The Rapture of the Church
A Study in Several New Testament Texts
by Max Frazier

From the February 2010 Philogian

Wow!  What a week it had been for those disciples.  It had begun with a seeming triumphant parade into the city of Jerusalem.  Crowds had lined the narrow pathway, placing their outer robes – one of the most important and valuable pieces of clothing that they owned – onto the cobblestones softening the clomp-clomp of the donkey’s feet.  And, oh the noise!  The cries of “Hallelujah!  Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!” were deafening.  And their Master, who usually shunned this type of visible demonstration, actually was allowing it to happen.  In fact, He proclaimed that if this people did not cry out, the very stones of Jerusalem would cry out. 

The disciples began to enthusiastically put together their own version of the prophetic texts.  What they had witnessed was what the ancient prophet Zechariah had proclaimed.  Now they quickly envisioned the fulfillment of the kingdom being at hand.  It did not surprise them that the kingdom might come during Passover; after all, it was at that first Passover that God seemed to lay His hands upon an enslaved nation and call it to become a kingdom for Himself.  Furthermore, the events of the week – including the driving out of the money-changers from the Temple and the nose-to-nose interchange with the Pharisees – seemed to ignite not only imaginations but also reality.  Yes, the kingdom was definitely at hand!

I believe it was with a great sense of anticipation that the disciples planned and prepared for that Passover Seder which they would share with Jesus.  If there were any clouds that lingered over the horizon, it concerned the question of who would be the greatest in the kingdom which was imminent.  I can almost hear Peter, John, James, and the others shouting as to the reasons he should be “Number One.”  And so the meal was prepared.  The guests had arrived.  The meal was to begin.  Jesus, Himself acting as the host, had arranged the “name cards” around the table as He intended.  Each disciple had his own unique place. 

But then, Jesus did something uncharacteristic.  He excused Himself from the table, laid aside His outer clothing, donned the apron of a slave, and proceeded to wash the feet of His disciples.  This hardly seemed the way to initiate the kingdom.  And Jesus, as He washed their feet, talked about love and service, not about power and conquests.  There were no maps of battle strategy on the table.  Just bread and wine and the usual accoutrements associated with the Seder.

Then Jesus made two announcements that quickly turned the emotional tide of that evening from one of celebration to one of disbelief, even to despair.  First, Jesus told them that He was going to die.  How could that be possible?  How could a kingdom arrive without a leader?  Second, Jesus told them how they would respond; one would betray Him, another would deny Him, and they all would leave Him. 

Well you could hear the air being sucked out of that room.  All of a sudden there was a quietness that was unnatural.  It was only later that the disciples fully understood the significance of Passover; the focus was not upon the advent of a kingdom, no, it was upon the approval of that perfect sacrifice who would take away the sins of the world. 

Friends, it is into this environment of despair and disbelief that Jesus proclaims one of the greatest promises He ever made to His disciples and to us.  It is one of three significant passages in the New Testament that relates the reality of the coming Rapture of the Church.

“Don’t let your hearts be troubled…” – John 14:1-4
Knowing the disquiet of their hearts Jesus utters these precious words to His disciples:
Do not your hearts be troubled.  Trust in God; trust also in me.  In my Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you.  I am going there to prepare a place for you.  And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.  You know the way to the place where I am going. (John 14:1-4)

I find three significant truths recorded in this passage.  First, Jesus affirmed that there was a purpose in His leaving them behind – He was going to prepare a place for them in heaven.  Second, when that place was fully prepared for them, Jesus would return and take them to that special place.  Third, it is Jesus’ purpose to take us from earth to the Father’s house in heaven.  This is accomplished either through death – for most believers since the Fall – or by a rapture event as experienced by Enoch and Elijah. 

I am reminded of those words of encouragement the Apostle Paul gave to his Corinthian friends:
Now we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands.  Meanwhile we groan, longing to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling, because when we are clothed, we will not be found naked.  For while we are in this tent, we groan and are burdened, because we do not wish to be unclothed but to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life.  Now it is God who has made us for this very purpose and has given us the Spirit as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.  Therefore we are always confident and know that as long as we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord.  We live by faith, not by sight.  We are confident, I say, and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord.  So we make it our goal to please him, whether we are at home in the body or away from it.  (2 Corinthians 5:1-9).

Friends, Jesus gave this promise to His disciples that He would return to bring them to His home…our eternal home.  To this promise we can all say “Amen!”

“We will be caught up together with them in the clouds… - 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18
No doubt about it – this is one of the great passages in the New Testament.  Let’s read together those words that bring encouragement and hope.
 
Brothers, we do not want you to be ignorant about those who fall asleep, or to grieve like the rest of men, who have no hope.  We believe that Jesus died and rose again and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him.  According to the Lord’s own word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left till the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep.  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.  Therefore encourage each other with these words.  (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18)

You remember the background behind these words.  One of many false prophets had come to Thessalonica and had related to the believers that death caused a person to no longer be part of God’s plan – at least of participating in His return.  The Apostle Paul’s reply is “Nonsense.  Jesus Himself told me how it would happen; and here is His plan.” 

Let’s look at exactly what Jesus had told Paul, presumably while Paul was in “seminary” there in the Arabian Desert those three years.

First, there will be several audible moments when the Rapture occurs.  There will be a loud command, very much like the voice of Jesus calling Lazarus forth from the tomb.  Remember how John described it: When he had said this, Jesus called in a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!” (John 11:43).  Perhaps at that very moment every man and woman who knows Christ as Savior will hear their name being called.  I believe it is time we begin to listen for our name to be called, even as Abraham listened for God to call him before he plunged the knife into the heart of his son.  A second audible moment will be the voice of the archangel crying out, followed by the sounding of the trumpet of God – the shofar will blow.  In the Old Testament, one of the purposes of the shofar (trumpet) was to let the people of Israel know it was time to strike the camp and get moving forward. 

Then, there will be those memorable visible moments – not seen by the world, but seen by those whose bodies will be forever changed.  First, and this is important, especially for those Thessalonian believers who had loved ones lying in the grave, the dead in Christ will rise first.  This will be a reunion of the body and the soul.  How God is going to do this, I don’t even want to take a foggy guess.  I have been asked, “Max, will the actual graves themselves open up or will the new bodies just go through the soil into the air?”  I don’t know.  If Jesus is a model for us, then I think the graves will be opened…not so much for our bodies to escape, but as a testimony to others of what has happened.  And second, those of us who are privileged to be living when this moment arrives will be caught up to be with our Lord and with those others who have been raptured.  How that will occur is amplified in the next passage we want to focus upon.

“We will all be changed…” – 1 Corinthians 15:51-57
As the passage in 1 Thessalonians 4 primarily focuses upon the rapture and those who are “dead in Christ,” this passage in 1 Corinthians focuses primarily upon the rapture and those who are yet alive.  Again, let us read those powerful words of blessing:
I declare to you, brothers, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable.  Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed – in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet.  For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed.  For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality.  When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: “Death has been swallowed up in victory.”  “Where, O death, is your victory?  Where, O death, is your sting?”  The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law.  But thanks be to God!  He gives us the victory through out Lord Jesus Christ.  (1 Corinthians 15:50-57)

Paul wants us to know that what he is about to share with his readers is a “mystery.”  This is a truth not revealed in the Old Testament, but in the New Testament.  Although not stated in the Old Testament, there are, nonetheless, two examples of Old Testament saints whose bodies were changed allowing them to not experience death.  You remember the story of Enoch – who walked with God and was not because God took him (Genesis 5:24).  And you remember the story of Elijah and how he was ushered to heaven in a chariot of fire (2 Kings 2:11). 

The Apostle Paul also wants us to know that some type of change needs to occur because, as we now exist in these present bodies, we are not able to live in heaven.  That which is now perishing (decaying) must become imperishable (not subject to decay).  That which is mortal (subject to dying) must become immortal (not subject to dying).  If you take a good long look at yourself in the mirror, it will not take you long to understand that your body is perishing.  The advertising world has caught on to the fact that our bodies are perishing, and so they want us to buy this cream or that lotion to help erase the fact of our perishing.  But the day is coming when we will not need creams and lotions or exercise machines.  God, Himself will change our bodies from houses of death into homes of eternal life.  I really like the way the Apostle Paul described this wonderful event to his friends in Philippi:
But our citizenship is in heaven.  And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body.  (Philippians 3:20-21)

And how long will it take for this happen?  “In the twinkling of an eye!”  Now that is fast.  Perhaps no event in the history of the world has happened with the speed of the Rapture of the Church.  The birth of the nation of Israel took over 400 years.  The birth of Jesus Christ necessitated nine month.  The death of Christ took six hours, and the resurrection was preceded with three days and nights in the tomb.  But, the Rapture will occur so quickly it will only be noticed because of the impact that it has upon the world. 

Are there signs that point to the Rapture?
The fact of the Rapture is certain; the time of the Rapture is uncertain.  Furthermore, there are no signs that are given in the Scriptures that point toward the Rapture.  The Rapture is a “sign-less” event.  However, I do believe that the Scriptures point toward many signs that address the time of Christ’s Second Advent – His coming to establish His kingdom; the one those disciples were anticipating that Passover evening.

First, there are those signs that point toward a one-world government, with a one-world leader.  There are those signs that point toward the hostility of the nations toward Israel and their determination to wipe Israel off the map.  There are those signs that point toward a strengthening of China and other Far Eastern nations.  There are those signs that point toward an alliance between Russia, Iran, and other radical Islamist nations to destroy Israel. 

Second, there are those signs that focus upon the spiritual condition of the Church at the close of the age.  It will be characterized as being one of apostasy.  There will be a defection from the faith.  It will have a lukewarm interest but no personal commitment to Christ. 

Friends, as we see these signs being fulfilled…signs which point to the coming of Christ to set up His kingdom in Jerusalem, then we need to be excited because the Rapture soon draws nigh. 

What should we be doing while we wait?
I believe that in His Olivet Sermon (found in Matthew 24 and 25) Jesus admonishes us to do two things as we wait for His coming for His Bride, the Church.  First, we are to watch.  Listen to these words:
No one knows about that day or hour, not even the Son, but only the Father.  As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. … Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come.  But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into.  So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.  (Matthew 24:36-37, 42-44).

No one listened to Noah, so no one was ready when the flood came.  Now this admonition would make no sense at all if the Lord’s return could not occur at any moment.  We call this imminence.  Are we really watching for the return of the Lord?  Two years ago, I began to offer a monthly brown-bag prophecy luncheon where Christians could gather to discuss what God was doing in His world in preparation for the return of Christ.  Over the past two years our group has grown, not only in numbers, but in knowledge of what God is doing.  In essence, we have joined together to watch for Christ’s return.

But Jesus also instructed us to work until He comes.  He describes this in one of His final parables, that of the talents.  Let me just share a portion of the text with you:
Again, it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted his property to them.  To one he gave five talents of money, to another two talents, and to another one talent, each according to his ability.  Then he went on his journey.  The man who had received the five talents went at once and put his money to work and gained five more.  So also, the one with the two talents gained two more.  But the man who had received the one talent went off, dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money.  (Matthew 25:14-18)

In our watching, we are to be working.  There is much yet to be accomplished before the Lord comes.  There are those who still need to hear the message of Christ.  There are still those who need to be encouraged in their faith.  There are still those who need to receive a cup of cold water in the name of Jesus.  There are those who need a visit to make them feel accepted.  And the list goes on and on.  This is not a time for apathy.  This is a time for advancement.  Why?  Because Jesus is coming!

The Rapture is our blessed hope.  I echo Paul’s words to Titus: while we wait for the blessed hope – the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ (Titus 2:13).

When will the Rapture occur?
You have noticed that, until now, I have not written a word about when the Rapture will occur.  It is not that I don’t have an opinion, because I do.  Personally, I believe the Rapture will occur before the Tribulation begins.  I believe there are several texts in the New Testament that point me in that direction.  So, I am a Pre-Trib rapturist.  But not dogmatically so.  I have colleagues who hold to a Mid-Trib or a Post-Trib position, and they have their Scriptural texts that support their position.  So, which of the positions is the correct one?  I don’t know, although I tell my students, when discussing the Rapture, that I will remain a Pre-Trib until I see the Antichrist sign his contract with the nation of Israel; then, I will become a Mid-Trib believer.  I will take it one step at a time.

However, I can dogmatically make this statement: I am Pro-Rapture.  I am for the Rapture whenever Jesus Christ calls my name.  I want to be watching and working until He comes.  And I trust that it is the same with you.

To modify the greeting of the early church: He is risen; He is risen indeed; let’s begin to state: He is coming; He is coming soon.

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