IS THERE SALVATION AFTER THE RAPTURE?
Sakkie Parsons
Translated from Afrikaans: “Is daar redding na die wegraping?”
Translator: Robin Barker
Someone sent me another person’s reasoning (opinion) that no one after the rapture can be saved and asks me for my opinion about this and whether I thought that people can still be saved after the rapture.
Briefly and very quickly:
There will certainly be the rapture, as we call it, that will occur and it will happen within the blink of an eye.
This will happen when Jesus Christ returns the first time to fetch His true followers who are still on earth.
1THS 4:13-18
13 Brothers and sisters, we do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in death, so that you do not grieve like the rest, who have no hope.
14 We believe that Jesus died and rose again, and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him
15 According to the Lord’s word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left till the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep.
16 For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first.
This will happen when the arc angel gives the command and God’s trumpets resound.
17 After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever.
18 Therefore encourage one another with these words.
On another occasion Paul writes:
1COR 15:51-55
51 Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed—
52 in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed.
53 For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality.
54 When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: “Death has been swallowed up in victory.”
55 “Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?”
Returning to the question; whether a person can be saved after the Rapture.
I understand and assure you from the Word, that people up to the second coming of Jesus can still repent and be saved by our Lord.
Firstly for example there are at least 144,000 Jews which we already know of, which will repent and will be saved by Jesus after the rapture. You can read about this in Rev 7:4 and further.
Then there is also the account from the Word of those who will be tortured for what they believe and for their testimony:
REV 6:9 When he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain because of the word of God and the testimony they had maintained.
Clearly here is spoken of people who are believers and who are killed for their belief and testimony about Jesus Christ and those who are with Jesus in Heaven.
I want to share with you another example which strengthens my understanding of this – that after the rapture there will still be believers – but as you have read before and will now read again, it will be an extremely difficult time for people who will have just become believers in Jesus:
REV 20:4 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 be-headed because of their testimony about Jesus and because of the word of God. They had not worshiped the beast or his image and had not received his mark on their fore-heads or their hands. They came to life and reigned with Christ a thousand years.
If someone begins talking to me about whether we can convert (becomes a believer) after the Rapture, my general reaction is normally:
My friend, you and I are still on this side of the rapture and also on this side of the grave.
Come let you and I make sure, that we, while the rapture has not yet taken place, and while we are alive, that we are ready for when that wonderful occasion takes place, if it will occur while we are still in this life and that we will be ready, when we exchange this life for the afterlife.
Because one thing is sure like all that was predicted about Jesus, which till now was predicted has already been fulfilled; we can also absolutely know:
There will be a Rapture and only those of us who have already accepted Jesus Christ as our Lord and Saviour and are ready at that time when He comes, will go with Him.
Just like those people who have accepted Jesus Christ as their Lord and Saviour and thereafter exchange this life for eternal life, will be part of this great occasion namely The Rapture.
Our Lord says in His Word to everyone who has accepted Him:
2COR 6:1 As God’s co-workers we urge you not to receive God’s grace (the redemption from hell) in vain.
2COR 6:2 For he says, “In the time of my favour I heard you, and in the day of salvation I helped you.” I tell you, now is the time of God’s favour, now is the day of salvation.
(I now have the opportunity to be saved; I must just use it now)
Indeed – it is now the right time; it is now the day of salvation.
After Jesus returns to gather and take away all His children with Him, (that is every person that accepted Him as their Lord and Saviour) hell will literally and figuratively break free upon this earth.
You and I do not have to concern ourselves about life after the rapture or life after death.
I have accepted Jesus Christ as my Redeemer and Saviour –
Now I try to live my life to the best of my abilities that I will be saved when He comes to collect me.
If this will be during the Rapture or when I enter into eternal life – this I do not know.
I close with LUK 21:34-36 and remember as you read it that the one who is speaking to you and I is Jesus Christ:
REV 1:7 “Look, he is coming with the clouds,” and “every eye will see him, even those who pierced him”; and all peoples on earth “will mourn because of him.”
So shall it be! Amen.
REV 1:8 “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty.” (Jesus Christ)
Now HE, the Lord God the Almighty, says again today to you and me and all His followers – but I think especially to you, because you are reading this thought from the Word:
LUK 21:34-36
34 “Be careful, or your hearts will be weighed down with dissipation, drunkenness and the anxieties of life, and that day will close on you suddenly like a trap.
35 For it will come on all those who live on the face of the whole earth.
36 Be always on the watch, and pray that you may be able to escape all that is about to happen, and that you may be able to stand before the Son of Man.”
Greetings,
Sakkie