At The Rapture The Saints Are Going UP, At The Second Coming The Saints Are Coming DOWN

There are two main Bible passages about the Rapture of the saints: 1st Corinthians 15:51-58 and 1st Thessalonians 4:13-18. Granted, the actual word “Rapture” is not found in the Holy Bible, but neither is the word “Bible” found in the Bible. I always like to capitalize the word “Rapture” since it describes a proper future event.

There has been much debate in the churches for centuries over the matter of the Rapture. Some people claim that it was invented by rogue theologians in the late 19th century. Others claim that the early church fathers made references to the Rapture in the early centuries after Christ's earthly ministry. But regardless, what matters today is what we read in the inspired Holy Bible today. I am not concerned about what Christians believed 1,000 years ago. The $64,000 question today is: Does the Word of God teach the Rapture? I humbly think it does.

We read in 1st Thessalonians 4:17-18, “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.” Those words “caught up” sure sounds like a Rapture to me! Call it what you will, the Bible teaches that someday in the future all believers who are alive will be “caught up” together with other saints in the clouds, to meet Jesus in the air. Verse 16 says that the dead in Christ (i.e., believers who have already died) will be caught up first.

We learn in 1st Corinthians 15:51-58 that both dead and living saints will have their mortal, diseased, old, decayed and even dead body transformed, changed in less than one second, into an immortal body that will never get sick, nor grow old, will not become weary nor ever die. What a glorious day that will be! If you believe the Bible, then you must concede that there will come a day when every believer will receive a new glorified immortal body fashioned like unto the Lord's resurrected body. Philippians 3:20-21, For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself.”

I try to be honest in my Bible study and teaching. There are many dishonest Bible students, like Marty Herron who is vice president of Faith Baptist Bible College And Theological Seminary (preacher's cemetery) in Ankeny, Iowa. Mr. Herron preaches demonic hardcore Lordship Salvation and wickedly endorses Gospel pervert Pastor John MacArthur. On their college website, Herron teaches that 2nd Thessalonians 2:3-4 is about the Rapture, “Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.” According to Faith Baptist Bible College And Theological Seminary, the phrase “falling away” is definitely the Rapture. May I kindly say that they are poor Bible students! There is nothing in this passage, nor any other Scripture passage, that indicates that this is the Rapture. At best all one can do is guess and grasp for straws in a desperate attempt to justify one's suggested interpretation.

Another popular Scripture that is abused by bad Bible students, who claim that this is definitely about the Rapture, is Revelation 4:1, “After this I looked, and, behold, a door was opened in heaven: and the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me; which said, Come up hither, and I will shew thee things which must be hereafter.” Shame on any Bible teacher or preacher who claims that this is the Rapture in Revelation 4:1. The phrase “Come up hither” was for the Apostle John alone, no one else.

I refuse to butcher the Bible and grasp for ridiculous straws to justify an agenda. Like I said, I only see two Bible passages about the Rapture of the saints: 1st Corinthians 15:51-58 and 1st Thessalonians 4:13-18. But those two passages are enough to confirm that there will be a Rapture.

The Time Of The Rapture Is Hotly Debated

As far as the timing of the Rapture, that is a whole different matter. I personally believe there will be a Pretribulation Rapture. That is, I think it will happen before the 7-year Tribulation period begins. The prophet Daniel spoke of there being 70 Weeks of prophecy. The last week is the Tribulation period, which will last for 7-years. We can calculate 7-years from knowing that there will be 1,260 days from the midst (middle) of this 70th week until the end. This is 3 1/2 years. So if there are 3 1/2 years at the end, then there must also be 3 1/2 years at the beginning (Daniel 9:27, 12:11-12).

If you'd rather believe in a Prewrath or Postribulation Rapture, then good for you, I won't judge you. Pastor Steven Anderson is the biggest promoter today of a Prewrath Rapture theory. I humbly think Pastor Anderson and his New IFB movement since 2006 are wrong. Albeit, the timing of the Rapture is not a fundamental doctrine of the Christian faith which would affect getting born again. Granted, many preachers and layman today do consider Christ's pretribulation return a fundamental teaching of the Christian faith, but it does not affect getting saved.

I admit that the Bible does not say anything about the timing of the Rapture. We can only deduce the timing from comparing Scripture with Scripture. It makes no sense to me that the saints will be caught UP, at the same time we will be coming DOWN to earth with Jesus. I used to use passages of Scripture from the four gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke and John) in an attempt to justify a Pretribulation Rapture, but I stopped doing that because the doctrine of the Rapture was “a mystery” until the Apostle Paul revealed it in 1st Corinthians 15:51.

We Should Be Looking For Jesus, Not The Man of Sin

One of my biggest reasons for believing in a Pretribulation Rapture is that Jesus must appear before the Antichrist does. The Bible says in Titus 2:13-14 that all believers should be “Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.” If the New IFB are correct that Jesus cannot return at the Rapture until first the Man of Sin (Antichrist) appears upon the earth, then it would makes absolutely no sense for the Scripture to tell us to look for Jesus Christ.

Even so, come, Lord Jesus!