The Rapture
What is the rapture that so many Christians are talking about? Why they are so excited about this event?
Snatching Away
The word rapture does not appear in the Bible, it comes from Latin which has the meaning “a carrying off or snatching away.” Those meanings are taught by the Holy Scripture.
According to the Bible, The Lord Jesus will come in the clouds and will raise those who died but kept the faith in his name, those who accepted the salvation plan that God prepared for them. Those who accepted Jesus that are alive will receive a new body as well those who died first. It will happen in the blink of an eye. Many people will disappear on this day. People from all over the world, with different backgrounds, languages, and ages. For those who will be left behind, they will not see the Lord and they will not hear Him or the trumpet, only those who have a commitment with Jesus will be taken to heaven on that day.
Asleep
But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep. For this, we declare to you by a word from the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord, himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord.
On this day we will receive a new body that has more power, a body that will never die, very strong and very fast. The natural body will perish forever but the spirit will receive a glorious body. The Devil will no longer affect us in our new life.
Inherit
Inherit the kingdom of God
1 Corinthians 15:50–54
I tell you this, brothers: flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality. When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written:
“Death is swallowed up in victory.”
Paul is saying how important is for us to die, if not we will not be able to receive the new body that the Lord has prepared for those who love him.
New Body
In this new body how will be our appearance?
We will look like Jesus. Everything that we learned from him, and all suffering that we went through because of our love for him, all these things will reflect in our new being.
1 John 3:2
Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will have not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him because we shall see him as he is.
In the Gospel, we see how powerful is this new body. Jesus appears and disappears very fast from place to place and he did not need to open any door to go through any house. Usually, when the disciples get together in their houses Jesus appeared from nowhere and all those who are in the house were astonished by his power. We see some examples in Luke 24: 33 – 37.
So they rose up that very hour and returned to Jerusalem, and found the eleven and those who were with them gathered together, saying, “The Lord is risen indeed, and has appeared to Simon!” And they told about the things that had happened on the road, and how He was known to them in the breaking of bread. Now as they said these things, Jesus Himself stood in the midst of them, and said to them, “Peace to you.” But they were terrified and frightened and supposed they had seen a spirit.
Go to Home
Where are we going when the Lord takes us?
We will be in heaven. We will spend the ‘week’ in the marriage chamber, according to Jewish tradition. Our bridegroom is Jesus and has taken us to His Father’s house for the weeklong marriage celebration. It will happen at the end of the 69th week of Daniel. This one week in heaven represent 7 years. The church will be enjoying everything that Jesus prepared for his people.
John 14:2 “In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And 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.”
Isaiah 27:20 “Come, my people, enter your chambers, and shut your doors behind you; hide, as it were, for a little moment, until the indignation is past. For behold, the LORD comes out of His place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity; the earth will also disclose her blood, and will no more cover her slain.”
When Isaiah mentions “until the indignation is past” he refers to the church in heaven with Jesus while the world is suffering for 7 years the oppression of the Anti-Christ. After these 7 years are passed Jesus returns to this world and removes Satan from his throne and He establishes his kingdom in this world for a thousand years before destroying it. Those who resisted the Devil and did not obey the Anti-Christ and surrender their lives to Jesus will be redeemed by Jesus’ grace and the Lord will spare their lives.
Daniel’s 70th week
When does the 70th Week begin?
It will begin when the Antichrist confirms the covenant with Israel, and God starts His ‘clock’ up again.
Daniel 9:27 “And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week – 7 years -: and in the midst of the week 3 years and a half he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease.”
Those who will stay in this world for seven years will suffer under the influence of this new world leader well-known as the anti-Christ. He will for a period of time deceive Israel. The rapture is not for the nation of Israel as a whole, or the inhabitants of the earth who have rejected Jesus as their Savior (Messiah) – they are not in Christ. Some people will turn to Christ during the Tribulation and become in a new person that we can call tribulation saints, and they will be killed for their faith. The rest of the unsaved who do not recognize Jesus until He comes back to the earth will suffer God’s wrath. This will be in Jesus’ second coming. Indeed Jesus will destroy the nations (Rev. 19:15) and he will establish his kingdom on this earth.
Speculation
What will people say about the rapture?
First, there will be much speculation as to the whereabouts of the ones who vanished (when the church is taken). People will come up with all sorts of explanations for it; UFOs invaded the earth. When we look at the Raelian Movement growing in the world we can figure out what they will say. It is believable that the Antichrist will use this unique opportunity to offer consolation and peace to the world. He will rise in power sufficient enough to enforce the covenant with Israel for seven years.
The Rapture.
Jesus Second Coming.
Recommended resources: The Panorama of Prophecy: A Survey of Biblical Prophecy By Dr. Gene A. Youngblood