- Aug 25, 2010
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Rapture
This word conjures up more controversy and timing it has split eschatology in many varied components. Each seeks to develop a theology around its placement of the Rapture; others work around it and don’t even include it. This portion of this chapter explores various definitions about the word, who is to be included in it, and what kind of transformation the Rapture could entail. However, more importantly, this part of the chapter establishes a coherent sequence of events from the Bible which then determines the Rapture rather than placing the Rapture based on a premise of theology. Within a sequence of events analysis, one Biblical principle remains clear: the Rapture comes before God’s Wrath falls. This is buttressed by examples Jesus gives surrounding the Rapture as well. The Rapture is part of the first Resurrection. The first Resurrection, being wholly separate from the second (see Appendix C), has various parts. The Rapture is not the whole of the first Resurrection, nor indeed does it make up the bulk of those gathered on the Day of the Lord. However, as a seminal event, nothing is looked forward to so earnestly by Christians as their gathering to Jesus on the clouds.
The word ‘rapture’ comes from the Latin word rapio. It is just the Latin translation of the Greek verb harpazo which Paul uses in 2CO 12:2, 4 and 1TH 4:17. Idiosyncrasies of translation confuse a search of the term Rapture in the English and from the underlying Greek. It is only when an intervening step of translating the Greek into Latin and then into English can it be understood from where this word came into the English lexicon.
The same kind of duality exists with the Hebrew word Yeshua, which means ‘God Saves.’ Going straight from the Hebrew into English, the word is transliterated as Joshua. However when going from Hebrew into Greek, it is transliterated as Iesous. Only when the Greek is transliterated into English does the name Jesus appear. It is important for the reader using English to understand that the names Joshua and Jesus are identical in their original Biblical language whether it is Hebrew or Greek no matter how it is presented in an English version of the Bible.
The concept of the Rapture is contained within the Bible. While it can be traced to a single verb, the action of the Rapture is delineated by many different words. So while the word is not found in itself in the Bible, like the concept of the Trinity, it can easily be discerned. Here are references for all the various terms the Bible uses in the New Testament for this action, and the general sense of the Greek verbs used for each reference.
- MT 24:31 to come upon, come after
- MT 24:40 to take over, to receive, to inherit
- MK 13:27 to come upon, come after
- MK 16:19 to carry up
- LK 9:51 a taking up: ascension
- LK 17:34-35 to take over, to receive, to inherit
- LK 24:51 to take up, raise
- JN 14:3 to take over, to receive, to inherit
- AC 1:9-11 to lift up
- 1CO 15:51-54 to change
- 2CO 4:14 to waken, to raise up
- 2CO 12:2-4 to seize, to catch up, to snatch away
- 1TH 4:16
- 1Th 4:17 to seize, to catch up, to snatch away
- 2TI 2:18 (resurrection) a standing up, a raising up, rising
- 1TI 3:16 to take up, raise
- HEB 11:5 to transfer, change
- REV 12:5 to seize, to catch up, to snatch away
Some word definition is in order. In order to distinguish between those who are resurrected and those who are taken up, some distinction is needed to convey which group is being referenced. As all Saints are “living” as in being alive in the eternal sense, the use of “Living” will designate this group. This comes from Mt 22:32.
“‘I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’? He is not the God of the dead but of the living.”
The Rapture is only for living Christians, that is those of the Living who are alive at the time. At the time of the Day of the Lord’s gathering, they would be the only ones qualified to be ‘taken up’ to ‘receive their inheritance’ (both usages come from the same word in the Greek). At this point, it matters little if these “Christians” are mainstream Christians of today, newly converted Christians, or Messianic Jews; the key factor and only qualification for being lifted up is their belief in Jesus.
The Rapture describes the process which happens to those who are alive when Christ comes. Those Christians who have passed on are resurrected from the dead. Those who are resurrected from the grave may include more than just followers of Christ since His first Advent because some people before the time of Christ looked forward to His coming and believed in Him as Job did. However, concerning those who are alive since Christ’s first Advent, the only people who believe in Him are Christian by definition. Not all Christians in name only qualify, but in the sense of believing, only Christians qualify to be saved in the Rapture.
The Resurrection from the dead is separate from the Rapture. While the Rapture is only for the living, the Resurrection from the grave is selective as well; it is only for the “Living” as newly defined here. In this aspect, both those who are alive and believe in Christ, and the Living from those called out from beyond the grave; are selected by God, ergo: Elect.
This separation between Resurrection and Rapture of the Living depends on whether they have passed on in a normal sense by dying from normal causes or are alive at the time of Christ’s coming. If they have died without dying a martyr’s death, then the Living will be resurrected from the dead in a selective calling. This is from an area termed ‘the ends of Heaven’ which has been termed here as: Paradise, the first Heaven. If the Living are still alive and are left as Paul describes them, then they will be part of the Rapture. Saints who have died (without being martyred) will be resurrected from the dead. Saints who are still alive will be in the Rapture.