The Rapture

PROPHETIC SIGNIFICANCE:
Jesus taught that he would return again (Acts 1). His coming is depicted dramatically in Revelation 19. He will come as King of Kings and Lord of Lords. At that point he will fight and win the Battle of Armageddon and then establish his rule over the entire earth for a thousand years (Revelation 20). And when that Millennium is past, there will be a New Heaven and a New Earth (Revelation 21-22)!

The Rapture is an earlier appearance of Christ to remove his faithful followers (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18). It marks the end-point of the Church Age. Then Israel will begin the last seven years of their history before Christ's glorious return.

The Rapture is part of the "mystery" of the Church. The Church was not predicted in the Old Testament or explained in Jesus' Olivet Discourse because it was not yet time for this mystery to be unveiled. When it was revealed, the Apostle Paul taught it in 1 Thessalonians chapters 4 and 5 and 1 Corinthians 15.

Some people mistakenly think that the Rapture is not found in the Bible. Of course, the English word "rapture" is not used in the Greek text. Neither is the English words "church" or "Jesus." But the Greek word for the event is harpazo, which means to "catch up," or "snatch away."

See also: Excerpts from The Prophecy Puzzle and Chapter 6 of our book, Connecting the Dots: A Handbook of Bible Prophecy.

Key Scriptures
Current Events
Video: Revelation 4 - The Rapture - YouTube
Revelation Commentary: Revelation 3:10 - "Kept from the hour of trial"
Revelation Commentary: Revelation 4:1 - "Come up here"
Rapture Handout: Including Chart:Rapture vs. Glorious Return of Christ
Rapture Links
Alternate Points of View (Not Pre-Trib)
Excerpts From The Prophecy Puzzle


Key Scriptures

Click on one of these
references to see
the passage.
Thanks to the services of:

<I>Bible Gateway</I> And

<I>Blue Letter Bible</I>

Go To Bible GatewayGo To Blue Letter Bible
NIV & Other VersionsIncludes Commentary
Matthew 24:32-44 Further Study
Luke 12:35-40 Further Study
Luke 21:36 Further Study
John 14:1-6 Further Study
1 Corinthians 15:50-55 Further Study
1 Thessalonians 1:9-10 Further Study
1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 Further Study
1 Thessalonians 5:1-6 Further Study
2 Thessalonians 2:1-3 Further Study
More info
2 Peter 2:6-9 Further Study
Revelation 3:10 Further Study
More info
Revelation 4:1 Further Study
Revelation 22:7, 12, 20 Further Study

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Current Events



Prophetic Significance of The Rapture



See Also:
Video: Revelation 4 - The Rapture - YouTube
Ron's Blog: Rapture
The End/ New Beginning
Rapture Drill Today
Happy Rosh Hashanah! A Good Day to Conduct a "Rapture Drill"!
The Stones Cry Out: Don't Ignore the Rapture!

See more recent articles: After January 1, 2019


No, the Rapture Isn't Coming on April 23 Because of Nibiru (Which Doesn't Exist)

Apr. 13, 2018 - Read this article which debunks the latest prediction about the fictitious planet Niburu and the return of Christ.
Source: Space.com

Prophetic Significance of The Rapture


Why Billy Graham Was a Modern Moses: Anne Graham Lotz Points to Powerful Prophetic Significance of His Death

Mar. 2, 2018 - During Billy Graham's funeral service his evangelist/daughter Anne Graham Lotz said that she believes the date of her father's passing, Feb. 21, 2018, held spiritual significance. When a friend encouraged her to look up the date of his death she discovered that it was the very date that Jews were focusing on reading scripture about how Moses led the people of Israel out of bondage. Her father had also led millions of people out of bondage to sin. She said:

"Could it be that God is going to bring Joshua to lead us into the Promised Land... Heaven and – you know what the New Testament name for Joshua is? It's Jesus... I believe God is saying... Jesus is coming!"

Lotz then read the passage in 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 about the Rapture of the Church, when Jesus will return to remove those who have received Him as their savior.

Source: CBN

Billy Graham's Funeral - Anne Graham Lotz - YouTube

Rev. Billy Graham's funeral | His children speak on his faith, legacy, and love - YouTube

President Trump Makes Remarks at the Lying in Honor of the Reverend Billy Graham - YouTube


See Articles before Jan. 1, 2018







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Rapture Links


Rapture Chapter in 2014 Prophecy Year in Review

Rapture Handout

Many people have asked me this year, “What is the Rapture”? Here’s what I tell them.
Excellent article from Joel Rosenberg's Blog

The Rapture In History and Prophecy - Thomas Ice

The Rapture Forums
An Interactive Community Awaiting the Return of The Lord Jesus Christ - Extensive and attractive

Rapture Ready
This is Todd Strandberg's popular site which keeps track of current events as they relate to the Rapture. It includes "Nearing Midnight" and "Rapture Index." These pages are always up to date.

Defenders of Biblical Dispensational Premillennialism in the 21st Century

The Rapture - A Biblical Case for a Pretribulational Rapture
From Always Be Ready Apologetics Ministry

Rap-Con
Rapture Condition

Rapture Alert
This site combines outstanding graphics with excellent articles.

RaptureProphecy.com
Extensive list of rapture-related Bible passages and other helpful materials

The Pre-Tribulation Rapture
Todd Strandberg of Rapture Ready

What is the Rapture?
by Barbara Henderson

Defending The Pre-Trib Rapture (Again)
Jack Kelly (On Rapture Forums)

Article: Pretrib or Prewrath?
by Ron Graff

The Rapture of the Church - Jack Kinsella

The Thomas Ice Collection
This list of scholarly pre-trib articles is just one of many valuable sections in The Rapture Index hosted by Todd Strandberg.

Is the Rapture in 2 Thessalonians 2:3? - by Thomas Ice

The Rapture: Fact or Fiction
by David Williams
From Lambert Dolphin's online library.

Has Bible Prophecy Already Been Fulfilled?
An answer to Preterism by Thomas Ice

Left Behind Book, Video, Movie...

Perhaps Today - Classic poem by J. Danson Smith

Pretribulation Rapture is Biblical - David J. Stewart

Differences Between The Rapture
and The Glorious Return of Christ

(Links to New King James Version - Blue Letter Bible)

THE RAPTURE


THE GLORIOUS RETURN

Christ comes for His own
Thessalonians 4:13-18

Christ returns with His own
Revelation 19:14

Believers taken to Father's House
John 14:3

Believers come to Earth
Matthew 24:30

Seen only by believers
1 Corinthians 15:52
Every eye will see Him
Revelation 1:7; 19:11-16; Matthew 24:30
No reference to Satan
Satan bound
Revelation 20:1-3
Earth not judged
Earth judged
Revelation 20:4-5
A Mystery
1 Corinthians 15:51
Foretold in Old Testament
Dan. 12:1-3; Zech. 12:10; 14:1-4


Excerpts from The Prophecy Puzzle

Absence of the Church

Revelation, Chapters 4 through 22

There are constant references to the church and the seven churches in chapters 1 through 3. The word "church" is found every few verses: angels of the churches, messages to the seven churches, etc. But in chapter 4, verse 1 John is told to "come up here." He is "caught up" (like the Rapture). Also compare Revelation 11:12 where the identical words are used to resurrect and translate the Two Witnesses into Heaven.

Where is the church in the whole story of Israel's last week of history, The Tribulation? It is missing! "Church" is not mentioned during the entire Tribulation period, Chapters 4 to 19. There is no message to the church. What you do have is Two Witnesses from Israel's past, you have the 144000 who are sealed from the twelve tribes of Israel. It is the last seven years of Israel's history before the end of this age. Israel was the vehicle of God's blessing to the whole earth. They were not the "Chosen People" because God was playing favorites. They were chosen that through them, God could get the message out to others. When they did not do well with that, He set them aside and put the Church in. (Romans 11; 16:25-26; Ephesians 3:1-11; 5:32) The Church has been here for 2000 years now. When the Church is taken away, there are still seven years of Israel's history left to play out. This is known as Daniel's 70th Week. We believers of today are the spiritual seed of Abraham, but we are not Israel. We have been temporarily grafted in by God, but the time will come when Israel is grafted back into the tree of God's purposes. (Romans 11:17-24) It all fits together perfectly.

The absent church also accounts for the rise in lawlessness during The Tribulation period. (2 Thessalonians 2:3-8).

Deliverance from Wrath

Luke 21:36

"But keep on the alert at all times, praying in order that you may have strength to escape all these things that are about to take place, and to stand before the Son of Man."

1 Thessalonians 5:9

For God has not destined us for wrath, but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ,

2 Peter 2

6 and if He condemned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah to destruction by reducing them to ashes, having made them an example to those who would live ungodly thereafter; 7 and if He rescued righteous Lot, oppressed by the sensual conduct of unprincipled men 8 (for by what he saw and heard that righteous man, while living among them, felt his righteous soul tormented day after day with their lawless deeds), 9 then the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from temptation, and to keep the unrighteous under punishment for the day of judgment,

Message to the Church of Philadelphia

(Represents the Period of Missions)

Revelation 3:10

'Because you have kept the word of My perseverance, I also will keep you from the hour of testing, that hour which is about to come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell upon the earth.

Some people have the mistaken idea that we will be delivered from the time of wrath just because God won't allow Christians to suffer. This is not what the Bible teaches at all. As Christians, we may expect trials and tribulations, suffering and persecution (1 Peter 4:12-13 ;2 Timothy 3:12). God allows our difficulties to improve us, develop our faith, and prove to others that Christianity is true (1 Peter 1:6-8; James 1:12). He promises not to allow us to be tried beyond our ability to endure it (1 Corinthians 10:13), and He will see to it that what the Devil means for evil actually turns out for our good (Job 1:9-12; 42:10-17; Genesis 50:20).

On the other hand, we are plainly told that we who trust in Christ are not under condemnation (Romans 8:1). Whenever God judges the unrighteous, He delivers those who trust in Him. This is seen in the Biblical stories of the Flood in the days of Noah, the judgment of Sodom and Gomorrah (Lot and his family saved), and the plagues on Egypt, including the death of the firstborn (Israelites delivered).

The events of the Tribulation are judgments from God, and as such, it would be consistent for Him to deliver the Church before it begins.

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Last Updated: 4/13/18
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