Well, there’s more to this title than meets the eye (pardon the pun), as they say. There is much more to this because it is part of Scripture, God’s Holy Word. Let’s see.
Luke 21:28 “And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh.” Jesus is speaking at his Olivet discourse answering his disciple’s questions about what will take place at the end of the age, his return. This eschatological teaching is found also in the Gospels of Matthew and Mark, but not this one verse. Let’s unravel this one verse for a bit. What is Jesus saying?
Some things are about to begin that you will notice (25-27). There will be signs and events so evident, they cannot be dismissed.
Then: look up, and lift up your heads. Jesus is stressing the imminency of it – any second, any minute. This is a command that supersedes any thought or activity that is going on or you are thinking about. Pay attention now! Like the popular colloquial saying today – “look for it.”
Your redemption draweth near. Your redeemer, your salvation, is about to appear. This will be a glorious event that the whole world will witness. But what is it?
This is the Return of Christ the Lord at His Second Coming as prophesied in the Bible for two reasons. To fulfill his promise that He gave us of returning and to rule over the earth as King from Jerusalem for a thousand years, labeled the Millennial Reign.
The definition of redemption is to “deliver by paying a price.” Jesus paid that price at Calvary when he died on the Cross and became the only One to rise from the dead 3 days later. For the ones who have placed their trust in Him for eternal salvation and believe who He is (The Son of God), they are “redeemed” forever to be with Him. Have you?
This verse with the preceding verses shows that Jesus is returning at the end of the seven-year Tribulation, but there are many events that will transpire before he comes back. The book of Revelation gives precise details on what’s going to take place. This is not the Rapture of the Church, the saints. The word rapture is not in the bible. The Greek definition is “snatching away, taken up and out.” Harpazo is the Greek equivalent of the word rapture.
We (the saints, some of us) now are anxiously waiting for Jesus to come deliver us from the wrath to come, hence the Tribulation or Jacob’s Trouble (1 Thessalonians 1:10). We will see Him, but we do not have to look up for this glorious event when He comes. One reason could be that when Jesus comes during the night, people could be sleeping where they are globally located. Maybe the world will not notice anything at all except for a lot of people missing. There are many opinions on how this will unfold with the Scripture giving us [some] details. The two noted scriptures believers look at are:
1 Thessalonians 4:17-18 and 1 Corinthians 15: 51-52
In a millisecond, believers will be transported up to the clouds in the air to be with Christ and then go to heaven. Our bodies will be changed from mortal to immortal new bodies. We know we will hear a shout from the Lord, the voice of the archangel, and the trump of God. Verse 16 shows that the believers in Christ that had died, before those of us who are alive, will precede us. We will meet them in the clouds in the air. Like I said, there are many conjectures on how all this will transpire in sequence, plus questions as to whether the world will see all this, hear the shout, and trumpet. We also think the Lord will call our name individually, before or on the way up. We don’t know. A parallel verse is probably Revelation Ch. 4:1 where John the Apostle was told “Come up hither.”
Note: After chapters 2 & 3 in the book of Revelation, the Church is not mentioned at all until chapter 19, showing the saints coming back with Jesus at the Second Coming to the earth.
We as believers understand this. However the Lord wants this to play out, it doesn’t matter to us. There are no words to describe the joy we have now just waiting for this to occur; we will be with our “Redeemer who lives.” If you don’t know Christ as your Saviour, you can now. Come join us because you don’t want to wait till the end of the seven-year Tribulation for His second return. You probably won’t make it because many will be martyred and many will perish from many things during that time. Plus, surviving all the judgments that are coming on the earth during that time is incomprehensible; total horror and destruction. Forget about what you might see in the movies.
Here are some extra-comforting scriptures that point to the rapture of the church.
1 Thessalonians 2:19 “Are not even ye in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at his coming?”
2 Thessalonians 2:1 “Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him.”
1 John 2:28 “And now, little children, abide in him; that, he shall appear, we may have confidence, and not be ashamed before him at his coming.”
1 John 3:2 “Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.”
These are just a few; being able to live forever in heaven in perfect holiness and peace, serving God and being with all the other saints. It doesn’t get better than that. Don’t forget your family; will they be with you?
Give your life to Christ and bring the “good news of salvation” to your family and friends. Believe in what the Bible says. God’s Word is alive, active, ongoing, true, and cannot be changed. Men of old penned the words that the Holy Spirit gave them to copy, and God preserved them by His divine providence, bringing them cohesively at the right time in human history. We have the 66 books now in book form, and they are still the same; His Word has not changed.
Shalom to you,
Clay Smith
All Scripture is King James Bible.