Posted on 03/03/2024 10:41:23 AM PST by Roman_War_Criminal
The Rapture is perhaps the most important piece of prophecy for us to understand since it could very well impact us personally. This [article] will help you examine what the Rapture is, defend it biblically, and explain its personal and practical importance.
What is the Rapture? The Rapture is the biblical prophetic event where all who have put their trust in Christ, living and deceased, will suddenly be caught up from earth, be joined with Christ in the air, and taken to heaven. Paul describes the Rapture in 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18:
1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 KJV – “But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: 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. Wherefore comfort one another with these words.”
The Meaning of “Rapture” Rapture is derived from the Latin translation of 1 Thessalonians 4:17, which translates the Greek harpazo (to catch up or carry away) as rapiemur from the Latin rapio. The Greek harpazo occurs fourteen times in the New Testament with four variations of meaning, each of which contributes to our understanding of what Paul is describing in verse 17: “Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with [the dead] in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air.”
First, harpazo can mean “to carry off by force.” Christ will use His power to remove living and deceased believers from the last enemy, death.
Second, harpazo can mean “to claim for oneself eagerly.” Christ purchased us with His blood, and He will return to claim those who are His.
Third, harpazo can mean “to snatch away speedily.” The Rapture will occur “in the twinkling of an eye” (1 Corinthians 15:52).
Fourth, harpazo can mean “to rescue from the danger of destruction.” This meaning supports the idea that the Rapture will save the Church from experiencing the terrors of the seven-year Tribulation.
This coming event is the first part of Christ’s two-part return to earth. First, He’ll remove the Church from the world. Second, seven years later, He’ll establish His Kingdom on earth. For every prophecy in Scripture about Christ’s first advent, there are eight about His second. The 260 chapters of the New Testament contain 318 references to the Second Coming of Christ.
The Rapture Is Different From Christ’s Second Coming Will the Rapture occur at Christ’s Second Coming? The short answer is, “Yes, but….” The Rapture sets in motion the End-Time events leading to Christ’s Second Coming. The two stages, Rapture and Return, will be separated by a seven-year Tribulation on earth. The purpose of the Rapture is to spare Christ’s own from the horrors of the Tribulation according to Revelation 3:10.
The prophets saw what appears to be the Tribulation—“the time of Jacob’s trouble” (Jeremiah 30:7)—not the Rapture. But that is not surprising; they didn’t differentiate clearly between the First and Second Advents of Christ. The prophets “inquired and searched carefully” (1 Peter 1:10-11), but they saw more of the big picture than the details. And they didn’t see the Church at all, which is who the Rapture affects. The prophets saw the future like seeing successive mountain peaks through a telephoto lens. They saw the peaks (events), but not the distance that separates them.
Three New Testament passages tell us about the Rapture: John 14:1-3; 1 Corinthians 15:50-57; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18. Paul’s words in 1 Thessalonians are the most complete and form the basis for this discussion.
First, we must note that Paul gained his understanding of the Rapture via special revelation from God—he called it a “mystery” in 1 Corinthians 15:51, meaning a truth not previously revealed. The revelation was “by the word of the Lord” (1 Thessalonians 4:15).
Second, Paul shared this revelation in order to meet a practical concern of the Christians in Thessalonica. They were concerned about the fate of Christians who died before Christ’s Second Coming (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18) and about the timing of the Rapture—whether it had already happened (2 Thessalonians 2:1-2).
Three Reasons the Rapture Could Happen Today Reason 1: The Rapture is a signless event.
Unlike the Second Coming, no signs will precede the Rapture. This is called the doctrine of imminency—that is, the Rapture is imminent; it could happen at any moment. Specifically, nothing in God’s prophetic program must take place as a prerequisite to the Rapture. Things may happen but nothing must happen. That means we don’t know when it could happen. It could be today or years from today.
Without any warning, Jesus Christ will return to rapture His saints and take them to heaven. Christians must live prepared lives, ready to meet their Savior at any moment.
Reason 2: The Rapture is a surprise event.
While many through the years have predicted the date of the Rapture and Jesus’ Second Coming, Jesus’ words in Matthew 24:36-39 should be taken literally: No one, including Jesus and the angels, knows the time of His return. Only God the Father knows. Not knowing when Jesus will come for His Church causes us to be ready at all times.
Reason 3: The Rapture is a sudden event.
Paul wrote that the Rapture will take place “in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye” (1 Corinthians 15:52). “Twinkling” likely refers to the amount of time it takes for light, traveling at 186,000 miles per second, to be reflected on the retina of one’s eye. In less than a nanosecond, the Lord will call believers to Himself!
1 Thessalonians 4:16 says, “For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God.” These are not three distinct sounds, but one sound described three different ways.
This sound will be like a shout, ringing with commanding authority like the voice of an archangel. It will also be like the blare of a trumpet in its volume and clarity. And the sound will be heard only by those who have trusted Christ as Savior. Jesus shouted, “Lazarus, come forth!” in John 11:43. His shout of “Come forth!” at the Rapture will not name a single individual, but will be heard by every believer in every grave around the world.
At the moment of the Rapture, God’s people from every era—the disciples, the martyrs of the ages, your godly ancestors, and many more—will rise from their graves.
The Rapture Only Involves Christians Each of the three major passages that teach about the Rapture indicate that it involves believers only (including innocent children too young to believe). Anyone who does not trust Jesus as their Lord and Savior will not be raptured into the Lord’s presence and will be left to suffer the horrors of the Tribulation.
Jesus’ words in John 14:1-3 were spoken to His disciples—men who were obviously believers. He assured them that He would prepare a place for them in His Father’s house; they were members of the family of faith in the same way Christians are today. “I will come again and receive you to Myself” (verse 3) describes what we call the Rapture—the uniting of Jesus Christ with His faithful followers.
In 1 Corinthians 15 Paul talked about “those who are Christ’s at His coming” (verse 23). Verse 1 informs us that the passage was written to “brethren,” and verse 58 concludes the passage by talking about abounding in the work of the Lord, an obvious reference to Christian believers.
In 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 Paul refers to believers as “brethren” (verse 13), as those who “believe that Jesus died and rose again” (verse 14), and as the “dead in Christ” (verse 16).
These passages are clear: the Rapture is restricted to believers. Only those who are followers of Christ will be taken up into heaven when He returns.
Three Ways the Rapture Can Impact Our Life Today The Rapture can change our life; it is a source of personal comfort and hope. Paul wrote to the Thessalonians about it to ease their concerns about their departed loved ones. Death is not final. The resurrection of believers who have died will reverse the effects of death. All who have lost loved ones to the sting of death can be comforted in the knowledge that they will see them again. But it is also a source of strength. Jesus promised His disciples, on the night He was arrested, that He would return for them (John 14:1-3).
It is no wonder that Paul told the Thessalonians to comfort themselves with the truth concerning the Rapture (1 Thessalonians 4:18). The Rapture can impact our life now, in three ways, while we wait for it to happen.
We can live with expectation.
The letter from Paul to Titus puts into words how the expectation of the Rapture should impact our life:
Titus 2:11-14 KJV – “For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and pur”
We can live with dedication.
I am told that Robert Murray M’Cheyne, a brilliant young Scottish preacher who died at age 29 in 1843, wore a watch with the words “The Night Cometh” engraved on its face. Every time he checked his watch, he was reminded that time is marching on. We won’t always have time to win souls for Christ or to consecrate our own life for His service. The apostle John exhorted his readers “not to be ashamed before Him at His coming” (1 John 2:28). The imminent return of Jesus for His Church is life’s greatest stimulus for living a dedicated life.
We can live with preparation.
Jesus warned that He is “coming quickly” (Revelation 22:12). That means we should live every day as if He were coming that day. But will we be ready? Will we be found with heart and hands dedicated to serving Him at the moment we see Him face to face? Even more important, have we committed ourselves by faith to Christ, so we are assured of being part of His Church that is called into His presence at the Rapture? When the Rapture occurs, there will be no opportunity to decide. Be sure that you have said “Yes” to Christ so that you will be prepared to rejoice at His appearing.
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Maranatha!
Thoughts and questions I know can’t be proven, but I would be interested in your thoughts. I have never talked to a priest. I do read the Bible, but just some parts.
Where do the deceased go right after death? Do they know or see anything?
We hear stories about people who returned from death or almost death.
My husband told me a long time ago, that he saw items on top of a cabinet while on an operating table. Things that couldn’t be seen from the ground. He wouldn’t have any reason to lie. He was not a religious, church goer and I believed him.
I would like to think so. Maybe that’s all I need to keep me going.
Can he hear me calling his name, talking to him where ever he is in this world?
Answers to your questions sister, please ponder them.
Scriptural answers for each.
Where do the deceased go right after death? Do they know or see anything?
https://www.gotquestions.org/where-do-you-go-when-you-die.html
https://www.gotquestions.org/what-happens-after-death.html
Can he hear me calling his name, talking to him where ever he is in this world?
https://www.gotquestions.org/heaven-look-down.html
Prayers for you!
“Fourth, harpazo can mean “’to rescue from the danger of destruction.’”
As a believer, I like this meaning for foretelling the Rapture. I am OK with death, but I do not want to go through the Tribulation.
Nor do I. I hope the rapture happens in my lifetime and that I am taken up before the tribulation begins, but I don’t know if I will get my wish granted.
Theology for the Laity - Our Eternal Reward
The Four Last Things Part I: The Christian Understanding of Death
The Four Last Things Part II: Our Judgment Before God
I'm not saying there is no truth in it or that nobody should consider it, only that it is important to know that this is not the only interpretation or position. As the majority of Christians in the world are either Catholic, Orthodox and other Eastern Churches who do not ascribe to modern Dispensationalism vastly outnumber the American influenced Evangelical Protestants and Protestant Fundamentalists that are the ones who primarily embrace modern Dispensationalism, it is important to point out that it doesn't represent the views of most Christians.
Thank you, this site is very helpful.
I know I mustn’t put my love for my deceased husband ahead of loving God.
That’s what is so hard to do because of he was my life.
I’m learning. Again, thank you.
Rev 3:10
Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth.
I think I've accidentally prayed for the Rev 3:10 moment my entire life with The Lords Prayer, "Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil".
Blessings.
That said, this message is timely and, again, we/I see more people warning about the horrendous time to come.
Good article Roman, thanks brother!
2 Concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered to him, we ask you, brothers and sisters, 2 not to become easily unsettled or alarmed by the teaching allegedly from us—whether by a prophecy or by word of mouth or by letter—asserting that the day of the Lord has already come. 3 Don't let anyone deceive you in any way, for that day will not come until the rebellion occurs and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the man doomed to destruction. 4 He will oppose and will exalt himself over everything that is called God or is worshiped, so that he sets himself up in God's temple, proclaiming himself to be God. NIV
It’s interesting looking up the Greek meaning of the word.
It does indicate a sudden, forceful snatching away. Kind of implies to me something like pulling someone out of the way of a car bearing down on them while crossing the street that the person is unaware of, but someone else sees it and grabs them to safety suddenly.
Truth is not determined by consensus or popular opinion.
It’s totally irrelevant whether “ the majority of Christians today (and who have ever lived, for that matter) do not ascribe to it” or not.
Nor are you in a position to say definitively whether someone holding to rapture views is or is nota Christian. Simply claiming to be one, nor being baptized, nor joining a church, does not a Christian make.
HOW TO PREPARE FOR THE GREAT TRIBULATION AND RAPTURE
As soon as you perceive that the time for the tribulation and rapture may be near, please do the following in context with Matthew 24 (since we must maintain our scriptural foundation):
1. Locate the nearest mountain. (If you are in Kansas, sorry, but you are in serious trouble.) — “Let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains.”
2. Make sure you have a full tank of gas so you can leave your city of residence — “Let those in the city get out.”
3. If you are temporarily out of town, think twice about returning home — “Let those in the country not enter the city.”
4. Make sure you live upstairs — “Let no one on the housetop go down to take anything out of the house.”
5. Don’t get pregnant — “How dreadful it will be in those days for pregnant women and nursing mothers!”
6. Pray it happens in the summer — “Pray that your flight will not take place in winter or on the Sabbath.”
7. Make sure you are a farmer that has his cloak — “Let no one in the field go back to get their cloak.”
8. Don’t attend a marriage ceremony — “And just as it happened in the days of Noah, so it will be also in the days of the Son of Man: they were eating, they were drinking, they were marrying, they were being given in marriage. . . .”
9. But most importantly, take your time machine back in history 2,000 years because Jesus said all prophecy would be fulfilled in his generation (Luke 21:22) and that it would happen while some of his contemporaries were still alive: “Truly I tell you, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened.” (Matthew 24:34; see also Matthew 10:23; 16:27-28; 26:64; Revelation 1:1-3; 22:6-20)
10. To better understand what the rapture really is, see my article:
https://prophecyquestions.com/what-is-the-rapture/
I will leave it to the reader to judge that.
Nor are you in a position to say definitively whether someone holding to rapture views is or is nota Christian
LOL. Calm down, Sparky. Where did I say that? I simply said that Christians have differing opinions. I think we've gone over this before.
2 Thessalonians 2:1-4, "Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our assembling unto him, That ye be not suddenly moved from your mind, nor troubled neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter, as it were from us, as though the day of Christ were at hand. Let no man deceive you by any means, for that day shall not come, except there come a departing first, and that the man of sin be disclosed, even the son of perdition, Which is an adversary, and exalteth himself against all that is called God, or that is worshipped, so that he doeth sit as God in the Temple of God, shewing himself that he is God. "
Well, no, it isn't "totally irrelevant," because of that little promise Jesus gave to his apostles that he would send the Holy Spirit upon them, and the spirit would lead them unto all truth.
If you want to claim that some new truth was hidden from basically everyone until 1820, you have a steep burden-of-proof to show why that part of truth was held back from the apostles and those who followed them until 1820.
That's why Vincent of Lerins said back in the 5th century that the true faith was that "believed everywhere, always, by all," because that's the only thing that can pass that test of being part of the "all truth" Jesus promised the Spirit would teach.
Evangelicals who think — no, INSIST —that they have the Holy Key to the correct interpretation of eschatological issues are lacking the humility that is such a big part of defining a Christian. So they might not be Christians at all!
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