The doctrine of the Rapture is for the comfort of the saints. Therefore it is called “the Blessed Hope” which is connected with the glorious appearing of Christ for His saints: Looking for that Blessed Hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ (Tit 2:13).
The word “rapture” is derived from the Latin “rapiemur”, which is the equivalent of “caught up together” as seen above. So to claim that the word “Rapture” is not in the Bible is simply naive and foolish. Those who believe the Word of God have no problem accepting one word for this event rather than insisting on three or four words.
Since there is a lot of tiresome nonsense being published about (a) no Rapture, (b) a Post-Tribulation Rapture when that would be impossible, (c) a Rapture where Christians do not go to Heaven, (d) a Rapture which coincides absurdly with the Second Coming of Christ, etc., every Christian should be aware that a plain study of the Bible is sufficient to establish the Pre-Tribulation Resurrection/Rapture as an important and critical Christian doctrine. You may ask why it is critical, and the answer from Scripture is that it is critical because it completes the salvation of the saints, which is glorification.
1. THE REASON FOR THE RESURRECTION/RAPTURE
Before we even study the relevant passages, we need to ask ourselves “What exactly is the reason for the Resurrection/Rapture of the saints?” And unless we clearly understand God’s plan of salvation in Christ, we will not understand why the Resurrection/Rapture is critical.
We read in Romans 8:29,30: For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified.
While sanctification is not mentioned here, we know from the New Testament that God’s plan of salvation includes (1) justification, (2) sanctification, and (3) glorification (and perfection). The opponents of the Pre-Tribulation Rapture conveniently forget that the saints must be glorified, and receive incorruptible, immortal, and glorified bodies, before they enter Heaven for the Marriage of the Lamb. Therefore the Resurrection/Rapture is a single event before the Second Coming of Christ. This fact is sufficient to refute the foolish notion of a Post-Tribulation Rapture.
2. CHRIST PRESENTED THE RAPTURE BEFORE HIS CRUCIFIXION
Enemies of the Pre-Tribulation Rapture also conveniently forget that it was not John Nelson Darby in the 19th century but the Lord Jesus Christ is 30 AD, who first presented the doctrine of the Rapture to his apostles before His crucifixion. Which means that all the attacks on Darby, Scofield, etc. are bogus. And when misguided people call this a “theory” they are making Christ out to be a liar.
JOHN 14:1-3: THE RAPTURE OF THE SAINTS TO HEAVEN
Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.
The key phrase here is “I will come again and receive you unto myself”. While this was first addressed to the apostles, it has general application to all the saints, since the apostles died as martyrs, and Christ did not come back from Heaven in the first century to take them up to Heaven. It should be noted that when Jesus said “Let not your hearts be troubled”, He automatically disconnected the Rapture from any Tribulation period.
3. THE RESURRECTION CANNOT BE SEPARATED FROM THE RAPTURE
All Christians believe that the saints will be resurrected. However, only a few understand that the Resurrection cannot be separated from the Rapture.
When a child of God dies, his or her body is interred in the grave. However, the soul and spirit go directly to Christ. But since Christ has promised to resurrect all the saints, it follows that He must bring their souls and spirits with Him at the Resurrection, so that they might receive their immortal, glorified bodies, and return to Heaven for the Marriage of the Lamb. Paul presents this to us very clearly in 1 Corinthians 15:51-54:
Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep [die], but we shall all be changed [transformed at the Resurrection/Rapture], 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 [at the Resurrection], and we shall be changed [at the Rapture]. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory.
4. CHRIST COMES PERSONALLY WITH (AND FOR) THE SAINTS
As we can see here, the Resurrection/Rapture is a supernatural event which occurs in nanoseconds. All the saints receive glorious immortal and incorruptible bodies. However, what should be carefully noted in 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 is that (a) Christ comes personally with the saints who have passed on, and for the saints who are alive at that time, (b) He comes to fulfill His promise in John 14:1-3 that He will come again and receive you unto Himself, and (c) that from this point on all the saints will be with Him eternally in the heavenly city New Jerusalem.
But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep [have died in Christ], that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent [precede] them which are asleep. For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words.
There are several other passages which develop the doctrine of the Resurrection/Rapture more fully, but these should be sufficient to prove that all the attacks against the Pre-Tribulation Rapture are from Satan through mistaken, misguided, or malicious individuals.
The word “rapture” is derived from the Latin “rapiemur”, which is the equivalent of “caught up together” as seen above. So to claim that the word “Rapture” is not in the Bible is simply naive and foolish. Those who believe the Word of God have no problem accepting one word for this event rather than insisting on three or four words.
Since there is a lot of tiresome nonsense being published about (a) no Rapture, (b) a Post-Tribulation Rapture when that would be impossible, (c) a Rapture where Christians do not go to Heaven, (d) a Rapture which coincides absurdly with the Second Coming of Christ, etc., every Christian should be aware that a plain study of the Bible is sufficient to establish the Pre-Tribulation Resurrection/Rapture as an important and critical Christian doctrine. You may ask why it is critical, and the answer from Scripture is that it is critical because it completes the salvation of the saints, which is glorification.
1. THE REASON FOR THE RESURRECTION/RAPTURE
Before we even study the relevant passages, we need to ask ourselves “What exactly is the reason for the Resurrection/Rapture of the saints?” And unless we clearly understand God’s plan of salvation in Christ, we will not understand why the Resurrection/Rapture is critical.
We read in Romans 8:29,30: For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified.
While sanctification is not mentioned here, we know from the New Testament that God’s plan of salvation includes (1) justification, (2) sanctification, and (3) glorification (and perfection). The opponents of the Pre-Tribulation Rapture conveniently forget that the saints must be glorified, and receive incorruptible, immortal, and glorified bodies, before they enter Heaven for the Marriage of the Lamb. Therefore the Resurrection/Rapture is a single event before the Second Coming of Christ. This fact is sufficient to refute the foolish notion of a Post-Tribulation Rapture.
2. CHRIST PRESENTED THE RAPTURE BEFORE HIS CRUCIFIXION
Enemies of the Pre-Tribulation Rapture also conveniently forget that it was not John Nelson Darby in the 19th century but the Lord Jesus Christ is 30 AD, who first presented the doctrine of the Rapture to his apostles before His crucifixion. Which means that all the attacks on Darby, Scofield, etc. are bogus. And when misguided people call this a “theory” they are making Christ out to be a liar.
JOHN 14:1-3: THE RAPTURE OF THE SAINTS TO HEAVEN
Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.
The key phrase here is “I will come again and receive you unto myself”. While this was first addressed to the apostles, it has general application to all the saints, since the apostles died as martyrs, and Christ did not come back from Heaven in the first century to take them up to Heaven. It should be noted that when Jesus said “Let not your hearts be troubled”, He automatically disconnected the Rapture from any Tribulation period.
3. THE RESURRECTION CANNOT BE SEPARATED FROM THE RAPTURE
All Christians believe that the saints will be resurrected. However, only a few understand that the Resurrection cannot be separated from the Rapture.
When a child of God dies, his or her body is interred in the grave. However, the soul and spirit go directly to Christ. But since Christ has promised to resurrect all the saints, it follows that He must bring their souls and spirits with Him at the Resurrection, so that they might receive their immortal, glorified bodies, and return to Heaven for the Marriage of the Lamb. Paul presents this to us very clearly in 1 Corinthians 15:51-54:
Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep [die], but we shall all be changed [transformed at the Resurrection/Rapture], 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 [at the Resurrection], and we shall be changed [at the Rapture]. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory.
4. CHRIST COMES PERSONALLY WITH (AND FOR) THE SAINTS
As we can see here, the Resurrection/Rapture is a supernatural event which occurs in nanoseconds. All the saints receive glorious immortal and incorruptible bodies. However, what should be carefully noted in 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 is that (a) Christ comes personally with the saints who have passed on, and for the saints who are alive at that time, (b) He comes to fulfill His promise in John 14:1-3 that He will come again and receive you unto Himself, and (c) that from this point on all the saints will be with Him eternally in the heavenly city New Jerusalem.
But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep [have died in Christ], that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent [precede] them which are asleep. For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words.
There are several other passages which develop the doctrine of the Resurrection/Rapture more fully, but these should be sufficient to prove that all the attacks against the Pre-Tribulation Rapture are from Satan through mistaken, misguided, or malicious individuals.