The End-Times Prophesies (2) – The Rapture; Pause in Time; Special

Meaning of Rapture

Rapture means “to snatch away”. Chuck Smith describes it as follows: The term “rapture” refers to that moment when Jesus Christ snatches His church out of this world. Scripture tells us it shall happen suddenly and without any notice. It’s important to note again that the rapture of the church and the second coming of Jesus Christ are completely different events. At the rapture, Jesus is coming for His saints.(1)

When Will the Rapture Happen?

The rapture will happen at an unknown moment of time in the future. It could be today, tomorrow or a hundred years from now. Nobody knows when it will happen, not even Jesus. Only God knows.

Mark 13:32-33
32 “But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. 33 Be on guard! Be alert! You do not know when that time will come.

2 Peter 3:10
But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything done in it will be laid bare.

Jesus come for his Church

Even though Jesus doesn’t know when the rapture will happen, he is instrumental in the event. He will call all those who believe in Him, and will meet them in the clouds. We, those who believe in Jesus Christ as Saviour and Lord, will meet him in the air.

How?

Matthew 24:31
And he will send his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other.

1 Thessalonians 4:14-17
For we believe that Jesus died and rose again, and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him. According to the Lord’s word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. 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. And so we will be with the Lord forever.

1 Corinthians 15:51-52
Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed— in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed.

It is a Mystery

That is a mystery. All of the rapture is a mystery. But according to scripture, in the blink of an eye, those who are still alive, will have their bodies changed, to incorruptible bodies, like the body of Jesus, following his resurrection. In fact, all those who have died in Christ (were believers), will be raised from the dead, or resurrected and will join Jesus as well. So, during the rapture, all believers, past and present, will be removed from the earth in the blink of an eye.

When the rapture happens, to those around us (the believers), it will be as if we disappeared in an instant. One moment we will be there going about our business, and the next we will be gone. The Church Age will have come to an end. (3) Only unbelievers will be left on the earth.

So, what happens next?

That will be in my next blog: The End Times Prophesies (3) – Between the Rapture and Tribulation

Blessings,

Jana

References:
(1) Stephens, William, H. The Bible Speaks to End Times. Convention Press, 1993.
(2) Smith, Chuck. The Rapture. The Word For Today. Kindle Edition.
(3) Wesley White, John. Thinking the Unthinkable. Creating House, 1992.