Pathway to Victory

David J. Mullens: Hey podcast listeners. Thanks for streaming today’s podcast from Pathway to Victory. Pathway to Victory is a non-profit ministry featuring the Bible teaching of Dr. Robert Jeffress. Our mission is to pierce the darkness with the light of God’s word through the most effective media available, like this podcast. To support Pathway to Victory, go to ptv.org/donate or follow the link in our show notes. Now, here’s today’s podcast from Pathway to Victory.

Dr. Robert Jeffress: Hi, this is Robert Jeffress, and I’m glad to study God’s Word with you every day on this Bible teaching program. On today’s edition of Pathway to Victory, just because two things are similar doesn’t mean they’re the same. Yes, there are some similarities between the rapture and the second coming. One of the similarities is they both involve the appearance of the Lord, but that doesn’t mean they’re the same thing.

David J. Mullens: Welcome to Pathway to Victory with author and pastor Dr. Robert Jeffress. Christians are observing the violence and moral decay in our world today and wondering, could the end be near? Today on Pathway to Victory, Dr. Robert Jeffress argues that while we can’t know for sure what tomorrow will bring, we need to be ready at any moment for Jesus to return to gather his church. But first, let’s take a moment to hear some important ministry updates.

Dr. Robert Jeffress: Thanks, David, and welcome again to Pathway to Victory. Before we begin today’s message, I want to tell you about something I’m really looking forward to: our Pathway to Victory cruise to Alaska, June 13th through 20th. For seven luxurious days, I’ll be sharing one of God’s most magnificent creations with people I genuinely enjoy being around, believers like you.

We’ll depart from beautiful Vancouver and sail through the legendary Inside Passage. It’s absolutely breathtaking. Every morning, you’ll wake up refreshed, knowing that all your meals are prepared for you with sumptuous offerings. The world-class service means you can truly relax and focus on what matters, connecting with God and reveling in his creation. While space is still available, be sure to book your reservation today at ptv.org.

Now, let me ask you a question. When you hear your pastor talking about the end times, do you sometimes feel a little fearful about God’s timeline? Over many years of teaching Bible prophecy, I’ve discovered that when people first encounter God’s plan, their initial reaction is fear. I understand that, but I want to gently push back because fear is not the response God intended.

In my brand-new book, Ask Dr. Jeffress About the End Times, I answer 20 of the most common prophetic questions with one goal in mind: to replace anxiety with anticipation. God’s plan is not something to dread; it’s something to embrace. Let me send you my book, Ask Dr. Jeffress About the End Times. I’ll do that right away when you give a generous gift to support the ministry of Pathway to Victory. We’re going to repeat these details later, but right now, let’s get our study underway about the rapture of the church. I’ve titled today’s message, “Not Left Behind.”

We’re going to see what the Bible says about the rapture, and I think you’ll understand why a rapture, a snatching away of the church, is both biblical and it’s essential. If you have your Bibles, turn to Ephesians, chapter three. It was the apostle Paul who was given the task of explaining what was called the mystery that Gentiles like you and I are going to be a part of the Abrahamic blessing. And that’s what we find in Ephesians 3, beginning with verse three. Look at this with me.

“That by revelation there was made known to me, Paul, the mystery as I wrote before in brief, which in other generations was not made known to the sons of men as it has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets in the Spirit.” And what is this mystery? He says in verse six, “To be specific, that the Gentiles are fellow heirs and fellow members of the body and fellow partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel.”

Israel has a hardness of heart toward Christ right now, but that’s a temporary hardness of heart. The Bible says that this is a time when God has turned his attention away from Jews toward those of us who are Gentiles, giving us an opportunity to be saved. But this hardening is not going to be forever. God has one final period in history when he’s going to give Israel a chance to be saved. That period of time is the last seven years on God’s time clock. It’s the time of the Great Tribulation.

After every Gentile has been saved who is going to be saved, then God starts that countdown clock, the final seven years called the Tribulation. The rapture of the church precedes that seven-year period of time called the Tribulation. Now, where do we find this rapture of the church? Turn over to 1 Thessalonians, chapter four. This is the most definitive passage in all of the Bible about the rapture of the church. A little background is helpful to understand.

Paul was writing to the Christians at Thessalonica. They said, “Paul, what about our loved ones who have died before the Lord returned? Are they going to miss out on the resurrection? And what about us? When do we receive our new bodies that God has promised?” So Paul writes this letter, especially chapter four, to answer those questions about what happens to Christians who die before the return of the Lord. And what about us? When do we receive our new bodies as well?

Look at verse 13 of 1 Thessalonians 4: “But we do not want you to be uninformed about those who are asleep so that you may not grieve as those who have no hope.” Look at verse 14: “For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus.” Don’t worry about your loved ones. God’s going to take care of them. How is God going to do that? He describes it in the rapture of the church beginning in verse 15.

What I want you to notice and jot down on your outline, there are four components of the rapture of the church. First of all, the descent of Christ. The descent of Christ. Look at verse 15: “For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord shall not precede, that is, we shall not go ahead of those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself, verse 16, will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ shall rise first.”

Paul is saying, “Don’t worry about your loved ones who have died. God is so concerned about them, he’s going to raise them first. We will not precede, we will not go ahead of the dead in Christ, those who have died in Christ.” Verse 16, the first thing that’s going to happen at the rapture, the Lord will descend with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, the descent of Christ.

Now, I want you to underline a word in verse 15: “the coming of the Lord.” Paul describes the rapture as the coming of the Lord. Now, this word coming is the Greek word parousia, and it literally means appearance. The coming of the Lord is the appearance of the Lord. So he says the rapture will be characterized by the coming, the appearance of the Lord. For the Lord himself will descend from heaven. At the rapture, the Lord appears.

Now, this same word, parousia, is used to describe an event that happens seven years after this, and that is the second coming of Jesus. In Matthew 24, verse 27, Jesus said, “For just as the lightning comes from the east and flashes even to the west, so shall the coming, the appearance of the Son of Man be.” Now, those who don’t believe in the rapture, they say, “Aha, here is the smoking gun that shows that the rapture and the second coming are the same thing.”

They claim there are not two comings of Christ we’re looking forward to. There’s not a rapture separated by seven years and then a second coming. Paul uses the same word, parousia, to describe both the rapture and the second coming. They’re the same event. Is that true? Just because two things are similar does not mean they’re the same thing. Dr. Ryrie, our friend and member here at First Baptist Church, makes that great point when he says that because things are similar doesn’t mean they’re the same.

For example, my car has a motor. Our washing machine has a motor in it. Our garage door opener has a motor in it. But even though all three of those items have motors in them, they’re not the same thing, are they? They’re different. Just because two things are similar doesn’t mean they’re the same. Yes, there are some similarities between the rapture and the second coming. One of the similarities is they both involve the appearance of the Lord, but that doesn’t mean they’re the same thing.

Think about that word coming. Dr. Ryrie uses this illustration. Suppose some grandparents are talking to their friends and they’re so excited and they say, “We’re so excited because our grandchildren are coming for a visit next week.” And then a few sentences later they say, “We’re really thrilled that our grandchildren are coming for our golden wedding anniversary.” Now, you could draw one of two conclusions from those comments.

You can conclude that the children are coming next week to celebrate the golden wedding anniversary, and therefore the anniversary must be next week, that those grandparents are talking about the same event. Or they could be saying, “We’re really excited our grandkids are coming next week, and we’re also excited that they’re coming at a later event for our golden wedding anniversary.” Just because two things are similar doesn’t mean they’re the same.

Look, the rapture and the second coming are similar. But when we get to the second coming, we’re going to talk about some vast differences between the rapture and the second coming. Let me just point out one obvious one right now. Look at verse 17 of 1 Thessalonians 4: “Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air.” Where does Christ descend to at the rapture? He descends in the air. We go up to meet him, not on earth, but in the air.

But at the second coming when the Lord appears, he doesn’t just appear in the air; he actually comes to earth. Zechariah 14, verse four says, “On that day his, Jesus’, feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, which is in front of Jerusalem on the east.” These are two different events. The rapture begins with, number one, the descent of Christ. Secondly, the resurrection of the dead in Christ is the second component of the rapture. Look at verse 16: “For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ shall rise first.”

Who are the dead in Christ? He’s talking here about the bodies of Christians who have died. Their spirits are already in heaven with the Lord. 2 Corinthians 5:8 says, “To be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord.” But their bodies are still in the grave. When the Lord descends, the first people who will be raised will be those who have died in Christ Jesus. Exactly who are those people?

Now, some people believe it is all Christians, all believers from all ages. But I believe it’s not all believers. I think it’s a particular group of believers, those who were part of the church of Jesus Christ. I think the rapture is reserved for the church. Remember when believers in the Old Testament died, their spirits immediately went to be with Christ, just like our spirits do. But I don’t believe that the Old Testament saints or any other person other than the church is going to receive their new body.

It’s the Old Testament saints that will receive their new bodies, as we’ll see, at the second coming of Christ seven years later. The rapture, I believe, is reserved for the church age. And the Bible says at that time, that is going to be the time that the dead in Christ are going to receive their brand-new bodies. All of the dead in Christ who are buried right now, all the members of the church of Jesus Christ, at the rapture suddenly the graves are going to be opened, and the dead in Christ are going to rise first.

When I think about that passage and I read about it, I think of a little cemetery about 80 miles north of here on I-75 in Van Alstyne, Texas. It is a place where my parents are buried. It’s a place where my grandparents are buried. It’s a place where my great-grandparents are buried. It’s going to be the place where I’m going to be buried one day as well. And when I think of that little plot of land up there, I think, that place has been the site of some of the saddest moments of my life, standing right there.

I imagine some of you have a place like that too, a place where you said goodbye to your loved ones. But I want you to hear what the apostle Paul is saying. He’s saying that place, wherever it is for you, that place that one time represented defeat, one day God is going to change it into a place of everlasting victory as God has the final word over sin and death and the grave. The sadness you feel now will not be forever.

The Bible says on that day, the dead in Christ will rise first, and then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together to meet them in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. That’s the great hope. Whatever separation you’re experiencing right now, I’m looking out over the congregation, I can see some of you who’ve gone through tremendous heartache in losing that husband, that wife, that child. Whatever sadness you feel right now is only temporary. There is a day coming when God shouts out, “Rise!” and the dead in Christ will rise first. That’s the promise of every believer.

Aren’t you looking forward to that day? That’s the hope that we have. Now, it doesn’t stop there. It doesn’t stop with just a bunch of corpses being raised. Verse three says it will be followed by the removal of all living Christians. After the dead in Christ rise first, then look at what it says in verse 17: “Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air and thus we shall always be with the Lord.”

Whoever happens to be alive at that time, whatever Christian happens to be alive at that time, will not experience death, but he will be immediately caught up to meet the Lord in the air. Just like Enoch and Elijah in the Old Testament, they didn’t experience death; they were caught up, transported to heaven immediately. There will be a group of Christians who will never experience death. They will be raised and translated into heaven.

Now, I want you to think about this for a moment. At the rapture of the church, if that happens—and I believe it is—that means suddenly in an instant, millions of Christians are going to disappear from the face of the earth. Now, you may ask yourself, how in the world is that going to be explained? And if such an event were to happen, wouldn’t that mean everybody who’s left behind would suddenly become Christians? Wouldn’t that naturally happen?

Two responses to that. First of all, when the rapture occurs, those who are left behind are not going to recognize that it was only Christians who were taken up. You see, you and I from a Christian perspective, we see there are only two categories of people: the saved and the lost. But unbelievers don’t see it that way. And so they’re not going to recognize that those who were taken away were only Christians.

And one reason they’re not going to see that is churches are going to continue to operate after the rapture. After all true Christians are taken away, churches will continue to operate. First Methodist will operate. First Presbyterian will operate. Watermark will continue to operate. And First Baptist Dallas will continue to operate. Did you know that? And the reason I say that is in every church, no matter what church it is, there are both Christians and non-Christians who worship side by side. Jesus called it the wheat and the tares.

Not everybody who comes to church is a Christian. Being in a church doesn’t make you a Christian any more than being at McDonald’s makes you a hamburger. Just being a part of a church doesn’t make you a Christian. There are going to be Christians who are taken to heaven, all Christians, but there are going to be non-Christians left behind who will continue their church operation. And let me remind you, if you get left behind here at First Baptist Dallas, you get left behind with the debt as well. So that’s one great motivation.

You don’t want to be left behind, but that’s not the greatest motivation. And I think because of that, because churches certainly will be smaller than they were, but many churches will continue to operate. And that’s why people won’t realize it’s Christians who were taken. Secondly, and now this is conjecture, but I think it’s sanctified conjecture, if you will. I believe the rapture is going to coincide with some major cataclysmic disaster in the world that is going to be used to explain the disappearance of millions of people.

It may be some kind of nuclear holocaust, I don’t know. But the reason I say that is because immediately after the rapture, the Antichrist rises to power. The world is going to be in such turmoil that everyone is going to be looking for a leader who can bring order out of chaos. And I believe whatever event it is that causes the Antichrist to accede to power is going to be the event that is also used to explain the disappearance of millions of people.

What’s going to happen at the rapture? The descent of Christ, the resurrection of the dead in Christ, the removal of all living Christians. Number four, the transformation of our bodies. You know, one question people have is, at the rapture you have all of these corpses being raised in whatever condition you can imagine, how’s that going to look in eternity? That’s kind of eerie to think about. And then you think about your own body and you think, am I going to have to lug this body around with me for eternity? I’m not sure it’s going to make it through next year. How’s it going to last through all eternity?

Well, Paul answers both of those questions. Turn over to 1 Corinthians 15, verse 50. Paul says, “Now I say this, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable.” In other words, Paul says in answer to your question, how are these bodies ever going to last through eternity? Understand this: to inherit eternity, you need an eternal body. You can’t go into eternity with a temporal body. You need an eternal body in which to spend eternity.

And that’s why this perishable body that we have right now cannot inherit the imperishable kingdom of God. You can’t enter into heaven in your present bodies. There needs to be a transformation. And he describes that transformation beginning in verse 51: “Behold, I tell you a mystery.” Here’s another one. “Behold, I tell you a mystery: we shall not all sleep.” Now, what does he mean by that?

He’s saying we’re all not going to die. There’s a generation of Christians who will not experience death, those who are alive at the rapture. He said we’re not all going to die, but we all shall be changed. That is, whether you’re already dead when the rapture occurs, your body’s already dead, or whether you’re alive, you still have to be changed. You still have to have a brand-new body to inherit the kingdom of God.

And that’s the fourth thing that’s going to happen at the rapture. At the rapture, both the dead in Christ who are being raised as well as those who are being snatched up to meet the Lord in the air, in an instant they’re going to be changed. He says that in verse 52: “In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet, for the trumpet will sound and the dead will be raised imperishable and we shall be changed. For this perishable must be put on the imperishable and this mortal must put on immortality.” In a moment, there is going to be a dramatic costume change for all of us.

And notice how quickly it’s going to happen. It says it’s going to happen in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye. Now, do you know what a twinkling of an eye is? It’s not the blinking of an eye; it’s the twinkling of an eye. The twinkling of an eye is a phrase that probably refers to the amount of time it takes for light to travel from your iris to your retina in your eye. That’s the twinkling of an eye, the amount of time it takes light to travel from the iris to the retina.

Now, the best calculation I read this week of that amount of time is 1/6th of a nanosecond. Do you know what a nanosecond is? I didn’t until I looked it up this week. A microsecond is 1/1,000,000th of a second. That’s a microsecond. A nanosecond is 1/1,000th of a microsecond. So a nanosecond is 1/1,000th of 1/1,000,000th of a second. And the time it takes light to go from your iris to a retina is 1/6th of a nanosecond. Now, that’s pretty fast.

And Paul is saying that is how fast your body is going to be changed, and you’re going to receive that brand-new body from God that is free from all of the sadness, a body that is free from all of the temptation to sin, a body that is free from all of the emotional and physical suffering of this life. We shall all be changed in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye. Doesn’t that sound great to you? That’s why in Titus 2:13, Paul calls the rapture of the church the blessed hope of the church. It is our hope. It is what we’re looking forward to, the rapture of the church.

For the follower of Jesus Christ, there’s no need to be afraid. Well, there’s much more to cover in our in-depth study of the end times. And to help you understand these topics on a deeper level, I’d like to send you a copy of my brand-new book called Ask Dr. Jeffress About the End Times. Reports of wars, dissension, terrorism, moral decay, and economic turmoil fill the headlines every day. Many people believe the end is just around the corner.

Well, even though no one knows where we are on God’s clock, we do know the countdown to Christ’s return has begun. And this book will answer your pressing questions about the future. Let me send you a copy today. I’m pleased to do so when you give a generous gift to support the ministry of Pathway to Victory. Plus, when you respond today, I’m going to include the ever-popular Bible prophecy chart. This is a multi-folded brochure that clearly illustrates God’s timeline for the future.

Let me add a comment to those who have given generously and to all those who are valued Pathway partners. I can assure you, God is using your financial partnership to change lives for his glory as we pierce the darkness with the light of God’s word. Your gifts are making a difference. So please keep it up. Here’s David with all the details.

David J. Mullens: When you give a generous gift to support the ministry of Pathway to Victory, we’ll say thanks by sending you Dr. Jeffress’s brand-new book, Ask Dr. Jeffress About the End Times, along with the highly requested Bible prophecy chart. Just call 866-999-2965 or visit online at ptv.org. You could also support this ministry by texting PTV to 78800.

Now, when your gift is $125 or more, we’ll send you Dr. Jeffress’s best-selling prophecy book, Perfect Ending. You’ll also get the complete Perfect Ending teaching series on audio and video disc and the stunning full-color resource, The End Times Illustrated: A Panorama of Bible Prophecy from Genesis to Revelation. One more time, call 866-999-2965 or visit ptv.org. If you’d prefer to write, here’s that mailing address: P.O. Box 223609, Dallas, Texas, 75222. Again, that’s P.O. Box 223609, Dallas, Texas, 75222.

I’m David J. Mullens, inviting you to join us again next time for a message called “Making Sure You’re Not Left Behind.” That’s Wednesday, here on Pathway to Victory. Pathway to Victory with Dr. Robert Jeffress comes from the pulpit of the First Baptist Church of Dallas, Texas. You made it to the end of today’s podcast from Pathway to Victory, and we’re so glad you’re here.

Pathway to Victory relies on the generosity of loyal listeners like you to make this podcast possible. One of the most impactful ways you can give is by becoming a Pathway partner. Your monthly gift will empower Pathway to Victory to share the gospel of Jesus Christ and help others become rooted more firmly in his word. To become a Pathway partner, go to ptv.org/donate or you can follow the link in our show notes. We hope you’ve been blessed by today’s podcast from Pathway to Victory.

Oh, and one last thing before we go. Have you reserved your spot yet for the 2026 Pathway to Victory cruise to Alaska? You’ve been hearing me and Dr. Jeffress mention it, so what are you waiting for? Just picture yourself on the deck of Holland America’s elegant Koningsdam and stepping out on deck to witness nature’s grandeur. It’s beautiful. These moments in God’s creation will deepen your faith in powerful ways. It really will. Experience five-star dining, luxurious staterooms, and visiting iconic ports like Juneau, Ketchikan, and Skagway. We’re also bringing along our own Christian entertainment. You’ll love it. Seats are filling up, so book your spot today at ptv.org.