The Rapture

When it comes to the return of Christ, the New Testament speaks of three closely related yet distinct events which Christians have traditionally called the Rapture, the Revelation, and the Reign of Christ. The Rapture refers to Christ’s coming in the air to take His church from earth before the wrath of God is poured out on this earth. The Revelation refers to Christ’s second coming to the world to destroy the Antichrist and his kingdom. The Reign refers to Christ establishing His millennial kingdom and ruling the earth from Jerusalem for a thousand years. 

The Rapture

Among New Testament passages dealing with the return of Christ, some speak of Christ appearing suddenly in the air only for His church, without any signs preceding it, resulting in the church being glorified and taken away from the wrath of God (1 Thess. 4:13-18; 1 Cor.15:51-54), while certain other passages speak of Christ returning with His glorified saints to the earth, with signs preceding it, and for the purpose of bringing judgement upon all the unbelievers (Matt. 24:29-30; Col. 3:4; Jude 1:14; Rev.19:11-16). We find a similar pattern with respect to the Old Testament passages that speak of the advent of Christ. Some passages speak of the coming of a Messiah in glory, while others speak of His coming to suffer. Little did the Jews understand it then that these speak of the two comings of Christ. Since Scripture does not contradict itself, it is right to understand the two sets of passages concerning the second advent of Christ also as constituting two related yet distinct events. The former is what has come to be known as the Rapture. 

The word “rapture” comes from the Latin translation of “caught up” found in 1 Thessalonians 4:17, where Paul says, when Christ descends from heaven, Christians “will be caught up together in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air.” The root word in Greek ἁρπάζω (harpazó) carries the idea of being carried away or snatched and is found in passages like Acts 8:39, where Philip was supernaturally snatched by the Spirit of the Lord after baptising the Ethiopian eunuch. It will be the same power of the Holy Spirit by which all Christians at the time of the rapture will be caught up in the sky when Christ appears. 

In 1 Corinthians 15:51-54, Paul speaks of the same event as he speaks there also about that time when Christians who have been dead are resurrected when Christ returns. However, he also adds that the living Christians will then also be transformed in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye (1 Cor. 15:51-52). In other words, all Christians, both dead and alive, would receive their resurrected and glorified bodies at the rapture. In Philippians 3:20-21, Paul says it is this transformation that believers are eagerly awaiting when they think of the return of Christ. Hence, the return of Christ to rapture the church is called the church’s Blessed Hope, for it will complete our salvation and bring forth our full conformity to Christlikeness through our bodies being glorified (Tit. 2:13; 1 Jn. 3:2). 

Since the New Testament gives us no signs to precede the rapture, it is imminent and could happen at any time. Therefore, believers need to be ready for it at all times. The life of a true Christian can be summed up in the phrase “waiting for Jesus from heaven who rescues us from the coming wrath of God” (1 Thess. 1:10). The expectation of believers when it comes to end-times is thus not the wrath of God, for as Paul says, God has not destined us for wrath, but to be saved from it through the return of Lord Jesus (1 Thess. 5:9). When Paul spoke of the return of Christ, he expected it to be so imminent that he thought he would be alive when Christ returns as seen in his use of the inclusive “we” in 1 Corinthians 15:51 and 1 Thessalonians 4:17, both regarding the Christians who are alive during the rapture. Paul was not looking forward to seeing the wrath of God being poured out on the Antichrist, but rather to the Blessed Hope – the appearing of Christ to transform Christians. 

Since the wrath of God is not poured out before the rapture and the tribulation culminates with the second coming, we must understand the period called the Great Tribulation as occurring somewhere after the rapture and before the second coming of Christ. Hence, believers should not be looking forward to the tribulation, but the rapture as the next prophetic event in the mind of God for His church. In other words, pretribulational rapture fits best with the overall picture of the New Testament’s teaching on our future hope.  As one position paper on the “Rapture” puts it:

“Christians are told repeatedly in the New Testament to be watchful for the Lord’s appearing. Never are they taught to watch for the Great Tribulation or the appearance of Antichrist. To expect that such things must happen before the Rapture destroys the teaching of imminence with which the New Testament is replete.” ^[1]

The Rapture and the Second Coming

In studying the New Testament’s teaching on end-times, it is, hence, crucial we understand and maintain the distinction between rapture and second coming. To summarise them:

1. At the rapture, believers meet the Lord in the air to be taken to heaven (1 Thess. 4:17; Jn. 14:2-3). At the second coming, believers return with the Lord to the earth (Rev. 19:14; Col. 3:4; Zech. 14:4-5, Jude 1:14).
2. The second coming occurs after the great and terrible tribulation (Rev. chapters 6–19). The rapture occurs before the tribulation (1 Thess. 5:9;Rev. 3:10).
3. The rapture is the removal of believers from the earth as an act of deliverance (1 Thess. 4:13-17,5:9). The second coming includes the removal of unbelievers as an act of judgment (Matt. 24:40-41).
4. The rapture will be for believers only (1 Cor. 15:50-54). The second coming will be visible to all (Rev. 1:7;Matt. 24:29-30).
5. For the second coming of Christ, there are clearly signs which must take place before it (2 Thess. 2:4;Matt. 24:15-30; Rev. chapters 6–18). whereas the rapture is imminent and could take place any moment (Tit. 2:13;1 Thess. 4:13-18; 1 Cor. 15:50-54).

While the distinction between the rapture and the second coming is crucial, we can still study some general truths about the return of Christ that is applicable to both. This is highlighted for us in the three Greek words the New Testament writers use for the coming of Christ. The three words are found in passages that deal with both the rapture and His second coming instructing us that although distinct they are similar and related events.

• Παρουσία Parousia (1 Cor 15:23; 1 Thess 2:19; 4:15; 5:23; 2 Thess 2:1; Jas. 5:7, 8; 2 Pet 3:4; 1 Jn. 2:28): It means 'to be beside' and was used generally to mean an expected arrival. The New Testament does not reserve this word only for the return of Christ. Rather any expected arrival or presence is indicated by this word like the “coming of Paul’s friends (1 Cor 16:17), to the coming of Titus (2 Cor 7:6, 7), to the coming of Paul himself (Phil 1:26), to the coming of the lawless one (2 Thess 2:9), and to the coming of the day of God (2 Pet 3:12)” ^[2]. However in classical Greek, the word had a royal connotation. It used to refer to the visit or arrival of a king or an emperor both to conquer a new land or visit his own town. Thus the same word is used for both the rapture and the second coming depending upon the passage where in it is found. At the second coming, unbelievers will see His arrival as an alien invader; whereas at the rapture, believers will welcome His arrival and honour Him as their own king.

• Έπιφάνεια Epiphaneia (1 Tim. 6:14; 2 Tim. 4:1,8; Tit. 2:13): It refers to a sudden appearing of someone or something on the scene. This word is used in relation to the first (Luke 1:79; 2 Tim 1:10) and second coming of Jesus. It describes how God manifests Himself to bring support or comfort to His saints.

• Άποκάλυψις Apokalupsis (1 Pet 1:7, 1:13, 4:13; 2 Thess 1:7; Lk. 17:30; 1 Cor 1:7; Col 3:4;): It speaks about uncovering what has been hidden. Applied to persons, it means to ‘unveil’ (a person showing up as he truly is). Jesus will be seen for who He really is when He returns (Rev.1:7).