The BIG Picture (Study)

The Stages of Christ's Ascension and Return (Part 12) There is one last thing I want to mention off the back of part 11 , which dealt with the meanings of the phrases,  'the voice of the archangel' and 'the twinkling of an eye' . Having clarified these two important phrases used by Paul in our key verses, it effectively brings us to an end of the two primary points that I have explored in this 12-part series. Just to remind you of the two primary points, they are as follows, As with many other patterns, shadows, and types found in the Bible, the ascension of Jesus Christ can teach us of the stages of His return . Paul's two 'famous' rapture scriptures express the event in general , (ie: they expound on the WHOLE coming of Christ , for all saints, not just the rapture of the Body of Christ.) So, let me wrap up with one last thought which plays itself out at the second coming of Christ, close to the end of the seven years of Tribulation. Let's star

The Stages of Christ's Ascension and Return (Part 11) Having looked at what the trumpet represented in part 10 , let's put our focus on the other phrases connected to this stage of Christ's return, —the stage where He appears in the clouds at the end of the Tribulation. In a twinkling of an eye 1 Thess.4:16   refers to 'the voice of the archangel' , and  1 Cor.15:52 mentions 'in the twinkling of an eye' . Unlike the phrases, 'with a shout' and 'in a moment' , that are connected to the imminent rapture of the Body of Christ, the next set of phrases in our key verses represent descriptions for the 2nd Coming of Christ at the end of the Tribulation. Let's dig into these phrases and find out what exactly they mean in the context of Christ's return. With regard to the phrase, "In the twinkling of an eye" , the following is taken from the Strongs Lexicon, Strongs Greek 4493: "In the twinkling of an eye"   - ῥιπή rhip

The Stages of Christ's Ascension and Return (Part 10) The return of Jesus Christ is in stages that symmetrically correspond to the stages of His ascension. Because of this pattern (as with many other types and patterns in the Word), it helps us to gain deeper insights, and piece together scriptures, that provide a bigger picture of the redemption plan of God throughout the ages. Connecting the dots on past events is easy due to hindsight, but the types and patterns in the Word really do assist in building a more insightful understanding of future events, as what we are discussing in this series of posts. In  part 8 , we put focus on the position of Christ as he returns for the church, which is His Body, before the 7-year Tribulation. Our focus was on a 'silent' rapture based on underlying points of study we expounded on in that post. In this post we will continue to the next stage of Christ's return, being the stage when he appears in the clo

The Stages of Christ's Ascension and Return (Part 8) As discussed in the first four parts of this study, there is symmetry between Christ's ascension and return. In this lesson, we will have a look at the first part of Christ's return . This correlates with the last part of Christ's ascension, and naturally, relates to the same group of people, the Body of Christ in the Grace program. The first part of Christ's return is when He will appear in the heavenly position which is filled with an inapproachable light, which no man has seen, not can see, 1 Tim.6:13-16 . ( See Part 3 to reexamine the details of this position ). The purpose of appearing here is to call unto Himself the agency of the Body of Christ, who are to fill the heavens with His glory. (See  2 Realms, 2 Programs, 2 Destinations below). The Silent Rapture of the Body of Christ Throughout the epistles of Paul, the Body of Christ is illustrated as a 'mystery' . Though this

The Stages of Christ's Ascension and Return (Part 7) Before I jump back to the two passages of scripture I shared in part 6 of this series, I'd like to share this little insight with you which will help to confirm my interpretation of them. It's not often that we can take a single verse or two and build a concept or doctrine based on what it says. On the other hand, it is scripturally sound to base a concept or doctrine upon confirmations from many verses. This guidance can be illustrated clearly in a simple jigsaw puzzle. One piece provides a little bit of detail, but it's only when you join that piece up with many more pieces in the box, where the full picture comes clearly into view. Paul provides us with advice that we need to remember and practice when handling the Word. He tells this to Timothy when he writes, 2 Timothy 2:15 Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing

The Stages of Christ's Ascension and Return (Part 6) It is important to maintain the context from part 5 in this study and remember that Paul's writings encompass  ALL of the coming of Christ, across both Mystery and Kingdom Programs. When Paul writes about Christ's return, he does not always focus exclusively on the Body of Christ! Our rapture only makes up part of the details that Paul lays out as he documents the WHOLE of Christ's return and the order (or sequence) of the raptures and resurrections. Please keep this in mind as we continue in this study. I'd like to present you with two passages of scripture, that, when read in the context I'll be presenting, have recently 'blown my mind'! As far back as I can remember, I have read these two passages with the understanding that they give a picture of our rapture and the return of Jesus Christ for the Church, which is His Body. I can also say with certainty that most Christians, at least in my circ