The Rapture

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A raptor is a bird that swoops down and gathers up its prey in its talons. The word derives from the Latin rapere which means, to snatch, to grab, to carry off. This is the very meaning of “caught up” in the verse: “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” (1 Thessalonians 4:1717Then 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. (1 Thessalonians 4:17)). Indeed, the translation of the Bible known as the Latin Vulgate uses this same verb in this verse (in the form rapiemur), and it is from this that we get our English word “rapture”.
The disciples were given to expect the Lord’s return on His departure from this world. “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 1:1111Which 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)). However, the expectation was in connection with an earthly kingdom as we see Peter preaching: “Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord; and he shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you: Whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began” (Acts 3:19-2119Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord; 20And he shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you: 21Whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began. (Acts 3:19‑21)). We know that Israel failed to repent, and furthermore, they rejected the testimony of the Holy Spirit (Acts 7, see v. 51). As a consequence, it was not possible for those times of refreshing to come. The Lord, however, is not slack concerning His promises and in a coming day He will again stand upon the Mount of Olives as we read in Zechariah (Zechariah 14:44And 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. (Zechariah 14:4)). It is interesting to note that the reformers never moved beyond this hope and expectation—Christ’s return to this earth to establish His kingdom.
Though the Lord had told His disciples, “and if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also” (John 14:33And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also. (John 14:3)), it remained for the Apostle Paul to give us the details of the Rapture. His only glimpse of the Lord was a heavenly one, Christ in Glory (Acts 9:1-61And Saul, yet breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord, went unto the high priest, 2And desired of him letters to Damascus to the synagogues, that if he found any of this way, whether they were men or women, he might bring them bound unto Jerusalem. 3And as he journeyed, he came near Damascus: and suddenly there shined round about him a light from heaven: 4And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? 5And he said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks. 6And he trembling and astonished said, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do. (Acts 9:1‑6); 1 Corinthians 15:8). Consequently, Paul’s gospel—my gospel (Romans 2:16; 16:2516In the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my gospel. (Romans 2:16)
25Now to him that is of power to stablish you according to my gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began, (Romans 16:25); 2 Timothy 2:88Remember that Jesus Christ of the seed of David was raised from the dead according to my gospel: (2 Timothy 2:8))—was the gospel of the glory of Christ (2 Corinthians 4:44In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them. (2 Corinthians 4:4) JND). It not only brings salvation, but it separates the believer from earth and conforms him to Christ as He is in glory. It should come as no surprise to us, therefore, that the particulars of the Rapture were revealed to the Apostle Paul.
The persecution of Christians began early, and in Acts we read not only of Stephen’s martyrdom, but also that of James (Acts 7; 12:1-2). That some would die before the Lord’s return, whether by martyrdom or natural causes, clearly disturbed the new believers at Thessalonica. Paul writes to encourage them; those that were asleep through Jesus would in fact rise first, and then we which remain would be ‘raptured’ up together to meet the Lord in the air.
“For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. 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: 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. Wherefore comfort one another with these words” (1 Thessalonians 4:15-1815For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. 16For 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: 17Then 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. 18Wherefore comfort one another with these words. (1 Thessalonians 4:15‑18)).
Paul’s second letter to Thessalonica touches on a related subject. The Thessalonians were now worried that the Day of the Lord—a day of judgment—had already come (2 Thessalonians 1:2). The fact that we are not yet gathered to the Lord is one of the proofs that the Day of the Lord has not come! “Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him, that ye be not soon shaken in mind” (2 Thessalonians 2:1-21Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him, 2That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand. (2 Thessalonians 2:1‑2)). In both the Old and New Testaments we read of a day of terrible tribulation “such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be” (Matthew 24:2121For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. (Matthew 24:21); see also Jeremiah 30:77Alas! for that day is great, so that none is like it: it is even the time of Jacob's trouble; but he shall be saved out of it. (Jeremiah 30:7)). This day has not yet come; there is no day like it, either before or after, and it culminates in the Son of Man returning to the earth (Matthew 24:3030And 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 24:30)). Is this the blessed hope of the Christian (Titus 2:1313Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; (Titus 2:13))? No! To the saints in Philadelphia was given the promise: “I also will keep thee out of the hour of trial, which is about to come upon the whole habitable world, to try them that dwell upon the earth” (Revelation 3:1010Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth. (Revelation 3:10)). The very next chapter begins: “After this I looked, and, behold, a door was opened in heaven: and the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me; which said, Come up hither” (Revelation 4:11After this I looked, and, behold, a door was opened in heaven: and the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me; which said, Come up hither, and I will show thee things which must be hereafter. (Revelation 4:1)). After chapter three, we do not read of the church again until chapter 19 (the intervening chapters give us details of that terrible time of affliction): “for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready” (Revelation 19:77Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honor to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready. (Revelation 19:7); see also Ephesians 5:25-3225Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; 26That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, 27That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish. 28So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself. 29For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church: 30For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones. 31For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh. 32This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church. (Ephesians 5:25‑32)). What a day that will be! Are we listening for that call, “Come up hither!” This should be the blessed hope of every believer.