Rapture?

I don’t think most people meditate on the rapture but it will be one of the most glorious events in human history – at least for the saints. Those who are dead will rise with new, ressurected, and immortal bodies and then the bodies of the believers who are alive will be changed in the twinkling of an eye (1 Thess. 4:15). And we will meet Jesus in the skies. This is a glorious hope. When connected to it, the hope of the rapture/ressurection is one of the things that makes me bold to pursue the Lord despite difficulties.

The most common belief about the rapture out there is that Jesus will rapture the Church before the Tribulation starts. I disagree. I believe the testimony of Scripture clearly states that the rapture happens at the end of the Tribulation, as Jesus is returning to the earth. Because I believe this is a crucial point I’ve decided to put a page in my blog about this. Consider it food for thought. I won’t cover every point possible on this page, but feel free to ask questions and leave comments.

1 Corinthians 15 is one of the most wonderful chapters of the Bible (in my opinion) and it describes the ressurection of Jesus and our ressurection and/or rapture. (Those who are alive will be raptured and those who are dead will be ressurected). Paul describes that the ressurection/rapture happens at the “last trumpet” (1 Cor 15: 51, 52). In the book of Revelation, there are three chronological judgment series: 7 seals (Rev. 6:1-17; 8:1-6), 7 trumpets (Rev. 8:7-21; 11:15-19), and 7 bowls (Rev 15:1-16:21). These judgments are being poured out on the earth during the 7 years of tribulation. The “last trumpet” is also the 7th trumpet, which by simple logic, only comes about after 7 seals and 6 trumpets. Therefore, since the ressurection/rapture doesn’t happen until the last, or seventh, trumpet, it is impossible for the rapture to occur before the tribulation.

Furthermore, Paul clearly lays out what happens at Jesus’ Second Coming in 1 Thess. 4:15-17. He describes that there will be people who remain until the return (Second Coming) of Jesus. Paul also describes that the Lord comes at the sound of a trumpet (this implies one of the seven trumpets of Revelation). And as He descends, the dead are raised and then (and only then) those who are alive will be caught up (raptured) together with those who have risen from the dead. And we will meet Jesus in the air, or in other words, in the atmosphere, or skies, not in heaven. To summarize, in 1 Thess 4:15-17 Paul clearly describes the Second Coming and the rapture/ressurection as simultaneous events, both happening at the sound of a trumpet. Paul nails this point again at 2 Thess 2:1 when he, once again, talks about the Second Coming and ressurection/rapture as simultaneous events.

This might be a bit hard to chew if it’s your hard time thinking about this. But if you read 1 Corinthians 15 (especially verses 51, 52), 1 Thessalonians 4:15-17 and 2 Thessalonians 2:1 and study these passages you will clearly see that the rapture does not happen until Jesus returns, and that all of this happens at the last, or seventh, trumpet judgmentof the book of Revelation.

We won’t be bailed out of the Trib! God wants a victorious, spotless and fearless Bride who will conquer any and all difficulties thrown at her. In light of this, you must ask yourself: how then shall I live?