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Question from a friend of WordTruth Ministries:
>>> Can you explain the concept of the "Rapture" made popular
in the "Left Behind" series?
WordTruth.Com Response:
The rapture of the Church is revealed in the New Testament primarily in
three places. Let's look at these three passages to see what they
say about this blessed event:
1. Jesus told His disciples about the Rapture:
Let
not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. 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. (John 14:1-3, NKJV)
Those who believed in Him were His disciples. The Greek word translated
believe means to affirm the truth, trust in that truth, and commit yourself
to that truth. Here they were to believe, trust, and commit to Jesus Christ
as LORD. Jesus is preparing a place in Heaven for His disciples,
a wonderful place with "many
mansions." Not only will there be room in
Heaven for all His disciples, it will be beautiful. Jesus will go
to prepare it and then come again to receive His disciples unto Himself.
This passage is not specific about how or when this takes but clearly
points to an event where He takes just His disciples to Heaven to be with
Him.
2. Paul reveals the mystery of the Rapture:
Now
this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of
God; nor does corruption inherit incorruption. 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 incorruptible, and we shall be changed. (1 Cor.
15:50-52, NKJV)
In the Bible, a "mystery"
is one of God's truths that was previously not made known but at this point
is now revealed to the world. The church was not clearly in view
by the Old Testament prophets but was allowed for in their prophecies.
When the nation of Israel rejected Jesus as Messiah, God chose to establish
the Church until the time of the Rapture. The "mystery"
is that not all believers will experience physical death. At the
time of the Rapture, all believers who are alive will be "changed"
-- the body of flesh will be converted into a glorified body that will
last forever. Also those who were believers that died prior to the
Rapture will be resurrected into glorified bodies as well. And so,
all believers will be changed at this point and will be with Jesus forever.
3. Paul explains the hope in the Rapture:
But
I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen
asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope. For if we believe that
Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep
in Jesus. For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are
alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede
those who are asleep. For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with
a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And
the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall
be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air.
And thus we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another
with these words. (1 Thess. 4:13-18, NKJV)
For those who have lost loved ones who were believers, Paul encourages
them with this teaching on the Rapture (v13). Just as Jesus died
and rose from the dead, God will also raise up those who died "in
Jesus" -- that is, those who had put their trust
in the LORD Jesus Christ as Savior (v14). In fact, the "dead
in Christ will rise first" (v16). There
will be the shout of an archangel and the sounding of the trumpet and then
the Rapture will take place.
Note that we will be "caught
up" with the LORD in the air (click
here for more on the origin of the word "rapture"). Since this event involves believers
being caught up with the LORD in the air to be with Him, it is not the
Second Coming of Christ to the Earth. This event precedes the Second Coming,
in which the LORD returns to the Earth with His disciples (Jude 1:14; Rev.
19:14). Take great comfort in the Rapture if you are a believer in
Christ for even those who die having believed in Christ will be raised
up again someday.
As I understand the Bible, the next major event on the timeline of history
is the Rapture. It could happen at any time. There are no other things
that need to take place before the Rapture of the Church. After the
Rapture, a time called the Tribulation period will occur. During this seven
year period, God will enact judgment on the Earth. His focus during this
time is on Israel which will receive this seven year judgment as predicted
by the prophet Daniel over 2,500 years ago (Daniel 9:24-27). Before
mankind destroys the whole world and all life in it, Jesus will return
with His saints (believers) and cast into Hell those who made war against
Him.
Then, Jesus will institute a 1,000 year reign from Jerusalem over all
the Earth. This is called the Millennial Kingdom. After this time,
those during this time who did not believe in Christ are cast into Hell
along with all unbelievers for all time. At that point, Jesus will
make the "new
Heaven and a new Earth" (Rev. 21:1, NKJV) where
we will dwell with Him forever!
May God bless you with His wisdom and the courage to follow Jesus!
Randy Lariscy :-)
Director - WordTruth Ministries
   
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© Copyright 6/4/2002, Randy Lariscy.
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