Gospel Reading | Question 1: We believe that the return of the Lord will mean that believers are raised directly up into the kingdom of heaven, for it is written in the Bible: “Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord” (1Ts 4:17). You testify that the Lord Jesus has returned, so why are we now on earth and not yet raptured?

How should we understand “rapture”? We use rapture to explain how God saves man from this condition and under this domain and places them in that condition and under that domain. However, whenever people think of “rapture,” they see it only as being carried up into the air. Isn’t this erroneous? If, for example, you were born in a backward, remote village and subsequently you were assigned to work in a large city, we would describe this in the language of mankind as having been elevated from a remote village to work and live in a large city. Isn’t this the meaning of “being elevated”? Is that elevation different to being lifted into the air as imagined by man? Which of these is reality? That is why we say that “rapture” refers to being raised from one kind of condition into another kind of condition—this is elevation! This elevation is not being raised up high above the ground, or being raised from the ground into space, that’s not what it means. Rather, it refers to being raised up into an even higher grade, to an even higher position, an even higher-class place. This is elevation. For example, we were originally peasants and workers from the lowest level of corrupted mankind, with no social standing, looked down upon by others, suffering suppression and exploitation, without the right to speak, and now at a stroke we are raised up as the people of the Age of Kingdom, is this position not elevation? Originally, we were corrupted mankind, the lowest level of mankind in the dark, evil world, and now suddenly we are raised in rapture to be the people of God’s kingdom, people who are citizens of the Age of Kingdom. If we are lifted to be people of the Age of Kingdom, isn’t this rapture? This is real rapture. Well, some say: “Am I not still living there? Am I not still doing that work? Hasn’t what I eat and wear also not changed at all? How is it that I don’t feel I’m up high?” Whether or not you have been raised up in rapture cannot be determined by how high or low you feel. When the day comes when this fact will be revealed, who you believe to be high will be eradicated, and though you may think you have obtained nothing, you will go on living; how will you explain it? This meaning of the people of the kingdom is true, right? One day will come when this fact will be validated. At that time you will say: “Oh, I have really been raised in rapture, but I’m not aware of it, God’s work is so wonderful.” If they do not have the truth, people will be unaware of this rapture, they will live in grace without knowing grace. This is the practical meaning of rapture; you should understand that. God protects you and no disasters will befall you; does this not explain that now you have already been raised up in rapture, that you are God’s chosen people, people of the Age of Kingdom? Are you able to explain this question? One day you will acknowledge that “This is a fact, my status is certainly different. Although people in the world regard me as still a worker or a peasant, in the eyes of God I am a person of the Age of Kingdom; therefore I really have been raised up in rapture and I am already enjoying the grace of rapture.” This is practical meaning of rapture. If you do not understand that which is called rapture and relying on your own imagination believe that rapture is to be raised up into the air, well, you just wait to be raised up into the air then.

from the fellowship from the above

You have accepted Almighty God’s work of the last days because you see that the Lord Jesus has returned, that He has come incarnate as the Son of man and begun to express the truth and do His work of judgment in the last days. So your acceptance means you have been raptured, you have been raptured up before God, you have been lifted up into the air to meet with the Lord. What does this “air” mean? Spreading the gospel and speaking online, isn’t that “in the air”? (Yes, it is.) Aren’t the words I’m speaking to you today “in the air”? (Yes, they are.) People ask, “Where is ‘the air’?” “The air” is a metaphor, and it represents the question of whether we’re in heaven or on earth. Most literally speaking, we are on earth, but we enjoy a life with God, and we eat and drink of God’s word, which is the water of the river of life that flows from the throne, so we live as though we were in the third heaven. According to this actual meaning, where are we? Are we in heaven, or on the earth? It’s hard to say, so we use “in the air” to describe it. So this is one meaning, I’m congratulating you on being raptured before God’s throne to feast with the Lamb, which is to feast with God.

from Sermons and Fellowship on Entry Into Life, Volume 130

Some people ponder: “I originally believed in the Lord Jesus. Now that I have heard a thorough witnessing of the Bible’s truth from the preachers of The Church of Almighty God, in particular, I have heard Almighty God’s utterances, which are all truth and are apparently God’s voice, and it has fulfilled what Revelation has said ‘He that has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches’ (Rev 2:7). Once I have heard all the words of Almighty God, I have confirmed one thing: The Lord has returned, the Lord Jesus has returned, He is Almighty God.” In this way, are we not the people raptured by the Lord because we believe in Almighty God? (Yes, we are.) We belong to the people raptured by the Lord. Which prophecies from the Bible have this fulfilled? The Lord Jesus said: “And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom comes; go you out to meet him” (Mat 25:6), and, “Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me” (Rev 3:20). “Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watches, and keeps his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame” (Rev 16:15). These prophecies have been fulfilled. Since the Lord’s prophecies have been fulfilled, we are now with the Lord, and the Lord is having supper with us. What is the name of this “supper”? There is one place in the Bible, where the Lord Jesus called it “the marriage supper of the Lamb.” What is the meaning of “the marriage supper of the Lamb”? Why is it called “the marriage supper of the Lamb”? “The Lamb” is Christ, and the marriage of the Lamb means that Christ comes to make complete a group of people, to gain people. He will make complete His sheep, those predestined to be overcomers, He will make these people into overcomers before the disaster, therefore this is called “attending the supper.” “The marriage supper of the Lamb,” “marriage” is to acquire, and what happens after having acquired? We become a family. Therefore, when explaining this scripture, some places say that the Christ is the Bridegroom, the church is the bride. This is called a marriage, and something must be acquired. Speaking of acquiring, this relates to God’s work in the last days, the work of judgment and chastisement, the work of judgment starting from the house of God. People first experience the conquest of God, then they will be cleansed, perfected, gained and made complete; the work of judgment starting from the house of God is such a stage. After men have experienced God’s work in the last days and become compatible with Christ, the work of judgment starting from the house of God thus comes to an end. What are the people in the kingdom of God who have been perfected after all of this has concluded? They are the group of overcomers who have been perfected before the disaster, these are the overcomers. What is the position of the overcomers in the kingdom of God? They are called the “pillars of the kingdom of Christ,” pillars of God’s kingdom. God will make complete a group of people, a group of overcomers, before the disaster, and these overcomers will become the pillars of the kingdom of Christ. Don’t you think it is a tremendous blessing? (Yes, it is.) This blessing is tremendous.

from Sermons and Fellowship on Entry Into Life (Series 130)