The Rapture

I Thes. 4: 16, 17 "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 deadin 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 shallwe ever be with the Lord."

The Meaning of Rapture

The word 'rapture' is not in the King James Version of the Bible, but is a translation of a Greek word.

"Harpazo" -- "Caught Up" -- to snatch -- or caught away

The Latin word "Rapere" -- meaning rapid -- is also a translation of "caught up."

The rapture is defined as a sudden, blissful change; the state of being transported from one place to another.

"Harpazo" is found in the Scripture in the following places.

Acts 8: 39 "…The Spirit of the Lord caught away Philip…"

II Cor. 12: 4 Paul "…was caught up into paradise…"

I Thes. 4: 17 "…Shall be caught up together… to meet the Lord inthe air…"

Rev. 12: 5 The man "…child was caught up unto God, and to HisThrone."

The Timing of Rapture

When will the rapture of the Church take place?

There are Three Schools of Teaching Concerning the Rapture

Pre-Tribulation Rapture

These believe the whole Church will be raptured beforeTribulation.

Mid-Tribulation Rapture

These believe the whole Church will go through the first three-and-a-half years of the Tribulation and then be raptured in the middle of the Tribulation.

Post-Tribulation Rapture

These believe the whole Church will go through the seven years of Tribulation and then be raptured at the end of the Tribulation, at the"epiphaneia" -- "appearing." This is the literal return of Christ.

There are Reasons Why They are Wrong

Each of these schools of teaching believe they are the only one that has the truth, and all the others are wrong. Each of these different schools of teaching have a certain amount of truth concerning the rapture. However, they go wrong when they take the part that is truth and make that partto be the whole truth. Therefore, when they make the part to be thewhole, they distort the truth and end up in error and false doctrine.

They also believe there is only one catching away. This is another point where they go wrong. Many of these teachers are very sincere in what they believe. I believe that they unintentionally misinterpret theScriptures. However, they need to recognize that they not only support "theirpart" with Scripture, but the others also support "their part" with Scripture.

The Support of Scripture

Something will Take Place Before the Tribulation

Scriptures support the fact that something will take place before the Tribulation.

Lk. 21: 36 "Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man."

There will be some that will be counted "worthy to escape all these things."

Acts 15: 14--16 "Simeon hath declared how God at the first did visit the Gentiles, to take out of them a people for His name. And to this agree the words of the prophets; as it is written, After this I will return, and will build again the tabernacle of David, which is fallen down; and I will build again the ruins thereof, and I will set it up:"

Rev. 3: 10 "Because thou hast kept the Word of My patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, totry them that dwell upon the earth."

Rev. 3: 20, 21 "Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear My voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and hewith Me. To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with Me in My Throne, evenas I also overcame, and am set down with My Father in His Throne."

Something will Take Place in the Middle of the Tribulation

Scripture supports the fact that something takes place inthe middle of the Tribulation.

Lk. 12: 36 "And ye yourselves like unto men that wait for their Lord, whenHe will return from the wedding: that when He cometh and knocketh, they mayopen unto Him immediately."

The wedding has already taken place and He is inviting someto the Marriage Feast in the second or third watch. The first watch hasalready taken place.

Matt. 25: 6 "And at midnight there was a cry, Behold, theBridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet Him."

"At midnight" means the middle of the Tribulation. The Church goes into the first three-and-a-half years of the Tribulation for"…all (virgins; both wise and foolish) slumbered and slept." (Matt. 25: 5)

Matt. 24: 22 "Except those days should be shortened, there should no fleshbe saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened."

I Thes. 4: 16, 17 "For the Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with ashout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the deadin Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain (left) shall becaught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and soshall we ever be with the Lord."

I Thes. 5: 2 "For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord socometh as a thief in the night."

"At midnight" -- There is no judgment involved at this time. This is His secret coming in the air for the Church.

Something will Take Place After the Tribulation

Scripture supports the fact that something will take placeafter the Tribulation.

Matt. 24: 29--31 "Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall thesun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shallfall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken: And thenshall appear the sign of the Son of Man in heaven: and then shall all thetribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of Man coming in the cloudsof heaven with power and great glory. And He shall send His angels with agreat sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together His elect from thefour winds, from one end of heaven to the other."

Notice the words, "Immediately after the tribulation ofthose days..." He has been talking about the events of the Tribulation andnow moves on to something that takes place after -- "And they shall see theSon of Man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And Heshall send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gathertogether His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other."

II Thes. 1: 7--10 "And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the LordJesus shall be revealed from heaven with His mighty angels, In flaming firetaking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of ourLord Jesus Christ: Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from thepresence of the Lord, and from the glory of His power; When He shall come tobe glorified in His saints, and to be admired in all them that believe (becauseour testimony among you was believed) in that day."

Rev. 7: 9, 13, 14 "After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, whichno man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues,stood before the Throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, andpalms in their hands; And one of the elders answered, saying unto me, What arethese which are arrayed in white robes? and whence came they? And I said untohim, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they which came out of Great Tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the Blood of the Lamb."

This is the time when the Lord comes in judgment with His holy angels.

Rev. 19: 11--16 "And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and Hethat sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He doth judge and make war. His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on His head were many crowns; and He had a name written, that no man knew, but He Himself. AndHe was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and His name is called The Word of God. And the armies which were in heaven followed Him upon white horses,clothed in fine linen, white and clean. And out of His mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it He should smite the nations: and He shall rule them with a rod of iron: and He treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath ofAlmighty God. And He hath on His vesture and on His thigh a name written, KINGOF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS."

The Truth of the Rapture

There is considerable evidence in the Scripture that reveals that there is more than one catching away.

The Translation of the Bride of Christ

Most of the controversy and argument over the Rapture is caused by the fact that some see Scripture indicating Pre-Tribulation Rapture and that is all they see. Others see only Scripture dealing with theMid-Tribulation Rapture. Still others see only the Post-Tribulation scriptures. Each different school of thought supports themselves withScripture. Therefore, because they see only one of these positions, they try to force all the other scriptures into their one Rapture theory. Attempting to make the one part of truth to be the whole, they end up with a distortion of the truth. However, if they would consider the whole truth in their examination of Scripture, they would have to come to the conclusion that there is not just one event but three. One event has to do with the Bride (theOvercomer), which is translated out of the Church before the beginning ofTribulation. Jesus said:

Lk. 21: 36 "Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape (Ekpheugo -- vanish from) all these things that shall come topass, and to stand before the Son of Man."

The Bride, like Enoch, will be translated before the judgment.

Heb. 11: 5 " By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and was not found, because God had translated him: for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God."

Before the Tribulation, the Bride of Christ (the Overcomer)made herself ready for the marriage.

Rev. 19: 8 "And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints."

The Bride was found worthy to escape all the things that were to come upon the earth.

The Rapture of the Church

After the translation of the Bride, the Church goes into the first three-and-a-half years of the Tribulation. Under great persecution theChurch will be awakened out of sleep and prepared ("trim their lamps")for the Rapture in the Middle of the Tribulation hour.

The Church will then be invited to the marriage feast.

Matt. 25: 7--10 "Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps….And they that were ready went in with Him to the marriage (Marriage feast):"

Lk. 12: 35--38 "Let your loins be girded about, (with Truth) and your lights burning; (you can have a lamp without oil, but to have a lighted lamp burning you have to have oil, symbolic of the Holy Spirit). And ye yourselves like unto men that wait for their Lord, when He will return from the wedding; that when He cometh and knocketh, they may open unto Him immediately. Blessed are those servants, whom the Lord when He cometh shall find watching: verily I say unto you, that He shall gird Himself, and make them to sit down to meat, and will come forth and serve them. And if He shall come in the second watch, or come in the third watch…"

The First Watch has already taken place with the Translation of the Bride. Now He comes, as obviously indicated, between the Second andThird Watch. This agrees with what the Lord said in Matt. 25: 6, "And at Midnight…" which is between the two watches.

Matt. 25: 1-10 "Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the Bridegroom (and theBride). And five of them were wise, and five were foolish. They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them: But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. While the Bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept. And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, theBridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet Him. Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil;for our lamps are gone out. But the wise answered, saying, Not so; lest there be not enough for us and you: but go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves. And while they went to buy, the Bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with Him to the marriage (feast): and the door was shut."

The Church has been made ready for Rapture by persecution during the first three-and-a-half years of the Tribulation, and is called to the"Wedding Feast."

I Thes. 4: 16, 17 "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 deadin 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 shallwe ever be with the Lord."

Rev. 19: 9 "And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God."

This event of the Rapture of the Church is followed by the saved (the Born-Again), who have lived loosely and their garments have become spotted by the flesh, going into the last three-and-a-half years of theTribulation Hour. They are represented by the "five foolish virgins" that could not go into the Marriage Feast. (Matt. 25: 11, 12) These will be refined and made ready for the Lord when He returns literally to the earth to set upHis Kingdom at the end of the Tribulation Hour. The Apostle John says in:

Rev. 7: 9 "I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before theThrone and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands."

Rev. 7: 13, 14 "One of the elders answered, saying unto me, what are these which are arrayed in white robes? And whence came they? And I said unto him,Sir thou knowest. And he said unto me, These are they which came out of Great Tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb."

Their garments had become spotted and they had need of being washed.

One of the arguments against Pre-Tribulation Rapture orTranslation is the fact that the early church fathers did not speak or write much about it. But remember, Jesus did speak about a Pre-TribulationTranslation in Lk. 21: 36 " Escape All." Again Jesus said:

Rev. 3: 10 "Because thou hast kept the Word of My patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation (trial-Tribulation), which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth."

You must also remember there are some things that have been concealed until the time of the end. The Angel of God told Daniel the Prophet:

Dan. 12: 4 "Shut up the words, and seal the Book, even to the time of the end."

We are now living in the time of the end, and God is revealing truth that has been hidden.

Zechariah said:

Zech. 14: 7 "It shall come to pass, that at evening time it shall belight."

This is not a paradox, this is a Divine Revelation that in "thetime of the end," "evening time," there "shall be light"(Revelation of Truth). This is not light that dispels the darkness altogether. This is "flashing light" like "lightning." This "light" will not be seen by everyone, it will only be seen by those that are looking in the right direction (with an open heart); God reveals truth unto them by HisSpirit.

The Literal Return of Christ

At this time, Christ shall set up His earthly kingdom and reign and rule on the earth.

Matt. 24: 29--31 "Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken: And then shall appear the sign of the Son of Man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of Man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And He shall send His angels witha great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other."

There are Three Events -- Not One

The Translation of the Overcomers out of the (Laodicean) Church that have Made Themselves Ready for the Wedding

Out of those that have been Born- Again, and from those that have been Baptized into the Body (the Church) will come those that live the Overcoming life, and are Overcomers (the Bride ofChrist). Throughout Scripture, this fact is repeated over and over again. When the seed of the Word of God was sown:

Matt. 13: 23 "He that received Seed into the good ground is he that heareth the Word, and understandeth it; which also beareth fruit, and bringethforth, some an hundred fold, some sixty, some thirty."

Matt. 25: 15 "Unto one He gave five talents, to another two,and to another one; to every man according to his several ability…"

Mk. 4: 28 "For the earth bringeth forth fruit of herself; first the blade,then the ear, after that the full corn in the ear."

The seed, if it is cultivated and cared for, will return to its original state. The Word of God planted inour hearts, if it is cultivated and cared for, will produce the natureof Christ in us.

Jn. 15: 2, 8 "…Every branch that beareth fruit, He purgeth it,that it may bring forth more fruit… Herein is My Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit,"

The Word of God speaks of believers as being borninto the family of God as " Babes."

I Pet. 2: 2 "As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the Word, thatye may grow thereby:"

"Brephos" -- "Babes" -- newborn -- infants

The Secret Coming of the Lord in the Air to Rapture the Church in theMiddle of Tribulation

Many in the Church are spoken of as "babes" that need togrow.

I Cor. 3: 1 "And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual,but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ."

The Word also speaks of believers as " children" thatneed to grow up.

Eph. 4: 14 "That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;"

"Nepios" -- "Children" -- an immature Christian

The Word also speaks of believers as " sons" that are matured.

Rom. 8: 14 "For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God."

"Huios" -- "Sons" -- mature Christian

There are "babes" (I Pet. 2: 2), there are "little children"(I Jn. 2: 13) and there are " fathers." (I Jn. 2: 14)

I Cor. 3: 12 speaks of some building on the foundation, " Gold, Silver, Precious Stones." These speak of different categories of Christian attainment.

The Scripture speaks of "Justification." (Rom. 5: 1) It also speaks of "Sanctification." (I Thes. 4: 3) Furthermore, it also speaks of"Glorification." (Rom. 8: 30) Scripture also speaks of "Unity of the Faith""and of the knowledge ("Epignosis" -- exact or full knowledge) of theSon of God," -- "Unto a perfect ("Teleios" -- of full age -- complete --perfect) man."

Heb. 12: 23 speaks of a "…General assembly (theBorn Again)… Church of the First born (the Body of Christ)… and…Spirits of just men made perfect(the Bride of Christ)."

The Return of Christ After the Tribulation

The reason you have three schools of teaching is because none of these teachings agree with the others, which is evidence that they fail to see the whole picture.

Rev. 11: 15 "And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord,and of His Christ; and He shall reign for ever and ever."

What the Bible Teaches Chart

The Bible teaches that some will escape all.

Matthew 25:1	Luke 12:35,36; 21:36	Revelation 3:10;19:7-9
Enoch is a type of the Bride. He was translated before judgment.	Methuselah is a type of the church. He lived up until the time of judgment.	Noah is a type of the saved. He was preserved through judgment in the Ark of Safety.