THE RAPTURE
By Dee L. McCroskey
Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord. (1 Thes. 4:17)
OUR word “Rapture” is not found in the Bible, but the Greek word harpazo was well translated as “caught up” or sometimes as “caught away” or Wycliffe even translates it “snatched up”. The word means “to sieze, pull or take by force”. In modern times we have come to refer to this sudden event as “The Rapture”. Rapture is from the Latin root, which means to “carry a person to another place or sphere”. It is the “blessed hope” of Titus 2:13.
Harpazo is used in three other places in the New Testament, all bearing out the concept of being suddenly “caught away” or “caught up”. They are Acts 8:39b, the Spirit of the Lord caught away Philip; 2 Cor. 12:2c, such a one caught up even to the third heaven; Rev. 12:5c, and her child was caught up unto God.
The Rapture is not actually the Second Coming of Christ to earth to reign. That event will come to pass at the end of the Tribulation time. In the Rapture, all Christ trusting believers of the present Grace dispensation will be caught away to meet the Lord in the air, to forever be with Him.
The Rapture is a “mystery”, which is part of the great Mystery of the church, the Body of Christ. In every chapter of 1 Thessalonians there is at least one verse that speaks of the Rapture. See if you can find them.
1) The possibility of a Rapture
a) Enoch walked with God: and he was not; for God took him. (Gen. 5:24)
b) By faith Enoch was taken up so that he should not see death, and he was not found, because God had taken him. (Heb. 11:5)
2) The Rapture is Teaching that is only Understood by the impartation of the Pauline Revelation
a) It is a Mystery - Behold, I tell you a mystery: We all shall not sleep, but we shall all be changed, (1 Cor. 15:51)
b) It is unexpected - in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. (1 Cor. 15:52)
c) It is a hope that confers happiness - Looking for that blessed hope (Titus 2:13a)
d) Our bodies are changed immediately - who shall transform the body of our humiliation to its becoming conformed to the body of his glory (Phil. 3:20&21)
e) The dead rise first, then the living - the dead in Christ shall rise first, then we who are living, who are remaining over (1 Thes. 4:16&17). This is in contrast to the resurrection of the Second Coming when the living enter first and then the dead (Dan. 12:11-13).
f) The Lord meets the Body of Christ in the air - shall together with them be caught up in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. (1 Thes. 4:17)
3) It will end the present dispensation
a) It will occur before the Tribulation - For God has not destined us for wrath, but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ (1 Thes. 5:9)
b) We are left with indicators as to when the Rapture will occur:
(1) There will be hard times, but NOT the Tribulation (2 Tim 3:1)*
(2) Questionable motivation (i.e. legalism) (2 Tim 3:2-5)
(3) Bad behavior (2 Tim. 3:6&7)
(4) Take a lesson from the Dispensation of the Law (2 Tim. 3:8&9)
The Last Day Messenger
March-April 1970. pg. 16
* Further note on the "hard times" of 2 Timothy 3:1 - "But know this that in the last days hard times will be present. ... The verb which we have translated "will be present" enstaisontai is derived from the preposition ev prefixed to the verb staimee and literally means to 'to stand in', hence, to be present. ... it is in the future tense in this verse, the most accurate translation is 'will or shall be present' i.e. 'occur or exist' (cf. Rom. 8:28; 1 Cor. 3:22; 7:26; Gal. 1:4).
Paul says that the last days will be marked by 'hard times' kairoi chalepoi The Greek adjective 'hard' chalepoi is used only twice in the New Testament (Matt. 8:28). On the basis of these and its very limited use in extrabiblical Greek it appears to convey the meaning of 'hard, difficult, grievous, outrageous and fierce'. The Greek word translated 'times' kairoi designates a limited period of time, a short season or when used in the plural successive periods of time. The above 'last days' would be concomitant with 'hard times', i.e. they would extend over the same period of time.
... We need to recognize that the phrase 'last days' as used by Paul, stretches from his day until the coming of Christ for His Church. ..."
How
God Saves Men
Believing
Christ DIED, that’s HISTORY.
Believing
Christ DIED for YOU SINS and Rose again that’s SALVATION.
Read
Romans 1:16, Romans 10:9-10 and 1. Corinthians 15:1-4
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