So the man-child is taken before the great tribulation. And where is he taken? To the throne. What condition? You read verse 11:
And they have overcome him by reason of the blood of the Lamb,
and by reason of the word of their testimony;
and they loved not their life even unto death.
This man-child is collective: the overcomers of the church. The whole church is supposed to be an overcoming church, because Christ is the Overcomer. He has overcome all His enemies, and He has given us this overcoming life.
So if you refer to John, you will find, “What is it that overcomes?” Our faith. In other words, the whole church ought to be an overcoming church. But unfortunately, the church as a whole has not overcome, but is being overcome.
But thank God, out of the travail there will be the overcomers. And who are the overcomers? They overcome the enemy by reason of the blood of the Lamb.
In other words, they are not perfect, but they know the preciousness and the availability of the blood of the Lamb. Even though they have their failures, they confess and claim the blood of the Lamb daily—always cleansed.
These overcomers are not super-Christians. These overcomers are normal Christians, because most Christians are abnormal and subnormal.
These are the Christians who know the preciousness of the blood of the Lamb. Do you think you have grown so much that you have grown beyond the need of the blood of the Lamb?
The closer you walk with God, the nearer you are to the light, the more you are conscious of the need of the blood of the Lamb. Do we know the blood of the Lamb? Do we apply it by faith?
Not only by reason of the blood of the Lamb, but by reason of the word of their testimony. In other words, they have a testimony. What is their testimony? Their testimony is: Jesus is Lord. Jesus is King.
And when they say it, it is backed up with their life, because Jesus is indeed their Lord and their King. That is the condition.
Certainly, they love not their lives even unto death. The life here is their soul-life. They do not love their soul-life. They are willing to let their soul-life die in order to gain their life unto eternity.
Brothers and sisters, these are the conditions. And they will be raptured before the great tribulation to the throne. So I leave it with you to examine these Scriptures and to see this matter of rapture.
Now let us go back to Matthew 24. The Lord said, “As the days of Noah, so shall be the coming of the Son of Man.”
In the days of Noah, as we find here, the Lord said, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage. And suddenly the flood came. But Noah entered into the ark, and the flood came and they were all taken away.
Eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, are legitimate. There is nothing wrong with it. But eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, are not the goal of life.
If you make eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage the purpose—the goal—of life, then it is very, very wrong. Look at today: marrying and giving in marriage, marrying the seventh time. This is the days of Noah. So shall be the coming of the Son of Man.
What does eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage mean? It means that people are so materialistic, so occupied with the things of this world. They have absolutely no interest in spiritual things. They do not consider the welfare of their soul. They are completely earthly, worldly.
And suddenly, Noah entered into the ark. God said, “Enter into the ark.” Now, Noah entering into the ark, according to the context, does not refer to people who are kept through the great tribulation. Rather, it means being taken out of the tribulation.
Now, you have to read the context to understand this. But when Noah entered into the ark, then the flood came.
The two refer to those who are living at the time of the parousia, of the coming of the Lord. But the ten virgins actually represent those who are dead in Christ.
You know, traditionally we say the five wise virgins are believers; the five foolish virgins are non-believers. But the Scripture never describes an unbeliever as a virgin. An unbeliever is an adulterer, adulterous.
Only those who are cleansed by the precious blood of Jesus are virgins. Paul said in 2 Corinthians 11:2, “I have espoused you as chaste virgins to one man, Christ.”
And these virgins, they all slept. They went out to meet the bridegroom, but the bridegroom delayed, so they slept. And the sleeping there does not refer to spiritual sleeping, because the wise sleep too.
And it does not refer to normal sleeping, which is only maybe eight hours and somebody only four hours. So it refers to death, because the Lord delays.
They were waiting for the Lord in the first century, but He did not arrive, so they died. They were waiting for the Lord in the second century; the Lord did not arrive, so they died.
So here you find the ten virgins represent those who have died in Christ Jesus, but they will be raised from the dead at His voice. So you put them together, you have the two.
You know, the earth is round. So when rapture should happen, some will be sleeping because in a certain corner of the world it is night. Some will be working in the field; it is noontime, daytime. And some will be grinding meal; it is early morning, because the women in those days ground meal in the early morning. That shows the earth is round.
Then suddenly the Lord will come as a thief. One is taken; one is left.
Now, the word “taken” there is paralambanō. It is used fifty-two times in the Scripture. Sometimes it is used in the good sense; sometimes in the bad sense. So you have to read the context to determine.
And here is your question: when the thief comes to your house, what will he steal? Will he steal your garbage? I hope he will come every night.
But strangely, you find when a thief comes, he seems instinctively to know where your treasure is hidden. He will go to your treasure. And do you think the Lord will do differently? He will take the garbage and leave the treasure? Certainly not.
And He takes the one to Himself. So, without doubt, the one that is taken is the one that is precious to Him.
How godly, no difference. Do not be afraid to go to sleep tonight. Some people say, “The Lord is coming.” They do not dare even to sleep. So you say, “If the Lord shall come and I am preaching, thank God, hallelujah, I will be taken.” Not necessarily.
Go on with your normal life. If it is night, go to sleep. Go on with your normal duty. If it is morning, grind meal. Go on with your normal responsibility. Go to the field and work.
You know, people today say, “Well, the Lord is coming. What is the sense of doing anything?” No. Go on. Live a normal life.
But there is a difference. Outwardly, as you look at these Christians, you do not see any difference. You find they all go to church on Sunday. Maybe they all take their Bible with them. Many people do not even bother to take their Bible, because it can be provided for them.
Ah, but then you cannot see the difference, and do not try to judge. We do not know. Both are sleeping—no difference. Those who are grinding—no difference. Both are working in the field—no difference.
But the Lord knows who is waiting for Him and who is not; who is watching and who is not watching; who is praying and who is not praying; who is keeping the word of His patience and who is not keeping the word of His patience; who is overcoming and who is overcome. God knows.
What a surprise it would be, dear brothers and sisters. This can happen anytime. Do not say that the Lord delays His coming. He may come any moment, but He will come as a thief.
Are you ready for Him? Are you worthy to be taken? Oh, will you be left behind?
I am afraid that would be a great surprise. Many people think, suddenly, so-and-so will be taken, but he is left. Many people think so-and-so will be left, but he is taken.
Do not be too sure of yourself. If you think you are ready, you are not ready. But if you really feel you are not ready, you may be ready. So what the Lord said: “Watch therefore.”
That is what we are waiting for. And when this happens, then you know the presence of the Lord has arrived.
Now, brothers and sisters, I struggle over this subject. The reason is, I do not want to leave it with you as an academic knowledge.
I know people are interested in rapture. But what people are interested in concerning rapture is actually the interpretation of rapture. I hope you are not interested in the interpretation. I hope you are interested in rapture.
Whatever interpretation will help you to be more watchful and prepared, that would be profitable. But holding on to any interpretation is nothing.
Brothers and sisters, what is important is, in view that there is to be a rapture, let me put this this way: we long for the parousia of the Lord.
If you love Him, you long that He will be present. He has been absent so long, and thank God, He will satisfy your longing heart.
But brothers and sisters, do you know that even when our Lord Jesus, before He left us, He already told us He is coming back to take us to Himself?
In other words, there is a longing in the heart of our Lord Jesus for the bride. Since the day that He departed, He has been anxiously waiting for the time when He can take His bride to Himself.
Rapture is the longing of the heart of Christ. He longs to receive us. He longs to take us to Himself, to be His eternal bride. But unfortunately, we are not ready.
So, brothers and sisters, we need to have the heart of Christ. As He longs for us, let us long for Him. We need to have the spirit of rapture, not just the knowledge of rapture. What good is that knowledge if you are left?
We need to have the spirit of rapture. Now, what is a rapture spirit? A rapture spirit is a spirit that, even though you are still on earth, your heart is already there.
The Lord Jesus said, “No one has ever ascended to heaven but He who is on earth and yet in heaven.” Even when our Lord Jesus was on earth, He was in heaven. That is the rapture spirit.
Brothers and sisters, are we so earthbound that when the Lord shall come, we are so heavy, so rooted, that He cannot take us up?
The wheat has to be dried to be gathered. Are we dried to the earth? Is our heart already in heaven? Do we live daily with a rapture spirit?
If we do, then I think our time together tonight is profitable. Otherwise, it is vanity.
Let me complete the picture. When the man-child—that is, the one taken—is taken to the throne, they are the vanguard, preparing the way for the King to come.
You know, the air is the headquarters of the prince of this world. But these overcomers, in their daily lives, have already overcome him. Therefore, they can thrust through the headquarters of the enemy and reach the throne.
They are the welcoming party. They go there to bring the Lord from the throne to the air. Therefore, you find Michael and his angels will fight against Satan and his followers in the air, and Satan will be thrown down upon the earth.
The air is cleared for Christ to descend to the air. And when Satan is thrown upon this earth, this is the beginning of the great tribulation.
Those who are left behind will have to suffer. But thank God, it is another chance. If you are not willing to be disciplined today, He will give you another chance to be disciplined during the great tribulation.
When the tribulation is over, the harvest is ready. Then you find, at the sound of the trumpet, the dead in Christ will be raised first, and those who live and remain, they will be changed and caught up together to meet the Lord. Now, that is rapture.
Brothers and sisters, do you long to be raptured? The earlier, the better—not for your sake, but for His sake.
Shall we pray?
Oh, dear Lord Jesus, even before You left, You promised You would come back to receive us to Yourself.
But, Lord, You have been waiting for two thousand years, and still we are here.
Lord, how we do desire that we may please Thy heart, that we may be ready for Thee. We may even hasten Thy return, that Thou mayest have us for Thyself to satisfy Thy longing heart.
Lord, do not allow us to be indifferent. Do not allow us to be earthbound. Do not allow us to think that the Lord delays.
But, Lord, may we live daily in the spirit of rapture. We ask in Thy precious name. Amen.