Many “christians” believe in something called the “rapture”. It’s the idea that you could be driving along in your car, doing anything really and all of a sudden you disappear! you’ve been caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air!
Most who believe in the rapture, think it will be followed by a seven year tribulation period.
However there are others who believe in a mid-trib or post-trib rapture.
I’m going to show you through scripture, why there is no rapture, of any kind.
Let’s begin by looking at Matthew 24, in which Jesus described “great tribulation”.
15 When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:)
16 Then let them which be in Judea flee into the mountains:
17 Let him which is on the housetop not come down to take any thing out of his house:
18 -- Neither let him which is in the field return back to take his clothes.
19 And woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck in those days!
20 But pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the sabbath day:
21 For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.
Let’s pair that with Luke 21 for clarification..
20 And when ye shall see Jerusalem compassed with armies, then know that the desolation thereof is nigh.
21 Then let them which are in Judea flee to the mountains…
Notice here that there’s no mention of a pre-tribulation “rapture”.
It does not say that the saints will be raptured away before the “great tribulation” hits.
In fact Jesus said that those in Judaea should "flee to the mountains" to avoid tribulation.
Furthermore Matthew 24 says
29 -- Immediately AFTER the tribulation of those days…
30 …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.
31 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. --
AFTER the tribulation of those days Jesus would come in the clouds to gather his elect.
I’ve heard several people use these verses to argue for a post-trip rapture.
I want to make two comments on that…
- The great tribulation described in Matthew 24 is NOT in the future. It happened in 70AD when the temple was “thrown down” by Roman soldiers and over 1 million Jews were slaughtered.
- Jesus coming in the clouds to gather his elect is not the “rapture”, it is the “resurrection of the dead” described in 1 Corinthians 15.
Lets go to 1 Corinthians 15 to check that out…
52 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.
This portion of scripture is often used to support the “rapture”, however check out this verse…
36 Thou fool, that which thou sowest is not quickened, except it die:
Paul was saying you cannot be raised up to heaven unless you first die, physically.
Paul was describing the resurrection of DEAD people from Sheol (the grave) to heaven, not a “rapture”.
Now let’s go to 1 Thessalonians 4 and 5.
1 Thessalonians 5:3 describes “sudden destruction” like “travail upon a woman with child”
This is the “great tribulation” mentioned in Matthew 24, when Roman soldiers sacked Jerusalem!
If we then back track to 1 Thessalonians 4
16 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:
It says the “dead in Christ” shall rise first.
This is the “resurrection of the dead” mentioned in 1 Corinthians 15
Then we have the bit so many people misunderstand. It took me along time to get the understanding of this.
17 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.
This is where the word rapture comes from, “caught up” is Rapturo in Latin.
Now let’s consider who Paul was addressing here. He was addressing the saints in Thessalonica. Some of those saints would be alive at the coming of the Lord.
How is that possible? Because the Lord came immediately after the “great tribulation’ in 70AD.
Anyway, the point Paul was making was that Jesus would come in the clouds to resurrect the “dead in Christ”, from Sheol to heaven.
Then those who were alive and remained, WHEN THEY DIED would be “caught up” with the saints who’d gone before.
The destruction of the Jewish temple marked the end of the Jewish age.
When the old Jerusalem passed away, the new, heavenly Jerusalem opened up.
This is good news! As long as we abide in a covenant relationship with God through Jesus until our death day, we will be “caught up” to heaven, to dwell with God and his saints for ever.
There is no rapture! we must endure till our death day, whenever that is. Only God knows.
