The Glory of the Rapture

The culmination of this Church age ends when the Lord Jesus Christ descends from heaven and gathers His people (the believers) unto Himself and returns to heaven. This event is called the rapture and ends the church age or dispensation of grace. The apostle Paul describes it here...

1Th 4:13-18
(16) For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first.
(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.
(18) Therefore comfort one another with these words.

Php 3:20-21
(20) For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ,
(21) who will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to His glorious body, according to the working by which He is able even to subdue all things to Himself.

Judgment Seat Of Christ

Rom 14:10
But why do you judge your brother? Or why do you show contempt for your brother? For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ.

2Cor 5:10
For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done

Rapture Rewards


Contrary to popular teaching we are not all even-steven when we get to heaven. In the U.S., your total self worth is measured in terms of dollars. All of your assets, investments, savings, etc. can be totaled and valued in dollars. In heaven your total self worth is measured, valued, and observed in what is called "glory". All of your acts of righteousness will be rewarded...

1Co 3:11-15
(11) For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.
(12) Now if anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw,
(13) each one's work will become clear; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one's work, of what sort it is.
(14) If anyone's work which he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward.
(15) If anyone's work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire.

Some Christians will receive a great amount of glory, some not so much. The apostle Paul describes this variation of glory among believers as follows...

1Co 15:41-42
(41) There is one glory of the sun, another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars; for one star (Christian) differs from another star (Christian) in glory.
(42) So also is the resurrection of the dead. The body is sown in corruption, it is raised in incorruption.
(43) It is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness, it is raised in power.

You have heard the word glory many times, but if you don't receive glory in heaven then what do you receive? What do you get? On earth the opposite of riches is poverty (or debt). In heaven the opposite of glory is called "shame". Some Christians will encounter a minimal amount of shame while others will receive a great deal of shame. Jesus told a parable to describe how this works...

Luk 14:7-10
(7) So He told a parable to those who were invited, when He noted how they chose the best places, saying to them:
(8) "When you are invited by anyone to a wedding feast, do not sit down in the best place, lest one more honorable than you be invited by him;
(9) and he who invited you and him come and say to you, 'Give place to this man,' and then you begin with SHAME to take the lowest place.
(10) But when you are invited, go and sit down in the lowest place, so that when he who invited you comes he may say to you, 'Friend, go up higher.' Then you will have GLORY in the presence of those who sit at the table with you.

Just as bad financial investments can turn a person's riches to debt, so deception (which is the practice of unrighteousness) can rob a Christian and turn their eternal reward of glory into shame. Once the rapture occurs, there is no going back to undo what has been done. Your reward is sealed at that point, you should have listened and... Not Be Deceived!

For a detailed study of the events leading up to the rapture, order and download the teaching..."The Church in Prophecy"

Edited: November 2023