israelites left Egypt about four centuries after Joseph, they took everything with them.  They left nothing behind in Egypt.  There was no remnant of Israelites who stayed in Egypt after the Exodus.  Moses told Pharaoh that not even a single hoof would remain behind (Exodus 10:26 – Pharaoh wanted them to leave behind their wives and children, or at least their flocks and herds).  Not a single person or possession of Israel remained behind in Egypt.  In the same way, the faithful church will leave nothing behind in this world.  “Not even a single hoof.”  He will come to take us up, and we will go to eternity, taking all the revelation, spiritual gifts, experiences, and doctrines with us.  Nothing remains for the world to enjoy.  We will be with Him, at the wedding of the Lamb, and will stay there forever.

[See the Introduction to the Seven Letters to the Seven Churches in Revelation]

Introduction – The Church of Philadelphia represents one of the best periods of church history, from approximately 1730 to 1914.  This was the period of the “Great Awakenings” (massive, widespread revivals in North America and Europe), the rediscovery of the baptism in the Holy Spirit, the rediscovery of Bible prophecies pertaining to the End Times, a prayer meeting that lasted 100 years without interruption, the holiness movement, and the great missionary movements.  Modern-day revivalists, evangelists, foreign missionaries, and Pentecostals all have their historical origins in this era.  In fact, the Faithful Church today is really the last remnant of the Church of Philadelphia, even though we are now living in the age of Laodicea (the period of Christian apostasy).

History – Greek kings from Pergamum founded the city of Philadelphia in 189 B.C., in modern-day Turkey.  Philadelphia means “brotherly love” in ancient Greek.  The city’s name came from two brothers who were kings, Eumenes II and Attalus II, who were very loyal to each other.  Today, the Turkish city of Alasehir has replaced ancient Philadelphia.  The area has frequent earthquakes, so the ancient city experienced complete destruction and rebuilding several times.  The inhabitants of Philadelphia grew accustomed to fleeing the city when the earthquakes struck, returning later to rebuild.

The Greek word “philadelphia” appears seven times in the New Testament, usually to describe the brotherly love that God expects us to have toward other members in the church: Rom 12:10; 1 Thes 4:9, Heb 13:1, 2 Pet 1:7 (twice), Rev 1:11(referring to the city), Rev 3:7 (also referring to the city).  Seven is the biblical number of perfection, and many of the words that appear seven times in the New Testament have special significance related to God’s work of salvation in our lives.  Brotherly love is one of those “perfect” words, a sign of the Holy Spirit’s work reaching a state of maturity in our lives.  This name of this church is prophetic.  The period of church history that we connect to the Church of Philadelphia experienced supernatural love between believers.  The three previous eras of church history (Pergamum, Thyatira, and Sardis) had seen actual violence, persecution, and wars between Christian groups.  One of the greatest revivalists of the period of Philadelphia, Charles Finney, wrote that every time he observed an outpouring of the Holy Spirit and revival in a town, the believers would start to call each other “brother” and “sister” affectionately, even if this was not their custom before, without anyone teaching them to do this.  True, godly love was present in these revivals, and it motivated the great missionary movements that took the gospel all over the world for the first time. 

Jesus Identifies Himself – Each begins with Jesus describing himself or mentioning one of his prophetic titles in a different way.  The Lord Jesus is infinite, but he begins each letter by mentioning his title or trait that is most important for the church in that era to understand.  In this letter, Jesus identifies himself (for the first time in Revelation) as “holy and true.“  These are two of the primary characteristics of Jesus’ operation in the church during the period of Philadelphia.  It was the period of the holiness movement (focused on sanctification) and the truth of the gospel that they preached instead of the empty, theological scholasticism that most churches preached in the years following the Protestant Reformation.  Jesus gave the believers in this period a great gift: a deep understanding of his holiness, and a focus on his truth.

Jesus also identifies himself here as the one “who holds the key of David.  What he opens no one can shut, and what he shuts no one can open.”  This phrase appeared in Isaiah 22, describing a royal official named Eliakim, but Eliakim prophetically represented the Lord Jesus himself.  The “key of David” refers to Jesus being the Messiah, the fulfillment of God’s promise to David that one of his heirs would sit on the throne forever.  “What he opens no one can shut, and what he shuts no one can open.”  This refers to Jesus opening doors for these believers to experience unprecedented revivals, missionary opportunities, etc.  

“See, I have placed before you an open door that no one can shut.”  The believers in the period of Philadelphia accomplished more than any previous generation in church history.  Many Christians think of the Protestant Reformation (in the 1500’s and 1600’s) as a glorious time, but only 200 years later did Protestants send out the first missionaries to foreign nations.  The Reformers themselves believed that God had “predestined” the pagan countries to live in spiritual darkness and eventually to go to hell.  In contrast, the believers in the Philadelphia period decided to take the gospel to every country in the world.  There are thousands of stories about God miraculously opening doors for these dedicated men and women to journey to these countries (before the age of airplanes and automobiles), to learn the local languages, and to convert entire villages and towns.  The missionary organizations today are the last remnant of this great movement.    

Affirmation – In most of the Seven Letters, Jesus acknowledges what the church in that place (or general period of church history) is doing right – that is, he compliments them on something.  Here, Jesus says, “I know that you have little strength, yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name.”  The believers in this period usually did not have government support for their efforts in spreading the gospel, conducting revivals, or taking the Bible to new countries.  Many of the spiritual heroes of this age were poor, suffered from health problems, and endured terrible persecution.  Yet they were unfailing in their faithfulness to Christ.  They were completely consistent in holiness, in keeping God’s commands.  They refused to deny God’s name even when the world around them was turning toward atheism, a belief in evolution, and other modern philosophies.

Rebuke & Correction – The Lord has nothing negative to say about the Church of Philadelphia – there is not a single word of correction!  All but two of the Seven Letters in Revelation mention something wrong for which the Lord rebukes them.  Yet two of the churches (interestingly, the second from the beginning and the second from the end) have nothing wrong at all, from the Lord’s perspective, even though the theologians and scholars often look down on these periods of history.  Philadelphia was close to God’s ideal for what Christianity should look like.

next sermon in series: Church of Philadelphia pt.2>>>

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“Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition…”- 2 Thessalonians 2:3 (New King James Version)

Many Christians today believe that an amazing, worldwide revival will occur in the Last Days, in which hundreds of millions – or even billions – of people will come to Christ.  The Bible, however, teaches that a terrible “failing away” or “apostasy” occurs in the Last Days instead.  “Apostasy” is the Greek word for “falling away.”  

 It is true that the faithful church today is preparing for the Rapture and has reached a level of maturity never seen before, and millions of people around the world are coming to Christ – in every nation.  At the same time, Christianity overall is falling into a state of corruption and decline.  The apostasy has already begun.

We need to be aware of this situation, and teach our members about it, because otherwise we will start to think the things we see around us are “normal” even when they displease God.  Paul warns in the verse above, “Let no one deceive you…”  There is a danger implied in this statement, a need for us to make a conscious choice to resist the lure of the deception around us. 

FROM WHAT DO THEY FALL AWAY? “In the days of her affliction and wandering, Jerusalem remembers all the treasures that were hers in days of old…”  (Lamentations 1:7)  In order to understand the nature of the apostasy of our days, we need to see what the churches are abandoning or leaving behind as they fall away.  “Apostasy” literally means, “to stand or fall apart from something.“  We know what they are moving toward – the work of the Antichrist.  What are they leaving behind?  “Jerusalem remembers the treasures that were hers in days of old.”  The churches today are losing the spiritual treasures that believers in the past cherished so dearly.

The Blood of Jesus – Some churches today never even mention Jesus’ blood or his death on the cross.  Others emphasize only one small aspect of it, like the remission of sins (in traditional churches) or power for spiritual warfare (in Pentecostal or charismatic churches).  They do not understand the need to invoke the blessing of Jesus’ blood in every situation, because it brings the operation of the Holy Spirit into our lives, the spiritual gifts and revelation, sanctification, and fuller integration into the Body (the faithful church).  Of course, if a pastor or a church focuses mostly on money and material prosperity, these spiritual blessings will seem unimportant, and the key to obtaining them will fade from their minds.  Yet believers in the past knew that Jesus’ blood was central to the gospel, central to their experience of Christianity.  They preached about it and invoked it in their fervent, constant prayers.  We see constant references to it in the classic hymns and writings of the great revivalists and reformers.  It was one of the church’s greatest treasures in days of old, but it has no value for those who are going along with the apostasy today.  One sign of the apostasy is a lack of emphasis on Jesus’ blood.

The Revealed Word – One universal characteristic of the great men of God in the past was their complete reliance on Scripture.  The Reformers understood the Bible as the “sole basis for faith and practice,” above any human tradition, idea, fashion, or culture.  Missionaries and evangelists in previous eras would memorize entire books of the Bible and had thorough familiarity with the rest.  Today, many pastors have never read the whole Bible, and many believers have never read even one of its books.  For most of church history, the true believers understood that there was power in the Word – that the Scriptures had a spiritual life that touched the hearts of those who hear.  Even the corrupt medieval Church understood this, and that is why they banned translations of the Bible in the common language.  They were afraid of what happened whenever people started reading the Word.  Today, many Christians simply ignore the Word.  Many traditional churches approach the Bible in a completely intellectual or academic way, not believing that God wrote it and still speaks through it today.  They forget that “the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.”  (2 Corinthians 3:6).  On the other hand, many charismatic and Pentecostal believers read only isolated verses here or there (mostly the passages they like, where God is promising prosperity), because they are too lazy to read the rest and too apathetic to care what God has to say.  A sure indicator of apostasy is when a church neglects the revealed Word.  All the preaching turns instead to motivational messages, self-help talks, philosophical ideas, abstract theology, cultural trends, or politics.

Believers in the past wanted to know God’s will and knew that God could speak to them through His Word.  Many had amazing experiences with prayerfully opening the Bible and reading a verse that applied directly to their situation.  Many of the great revivalists and evangelists had experiences where God would tell them after they went to the pulpit to open to a specific verse, or bring them upon a verse suddenly, which became the text for a powerful sermon or message.  Today most churches have forgotten that God can speak through His Word like this.

The Body of Christ – Previous generations of believers understood the importance of functioning as Jesus’ Body.  This means bonding together in sacrificial love, preferring the interests of others above our own interests and goals.  It also means that they allowed Jesus to be the Head of the Body – to direct everything that happened, as your head controls your physical body.  Today, the pastors and ministers want to be in charge of the church instead of Christ, and the believers want to be in control of their own lives instead of yielding fully to God.  In the past, Christians sang “I Surrender All” and similar hymns of submission, as well as songs about sweet fellowship in the Body, working together for Christ, gathering for prayer and worship, etc.  Today, many churches sing only about receiving a personal blessing from Jesus or about getting “victory” over all their problems.  When the apostasy comes, “faith” becomes completely individualized and the churches completely autonomous.  The loss of corporate spiritual life is evident around us.

Holiness – Christians in the past focused on sanctification, leaving sins behind, and many cherished their sanctification as if it were a valuable treasure.  Obedience was central to their spiritual life.  Today, it is unfashionable to talk about holiness or sanctification among Christians.  They find it boring. 

Prayer – We see in church history that the true believers were devoted to intercession.  One prayer meeting even lasted 100 years!  In 1727, a group of Moravian believers in Herrnhut (in modern-day Germany) started a round-the-clock “prayer watch,” which continued nonstop for over a hundred years.  By the sixty-fifth year of this prayer meeting (1791), this group had already sent three hundred missionaries all over the world (the beginning of the great missionary movement that reached Africa, Asia, and Latin America).  Many of the great revivalists in the past prayed for four hours a day.  Today, many Christians pray no more than a few minutes a day, usually for some shallow, material matter. 

Salvation/Evangelism – In the past, real Christians were concerned about lost souls going to eternity separated from God.  They wept and prayed for the salvation of lost souls.  Today most evangelism is merely a business, a matter of getting excited crowds together to boost the evangelist’s fame, influence, or wealth.  Famous evangelists hold massive crusades, but most of the people attending are already Christians.  The evangelistic messages today often focus on shallow, superficial things like material blessings or healing.  In previous ages, the true Christians preached about sin, judgment, and the opportunity for eternal life.  Their goal was to produce “conviction of sin,” a state of deep remorse that led to complete repentance and a changed life.  Today the goal of “evangelism” is to have a few people raise their hands and ask for prayer, only to return to their usual habits the next day – sometimes the same people have raised their hand at dozens of “crusades” asking for salvation.  Because the apostate church does not understand that unbelievers are lost, it cannot help them come from death to life.

TO WHAT DO THEY TURN?  What could possibly entice Christians in our era to turn away from “the treasures that were hers in days of old”?  Sadly, they exchange their treasures for trinkets.  Today we see churches focused entirely on “adapting to the culture” or “embracing the culture.”  Others focus on fashionable ideas of the day – psychology, philosophy, and relativism.  Still others have suppressed the Gospel in their midst with an emphasis on politics.  Why would they do this?  Some are simply disobedient – they cannot stand the idea of letting God control their lives.  Others simply love religion for its own sake – the holidays, traditions, pretty buildings, and inspiring music – but have no real interest in what God wants.  The biggest reason, however, is culture.  In the modern era, people have learned to worship their own culture, to see the preservation and expression of their cultural heritage as something important or valuable.  In previous eras, culture was more of an accident – everybody had a culture, but people more easily abandoned aspects of their culture when confronted with a Truth that contradicted it.  Today, people will not accept anything that goes against their culture.  This strange mentality – which is now present in almost every country in the world, but was not in the past – prompts people to forsake spiritual absolutes or spiritual treasures.  They talk about “cultural treasures” instead.  Of course, this always leads eventually to idolatry and witchcraft, even among Christians, because they give so much reverence to cultural items and find so much power in their rituals and customs.  The consequence, unfortunately, is spiritual death, confusion and scattering of believers, and other afflictions.  The Bible warns us that all this would happen, but it is painful to watch it unfold around us.  We must be vigilant and careful. 

God has given us wonderful spiritual treasures.  We need to cherish these blessings and press on to maturity.  As Paul says when he concludes his discussion in the passage above, “So then, brothers, stand firm and hold to the teachings we passed on to you, whether by word of mouth or by letter.”  (2 Thessalonians 2:15)