The Rapture Kathryn Kuhlman The Second Coming of Jesus Christ Part 3 of 3

I left you in our last heart -to -heart talk talking about the second coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. And you will remember that I told you that there were two stages in this glorious second coming. So far as we know, Jesus has never been back. to earth in bodily form since he went away. But he's coming back. But the first stage of his coming, he will not touch the earth with his feet. We will meet him in the air. The first stage of his return, he comes forth. his saints. Seven years later, he comes to earth with his saints. And at that time, the last stage of his second coming, every eye shall see him. And he'll return to the very same spot where he left. Know that. That comes from the highest authority in heaven and earth. God himself. All right? And you'll remember that I left you giving you the scripture as recorded in the 11th chapter of John when Jesus was talking to Martha just before he raised Lazarus from the dead. And this is what Jesus said. I am the resurrection and the life. He that believeth in me, though he were dead, and he's referring to those who died in the Lord, and Moses was the type of those who had died in the Lord, yet shall he live. That's the first resurrection. Then he continues. And whosoever liveth is alive when I come back. And believeth in me shall never die. And there we have Jesus himself talking about the great catching up. The saints who are alive for whom there will never be a funeral service. And my last words when I left you. In our last heart -to -heart talk was the fact that there are those living this very hour for whom there will never be a funeral service. But they will be caught up to meet him in the air. And we call it the great catching up. The word rapture is not used in the Bible. The scriptural term is caught up. They shall be caught up. This will not be visible to the natural eye. Now, I cannot tell you the time of the first stage of the second coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. unto God himself. Even the very angels, the word of God said, do not have this knowledge. Only God has this knowledge. Any man, any person who will set a definite date and say, there will be the great catching up. Such and such a day is ignorant of the word of God. For the angels in heaven do not have this knowledge. But the times and the seasons we know and those who are spiritually minded know that we are living now in the time and the seasons for this great event. to take place. The time when the church will be caught up, when the Holy Spirit leaves, when this dispensation comes to an end. And this dispensation, the times of the Gentiles, is quickly drawing to a close. The Holy Spirit is about to leave. That's the reason. He is pouring out of himself upon all flesh, and the last members of the body of Christ are being born into this great body of believers. Oh, we're living in times, thrilling times, times when prophecy is being fulfilled on every side. Give me my choice. I would rather be living today than in any generation that I know anything about whatsoever. After the great catching up, seven years later, and those of you who will be left, and you will be left, If you are not ready for this great event of the great catching up, if you've never been washed in the blood of the Lamb, if you've never had that new birth experience, if you've never been born into this body of Christ, then you are not ready for the great catching up and you will be left. You can mark it on your calendar. after the church has been caught up. And you can know that seven years later, Jesus Christ will return in bodily form on the very spot where he left. He will come back at the close of the great battle of the Armageddon. I've taught you over and over that God has a purpose in everything that he does. His plans are perfect. He never makes a mistake. Why the great catching up? Why the first phase of... This second coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. Do you want to know something? God loves his own. I don't think that man has the capacity to really understand the depth of the love of God. The love of the Heavenly Father. For his children. Always when there was a great catastrophe upon the earth. Always before God has ever sent a judgment to the earth. He's always given a warning. And he's always made a way of escape for his own. Always. Before the floods came. Before judgment came. God made a way of escape for Noah and his family. He warned him. He told him what to do. And Noah believed him. Even as believers, take him at his word today. I believe it. I believe everything in the word. Noah believed the word. of the Lord. And he made preparation. Just this God's precious children are making preparation now for the great catching up. And the great catching up is a means of escape from the suffering that will come upon the earth in exactly the same way that the ark was a refuge and a means of escape for Noah. and his family. Do you really know what the suffering is going to be like during those seven years of tribulation? There will be pestilence. There will be suffering. As man has never known, it will be the very first time in the history of mankind that suffering would be so intense that even in judgment, in wrath, God will continue to show mercy and will shorten time just to alleviate the suffering of mankind. But of course, man brings this all on himself. God will never destroy man. Man will destroy himself. Man is bringing on his own destruction, his own judgment. Because sin has got to be punished. Whether it's in an individual life, whether it's in the life of a nation. Sin has got to be punished or God wouldn't be a God of justice. And it's like that. When we talk about the great catching up, when we talk about the rapture, the Word of God says that we are to be counted worthy to escape all these things that shall come upon the earth. If you want to know what the suffering will really be like, read Those three chapters in the little book of Joel. Sometime I'm going to just bring you a series of heart -to -heart talks on this little book of Joel. For here in Joel, we have the whole picture of the end time of this present age, of the times of the Gentiles. The suffering, all the suffering. A fired... devoureth before them. Behind them a flame burneth. The land is as the garden of Eden before them. Behind them desolate wilderness. Yea, and nothing shall escape them. Mm -hmm. There you have atomic warfare. Suffering. Now, mentally. The intelligent man knows that civilization can be wiped out, destroyed in a matter of hours. And the hour is coming literally when one of the world's greatest cities will be wiped out within an hour. The Bible says so. Now, that's the reason. that God has made provision for his own, his children, to escape all these things that are about to come upon the earth. That's the why of the rapture. Read, if you will, please. Oh, maybe you have read it, but not permitting the Holy Spirit to be your teacher. Read it again in your own Bible, the 24th chapter of Matthew. Now learn a parable of the fig tree, when his branch is yet tender. And of course, I've taught you, and it's an established fact by theologians, that the fig tree is a symbol of Israel. When his branch is yet tender, And I'll tell you, those branches and those leaves are getting stronger every day. But for a long time, they're not going to be so tender. And put forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh. So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors. There I say unto you, this generation shall not pass till all these things be fulfilled. Then to clinch the whole thing, he says, heaven and earth shall pass away, but my word shall not pass away. But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only. Continue. But as the days of Noah were, so shall also the coming of the Son of Man be. For as in the days that were before the flood, they were eating and drinking and marrying and giving in marriage until the day that Noah entered into the ark and knew not until the flood came and took them all away, so shall also the coming of the Son of Man be. Now he's describing the great catching up. And this is the event when he comes for his saints and the meeting is in the air. Two shall be in the field. One shall be taken. The other left. Two women shall be grinding at the mill. One shall be taken. The other left. Watch! Therefore, for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come. We are living in that hour now. The times, the seasons are upon us. If you are spiritual. If you had the slightest spiritual perception, you will agree that the times and the seasons are upon us. The moment of the great catching up, only the father knows. But the great event could take... place this day and not violate one word of Scripture. And this great event is God's mercy for the Church of the Lord Jesus Christ. God bless you.