“Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father’s house are MANY MANSIONS; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go TO PREPARE A PLACE FOR YOU. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and RECEIVE YOU TO MYSELF; that where I am, there you may be also.” (John 14:1-3)
WHAT DOES THIS MEAN?
- When Jesus said, “Let not your hearts be troubled,” He was comforting His disciples, who definitely had troubled hearts. Jesus promises them that HIS DEATH WILL NOT BE THE END, and PETER’S DENIAL WILL NOT BE THE END FOR PETER.
- He explains that His death and subsequent ascension into heaven, will bring about TWO specific blessings: it will ENABLE HIM to PREPARE A PLACE for them, and it will ALLOW HIM to SEND THE HOLY SPIRIT to comfort them.
“I will receive you to myself,” the word “RECEIVE” is paralambanō: to take to one’s side.
“For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And THE DEAD IN CHRIST WILL RISE FIRST. Then we who are alive and remain SHALL BE “CAUGHT UP” (harpazō: to snatch away, rapturo: in Latin) TOGETHER with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus, we shall ALWAYS be with the Lord. Therefore COMFORT ONE ANOTHER with these words.” (1 Thessalonians 4:16-18)
Just when will this occur, before the tribulation, mid tribulation, or post tribulation?
“…the son of perdition, who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God…And now you know what is HOLDING HIM BACK (holding back the man of sin) so that he may be revealed AT THE PROPER TIME. For the secret power of lawlessness is already at work; but THE ONE WHO NOW HOLDS IT BACK (the secret power of lawlessness is being held back by the Holy Spirit in the church) will continue to do so till HE IS TAKEN OUT OF THE WAY (the Holy Spirit and the church are raptured out of the way) And THEN THE LAWLESS ONE WILL BE REVEALED…” (2 Thessalonians 2:3-4, 6-8)
There are those who think we have to go through the tribulation, but the scripture says, “God did not appoint us TO SUFFER WRATH but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.” (1 Thessalonians 5:9) As the LAMB OF GOD was opening the seals, “They called to the mountains and the rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of Him who sits on the throne and from THE WRATH OF THE LAMB! For the great day of their wrath has come, and who can withstand it?” (Revelation 6:16-17)
Your Personal Pastor -Bill Stockham