Chapter 5:
The Rapture

Literally, the fact of the Rapture in scripture is very simple and straight forward, whereas, the timing or placement of the Rapture during the end time events is more complex. Let's first look at the fact of the Rapture and later we will show the location of the Rapture in the end time scenario. In order to understand the Rapture and the Great Tribulation it is important that one starts by taking the Bible, and specifically, Jesus' words 'literally" (see chapter one) just as He meant for them to be, "truely, truely, I say to you..." - trusting and believing what He is saying much like the royal official with the sick son, where John writes, "...The man took Jesus at his word and departed..." (Jn 4:46-54). We keep it simple and read the Bible for just what it says and not for what we want it to say. When in doubt, ask a fifth grader for his interpretation! It seems to me that the more letters a writer has behind their name the more commentary one gets and the less scripture is allowed to speak for itself (just saying...).

At this present time, we know that Jesus is in heaven sitting at the right hand of the Father and interceding on our behalf. Also, Jesus tells us that he is preparing heavenly places, or rooms, for us, His Bride, and that He will come back and take us to be with him; but first We also know that Jesus is preparing heavenly places, or rooms, for His Bride. But, at the beginning of this passage Jesus emphasizes that we are to trust in God, and to also trust in him:

"Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am."
(John 14:1-3)

At some point in the very near future, these heavenly rooms will be prepared and ready to receive their new occupants, and Jesus will come back and take His Bride to be with Him where He is. The prophet Isaiah also prophetically tells us of people entering these specially prepared rooms to protect them from the wrath that is coming to the earth:

Go, my people, enter your rooms and shut the doors behind you; hide yourselves for a little while until his wrath has passed by.

See, the LORD is coming out of his dwelling to punish the people of the earth for their sins. The earth will disclose the blood shed upon her; she will conceal her slain no longer. (Isa 26:20-21)

Isaiah’s prophecy here also indicates that the timing of the entering into these rooms is just prior to the outpouring of God’s wrath and for protecting them from His wrath. Isaiah’s prophecy is of a type of Pre-Wrath Rapture that rescues these people from a coming wrath. This view also supports Paul, who writes:

 “to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead-Jesus, who rescues us from the coming wrath.” (1 Th 1:10)

And we will be with him where he now is, in heaven. Jesus also promises to keep the Church of Philadelphia from the hour of trial that is coming:

"...See, I have placed before you an open door that no one can shut. I know that you have little strength, yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name. I will make those who are of the synagogue of Satan, who claim to be Jews though they are not, but are liars — I will make them come and fall down at your feet and acknowledge that I have loved you. Since you have kept my command to endure patiently, I will also keep you from the hour of trial that is going to come upon the whole world to test those who live on the earth." (Rev 3:8-10)

Again, in Luke, Jesus speaking to my fifth-grade intellect, promises that I can pray for escape and protection from a coming worldwide wrath:

 "Be careful, or your hearts will be weighed down with dissipation, drunkenness and the anxieties of life, and that day will close on you unexpectedly like a trap. For it will come upon all those who live on the face of the whole earth. Be always on the watch, and pray that you may be able to escape all that is about to happen, and that you may be able to stand before the Son of Man." (Lk 21:34-36)

Worldwide wrath - covering the whole earth and not just a local Jerusalem which is also affected! And instead of being on the earth we will be with our Lord Jesus Christ up in heaven.

In the next very well known and most popular Rapture passage Paul explains to us that the Rapture will happen in two quickly succeeding parts, first part is the "dead in Christ  will rise first;" and then the second part which is, "we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them." And then, of course, Paul finishes with the very encouraging, "For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath" statement. For us fifth graders, this is the pinnacle! Let us simply let the Word of God speak for itself:

According to the Lord's own word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left till 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. Therefore encourage each other with these words.
Now, brothers, about times and dates we do not need to write to you, for you know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. While people are saying, "Peace and safety," destruction will come on them suddenly, as labor pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape.

But you, brothers, are not in darkness so that this day should surprise you like a thief… For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ. He died for us so that, whether we are awake or asleep, we may live together with him. Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing. (1 Th 4:15-5:4, 9-11)

Like Jesus and the prophets before him, Paul emphasizes our promised opportunity of wrath avoidance. No, we are not promised that we will never have tribulations, persecutions, and avoid all wraths, because we will have persecution and tribulation. However, YES, we are promised to be able to escape, or at least have the opportunity to escape the coming Great Tribulation and Wrath of God which will be poured out on the whole world, but more on that in later chapters.

The prophets, Paul, and especially Jesus, are not liars nor deceivers! Worldwide wrath avoidance is very encouraging. If it were just one or two obscure passages relating to the Rapture and escaping the coming worldwide wrath of God it would be difficult to imagine or believe in such a scenario of grace and peace. However, with dozens of clear Biblical passages it becomes much easier to believe that our loving and gracious God is going to do exactly as He says He is going to do! We are not being deceived! It is as simple as He says in His inerrant, infallible and divinely inspired message system. As mentioned above, Jesus says (and is still saying through His word) "Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me...if it were not so, I would have told you" (Jn 14:1-3). You, the reader, since you have gotten this far, are currently reading at the right place and at the right time.  The manager of this web site is sensing through his spirit that he is dispersing the proper food for the proper time, as in "Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom the master has put in charge of the servants in his household to give them their food at the proper time? It will be good for that servant whose master finds him doing so when he returns." (Mt 24:45-46) So rejoice reader, and be encouraged, "for such a time as [now]!"

The Greek word for “caught up” is harpadso, which means, “snatched up.” The Latin translation of the Greek New Testament uses the Latin word, “rapture,” in the place of harpadso. This is the source of the word “rapture” in our Christian vernacular. So, whether we believers are harpadso, caught up, raptured or snatched up, we will instantly, “in the twinkling of an eye,” be called up into the clouds and translated into our eternal heavenly bodies, again as described by Paul:

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. For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality.
(1 Cor 15:51-53)

Additional Biblical passages emphasizing and warning of the sudden disappearance of the Bride of Christ:

 "At that time the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and all the nations of the earth will mourn. They will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky, with power and great glory. 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.
"Now learn this lesson from the fig tree: As soon as its twigs get tender and its leaves come out, you know that summer is near. Even so, when you see all these things, you know that it is near, right at the door. I tell you the truth, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.
"No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark; and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other left. Two women will be grinding with a hand mill; one will be taken and the other left.
"Therefore, keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come. But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into. So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him." (Mt 24:30-44)

From the Matthew passage above and the Luke passage below, we have "Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other left. Two women will be grinding with a hand mill; one will be taken and the other left." and, "on that night two people will be in one bed; one will be taken and the other left." The women grinding may be at a morning chore, the men in the field may be working afternoon chores, and those in bed are at night. Being taken in the morning, in the afternoon and at night reveals that this is definitely a global rapture event happening around the world simultaneoussly, as we would expect.

 Then he said to his disciples, "The time is coming when you will long to see one of the days of the Son of Man, but you will not see it. Men will tell you, 'There he is!' or 'Here he is!' Do not go running off after them. For the Son of Man in his day will be like the lightning, which flashes and lights up the sky from one end to the other. But first he must suffer many things and be rejected by this generation.
"Just as it was in the days of Noah, so also will it be in the days of the Son of Man. People were eating, drinking, marrying and being given in marriage up to the day Noah entered the ark. Then the flood came and destroyed them all.
"It was the same in the days of Lot. People were eating and drinking, buying and selling, planting and building. But the day Lot left Sodom, fire and sulfur rained down from heaven and destroyed them all.
"It will be just like this on the day the Son of Man is revealed. On that day no one who is on the roof of his house, with his goods inside, should go down to get them. Likewise, no one in the field should go back for anything. Remember Lot's wife! Whoever tries to keep his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life will preserve it. I tell you, on that night two people will be in one bed; one will be taken and the other left. Two women will be grinding grain together; one will be taken and the other left."      (Lk 17:22-36)

Both the Matthew and Luke passages above mention that, "For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage..." and the Luke passage additionally mentions that, "It was the same in the days of Lot. People were eating and drinking, buying and selling, planting and building."  This is another reason that the rapture of the Bride of Christ must be pre-tribulation and not post-tribulation. During the Great Tribulation, especially the 2nd half when the 5th, 6th, and 7th trumpet judgments occur and the seven bowls are poured out, nothing resembling "normal life" will be occurring! After all,  200 million troops are "released to kill a third of mankind" (Rev 9:13-21), the saints have been turned over to Satan and the anti-christ who "is given power to make war against the saints and to conquer them" (Rev 13:5-10), and saints are beheaded for not worshipping the beast or taking his mark, without which there is no buying or selling (Rev 20:4). Also, Jesus tells us, "no one would survive, but for the sake of the elect, those days will be shortened" (Mt 24:22) And this is not mentioning the repercussions of the turmoil to the seas, water, earthquakes, famine and so much more. So, if the rapture is post-trib, who is living normally and "eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, buying and selling, planting and building,"  or, who is left to be raptured? How normal was, "eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, buying and selling, planting and building," during the COVID-19 event, which will really be a big nothing compared to the "events" of the coming Great Tribulation!

 "At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish and five were wise. The foolish ones took their lamps but did not take any oil with them. The wise, however, took oil in jars along with their lamps. The bridegroom was a long time in coming, and they all became drowsy and fell asleep.
"At midnight the cry rang out: 'Here's the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!'
"Then all the virgins woke up and trimmed their lamps. The foolish ones said to the wise, 'Give us some of your oil; our lamps are going out.'
"'No,' they replied, 'there may not be enough for both us and you. Instead, go to those who sell oil and buy some for yourselves.'
"But while they were on their way to buy the oil, the bridegroom arrived. The virgins who were ready went in with him to the wedding banquet. And the door was shut.
"Later the others also came. 'Sir! Sir!' they said. 'Open the door for us!'
"But he replied, 'I tell you the truth, I don't know you.'
"Therefore, keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour." (Mt 25:1-13)

Jesus says that the ten "virgins woke up and trimmed their lamps." This is really not that much different than what is currently happening around the United States. But now, it's the Patriots who are waking up and trimming their lamps with truth regarding the garbage being dispensed by the Main Stream Media and the coup attempt being perpetuated by the Demonocratic Party and the central banking eletists. These ten virgins though, all need to get back into a right relationship with their Savior and make him Lord of their life and not just Savior. "I don't know you," speaks of relationship, and "oil" for the lamps speaks of doing the stuff - not to get saved since we are only saved by grace and not by works; but because we are saved we do the kingdom stuff. This will be covered more in chapter 6 Partial Rapture Of Believers.

 

Rapture Part 1 & Part 2 As Seen On Earth And Rapture Part 1 & Part 2 As Seen In Heaven

This was a fun discovery, finding that Paul's two part pinnacle rapture verse ( 1 Th 4:15-18) actually shows up in the Book of Revelation, both parts, same order, and with a short duration of separation (Rev 6:9-11, 7:9-14). Paul, giving the earthly perspective, first mentions Part 1, "...and the dead in Christ will rise first."  Then Paul says, "After that," his separation statement which is then followed by Part 2, "...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"  (1Th 4:17). Or, written another way:

Paul's perspective, On Earth:

(Part 1) "...and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, (Part 2) 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."  (1Th4:17)

The heavenly perspective, with much more going on, is a little more spread out but Part 1 starts when Jesus opens of the 5th Seal and all the saints that have been martyred throughout the ages and upto the beginning of the Great Tribulation (which is now just starting) rise from under the altar and are given their white robes (Rev 6:9-11). Then comes the separation phrase, "After this," which is then followed by Part 2, "...I looked and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb. They were wearing white robes..."  It is very interesting, and revealing, that "...one of the elders asked [John], "These in white robes — who are they, and where did they come from?" This Part 2 group "from every nation, tribe, people and language" must be distinctively different from the Part 1 group of martyrs or the elder would not have even asked the question. After all, the Part 1 group of martys had just previously been shown and explained to John. John should, and would, know who "they", the martys are! The elder's question is specifically for our benefit, so that we would know who the two distinct groups are and exactly where they came from. Thank you, Holy Spirit, for this fun revelation!

Angle's perspective, In Heaven:

 (Part 1) “When he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain because of the word of God and the testimony they had maintained. They called out in a loud voice, "How long, Sovereign Lord, holy and true, until you judge the inhabitants of the earth and avenge our blood?" Then each of them was given a white robe, and they were told to wait a little longer, until the number of their fellow servants and brothers who were to be killed as they had been was completed.”  (Rev 6:9-11)
 After this (Part 2) I looked and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands. And they cried out in a loud voice:
"Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb."
All the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures. They fell down on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, saying:
"Amen!
Praise and glory and wisdom and thanks and honor
and power and strength be to our God for ever and ever.
Amen!"
Then one of the elders asked me, "These in white robes — who are they, and where did they come from?"
I answered, "Sir, you know."
And he said, "These are they who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb."  (Rev 7:9-14)

And sure enough, just as Paul also states that, "...And so we will be with the Lord forever..." and "...For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ" (1 Th 4:17, 5:11), the Revelation of Christ to His followers reveals that, indeed, His Bride is in heaven with Him forever, and does, in fact, escape the coming wrath. This last part could also be a Part 3, especially when paired with Jesus promise of escape that was listed above:

Be always on the watch, and pray that you may be able to escape all that is about to happen, and that you may be able to stand before the Son of Man." (Lk 21:34-36)

Again, as recorded in the Heavenly Part 2 above, many of those "...standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb," are also many of those from the Earthly Part 1 "...who [were] still alive and [were] left" at the Rapture, who then were they who watched, who prayed, who escaped, and who now are seen standing before the Son of Man! And before the coming of wrath and suffering that is about to result from the remaining Seals, Trumpets, and Bowls of Judgment. Luke 21:34-36 becomes an exclamation point from Jesus regarding the coming Rapture of His Bride when they are then seen standing before him!!

Very importantly though, as mentioned in chapter 2, the 3 Keys To Understanding The Great Tribulation, these two groups of Part 1 and Part 2, the first martys and the raptured saints, have an important job to to. These saints were raised together and brought into heaven in order give their testimonies:

And there was war in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought back. But he was not strong enough, and they lost their place in heaven. The great dragon was hurled down — that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray. He was hurled to the earth, and his angels with him.

Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say:

"Now have come the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God,
and the authority of his Christ.
For the accuser of our brothers,
who accuses them before our God day and night,
has been hurled down.
They overcame him
by the blood of the Lamb
and by the word of their testimony;
they did not love their lives so much
as to shrink from death.
Therefore rejoice, you heavens
and you who dwell in them!
But woe to the earth and the sea,
because the devil has gone down to you!
He is filled with fury,
because he knows that his time is short."

When the dragon saw that he had been hurled to the earth, he pursued the woman who had given birth to the male child... (Rev 12:7-14)

This is a major reason as to why the rapture of the saints has to be before the Great Tribulation begins. Because of the testimonies of the saints and the war in heaven, Satan loses his place and is hurled out of heaven at the 3rd Trumpet Judgment, which is early in the Great Tribulation.

Based on the above scriptures, Jesus, who is now in heaven preparing our heavenly rooms, or places, will descend from heaven and call His bride to be with him. Christ will shout with a loud command, the archangel will call out , and a trumpet will sound Then, “the twinkling of an eye”, Jesus will first raise those who have died in Christ and then snatch up from the face of the earth those believers who are still among the living. The dead and the living will instantly be translated into their immortal bodies, meet the Lord in the air, and go into the heavenly places prepared by Jesus, to be with Him forever. On earth, with the living believers now rescued from the coming wrath the Great Tribulation can now begin. In heaven, with the Bride of Christ now assembled in heaven, the Marriage Supper of the Lamb can begin.

On earth, chaos will reign as millions of believers suddenly disappear. And probably with a pop as air rushes in to fill in the vacated area left behind by the raptured bodies. Phones, silverware, money, Bibles and millions of other items being used, held or carried will fall to the ground as believers are snatched up. Cars, buses, trains and planes will crash as drivers depart to forever be with the Lord. Police, fire, military, hospital staff, plane and train controllers will vacate their posts unannounced and thus add to the mounting destruction and chaos. Athletes, astronauts, children, students, shoppers and millions just sleeping will simply vanish. The vanishing Bride of Christ will not go unnoticed.

Rapturing people off the face of the earth is not just a New Testament Biblical plan. There are two examples in the Old Testament of godly men, Enoch and Elijah, being taken directly into heaven. Enoch’s snatching is revealed in Geneses 5:18-24 & Hebrews 11:5, and Elijah’s translation is explained in 2nd Kings Chapter 2:1-18. Apparently, Enoch was snatched directly into the presence of God, whereas Elijah rode a whirlwind into the God’s presence. Many Biblical scholars also point out that Enoch is an Old Testament “type, or model” of the New Testament Rapture, and accordingly, Enoch was not translated Mid-Flood or Post-Flood - Enoch was translated Pre-Flood.

 

Go to Next Chapter:  6 - Partial Rapture Of Believers

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