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But we do not want you to be uninformed, brethren, about those who are asleep, that you
may not grieve, as do the rest who have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and
rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus.
For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive, and remain until
the coming of the Lord, shall not precede those who have fallen asleep.
For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel,
and with the trumpet of God; and the dead in Christ shall rise first. Then we who are alive
and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air,
and thus we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another with these words.
(1Thessalonians 4:13-18)
Meaning of "Rapture"
"Rapture" comes from the words "caught up" in I Thessalonians 4:17. In the Greek the word
is harpazo - "to seize upon by force", "to snatch up." The Latin translators used the word
rapturo. Some people claim that "rapture" is not a Biblical term. This is untrue, unless
they want to say that "God" and "Jesus" are not Biblical Terms. Almost all words in our
English Bible are translations of Greek or Hebrew expressions, and are, therefore, not in
the Bible in the form we know them. "God" is a proper and meaningful translation of certain
words in the original languages, and "Jesus" is a good translation for us of His name
(Yeshua, "Joshua," "The Lord Saves," in Hebrew). In the same way, the English word "rapture"
which means "to be caught up" is an excellent translation for the Greek harpazo.
Three specific events take place at the time Jesus calls his church out of the world:
For the Lord himself will descend from heaven
(A) with a cry of command,
(B) with the archangel's call,
(C) and with the sound of the trumpet of God.
The "cry of command" from the lips of Jesus is to awake the dead in Christ and to call
them forth from their graves as God called his friend Lazarus forth (John 11:43).
Only one archangel is called by name in Scripture. He is Michael whose specific jurisdiction
is over the people of Israel. At the time of the Rapture, the archangel will signal to
Israel that God has returned the focus of his attention at last to the final redemption of
his chosen nation. This event was spoken of by Daniel:
The trumpet call (not to be confused with the last of the seven trumpets in Revelation)
will be used to call the living saints at the time of the Rapture to be caught up and transformed together with
the just-raised saints of the past.
When an individual dies he or she leaves time and enters eternity. Some scholars think that all believers travel through eternity immediately, "in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye," to arrive at the Rapture the next instant in his or her personal experience. If that is the case, all believers arrive in heaven at the same "time." Thus, "to be absent from the body is to be at home with the Lord." (2 Corinthians 5:8) We may have difficulty picturing this if we do not realize that eternity runs according to an entirely different time than the one-dimensional time frame in which we are constrained to live while in our mortal bodies.
Events between The Rapture and Christ's Return
To understand the events which take place after the Rapture, we need to bear in mind that there is a sequence of events taking place which occurs "in heaven" and there is a parallel sequence of events occurring "on earth." In the book of Revelation note is made of those who "dwell in heaven" and those who dwell on earth" during the tribulation period. The former group "dwelling in heaven" is the church. We who comprise the church will have been given our resurrection bodies and will walk in the company of the Lamb and His holy angels. Those who are (during this same time period) dwelling on earth--include non-believers, but also God's 144,000 Jewish evangelists. (they are regenerated men but do not yet have resurrection bodies), and likewise their converts, who are the saints of the Tribulation period. Many of these saints will become martyrs during the tribulation period, but they will not be given their resurrection bodies until the tribulation ends. (Revelation 20:4)
We should think of the Rapture as the first phase of the second coming of Christ. He will come for His church, and He will remain with them forever after. But He will also come to be with the 144,000 and with the Tribulation Saints as well during the final seven years of world evangelism, and of Israel's judgment and restoration. After the seven years of the Tribulation has run its course Jesus will step out of hiding, and appears in the sky, bringing us with Him. This event, described by the Greek word epiphaneia, which means "shining forth," is the open public unveiling of Jesus--the second coming in power and glory.
But the church is the Body of Christ and the Head can not be separated from the Body! So we must begin to think of ourselves as present on earth with Jesus during the Tribulation period. Our resurrection bodies will make us invulnerable to sin and death. Furthermore, like our Lord, we will be invisible to the inhabitants of the earth.
When Christ returns, it is with "armies in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean."
And I saw heaven opened; and behold, a white horse, and He who sat upon it is called Faithful and True; and in righteousness He judges and wages war. And His eyes are a flame of fire, and upon His head are many diadems; and He has a name written upon Him which no one knows except Himself. And 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. (Revelation 19:11-14)
This is undoubtedly a picture of the His redeemed (Revelation 3:18) with glorified, immortal bodies
(1 Corinthians 15:35-50), able to descend from the heavens without the aid of a spacecraft!
We are told in Colossians 3:4, "When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory. And 1 Thessalonians talks about the "coming of our Lord Jesus with all His saints."
The Centrality of Israel and Jewish People During The Tribulation
A great body of converted people from all the nations are mentioned several times in the book of the Revelation--after the Rapture of the church. Usually they are called the "Saints." They are believers in Christ--Jews and Gentiles alike, but they are not referred to as the church, nor are any of the usual descriptions of the church attached to them. The apostate church of the period will be corrupt, and will give its influence to Antichrist (Revelation 18), so these Tribulation Saints will not in any way be associated with this apostate church, the great harlot of Revelation 17.
The theme of Israel's place during the tribulation period will be expanded in the third section of the book, but here are some of the key points which illustrate the centrality of Israel and Jewish people during this period of time:
It is synonymous with Daniel's 70th Week - Daniel 9:27; Revelation 13
The 144,000 Sealed from the 12 Tribes of Israel - Revelation 7:1-8
The Two Witnesses - probably Old Testament leaders - Moses and Elijah
(or, as some think, Enoch and Elijah) - Revelation 11:1-12
Flight of Israel - Revelation 12
Treaty with Israel, Defilement of the Temple - Revelation 13
The Church is Missing From The Tribulation - Revelation 4-19
In the first three chapters of Revelation, there are constant references to the church and to the Seven Churches. However, starting at chapter 4, verse 1, where John is told to "come up here," the church is obviously absent throughout the Tribulation period. The expression "come up here" does mean leaving the earth in Revelation 11:12 where the translation of the Two Witnesses takes place.
There are numerous references to believers in these chapters, but they are not called the church. What might be called the church on the earth during this time is the apostate shell of nominal Christianity, which has lost its true believers, and has joined with other religions of the world to become a "United Religion," which, in turn will give its power to Antichrist. This apostate church is pictured as a prostitute riding the beast in Revelation 18.
Finally, the absence of the church will undoubtedly account for the lawlessness spoken of in 2 Thessalonians 2:3.