What is the Rapture?

Companion Pages: Church in Prophecy, Thessalonians, Daniel’s Seventy Weeks

Please refer to Companion pages first to get some foundational background. One of our evidences of the Rapture is found in the purpose and calling of the Church, and the Church Age. When including that ingredient the Rapture becomes even more clear. Scripture interprets scripture. 

The Rapture describes an event in the future when Jesus Christ will, in the twinkling of an eye (1 Corinthians 15:51), change all believers of the Church Age (living and dead) to immortal, giving them a resurrected body (like his), while at the same time catching (snatching) them up to meet the Lord in the air (1 Thess 4:13-18), also described in John 14.

1 Thessalonians 1:10 – For they themselves report about us what kind of a reception we had with you, and how you turned to God from idols to serve living and true God,¹⁰ and to wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, that is Jesus, who rescues us from the wrath to come.

Rapture Word Study

People say the word Rapture isn’t in the Bible, but this is misleading or overly simplistic. The term Rapture comes from the Latin translation (from the Latin Vulgate) of the word described in 1 Thessalonians 4 – caught up. This term has been coined for the event rather than using the English word in the text. The Greek word ἁρπάζω, transliterated is harpazo. It means to snatch or catch away, used of Paul in being caught up to Paradise 2 Cor. 12:2, 4. The word is used in 1 Thess 4:13-18, (the main Rapture passage) and translated into English as caught up. In Acts the same word is translated snatched.

…we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air

So, regardless of the word we use to describe the event, it most definitely is a Biblical term. Take a look at Acts 8:39, which uses the same Greek word and has supportive imagery, giving a clear visual of what the word means in the New Testament.

Acts 8:39

”When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord ‘snatched‘ Philip away; and the eunuch no longer saw him, but went on his way rejoicing.” The implication it seems to anyone would be that Philip was there and then he was gone. Clearly the word imagery of a Rapture or Snatching Away lines up with the Biblical text. 

John 10:27-28 – My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me;²⁸ and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand.

The Ascension

Finally, consider Revelation 12:5. It describes the Messiah (child) being caught up to heaven at the ascension. The same greek word is used – harpazo.

Rev 12:5 – And she gave birth to a son, a male child, who is to rule all the nations with a rod of iron; and her child was caught up to God and to His throne

Luke 24:51 – While He was blessing them, He parted from them and was carried up into heaven. (different Greek word, but using a similar term)

Note that the Second Coming passages such as (Revelation 19) don’t describe the event as a snatching away or Gathering together of believers (2 Thessalonians 2:1), but as the coming of Messiah in Judgement.

In the Church in Prophecy page we discussed the implications of the PreTribulation Rapture to the Church. The controversial issue today is to when the event will take place in relation to the time of the Second Coming and the Seven Year Tribulation. Many Evangelicals believe in a literal 7-year tribulation, and a literal return of Jesus Christ. Less people agree on a literal 1000 year Millennial Messianic Kingdom after the return of Christ, but our viewpoint in EndTimes.org is that they are both literal future events as stated in the Bible when using a normal reading of the text. EndTimes.org teaches the following:

• Pretribulation rapture – Jesus Christ will return before the 7-Year Tribulation to rescue the Saints (believers), and resurrect all Church Age believers at that time. (1 Corinthians 15)
• PreMillennialism – Jesus Christ will return before the 1000 Millennial Kingdom. (Revelation 19-20)
• A literal 7-year tribulation (Daniel 9, Matthew 24, Revelation)
• The return of Jesus Christ / the Second Coming (Revelation 19)
• A literal 1000 year Millennial reign of Christ, promised to King David and the Jews (2 Samuel 7:8-17)

An overview of the different Rapture and Millennium views

Without a correct understanding of God’s promises to Israel and their place in the Endtimes, the timing of the Rapture becomes slightly less clear. The PreTribulation Rapture view avoids all of these conflicts while remaining consistent with Endtimes Prophecy. The Church is nowhere to be found in the Tribulation.

Key passages and supporting themes

• John 14:6
• 1 Thessalonians 1:10
• Revelation 3:10
• 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17
• 1 Corinthians 15:51
• 1 Thessalonians 5:9
• 2 Thessalonians 2:1
• Daniel 9

Rapture vs Second Coming

This is really the starting point in the development of the doctrine of the Rapture. Where did this idea come from and is it justifiable? Another question that we must ask is this:

Would we have come up with the idea of a PreTrib Rapture on our own with a normal reading of scripture? To start we need to look at passages that we believe describe the Rapture and separate them from the Second Coming. If we are claiming the passages in question are describing different and yet related events, we will need to give evidence for that. We will not use obscure verses or spiritualize our way to our conclusion.

The Second Coming – The Main Event

The Second Coming is the general event that the Bible most often describes. It describes the Return of the King of Kings in Judgement, culminating the 7-Year Tribulation, the wrath of God on the Earth, judging the Nations and the Unholy trinity of (Satan, the Antichrist and the False Prophet), all described in the book of Revelation.

Revelation 19 – And I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse, and He who sat on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and wages war

Jesus is preparing to leave heaven for the time of judgement

– the armies which are in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, were following Him

– From His mouth comes a sharp sword, so that with it He may strike down the nations, and He will rule them with a rod of iron

The heavenly army is ready, Jesus is ready to execute judgement

– And the beast was seized, and with him the false prophet … these two were thrown alive into the lake of fire

– the rest were killed with the sword which came from the mouth of Him who sat on the horse

It is a bloody event for sure.

The Rapture and Supporting Passages

The Rapture, quite appropriately, as the Church was a mystery in the Old Testament, the Rapture was a mystery before being revealed in the New Testament. The rescue (1 Thessalonians 1:10) of all believers before the Day of the Lord begins. (the 7-Year Tribulation. Revelation 6, Matthew 24).  Believers are Snatched away in the same way Philip was snatched away by the Holy Spirit. The idea is not unprecedented in the Bible Read about Elijah here.

1 Thess 4

For the Lord Himself 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. ¹⁷ Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord.¹⁸ Therefore comfort one another with these words.

Compared with the Judgment of the Second Coming, the words here describe a Resurrection. 

John 14

“Do not let your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me. ² In My Father’s house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you. 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. – Destination: Heaven.

1 Thess 5:2-9

For you yourselves know full well that the day of the Lord will come just like a thief in the night. ³While they are saying, “Peace and safety!” then destruction will come upon them suddenly like labor pains upon a woman with child, and they will not escape.

But you, brethren, are not in darkness, that the day would overtake you like a thief; ⁵for you are all sons of light and sons of day

For God has not destined us for wrath, but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ

1 Thess 1:10

For they themselves report about us what kind of a reception we had with you, and how you turned to God from idols to serve a living and true God, ¹⁰and to wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, that is Jesus, who rescues us from the wrath to come.

Were those believers in Revelation 7 rescued from wrath, or did they participate in it? They were killed during the Tribulation.

Revelation 3:10

‘Because you have kept the word of My perseverance, I also will keep you from the hour of testing, that hour which is about to come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell upon the earth. 11 ‘I am coming quickly

Not universally accepted as referring to the Rapture, but consider this:

1. This particular prophecy lives in the Book of Revelation. The context shouldn’t be discarded because it’s hard to figure out.
2. The terminology sounds like the Tribulation. (On the Whole world, The hour of testing, the Earth dwellers – The Nations)
3. The Greek word for “keep you from” (from = ek) means to Keep Out Of, not Keep through or protect. Again, the believers referenced in Revelation 7 were NOT protected and kept out of in any way. They were the Nations, those that are saved during the Tribulation. The same kind of language is used in 1 Thessalonians 1:10 – who rescues us from the wrath to come.

Do these sound like the same event?

The Second Coming is described in Revelation as utter judgement ending with the banishment of Satan and the start of the Millennial Kingdom. It is also referenced in the same way in the OT as the Great and Terrible Day of the Lord.

The passages that we are calling Rapture passages have no feeling of judgement and dread or call to Battle. Instead both 1 Thessalonians 4 and John 14 mention  comfort. They also indicate that the participants location is upward, in the air, or in heaven, and not on Earth, standing on the Mount of Olives, sharp sword in mouth, his robe dipped in blood.

Based on this along with the work we’ve done on the Purpose and People of the Endtimes, it seems conclusive that there are two separate events being described. One is the Revelation 19 Old Testament Day of the Lord, prophesied to Israel and meant for Israel, and the other passages are written to the Church. As (1 Thess 4) says, comfort one another with these words.

When will the Rapture happen?

We don’t know when, and the Bible specifically says that no man can know the day or hour. People that set dates are on their own here, in obvious contradiction to the Bible. We hear of people that claim to have a personal prophecy about this – these are not valid based on Mark 13. We know his coming is Imminent. It is the next event on God’s Prophetic Timeline.

It is right and good to study this subject, and it makes sense to look at the events around us to see if any precursors of the things Jesus warned of are present. We should not fall into the trap of reading current events into scripture. Caution is better or we will lose credibility. This is what Endtimes.org will do as we look at current events. We should have a healthy concern today that the Endtimes are near, and begin to do as Peter said in 2 Pet 3:11

Who will go?

All believers of the church age will be part of the resurrection at the rapture. (see the Resurrection page here) It seems from Daniel 12 that the OT saints (believers) will receive their resurrected bodies at the second coming of Christ, when the purging and salvation of Israel is complete. (The tribulation includes the purging of national Israel) This makes sense when the tribulation is seen in context of Daniel 9. The church is not Israel, and God has spelled out a plan for each group.