The Rapture of the Church - Taking Away
The Rapture
Before the Tribulation Period begins, Jesus will remove his faithful from the earth. True believers will not
suffer the terrible events found later in Revelation, but instead will be removed through what we call the
Rapture. In Rev. 13:9, he leaves out the phrase ‘to the churches’. Why? Be-cause the church is no
longer on the earth.
What is “the rapture” and where is it in the Bible?
Jesus warned of a time in history that would be the most terrible time of persecution known in the history
of man, the Great Tribulation.
Matthew 24
21 for then shall be great tribulation, such as hath not been from the be-ginning of the world until now,
no, nor ever shall be.
22 And except those days had been shortened, no flesh would have been saved: but for the elect's
sake those days shall be shortened.
Jeremiah called it the time of Jacob's Trouble.
This time of judgment is spoken of by the prophets as well. It is a seven year period beginning when a
future world leader, known as the Antichrist, makes a seven year covenant or treaty with Israel. In the
middle of this period, 3 ½ years, he will break the treaty enter into the Temple and seat himself in the
Holy of Holies (the Most Holy Place where only the chief priest can go) and set himself up as god. (Note,
the tribulation only lasts 3 ½ years. The covenant is 7 years.)
Israel will rebel against this blasphemy causing the Antichrist to launch and reign of terror against all
those who oppose him. This time will last exactly 1260 days (Daniel
12:7), which is 42 months of 30 days each (Rev. 13:5). (Why the 30 extra days in Dan 12:11?)
This tribulation period will end with the Battle of Armageddon where the Antichrist will be defeated.
It is indicated, and most scholars agree, that the church will be taken away before the tribulation begins.
This is what we call the Rapture. Again, the church will be taken (raptured) before the Tribulation.
1 Thessalonians 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;
17 then we that are alive, that are left, shall together with them be caught up in the clouds, to meet the
Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.
It says we will be ‘caught up’ or ‘caught away’ to meet the Lord in the air. The word ‘rapture’ is never
found in the Bible, but it is the name given by Bible scholars for ‘catching away’ of the saints. Actually,
several verse in the Latin translation contain the word "rapere" or one of its deriva-tions. It means to be
caught up, plucked up, or taken by force. Christians translate this Latin word to mean Rap-ture.
Some believe that the church will go through the tribulation period, based on the statements of Jesus in
Matthew 24, which appear to place the rapture after the tribulation or during it. But Jesus is not talking
about the church in Mat-thew 24. The passage says that at the end of the Great Tribulation, God will
send his angels and “they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to
the other”. He is referring to Israel – the Jews, particularly the Jews saved during the tribulation period.
“Elect” usually refers to Israel.
Hear what Jack van Impe says:
Who are the "elect" of Matthew 24:22? The post-tribulationists use this verse -- except those days
should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be
shortened -- saying it indicates that the Church will be here because we are the elect. I say, "Hold it!
God has two elect groups on earth!" There is the Church (see Ephesians 1:4; 1 Peter 1:2), but that is
not the group referred to in Matthew 24:22. How do I know? Isaiah 42:1 speaks of the Jews as God's
elect. So does Isaiah 45:4, 65:9, and 65:22. How does one know that the Jews are the elect for whom
the days are being shortened in Matthew 24:22? Let's keep the text in context. First of all, this elect
group is to flee from Judea to the mountains. Judea is the Holy Land (see Matthew 24:16)! They are not
to flee on the sabbath day [shabbat) (Matthew 24:20). According to Exodus 31:13, the Sabbath Day is
eternally practiced by the Jews. In Mark 13:9, we find that they are beaten in the synagogues ...not the
church. We don't meet in synagogues because we are the Church (see Acts 2:47). Finally, all these
events take place in the area of Jerusalem (see Luke 21:24). So the elect, at this point in time, are Jews
-- Israelites.
When Jesus made these statements, the church did not yet exist. He was telling them about the Jewish
people. This occurrence, the ‘gathering’, is preceded by specific, detailed signs and happenings,
whereas the Rapture has no conditional preceding events. The Rapture could happen at any time.
3 Rapture theories: Pre-, Mid-, Post-.
Why we believe in a Pre-Tribulation Rapture:
1. In the first 3 chapters of Revelation the church is mentioned 19 times as being on the earth.
After that, the church is not mentioned again until it is mentioned as being in heaven. Chapters 4-19
describe the Tribulation Period and never mention the church as being on earth.
2. In Revelation 4, John says he was taken up into heaven and saw the 24 elders gathered around
the throne with drowns on their heads. The elders represent the church, and so this scene is taking
place after the church has been taken up and appeared before the Judgment Seat of Christ and
received their crowns.
3. Jesus never mentioned the church in Matthew 24 when he talked about the endtimes. He says to
pray that their flight not be on the Sabbath, which would pertain to Jews and not to Christians.
4. 1 Thess 5:9 says that “God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord
Jesus Christ.”
5. 2 Thess 2:1-9 tells about the ‘man of lawlessness’ being revealed (Antichrist). But it explains
that he will not be revealed until he who restrains him be taken out of the way.
He who restrains the Antichrist, the man of lawlessness, is the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit must be taken
away before Antichrist can truly have free reign. When the Holy Spirit is taken away, the church is taken
away, because he promised he would always be with us.
2 Thessalonians 2
7 For the mystery of lawlessness doth already work: only there is one that restraineth now, until he be
taken out of the way.
John 14
16 And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may be with you for ever,
He won’t leave earth without us.
6. The history of God's dealing with His people demands a pre-tribulation rapture.
· God did not allow the flood to destroy the earth until Noah and his family were safely in the ark.
· Sodom and Gomorrah were not destroyed until Lot and his family were out of the city.
He always rescues His people from condemning judgment. (We will experience some judging, but will
not be con-demned.)
But, how will the evacuation of so many people be ex-plained to the people left behind? There will be
plenty of information available for those who really desire to know what happened to the ones taken in
the Rapture. Many Christian books on the subject will be lying around, unless they are banned and
destroyed first. However, there will also be a lot of misinformation available. The New Age movement has
all kinds of books out on the market about beings they call the "space brothers." And New Agers are
also talking about an evacuation of human beings in the near future. These New Agers are predicting a
counterfeit experience around the year 2000. There is one theory about an 'evolutionary jump' in which
those who are not ready or worthy will be removed from the earth. So there are many alternate theories
to confuse people left behind.
· 11 I come quickly: hold fast that which thou hast, that no one take thy crown.
He was indicating that when he comes back, it will happen suddenly.
Mt 24:27 For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the
coming of the Son of man be.
Hold on to what you have. Do not abandon your doctrines and deeds, keep believing the Bible, keep
evangelizing, and keep sending out missionaries to tell the world about Jesus. Let no one else have
your reward. Keep working. God's work will be accomplished. Stay ready and alert at all times to meet
the Lord. We want to be watching, ready, and serving when he comes. A large number of Jesus
Parables taught about being ready when he returns and not being caught unprepared.
· 12-13 He that overcometh, I will make him a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go out
thence no more: and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, the
new Je-rusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God, and mine own new name. He that hath
an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith to the churches.
Note the rewards promised to this church:
· Made a pillar in the temple of God - strong, durable and stable
· Never again to leave it - secure and staying in Him, not moved
· To write upon them -
· The seal of God - marked as His children
Re 9:4 And it was commanded them that they should not hurt the grass of the earth, neither any green
thing, neither any tree; but only those men which have not the seal of God in their foreheads.
· The name of the New Jerusalem
Re 21:10 And he carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain, and shewed me that great
city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God,
· A new name of Jesus signifying their personal rela-tionship with him. The overcomers will belong
to God.
Re 22:4 And they shall see his face; and his name shall be in their foreheads.
Before the Tribulation Period begins, Jesus will remove his faithful from the earth. True believers will not
suffer the terrible events found later in Revelation, but instead will be removed through what we call the
Rapture. In Rev. 13:9, he leaves out the phrase ‘to the churches’. Why? Be-cause the church is no
longer on the earth.
What is “the rapture” and where is it in the Bible?
Jesus warned of a time in history that would be the most terrible time of persecution known in the history
of man, the Great Tribulation.
Matthew 24
21 for then shall be great tribulation, such as hath not been from the be-ginning of the world until now,
no, nor ever shall be.
22 And except those days had been shortened, no flesh would have been saved: but for the elect's
sake those days shall be shortened.
Jeremiah called it the time of Jacob's Trouble.
This time of judgment is spoken of by the prophets as well. It is a seven year period beginning when a
future world leader, known as the Antichrist, makes a seven year covenant or treaty with Israel. In the
middle of this period, 3 ½ years, he will break the treaty enter into the Temple and seat himself in the
Holy of Holies (the Most Holy Place where only the chief priest can go) and set himself up as god. (Note,
the tribulation only lasts 3 ½ years. The covenant is 7 years.)
Israel will rebel against this blasphemy causing the Antichrist to launch and reign of terror against all
those who oppose him. This time will last exactly 1260 days (Daniel
12:7), which is 42 months of 30 days each (Rev. 13:5). (Why the 30 extra days in Dan 12:11?)
This tribulation period will end with the Battle of Armageddon where the Antichrist will be defeated.
It is indicated, and most scholars agree, that the church will be taken away before the tribulation begins.
This is what we call the Rapture. Again, the church will be taken (raptured) before the Tribulation.
1 Thessalonians 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;
17 then we that are alive, that are left, shall together with them be caught up in the clouds, to meet the
Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.
It says we will be ‘caught up’ or ‘caught away’ to meet the Lord in the air. The word ‘rapture’ is never
found in the Bible, but it is the name given by Bible scholars for ‘catching away’ of the saints. Actually,
several verse in the Latin translation contain the word "rapere" or one of its deriva-tions. It means to be
caught up, plucked up, or taken by force. Christians translate this Latin word to mean Rap-ture.
Some believe that the church will go through the tribulation period, based on the statements of Jesus in
Matthew 24, which appear to place the rapture after the tribulation or during it. But Jesus is not talking
about the church in Mat-thew 24. The passage says that at the end of the Great Tribulation, God will
send his angels and “they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to
the other”. He is referring to Israel – the Jews, particularly the Jews saved during the tribulation period.
“Elect” usually refers to Israel.
Hear what Jack van Impe says:
Who are the "elect" of Matthew 24:22? The post-tribulationists use this verse -- except those days
should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be
shortened -- saying it indicates that the Church will be here because we are the elect. I say, "Hold it!
God has two elect groups on earth!" There is the Church (see Ephesians 1:4; 1 Peter 1:2), but that is
not the group referred to in Matthew 24:22. How do I know? Isaiah 42:1 speaks of the Jews as God's
elect. So does Isaiah 45:4, 65:9, and 65:22. How does one know that the Jews are the elect for whom
the days are being shortened in Matthew 24:22? Let's keep the text in context. First of all, this elect
group is to flee from Judea to the mountains. Judea is the Holy Land (see Matthew 24:16)! They are not
to flee on the sabbath day [shabbat) (Matthew 24:20). According to Exodus 31:13, the Sabbath Day is
eternally practiced by the Jews. In Mark 13:9, we find that they are beaten in the synagogues ...not the
church. We don't meet in synagogues because we are the Church (see Acts 2:47). Finally, all these
events take place in the area of Jerusalem (see Luke 21:24). So the elect, at this point in time, are Jews
-- Israelites.
When Jesus made these statements, the church did not yet exist. He was telling them about the Jewish
people. This occurrence, the ‘gathering’, is preceded by specific, detailed signs and happenings,
whereas the Rapture has no conditional preceding events. The Rapture could happen at any time.
3 Rapture theories: Pre-, Mid-, Post-.
Why we believe in a Pre-Tribulation Rapture:
1. In the first 3 chapters of Revelation the church is mentioned 19 times as being on the earth.
After that, the church is not mentioned again until it is mentioned as being in heaven. Chapters 4-19
describe the Tribulation Period and never mention the church as being on earth.
2. In Revelation 4, John says he was taken up into heaven and saw the 24 elders gathered around
the throne with drowns on their heads. The elders represent the church, and so this scene is taking
place after the church has been taken up and appeared before the Judgment Seat of Christ and
received their crowns.
3. Jesus never mentioned the church in Matthew 24 when he talked about the endtimes. He says to
pray that their flight not be on the Sabbath, which would pertain to Jews and not to Christians.
4. 1 Thess 5:9 says that “God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord
Jesus Christ.”
5. 2 Thess 2:1-9 tells about the ‘man of lawlessness’ being revealed (Antichrist). But it explains
that he will not be revealed until he who restrains him be taken out of the way.
He who restrains the Antichrist, the man of lawlessness, is the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit must be taken
away before Antichrist can truly have free reign. When the Holy Spirit is taken away, the church is taken
away, because he promised he would always be with us.
2 Thessalonians 2
7 For the mystery of lawlessness doth already work: only there is one that restraineth now, until he be
taken out of the way.
John 14
16 And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may be with you for ever,
He won’t leave earth without us.
6. The history of God's dealing with His people demands a pre-tribulation rapture.
· God did not allow the flood to destroy the earth until Noah and his family were safely in the ark.
· Sodom and Gomorrah were not destroyed until Lot and his family were out of the city.
He always rescues His people from condemning judgment. (We will experience some judging, but will
not be con-demned.)
But, how will the evacuation of so many people be ex-plained to the people left behind? There will be
plenty of information available for those who really desire to know what happened to the ones taken in
the Rapture. Many Christian books on the subject will be lying around, unless they are banned and
destroyed first. However, there will also be a lot of misinformation available. The New Age movement has
all kinds of books out on the market about beings they call the "space brothers." And New Agers are
also talking about an evacuation of human beings in the near future. These New Agers are predicting a
counterfeit experience around the year 2000. There is one theory about an 'evolutionary jump' in which
those who are not ready or worthy will be removed from the earth. So there are many alternate theories
to confuse people left behind.
· 11 I come quickly: hold fast that which thou hast, that no one take thy crown.
He was indicating that when he comes back, it will happen suddenly.
Mt 24:27 For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the
coming of the Son of man be.
Hold on to what you have. Do not abandon your doctrines and deeds, keep believing the Bible, keep
evangelizing, and keep sending out missionaries to tell the world about Jesus. Let no one else have
your reward. Keep working. God's work will be accomplished. Stay ready and alert at all times to meet
the Lord. We want to be watching, ready, and serving when he comes. A large number of Jesus
Parables taught about being ready when he returns and not being caught unprepared.
· 12-13 He that overcometh, I will make him a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go out
thence no more: and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, the
new Je-rusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God, and mine own new name. He that hath
an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith to the churches.
Note the rewards promised to this church:
· Made a pillar in the temple of God - strong, durable and stable
· Never again to leave it - secure and staying in Him, not moved
· To write upon them -
· The seal of God - marked as His children
Re 9:4 And it was commanded them that they should not hurt the grass of the earth, neither any green
thing, neither any tree; but only those men which have not the seal of God in their foreheads.
· The name of the New Jerusalem
Re 21:10 And he carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain, and shewed me that great
city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God,
· A new name of Jesus signifying their personal rela-tionship with him. The overcomers will belong
to God.
Re 22:4 And they shall see his face; and his name shall be in their foreheads.