Torch, Spring 1985

12 The Riders on the Four Horses from rhe Apocalypse by A. Dtirer. The Metropolitan Museum of Art Gift of Junius S. Morgan , 19 19. After the Rapture by David Branon T he rapture will solve all kinds of problems. For instance, the Rus– sian government won't have the un– registered church to kick around any more. Anthropologists won't have to worry about missionaries disrupting "happy primitives." (But they ' ll surely be surprised when entire tribes of them disappear at Jesus' return.) Evolutionists won't have anyone to challenge their theories. The secular press can print their articles without fearing an evangelical backlash . Yes, the rapture of the church will rid soci– ety of the problems caused by Chris– tians . Yet the departure of the millions who have put their faith in Jesus will not signal the beginning of the best of times for the ones who rejected Him . Instead, it will be the siren warning for the worst of times. Previous eras of strife and conflict will pale into obscurity when compared with the traumatic events that will follow the snatching away of God's people. The Black Plague, the War to End All Wars, the Inquisition, the Holocaust , the famines of the 1980s - these are all just minor preludes to a song of sorrow that will fill the air in the seven years that follow Christ' s com– ing to receive His own. But what will happen to those people who had been such a thorn in society's side since they were first called Christians at Antioch? What will happen to those people whose sudden departure will solve a few of the world's problems yet will set in motion untold tribulation? What will they experience while the "time of Jacob's trouble" falls upon the unre– deemed? The Handing Out of the Rewards An Olympic analogy may help answer these questions. Few scenes are as poignant and heartwarming as the awards presentations at the Olym– pic games. We can all recall specific athletes and their reactions as they re– ceived their medal and then proudly turned to gaze upon their country's flag as their national anthem was played . It was not a time for dry eyes. In a small measure , this can help us see what will transpire first for the raptured saints at the event called the judgment seat of Christ (2 Corin– thians 5:10). Soon after Jesus has called His people together with a shout and a trumpet blast, this pres– entation of rewards will begin in heaven. Each Christian will stand before Christ the judge, who will either reward the believer with crowns for the good things he has done for God or see that the believer " suffers loss." Think again of the Olympic athlete to understand this term. The gold medalist earns the prize, while those who lost must step aside with the realization that they have not gained the reward. Of course, they are still members of their Olympic teams, but they have suf– fered loss . What then will be God's means of judging what was worthy of honor and what wasn't? First Corin– thians 3: 13-15 speaks of a trial by fire. Any works that were done with a selfish motivation will perish in the fire just as wood, hay, and stubble are consumed. But those things that were done on earth with God's glory in mind will live on. Like gold and silver, they cannot be burned. The key elements in testing these works will be their quality and the motiva– tion behind them. During an Olympic athlete's train– ing period, he knows what he is striving for - he is going for the gold. What kind of reward can the Chris– tian look forward to earning through his work? At least five distinct crowns are mentioned in Scripture: An incorruptible crown for overcoming the old nature (I Corinthians 9:25-27) A crown of rejoicing for being a soul winner (I Thessalonians 2: 19 ,20) A crown of life for enduring trials (James 1: 12) A crown of righteousness for looking for– ward to Christ's return (2 Timothy 4:8) A crown of glory for teaching God's Word (I Peter 5 :4) What unbelievable joy will be ex– perienced around the bema seat - the reward seat - as Christ Himself praises those who have diligently served Him on earth! Yet the glory of the event has only just begun when all the crowns have been handed out, for these rewards were not earned for personal gain. Let's go back one more time to the analogy of the Olympic athlete. Those young people, who have worked so hard to win, share a common look as they watch their nation's flag raised on that middle pole. It's a look that says, "I won it for my country." These athletes willingly transfer the glory from themselves to their homeland . Likewise, when Christians receive their crowns at the judgment seat of Christ, they will give honor to Jesus by casting these crowns at His feet. Imagine the scene amidst heaven's splendor as millions of glorified be– lievers offer their heavenly rewards