The events of the rapture

The Events of the Rapture

Rapture is to Take up God’s Children

Before World War II, Japan and Germany called their ambassadors away from America and back to their respective home countries. So, too, before the Lord declares war on the sin of our planet, He will take us—His ambassadors—home (2 Corinthians 5:20). 1 Thessalonians 4:1

Rapture is a signless event.

While we don’t know when the rapture will happen, we do know some incredible details about it. Paul described the rapture in 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18, and we also find it mentioned in 1 Corinthians 15:50-58, 2 Thessalonians 2:1-12, and Revelation 4:1-2. It will occur so suddenly—“in the twinkling in the eye” (1 Corinthians 15:52)

We need to keep in mind that the rapture is a signless event. There are no signs mentioned in the Bible that will indicate the rapture is near. That’s because the rapture is imminent; it could happen at any moment. It is impossible for an imminent event to have signs. Because the New Testament says the rapture is an event that could occur at any moment (1 Corinthians 1:7; 16:22; Philippians 3:20; 4:5; 1 Thessalonians 1:10; Titus 2:13; Hebrews 9:28; James 5:7-9; 1 Peter 1:13; Jude 21; Revelation 3:11; 22:7,12,17,20), it cannot be related to any signs at all. Thus the signs that reveal we are nearing the last days must have to do with the Tribulation—a time in which God will work through Israel, and not the church.

There will be a return of Christ.

The Lord Himself will come for His people, accompanied by all the grandeur His presence deserves. There will be a shout, a command such as an officer gives his troops. (1 Thessalonians 4:16). The trumpet of God will summon the dead in Christ to their resurrection and at the same time sound a warning to those who have rejected Christ that it is now too late to participate in the rapture. Clearly the rapture will not be a silent event.

There will be a resurrection.

At this point in history only the dead in Christ will be raised; that is, only Christians. Although there have been many believers since Adam, no believer was placed “in Christ” until the day of Pentecost when the baptism of the Holy Spirit first occurred (Acts 2). So those raised at the rapture include all believers from the day of Pentecost until the rapture.

Priority will be given to the dead, who will be raised just before the living are changed. And yet both groups will experience their respective changes “in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye” (1 Corinthians 15:52). The entire procedure will be instantaneous, not gradual.The rapture will occur in an indivisible instant of time, like the twinkling of the eye.

There will be a rapture.

Living believers will be caught up into the Lord’s presence without experiencing physical death. Only two others have had that experience, Enoch and Elijah, but at the rapture all living believers will bypass death. That is why Paul called this translation from life on earth to life in heaven without dying a mystery (1 Corinthians 15:51). Paul’s use of the word mystery is like waving a flag to let us know that he is about to tell us something that had not been revealed before. Resurrection was not unknown, for the Old Testament spoke of the resurrection of the dead (Job 19:25; Isaiah 26:19; Daniel 12:2). So did Christ (John 5:26–29). But nowhere had God revealed that a large group of people would not have to die but would go directly from this life into God’s presence.

The word rapture relates only to the experience of living believers who are caught up into the Lord’s presence. Rapture is used to label this entire event, including the resurrection of believers who have died as well as the translation of believers who are alive.

There will be a reunion.

first with loved ones and second with the Lord. In that instant of resurrection and translation, there will be countless reunions with loved ones. But the excitement of those reunions will pale in the light of what it will mean to see the Lord.

Where will He take us then?

To the heavenly abodes He is now preparing for His own (John 14:1–3). The church will be judged and rewarded in heaven while the seven years of Tribulation are being experienced on earth; then Christ and His church will return in great glory to the earth at the end of the Tribulation to execute other judgments and to establish His millennial kingdom.

Jesus is coming, and He will soon call us to be with Him. Comfort one another with these words. Keep talking about His coming. Keep looking for His coming. Whether we’re hard or heavy-hearted, His coming is the ultimate answer for every heart. 1 Thessalonians 4:18

The Rapture can occur at any time and will affect only true believers, while the Second Coming will affect the entire world.
At the Rapture Christ won’t completely descend to earth; instead, believers will meet the Lord in the air. At the Second Coming, Christ will descend to earth.
The Rapture will remove believers from the earth; the Second Coming will remove the wicked from the earth.