A few years ago when my family moved to a new city and we started attending a church there, we decided to start going to one of their Sunday school classes. On the first day, as an ice-breaker question, we were asked to introduce ourselves and to briefly name our favorite Bible character and then tell the group why.
I was thankfully going to be last as they went around the circle, so I had some time to mull the question over in my mind. I had two possible answers but didn’t feel brave enough to talk about my first choice. When it came around to my friend sitting beside me, he announced with a straight face that his name was Dave and his favorite Bible character was Bathsheba. The coffee went through my nose. It took a while to calm the group down.
When I was finally able to speak, I gave a cliché religious answer. I said that I liked Elisha best because he had the nerve to expect a double portion of the Holy Spirit. Yeah, maybe that sounds like a good answer but the truth is I wanted to talk about Enoch. A man of whom so little was written about, yet he figures prominently in human history and prophecy.
I like him because he knew how to walk with God, and because he didn’t experience death. Who better to emulate? At that time I was just starting to think about that curious prophecy about a coming Rapture. Not a topic talked about much in my circle of friends and church. But I chickened out and avoided venturing into potentially controversial prophetic territory.
It took a few more years for me to really start investigating the Rapture and start getting excited about it. The cares of this world can really sidetrack us from walking with God and seeking His face. One thing that finally helped get my attention was a documentary about the Shroud of Turin. It was not one of the more exciting shows I’d ever watched. That is until they started interviewing a woman who made the statement that when Jesus Christ came to life in the tomb, an “event horizon” was experienced.
Those two words stunned me. I had a vague understanding of the term having watched more than my fair share of sci-fi movies while growing up. There are many websites that discuss this term, some stranger than others. Some of it is interesting while much of it is too humanistic to waste time reading. What I am getting to though, is that only moments after hearing the term used in that show, I was impressed by the Holy Spirit with the thought that another amazing event horizon is coming. And soon.
When Jesus was resurrected in a glorified body, everything changed. On the cross He said, “It is finished.” But the moment He was resurrected it was a new beginning. As the angel said, “He has risen.” No turning back. An “event horizon” had been crossed. Briefly, the definition of an event horizon is: A boundary in space-time beyond which events cannot affect an outside observer. In layman’s terms, it is defined as “the point of no return.” The term is most often used when discussing black holes.
The Rapture will be an event horizon; no turning back. It will profoundly and permanently affect those of us who are called up when the trumpet sounds. And that is an understatement. Yet there will be many who are untouched by it. They will be left behind.
So here is where the rubber hits the road. Our walk with the Lord should be in one direction, no turning back. And our hope is in Christ. When you hope for something it means you are looking forward to it. Christians can look forward to not only being raptured when Jesus Christ calls us up, but to the reward of a crown for loving (longing for) the day of His appearing. That will be a reward for us to earn.
You cannot earn your salvation. We are not saved by works. Salvation is only through the blood of Jesus Christ. But we are told in the Bible that there will be rewards/crowns for what we have done in this lifetime. I believe that crown reward will actually be for doing something. Not for simply believing the prophecy.
2 Timothy 4:8 says, “Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day–and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.”
There has to be more to that crown of righteousness than simply living a “righteous life” as many Bible commentaries say. The Scripture verse speaks of longing for His appearing. It’s about more than being saved and then living rightly. There is so much more depth to our walk when we live a life expecting and professing that He will return, just as He promised. Believing His promise pleases the Lord.
Since I am saved, I’m confidently looking forward to the coming Rapture “event horizon.” I believe Him, and I have the nerve to desire that crown! Do you too? Are you doing something about it?