Is there a Rapture [a being caught up to meet Christ in the clouds ] that takes place before the Second Coming of Christ? Some writers have expressed the view that the word Rapture is not in the Bible. It is certainly not in our English translations. But it is in the Latin version of the Bible in 1 Thessalonians 4:17 where the Latin word [rapturo] is used to translate the Greek word [harpazo] meaning being caught up or being snatched. This is the context, 1Thessalonians 4:13 “But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, 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 fallen asleep. 15 For this we declare to you by a word from the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep.6 For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up [harpazo] together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord.”
Many Bible scholars believe that the Rapture precedes the great tribulation before the Second Coming of Jesus. The verses above seem to suggest that. They appear to say that Jesus could return suddenly at any time. He will bring with Him all those who have died in the Lord. Those who have already died whose bodies are “asleep “ will be raised first with resurrected bodies and will be joined by those still alive at His coming whose bodies are also transformed. They will be raptured or caught up together to meet the Lord in the air. From that time onwards they will always be in the presence of the Lord. That means that believers [the church] will not have to go through the tribulation but will return with Jesus when He comes to establish His kingdom on earth.
There are many prophecies to be fulfilled before the second coming of Jesus but the rapture could occur at any time. The more we see the possibility of a worldwide conflict, the more it seems that the rapture could be near. But the great thing is that whether there is only one or two stages in Jesus’ coming, believers will go to be with Him in bliss forever. That is our great Christian Hope.
The RAPTURE. If Only It Were True! If it is true, it means that humans all around the world need to embrace Jesus Christ as Saviour and submit to him as Lord. There will be no time when He comes to make a last-minute profession of faith. The attitude we have towards Him at His coming will be the basis for the judgment He brings upon us.
As Bible scholars continue to study the evidence for the second coming of Jesus and whether He comes in one or two stages, it is imperative for every human to be prepared by repenting of their sin and their rejection of His claim on their lives and to give their lives over to Him in an act of submission to His rule over us.
A crowd who had witnessed Him feed 5000 people with five loaves and two fish later came to Jesus and He said to them, “Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you. For on him God the Father has set his seal.” John 6:27. They replied with this question, “What must we do, to be doing the works of God?” John 6:28. They were anxious to know what “to work for the food that endures to eternal life” meant. Jesus answered them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent.” John 6:29. Then he added, “And this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up on the last day. 40 For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.” John 6:39-40.
The resurrection of all believers is God’s plan for the world and our Christian hope. But people need to be believers to receive eternal life and to experience the resurrection of their bodies. What a joy it is to know that one’s departed ones are now in bliss in the presence of Jesus and that one day we will be reunited with our loved ones in resurrected bodies when He comes to rapture us, to gather us all together to meet Him in the air. And to live with Him for eternity.
The RAPTURE. If Only It Were True! It does appear that many respected biblical scholars from all over Christendom do believe the Rapture will take place as described in 1 Thessalonians 4 and could occur at any moment. My preference for an early rapture may be biased because I would not want any believer to go through the tribulation and because I am looking forward to seeing again my beloved wife of 54 years who went home to the Lord 4 years ago.
Blog No.504 posted on Monday 06 November 2023.
About Jim Holbeck
Once an Industrial Chemist working for the Queensland Government but later an Anglican minister in Brisbane, Armidale and Sydney. Last position for eighteen years before retirement in 2006 was as the Leader of the Healing Ministry at St Andrew's Cathedral Sydney.
holbeck 
No.504. The RAPTURE. If Only It Were True! 1 Thessalonians 4:17.
Is there a Rapture [a being caught up to meet Christ in the clouds ] that takes place before the Second Coming of Christ? Some writers have expressed the view that the word Rapture is not in the Bible. It is certainly not in our English translations. But it is in the Latin version of the Bible in 1 Thessalonians 4:17 where the Latin word [rapturo] is used to translate the Greek word [harpazo] meaning being caught up or being snatched. This is the context, 1Thessalonians 4:13 “But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, 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 fallen asleep. 15 For this we declare to you by a word from the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep.6 For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up [harpazo] together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord.”
Many Bible scholars believe that the Rapture precedes the great tribulation before the Second Coming of Jesus. The verses above seem to suggest that. They appear to say that Jesus could return suddenly at any time. He will bring with Him all those who have died in the Lord. Those who have already died whose bodies are “asleep “ will be raised first with resurrected bodies and will be joined by those still alive at His coming whose bodies are also transformed. They will be raptured or caught up together to meet the Lord in the air. From that time onwards they will always be in the presence of the Lord. That means that believers [the church] will not have to go through the tribulation but will return with Jesus when He comes to establish His kingdom on earth.
There are many prophecies to be fulfilled before the second coming of Jesus but the rapture could occur at any time. The more we see the possibility of a worldwide conflict, the more it seems that the rapture could be near. But the great thing is that whether there is only one or two stages in Jesus’ coming, believers will go to be with Him in bliss forever. That is our great Christian Hope.
The RAPTURE. If Only It Were True! If it is true, it means that humans all around the world need to embrace Jesus Christ as Saviour and submit to him as Lord. There will be no time when He comes to make a last-minute profession of faith. The attitude we have towards Him at His coming will be the basis for the judgment He brings upon us.
As Bible scholars continue to study the evidence for the second coming of Jesus and whether He comes in one or two stages, it is imperative for every human to be prepared by repenting of their sin and their rejection of His claim on their lives and to give their lives over to Him in an act of submission to His rule over us.
A crowd who had witnessed Him feed 5000 people with five loaves and two fish later came to Jesus and He said to them, “Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you. For on him God the Father has set his seal.” John 6:27. They replied with this question, “What must we do, to be doing the works of God?” John 6:28. They were anxious to know what “to work for the food that endures to eternal life” meant. Jesus answered them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent.” John 6:29. Then he added, “And this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up on the last day. 40 For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.” John 6:39-40.
The resurrection of all believers is God’s plan for the world and our Christian hope. But people need to be believers to receive eternal life and to experience the resurrection of their bodies. What a joy it is to know that one’s departed ones are now in bliss in the presence of Jesus and that one day we will be reunited with our loved ones in resurrected bodies when He comes to rapture us, to gather us all together to meet Him in the air. And to live with Him for eternity.
The RAPTURE. If Only It Were True! It does appear that many respected biblical scholars from all over Christendom do believe the Rapture will take place as described in 1 Thessalonians 4 and could occur at any moment. My preference for an early rapture may be biased because I would not want any believer to go through the tribulation and because I am looking forward to seeing again my beloved wife of 54 years who went home to the Lord 4 years ago.
Blog No.504 posted on Monday 06 November 2023.
Share this:
Related
About Jim Holbeck
Once an Industrial Chemist working for the Queensland Government but later an Anglican minister in Brisbane, Armidale and Sydney. Last position for eighteen years before retirement in 2006 was as the Leader of the Healing Ministry at St Andrew's Cathedral Sydney.