02/16/2021
THE TRUTH ABOUT RAPTURE
The word ‘rapture’ is not found in the Bible. What is referred to as rapture is the term ‘caught up’ used by Paul in 1 Thessalonians 4:17. ‘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. If ‘caught up’ connotes rapture then Paul must have been raptured when he said he was caught up to the third heaven in 2 Corinthians 12. But in truth, ‘Caught up means a man sees into the realm of the Spirit and hear God speak’. That’s why, when Paul was caught up, he heard unspeakable words too heavy for man to speak. When John had similar experience, you hear him say – I was in the Spirit’. (Rev 1:10, Rev 4:2)
Now, ‘Caught up’ is harpazo in Greek and it means – ‘to seize’ or ‘take by force’. It is from the root word, ‘haireomai’, which means ‘to take for oneself’, ‘to prefer or to choose’. The easiest way to comprehend what Paul said is to know where he got his ideas from and he didn’t hide it. He said, what he said is from the word of the Lord Himself – which means he got it from the teachings of Jesus. You see that in John 14:3, ‘And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also. This is Jesus speaking about His return. Instead of ‘caught up’ Jesus used the word ‘receive’. ‘Receive’ in that verse is the Greek word, ‘Paralambano’ meaning ‘to bring near’ and ‘teach’. You get the full picture of what Paul is saying by studying how Jesus took three of His Disciples up the mountain to show them the Kingdom of God.
The coming of the Kingdom of God is what is generally referred to as the second coming of Christ. The Kingdom of God is the coming of God’s Chosen King to reign on earth. So, Jesus wanted to show them what His return will look like and so He took Peter, James and John up the mountain. ‘Took’ is the same Greek word ‘paralambano’. (Stop here and read carefully – Luke 9:27-35, before you continue in this study).
Now understand that where Jesus used the term, ‘Receive you to Myself’, Paul used the term, ‘caught up’, therefore according to what you read in Luke 9:27-35, ‘Caught up’ means ‘you are chosen to see the glory of Christ and to hear God speak’.
Now, a closer look at what Paul said: 1 Thess 4:16, ‘For the Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:
To descend from heaven means He returns in fulfilment of the word. Jesus came down from heaven 2000 years ago but He didn’t drop from the sky – He was born like every normal human being. And when He grew up, He said, He is the Bread that came down from heaven and the people argued, claiming ‘we know His father and mother, how can He say He came down from heaven’? When something God said is fulfilled on earth – that thing is from heaven. To descend from heaven doesn’t mean Jesus will drop from the sky.
NEXT: The shout, voice of the archangel and trumpet of God refers to the proclamation of God’s Chosen King – the Messiah according to Psalm 2:6, "Yet I have set My King on My holy hill of Zion." God positioned His Chosen King on Mount Zion – the congregation of God’s chosen people. Then the King said in verse 7, ‘I will proclaim the decree of the Lord: He said to me, "You are My Son; Today I have become your Father. The King is not diving down from the sky like a bird – the King Messiah is born a Man just like other men but at the fullness of time, the LORD said to Him, you are My Son, Today I have become your Father. So, the Messiah start revealing Himself on earth by announcing what the LORD said to Him. It is that announcement that Paul called, ‘the voice of an archangel and the trumpet of God’. The Good News Translation makes that verse 7 clear: "I will announce," says the King, "what the LORD has declared. He said to Me: 'You are My Son, Today I have become your Father’. Trumpet signifies an announcement. ‘Trumpet of God’ means announcing something God said.
Furthermore, ‘for the dead in Christ to rise first’ means the reincarnated saints will be the first to dine with the Messiah’. The dead in Christ does not mean these people came out of the grave. These are the saints – believers who died but they are on earth the second time. They are reincarnated – born a second time on earth in different bodies and bearing new names. This is what Elijah and Moses represented on that mountain. The first to recognize the Christ are reincarnated saints. So, the phrase ‘dead in Christ’ does not mean they are dead people in the grave. Dead in that verse is the Greek word ‘nekros’ and that means to breath but have no life. All men died right from the fall of man – breathing but no life in them.
Also ‘to rise’ in that verse is anistemi in Greek and this means ‘the Lord will bring them up by Himself like a father brings up his children’. ‘To rise’ in that verse is not the Greek word ‘egeiro’ which is ‘to raise someone from the grave’. To rise therefore means, these people are on earth born a second time but are brought up in God’s way by the teaching of the Son of God – the King Messiah Himself. Jesus puts it this way in John 5:25, ‘Most assuredly, I say to you, the hour is coming, and now is, when the dead (nekros) will hear the voice of the Son of God; and those who hear will live. Anyone who doesn’t listen to the Messiah is dead and doomed under God’s judgment.
Then, Paul said by verse 17, ‘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. ‘We which are alive and remain’ refers to those who have not died when Jesus returns as King Messiah – but they are chosen to know Him. They have never died before but they are people who recognize and believe in the Messiah – because if you don’t recognize Jesus at His return, you can’t join Him on Mount Zion – the Mountain of the LORD’s House (Isaiah 2:2-3, Micah 4:1). So, on that mountain, Peter, James and John represents all who believe in Jesus but have never died before. Like the ten virgins expecting to meet the Bridegroom, they slept off but when they were fully awake – they saw His glory. They recognized the glory of Christ.
In that verse, ‘the clouds’ is ‘the meeting point for man to hear God speak’. Remember on the mountain, ‘a cloud came and overshadowed them; and a voice came out of the cloud, saying, "This is My beloved Son. Hear Him!” Also ‘air’ in that verse is the word ‘respire’ and that is ‘rest’.
Therefore, ‘to meet the Lord in the air’ means ‘they come into God’s Rest’ which is eternal life. ‘To be always with Him’, refers to the fulfillment of God’s promise and that is eternal life for all who believe in the only begotten Son of God. The only begotten Son of God is the glory of Christ, the one Peter, James and John saw on the mountain and the voice that came out of the cloud said, ‘this is My Son, whom I have chosen, hear Him’. To believe in Him means you listen to Him. Anyone who listens to Him has everlasting life. Anyone who listens to Him enters God’s rest.
Therefore, ‘Caught up’ means ‘you are chosen to enter God’s rest as you listen to the Chosen Son of God’. ‘Caught up’ means you are chosen to enter eternal life because you believe in the Messiah – the only begotten Son of God. ‘Caught up’ means you recognize the Messiah and you are brought into His Presence to hear God Himself teach (Isaiah 54:13, John 6:45).
There is no such thing as rapture in God’s plan for man. He who has an ear let him hear what the Spirit says to His elect.
Peace be with you!
I am the Son of God - My name is SOLA. The LORD said to Me, ‘you are My Son, Today I have become your Father’.
