What is The Rapture?

Diserner

Diserner

Well-known member
According to my online dictionary, the word rapture means “an expression or manifestation of ecstasy or passion” and “being carried away by overwhelming emotion.” But according to the Bible, the Rapture is the event in which all who have put their trust in Jesus Christ are suddenly caught up from the earth and taken into heaven by Him. The English word rapture is a translation of the Greek word harpazo. It occurs fourteen times in the New Testament, and it means “to carry off by force,” “to seize,” or “to carry away.”

To help you get your bearings concerning the Rapture, here are two key biblical texts that explain its major movements. Please read these words thoughtfully and carefully.

Behold, I tell 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 trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. 1 Corinthians 15:51–53

I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus. 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. For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. 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. Therefore comfort one another with these words. 1 Thessalonians 4:13–18

By putting these passages together a stunning sequence of events becomes clear. But remember that everything described in these verses take place “in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye.” You know this. It will all happen in a split second. However, to help us see it more easily, we are able to discuss it here now.
 
Need more Biblical accuracy on this...

The word 'rapture' does not occur anywhere in God's Word (I refer to Greek New Testament manuscripts). It indeed is... just a translation, from Latin 'rapturo' which was a Latin translation of Greek 'harpazo'. So Greek harpazo is indeed the word that is in the NT manuscripts. The early Bible translations to English translated Greek harpazo to "caught up", as it is in the 1611 KJV Bible.

There's several Bible witnesses on how that Greek harpazo (to seize) is used. Per 2 Cor.12 the one Paul spoke of was "caught up" to the "third heaven", and that is a pointer to one's 'spirit' being caught up to the heavenly dimension, much like the prophet Isaiah in Isaiah 6, and Ezekiel being transported on earth to a different location, as likewise the Apostle Philip was transported to a different location on earth after he had baptized the Ethiopian. It was also used about our Lord Jesus being "caught up" per Rev.12:5 when He ascended from the Mount of Olives into Heaven with His disciples watching.

The problem with many brethren's interpretation of Apostle Paul's 1 Thessalonians 4:17 "caught up" into the "clouds" to meet Lord Jesus, is that does not truly reveal being taken to Heaven. Those on man's Pre-trib Rapture theory especially assume Paul meant being taken to Heaven away from the earth to live.

Yet in the Zechariah 14 prophecy about the day of Christ's coming, on the "day of the Lord", the LAST DAY of this present world, Jesus actually returns to this earth, to the Mount of Olives where He ascended to Heaven from.

Thus pre-trib makes a false assumption of being raptured to Heaven, because per Apostle Paul in 1 Thessalonians 4:16, Paul revealed that the 'asleep' saints Jesus brings with Him must FIRST BE RESURRECTED. And what day does the future RESURRECTION happen on? The last day of this present world, which is that "day of the Lord" of Zechariah 14. This points to ONLY ONE coming event by Lord Jesus to gather His faithful at the end of this world on the last day, not two like man's pre-trib rapture doctrine teaches (John 6:40).

1 Thess 4:16
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:
KJV


Thus the actual Bible Scriptures point to the idea of Paul's "caught up" being like what happened to Philip, caught up with being transported to a different location... upon the same earth. In the case of Christ's coming to gather us, those of us still alive are "caught up" to Jesus, and the asleep saints He brings with Him, and we all go with Him to the Mount of Olives, east of Jerusalem, per the Zechariah 14 Scripture. That is where He and His faithful elect reign from over all nations at His return.

So did our Heavenly Father and His Son test you to see if you would listen to HIM in HIS... WORD about this detail, or that you would instead listen to men's doctrines and be deceived?
 
DavP said:
Need more Biblical accuracy on this...
Click to expand...
Matthew 24:29 "Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken:" Matthew 24:30 "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." Matthew 24:31 "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."

but who gets gathered first?
Matthew 13:24 "Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field:" Matthew 13:25 "But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way." Matthew 13:26 "But when the blade was sprung up, and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also." Matthew 13:27 "So the servants of the householder came and said unto him, Sir, didst not thou sow good seed in thy field? from whence then hath it tares?" Matthew 13:28 "He said unto them, An enemy hath done this. The servants said unto him, Wilt thou then that we go and gather them up?" Matthew 13:29 "But he said, Nay; lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them." Matthew 13:30 "Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn."

who gets gather First....... (smile).

"the exposition of the parable of the tares"
Matthew 13:36 "Then Jesus sent the multitude away, and went into the house: and his disciples came unto him, saying, Declare unto us the parable of the tares of the field." (NOTE: they asked about the tares). Matthew 13:37 "He answered and said unto them, He that soweth the good seed is the Son of man;" Matthew 13:38 "The field is the world; the good seed are the children of the kingdom; but the tares are the children of the wicked one;" Matthew 13:39 "The enemy that sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are the angels." Matthew 13:40 "As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of this world." Matthew 13:41 "The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity;" Matthew 13:42 "And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth." Matthew 13:43 "Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Who hath ears to hear, let him hear."

101G.
 
DavP said:
Need more Biblical accuracy on this...

The word 'rapture' does not occur anywhere in God's Word (I refer to Greek New Testament manuscripts). It indeed is... just a translation, from Latin 'rapturo' which was a Latin translation of Greek 'harpazo'. So Greek harpazo is indeed the word that is in the NT manuscripts. The early Bible translations to English translated Greek harpazo to "caught up", as it is in the 1611 KJV Bible.

There's several Bible witnesses on how that Greek harpazo (to seize) is used. Per 2 Cor.12 the one Paul spoke of was "caught up" to the "third heaven", and that is a pointer to one's 'spirit' being caught up to the heavenly dimension, much like the prophet Isaiah in Isaiah 6, and Ezekiel being transported on earth to a different location, as likewise the Apostle Philip was transported to a different location on earth after he had baptized the Ethiopian. It was also used about our Lord Jesus being "caught up" per Rev.12:5 when He ascended from the Mount of Olives into Heaven with His disciples watching.

The problem with many brethren's interpretation of Apostle Paul's 1 Thessalonians 4:17 "caught up" into the "clouds" to meet Lord Jesus, is that does not truly reveal being taken to Heaven. Those on man's Pre-trib Rapture theory especially assume Paul meant being taken to Heaven away from the earth to live.

Yet in the Zechariah 14 prophecy about the day of Christ's coming, on the "day of the Lord", the LAST DAY of this present world, Jesus actually returns to this earth, to the Mount of Olives where He ascended to Heaven from.

Thus pre-trib makes a false assumption of being raptured to Heaven, because per Apostle Paul in 1 Thessalonians 4:16, Paul revealed that the 'asleep' saints Jesus brings with Him must FIRST BE RESURRECTED. And what day does the future RESURRECTION happen on? The last day of this present world, which is that "day of the Lord" of Zechariah 14. This points to ONLY ONE coming event by Lord Jesus to gather His faithful at the end of this world on the last day, not two like man's pre-trib rapture doctrine teaches (John 6:40).
Click to expand...
Paul does not say that they must first be resurrected. Do you believe in soul sleep or something? (Note: Soul sleep is heresy). I asked somewhere else if a Resurrection is necessary if they aren't, at this time, going to be living on Earth where they would need a physical body to live. They would need to be truly alive, so back from the dead. Also, there is evidence that some early church father's believed in a rapture, and others tried to phathom how God would keep from pouring out His wrath, destined from sinners, from being poured out on His children. One just simply said that they would be protected somehow. No mechanism was given.

However, the belief of the early church fathers, when manifested, was that any kind of rapture, again, when it comes up at all, would be half way through what modern pretrib people call the tribulation. Why? They believed that the last 3 1/2 years of the 70th week would be the Great Tribulation. Not the whole seven years. So, for example, Pseudo Ephraim (4th-5th century) has the rapture prior to the last 3 1/2 years. At the beginning of the seven years, the Antichrist will make peace with Israel, and have Israel rebuild the temple. After 3 1/2 years, the Antichrist will enter the temple and declare himself to be God, and will outlaw all other religions, hence the end of sacrifice and grain offerings. That "abomination of desolation" will mark the beginning of the Great Tribulation. Jesus defeat of the beast and the armies of the kings of the earth will mark the end of the Great Tribulation, after which we end the Millennial Kingdom. After the Millennial Kingdom, Jesus will finally defeat Satan, and the last enemy, death and hades. (I Cor. 15). At this time, death has no power over believers, but has power over sinners. When Jesus is done, death will be done. Defeated. Destroyed. Well, tossed into the lake of fire.

So, Paul is speaking to the rapture, since it says that we will be gathered in the air, and so (in the air) will forever be with Him. However, the question is, will it be pretrib, and there comes some tribulation, or will it be mid trib, before the start of the Great Tribulation?
DavP said:
1 Thess 4:16
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:
KJV


Thus the actual Bible Scriptures point to the idea of Paul's "caught up" being like what happened to Philip, caught up with being transported to a different location... upon the same earth. In the case of Christ's coming to gather us, those of us still alive are "caught up" to Jesus, and the asleep saints He brings with Him, and we all go with Him to the Mount of Olives, east of Jerusalem, per the Zechariah 14 Scripture. That is where He and His faithful elect reign from over all nations at His return.

So did our Heavenly Father and His Son test you to see if you would listen to HIM in HIS... WORD about this detail, or that you would instead listen to men's doctrines and be deceived?
Click to expand...
Remember in the letters to the churches, intended not just for those churches but for the entire body of Christ, He spoke of avoiding the hour of testing that is to come upon the world. This could be pointing to a rapture, though it is pointing to the church avoiding or being separated from the world when the hour of testing comes.
 
jeremiah1five said:
There is no rapture.
1 Corinthians 15:51-53 describes the second coming.
1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 describe the second coming.
A one-time event.
Click to expand...
There is a rapture, but it will be at the second coming. Those who are alive at Christ's coming will be caught up (latin rapio - from where we get the English word rapture) in the air with Christ.
 
Last edited:
DavP said:
Need more Biblical accuracy on this...

The word 'rapture' does not occur anywhere in God's Word (I refer to Greek New Testament manuscripts). It indeed is... just a translation, from Latin 'rapturo' which was a Latin translation of Greek 'harpazo'. So Greek harpazo is indeed the word that is in the NT manuscripts. The early Bible translations to English translated Greek harpazo to "caught up", as it is in the 1611 KJV Bible.
Click to expand...
The word rapture comes from the latin Vulgate

1 Thessalonians 4:17 (LLEIV) — 17 Deinde nos, qui vivimus, qui relinquimur, simul rapiemur cum illis in nubibus obviam Christo in aëra, et sic semper cum Domino erimus.


Lemma

rapiō to seize, snatch away
 
TomL said:
There is a rapture, but it will be at the second coming. Those who are alive at Christ's coming will be caught up (latin rapio - from where we get the English word rapture) in the air with Christ.
Click to expand...
Yes, but it's not in Greek which is the language of the NT.
The "rapture" comes to us through a Plymouth Brethren man named John Nelson Darby in the late 1800s.
 
TomL said:
Darby was wrong, but there is a catching up at the second advent of Christ, which is the meaning of the rapture. Don't throw the baby out with the bath water
Click to expand...
SPLASH!
Out with the wrong, in with the true.
There is no rapture in the bible.
Jesus is coming back the same way He went up.

Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.
Acts 1:11.
 
jeremiah1five said:
SPLASH!
Out with the wrong, in with the true.
There is no rapture in the bible.
Jesus is coming back the same way He went up.

Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.
Acts 1:11.
Click to expand...
And living believers will be caught up to him, that is the snatching away which is called the rapture
 
jeremiah1five said:
SPLASH!
Out with the wrong, in with the true.
There is no rapture in the bible.
Jesus is coming back the same way He went up.

Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.
Acts 1:11.
Click to expand...
That scritpure doesn't say there won't be a rapture.
 
TomL said:
And living believers will be caught up to him, that is the snatching away which is called the rapture
Click to expand...
11 Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.
Acts. 1:11.

Christ returns the same way He went up. In one fell swoop. Christ did not ascend, stay in the air for 3-and -one-half years, then continue on His merry way, which is the description of the rapture as it is taught from Darby onward.

It makes no sense for Christ to return "in like manner" as He ascended and half-way down 'take up' people just to return back to the earth. Makes more sense to have Christ return "in like manner" as He went up and meet believers on the ground, which is what I
Plus, when Christ does return He returns with the armies of heaven in the midst of warfare and He immediately engages in battle with His enemies, God's enemies, and Israel's enemies:

1 Behold, the day of the LORD cometh,
And thy spoil shall be divided in the midst of thee.
2 For I will gather all nations against Jerusalem to battle;
And the city shall be taken, and the houses rifled, and ethe women ravished;
And half of the city shall go forth into captivity,
And the residue of the people shall not be cut off from the city.
3 Then shall the LORD go forth, and fight against those nations,
As when he fought in the day of battle.
4 And his feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives,
Which is before Jerusalem on the east,
And the mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst thereof toward the east and toward the west,
And there shall be a very great valley;
And half of the mountain shall remove toward the north,
And half of it toward the south.
5 And ye shall flee to the valley of the mountains;
For the valley of the mountains shall reach unto Azal:
Yea, ye shall flee, like as ye fled from before the earthquake
In the days of Uzziah king of Judah:
And the LORD my God shall come,
And all the saints with thee.
Zech.14:1–5.

The identity of these "saints" would be covenant Israel that died from Adam to the last person dying immediately prior to His return. This is the Second Coming and He returns "in like manner" as He went up.
 
jeremiah1five said:
11 Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.
Acts. 1:11.

Christ returns the same way He went up. In one fell swoop. Christ did not ascend, stay in the air for 3-and -one-half years, then continue on His merry way, which is the description of the rapture as it is taught from Darby onward.

It makes no sense for Christ to return "in like manner" as He ascended and half-way down 'take up' people just to return back to the earth. Makes more sense to have Christ return "in like manner" as He went up and meet believers on the ground, which is what I
Plus, when Christ does return He returns with the armies of heaven in the midst of warfare and He immediately engages in battle with His enemies, God's enemies, and Israel's enemies:

1 Behold, the day of the LORD cometh,
And thy spoil shall be divided in the midst of thee.
2 For I will gather all nations against Jerusalem to battle;
And the city shall be taken, and the houses rifled, and ethe women ravished;
And half of the city shall go forth into captivity,
And the residue of the people shall not be cut off from the city.
3 Then shall the LORD go forth, and fight against those nations,
As when he fought in the day of battle.
4 And his feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives,
Which is before Jerusalem on the east,
And the mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst thereof toward the east and toward the west,
And there shall be a very great valley;
And half of the mountain shall remove toward the north,
And half of it toward the south.
5 And ye shall flee to the valley of the mountains;
For the valley of the mountains shall reach unto Azal:
Yea, ye shall flee, like as ye fled from before the earthquake
In the days of Uzziah king of Judah:
And the LORD my God shall come,
And all the saints with thee.
Zech.14:1–5.

The identity of these "saints" would be covenant Israel that died from Adam to the last person dying immediately prior to His return. This is the Second Coming and He returns "in like manner" as He went up.
Click to expand...
And what do you do with

1 Thessalonians 4:15–17 (NIV) — 15 According to the Lord’s word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16 For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever.
 

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