The Case of the Missing Church

The Concept of the Missing Church

Revelation 1:19
¹⁹ Write the things which thou hast seen, and the things which are,
and the things which shall be hereafter;

1. Seen (Rev. Chapter 1) – The glorified Christ
2. Are (Rev. Chapters 1-3) – The letters to the seven Churches
   Gap: The Church is not seen or mentioned (Rev. Chapters 4-18)
3. After these things (Rev. Chapters 4-22) – The future

Note: The word “ekklésia” which is the word for “Church” is used 19 times in chapters 1 through 3, and mentioned multiple times in chapters 19 onward; but in chapters 4 through 19 is mentioned zero times.

Additionally, notice a change in how the Apostle John address his audience from the beginning of Revelation in chapters two and three to afterwards starting in chapter four onward:

Revelation 3:22 – He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches. vs. Revelation 13:9 – If any man have an ear, let him hear.

Where are the references to the Church after chapter three? They aren’t there—there are none.
There are no further references to the Church after that point because they, the Church is not there.

Q: what’s the difference between Israel and the Church?

Israel

• Israel is a nation chosen by God and sustained by covenant promises (Deut. 7:6-9). Not all individuals in this chosen nation are saved
  (Rom. 9:6; 11:28) Once a Jew is saved, they become part of the “Church”
• Its origin began with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob
• Israel is likened to the wife of YHWH, often an unfaithful wife (Hosea). This is different from the “Bride of Christ” which is the “Church”

The Church

• The Church is completely different from Israel and has not replaced it
• The Church are the people (saved by Christ) and not the church building that believers in Christ go to worship in
• The people who are member of the body of Christ who are saved, though there are multitudes of professing Christians who may not be saved, who are religious “church” goers—that do not intimately know and love Christ personally, but rather perform religious acts and deeds out of duty thinking they are pleasing God (2 Tim. 2:19)
• Its origin began the day of Pentecost (Acts 2) when believers were first placed into the body of Christ through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit
• The Church is the beloved Bride of Christ (2 Cor. 11:2; Rev. 19:7-8) to be one day presented blameless and spotless before Him (Eph. 5:27)

Note: To misunderstand the differences between Israel and the Church would result in a misinterpretation of true Biblical End Times final events (eschatology). This would result in a flawed timeline concerning prophetic fulfillment of Scripture, leading to defective ideas of who exactly is involved and when the bloody hell (literally) these final events will take place next. Basically, the Bible shows that Israel goes through the Tribulation period (refer back to point number one) whereas the Church (followers of Jesus Christ) are exempt from wrath and will not go through the Tribulation period (see point number three coming up next).

The Church is Exempt from God’s Wrath

1 Thessalonians 1:10
¹⁰ And to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come.

1 Thessalonians 5:9
⁹ For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ.

Romans 5:9
⁹ Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.

Revelation 3:10
¹⁰ Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth.

Note: The Church is not exempt from tribulations (little “t”), suffering, sorrows and trials, versus Tribulation (big “T”), which is God’s wrath and judgment against sin and a rebellious world and a nation who have rejected and killed their Messiah.

The Rapture is an Imminent Event

Immanence: refers to being “near,” “next,” or “forthcoming” in line of events, referring to something about to happen—meaning the Rapture of the Church is imminent in that it can happen at anytime. In other words, unlike the “Glorious Appearing” which is the Second Coming of Jesus Christ, there does not need to be anything that proceeds the Rapture in order for it to happen.

1 Corinthians 15:51-52
⁵¹ Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,

⁵² In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.

There are no signs that proceed the Rapture. The Rapture is a signless event and can happen at any time. Only the Pre-trib Rapture can teach immanence as Mid-trib and Post-trib cannot. Mid-trib must have 42 months of Tribulation first and Post-trib must have seven years of Tribulation must manifest itself first.

Note: Only the pre-tribulation view is in harmony with this doctrine.

The Blessed Hope

The doctrine of the Rapture is to comfort believers. Tribulation is anything but a comfort.

1 Thessalonians 4:18
¹⁸ Wherefore comfort one another with these words.

Question: Which of these Tribulation views brings comfort to your life?

Titus 2:3
¹³ Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;

The Rapture is referred to as the blessed hope.

Note: According to 1 Thessalonians 4:18 above, the only way the hope of the Lord’s return could be a comforting thought is if we escape the Great Tribulation.

The Restrainer must be Removed First

What starts the Tribulation? According Daniel chapter 9, it’s the Antichrist confirming a covenant with Israel and not the Rapture. However, before the Antichrist can be revealed, the restrainer must first be removed.

2 Thessalonians 2:6-7 – New American Standard Bible (NASB)
⁶ And you know what restrains him now, so that in his time he will be revealed. ⁷ For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only he who now restrains will do so until he is taken out of the way.

The question then becomes, “who or what is the restrainer?”

Daniel 9:27 (KJV)
²⁷ And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.

In order for this prophecy, we need to have an Antichrist and an unbelieving Israel. Right now we have Israel in their land, but no Antichrist.

Note: The next order of prophetic events is the Rapture, the removing of the restrainer, in order for the Antichrist to come to power and fulfill Daniel 9:27 before the Tribulation can begin.

Mandate of Symbolic Parallels in Scripture

The Lord delivers the righteous before His wrath is poured out:

2 Peter 2:5-9 – New King James Version (NKJV)

⁵ and did not spare the ancient world, but saved Noah, one of eight people, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood on the world of the ungodly; ⁶ and turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into ashes, condemned them to destruction, making them an example to those who afterward would live ungodly; ⁷ and delivered righteous Lot, who was oppressed by the filthy conduct of the wicked ⁸ (for that righteous man, dwelling among them, tormented his righteous soul from day to day by seeing and hearing their lawless deeds)— ⁹ then the Lord knows how to deliver the godly out of temptations and to reserve the unjust under punishment for the day of judgment,

Luke 17:26-30 – Revised Standard Version (RSV)
²⁶ As it was in the days of Noah, so will it be in the days of the Son of man. ²⁷ They ate, they drank, they married, they were given in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all. ²⁸ Likewise as it was in the days of Lot—they ate, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they built, ²⁹ but on the day when Lot went out from Sodom fire and sulphur rained from heaven and destroyed them all— ³⁰ so will it be on the day when the Son of man is revealed.

More Symbolic parallels

• Enoch taken before the flood – Gen. 5:24
• Noah protected before the flood – Gen. 7:6-7
• Lot taken before judgment upon Sodom – 2 Pet. 2:7; Gen 19:22

Symbolic parallels mandate that God’s people must first be taken out of harm’s way before the coming forth of divine judgment.

Genesis 19:32 – New International Version (NIV)
³² Make sure you reached indeed the city called Zoar. Unless you reached a city indeed called Zoar, I cannot help you.

מהר‭ ‬המלט‭ ‬שמה

Quickly flee there

כי‭ ‬לא‭ ‬אוכל‭ ‬לעשות‭ ‬דבר

As not am I able to do anything

עד‭ ‬באך‭ ‬שמה‭ ‬על‭ ‬כן‭ ‬קרא‭ ‬שם

until you reach there indeed named

העיר‭ ‬צוער

the city Zoar.

Note: The angel did not say that he would not bring judgment until Lot was removed, but rather that he could not (or was not able to) bring judgment until lot was removed. In other words, divine judgment could not happen as long as Lot remained in the city of Sodom!

The Bottom Line

Just as Enoch and Noah and his family were removed before the coming Flood and just as Lot was removed before the coming fire and brimstone upon Sodom, the church must similarly be removed before God brings forth His wrath upon the earth in the events of the coming Tribulation.

References: Andy Woods Ministries.