WHAT IS THE RAPTURE?
Numerous bumper stickers appeared in our area a few years ago stating "SEE YOU IN THE RAPTURE". Also Radio and Television preachers were saying that the rapture will soon take place. Many people are saying that they are Christians who are just waiting for either death or the rapture. All of this makes us wonder just what the rapture is. If all the people who talk about it are Bible believers then it should be found in the Bible. However, I have read my Bible completely through a number of times and have found not one reference to the rapture. I began a search for the word and Webster defines it as "a state or experience of being carried away by overwhelming emotion; a mystical experience in which the spirit is exalted to a knowledge of divine things. An expression or manifestation of ecstasy or passion." This definition did not fit into anything connected with the second coming of Christ. Wycliffe's Bible Encyclopedia says, "The New Testament teaches that the believer will be removed from the earth by Christ prior to the outpouring of the wrath of God which precedes the second coming of Christ to reign over the earth." He then gives the following Bible references: (I Thessalonians 4:14-17; 5:9; cf. I Corinthians 15:51-55). He then goes on to explain that there are three different views of the Rapture - Pretribulation, Midtribulation, and Posttribulation theories. (Page 1442). I read the references he gave and they bad nothing to say about the theory or theories given about the rapture. The theology books of Bancroft and Thiessen define the Rapture as the coming of the Lord in the air and the church being caught up to meet him for a period of seven years when Israel will be restored to her land, and the temple rebuilt and its service restored. The Anti-Christ will gather all the Gentile nations against Jerusalem at which time Christ will return with his saints and destroy them with the brightness of His coming . While many scriptures were referred to they were all misapplied and taken out of context of true fulfillment.

The theory of the rapture is based on I Thessalonians 4:16, 17 which states, "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." The rapturists interpret this to mean that this is just one of several comings of the Lord and refer to it as his coming in the air. They make a distinction between this coming and that mentioned in I Thessalonians 3:13 which states, "the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with his saints." However, there is only one coming of Jesus Christ which is mentioned in every chapter of I Thessalonians. In 1: 10 the Christians are waiting for God's Son from heaven. In 2:19 the Christians are Paul's hope, joy, and crown of rejoicing "in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at his coming." In 3:13 he is spoken of as coming with all his saints. In 4:16, 17 as carrying the saved up to meet him in the air. In 5:2, 3 as coming as a thief to destroy the wicked. In 2 Thessalonians 1:7-9 as coming with his angels to punish those who know not God and obey not the gospel. Because his coming is mentioned in these books six different times doesn't mean He is coming six different times. In his one coming these six different things will be accomplished and many more mentioned in other scriptures concerning his second coming.

The theory of the rapture lasting but seven years doesn't fit 1 Thessalonians 4:16, 17 because it here speaks of those dead in Christ being raised, and the alive in Christ being changed. It also speaks of both groups together meeting the Lord in the air and "so shall we ever be with the Lord." The Greek term "panatote" rendered "ever" means "always", not just seven years. I Thessalonians 4:16, 17 teaches the same thing that John 14:1-6 teaches and that is Christ coming for the saved to take them to heaven to always be with the Lord. A description of this is given in Revelation 21 and 22.

The theory of the rapture teaches that while the saints are with Christ in the air that there is a great tribulation on this earth. This contradicts 2 Peter 3:10 which states, "But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up." According to the Bible there won’t be any earth left to have a tribulation in when Jesus comes again. The tribulations of earth are in the Christian age in which every person lives who serves the Lord. They won’t come after the Lord's second coming. He is coming "in flaming fire to take vengeance on" those who are in disobedience to God. Their punishment will be "everlasting destruction" (2 Thessalonians 1:7-9). That will all take place simultaneously with those saved being caught up and will last forever to both groups in different places. (Matthew 25:31-46).

The rapture theorists say that the rapture is not the second coming of Christ but "his coming in the air". They feel that all of a sudden the righteous will be missing from this earth. They tie in I Thessalonians 4:16, 17 with I Corinthians 15:24-26 and conclude that the gathering of the Christians out of this world will occur seven years before his coming. However I Corinthians 15:24-26 teaches that when he delivers up the kingdom that will be the End and death will be Destroyed. So the truth is that at Christ's One coming all the dead will be raised (John 5:28, 29), all will be judged (Matthew 25:31-46), the righteous will meet the Lord in the air to ever be with the Lord (I Thessalonians 4: 16, 17), and the wicked will be consigned to everlasting punishment (Matthew 25:46; 2 Thessalonians1:7-9).

From the figments of men's imaginations have come many theories about the end of time. We need to stick with the Bible on this just like we need to stick with the Bible on the plan of salvation, the church, and how to conduct ourselves here. Human speculations will always lead men astray. This one of the rapture opens up the theory of a second chance for at least some people which is certainly not scriptural.

What is the rapture? It is a human theory based on premillenial speculation and totally without Biblical foundation. C. D.

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