The Rapture --- What Does the Bible Say About It?

The Rapture
by Irvin Barnes

Perhaps you have seen a bumper sticker which says, "In case of rapture, this car will be without a driver" The idea that God's people will suddenly be swept away from the earth has gained popularity in some denominations. The word "rapture" literally means "to snatch away or catch away!"

Notice the following two scriptures.

"And it came to pass, as they still went on, and talked,
that behold, there appeared a chariot of fire, and horses of fire,
and parted them both asunder;
and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven."
(2 Kings 2:11)

"By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death..."
(Hebrews 11:5)

These two examples come as close to the modern concept of a rapture as one can find in the Bible These two men bypassed the natural law of death by the supernatural intervention of God. There arc no scriptures in the New Testament to indicate that the faithful will be raptured out of the world before the end of time. The Bible teaches a general resurrection of the dead at which time all men will be judged.

Please consider some passages offered by those who hold the rapture positron The first reference is found in 1 Thess 4. This is a much wrested and abused passage of the word of God. When properly understood, it gives great hope, and was written for the purpose of consolation. Yet, proponents of the rapture attempt to prove the rapture doctrine using this scripture, while others use the passage to try to prove that an invisible resurrection has already occurred.

What Does The Passage Really Teach?

"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."
(I Thessalonians 4:13)

The apostle Paul wrote this to assure the Thessalonian brethren that they would not be taken away from this world while their loved ones who had died in the Lord were left behind. Paul, in other words, is saying, "I don't want you to be without knowledge.I want you to understand clearly." Paul wanted them to have full knowledge of the second coming of Christ and the resurrection of the dead.

Those who have died in the Lord are often, referred to as being asleep This is a kind, consoling manner of referring to those who have died. He could have said, "Now concerning those who have tasted death" yet he seems to want us to capture the idea of those who have passed on as having entered into a peaceful rest.

He does not say they should not sorrow for the deceased at all, but rather that they should not sorrow "as those who have no hope." How terrible to face death without the hope of a resurrection How awful' to believe thav loved ones, who were faithful to the Lord, have died with no more hope than a plant or an animal to die never to 'live again! Yes, we sorrow, but not as those who 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."
(1 Thessalonians 4:14)

This verse does not say, "Jesus will bring those who sleep in Jesus from heaven down to earth." God the Father is the one who will do the bringing --- not Jesus! The passage teaches that at the same time Jesus comes from heaven, God, by His power, will bring those who sleep in Jesus from the grave! Therefore God is bringing (by His power) from the dead those who are asleep in Jesus at the time that Jesus Christ appears from heaven.

So, the passage says nothing about Jesus bringing saints from heaven. Rather, God is going to bring to life those who are asleep in Jesus, when Jesus comes the second time. This thought is embraced in the following verse:

“And God hath both raised up the Lord,
and will also raise up us by His own power."
(1 Corinthians 6:14)

When will God "raise us up by His own power?" He will raise us up by His power when Jesus comes!

"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."
(l Thessalonians 4:15)

The word "prevent" is translated fmm Greek to Old Enghsh in the King James Version. In the Old English, the word prevent means the same thing as precede means in modern English; hence the scripture translates:

"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 precede them which are asleep."

The faithful who are alive at the coming of Christ are going to remain on the earth while those who are in their graves are resurrected first so that those who are alive at Christ's coming will not be swept away to leave behind those in the grave:

"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."
(1 Thessalonians 4:16)

Note the things that will happen at Christ's coming and the order in which the events are to occur.

1. The Lord shall descend from heaven with a shout. There will be some kind of an announcement of Jesus' coming. No invisible resurrection, no second coming of which people are unaware is mentioned.

2. Those who sleep in Jesus will be raised up first! (that is, before anyone leaves the earth). The word "first" in no way indicates that some will be snatched away, then 1,000 years later, or at some later date, others might be called to glory.

3. Both those who have tasted death and those who have not will be caught up together to meet the Lord.

The next passage is used as a proof text for the rapture theory simply because the words "caught up" are used here. There is no denying that the faithfulwillbe caught up! But this will happen at Christ's coming and at the resurrection of the dead.

"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.” I Thessalonians 4:17-18

Please compare 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 with 1 Corinthians 15:51-52.

"Behold, I shew 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 trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incoituptibie, and we shall be changed."
(1 Corinthians 15:51-52)

Other passages teach a general resurrection of all the dead at the second coming of Christ

"For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. But every man in his own order: Christ the flrstfruits; afterward they that are Christ's at his coming. Then cometh the end, when He shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when He shall have put down all rule and all authority and power."
(I Corinthians 15:22-24)

"Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear His voice"
(John 5:28)

"Being grieved that they taught the people, and preached through Jesus the resurrection from the dead."
(Acts 4:2)

Note that the term "resurrection" is used in the singular.

"And this is the will of Him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on Him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day... No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent Me draw him; and l will raise him up at the last day.... Whoso eateth My flesh, and drinketh My blood, hath eternal life;
and I will raise him up at the last day."
(John 6:40, 44, 54)

Note that Jesus emphasized a last and final day. The Bible clearly states that the Lord Jesus Christ will return to this earth some day. He will not come to snatch away certain individuals and take them to heaven, while leaving others stranded on this earth for a period of time There is no scriptural basis for the false doctrine of an invisible resurrection having already occurred.

The word of God is plain When Jesus returns, he will do so in an undeniable fashion and will take all those, dead and alive, who have been. faithful to a home in. heaven that he has prepared for them.

Bible Study Quiz Please read the following verses of scripture and fill in the blanks with a Bible term.

1) 2 Kings 2:11: “Elijah went up by a _____________________ into heaven."

2) Hebrews 11:5: "by faith Enoch was ____________________ that he should not see________________”

3) 1 Thessalonians 4:13: Christians sorrow but not as those who have no ________________.

4) 1 Thessalonians 4:14: _______________ the Father will bring those who sleep in Jesus from the grave at Christ's coming.

5) 1 Corinthians 6:14: "And God _______________ _____________________ _________________ up the Lord, and will also _______________ _____________________ _________________ by His own power."

6) 1 Thessalonians 4:15: we which are alive at the coming of Christ will not ________________ (or precede) them which are asleep.

7) 1 Thessalonians 4:16: teach that at Christ's coming, the dead in Christ shall rise _______ (or before) those who are alive depart to be with the Lord.

8) 1 Thessalonians 4:14-18: teaches that both “_______________ which are _______ and those who have been raised from the dead _________ be __________ up together" to meet the Lord.

9) John 5:28-29: "the hour is coming in the which _______________ that are in the graves shall hear his voice, and shall come forth"

10) Can you name at least three things that will occur at Christ'scoming (see I Thessalonians 4:13-18; 1 Corinthians 15:22-24; John 5:28)?

1. ______________________________________________

2. ______________________________________________

3. _______________________________________________ Please Contact me, Dennis Crawford, at BibleTruthsToU@gmail.com or 253-396-0290 (cell)for comments, questions, further Bible information, or for the location of a congregation belonging to Jesus Christ near you.