Why I Look Forward to The Rapture & Christ’s Future Kingdom :: By Mark Hall

For the Rapture Ready readers, you may notice this is in a sermon format. That’s because I preached this sermon to my congregation some time ago, and I hope it will be a blessing to you. I give my full permission for this to be used as long as it is used for the glory of God.

THE MESSAGE

Those who have eyes to see and ears to hear can perceive that we live in unprecedented times. I can remember preaching about the end times in the 80’s and 90’s and having to really search for end time signs. There were signs, but they were far and few in between and moving slowly.

But now, the signs are everywhere and screaming at us that the fulfillment of our blessed hope in Christ is almost upon us. It is with this thought that I would like to answer the question of why it is that I am so looking forward to the rapture of the church.

I was once asked, “Why do I preach so much on Bible prophecy? Why do I look so forward to the rapture? This message is my answer to that question. I look forward to the rapture because I very much look forward to Christ’s future Kingdom of glory, and I so hope you do too. I pray this message will encourage you, and inspire you, and… It is my hope what you hear today will cause you to eagerly look forward to the wonderful, amazing things God has in store for us in His Kingdom.

Let’s begin by opening your Bible to Titus 2:13 and 2 Peter 3:13.

Titus 2:13 “looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ…” NKJV.

2 Peter 3:13-14 “Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells. Therefore, beloved, looking forward to these things [The rapture and Christ’s future Kingdom of a new heaven and a new earth], be diligent to be found by Him in peace, without spot and blameless; NKJV.

It is God’s great desire that we look for and long for the coming of His Son, Jesus Christ, and His future Kingdom of eternal glory. Prayer…

HEAVEN IS A REAL PLACE

Let’s begin with the powerful truth that God’s future Kingdom of a new heaven and a new earth is a real place. It is not a figment of the imagination. It is not an imaginary dream. It is a real place of infinite wonder. To appreciate the wonder of what God is preparing for us and why we should be looking for His Kingdom, there are two beautiful truths that we must never forget.

First, God has something truly magnificent in store for those who love Him.

1 Corinthians 2:9 “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him” NKJV.

God is not preparing His Kingdom for those who hate Him. He is not preparing His Kingdom for those who reject His Son Jesus or despise His word of truth. God is preparing His future Kingdom only for those who love Him. For those who love Jesus Christ, He is preparing a kingdom of such glory and wonder, our minds cannot comprehend it. That’s why I am so puzzled that those who hate God and hate His Son Jesus Christ believe they are going to heaven, because God’s Kingdom is only for those who love Him.

Second, what God IS preparing for those who love Him is so indescribable and so unbelievable, there are no words in any language that can capture its splendor.

Consider that Jesus Christ, the creator of heaven and earth and the greatest architect of the ages, is creating and preparing for those who love Him a very special place. Jesus said…

John 14:2-3 “In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also” NKJV.

Compared to our corrupt and broken world, what Jesus Christ is graciously building for those who love Him is so magnificent and so amazing it will make the Biltmore House of the Carolinas look like a one-room sod house in a junkyard. What our loving Lord is creating for us is so fantastic, it will far surpass anything we can ever imagine. Knowing this dynamic truth causes me to look forward to His coming with great anticipation because I know He is preparing this place of beauty and glory for ALL who love Him.

YEARNING FOR GOD’S KINGDOM

That brings us to this great question: If God’s Kingdom is such a great place of endless wonder and dazzling glory, why then aren’t Christians yearning for His Kingdom with eager anticipation? Why do so many Christians mock Christ’s soon return? Why aren’t pastors preaching the awesome truth of the rapture and Bible prophecy? Why do Christians frown upon the preaching of God’s prophetic word?

As believers in Christ, we should be ecstatic about the soon-coming rapture and anxiously looking forward to Christ’s future Kingdom of glory. If we really knew… If we really knew what God has prepared for us in His Kingdom, our hearts would explode with longing and joyful anticipation for Christ’s return. Perhaps you ask, what IS God preparing that would cause us to look forward with eager anticipation to God’s Kingdom? I thought you would never ask…

I LOOK FORWARD TO GOD MAKING EVERYTHING NEW

First, one of God’s great promises is His promise to make everything new.

Revelation 21:5 “…God who sits upon the throne said, ‘I am making everything new!'”

I like new stuff, and I very much look forward to the day when God will make everything new.

In Revelation 21 and 2 Peter 3:13, God says there will be a New Earth, a New Heaven, and a new city called the New Jerusalem that will be the ultimate city of the universe.

He will create a whole new way of life that will be absolutely perfect. Think about that!

Living in this world of sin, it’s hard to fathom a new heaven and new earth. But God promises the best is yet to come. For those who love Him, He promises a new world, a new body, new life, new abilities, and new relationships that will last forever. Everything will be new!

Because I know what God creates is perfect beyond measure, my soul longs for, yearns for, and looks for God’s Kingdom, where He makes everything new and perfect.

I LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING GOD

Second, for me personally, the most profound and undeniably the greatest truth about heaven is that Jesus will be there, and we will see Him face to face. That’s what I long for the most!

Revelation 22:4 “They shall see His face, and His name shall be on their foreheads” NKJV.

What makes heaven so stunning and so amazing is not just the dazzling streets of gold, or the gates of pearl, or the foundation stones of jewels and sapphires, or the pure water of the river of life. It’s not just the new heaven and the new earth or having a new eternal body that will never know sickness or disease. It’s more than just experiencing the great reunion with our loved ones, or seeing the angels and the saints of the ages.

All of these things are beyond impressive, but they are NOT what makes heaven, heaven. Heaven is glorious because… the Lord Jesus is there, and we will see Him face to face.

Revelation 22:4 “They shall see His face…” NKJV. What a beautiful thought…

The greatest thing about God’s future Kingdom I look forward to the most is to see Jesus face to face. That’s my heart’s greatest desire. That’s why I so do not understand why Christians hate the rapture, because the true message of the rapture is the great blessed hope to finally see Jesus face to face and be with Him forever.

I so look forward to the day when I see Jesus Christ, the Author and Finisher of my faith.

I look forward to seeing His scarred body and touching His nail-pierced hands.

I look forward to kneeling before Him and singing, “Worthy is the Lamb!”

No matter how beautiful or amazing heaven will be, without the glory of God’s presence and the love of Jesus Christ, heaven would not be heaven. If seeing Jesus was the only thing I was to receive in God’s Kingdom, it would still be the greatest treasure of all.

This is why the blessed hope of Christ’s return for His church at the rapture is so important.

This is why I look for, long for, and hunger for His coming… to see Him face to face…

It is time for the church to wake up, look up, and know that the trumpet is about to sound, and in the flash of a moment, we will be caught up in the air to see Jesus!

Even so, come, Lord Jesus! What a glorious day that will be!

A KINGDOM RULED BY A RIGHTEOUS AND HOLY KING

A third dynamic I so look forward to in God’s future Kingdom is that His Kingdom will be an eternal kingdom ruled by a righteous and holy King. The Bible says that Christ’s future Kingdom is an eternal kingdom that will never end.

When Jesus Christ returns at His Second Coming, He will return as the eternal King of kings.

Zechariah 14:9 “the LORD shall be King over all the earth. In that day it shall be—’The LORD is one,’ And His name one” NKJV.

In God’s future Kingdom, there will be no other gods but the Lord God. There will be no other rulers or kings because the Lord Jesus will be the ultimate King, and of His Kingdom there will be no end. Daniel, the beloved prophet, says that God’s future Kingdom will far surpass all the kingdoms the world has ever known.

One of the great wonders of that day is that when He returns, we will be with Him.

Revelation 19:14 “the armies in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, followed Him on white horses” NKJV.

This army in fine linen is the blood-bought church of the ages! We will return with Him in the greatest invasion in world history.

I so look forward to that awesome day because in His Kingdom, we, His beloved bride, the church, will rule and reign with Him. And His rule will be a rule of righteousness and holiness unlike anything the world has ever known.

Glory to God; I am looking forward to His future Kingdom of perfect righteousness!

I LOOK FORWARD TO THE MOMENT EVERY KNEE BOWS BEFORE JESUS

A fourth feature that I look forward to in God’s eternal Kingdom is when every knee will bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is the eternal Lord of lords.

Philippians 2:9-11 “Therefore God has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” NKJV.

This has not happened yet, but it will, and I look forward to that day when every person of every generation will bow before Jesus Christ and confess He is the eternal Lord of lords and the King of all kings. Imagine what that will look like.

Imagine Satan and every demon in hell bowing before Jesus Christ and acknowledging He is the eternal Lord of all lords.

Image the day when all who hated the name of Jesus will bow before Him and acknowledge He is the Son of God, the King of kings, and the Lord of lords.

Hitler and Stalin, who tried to exterminate the Jewish people, will bow before Jesus Christ.

The antichrist will bow before Jesus Christ.

On that day, all who rejected the name of Jesus and ridiculed His truths will bow before Him with fear and trembling and admit that this Jewish carpenter from Galilee is the Lord of lords.

I look forward to the day when Jesus Christ is crowned the conqueror of heaven and earth, and every knee bows before Him. Glory to God, that day is coming very soon.

I LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING LOVED ONES

A fifth glorious feature I personally look forward to at the rapture of the church is the biggest family reunion in history. This future reunion will be so spectacular, words cannot describe this indescribable moment.

God is all about family. God so desires for you to be a part of His eternal family that He gave His only Son, Jesus, to die on a cross so you could be a member of His eternal family and have a place in His eternal Kingdom.

One of the great wonders about God’s future Kingdom is that we will meet three groups of family members, and I am not talking about the good, the bad, and the ugly. For example…

In Christ’s future Kingdom, there will be the great reunion of our biological families we knew on earth. There will be our parents, our spouses, our brothers and sisters, our children, our grandparents, and many others of our personal family in this grand reunion.

I have been asked numerous times if we will know our family in heaven. The answer is absolutely! Just as we will see Jesus and know Him, we will also know our families and have all eternity to enjoy them. What a glorious reunion that will be!

There is also a second group of family we will meet in eternity. These family members are related to us by faith, as described in Hebrews 11. They include David, the great king of Israel; Noah, who built the ark; and Elijah, who was carried away in a chariot of fire. This group also includes all the believers of faith, such as Paul, the disciples, and all the believers across the past 2,000 years. Imagine hearing their great stories of faith.

I think it will also be fascinating to discover our spiritual line. Most of us are probably spiritual descendants of Paul, who was the first to carry the gospel to the Gentiles. But some of us may be descendants of Peter, or James, or one of the other disciples. How wonderful it will be to discover our spiritual family history of how God worked His grace through the ages to reach us and bring us into His eternal family.

Not only will we see our loved ones, not only will we see the Saints of the ages and discover our spiritual history, but there is also a third family that we will meet in God’s future Kingdom. This third family consists of those we led to Christ and influenced to live a godly life.

Paul wrote 1 Thessalonians 2:19 “For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Is it not even you in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at His coming?” NKJV.

One of the most rewarding reunions will be to meet those who are in God’s Kingdom because of our witness, our giving, our prayers, and our commitment to follow Christ. In that day, we will discover how God, in His amazing grace, used us to bring souls into His Kingdom. I so look forward to that great day when I see how God worked through my life to reach others for Christ.

God has a special crown reserved for those who lead people to Christ. What a glorious day that will be!

I LOOK FORWARD TO A NEW BODY

A sixth feature I so look forward to is a new body. God says He is making everything new, and one of the new things He has in store for those who love Him is a new body.

1 John 3:2 “Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be,

but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is” NKJV.

One of the best deals in God’s new Kingdom is a new body that comes with a full body part guarantee that will last forever. I look at my body, and I know it’s not perfect. In this fallen world, our bodies grow old; they wear out; they break down and fall apart. But glory to God… God is making everything new… In His perfect Kingdom, we will have an imperishable body that will never grow old, or know sickness, or disease, or death.

With our new perfect bodies, we will be able to experience the perfect glory of God in all of His holiness. Our new bodies will be like the glorious body of Jesus the disciples saw after His resurrection. He was able to walk through locked doors. He could appear and disappear instantly. (I so want to do that!) He could defy gravity and rise up into the clouds. Our new heavenly bodies will be unimaginable, unlimited, and uninhibited. Glory to God; I am looking forward to the rapture when I will be given a new body that will endure forever!

I LOOK FORWARD TO A KINGDOM OF GREAT REWARDS AND TREASURES

A seventh great truth about God’s future Kingdom that I am looking for is that it will be a place of great rewards and endless treasure. The Bible speaks of the great treasures God has in store for those who love Him. One of the most powerful words that could ever be spoken over us is the words Jesus spoke in Matthew 25:21 when Jesus said…

Matthew 25:21 “Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord” NKJV.

These are powerful words, and I pray you will hear those words on that day in His Kingdom.

I look forward to the great eternal treasures of heaven, the magnificent crowns, and the indescribable inheritance God has in store for those who love Him.

Paul spoke of this when He said…

2 Timothy 4:8 “Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing” NKJV.

One of the great rewards Jesus will give is the glorious crown of righteousness for ALL who watch and long for His appearing. Are you watching and looking for His appearing?

How sad it is that so many Christians are in love with this world; they have lost their desire for God and what He has in store for them in His perfect Kingdom. It is so sad they are not watching for, nor are they interested in, His return because His return will interfere with their lives.

But for those who are watching and looking for His coming, He will reward you with the Crown of Righteousness as one of those who watched and longed for His appearing.

My beloved family in Christ, turn your eyes upon Jesus and seek His Kingdom so that He may reward you with unspeakable treasures and the prestigious crowns of glory He has reserved for all who love His appearing.

I LOOK FORWARD TO THE DAY JESUS FULFILLS HIS PROMISES

An eighth profound truth that I look forward to and long for is the day when Jesus our Lord fulfills ALL of His prophetic promises both to Israel and the church. Yes, God has a plan and purpose for Israel just as He does for the church, and He will fulfill every single promise from Genesis to Revelation.

Every single prophetic word Jesus spoke in Matthew 24, Mark 13, and Luke 21 will be fulfilled. Every Old Testament promise regarding Israel will be ultimately fulfilled to the last letter. Nothing will be left undone. Nothing… will be left unfulfilled…

One of the most awesome promises Jesus has for the church comes from Revelation 3:21.

Revelation 3:21 “To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne” NKJV.

The glory of this promise is so overwhelming it staggers the mind, and yet, Jesus, in His grace and mercy, promises those who overcome and love Him will rule with Him in His coming Kingdom. This is just one of the many reasons why I look forward to the rapture and Christ’s coming! This is why the church must wake up and look for His coming!

In addition to the church, God has made hundreds of magnificent promises to Israel that He will fulfill. These promises include Isaiah 60:3-5 along with verses 11-12, Zechariah 8:21-23, Amos 9:15, and many other scriptures that reveal the promises God has in store for Israel’s future. The Lord of Hosts, who is from everlasting to everlasting, will fulfill ALL of these promises, and I so look forward to that awesome day.

We, the church, should look for and pray for these promises to be fulfilled, for upon His return, nothing will be left undone. Every promise will be fulfilled!

IN CLOSING…

In closing, I have barely touched the surface of what God has in store for those who love Him.

When I think of what God has in store for us, I am truly puzzled as to why Christians would rather be here and not there with the Lord in His Kingdom of eternal glory.

I look forward to finally being home. I like road trips, but I look forward to the day when this earthly road trip is over. This world is not my real home. God’s Kingdom is my real home, and I am looking forward to that day in His future Kingdom.

Even so, Come, Lord Jesus! Hallelujah to the Lamb of God!

In these closing words, if you do not have a relationship with Jesus Christ, and your name is NOT in the Lamb’s Book of Life, then you will miss everything you have just heard me preach.

I pray that you will choose this day to make sure that your name is written in the Lamb’s Book of Life. Romans 10 reveals the simplicity of how this works…

Romans 10:9-10 “if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation” NKJV.

If you believe these words from your heart and choose to believe in Jesus Christ for salvation, then know that today, your name is written in the Book of Life.

To the believer in Christ… God’s call on your life is for you to be hungry for God and to seek His Kingdom with all of your heart, and… to look for and long for Jesus Christ and His coming Kingdom of glory.

Let today be the day that your heart is filled with a passionate zeal for Christ and His Kingdom.

Even So, Come, Lord Jesus!

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