Are You Ready for the Rapture?

A day is mentioned in the Bible, in which believers in Christ will one day receive new bodies and will ascend to be with the Lord in the air. It is sometimes called the day of the rapture. In the following article, I will explain what the Bible teaches concerning some of the events which will unfold on this day.

This article also includes a dream I had concerning this day. The dream provides a springboard to helping us understand the events that will be occurring within a biblical framework. Naturally, if this dream really does come from God, it will agree with the biblical narrative. And I think you will agree, it does.

While I understand you may not fully understand what the dream means at the precise moment you read it, I think if you wait until the end of the article before passing judgment, you will agree that the dream makes perfect sense and is consistent with what the Bible teaches. This dream took me many hours and even days to work through before I understood it myself. Finally, it all made sense, and the result is this article.

Some people may argue that a dream like this is not needed, because the events are already foretold in the Bible. So why would God even give it? Well, because first, he said he would give dreams in the Bible (see Joel 2:28-29, Acts 2:17-18). Second, the dream itself was a direct catalyst for getting me to write this article, meaning more people will now learn about this important event so they can be ready for it. But third (and for me this is really important), through this dream, God is showing himself to be very personal. For he shared with me some very personal things that actually left me in tears. If you like the idea of a very personal God, who is not very distant, and who invites you into relationship with himself, then I have some good news for you. He exists, and he invites you into relationship with himself by trusting in Jesus, who is the Son of God. For Jesus himself said,

“I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father, except through me.” (See John 14:6)

I myself trusted in him many years ago, and he has given me many dreams. Thus, God is not boring by any stretch of the imagination. In the following article, I hope you will be blessed as you read over this amazing account which has been written to give you life, so that you might enjoy the riches of what God has to offer you, not only in this life, but especially in the next!

The Chainsaw

Let’s start with with the chainsaw. It’s an odd place for a dream to start, but this is where the dream does indeed start. In the dream, I was at my dad’s place in the country. The setting was outdoors and he was holding a chainsaw. I needed to borrow a chainsaw, as well.

I knew it was available somewhere in the area, but I did not have one yet. What could this chainsaw refer to? We will find out.

The Mud

In another scene, I saw my father apply some mud (drywall compound) to the gable end of a house. The gable end is where the two roofs meet. It’s the wall under the inverted “V” of the roof. I questioned in my mind how that would stand up to the weather, since you should never apply mud to an exterior wall. He was also applying the mud in a very incorrect manner. Something was very wrong! This part of the dream points towards something being very wrong. We will find out shortly what that is.

The Last Day

I was excited to see my father. In fact, it was astounding. My father had been dead for 23 years, yet here he was. We were together. I was exhilarated. But I had a question. How could it be that my father had been given permission to come back to the property he owned before he died? For another man had bought it. It was then made known to me, instantly, as though someone was reading my thoughts, that my father had borrowed the land for a single day from the man who owned it.

In the Bible, there is a specific day —a single day— which is called the last day. On this day, many people who have died will be given glorified bodies. And many people who are alive will be given glorified bodies, as well. A glorified body is one that can never die and never get sick. They are reserved only for those people who have genuinely trusted in Jesus Christ as their personal Lord and Savior. Jesus spoke of this day when he said,

“This is the will of the one who sent me, that everyone who sees the Son, and believes in him, should have eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day.” (John 6:40)

While I am not entirely sure why this day is called the last day, one thing is for certain: this day will be the last day of waiting for many people. At this present time, many millions of people who have died as believers, as well as those who have never died and who are also believers, are waiting for the transformation of their bodies. The Bible tells us that one day, it is going to happen. Bodies will be transformed! And it will happen very fast — in the twinkling of an eye!

“Behold, I tell you a mystery. We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we will be changed.” (1 Corinthians 15:51-52)

This day will be a stunning day. In this part of the dream, my father who had borrowed the land for a day, was a “stand-in,” as it were, for God the father. One day, God the father is going to borrow the land —meaning the entire world— and the earth will suddenly be flooded with people who had once lived there many years before that. For Jesus said,

“... the hour comes in which all who are in the tombs will hear his voice, and will come out; those who have done good, to the resurrection of life ...” (John 5:28-29)

For those who are skeptical, it is important to point out that something like this already happened after Jesus was crucified.

“The tombs were opened, and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised; and coming out of the tombs after his resurrection, they entered into the holy city and appeared to many.” (Matthew 27:52-53)

So it’s not as though this type of thing has not happened before. It has. However, when it happened before it was limited in location (it happened only around Jerusalem). Also, it was limited in type (these people died again, see Hebrews 11:35). The next time, however, the resurrections will happen all around the world. And people will receive eternal bodies that can never die. Huge difference!

In the dream, the land was borrowed for a day. That is because when the resurrection happens worldwide, the Lord will not rent the land, nor will he pay for it. He will simply borrow it for one day. And all these people who had been there long ago will suddenly appear. Furthermore, those who know the Lord, who are still alive, will also be given new, immortal, glorified, supernatural, bodies.

The Restoration

After understanding that my dad had borrowed the land for a day, I had another thought. “Maybe he (the man who had purchased my father’s land) would sell it to me (after the day was over)”. In this part of the dream, we see the longing for restoration. This theme is an important one in the Bible. For those who know Christ, God promises to eventually bring complete restoration to their lives. For we read,

“He will wipe away every tear from their eyes. Death will be no more; neither will there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain, any more. The first things have passed away.” He who sits on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” (See Revelation 21:4-5)

This is fantastic! But how could God bring this about? For have we not all disqualified ourselves due to our sin? More than 700 years before Jesus came into the world, Isaiah the prophet wrote,

“All we like sheep have gone astray. Everyone has turned to his own way; and Yahweh has laid on him the iniquity of us all.” (Isaiah 53:6)

This is a prophecy concerning Jesus, and how he would carry the sin of the world on himself, at the cross. He was literally crushed for our sin — so that we would not have to endure God’s righteous punishment against sin. It is for good reason I could not afford to buy that land. Only Jesus is worthy to purchase that land for us — which he did with his own blood (see 1 Peter 1:18-19).

The Single Step

In a scene that lasted only about a split-second, I glanced down and could see my father take a single step forward and to the right somewhat. I was slightly behind my father, to his left. Then, I also took a single step in the same direction. What could these steps possibly signify? We will find out!

The Errors

In the dream, my father had made some obvious errors. This is when he had applied the mud to the gable end of the house. That should never be done. The way he applied it was also very wrong. He used a long stick, the mud was applied in massive clumps, and was completely uneven. Mud is supposed to be applied at a close distance, with a precise tool called a taping knife, and smoothly feathered. In the dream, it was all being done in the complete opposite manner! Clearly, the point in this part of the dream was, “Your father has made some very big mistakes!” This was not about construction mistakes, was it? No, my father was a skilled carpenter. Rather, this was simply the Lord’s way of framing it. And yet my father was not only representing himself in this part of the dream, but every person who has ever lived, because the Bible says,

“all have sinned, and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23)

What is the symbolism of the roof? A roof is something that covers a building, and the Bible says that we believers are God’s building (see 1 Corinthians 3:9). Notice how this roof is covering over the mud — symbolic of all of my father’s mistakes. The Bible says that God’s covering for our sins is the sacrifice that was provided in Jesus Christ.

“And he is the atoning sacrifice for our sins” (See 1 John 2:2)

Jesus paid for our sins on the cross. His blood “covers over” our guilt and shame, if we truly repent and surrender our lives into his loving hands.

“for all have sinned, and fall short of the glory of God; being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus; whom God sent to be an atoning sacrifice, through faith in his blood” (See Romans 3:23-25)

Without the shedding of Christ’s blood, the Bible says, there is no forgiveness (see Hebrews 9:22). Jesus is the only means by which we must be saved (see Acts 4:12). Even as my father was a “stand-in” for God the father in the borrowing of the land, we now see him as the “stand-in” for all those who are in need of God’s forgiveness, which is every person on earth.

The Sin Problem We All Have

Sin is an offense to a holy God. And yet we all have a sin problem, because we have all fallen short of God’s perfect standards (see Romans 3:23). What sins might keep us from obtaining God’s favor? The fact is, there is a whole long list, and I will go a few of them here.

“Now the deeds of the flesh are obvious, which are: adultery, sexual immorality, uncleanness, lustfulness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, strife, jealousies, outbursts of anger, rivalries, divisions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these; of which I forewarn you, even as I also forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit God’s Kingdom.” (Galatians 5:19-21)

“Don’t be deceived. Neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor male prostitutes, nor homosexuals, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor slanderers, nor extortionists, will inherit God’s Kingdom.” (See 1 Corinthians 6:9-10)

“But for the cowardly, unbelieving, sinners, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their part is in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death.” (Revelation 21:8)

This list is not exhaustive. But as you can see, any one of these sins will keep a person out of God’s kingdom. God does not want this, and that is why he commands all people to repent. In another passage, we read,

“The Lord is not slow concerning his promise, as some count slowness; but he is patient with us, not wishing that anyone should perish, but that all should come to repentance.” (2 Peter 3:9)

Do you want to be considered among the ones that God calls the “faithful”? Then you will need to forsake these sins —and all sin. Jesus put it this way:

“I tell you, no, but unless you repent, you will all perish” (see Luke 13:3).

Therefore, sin really is a “big deal” to God. Otherwise, why did Jesus pay the penalty for our sin on the cross if he wanted us to continue to walk in it? That makes no sense. Therefore, God commands all people to repent (turn away from sin) and turn towards the Lord.

“The times of ignorance therefore God overlooked. But now he commands that all people everywhere should repent, because he has appointed a day in which he will judge the world in righteousness by the man whom he has ordained; of which he has given assurance to all men, in that he has raised him from the dead.” (Acts 17:30-31)

Who is Jesus, Anyway?

Many people have questions about who Jesus is. Jesus is:

- the radiance of God’s glory and the very image of God’s substance (see Hebrews 1:3)

- the one through whom all things were created (see Colossians 1:16-17)

- the one called Immanuel, which interpreted, means, “God with us” (see Matthew 1:23)

- the Son of the living God (see Matthew 16:16-17)

- the only mediator between God and people (see 1 Timothy 2:5)

- the one who leads us to the Father and the only means by which we can be saved (see John 14:6, Acts 4:12)

- the one who voluntarily laid his life down for us (see John 10:18)

- God’s perfect sacrifice for sin and the one who paid our debt in full (see John 1:29, John 19:30, Romans 6:10)

When we come to Jesus, we are not just coming to a mere man, but to the only one who can save us from our sins. And if there had been any other way, Jesus would not have had to die on the cross.

How is the Gift of Salvation Received?

In this next section, I would like to indicate how the gift of salvation is received. For you might be wondering, “What must I do to be saved?” It is important to understand that salvation happens at the level of the heart. You could say many things, and still not be saved. However, the Bible says,

“that if you will confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” (Romans 10:9)

There are those who say things that seem correct, but inwardly, they do not believe. Such will not be saved. Jesus warned against such, and even against many religious leaders. Therefore, just because a person is a religious leader, does not mean they are saved. Salvation is truly something that occurs at a heart level. And it is not reserved for the proud, but the humble. For,

“God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” (see 1 Peter 5:5)

Jesus emphasized the need for humility when he compared the tax collector with the religious leader. For we read,

He also spoke this parable to certain people who were convinced of their own righteousness, and who despised all others. “Two men went up into the temple to pray; one was a Pharisee, and the other was a tax collector. The Pharisee stood and prayed to himself like this: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like the rest of men, extortionists, unrighteous, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week. I give tithes of all that I get.’ But the tax collector, standing far away, wouldn’t even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’ I tell you, this man (meaning the tax collector) went down to his house justified rather than the other (meaning the Pharisee); for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but he who humbles himself will be exalted.” (Luke 18:9-14)

And therefore it is the attitude of the tax collector and not the religious leader here that God is looking for. When a person chooses to serve God, are they doing so in order to prove to him that they are worthy to be saved? Or, are they doing so out a heart of gratitude on account of what Jesus already did for them? In the first case, the person is striving. But in the second case, the person is resting in the finished work of the cross.

Jesus was asked the following question:

“What must we do, that we may work the works of God?” (See John 6:28)

He answered them,

“This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent.” (See John 6:29)

The fact is, Jesus paid it all on the cross. What more can we humans add to what Jesus already did? The answer is nothing!

“for by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, that no one would boast.” (Ephesians 2:8-9)

Call On the Name of the Lord

We have all sinned. We have all broken God’s laws. And my father was no different. Like all people, my father needed the Lord. Despite the fact that he resisted the Lord for many years, in the end, the love of God won out, and in the midst of a cruel disease, he cried out to the Lord in his distress and surrendered his life into the Lord’s hands. I saw this happen in a dream about 15 years in advance. The Lord showed me how my father would come to know him through an immobilizing disease. In the last year of his life, this dream played out exactly as I was shown, and my father trusted in Christ. I have written about this in an article entitled, 73 Years of Wisdom. It is an amazing story and I encourage you to read it.

Exhilarating Joy

Now regarding the current dream, in which my father returned to his property which he had previously owned, my father appeared on the earth in human form (with a full body) years after he had gone to be with the Lord. This matches what the Bible says concerning the resurrection which will happen when the Lord descends from heaven.

“For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with God’s trumpet. The dead in Christ will rise first, then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air. So we will be with the Lord forever.” (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17)

This passage ends with the words, “so we will be with the Lord forever.” In the dream, I was so excited — exhilarated — because I was with my father. I would be with him forever. When you compare temporal earthly pleasures with eternity, the earthly pleasures are only a fragment of what eternal life offers. That’s why in the dream I was exhilarated. I felt this incredible, eternal, sense of my being with my father. Therefore, there was a thrilling pulsating sense of joy. It was like a powered joy that was energized with this pulsating energy. The best word I could use to describe it would be rapturous.

rapturous /răp′chər-əs/, adjective

1. Filled with or characterized by great joy or rapture; ecstatic.

2. Ecstatic; transporting; ravishing; feeling, expressing, or manifesting rapture.

3. The state or condition of being full of rapture.

4. Feeling great rapture or delight.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition

Yes, that was it. It was rapturous.

The Rapture

Now that is interesting, because we already came upon the root component for this word “rapturous” when we read 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17. However, you may not have noticed it, because we were reading it in English. The words “caught up” in that passage comes from the original Greek word, “harpadzo.” The Latin translation for this is the word “rapturo.” And the English rendering of “rapturo” is the English word “rapture.” To be raptured, therefore, means to be “caught up” and in the context of Scripture it means to be caught up to meet the Lord in the air following the resurrection and the transformation of the body for all those who believe. But we do not stay in the air forever. We eventually come back to the earth, and dwell with the Lord.

The Transformation of our Bodies

We saw previously that on the last day, bodies will be transformed in the blink of an eye. I would like to now go back to the part of the dream where my father and I each took a single step. First, my father took a step, then I took one. If you look at the timing of it (how I stepped immediately after my father) and the fact that it was a single step, and the fact that the entire scene simply “flashed” on the screen of my mind for a split-second, I think it then becomes obvious what this “step” actually represents: the transformation of the body. It is that very instant that our bodies will become immortal. This will happen worldwide to millions of people on a single day. It will be the most astounding day since the creation of the world!

Now let us now go back and take a look at the two chainsaws. My father had his chainsaw, but I needed to borrow one. When we look back over this dream, we can see what this chainsaw must therefore represent: it represents the glorified body. The reason I needed to borrow a chainsaw —and why I could not simply buy one, or have one given to me— is because the glorified body does not belong to us. Our bodies belong to the Lord.

“Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.” (1 Corinthians 6:19-20)

So then in this entire dream, we see massive symbolism being portrayed. There is no way I could have “dreamed this up”, but the Lord, in his wisdom, simply gave it to me. Let’s now review the symbolism in the following seven points.

1. The chainsaw represents the glorified body. The area where it was available represents the entire world where these bodies will be received.

2. The mud scene represents sin. It is for good reason the Lord chose drywall compound, called “mud” in the construction industry — because actual mud is dirty!

3. The roof represents the blood of Christ, which covers over our sin.

4. My father’s borrowing of the land for a single day represents the last day — the day that God the father has appointed when the dead in Christ shall rise from the dead and we who remain shall receive our new bodies.

5. My thought that maybe I could purchase the land but that it was costly points to the promise of restoration which costs the precious blood of Christ!

6. The single steps represent the transformation of the body, resulting in the resurrection from the dead for the dead in Christ and the transformation of the body for those who have never died but who belong to the Lord.

7. The exhilaration I felt points to the rapture — being “caught up” to meet the Lord in the air which happens following the transformation of the body.

And so what conclusion should we make from this dream? The Lord is speaking, even as he promised he would (see Joel 2:28-29, Acts 2:17-18), and he is reminding us that this day, called the “last day” in Scripture, is certainly coming. Are you ready for it? I hope so. For that day is surely coming, even as he has promised!