The “rapture” is a term that is not actually used in the Bible. It is used by Christians to refer to what the Bible calls the ”catching up of the saints”.
This “catching up” is to happen when Jesus comes back to earth, from heaven, where He has been ever since He went up in a cloud almost 2000 years ago. The following Scripture refers to this event, when Jesus ascended and His disciples were left looking up after Him.
9: And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight. 10: And while they looked stedfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel; 11: Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven. Acts 1: 9-11
Whoever says Jesus will not return physically, obviously does not believe the above passage of Scripture to be true, or I Thessalonians 4:16 either for that matter.
4: God forbid: yea, let God be true, but every man a liar; as it is written, That thou mightest be justified in thy sayings, and mightest overcome when thou art judged. Romans 3:4
This next passages of Scripture were written by the apostle Paul in letters to the Christians at Thessalonica and Corinth
13: But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. 14: For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. 15: 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 them which are asleep. 16: 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: 17: 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. 18: Wherefore comfort one another with these words. I Thessalonians 4:13-1851: Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, 52: 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, and we shall be changed. 53: For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. 54: 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. 55: O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? 56: The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. I Corinthians 15:51-56
So when is the Rapture?
Like Dr. Seuss says in one of his children’s books, “Don’t ask me, go ask my father”. My heavenly Father, that is.
There are two things in the above passages that give us clues as to when we might expect it to happen. First, it says that when the dead in Christ are risen from the dead. I don’t know about you,but I haven’t seen my dead Christian grandmother walking about, since she died about 15 years ago. The other clue is the last trump issue. Many theologians have argued that one, up one side of the mountain and down the other. I think the jury is still out. However God is not “out”. He knows just what He is doing and why and how and when. So I don’t really have to worry about that part.
The timing of the rapture is not the important issue. The important issue is, “Are you spiritually ready for it when it does happen?” The following Scripture makes it clear, that you can think you are ready, when in fact you are really not.
1: Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom. 2: And five of them were wise, and five were foolish. 3: They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them: 4: But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. 5: While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept. 6: And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him. 7: Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps. 8: And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil; for our lamps are gone out. 9: 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. 10: And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut. 11: Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us. 12: But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not. 13: Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh. Matthew 25: 1-13
I would like you to notice in the above Scripture that all 10 of the young ladies were virgins, in other words, they were all Christians. But only half of them were truly ready to meet the bridegroom, who is Jesus. Half of them went with the bridegroom and the other Christians were left.
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