Of all the topics in the Bible, the least you will want to talk about is the RAPTURE. This is because very few people want to hear you. They would rather prefer messages on PROSPERITY. While Prosperity messages are Biblical, they are only correct and good if you are taught to use the wealth to store treasure for yourself in heaven.  Now, that’s something that is not sweet to the ears of those who crave for such messages, because in their kingdom, I, and myself getting blessed materially is the reason for a relationship with God. That’s the reason for fasting and praying, Church attendance etc.

There are also some who love this world so much they don’t want to leave it, so when you talk about heaven or hell or Rapture. Something tweaks in them to block whatever you want to say.

But Rapture is a reality, so also is heaven and hell and whatever doctrine you are believing or whatever denomination you subscribe to, you need to prepare for tomorrow in heaven, and the only ticket into heaven is Rapture. I‘m not talking about dying and going to paradise, I’m talking about the end of all things as we know it. When God presses the button to end the world, it’s going to start with the Rapture: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so, shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words.  (1 Thess. 4:17-18)

The key words here are “alive and remain.” In English they have similar meanings but they are very different in the original Greek rendition. Alive is alive the way we are breathing and moving around, but the word translated remain is the Greek word PERILEIPO which means to remain over (after) war; to survive, similar to Nikao, which means overcomer, conqueror, last man standing after a battle. The battle with the Devil is being referenced here. We are born again into that battle (2 Tim. 2:3-4), and we must defeat the Devil with the aid of the Holy Spirit on all fronts – sin, temptations, discouragement etc to qualify for the remain, regardless of the time we joined the battle, 12AD, 1500AD, 2017 or 2023.

The battle is basically, sin or don’t sin. What we call sin is the displaying of the nature of Satan, and righteousness is the displaying of the nature of Jesus.  Dakes Bible Concordance in its commentary of Matthew 25 wedding of the Bridegroom brings to light what Preachers ought to be preaching today.

Dakes Commentary Bible on the foolish and wise virgins captures wedding in Bible days: So the message for today – endtime is to expound and proclaim the qualities of Jesus, the Bridegroom.

So, our emphasis should be on the nature of Christ, so that the hearer can aspire and work towards becoming like Him as the scripture commands us:

For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters (Rom. 8:29).

There you see it-image, Eikon in Greek which describes the moral likeness of renewal men to God. It is also likeness not only of the heavenly body, but also to the most holy and blessed state of mind, which Christ possesses.

See also Ephesians 4:7-11 (Easy English Version) where the 5 fold Ministries were given the job to make believers “In that way, all of us will become united, like one person. We will all believe in Jesus as the Son of God. We will all know him. We will become like a man who has grown up well. We will be completely as God wants us to be, just like Christ himself. So then we will not be like children any more. Our minds will not become confused by strange ideas. We will not change what we believe, from one thing to another. Some people teach things that are not true. They do clever things to deceive people. But we will not agree with their false message.” 

This must be the goal of everyone aspiring to go home with Jesus, the Bridegroom – only Jesus are welcomed in heaven (1 John 4:17b; 1 John 3:1-3)