8.11.2012

End Times: The Rapture of the Church

The word “Rapture” itself is not actually found in the bible, but in 1 Thessalonians 4:17, the Church is said to be "caught up" to meet Christ in the air... The Greek word there is "harpadzo" meaning to remove, seize, or take away and in Latin "Raptus" from which became the English word “Rapture” that we use today.


There are some things we should be aware of about the Rapture of the Church.
  1. According to Matthew 24:42,44 and Luke 12:35, the Rapture can come at any moment. 
  2. The believers will be “caught up” to meet Christ in the air as 1 Thessalonians 4:17 tells us. 
  3. According to John 14:1-3, mansions are being prepared for the believers. 
  4. During the Rapture the believers will receive glorified bodies according to 1 Corinthians 15:50-58. 
  5. The believers will be delivered from the wrath that is about to take place on the earth (1 Thessalonians 1:9-10). 
  6. This event will be done quickly and secretly (Luke 21:36, 1 Thessalonians 5:1-10). 
  7. A trumpet made from a ram's horn called the “Shofar of Righteousness” will be blown (1 Corinthians 15:52). 
  8. The people on earth will be living their everyday normal lives with nothing out of the ordinary (Matthew 24:38-44).



Jesus Christ will take His bride (the Church) from the earth.

1st Thessalonians 4:13-18 says,
13 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.
14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus.
15 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.
16 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an to Next Blog archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first.
17 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.
18 Therefore comfort one another with these words.

1 Corinthians 15:51-54 says,
51 Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed— 52 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.
53 For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.
54 So when this corruptible has put on incorruption, and this mortal has put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written: “Death is swallowed up in victory.”

Sleep was used commonly as another word for being dead. If you remember in John 11:11, when Jesus was told of  Lazarus, he said “Our friend Lazarus sleeps, but I go that I may wake him up.” In the above passages of scripture I believe the rapture of the Church will be the first thing that takes place. 1st Thessalonians 4:16, 17 actually give us an order that this will take place. The dead (asleep) in Christ will rise first, then those alive in Christ will be taken up.