The Rapture of the Church of Jesus Christ.
Suddenly! Millions of people just disappear. There are two moments in the bible when Jesus returns. The return of Christ and The day of the Lord. The return if Christ is the moment Jesus returns and meets the true believers in the clouds and and takes them to Heaven to be forever with the Lord. We become one with Christ (The Bride of Christ). This is when our eternity starts.
Described in 1 Corinthians 15:50-55 and 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18, all Christians will be removed from the earth in the moment in the twinkling of an eye. “Rapture” comes from the words “caught up”. In the Greek the word is “harpazo” means to “snatch up” seized violently”.
1 Thessalonians 5:9 For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ,
10 Who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him.
Meanwhile on earth, God’s wrath will be poured out onto the earth for seven years (seven year tribulation) and there will chaos and destruction. This is the time the devil is given all power and will rise as the leader of the world and deceive many. This seven year period will be the most horrible time ever to be seen on earth. Luke 21:25-26
The reference to the word Rapture is used fourteen times in the New Testament. Two-hundred and sixty chapters in the New Testament reference the second coming of Jesus Christ three-hundred and eighteen times.
The three most important events to take place in this world are the Resurrection of Jesus Christ and the First (birth) and Second coming of Jesus Christ. Since the fall of man, there is only one thing that can save us from our sin and the fiery pits of hell, that is the salvation offered by the blood of Jesus Christ.
The Rapture is the second part of the first resurrection. There are three parts that will complete it and you want to be a part of it.
In 2 Corinthians 12, Paul speaks of a time he was caught up to the third Heaven and heard unspeakable words which it was unlawful to even speak. In the Book of Revelation, John was in the spirit and saw things that took place after the Rapture of the Church.
The Rapture Is A Sign Free, Sudden, & Selective Event
Many have put out books, articles and YouTube videos of when the Rapture will occur based on signs and they have all been wrong. The signs are for the Jews. Yes there are probably a lot of things that will happen before the Rapture takes place, but when God is ready to take his elect home, there is nothing that can stop Him. As Paul wrote to the Thessalonians, he said there was no need to write unto them for they know perfectly well the Lord comes as a thief in the night. The Bible gives us the knowledge we need to see and be ready when the Rapture occurs.
Suddenly, in the moment, in the twinkling of an eye! How fast can you blink your eyes? That is not fast enough to represent how fast the Rapture happens. The speed of light is 186,000 miles per second. So if you were to be taken in the twinkling of an eye, that would be a violent snatching away as described above. Let’s just say that in a nanosecond the believers of Christ are gone. That in itself would cause mass chaos in the world.
Selectively, only the true believers in Christ are taken during the Rapture. In the book of John, Jesus said he would go and prepare a place for us and then would return to receive us unto him. He was speaking to the believers. John 14:1 Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. 1 Corinthians 15:23 But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ’s at his coming. There are a few indications, that this refers to only believers. They are called Brethren, Identified as those that believe Jesus died and rose again in 1 Thessalonians 4:14 and verse 16 referred to them as the dead in Christ.
Throughout the Bible there are several moments where a selected few have just disappeared or had the experience of suddenly being in heaven. Enoch (Hebrews 11:5) Elijah (2 Kings 2:11) Paul, Jesus (Acts 1:10-11) Philip (Acts 8:39) The rapture of the Church of Jesus Christ is next and The two witnesses in the book of Revelation are two that are still future.
Sequence Of Events
The Return of Christ
God is a God of order. Everything that takes place in this world or the next does so in order. The return of Christ is the next greatest event to take place in the history of the world. The return of Christ is different from the Return of the Lord. In the book of Acts, there appeared two men in white (Angels) that asked the men of Galilee why they gaze up into Heaven. They told the men that Jesus would return in like manner that he had ascended. There should be no confusion between the rapture and the second coming. When Jesus returns the second time, He will physically put his feet on the Mount of Olives and split the mountain in two.
When Jesus returns to meet us in the clouds, there will be a shout with the voice of an Archangel and with the trumpet of God. The believers will hear this call and be abruptly taken while the unbelievers will just hear a loud thundering noise and they will not know what it is. At that moment there will be planes, trains, and automobiles crashing all around them. There will be utter chaos.
The Resurrection of the Dead
Throughout the Bible, there are several mentions of resurrections, but the Rapture being the main harvest of the resurrection will be a spectacular event. The dead in Christ shall rise first an those that are alive and remain will follow to meet Jesus in the clouds and be with the Lord forever. The dead are the one that have lived for Christ and have passed away on this earth. Their bodies remain asleep in the graves and will be pulled out at the time of the Rapture. After that the living believers will be taken. Make no mistake, this will happen so fast, there will be no distinction of the two. I like to think of it as the dead must rise first because they are beneath the ground and must rise first for everyone to be taken at the same time.
As the dead are sleeping in the ground, their bodies are asleep, not the soul. There is no such thing as soul sleep. To be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord (if you are a believer). In the book of Luke, there is mention of the rich man that died and woke up in hell. There is no mention of him going to purgatory or sleeping until the return of the Lord. Once you die, you wake up in one of two places. Heaven or Hell!
The Redemption Of Our Body
In the book of Romans, Paul speaks to us as the ones which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, waiting for the adoption and the redemption of our body.
What will that be like? We will be given bodies as Christ when He resurrected. He was able to disappear and reappear and even eat. His physical features were recognizable although not immediately sometimes, but it seems Jesus was in control of that. Our new bodies will be indestructible, Incredible, and Infinite.
Paul finished his teaching to the Thessalonians with “comfort one another with these words” (1 Thessalonians 4:18).
Summary
- A voice and a trumpet of God. The loudest noise you may ever hear.
- Some will hear the call of Jesus to meet him in the clouds. Other will hear a loud thunder or noise.
- The dead rise and are reunited with their spirits.
- Raptured believers reunited with living believers.
- All believers meet the Lord in the air.
The rapture for some will be the wonderful time when we our eternity starts and we will be with the lord forever.
The rapture for others will be the worst experience anyone could imagine taking place on this earth.
If you are not 100% positive you are going to Heaven, please visit my post on Salvation.