What is the Rapture?
The Rapture is an event that will take place in the future in which Jesus Christ will return and take all believers in Him with Him. This event will happen suddenly and without warning. Jesus will return to earth and the dead in Christ will be raised first, followed by those who are alive and have believed in Him.
Definition of the Rapture
Rapture is an English word that comes from the Latin word raptus, which means “caught up” or “snatched away.” The term is used to describe an event described in 1 Thessalonians 4:17 where believers who are alive at Christ’s return will be caught up (raptured) to meet Christ in the air. This event will happen suddenly and unexpectedly, and believers will be transformed instantaneously into their heavenly bodies. After the rapture, Christ will return to earth with His saints to establish His millennial kingdom.
What is the purpose of the Rapture?
The purpose of the Rapture is to remove Christians from the earth before the Tribulation, a time of God’s wrath. The Tribulation is a time when God will pour out his judgments on the earth and its inhabitants. Christians will be raptured, or caught up, to meet Jesus in the air and will be with him during the Tribulation.
When will the Rapture take place?
The Rapture is an event in Christian eschatology whereby the faithful will be gathered up into the air to meet Jesus Christ. This event is prophesied in the Bible and is believed to precede the Tribulation. Many Christians believe that the Rapture could happen at any time, but there are some who believe that it will happen before the Tribulation.
Pre-tribulation, Mid-tribulation, or Post-tribulation?
The Rapture is an event in Christian eschatology that refers to the belief that Jesus Christ will return to earth to gather his bride, the church, before the beginning of the Tribulation. The Rapture is described in 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18:
“But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers and sisters, about those who have died,[a] so that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. 14 For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have died.[b] 15 For this we declare to you by a word from the Lord,[c] that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will by no means precede those who have died. 16 For the Lord himself, with a cry of command, with the archangel’s call and with the sound of God’s trumpet,[d] will descend from heaven, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive,, who are left, will be caught up in the clouds together with them to meet the Lord in the air; and so we will be with[e]the Lord for ever. 18 Therefore encourage one another with these words.”
The Rapture is a doctrine that is debated among Christians. Some believe that it will happen before the Tribulation (pre-tribulation), some believe it will happen in the middle of the Tribulation (mid-tribulation), and some believe it will happen after the Tribulation (post-tribulation).
What does the Bible say about the timing of the Rapture?
There is much debate surrounding the rapture of the church. Some believe it will happen before the tribulation, while others believe it will happen in the middle of the tribulation, and still others believe it will happen after the tribulation. So, what does the Bible say about the timing of the rapture?
The answer is: we don’t know. The Bible does not give a specific answer as to when the rapture will take place.
1 Thessalonians 4:17 says, “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.” This verse tells us that those who are alive at Christ’s return will be “caught up” or “raptured” to meet Him in the air.
This event has not yet occurred, so we cannot know for sure when it will take place. However, there are some clues in Scripture that give us a general idea.
First, we know that the rapture will happen before Christ returns to earth to establish His kingdom. In Matthew 24:29-31, Jesus says, “Immediately after the tribulation of those days…they [the disciples] shall see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to another.”
This passage makes it clear that Jesus will return after the tribulation, and that His followers will be gathered together to meet Him at that time. Therefore, we can conclude that the rapture must happen before Jesus returns at the end of the tribulation.
Second, we know that Christ could return at any time—even today (Matthew 24:36; 1 Corinthians 15:51-52; 1 Thessalonians 5:2; Revelation 3:3; 22:7). Since we do not know when He will come back, we must be ready at all times (Matthew 24:42-44). This means that the rapture could happen at any time—it could even happen before the tribulation begins!
In conclusion, we cannot know for sure when the rapture will take place. However, Scripture gives us some clues as to its timing. We know that it must occur before Christ returns to earth to establish His kingdom (at the end of Tribulation), and that He could return at any time—even today!
Who will be raptured?
Who is included in the “church”?
The “church” refers to all of those who have put their faith in Christ for salvation. This includes everyone from the Apostle Paul to the lowliest believer alive today or who has ever lived. When Christ returns, he will rapture (catch up) all believers alive at that time, as well as those who have died believing in him (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17). All of these will be given new, perfected bodies (1 Corinthians 15:51-54) and will be with Christ forever.
Will non-believers be raptured?
No, the Bible is very clear that only believers will be raptured. In 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17, we read, “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. 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.” Notice that this passage says “the dead IN CHRIST will rise first.” This means that only believers (those who are IN CHRIST) will be raptured. Non-believers will not be raptured.
What happens to those who are left behind?
The rapture of the church is a doctrine that teaches that Christ will return and take all believers with him to heaven. This event will happen suddenly and without warning. Those who are left behind will be subject to the wrath of God.
What is the Tribulation?
The Tribulation is a seven-year period of time when God will pour out His wrath upon the world. It is often described as a time of great tribulation, distress, or trouble. The Tribulation will be a time of judgment against those who have rejected God. It will be a time of great persecution against Christians. The Antichrist will rule the world during this time and will require all people to worship him. Those who refuse will be killed.
What happens to those who go through the Tribulation?
Revelation 7:9-10 says, “After this I looked and there was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb. They were clothed in white robes with palm branches in their hands. And they cried out in a loud voice: ‘Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!’”
These are obviously not Church Age believers; they have been martyred during the Tribulation. But notice that they are still saved! Even though they did not go through the Rapture, they still trusted Jesus as their Savior and were willing to die for Him. So don’t think that just because someone is left behind during the Tribulation that means they can’t still be saved. Certainly, it will be harder to stay true to Christ during those horrible years than it is now. But it will not be impossible.