Welcome to another edition of The Teaching Lady. I am so glad you stopped by today. I realize there are thousands of other blogs you can read, but I thank you for choosing to stay around here for a few minutes. Today, it’s all about the rapture of the church.
A couple of weeks ago, two gentlemen from a church in the area knocked on my door on a Sunday afternoon. Their topic of discussion? Jesus and the Passover. After speaking with them for a while, the subject of the rapture came up.
The one gentleman politely said, “You know Jesus will come back at the Passover?”
To which I politely said, “The Passover has come and gone already, guys. We just celebrated the Passover not too long ago.”
“Yes, yes we did.”
“Do you mean the rapture?” I asked.
“Ma’am, you know the word rapture is not in the Bible, right?”
“That would be correct. The English word “rapture” is not in the Bible. However, I don’t believe we can discount the original language.”
Silence.
The rapture
I have listened to multiple sermons on the subject of the rapture, and I know people have various views on this subject. Not everyone believes in the rapture. If you haven’t had a chance to read my blog on Millennial Views, check it out. I define each millennial view. The millennial view most associated with the rapture is premillennialism.
We, the church, are either out of here before the seven-year tribulation starts (The rapture), or we aren’t.
Disclaimer: I am not picking a date or supporting anyone’s choice of a specific date because the bottom line is: We do not know when it will occur. The Lord God is the only one who knows. While there are many signs we can point to, the knowledge of the timing is totally up to the Lord.
Original language
The word rapture is not in the English Bible. It’s not even in my Bible dictionary. However, as I pointed out to the kind gentlemen at my door, we cannot ignore the original language. The New Testament text was written mainly in Greek.
Pastors typically start with the following verse as a springboard for discussing the rapture.
1 Thessalonians 4:16-17, “16 For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. 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.
The word “caught up” in Greek is harpazo, which means to catch (away, up) pluck, pull, take (by force). Some Bible dictionaries say snatch up.
Another example of where the word, caught up is in Revelation 12:5, “5 She gave birth to a male child, one who is to rule[a] all the nations with a rod of iron, but her child was caught up to God and to his throne,”
There are three differing views or opinions on when the rapture will happen concerning the tribulation period.
The tribulation period is defined as the seven-year period where the world is characterized by calamities such as war, famine, pestilence, natural disasters, and death. It will last seven years.
Let’s look at each view.
Disclaimer: The definitions for each view come from the book titled, The Smart Guide Of The Bible by Daymond Duck and Larry Richards.
Pre-tribulation Rapture Theory
“Most experts believe the rapture will occur before the tribulation period.”
Mid-tribulation Rapture Theory
“These people believe the rapture will occur in the middle of the tribulation period.”
Post-tribulation Rapture Theory
“These people believe the rapture will occur at the end of the tribulation period.”
Thoughts
I happen to believe in the pre-tribulation rapture. The world is looking darker by the day. I don’t see this world getting better as some believe has to happen before the Lord returns. If that were the case, we’d be waiting a very long time. Everything is declining, and rapidly I might add. As my friend likes to say, “We are speeding toward the bridge out sign up ahead. The brakes have failed. We need Jesus!”
Next time we gather, we will look at some of the arguments supporting and opposing the rapture views.
Until then, I am looking up. Christ can return any time.
Blessings!
The Teaching Lady
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