The Future of the Church

God has a tremendous future destined for His church. Since the creation of the church at Pentecost (Acts 2), Christians have responded to apostasy and persecution. Adverse experiences will culminate with the rapture of the church to heaven. Following the rapture, the church will experience the judgment seat of Christ. The church will remain in heaven with Christ Jesus until He returns with His saints, to rule and reign for a thousand years, in fulfillment of many Old Testament prophecies (an event that will capitulate to the new heavens and the new earth).

Hatred and Persecution

The church grows quantitatively and qualitatively through the systematic teaching of God’s Word. The Holy Spirit creates and sustains the church by the Word of God (Matt 4:4; John 1:1, 4, 14; Acts 19:20; 20:32; Rom 1:16; 10:17; 1 Thess 2:13; Heb 4:12; Jas 1:18, 21; 1 Pet 1:23, 25). Jesus prophesied that this growth and progress of the church would be in fulfillment of Matthew 16:18 (“I will build My church; and the gates of Hades will not overpower it”). The parable of the vine and the branches (John 15:1–16:4) not only illustrates the intimate relationship between Christ and His disciples, but also provided instruction concerning the attitude of the world toward those who “are not of the world.” Those who belong to Christ will be hated and persecuted by the world. Nevertheless, Jesus said, “These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world” (16:33). The growth and progress of the early church was met with persecution from the unregenerate world (Acts 8:1; 9:15-16; 20:17-24). “Indeed, all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted” (2 Tim 3:12).

Apostasy

According to English dictionaries, the meaning of apostasy is to abandon one’s faith or religion. In the Greek New Testament, there are two words for apostasy. The noun apostasia is a compound word (apo, “from,” and isthmi, “to stand”) meaning religious abandonment, or “to stand from” religious teachings in the sense of not affirming fundamental beliefs (cf. Josh 22:22; 2 Chron 29:19; 1 Macc 2:15; Acts 21:21; 2 Thess 2:3). The verb piptw is translated “fall,” which means “to fall” from faith in the moral or religious sense (cf. Prov 11:28; Rom 11:11, 22; 1 Cor 10:12; Heb 4:11). The New Testament prophesies a trend toward apostasy within the professing church that culminates at the end of the age.

Not all persecution of the church will come from those directly opposed to Christianity. Many biblical references address the subject of apostasy (Matt 24:4-26; 2 Thess 2:1-12; 1 Tim 4:1-3; 2 Tim 3:1-9; 4:3-4; 2 Peter 2:1–3:18; Jude 3-19; Rev 3:14-16; 6:1–19:21). Some of the characteristics of the end of the age include a denial of the following: God (Luke 17:26; 2 Tim 3:4-5); Christ (1 John 2:18; 4:3; 2 Pet 2:6); the second coming (2 Pet 3:3-4); the faith (i.e. basic doctrines of Christianity) (1 Tim 4:1-2; Jude 3-4); sound doctrine (2 Tim 4:3-4); morality (2 Tim 3:1-8, 13; Jude 18); Christian liberty (1 Tim 4:3-4); and, authority (2 Tim 3:4).

The New Testament prophesies a progression of heterodoxy (false doctrine) and heteropraxy (false practice) at the end of the age among the professing church. Therefore, continual warnings are given to the true church, to be discerning against doctrinal apostasy within the church. False teachers will seek influence within the church, but they will not actually be regenerate. Until the rapture, the true church will be preserved in holiness by the grace of God (Eph 5:25-27).

Rapture

The rapture is a prophesied event for the church only. Logically then, the Old Testament does not reveal the rapture, because this is an event for the church. The church (which began at Pentecost) was an unrevealed mystery in the Old Testament. Consequently, the promise of the rapture is only given in the New Testament. Jesus first referred to the rapture in John 14:3 (“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”). Additional details concerning this promise are identified in 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17, which prophecies of Jesus Christ who “will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up [Gk. Jarpazw, which means a “catching away”] with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so shall we always be with the Lord.” The biblical source of the word “rapture” is the expression in 1 First Thessalonians 4:17 that the church will be “caught up,” which in the Latin Vulgate is translated as rapiemer, from which the term “rapture” is derived.

The church has a wonderful existence “in Christ,” and will have an even more glorious experience “with Christ” for all eternity. Christ Jesus will return for His church as He promised, and it will be for the purpose of having the church with Him forever. New glorified bodies will be given to those who are resurrected, and those who are living will be suddenly transformed (1 Cor 15:50-58; cf. Gk. metaschmatizw, which means “to alter the schematics,” or changing the present body into something new).

The rapture is not a reward to the church for faithfulness, but it is God’s purpose to deliver the church from the coming wrath of the tribulation. For instance, Paul first described the rapture (1 Thess 4:13-18), then the day of the Lord (5:1-11). The day of the Lord “will come like a thief” upon unbelievers (cf. 2 Pet 3:3-10). In contrast, the day of the Lord does not overtake the church, “For God has not destined us [Christians] for wrath [the day of the Lord], but for obtaining salvation [deliverance] through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us, so that whether we are awake or asleep, we may live together with Him” (1 Thess 5:9-10; cf. 1:10). The day of the Lord is even compared to the Genesis Flood in the eschatological synoptic discourses (Matt 24–25 // Mark 13 // Luke 17:20-37 // Luke 21:20-36), indicating God’s judgment upon the unbelieving world. The blessed hope of the rapture is both comforting and purifying (1 Thess 4:18; Tit 2:11-14).

The Judgment Seat of Christ

When Christians appear before the judgment seat of Christ (Gk. bema), it will be “that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad” (2 Cor 5:10). The judgment seat is not an event that relates to non-Christians. Furthermore, it is not judgment in the sense of eternal life for the Christian (Isa 43:25; John 17:3; Rom 8:3; 2 Cor 5:21; Gal 3:13; Heb 8:12). Moreover, the judgment is not judicial; rather, it is to determine rewards. Christians will be judged not in terms of eternal salvation, but will receive a reward for those things done in the body on earth.

The sins of a Christian will not be recalled to determine eternal life, since God outpoured His wrath upon Christ for those He came to save (2 Cor 5:21; 1 John 2:1-2). Jesus Christ, the sinner’s substitute, took the judgment that depraved humanity deserved (Rom 8:3; Gal 3:13). God has forgotten the sins of the Christian, in the sense that He will not lay them to their charge (Ps 103:12; Isa 43:25; Heb 8:12; 10:17). Once justified, the Christian always will be justified, because he or she has been judged for sin by grace through faith at the cross of Christ (John 5:24; Rom 8:1-2; 10:4).

Jude 23 exhorts Christians to hate “even the garment defiled by the flesh.” The emphasis is upon motivation and the excellence of things done in the body. The verse in Jude does not refer to the righteousness of Jesus Christ, with which believers are clothed for salvation (Isa 61:10). The garments mentioned are those of good works (a fruitful life) through the perseverance of the Christian. Just as rewards may be gained, there may also be loss of rewards to the Christian’s shame when Christ returns for His church (1 Cor 3:11-16; 4:1-5; 9:24-27; Tit 3:8; 1 John 2:28; 2 John 1:8).

CONCLUSION

In most biblical passages, the New Testament church is a local congregation of believers. However, in another sense, there is one universal church (1 Cor 12:13). Presently, God is accomplishing His decrees through the local congregations of believers. Second Corinthians 11:1-2, Ephesians 5:25-27, and Revelation 21:9 testify of a future event when the glorified church (assembly) is gathered together and presented to Christ.

Following the judgment seat of Christ will be the marriage of the Lamb, which will occur in heaven prior to the second coming of Christ to earth, and subsequent to the rapture of the church. Revelation 19:7-8 declares, “His [Christ’s] wife has made herself ready.” John the Baptist declared, “He who has the bride is the bridegroom” (John 3:29a). Revelation 19:7 states the bride “has made herself ready” for her soon marriage, because of “the fine linen” of good works. The sad truth is that many Christians are not working for Christ (as fruits of salvation); consequently, they will not be ready to meet the Bridegroom. There will be shame because of a lack of readiness (1 John 2:28).

In the last chapter of Revelation, Jesus said, “Surely I am coming quickly.” The response of the faithful is, “Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus!” Christ may return at any moment; therefore, those belonging to Christ are to encourage each other to live godly lives, so that each may obtain the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus (1 Cor 9:24; Phil 3:10-14; Heb 12:1-2). Furthermore, the imminent return of Christ is an impetus to tell the lost of the glorious gospel of grace. Faith in Jesus without the earnest expectation of His return, is like a journey leading to nowhere and ending in utter emptiness.

Midnight Call - 08/2025