The Rapture

With everything that is spoken of in Revelation I can see why Christians desire for a rapture that will take them out of here before all those things happen. Even I would want to be getting out of here myself with all that’s in store for us. The end times are not going to be a walk in the park nor will it be easy to face. Regardless of what we may want to take place we need to see for ourselves what God’s word says on this “means of escape”. Dismissing pre, mid and post tribulation rapturing theories let us look at some scriptures that speak on this topic and discern when if at all the rapturing of God’s people ever takes place.

First place that we get to read about a “rapturing” is from Jesus’s own words in Matthew 24:30-31 “And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.” From this scripture we can see a couple key things that give us a clue of when this will take place. It happens at the time of Christs return and a sounding of a great trumpet. These two things most and will take place in the future, for this event to happen, not before nor after.

Paul writes about this “rapture” in two of his letters to congregations. Let’s start 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 incorruptible, and we shall be changed.” It appears that it doesn’t take us to die for us to be changed or taken up, which is a good thing since we can at least hope for escaping death. Then again death may be an easier way to get through it all if your death isn’t a horrible one considering all that is going to be happening during those last days. Paul also mentions, just as Jesus did about, a sounding of a trump and with Paul he specifies that it is going to be the last trumpet.

Again Paul writes about it in 1 Thessalonians 4:15-17 “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. 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: 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.” Like in 1 Corinthians he speaks of those dead and alive being caught up to meet Jesus in the clouds. Apparently those that are alive don’t get to go ahead of those that are dead. Paul writes to the congregation as if there’s some competition going on to see who gets to meet Jesus first when he comes back. I find it funny about the fact that Paul needed to clear up the issue of who gets a head start in the “rapture”.

From Jesus to Paul we can see at least three things that will take place for this “rapture” to happen. We will see a sign that will be in heaven of the coming of the son of man, there will be a sounding of a great trumpet and that both the living and the dead will be caught up together to meet Jesus in the clouds. With this evidence we will then look at a few more scripture in one last book that will tie all these clues together.

We will look in none other book of the Bible than the book of Revelation. Starting in Revelation 11:14-15 “The second woe is past; and, behold, the third woe cometh quickly. And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever.” Paul states in 1 Corinthians 15:51-52 about a last trump sounding and we see here the seventh and last trumpet blast that is to be sounded in the last days.

Then later on in Revelation 14:12-19 “Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus. And I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Write, Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth: Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labours; and their works do follow them. And I looked, and behold a white cloud, and upon the cloud one sat like unto the Son of man, having on his head a golden crown, and in his hand a sharp sickle. And another angel came out of the temple, crying with a loud voice to him that sat on the cloud, Thrust in thy sickle, and reap: for the time is come for thee to reap; for the harvest of the earth is ripe. And he that sat on the cloud thrust in his sickle on the earth; and the earth was reaped. And another angel came out of the temple which is in heaven, he also having a sharp sickle. And another angel came out from the altar, which had power over fire; and cried with a loud cry to him that had the sharp sickle, saying, Thrust in thy sharp sickle, and gather the clusters of the vine of the earth; for her grapes are fully ripe. And the angel thrust in his sickle into the earth, and gathered the vine of the earth, and cast it into the great winepress of the wrath of God.” We see both the son of man coming in the clouds and the gathering of God’s people from off of the earth. In Revelation we find all three clues that are tied to the “reaping”, as I like to call it, taking place.

In the end the “rapture” is something that will take place, but the timing of it is not what the Christians think it is. It is neither pre, mid or post tribulation. We know that it takes place just before the seven plagues are poured out on the earth, but after all those other things mentioned in Revelation take place. It would appear the Christians are right about the “rapture” like event that will take place; it’s just that they have the timing off. They, like ourselves, need to be aware of when things take place or we may find ourselves losing faith in what God has promised to do for His people. Just think about all those that are hoping for this “rapture” to take place and remove them all from this earth before all the terrible stuff happens. When the “rapture” doesn’t happen as the pastors have been telling their congregations, how many will fall away and lose faith in the word of God because they were counting on getting out of here. Think about how it may affect those that believe in the “rapture” to be blind to the signs going on around them that point to where we are in the scheme of things and be caught off guard like the five virgins that were not prepared with the extra oil.

Be aware and not blinded to the signs, stay awake and be watchful for we also know that Jesus comes as a thief in the night and if we are caught sleeping that we have the extra oil ready for the moment of our awaking to realize that Jesus is coming back.