Secret Rapture

“Do you believe in the secret Rapture? I've had this question posed to me several times. But what does the phrase “secret Rapture” even mean? After all, the effects of the Rapture certainly will not be a secret. It's not as if The Disappearance of every genuine follower of Christ simultaneously from the earth could go unnoticed. Even if you give the lowest estimation for the number of professing Christians that are actually followers of Christ, the number of people that would be evacuated off the earth at the same time by the Lord would not be a low number. The percentage might be low, but the total number definitely will not be. So what is this supposed “secret” about?

The doctrine of the Rapture is not a secret either. People have been talking about the Rapture since the beginning of the church. They will likely continue to be talking about it until it happens. Even though 1/4 of professing believers no longer believe that Jesus is even going to literally, physically return, and there are many others who believe in the return of Christ but believe in different timings for the Rapture, the Tribulation, the Second Coming, and everything associated with that. So the Rapture itself certainly is not a secret. What, then, do the opponents of the Rapture doctrine, who often use the term “secret Rapture” as a pejorative, mean when they say that?

It could be in reference to the fact that unless you were going to be taken up in the Rapture, you won't actually see it happen. As I said above, you will definitely be aware that something has happened. But you won't see the actual event. How could that be? Because the Bible says in 1 Corinthians 15:52 that the Rapture will take place in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye. How fast is the twinkling of an eye? The twinkling of an eye refers to the time it takes for light to travel in the eye from the iris to the retina or 1/6 of a nanosecond. A microsecond is 1/1,000,000 of a second. A nanosecond is 1/1000 of a microsecond. So we could call the Rapture a secret in that it happens so quickly that the only ones that will be aware of it when it's happening are the ones who are involved in it.

This is how the Bible describes Enoch's rapture. Genesis 5:24 says Enoch walked with God and then all of a sudden, he just wasn't there because God took him. Hebrews 11:5 tells us that Enoch did not see death because of his faith, which is the only thing required to participate in the Rapture. There was no announcement, no warning, no fanfare. There was no booming voice for all to hear that got everyone else's attention. Enoch was there and then he wasn't. It's as simple as that. Elijah experienced a type of the Rapture in 2 Kings 2:11 when he was walking along and then all of a sudden, he was taken into Heaven. These are the only two men who have ever lived that have never experienced death so far. That is why there are some who believe the two witnesses that will appear during the first half of the Tribulation (Revelation 11:1-14) are Enoch and Elijah because Hebrews 9:27 says everyone dies once and then faces the judgment. That seems like the most logical conclusion to me as well, though everyone who will be caught up at the Rapture of the Church will never taste death either. So there are obviously exceptions to that Hebrews 9:27 rule. Jesus himself was raptured in Acts 1:9-11. He spent 40 days after his resurrection appearing to hundreds of people, providing documentable proof that he was alive to many eyewitnesses. Then he gave final instructions to his apostles before ascending into Heaven while they watched him. I would call this a slow-motion version of the Rapture because the scripture seems to indicate that the apostles were actually able to see him ascending. The Rapture will happen so quickly that it will take everyone by surprise except those who will hear the shout, the voice of the archangel, and the trumpet call of God (1 Thessalonians 4:16). But still, what Jesus experienced when he ascended to Heaven is also a type of a Rapture.

If anything is secret about the Rapture, it's the timing. Remembering Matthew 24:36 when Jesus said that no one knows the day or the hour. The angels in Heaven and even Jesus himself do not know the hour that he will return to bring his church to Heaven with him to escape the wrath of God on planet Earth. Only the Father knows when the Rapture will happen. If the Father has kept something a secret from his son, it's most definitely a secret to us. And the Father has seen fit to keep the timing of the gathering of his people to himself a mystery even to this day. This verse cannot be talking about the Glorious Appearing of Christ at the end of the Tribulation because we know exactly when that will happen. The Tribulation will last seven years (Daniel 9:27). A biblical year is 360 days. 360 times 7 is 2520 days. That means that from the time the Tribulation begins when the Antichrist signs a treaty with Israel (Daniel 9 24-27) to the end of it, will be 2,520 days. So we know exactly how long the Tribulation will be and therefore the exact day that Jesus will return at the end of the Tribulation. All you have to do when the Tribulation starts is count 2,520 days ahead from that date and you will know when Jesus is returning with his church to set up the Millennial Kingdom on Earth. But until the Tribulation begins, no one knows that day either even though they eventually will be able to calculate it. The only event on God's prophetic calendar that will be an absolute secret known only to the Father until it happens is the Rapture of the Church. That is also why a mid-Tribulation or post-Tribulation Rapture is unlikely. If the Rapture happens in the middle of the Tribulation, a person will know when that is about to occur because we will know when the Tribulation started and when the halfway point is. The same would be true if the Rapture happened at the end of the Tribulation. We would know the exact timing of the Rapture in both of those scenarios because we would know when the Tribulation began. The only way that Matthew 24:36 is possible where no one knows the timing is if the Rapture happens prior to the Tribulation with no signs preceding it. The Rapture itself will not be a secret. But its timing is the best-kept secret in the history of the universe.

A chronology of the Rapture

If we were going to take all of the Rapture events listed throughout the New Testament and put them in the order they will occur, this is what it would look like. If you want every reference to the Rapture in the New Testament, you can find that here:

Jesus will descend from Heaven, where he has been preparing a place for us since he returned there after his resurrection. He will return with a loud command, the voice of the archangel, and the trumpet call of God to gather all of his true followers to himself. God will raise to life through Jesus any believer who has died and bring them together with him when he comes. Then those who are still living when the Lord comes for the Rapture will join them with him for a big reunion in the air before we are all taken to Heaven. From that time forward, even when Jesus returns to Earth at the end of the Tribulation, we will always be where he is. When Jesus is in Heaven, we will be. When he returns to Earth, we will too. And we will all be together at the end of the Millennial Kingdom when New Jerusalem comes down out of Heaven and is joined with New Earth.

But while the Tribulation is going on here on Earth, we will be in Heaven. The first thing that will happen is the Judgment Seat of Christ. This is NOT a judgment to determine salvation. The Judgment Seat of Christ is for believers only and will determine the amount of reward or loss individual believers will receive for their good works done with proper motives or lack thereof. For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ (Romans 14:10). For no one can lay a foundation other than the one that is there, namely, Jesus Christ. If anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, or straw, the work of each will come to light, for the Day will disclose it. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire itself will test each one’s work quality. If the work stands that someone built upon the foundation, that person will receive a wage. But if someone’s work is burned up, that one will suffer loss; the person will be saved, but only as through fire. (1 Corinthians 3:11-15). For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ so that each one may receive compensation for his deeds done through the body, per what he has done, whether good or bad (2 Corinthians 5:10).

After the Judgment Seat of Christ comes the Marriage Supper of the Lamb. The last thing to happen in Heaven before Christ returns to Earth and we go with him will be this wedding feast. Jesus is the bridegroom, and the church is his bride. It will be the most lavish celebration of all time up to that point.

"But the word 'Rapture' isn't the Bible!" Or is it?

Every chapter of 2 Thessalonians contains a reference to the return of Jesus. The Thessalonians were disturbed because some had taught that the Rapture had already happened and that those in Thessalonica had been left behind to face the Rapture. The Apostle Paul wrote this in response to their fear: Concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered to him, we ask you, brothers and sisters, not to become easily unsettled or alarmed by the teaching allegedly from us—whether by a prophecy or by word of mouth or by letter—asserting that the day of the Lord has already come. Don’t let anyone deceive you in any way, for that day will not come until the rebellion occurs and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the man doomed to destruction. He will oppose and will exalt himself over everything that is called God or is worshiped so that he sets himself up in God’s temple, proclaiming himself to be God (2 Thessalonians 2:1-4).

This shows that the topic of the return of Christ was important even in the first-century church. It is no wonder then that the early church lived with such evangelistic fervor, even to the point of death. Paul assured them that they would be rescued from the time of God's coming wrath. He said, "You became imitators of the Lord and of us, for you welcomed the message amid severe suffering with the joy given by the Holy Spirit. And so you became a model to all the believers in Macedonia and Achaia. The Lord’s message rang out from you not only in Macedonia and Achaia—your faith in God has become known everywhere. Therefore we do not need to say anything about it, for they report what kind of reception you gave us. They tell how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead—Jesus, who rescues us from the coming wrath" (1 Thessalonians 1:6-10).

In the second century, some Christians thought they were already in the Tribulation. And others thought the Lord was near because of the intense persecution they faced. Hugh Latimer was a Fellow of Clare College, Cambridge, and Bishop of Worcester during the Reformation, and later Church of England chaplain to King Edward VI. In 1555 under the Catholic Queen Mary I, he was burned at the stake, becoming one of the three Oxford Martyrs of Anglicanism (Hugh Latimer- Wikipedia). He expressed assurance of the Rapture, saying, "Peradventure it may come in my days, old as I am, or in my children's days...the saints shall be taken up 'to meet Christ in the air' and so shall come down with him again" (Page 29 of The Basis of the Premillennial Faith written in 1953 by Charles Ryrie). Latimer lived in the 1500s. This was 250 years before John Nelson Darby, who the Rapture doctrine's detractors say originated the Rapture theory. Yet here we have a Bishop centuries earlier articulating both the Rapture and the return of resurrected believers with Christ.

Others who attack the Rapture theory say that the word "rapture" doesn't even appear in the Bible. They're right, sort of. The English word "rapture" doesn't appear in the Bible, but the word picture of the Rapture occurs many times, as I showed in a previous post. The word itself doesn't have to be there for the doctrine to be there. "For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever" (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17). The Greek word for "will be caught up" is "harpazō" and means "to seize, carry off by force, to seize on, claim for one's self eagerly, to snatch out or away" (The Outline of Biblical Usage by Larry Pierce). The word "rapture" comes from the fourth-century Latin translation of that Greek word. So when someone tells you the Rapture isn't the Bible, the description of it is. And if they want to find the word, read the Bible in Latin. That's why we started calling the event "the Rapture" when Jesus seizes us and carries us off, snatching us out and away by force to eagerly claim us for himself. The word "Trinity" isn't in the Bible, but Jesus told us to baptize disciples in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit (Matthew 28:19). The Trinity is in the Bible even though the word isn't. The Rapture is in the Bible even though it's not in the original Greek text.

Differences between the Rapture before the Tribulation and the Glorious Appearing after it

The chart has been found in so many Tim LaHaye books, I wasn't about to go through and list them all. I have taken the time to share each passage in total listed on the chart in translations of my choosing.

RAPTURE PASSAGES (BEFORE THE TRIBULATION)

1. "Let not your heart be troubled. You believe in God. Believe also in me. In my Father's house, there are many mansions. If not, I would have told you: because I go to prepare a place for you. And if I shall go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and take you to myself; that where I am, you also may be" (John 14:1-3 Douay-Rheims 1899 American Edition).
2. "·Everything God made [L The creation] is waiting with ·excitement [eager expectation] for ·God to show his children’s glory completely [the revelation of the children/sons of God]" (Romans 8:19 Expanded Bible).
3. "Therefore, you don’t lack any gift as you wait eagerly for our Lord Jesus Christ to be revealed. He will continue to give you strength until the end so that no one can accuse you of anything on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ" (1 Corinthians 1:7-8 GOD'S WORD Translation).
4. "I’m telling you a mystery. Not all of us will die, but we will all be changed. It will happen in an instant, in a split second at the sound of the last trumpet. Indeed, that trumpet will sound, and then the dead will come back to life. They will be changed so that they can live forever. This body that decays must be changed into a body that cannot decay. This mortal body must be changed into a body that will live forever" (1 Corinthians 15:51-53 GOD'S WORD Translation).
5. "If anyone doesn’t love the Lord, let him be cursed! Our Lord, come" (1 Corinthians 16:22 GOD'S WORD Translation)!
6. "We, however, are citizens of heaven. We look forward to the Lord Jesus Christ coming from Heaven as our Savior. Through his power to bring everything under his authority, he will change our humble bodies and make them like his glorified body" (Philippians 3:20-21 GOD'S WORD Translation).
7. "Let everyone know how considerate you are. The Lord is near" (Philippians 4:5 GOD'S WORD Translation).
8. "Christ is your life. When he appears, then you, too, will appear with him in glory" (Colossians 3:4 GOD'S WORD Translation).
9. "...and to wait for his Son from Heaven, whom he raised from the dead—Jesus, who rescues us from the coming wrath" (1 Thessalonians 1:10 Holman Christian Standard Bible).
10. "For who is our hope or joy or crown of boasting in the presence of our Lord Jesus at his coming? Is it not you" (1 Thessalonians 2:19 Holman Christian Standard Bible)?
11. "And regarding the question, friends, that has come up about what happens to those already dead and buried, we don’t want you in the dark any longer. First off, you must not carry on over them like people who have nothing to look forward to, as if the grave were the last word. Since Jesus died and broke loose from the grave, God will most certainly bring back to life those who died in Jesus. And then this: We can tell you with complete confidence—we have the Master’s word on it—that when the Master comes again to get us, those of us who are still alive will not get a jump on the dead and leave them behind. In actual fact, they’ll be ahead of us. The Master himself will give the command. Archangel thunder! God’s trumpet blast! He’ll come down from Heaven, and the dead in Christ will rise—they’ll go first. Then the rest of us who are still alive at the time will be caught up with them into the clouds to meet the Master. Oh, we’ll be walking on air! And then there will be one huge family reunion with the Master. So reassure one another with these words" (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 The Message).
12. "For God has not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ" (1 Thessalonians 5:9 Modern English Version).
13. "Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your spirit, soul, and body be preserved whole and blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ" (1 Thessalonians 5:23 Mounce Reverse-Interlinear New Testament).
14. "Brothers and sisters, we have this request to make of you about our Lord Yeshua [Jesus] Christ’s coming and our gathering to meet him" (2 Thessalonians 2:1 Names of God Bible).
15. "I insist that, until our Lord Yeshua Christ appears, you obey this command completely. Then you cannot be blamed for doing anything wrong" (1 Timothy 6:14 Names of God Bible).
16. "I solemnly call on you in the presence of God and Christ Yeshua, who is going to judge those who are living and those who are dead. I do this because Christ Yeshua will come to rule the world" (2 Timothy 4:1 Names of God Bible).
17. "The prize that shows I have God’s approval is now waiting for me. The Lord, who is a fair judge, will give me that prize on that day. He will give it not only to me but also to everyone who is eagerly waiting for him to come again" (2 Timothy 4:8 Names of God Bible).
18. "...looking for the blessed hope [Rapture] and Glorious Appearing [end of the Tribulation] of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ" (Titus 2:13 New King James Version).
19. "Likewise, Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of humanity, and after that, he will appear a second time. This time he will not deal with sin, but he will save those who eagerly wait for him" (Hebrews 9:28 GOD'S WORD Translation).
20. "Meanwhile, friends, wait patiently for the Master’s Arrival. You see, farmers do this all the time, waiting for their valuable crops to mature, patiently letting the rain do its slow but sure work. Be patient like that. Stay steady and strong. The Master could arrive at any time. Friends, don’t complain about each other. A far greater complaint could be lodged against you, you know. The Judge is standing just around the corner" (James 5:7-9 The Message).
21. "... so that the genuineness of your faith, which is more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tried by fire, may be found to result in praise, glory, and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ ...Therefore guard your minds, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ" (1 Peter 1:7, 13 Modern English Version).
22. "And when the chief Shepherd appears, you will receive a crown of glory that will not fade away" (1 Peter 5:4 Modern English Version).
23. "And now, little children, remain in him so that when he appears, we may have confidence and not be ashamed before him when he comes. If you know that he is righteous, you know that everyone who does righteousness is born of him. Consider how much love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God. Therefore the world does not know us because it did not know him. Beloved, now are we children of God, and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be. But we know that we shall be like him when he appears, for we shall see him as he is" (1 John 2:28-3:2 Modern English Version).
24. "Keep yourselves in the love of God while you are waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ, which leads to eternal life" (Jude 21 Modern English Version).
25. "But hold firmly what you have until I come" (Revelation 2:25 Modern English Version).
26. "Because you have patiently obeyed me despite the persecution, therefore I will protect you from the time of Great Tribulation and temptation, which will come upon the world to test everyone alive" (Revelation 3:10 The Living Bible).

GLORIOUS APPEARING PASSAGES (AT THE END OF THE TRIBULATION)

1. "During the reigns of those kings, the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that will never be destroyed; no one will ever conquer it. It will shatter all these kingdoms into nothingness, but it shall stand forever, indestructible. That is the meaning of the Rock cut from the mountain without human hands—the Rock that crushed to powder all the iron and brass, the clay, the silver, and the gold" (Daniel 2:44-45 The Living Bible).
2. "I watched as thrones were put in place and the Ancient of Days—the Almighty God—sat down to judge. His clothing was as white as snow, his hair like whitest wool. He sat upon a fiery throne brought in on flaming wheels, and a river of fire flowed from before him. Millions of angels ministered to him, and hundreds of millions of people stood before him, waiting to be judged. Then the court began its session, and the books were opened. As I watched, the fourth brutal animal was killed, and its body was handed over to be burned because of its arrogance against Almighty God and the boasting of its little horn. As for the other three animals, their kingdoms were taken from them, but they were allowed to live a short time longer. Next, I saw the arrival of a Man—or so he seemed to be—brought there on clouds from Heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was presented to him. He was given the ruling power and glory over all the world's nations so that all people of every language must obey him. His power is eternal—it will never end. His government shall never fall" (Daniel 7:9-14 The Living Bible).
3. "At that time, Michael, the mighty angelic prince who stands guard over your nation, will stand up and fight for you in heaven against satanic forces, and there will be a time of anguish for the Jews greater than any previous suffering in Jewish history. And yet every one of your people whose names are written in the Book will endure it. And many of those whose bodies lie dead and buried will rise up, some to everlasting life and some to shame and everlasting contempt. And those who are wise—the people of God—shall shine as brightly as the sun’s brilliance, and those who turn many to righteousness will glitter like stars forever" (Daniel 12:1-3 The Living Bible).
4. "Then I will pour out the spirit of grace and prayer on all the people of Jerusalem. They will look on him they pierced, and mourn for him as for an only son, and grieve bitterly for him as for an oldest child who died" (Zechariah 12:10 The Living Bible).
5. "Watch, for the day of the Lord is coming soon! On that day, the Lord will gather together the nations to fight Jerusalem; the city will be taken, the houses rifled, the loot divided, the women raped; half the population will be taken away as slaves, and half will be left in what remains of the city. Then the Lord will go out fully armed for war, to fight against those nations. That day his feet will stand upon the Mount of Olives, to the east of Jerusalem, and the Mount of Olives will split apart, making a vast valley running from east to west, for half the mountain will move toward the north and half toward the south. You will escape through that valley, for it will reach across to the city gate. Yes, you will flee as your people did long centuries ago from the earthquake in the days of Uzziah, king of Judah, and the Lord my God shall come, and all his saints and angels with him. The sun and moon and stars will no longer shine, yet there will be continuous day! Only the Lord knows how! There will be no ordinary day and night—at evening time, it will still be light. Life-giving waters will flow out from Jerusalem, half toward the Dead Sea and half toward the Mediterranean, flowing continuously both in winter and summer. And the Lord shall be King over all the earth. In that day, there shall be one Lord—his name alone will be worshiped. All the land from Geba (the northern border of Judah) to Rimmon (the southern border) will become one vast plain, but Jerusalem will be on an elevated site, covering the area all the way from the Gate of Benjamin over to the location of the old gate, then to the Corner Gate, and from the Tower of Hananel to the king’s winepresses. And Jerusalem shall be inhabited, safe at last, never again to be cursed and destroyed. And the Lord will send a plague on all the people who fought Jerusalem. They will become like walking corpses, their flesh rotting away; their eyes will shrivel in their sockets, and their tongues will decay in their mouths. They will be seized with terror, panic-stricken from the Lord, and will fight against each other in hand-to-hand combat. All Judah will be fighting at Jerusalem. The wealth of all the neighboring nations will be confiscated—significant quantities of gold and silver and fine clothing. (This same plague will strike the horses, mules, camels, donkeys, and all the other animals in the enemy camp (Zechariah 14:1-15 The Living Bible).
6. "I will send my angels, and they will separate out of the Kingdom every temptation and all who are evil" (Matthew 13:41 The Living Bible).
7. "So when you see the ‘abomination of desolation,’ spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place (let the reader understand), then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. Let him who is on the housetop not go down to take anything out of his house. Let him who is in the field not return to take his clothes. Woe to those who are with child and to those who nurse in those days! Pray that your escape will not be in the winter or on the Sabbath. For then will be great tribulation, such as has not happened since the beginning of the world until now, no, nor ever shall be. Unless those days were shortened, no one would be saved. But for the sake of the elect, those days will be shortened. Then if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ,’ or ‘There He is,’ do not believe it. For false Christs and false prophets will arise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. Listen, I have told you beforehand. So, if they say to you, ‘Look, He is in the desert,’ do not go there; or, ‘Look, He is in the private chambers,’ do not believe it. For as the lightning comes from the east and flashes to the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. Wherever the carcass is, there the eagles will be gathered together. Immediately after the tribulation of those days, the sun will be darkened, the moon will not give its light. The stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken.' Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather His elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other" (Matthew 24:15-31 Modern English Version).
8. "Jesus said to him, 'You have said so. But I say to you, hereafter, you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power and coming on the clouds of heaven'” (Matthew 26:64 Modern English Version).
9. "Now, when you see the abomination of desolation standing where it should not be—let the reader understand—then those who are in Judea must flee to the mountains. Whoever is on the housetop must not go down, nor go in to get anything out of his house. And whoever is in the field must not turn back to get his cloak. But woe to those pregnant women and to those who are nursing babies in those days! Moreover, pray that it will not happen in winter. Those days will be such a time of tribulation as has not occurred since the beginning of the creation that God created until now and never will again. And if the Lord had not shortened those days, no life would have been saved; but for the sake of the elect, whom He chose, He shortened the days. And then if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ’; or, ‘Look, there He is’; do not believe it; for false Christs and false prophets will arise, and will provide signs and wonders, to mislead, if possible, the elect. But beware; I have told you everything in advance" (Mark 13:14-27 New American Standard Bible).
10. "And Jesus said, 'I am;, and you shall see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of power, and coming with the clouds of heaven'" (Mark 14:62 New American Standard Bible).
11. "There will be signs in the sun and moon and stars, and on the earth distress among nations, in perplexity at the roaring of the sea and the waves, people fainting from fear and the expectation of the things that are coming upon the world; for the powers of the heavens will be shaken. And then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. But when these things begin to take place, straighten up and lift up your heads because your redemption is drawing near" (Luke 21:25-28 New American Standard Bible).
12. "And after He had said these things, He was lifted up while they were watching, and a cloud took Him up, out of their sight. And as they were gazing intently into the sky while He was going, then behold, two men in white clothing stood beside them, and they said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into the sky? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you have watched Him go into heaven" (Acts 1:9-11 New American Standard Bible).
13. "Therefore repent and return, so that your sins may be wiped away, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord; and that He may send Jesus, the Christ appointed for you, whom heaven must receive until the period of restoration of all things, about which God spoke by the mouths of His holy prophets from ancient times" (Acts 3:19-21 New American Standard Bible).
14. "...so that He may establish your hearts blameless in holiness before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all His saints" (1 Thessalonians 3:13 New American Standard Bible).
15. "For, after all, it is only right for God to repay with affliction those who afflict you, and to give relief to you who are afflicted, along with us, when the Lord Jesus will be revealed from heaven with His mighty angels in flaming fire, dealing out retribution to those who do not know God, and to those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. These people will pay the penalty of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power, when He comes to be glorified among His saints on that day and to be marveled at among all who have believed—because our testimony to you was believed" (2 Thessalonians 1:6-10 New American Standard Bible).
16. "Then that lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord will eliminate with the breath of His mouth and bring to an end by the appearance of His coming" (2 Thessalonians 2:8 New American Standard Bible).
17. "Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal among you, which comes upon you for your testing, as though something strange was happening to you; but to the degree that you share the sufferings of Christ, keep on rejoicing, so that at the revelation of His glory you may also rejoice and be overjoyed" (1 Peter 4:12-13 New American Standard Bible).
18. "Beloved, this is now the second letter I am writing to you in which I am stirring up your sincere mind by way of a reminder, to remember the words spoken beforehand by the holy prophets and the commandment of the Lord and Savior spoken by your apostles. Know this first of all, that in the last days mockers will come with their mocking, following after their own lusts, and saying, “Where is the promise of His coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue just as they were from the beginning of creation.” For when they maintain this, it escapes their notice that by the word of God, the heavens existed long ago, and the earth was formed out of water and by water, through which the world at that time was destroyed by being flooded with water. But by His word, the present heavens and earth are being reserved for fire, kept for the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly people. But do not let this one fact escape your notice, beloved, that with the Lord one day is like a thousand years and a thousand years like one day. The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not willing for any to perish, but for all to come to repentance. But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, in which the heavens will pass away with a roar and the elements will be destroyed with intense heat, and the earth and its works will be discovered. Since all these things are to be destroyed in this way, what sort of people ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be destroyed by burning, and the elements will melt with intense heat! But according to His promise, we are looking for new heavens and a new earth, in which righteousness dwells. Therefore, beloved, since you look for these things, be diligent to be found spotless and blameless by Him, at peace" (2 Peter 3:1-14 New American Standard Bible).
19. "It was also about these people that Enoch, in the seventh generation from Adam, prophesied, saying, “Behold, the Lord has come with many thousands of His holy ones, to execute judgment upon all, and to convict all the ungodly of all their ungodly deeds which they have done in an ungodly way, and of all the harsh things which ungodly sinners have spoken against Him" (Jude 14-15 New American Standard Bible).
20. "Behold, He is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see Him, even those who pierced Him; and all the tribes of the earth will mourn over Him. So it is to be. Amen" (Revelation 1:7 New American Standard Bible).
21. "And I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse, and He who sat on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness, He judges and wages war. His eyes are a flame of fire, and on His head are many crowns, and He has a name written on Him which no one knows except Himself. He is clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God. And the armies which are in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, were following Him on white horses. From His mouth comes a sharp sword, so that with it He may strike down the nations, and He will rule them with a rod of iron; and He treads the winepress of the fierce wrath of God, the Almighty. And on His robe and on His thigh, He has a name written: 'KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.' Then I saw an angel standing in the sun, and he cried out with a loud voice, saying to all the birds that fly in midheaven, 'Come, assemble for the great feast of God, so that you may eat the flesh of kings and the flesh of commanders, the flesh of mighty men, the flesh of horses and of those who sit on them, and the flesh of all people, both free and slaves, and small and great.' And I saw the beast and the kings of the earth and their armies, assembled to make war against Him who sat on the horse, and against His army. And the beast was seized, and with him, the false prophet who performed the signs in his presence, by which he deceived those who had received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image; these two were thrown alive into the lake of fire, which burns with brimstone. And the rest were killed with the sword which came from the mouth of Him who sat on the horse, and all the birds were filled with their flesh. Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, holding the key of the abyss and a great chain in his hand. And he took hold of the dragon, the serpent of old, who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years; and he threw him into the abyss and shut it and sealed it over him so that he would not deceive the nations any longer until the thousand years were completed; after these things, he must be released for a short time. Then I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was given to them. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony of Jesus and because of the word of God, and those who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received the mark on their foreheads and on their hands; and they came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were completed. This is the first resurrection. Blessed and holy is the one who has a part in the first resurrection; over these, the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and Christ and will reign with Him for a thousand years" (Revelation 19:11-20:6 New American Standard Bible).
22. "The Angel said to me, 'These are dependable and accurate words, every one. The God and Master of the spirits of the prophets sent his Angel to show his servants what must take place, and soon. And tell them, ‘Yes, I’m on my way!’ Blessed be the one who keeps the words of the prophecy of this book... 'Yes, I’m on my way! I’ll be there soon! I’m bringing my payroll with me. I’ll pay all people in full for their life’s work. I’m A to Z, the First and the Final, Beginning and Conclusion... He who testifies to all these things repeats it: “I’m on my way! I’ll be there soon'" (Revelation 22:7, 12-13, 20 The Message).

The only eschatology that contains unknown timing

Jesus said, "But of that [exact] day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father" (Matthew 24:36 Amplified Bible, Classic Edition). Only the pre-Tribulation Rapture provides the framework for this verse to be true. Only on the pre-Tribulation Rapture timeline do we not know the day or hour of Christ's coming. If the Rapture happens in the middle or the end of the seven-year judgment, the church would be able to pinpoint the exact time of Jesus' return because we know how long the Tribulation will last. Only the pre-Tribulation Rapture position leaves the timing of the heavenly gathering of the church a mystery.

Many prophecy scholars have pointed out that the most evangelistic times in the church's history have been the first three centuries (the early church) and the 19th and 20th centuries. It is no coincidence that these times correspond with the times when the church expected the imminent return of Christ while embracing Jesus' words that no one could know the exact time. This truth underscores the need to always be ready because you never know which "today" will be the day. "All of us who look forward to his Coming stay ready, with the glistening purity of Jesus' life as a model for our own" (1 John 3:3 The Message). It's only logical that this would increase the desire to evangelize. Who wants the people they love and care about the most to go through the Tribulation when there is no guarantee how long they will survive? You're not even guaranteed one more moment in the present age, let alone during that awful time. When all the death tolls prophesied are added up, it has been put forth that three out of the four people who will go through the Tribulation will not survive the entire seven years. So if you are left here to face the Tribulation, you only have a 25% chance of surviving to the end. People who understand this have an even greater urgency to evangelize, even more so than the Christian who understands that not even the next moment of life is guaranteed right now. What greater motivation could there be for living with an eternal perspective?

Lifeway Research did a study not too long ago on Christians' beliefs about the end times. The good news is the most accepted view was still the pre-Tribulation Rapture. The bad news is that was only 36% of the respondents. A combined 39% held one of the other views, and shockingly, 25% said there would be no Rapture at all! This even though two raptures have already occurred in history. The pre-flood genealogy tells us about a man named Enoch. "After the birth of Methuselah, Enoch lived in close fellowship with God for another 300 years, and he had other sons and daughters. Enoch lived 365 years, walking in close fellowship with God. Then one day, he disappeared because God took him" (Genesis 5:22-24 New Living Translation). Later, the Old Testament describes the ascension of Elijah this way: "Elijah and Elisha were walking and talking together. Suddenly, some horses and a chariot came and separated Elijah from Elisha. The horses and the chariot were like fire. Then Elijah was carried up into heaven in a whirlwind" (2 Kings 2:11 Easy-to-Read Version).

Then, of course, there are all the passages of the New Testament that talk about the Rapture. When these are examined in comparisons with the quotes on Jesus' return at the end of the Tribulation, one can easily see that the Rapture and Jesus' return at the end of the Tribulation are not at all the same event. Tim LaHaye, a co-author of the Left Behind series and one of the best prophecy teachers of all time, has some great charts and lists describing both events and their differences. We will examine all the Bible passages on both events and summarize their differences in the next post.

Our blessed hope or our consolation prize?

"For the Lord himself will come down from heaven with a commanding shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet call of God. First, the believers who have died will rise from their graves. Then, together with them, we who are still alive and remain on the earth will be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. Then we will be with the Lord forever. So encourage each other with these words" (1 Thessalonians 4:16-18 New Living Translation). This will happen before a time Jesus called the Great Tribulation. "For the tribulation will be unparalleled—hardships of a magnitude that has not been seen since creation and that will not be seen again" (Matthew 24:21 The Voice). Jesus gave a promise that he meant as a comfort to his disciples when he said it. It is the first reference to the Rapture in the New Testament. "Let not your heart be troubled; you 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 to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also" (John 14:1-3 New King James Version). If the Rapture happens before the Tribulation, we will have plenty of time to enjoy Heaven as Jesus promised before we return with him during his millennial reign (Revelation 20). If the Rapture does not occur until the middle or end of the Tribulation, our hearts have great reason to be troubled.

One of the false attacks against the Rapture is that it is some new doctrine that is only a few centuries old. Critics of the pre-Tribulation Rapture claim that the philosophy did not exist until a man named John Nelson Darby (1800-1882) invented it and spread it throughout his home country of England, eventually causing it to catch on here in North America. Going way back to the early church, records of a pre-Tribulation Rapture being taught both inside and outside the Bible as future posts on this topic will discuss in greater detail. Also, there are examples of it being taught in America in 1784, 16 years before Darby was born. Again, this will be discussed in future posts on the subject.

However, the pre-Tribulation Rapture view is not the only view of the end times that exist. Others believe the church will not be raptured until the middle of the Tribulation, and still, others feel the church will not be raptured until the end of the Tribulation. Then there is another doctrine out there called the pre-wrath Rapture view. Beyond that, some adopt the tenets of preterism and amillennialism. To a person who hasn't spent as long studying these terms and views, this can all seem very confusing and overwhelming. Unfortunately, this has caused many people to proverbially shrug their shoulders and give up on the study of eschatology altogether because it is "too hard to understand" or too controversial. How sad this is when Jesus told us to not let our hearts be troubled in connection with the Rapture (John 14:1), and the Apostle Paul wrote that we should "comfort and encourage one another with these words [concerning our reunion with believers who have died]" (1 Thessalonians 4:18 Amplified Bible). God says of the Tribulation: "In all history, there has never been such a time of terror. It will be a time of trouble for my people Israel. Yet, in the end, they will be saved" (Jeremiah 30:7 New Living Translation)! This, and other passages, indicate that national Israel will go through the Tribulation, eventually leading them to finally recognize their Messiah. The church already recognizes its Messiah and is not under God's wrath.

The world is racing toward that which is described by the prophets immediately preceding the return of Christ. That Tribulation Earth will be controlled by the Antichrist. "Let no man deceive you by any means. For the Lord comes not unless there come a departing first and that sinful man be revealed – the son of perdition" (2 Thessalonians 2:3 New Matthew Bible). However, sound teaching on Bible prophecy and the end times should not fill anyone with doom and gloom. It should spur us toward more significant evangelism and expectation. The Rapture is called our "blessed hope" (Titus 2:13), not "our quick elevator trip after God has finished pouring out his wrath on us." Let us treat it like a blessed hope, not a consolation prize.