“28 So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation.” (Hebrews 9:28 KJV)
Some are teaching a partial Rapture based on this one verse. Is the writer of Hebrews stating that only those believers in Christ who are actually looking for Him to return at the Pre-Tribulation Rapture will be Raptured, while other believers in Christ will be left to face the Tribulation Period?
It does sound like that but if we look closer I do not believe a partial Rapture is correct based on this one verse. Why?
1. LIFE IN TRIBULATION PERIOD VERSES THE CHURCH AGE; TWO GROUPS OF BELIEVERS
In the Tribulation Period, those living on Earth will have a big decision to make and that decision is to take the Mark of the Antichrist and worship him, or reject the Mark and not be able to buy nor sell anything and undergo great persecution, jail and/or death by beheading. This is what the Bible teaches will happen during the Tribulation Period.
So from this perspective, those who become believers that Christ is still to come, and before the Second Coming Event, living in the Tribulation Period, this verse does fit. In the Tribulation Period Israel will begin animal sacrifices again. They do not believe that the sins of the whole world were paid already by Jesus on the cross 2000 years ago (John 3:14-18, Colossians 2, 2 Cor. 5:17-21, 1 John 2:2 etc.). They will still be all about their sins having to be paid for.
Hence the ‘without sin unto salvation’ of this verse. When Christ comes at the Second Coming, it will have nothing to do with paying for sins again. The unbelieving Jewish people in the Tribulation will think otherwise. Many will have decided the Antichrist is Messiah come again. Jesus warned the Jews about this stating,
” I am come in my Father’s name, and ye receive me not: if another shall come in his own name, him ye will receive.” (John 5:43 KJV)
CHURCH AGE BELIEVERS
For us now living in the CHURCH AGE today, we have the promise that of we believe the Gospel of our salvation (Jesus is God in human form (John 1) who never sinned (2 Cor 5:21) and who died on the cross and paid for the sins of the whole world (John 3:14-18, 1 John 2:2) on the cross by His shed blood as the “once for all” sacrifice for all sins (Hebrews 10:10) and rose again on the third day, that person was reborn in their Spirit eternally. For ever sealed and saved in Christ (Colossians 2, Eph. 1:13-14, 4:30). All sins of the whole world (for believers and unbelievers) was PAID IN FULL on that cross and are already fully judged by God. Jesus’ sacrifice was 100% sufficient to the Father. Now this payment for all sins is provided as a GIFT that a person can receive and accept through belief on Christ, or reject in unbelief. To all who BELIEVE, in God’s foreknowledge of all who would accept the gift of salvation (Romans 5, Eph. 2:8-9, Eph. 1), they have gained all that believing predesitinated them to receive (eternal life, eternal union with Christ, becoming a child of God etc.).
TRIBULATION SAINTS
For those who come to belief on Christ in the Tribulation, they are not seen as sealed at the moment of belief on Christ. Instead what we see in Scripture is that they will have to endure in their belief on Christ by rejecting the Mark of Antichrist and instead choosing great persecution. We see this in Matthew 24. And in Matthew 25, we see that some who believe will give up their belief because of the great persecution, take the mark and not be permitted entry to the Kingdom Age with Christ ruling on Earth for one thousand years. Just as in the Old Testament, their belief on Christ (The Messiah) had to be kept until they died, or the Messiah came and paid for the sins of the world. The CHURCH AGE believers is a separate group of people God has prepared. There eternal destination is the HEAVENLY New Jerusalem. They will be KINGS and priests on Earth in the Kingdom Age on Earth, but they will reside in the New Jerusalem in space hovering Earth. OT Saints look forward to the Kingdom Age on Earth, which is their destination at resurrection at the Second Coming Event. Scripture says these OT Saints and those martyred for faith in the Tribulation Period will be Priests in the Kingdom Age on Earth; not kings, priests. We see here, two separate groups of believers.
The point is, the Pre-Tribulation Rapture is for ALL and ANYONE that believes 1 Cor. 15:1-4,
“Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; 2 By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. 3 For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; 4 And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:” (1 Cor. 15:1-4 KJV)
To such who believe on Christ Jesus stated,
“All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in NO WISE CAST OUT. For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me. And this is the Father’s will which hath sent me, that of ALL which he hath given me I should lose NOTHING, but should raise it up again at the last day.” (John 6:37-39 KJV)
BUT HEBREWS WAS WRITTEN TO HEBREW BELIEVERS. DOESN’T THAT MEAN HEBREWS 9:28 IS FOR CHURCH AGE BELIEVERS?
As I have shown, there are two basic groups of believers:
1. Church Age Believers. All who come to salvation through belief of what Jesus already did on the cross (Penetcost to Rapture). These are SEALED the moment they believe.
2. OT Believers, Tribulation Believers (Martyred in faith or alive at Christ’s Second Coming. These are not sealed from the moment of belief on Christ as that is only for the Church Age Believers. The sealing from the moment of belief on Christ, was the Gospel Paul preached (Eph 1:13-14, 4:30).
Both groups are saved by their BELIEF either way. Well, once again we have to read the verse,
“So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him
shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation” (Hebrews 9:28 KJV)
This is an overview statement for –ALL– who will believe on Christ for righteousness. That is for both groups. For all who believe Jesus is God. And so it must include the Tribulation Believers right? And because of this full salvation completion for all believers (either at pre-tribulation Rapture or at the Second Coming) will receive their resurrected perfected glorified bodies. Salvation for all believers will not happen in completion until the Second Coming of Christ Event. That is when salvation is COMPLETE in full for all. And because it must include the second group of saints, that is what the verse points toward I believe.
Also, the context in Hebrews 9 is very clear and if we just read verse 27 with verse 28 it becomes clearer.
“27 And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment: 28 So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation.” (Hebrews 9:27-28 KJV)
Hebrews 9 is all about how Christ became the final payment for our sin debt and that continues into Hebrews 10. Make sure you read both chapters for the correct context instead of seeing a one line verse (28) and making a Rapture doctrine about it which is totally false. The writer is using a comparison of an unbeliever to a believer. Verse 28 is for ALL BELIEVERS. Verse 27 is a warning to unbelievers so they will consider believing and be saved eternally, just as the previous Chapter Hebrews 10 reads. To ignore this context is a grave error.
The Partial Rapture belief is wrong. So many other Scriptures clearly state the opposite and to believe the Rapture is only for those believers with more or better works, goes directly against the heart of the Gospel truth. How does a person become righteous with God? by our works? Not according to the Bible! Not according to the New Covenant through Jesus Christ Crucified , died and risen!
“For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.” (2 Cor. 5:21 KJV)
Are we righteous by our works? Absolutely not. We are only righteous by the work of Christ on that cross and by believing on Him for our justification and righteousness. These verses in context fly against the false partial Rapture teaching.
“O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth, crucified among you? This only would I learn of you, Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh? Have ye suffered so many things in vain? if it be yet in vain. He therefore that ministereth to you the Spirit, and worketh miracles among you, doeth he it by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? Even as Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.” (Galatians 3 KJV)
“Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace. For we through the Spirit wait for the hope of righteousness by faith.” (Gal. 5:4-5 KJV)
“For by GRACE are ye saved THOROUGH FAITH; and that NOT of yourselves: it is the GIFT of God: NOT OF WORKS, lest any man should BOAST.” (Ephesians 2:8-9 KJV)
“To declare, I say, at this time HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS: that HE MIGHT BE JUST, and the justifier of him WHICH BELIEVETH IN JESUS. Where is boasting then? IT IS EXCLUDED. By what law? OF WORKS? NAY: but by the LAW OF FAITH. Therefore we conclude that a man IS JUSTIFIED BY FAITH WITHOUT THE DEEDS OF THE LAW. ” (Romans 3:26-28 KJV)
“Now to him that worketh is the reward NOT reckoned of grace, but OF DEBT. But to him that worketh NOT, but BELIEVETH ON HIM (Jesus) that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for RIGHTEOUSNESS.” (Romans 4:4-5 KJV)
So using Hebrews 9:28, and pulling it out of the context of Hebrews 9 and 10 and believing this one verse somehow means, that only the believers on Christ with more, or better, outward works is very very incorrect. Remember that we must ALL (as believers) stand before the judgment seat of Christ, in our resurrected glorified bodies, having just been raptured to receive rewards. There will be those at this event that will have no reward, no good works with the right motives, yet they are already seen in the New Heavenly Jerusalem (Heaven) but are saved ‘yet so as by fire‘ (1 Corinthians 3:15). If ALL believers from the Church Age must be there for this event, the partial Rapture is false.
The BRIDE OF CHRIST contains all members of Church Age believers on Christ. Whether a physically dead believer or a believer alive at the moment of the Rapture, we will –ALL–be there! Amen!
Go read the passages on salvation such as John 3, John 6, Romans, Ephesians etc. Even read through the Scripture son the Harpazo Rapture. I cannot find anywhere mentioned that a believer must be ‘looking for the rapture’ to be forgiven ALL SINS. The Rapture teaching is important just as Paul taught it as our very blessed hope. It should be something taught in every pulpit, but unfortunately, it rarely is today in these end times.
Believers.. WATCH. HOPE. it is going to happen whether we are alive as believers, or physically dead! And we will ALL BE THERE as believers on Christ for our righteousness.
