The Rapture
Christians use the word "Rapture" to refer to the coming of Christ for His followers. We have a firm basis for this belief in the Word of God. This part of the scripture is our basis for believing that Christ is preparing a new heaven and a new earth where He will take us during the rapture.
The preparation that Christ was referring to had to do with casting the deviland his angels out of heaven before He could take us there. The battle between Michael and Satan began soon after Christ ascended to heaven
2 Peter 3:13 But according to His promise we are looking for new heavens and a new earth, in which righteousness dwells.
The reason that righteousness dwells in the new heavens and new earth is that Satan is no longer there. Now that the war in heaven is won, Christ can return to gather us in the rapture.
John 14:27-28 …do not let your hearts be troubled nor let them shrink for fear.You heard that I said to you, I am going away and I am coming to you. The coming of Christ to rapture / rescue His followers is similar to the days of Noah and the days of Lot.
Luke 17:26-31 ….just as it occurred in the days of Noah, so it will be also in the days of the Son of man. They were eating, they were drinking, they were marrying, they were being given in marriage, until that day when Noah entered into the ark and the flood arrived and
DESTROYED THEM ALL. Likewise just as it occurred in the days of Lot., they were eating, they were drinking, they were buying, they were selling, they were planting, …but on the day that Lot came out of Sodom it rained fire and sulfur from heaven and DESTROYED THEM ALL. The same way it will be on that day when the son of man is to be revealed. On that day let the person that is on the house top but whose valuable things [jewels] are in the house not come down to pick these up
Luke 17:32 and the person out in the field, let him likewise not return to the things behind…
The preparation that Christ was referring to had to do with casting the deviland his angels out of heaven before He could take us there. The battle between Michael and Satan began soon after Christ ascended to heaven
2 Peter 3:13 But according to His promise we are looking for new heavens and a new earth, in which righteousness dwells.
The reason that righteousness dwells in the new heavens and new earth is that Satan is no longer there. Now that the war in heaven is won, Christ can return to gather us in the rapture.
John 14:27-28 …do not let your hearts be troubled nor let them shrink for fear.You heard that I said to you, I am going away and I am coming to you. The coming of Christ to rapture / rescue His followers is similar to the days of Noah and the days of Lot.
Luke 17:26-31 ….just as it occurred in the days of Noah, so it will be also in the days of the Son of man. They were eating, they were drinking, they were marrying, they were being given in marriage, until that day when Noah entered into the ark and the flood arrived and
DESTROYED THEM ALL. Likewise just as it occurred in the days of Lot., they were eating, they were drinking, they were buying, they were selling, they were planting, …but on the day that Lot came out of Sodom it rained fire and sulfur from heaven and DESTROYED THEM ALL. The same way it will be on that day when the son of man is to be revealed. On that day let the person that is on the house top but whose valuable things [jewels] are in the house not come down to pick these up
Luke 17:32 and the person out in the field, let him likewise not return to the things behind…
Matthew 24:40 Then will two men be in the field: one will be taken away, and one LEFT [BEHIND].
Luke 17:36 Two men shall be in the field, the one shall be taken and the other left.
Matthew 24:41-42 Two shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left. Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord does come
These Words Imply the Following:
1. It will occur without previous notice to the bulk of humanity.
2. Not everyone will be raptured from the same family.
3. The ones taken will be in physical form, not spiritual form.
4. They will have a very short time to leave.
5. People will be taken to a place of refuge in a vessel similar to Noah's ark.
6. They will continue to have children in the new place (spirits do not reproduce).
7. The ones left behind will suffer DESTRUCTION similar to what happened in the days of Noah.
Christ also refers to this time with these words:Re 3:3 I will come upon you as a thief.
Matthew 24:43-44 But know this, that if the good man of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken up. Therefore be ye also ready for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.
Not only does a thief come at a time when he is not expected, he comes to rob.What is Christ robbing? He will be robbing or abducting part of humanity, and He will be taking them somewhere else.
Do we have evidence of this sort of thing happening before in the history of man?
The Bible gives us 3 examples:
First ExampleHebrews 11:5 By faith Enoch was taken up so that he would not see death; AND HE WAS NOT FOUND BECAUSE GOD TOOK HIM UP; for he obtained the witness that before his being taken up he was pleasing to God.
So, Enoch was taken to another place away from Earth.
Second ExampleElijah was taken to heaven in a chariot of fire as seen by the prophet Elisha.
2 Kings 2:11 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. Elijah was seen leaving in physical human form; he did not suddenly "disappear" as some people think the rapture will be.
Third ExamplePaul tells us of a man he knew who was taken to paradise. 2Co 12:2-4 I knew a man in Christ above fourteen years ago, (whether in the body, I cannot tell; or whether out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth;) such an one caught up to the THIRD heaven. And I knew such a man, (whether in the body, or out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth;) How that he was caught up into PARADISE, and heard unspeakable words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter. From the above quote, we understand that PARADISE is referred to by "the THIRD heaven." Which are the other heavens? 1st heaven is the sky where birds fly and there are clouds.
Daniel 5:21...his body was wet with the dew of heaven... 2nd heaven is outer space, also referred to as the outermost parts of heaven.
Deuteronomy 30:4 If any of you shall be driven out to the outmost parts of heaven, from there will the LORD your God gather you, and from there will he bring you.
3rd heaven is other planets and galaxies. Paul's friend was taken to the THIRD heaven which Paul calls PARADISE. God lives in a higher realm called the heaven of heavens. For more on this topic,
Deuteronomy 10:14 Behold, the heaven and the heaven of heavens [is] the LORD'S thy God, the earth [also], with all that therein [is].
1Kings 8:27 But will God indeed dwell on the earth? behold, theheaven and heaven of heavens cannot contain you; how much less this house that I have built?
In the same way that God took Enoch, Elijah, and Paul's friend to paradise, Jesus will also take us to paradise, when He returns to Earth for the rapture.
God will not leave us on Earth to be destroyed. He will rapture us, much like He rescued Israel from Egypt. We will be taken in human form, not in spirit form. The First Resurrection does not occur till after the Seven Trumpets and seven bowls of wrath have been fulfilled.
Luke 17:36 Two men shall be in the field, the one shall be taken and the other left.
Matthew 24:41-42 Two shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left. Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord does come
These Words Imply the Following:
1. It will occur without previous notice to the bulk of humanity.
2. Not everyone will be raptured from the same family.
3. The ones taken will be in physical form, not spiritual form.
4. They will have a very short time to leave.
5. People will be taken to a place of refuge in a vessel similar to Noah's ark.
6. They will continue to have children in the new place (spirits do not reproduce).
7. The ones left behind will suffer DESTRUCTION similar to what happened in the days of Noah.
Christ also refers to this time with these words:Re 3:3 I will come upon you as a thief.
Matthew 24:43-44 But know this, that if the good man of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken up. Therefore be ye also ready for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.
Not only does a thief come at a time when he is not expected, he comes to rob.What is Christ robbing? He will be robbing or abducting part of humanity, and He will be taking them somewhere else.
Do we have evidence of this sort of thing happening before in the history of man?
The Bible gives us 3 examples:
First ExampleHebrews 11:5 By faith Enoch was taken up so that he would not see death; AND HE WAS NOT FOUND BECAUSE GOD TOOK HIM UP; for he obtained the witness that before his being taken up he was pleasing to God.
So, Enoch was taken to another place away from Earth.
Second ExampleElijah was taken to heaven in a chariot of fire as seen by the prophet Elisha.
2 Kings 2:11 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. Elijah was seen leaving in physical human form; he did not suddenly "disappear" as some people think the rapture will be.
Third ExamplePaul tells us of a man he knew who was taken to paradise. 2Co 12:2-4 I knew a man in Christ above fourteen years ago, (whether in the body, I cannot tell; or whether out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth;) such an one caught up to the THIRD heaven. And I knew such a man, (whether in the body, or out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth;) How that he was caught up into PARADISE, and heard unspeakable words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter. From the above quote, we understand that PARADISE is referred to by "the THIRD heaven." Which are the other heavens? 1st heaven is the sky where birds fly and there are clouds.
Daniel 5:21...his body was wet with the dew of heaven... 2nd heaven is outer space, also referred to as the outermost parts of heaven.
Deuteronomy 30:4 If any of you shall be driven out to the outmost parts of heaven, from there will the LORD your God gather you, and from there will he bring you.
3rd heaven is other planets and galaxies. Paul's friend was taken to the THIRD heaven which Paul calls PARADISE. God lives in a higher realm called the heaven of heavens. For more on this topic,
Deuteronomy 10:14 Behold, the heaven and the heaven of heavens [is] the LORD'S thy God, the earth [also], with all that therein [is].
1Kings 8:27 But will God indeed dwell on the earth? behold, theheaven and heaven of heavens cannot contain you; how much less this house that I have built?
In the same way that God took Enoch, Elijah, and Paul's friend to paradise, Jesus will also take us to paradise, when He returns to Earth for the rapture.
God will not leave us on Earth to be destroyed. He will rapture us, much like He rescued Israel from Egypt. We will be taken in human form, not in spirit form. The First Resurrection does not occur till after the Seven Trumpets and seven bowls of wrath have been fulfilled.
At the end of the Bowls of Wrath, the Battle of Armageddon occurs, and Christ returns with His saints to establish His Millennial kingdom. We believe the word of God and are waiting for Christ's return to rapture His people.
