3rd Aspect of the 3-Fold End Time Project

Within the above Scripture passages is an outline of what has been termed the pre-rapture necessity. Remember, a necessity is something that must inevitably exist or occur.

Pre-rapture necessity are those experiences that must be in the church of Christ before He descends in the cloud to call her up. They are as follows: –

unity of faith in the church (Ephesians 4:13)
having knowledge of the Son of God and (substantial) measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ (Ephesians 4:13)
having a church glorious, without spot and without wrinkle (Ephesians 5:26-27)

These are experiences that many in the church today are at a loss as to how they will be, considering the situation on ground. They are wondering how unity of faith can be achieved, given the present utter dismembership of the church, and the myriads of differences in what is believed in most of the Christian issues. They are further confused as to how we all could come to sufficient knowledge of the Son of God, and to the measure (substantial measure) of the stature of the fulness of Christ, when presently there is so much peripheral and worldly Christianity. Besides, they are perplexed as to the possibility of having a church without spot and without wrinkle, when obviously, multitudes of people in the church, members and ministers alike, are focusing on other things than purity.

Nonetheless, God’s word outlining these necessities must be fulfilled, notwithstanding whatever situation that is on ground meanwhile (Psalms 119:89; Isaiah 40:8; Matthew 5:18; 24:35). Remember, God’s promise to bring back to Canaan (with great substance) the descendants of Abraham (even before they existed) from a nation that would enslave them for centuries was fulfilled to the very letter (Genesis 15:13-16 with Exodus 3:1-10; 14:30). So, the issue of bringing about this pre-rapture experiences in the church of Christ is not negotiable. Let us now proceed to analyse what will be in this regard:-

(a) UNITY OF FAITH OF THE BELIEVERS (Ephesians 4:13)

Unity of faith implies that what one believes on any given Christian issue, is what the other believes.

There are many major and minor matters of the Christian faith in which there is meantime disparity in the convictions of the people, but the Lord has set himself to work-out the necessary unity of faith. He is already at work in this issue through His Spirit, convicting individuals on this or the other matter, causing them to make necessary adjustments.

Further to this, as interactions and friendship continue through such forums as the IGMC of the hour, the issue of unity of the faith continues to be achieved, until a rapturable church having unity of faith will have been achieved. So before the rapture, there will have been unity of faith as stipulated.

(b) HAVING KNOWLEDGE OF THE SON OF GOD AND (SUBSTANTIAL) MEASURE OF THE STATURE OF THE FULNESS OF CHRIST (Ephesians 4:13)

Knowledge referred to above is not head-knowledge, but saving knowledge; that which only those who have Christ’s or God’s indwelling Spirit can have (consider 1 Corinthians 12:3; John 17:2-5). It can be illustrated with the knowledge that one has of one’s bosom friend; the knowledge the wife has of the husband and vice-versa; the knowledge the servant has of his master, whom he is living with.

The Lord is set to work out this knowledge and is doing so right now and will continue as He unfolds His programmes and His true children engage in them, just as of old (consider Matthew 16:16-17; Philippians 2:13).

Apart from the said knowledge, there is the issue of the rapturable church having substantial measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ (verse 13). We know that the Lord Jesus has the fulness of all Christian experiences (John 1:16; Colossians 1:19; 2:9), and that it is out of His fulness we do receive (John 1:16). Seeing that this is one of those inevitable experiences prior to the rapture, the Lord also is bent on working it out for the rapturable church, even at this tail-end of the church-age.

(c) HAVING A CHURCH GLORIOUS, WITHOUT SPOT, WITHOUT WRINKLE (Ephesians 5:26-27)

This is the 3rd aspect of the pre-rapture necessity that must be. While He was here on earth, Jesus commanded us to be pure, without spot and wrinkle (Matthew 5:20, 48). Through His apostles He later repeated His command, that the Church be glorious, without spot or wrinkle (I Peter 1:14-16; 2 Corinthians 7:1; Ephesians 4:24; Hebrews 12:14).

He is coming at the rapture to take and present to himself a glorious church, without spot and without wrinkle (Ephesians 5:26-27). Apostle Paul, knowing this, strove to build up the church of his day to that rapturable point, in case the Lord came during his time (Colossians 1:28).

A quick look back into the lives of some of the brethren that have passed-on to glory will confirm that the Lord is ever mindful of a glorious church, without spot and wrinkle. We know many, who had some premonition that they were going to pass-on and were definitely inspired or ministered to by the Holy Ghost to make their ways right, and they did so and passed-on. So, achieving this third aspect of the pre-rapture necessity is a concluded issue in the Lord’s project ahead.