We need to talk about an event called The Rapture. Why should we? According to Dr. David Jeremiah, “the Rapture is perhaps the most important piece of prophecy for us to understand since it may very well impact us personally.” This week I will be seeking to answer several questions about this event. In today’s blog I will aim to answer the following questions: What is the Rapture? Who is the Rapture for? And is the Rapture a real biblical event?
Question #1: What is the rapture and who is the rapture for?
The easiest answer to give is this: it is an event where everyone who has believed in the Lord Jesus Christ will be called up from the earth to join Christ in His kingdom in heaven. That is my best definition, and I’ll show you in a moment where I base this definition. Now notice, based on that definition, the rapture will only include those who believe in the Lord Jesus and trust Him for their salvation. Furthermore, this will include every Jesus believing person who is alive and dead. This also means those who are alive and who are dead, who have not believed in the Lord Jesus for their salvation, will not experience the rapture.
Question #2: Is the rapture a real biblical event? Is there really such a thing as the rapture?
The reason we need to answer this question is because there are some in the church that do not believe the rapture is a real biblical event, and the reason they do not believe the rapture is a real biblical event is because the Bible never actually uses the word ‘rapture’; and they are correct, the Bible never uses the word ‘rapture’ (I’ll address this issue in a later blog). Therefore, I thought we might need to spend a moment answering the question if the rapture really is biblical, and is there really such a thing as a rapture?
My answer is yes, the rapture is a real biblical event. I believe that because Paul describes this event in 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18: “But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep. For this we declare to you by a word from the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. Therefore encourage one another with these words.” By the way, my definition for the Rapture is based on Paul words in this verse. I want to answer one more question before as we conclude.
Question #3: Why should we trust Paul here? Where did Paul his information from about this?
My answer is that Paul received such details from God. We know, according to 1 Corinthians 2:6-16, that Paul taught that the Spirit of God reveals to man details about things that “no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love him.” Paul tells us 2 Corinthians 12:2-4 that he received details about heavenly things no man can speak of. In Galatians 1:11-24 we know Paul spent three years in the desert of Arabia and was taught the gospel by Jesus himself. So, I personally believe, based on these verses, Paul received this information from God.