Understanding the Rapture

What is the Rapture, when does it happen, will You be there?

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What Is the Rapture?

The Rapture refers to the belief that Jesus Christ will return to take believers, both the living and the resurrected dead, to be with Him. This event is often described as happening suddenly, without warning, and separate from Christ's second coming in glory to judge the world.

The word rapture comes from the Latin word rapturo, meaning “caught up,” which is derived from the Greek word harpazō (ἁρπάζω) found in 1 Thessalonians 4:17:

“Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord.”
— 1 Thessalonians 4:17 (ESV)

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Key Scriptural Basis for the Rapture

1. 1 Thessalonians 4:13–18 – Describes the Lord descending from heaven and the faithful being "caught up."

2. 1 Corinthians 15:51–52 – Paul speaks of a mystery: the dead will be raised and the living changed "in the twinkling of an eye."

3. John 14:1–3 – Jesus tells His disciples He is preparing a place and will return for them.

4. Matthew 24:40–42 – Two men in a field; one is taken, one left—often cited as a rapture reference.

5. Revelation 3:10 – Refers to being kept "from the hour of trial"—used in Pre-Tribulation arguments.

Remember, it is important to come to your own conclusion on when the rapture occurs. There is only 1 correct answer, and that is what the Bible tells us (without us manipulating scripture and taking it at face value).

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Theological Interpretations of the Rapture

There are several interpretations within Christian theology, largely based on how one understands the timing of the Rapture in relation to the Tribulation (a period of great suffering before Christ’s return):

1. Pre-Tribulation Rapture

• Believers are taken before the 7-year Tribulation.

• Popular in dispensationalist circles and popularized by books like Left Behind.

• Supported by interpretations of Revelation 3:10 and the idea that God spares the church from wrath. (More on this later)

2. Mid-Tribulation Rapture

• The Rapture occurs at the midpoint of the Tribulation (3.5 years in).

• Believers face the first half’s persecution but are spared the worst judgments.

3. Post-Tribulation Rapture

• Believers go through the full Tribulation and are raptured just before Christ returns.

• Tied closely with Matthew 24 and Revelation 20.

• Emphasizes the refining of faith through suffering.

4. Pre-Wrath Rapture

• A nuanced view: the Rapture occurs just before God’s final outpouring of wrath, but after much of the Tribulation.

• Balances divine protection with human endurance.

This is the correct way to interpret the rapture, and we will keep unpacking this more as we move through this series.

The main point to understand is that we will be here for the tribulation (the seals: war, famine, death..), but we will be taken out before God’s Wrath (the trumpets and the Bowls). God will not have his believers here for those things.

There are 2 things to pay attention to here that many get confused about

• Satan’s Wrath is not the same as God’s wrath

  • Satan’s wrath is the tribulation (Wars, famine, death, antichrist) , the period leading up to the trumpets

  • God’s Wrath occurs when the trumpets sound and he pours his bowls out on the Earth

We will be studying this more as we move through the series, but this is a great starting point if you are confused. (A simple reading of Revelation will outline this for you to see.)

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Why This Matters

Understanding the Rapture effects:

• How you interpret Scripture

• How you live day to day (urgency, preparedness)

• How do you teach others about end-times events

• How churches approach mission and evangelism

If you believe the rapture occurs before the tribulation, you can still be a true follower of Christ, but it is helpful not to be in denial about this in case you are living on the Earth at the time, so you can better prepare.

If you have already left the earth prior (Death), then this won’t mean as much to you, but it is still important to help others understand (future generations), as we do not know when this will occur, nor will we have an exact date or time.

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Action Plan: Studying the Rapture

For those of you who want to take this a little bit further we have a study plan below.