We will Know the Season but Not the Day or Hour.
Some say that no one will be expecting the rapture when it occurs. They say that it could happen at any time. Some teachers have given this teaching a name, calling it "The Doctrine of Immanency." They say that there are no prophesied events that must occur before the Church is caught away. They believe that the Rapture could occur at any minute. Like a thief in the night is not expected, they say that Christ will come at an unexpected time. But Jesus said that believers will know the season of time, but not the exact day or hour, “No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven…” (Matthew 24:36). The context of that statement, though, is right after Jesus has told us that we may know the season. He said:
32“Now learn this lesson from the fig tree: As soon as its twigs get tender and its leaves come out, you know that summer is near. 33Even so, when you see all these things, you know that it is near, right at the door. 34Truly I tell you, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened. 35Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away. 36“But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father (Matthew 24:32-36).
We should know by the signs of the times that summer (The coming of Christ) is near. The picture is of Christ just about to open the door (v. 33) for all who have received the gift of righteousness to enter into eternity with Him. Scripture says that those who belong to Christ will be aware of what is happening and they will rightly interpret the signs of the times to anticipate the soon coming of their Lord. The signs themselves will be a source of great comfort and anticipation. In a parallel passage, Luke says, “…When these things begin to take place, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near" (Luke 21:28).
Question 3) What does it mean for our redemption to draw near? If you are one of those called to be there at that time, what should you be expecting to happen?
It’s the reunion of the purchased possession to the One who has redeemed or bought us with His blood! The Lord Himself comes for those He purchased at Calvary's cross. He is their substitute for sin and death. What joy that day will be for all you who have received His gift of life!
How Will I Be Changed at the Rapture?
As we have said, when Christ returns at the rapture, those who come with Christ will have their bodies come up from the grave and reunited with their spirit in the air.
28“Do not marvel at this; for an hour is coming, in which all who are in the tombs will hear His voice, 29and will come forth; those who did the good deeds to a resurrection of life, those who committed the evil deeds to a resurrection of judgment (John 5:28-29).
This event is called the resurrection of the dead or the first resurrection. There are two resurrections. The first will be at the rapture where the dead in Christ will rise first. Those who are still alive on earth will also go up to meet the Lord in the air with a new body. This body will be a glorious body that we change into in the batting of an eyelid's time, or as the Scripture says, “in the twinkling of an eye” (1 Corinthians 15:42). How blessed will be those that experience this rapture or resurrection!
I saw thrones on which were seated those who had been given authority to judge. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony about Jesus and because of the word of God. They had not worshiped the beast or its image and had not received its mark on their foreheads or their hands. They came to life and reigned with Christ a thousand years. (The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were ended.) This is the first resurrection (Revelation 20:4-5).
The second resurrection is one of judgment for those who rejected God’s offer of pardon through Jesus and will occur after the thousand-year millennial reign of Christ at what is called the Great White Throne judgment (Revelation 20:7-12).
1“At that time Michael, the great prince who protects your people, will arise. There will be a time of distress such as has not happened from the beginning of nations until then. But at that time your people—everyone whose name is found written in the book—will be delivered. 2Multitudes who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake: some to everlasting life, others to shame and everlasting contempt. 3Those who are wise will shine like the brightness of the heavens, and those who lead many to righteousness, like the stars for ever and ever. 4But you, Daniel, roll up and seal the words of the scroll until the time of the end. Many will go here and there to increase knowledge” (Daniel 12:1-4).
At the 1st resurrection or rapture, the saints are clothed with a resurrection body that will be similar to Christ’s resurrection body. There will be some continuity in that we will be recognizable, but we are talking about an imperishable body, a body that is raised with the glory of God shining from us. Let's look at what Paul the apostle taught concerning this in his first Corinthian letter:
35But someone may ask, "How are the dead raised? With what kind of body will they come?" 36How foolish! What you sow does not come to life unless it dies. 37When you sow, you do not plant the body that will be, but just a seed, perhaps of wheat or of something else. 38But God gives it a body as he has determined, and to each kind of seed, he gives its own body. 39All flesh is not the same: Men have one kind of flesh, animals have another, birds another and fish another. 40There are also heavenly bodies and there are earthly bodies; but the splendor of the heavenly bodies is one kind, and the splendor of the earthly bodies is another. 41The sun has one kind of splendor, the moon another and the stars another; and star differs from star in splendor. 42So will it be with the resurrection of the dead. The body that is sown is perishable, it is raised imperishable; 43it is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power; 44it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body. 45So it is written: "The first man Adam became a living being"; the last Adam, a life-giving spirit (1 Corinthians 15:35-45).