WHAT IS THE RAPTURE?
The word comes from 1 Thessolonians 4:17 from the word Caught Up:
1Thessolonians 4:17 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.
The Word Caught Up Is - har-pad’-zo
From a derivative of G138; to seize (in various applications):
The Rapture is the time when the Lord comes and removes all believers living and dead from the EARTH to be with Him forever!
Many churches believe that the Rapture will occur before the great tribulation and it will take place before the 1st Seal is opened in the Book of Revelation. They believe that before the 1st seal is opened the Lord will descend from heaven and take his church. This is an incorrect teaching and not a theology that coincides with the Bible, the WORD OF GOD. A church or person who teaches this has not looked into the scriptures and rightly divided the Word of God.
We believe that the Rapture is going to be after the Tribulation. This is what is taught in the Bible. Let us look at why we teach this:
Any person who studies The Book Of Revelations will know that the Tribulation is made up of
7 Seals, 7 vials, & 7 Trumpets. It does not take a teacher to find that out. Just by reading the Bible you will see this. The tribulation begins at the first seal and ends at the 7th Trumpet. Here is what the Bible Says concerning the Trumpets.
Rev 8:1-2 And when he had opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven about the space of half an hour. (2) And I saw the seven angels which stood before God;
and to them were given seven trumpets.
The angel opened the 7th Seal and there was 7 angels with 7 trumpets. The 7 angels whom will blow the 7 trumpets are not going to blow the 1st trumpet until the 7th seal is opened.
This fact is important in order to understand when the Rapture will take effect.
Now that we know when the trumpets are going to be blown let us look at the following verses:
1 Thessolonians 4:16-17
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: (17) 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. (18) Wherefore comfort one another with these words.
These verse tell us that the Lord shall come from heaven with a shout the voice of the Archangel and with the Trumpet of God. When this happens those who died as a believer in Jesus Christ will be raised from the dead. Those who believe in Jesus Christ and are remaining on the earth when this happens will also be CAUGHT UP or Raptured into the Air to be with the Lord.
The Bible says that when Jesus comes back it with be with the TRUMPET of God. Again the Trumpet happens after the 7 seals. After the tribulation has occurred.
1 Corinthians 15:50-52
Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption. (51) Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, (52) In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.
In this Text we see the same thing. The Bible says that we shall not all sleep which means die, but we all will be changed. This is what will happen when we are taken into heaven our bodies will change to spiritual bodies. He also says this will happen quickly and at the LAST TRUMPET. Again we talk about a trumpet and at the LAST TRUMPET, which signifies there is other trumpets blown. There is 6 trumpets blown and at the last trumpet we are Raptured into heaven.
Revelations 11:15
And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever.
This says that when the 7th Trumpet is blown the Kingdom of the World has become the Kingdom of our God. It is over. The END. That Christ shall reign forever and ever.
Here is other scripture that supports that the Rapture will not occur until after the Tribulation.
2 Thessolonians 2:1-5
(1) Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him, (2) That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand. (3) Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; (4) Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God. (5) Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things?
Here it clearly says that the rapture will not happen until first there is a turning away in the faith. This is called the Apostasy. Also the Anti-Christ must rise up and sit in the temple and claim that he is God. This is called the Abomination of Desolation. Which was spoken of in the book of Daniel. Only after these things happen will the Lord return to Rapture us. According to the Book of Revelation the Apostasy happens at the beginning of the Tribulation and the
Abomination Of Desolation at the End of the Tribulation.
Here is what Jesus says about us taken into heaven:
Mat 24:3-31 And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?
The Disciples are asking Jesus when will the end of the World be.
(4) And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you. (5) For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.
Jesus is saying that many will claim that Jesus is the Christ and will deceive many about when his coming and the end of the world is. We need to make sure we are not being deceived and are listening to the Word of God instead of the Traditions of man.
(6) And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. (7) For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places. (8) All these are the beginning of sorrows.
So far there is no talk about Rapture. As a matter of fact Jesus said this is only the beginning. If you study the seals which is the beginning of the tribulation you will find this is what Jesus is talking about.
(9) Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name’s sake. (10) And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another.
The betraying and the hating is called the Apostasy as described in 2 Thessolonians 2:1-5. Where many will turn from the faith and deceive each other. Still no Rapture.
(11) And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many. (12) And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. (13) But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.
Jesus tells us that all these things will happen and that we are to hang in there until the end. Those who remain in the faith until the end shall be saved. Still no rapture. Churches are not teaching this they are teaching that we will not be here until the end that we will not be betrayed or killed or hated by all nations because we are raptured. This is not what the Bible Teaches.
(14) And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come. (15) When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:)
Here is the Abomination of Desolation that is spoken of in 2 Thessolonians 2:1-5. As you can see the Word of God when rightly divided makes sense of it all. That when you see this event know that the end is come. Further Jesus is talking to US!!! That is why it says let him who reads understand. You are the reader. This means this will happen while the church is still here.
(16) Then let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains: (17) Let him which is on the housetop not come down to take any thing out of his house: (18) Neither let him which is in the field return back to take his clothes. (19) And woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck in those days!
In other words forget about all the stuff that you have materially it will not mean anything to you in those days. You will not be able to buy and sell without the Mark of the Beast.
(20) But pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the sabbath day: (21) For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. (22) And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect’s sake those days shall be shortened.
The keys words is GREAT TRIBULATION and ELECTS SAKE. Let me ask are you the elect? If you are in Christ, you are the elect. This is saying because of the great tribulation and the sorrow that God will make the days shorter for your sake. Please notice there is still No Rapture.
(23) Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or there; believe it not. (24) For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.
Again the false Christ and beast and dragon will try to deceive the elect. This is us. We are still here.
(25) Behold, I have told you before. (26) Wherefore if they shall say unto you, Behold, he is in the desert; go not forth: behold, he is in the secret chambers; believe it not.
We will anticipate the Lord coming that many will be trying to tell us that the Lord is at a physical place. He will not be physical here without us knowing.
(27) For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. (28) For wheresoever the carcase is, there will the eagles be gathered together.
The Lord will not come in the ground but in the air. He will be as quick as lightning.
1 Corinthians 15:52 "in a twinkling of an eye"
(29) Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken: (30) And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. (31) And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.
When will this happen? Immediately AFTER the tribulation of those days. How can churches miss this? The Son of God comes in the clouds. 1 Thessolonians 4:17 " shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air:" And he shall send his angels with a great sound of the TRUMPET. Here is the trumpet again!! And they shall gather the ELECT together from the one end of heaven to the other. This is the same elect that will be persecuted, killed, beheaded, betrayed, and the anti-christ will try to deceive. Finally NOW we are raptured.
In Conclusion,
My intention is never to bring Bad News. It is to teach the Word of God without using the Doctrines of Men. If I was to believed I was going to be raptured and not go through the tribulation than what will happen when I find myself in it. Many people are going to be upset, insulted and offended that their Pastor or teachers have been teaching them that they will not be here for the tribulation. These are the same Pastors and Teachers who teach that when you come to know Christ life is easy and you prosper and it is down hill from here. Then when they are in the tribulation their faith is shaken. This can be very deadly if their faith is in the Rapture. I call this escapism.
Many people will argue with me that God will never put his church through that. I think that train of thought is false and misleading. Tell the Christians in the first century that was given to the lions, burned at the stake, made to be candles, tortured, and many more things as written in FOXES BOOK OF MARTYRS that God would not let them go through that. Go to Sudan and other persecuted Christian countries and tell them that God will not let them go through the tribulation. They will tell you that we are crazy. We are so spoiled in the West. The Bible clearly says he who endures to the END shall be saved. NOT he who endures to the beginning will be saved.
We must remember that in the times of the Tribulation the wrath of God is upon the world and not us. In Revelation it says that we are sealed before the wrath of God is poured on the earth. The world and it’s people will be mad at the church and God and come against the church. It is not God that will bring us through such trials it is the World that will rebel against God and make war against us.
