WHAT IS RAPTURE?

TEXT: 1 THESSALONIANS 4:13-17
13 But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.

14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.

15 For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep.

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 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.


INTRODUCTION
Some Christian sects have put forward some arguments against the doctrine of Rapture. They claimed that it is ‘unbiblical’ and that nothing as such existed and as such should be ignored altogether. Their position was anchored on two arguments which they put forward as such –

(1) They say that the word ‘rapture’ does not appear in the whole of the modern English translation of the Bible

(2) They argue that apart from Apostle Paul, no other Bible personality talked about Rapture.

It is worth saying that many Christians might have innocently believed these assertions or[b] might have been convinced to believe them[/b], and might have consequently become indifferent to the coming of The Lord.

This teaching thus becomes necessary to debunk these two arguments and perhaps others that may come up in the course of this teaching and to point out some other salient and important things about rapture, by the leading of the Holy Spirit. Also, it aims to let us know that the doctrine of Rapture is indeed Biblical, True and is the blessed hope of all holy believers in Christ.


THE WORD ‘RAPTURE’ DEFINED?
In its present form, the word rapture is a noun and it takes its form from its adjective form is rapt. The adjective form can also be used as a verb, depending on the construction of the statement. Let us look at the definition of the Word, ‘Rapt’.

According to www.dictionary.reference.com one of the many definitions of the word rapt is ‘carried off spiritually to another place’.

www.vocabulary.com on its own defined rapt as carried away, caught up.

Thus, the word Rapture can be defined as ‘carrying off’, ‘carrying away’, ‘catching up’ and so on.

WHAT RAPTURE ENTAILS
Though, the grammatical definition of the word rapture has been given above, we need to stress that the phenomenon of rapture is more than just being caught up. The ‘catching up’ is just an integral part of the whole event known as rapture. Rapture is a spiritual event and as such should be viewed spiritually.

Before, we can conveniently address the two arguments put forward by the antagonists of rapture, we must review all the details attached with the event of rapture. The following sub-events are entailed in the overall event known as rapture in perhaps sequential order.

i. The trumpet will be sounded in heaven by an angel to signal that rapture can now take place. (Sounding of Trumpet)

ii. The Lord, Jesus Christ, accompanied with his angels, will descend from heaven. (Descension)

iii. First, the deads in Christ will resurrect from their graves, in their body form, without corruption. (Resurrection)

iv. The holy believers that are not dead at that time will be caught up by the angels accompanying the Lord Jesus Christ to meet Him in the air. (Catching Up or Rapture)

v. The believers caught up will enter straight into heaven to attend the marriage supper of The Lamb. (Marriage Supper)

vi. Sudden destruction and death befall many people on earth who could not make the catching up. (The Day of The Lord)

vii. The remainder of the people who missed the catching up will begin to experience the wrath of God on earth and also the persecution of the antichrist. (Great Tribulation)

It is worth noting that all the single events above are interwoven. One cannot take place in isolation if the other will not happen. For instance, The Lord will not descend if the trumpet did not sound. Also, the dead in Christ will not resurrect if The Lord will not call them out of their graves and if the living believers will not be caught up and so on.

So, to look at rapture as ‘being caught up’ alone will be undermining what
Rapture really represents. When rapture is discussed, it is the totality of these events that come to mind.

In view of this, many other names have been associated with rapture based on the individual sub-events of rapture listed above. They include the following.

i The Sounding of the trumpet

ii The Day of Resurrection

iii Rapture or Catching Up

iv. Marriage Supper of Lamb of God

v. The Day of the Lord

Also, it is worth noting that when the scripture talks about any of these individual events listed above, it is talking about rapture and we are going to be treating it as such. Any scriptural verse that talks about any of such is talking about rapture event.

Now, that we have defined ‘Rapture’ grammatically and that we have looked at the spiritual concept of Rapture, let us address the two principal arguments of those who oppose it.

Did the Word, Rapture, not appear in the Bible?
It may be true that the word ‘rapture’ might not have appeared in the English translation of the Bible. If this is so, then how did we arrived at it so much that it has become one of the most used words in Christendom, especially in recent times?

Let us consider one of the principal scriptures about rapture in the Bible, 1 Thessalonians 4:17

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.

Please, note that the underlined phrase ‘caught up’ in the scripture quotation above is the exact definition of the word ‘rapt’ as given by the two popular online dictionaries we mentioned earlier.

If we are to rewrite the scripture above, we will say –

17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be raptured together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.
In other words, when we mention the word, rapture, it is the phrase ‘catch up’ or related event we are referring to.

Lastly, assume that the scripture describes God as being very powerful and great and that He can do all things. I can then decide to use the word ‘Almighty’ that captions those descriptions and say that God is Almighty instead of having to be repeating all of those descriptions each time I am describing God. By doing such, I will not have done something out of place. Using the word, rapture, in such situation, to replace ‘caught up’ will also not be abnormal.

Was it only Apostle Paul that talked about Rapture in the whole of the Bible?[b][/b]
This is absolutely erroneous! Many other people in the bible also talked about rapture. In fact, rapture and its related events are perhaps the most prophesied event in the whole of the bible. The biggest prophecy that The Lord, Jesus Christ, Himself, gave was about rapture (Mathew 24). A whole 22-chapter book – the book of Revelation, is centered on rapture and post-rapture events. What more can we say?

Let us look at some other people that prophesied or talked about rapture and compare what they said with that of Apostle Paul in our text above.

i The Lord, Jesus Christ, Himself.
Mathew 24:1-51, Mathew 22:2-14, Mathew 25:1-13, Luke 21, Luke 14: 16-24, Mark 13 are some of the few scriptures where the Lord, Jesus Christ, Himself, talked about the glorious rapture.

John, Chapter 11, where the Lord, Jesus Christ, raised Lazarus from the dead was a practical demonstration of rapture. Let us look at John 11:25-26, 43

John 11:25-26, 43-44a
25 Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:

26 And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?

43 And when he thus had spoken, he cried with a loud voice, Lazarus, come forth.

44 And he that was dead came forth,

Let us analyze the verses quoted above.

Verse 25:
here, The Lord, Jesus Christ, talked about resurrection of the dead believers. He said the believers who believed in him and had died shall live again. This is the resurrection. Jesus Christ, Himself, is The Resurrection.

This corresponds to what Apostle Paul prophesied in 1 Thessalonians 4:16 that …………………….. ’’the dead in Christ shall rise first’’.

Verse 26:
here, the Lord, Jesus Christ, said that the believers that were alive shall never die. Jesus Christ, Himself, is The Life.

This corresponds to what Apostle Paul said in 1 Thessalonians 4:17 that ”…. we which are alive and remain shall be caught up”

Verse 43and 44:
here, the Lord, Jesus Christ, cried with a loud voice to call the dead Lazarus out of the grave. Dead Lazarus heard the Voice of The Lord, Jesus Christ, and he that was dead came forth out of grave.

This corresponds to the prophecy given by Apostle Paul in 1 Thessalonians 4:16 that ’’the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout”. To descend with a shout means to descend with a loud voice. On the day of rapture, The Lord, Jesus Christ, might just be crying with a loud voice, as he descends from heaven, shouting, ‘all the dead in Christ, come out of grave’. As Lazarus heard his loud cry and resurrected, all the dead in Christ will, also, hear his shout on that day and they will come out of grave and resurrect like Lazarus.

ii Prophet Isaiah
Isaiah 60:8
8 Who are these that fly as a cloud and as the doves to their windows?

Prophet Isaiah saw those that will be caught up into the cloud to meet with The Lord. Compare with 1 Thessalonians 4:17.

Isaiah 26:19
19 Thy dead men shall live, together with my dead body shall they arise. Awake and sing, ye that dwell in dust: for thy dew is as the dew of herbs and the earth shall cast out the dead.

20[b] Come, my people[/b], enter thou into thy chambers, and shut thy doors about thee: hide thyself as it were for a little moment, until the indignation be overpast.

21 For, behold, the LORD cometh out of his place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity: the earth also shall disclose her blood, and shall no more cover her slain.

Here, Prophet Isaiah was prophesying that The Lord will come out of his place (the Lord will descend), dead men that live in dust shall rise (resurrection) and his people should hide themselves from indignation (enter heaven and escape from great tribulation). Compare with what Apostle Paul was saying in the text above.


iii Prophet Jeremiah
Jeremiah 25:30, 33
30 Therefore prophesy thou against them all these words, and say unto them, The LORD shall roar from on high, and utter his voice from his holy habitation; he shall mightily roar upon his habitation; he shall give a shout, as they that tread the grapes, against all the inhabitants of the earth.

33 And the slain of the LORD shall be at that day from one end of the earth even unto the other end of the earth: they shall not be lamented, neither gathered, nor buried; they shall be dung upon the ground.

Verse 30 says The Lord will utter His Voice. That Voice is to call out the dead in Christ to resurrect from their graves. This matches what Apostle Paul prophesied that The Lord will descend with a shout while verse 33 describes the sudden destruction that accompanies The Day of Lord. All are still rapture events.


iv Prophet Daniel
Daniel 12:2
2 And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.

Here, Prophet Daniel talked about resurrection, an event of rapture.

Other prophets of old that talked about rapture include Prophets Amos, Joel, Zephaniah, among others.

v. Apostle Peter
2 Peter 3:2-4
2 That ye may be mindful of the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets, and of the commandment of us the apostles of the Lord and Saviour:

3 Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts,

4 And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation.

Here, Apostle Peter reminded us that holy prophets before Christ had already spoken about the coming of The Lord at rapture and that, they, the Apostles had repeated the same. He also stressed that scoffers would also rise to doubt, mock and discredit that coming. If Apostle Peter reminded us that old Prophets talked about rapture, what more do we need to prove that it was not only Apostle Paul that spoke about rapture.

vi. Apostle John

Revelation 7:9,14
9 After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands;

14 And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.

Lastly, Apostle John saw the raptured believers in heaven. Halleluyah!

Is it only 144,000 Jews that will make rapture?

A certain religious sect claims that it is only 144,000 Jews that will be raptured. This is not true at all. From Revelation 7:9, 14 quoted above, we can see that John saw people of all nations, tribe, tongue and languages in heaven, not just Jews. Also, the people he saw could not be numbered, not 144,000. These are the raptured saints.


MANIFESTATIONS OF RAPTURE IN THE BIBLE
1. Enoch was taken by God alive. Genesis 5:24.
2. Joshua was transported to heaven. 2 Kings 2: 11.
3. The Lord, Jesus Christ, ascended to heaven. Acts 1:9-11.
4. Dead Lazarus resurrected from grave. John 11:43-44.
5 Many deads rose from their graves when The Lord, Jesus Christ, was crucified. Mathew 27:52-53


CONCLUSION
It is possible for believers to misconceive the issue of rapture because rapture is a mystery. 1 Corinthians 15: 51 says clearly that it is a mystery.

51 Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,

And rapture, like all other mysteries, has to be understood. 1 Corinthians 13:2 says

2 And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries . . . . . . . . . . . .

Because rapture is a mystery, it is possible for many people to misunderstand the concept or not have the full understanding of it.


SUMMARY
God has helped us to see from this teaching that Rapture is indeed biblical-though, a mystery that needs to be understood. It is a phenomenon that was first recorded in the book of the beginning-genesis, and consummated in the book of the end, the book of revelation. Also, we see the manifestations of rapture all through the different books and as it was proclaimed by old Prophets and Apostles alike. The Lord, Himself talked extensively about it.

This mystery, the rapture of saints, has been and is still the glorious hope of true believers in Christ, especially at this time that we see all the signs manifesting minute by minute and more and more.


PRAYERS
1. Lord, Jesus Christ, let me hear the sound of the trumpet.
2. Holy Spirit of God make me ready when The Lord shall come.
3. Holy Spirit, prepare my body to take up incorruption at the coming of The Lord, Jesus Christ.
4. Lord, Jesus Christ, deliver me from everything that will hinder me from going with you.


ACTIONS
Are you an elect of Christ? Are you truly saved? Are you on the narrow road? Do you want to make the rapture/heaven? If your answers are yes, then,
• Make all efforts to heed the warnings of Jesus Christ.
• Be watchful. Pay attention to what is happening around the World and see whether they match what the scriptures say.
• Be filled with the Holy Spirit and be in the Spirit all the time.
• Fast, consecrate yourself, run away from sin and worldliness.
If your answers are NO, then you can repent today. Accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour. Kindly sincerely and faithfully pray the prayer of repentance below and make a determination never to commit sin again.


PRAYER OF REPENTANCE
Lord, Jesus Christ, I am sorry for all my sins. I confess them with my mouth and I ask for mercy. Please forgive me and wash me in your blood. I accept you as my personal Lord and Saviour. Write my name in the book of life. Give me power over sins and fill me with your Spirit and Joy of Salvation. When rapture trumpet sounds, let me make it. Thank you for saving me. In Jesus name, I pray.

Begin to read bible. Begin with the book of John. Pray always. Fast regularly (you can begin with once in a week). Look for a bible believing church where they teach repentance, holiness, salvation and fellowship with them. Pray before you go. Always run away from SINS.


NEED MORE INFORMATION?
For more information, question or contribution, please send email to us at raptureglorious@gmail.com or jesuscoming@yahoo.com or visit us at www.jesuscoming1..com and please tell others to join us. We teach people deep word of God about holiness, righteousness and how to prepare for rapture. You can send email to us to receive the teachings, free. We also send breaking news of end-time events that happen around the world to people with bible verses that match them. You can send email to us to receive them, free. You can also send email to us to receive this teaching in word document format.

We will like to get as many people as possible ready for rapture. We wish nobody goes through the great tribulation. What are happening now are child’s play.

Shalom.


TO MAKE RAPTURE:
Confess your sins to JESUS CHRIST and ask Him to save you.
Repent of your sins constantly on daily basis and run away from sins.
Be filled with the Holy Spirit
Live in Holiness and Righteousness
Do all Restitutions
Cut off all worldliness.
Forgive all people.
Pray and fast.
Consecrate and study the bible.
Watch.

JESUScoming

This is a futile attempt,and it wont get anyone saved.
i have told you several times, the Message is Christ and christ alone,No one will get saved from all these.
the Gospel of Christ saves not the mesage of the Rapture.

Rom1:16:-"the Gospel of Christ is the power of God unto salvation".

It is better you stop seeing demonic visions and start peaching Christ

We cannot keep shut. we have to warn believers and unbelievers alike before the door of grace is shut and they go into the great tribulation.

Be warned and be informed again that Jesus is coming. Any moment, the trumpet will sound. Be prepared in absolute repentance, holiness and righteousness.

annyplenty:

We cannot keep shut. we have to warn believers and unbelievers alike before the door of grace is shut and they go into the great tribulation.

Be warned and be informed again that Jesus is coming. Any moment, the trumpet will sound. Be prepared in absolute repentance, holiness and righteousness.

*yawns*
lemme explain what righteousness and Holiness means
Righteousness is by faith which is in Christ Jesus.
it is clearly explained in the book of Romans.read the whole book,lemme just point out somethings,
Rom 5:17 For if by one man's offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.)
Rom 5:18 Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life.
Rom 5:19 For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.
Rom 5:20 Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound:
Rom 5:21 That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord.


righteousness is by faith in CHrist Jesus,A man is made righteous the very moment he believes the Gospel,

lets look at HOLINESS,
holiness,holy,sanctification,all these words are near in meaning.
the word holy is the greek word "hagios" which means sacred,separate,Its fundamental idea is separation, consecration, devotion to the service of Deity(God).

remember in Exodus3:5,the first time holy was mentioned,it was about a ground
Exo3:5 And he said, Draw not nigh hither: put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground.

the reason the ground is called holy is because it is separate unto the LORD.
holiness,sanctification occurs at salvation.
the very moment a man is born again,he is made holy,sanctified and righteous the same time.
its as simple as that.

sportsmaster:
This is a futile attempt,and it wont get anyone saved.
i have told you several times, the Message is Christ and christ alone,No one will get saved from all these.
the Gospel of Christ saves not the mesage of the Rapture.
Rom1:16:-"the Gospel of Christ is the power of God unto salvation".
It is better you stop seeing demonic visions and start peaching Christ

Rather than criticizing me about, you can create a thread and start evangelizing straight away. God Himself will be happy if you do that. Remember, the harvest is much and the labourers are few and time is such.

JESUS is indeed coming.Let everyman be prepared to meet the Lord.

Shalom

annyplenty:


Rather than criticizing me about, you can create a thread and start evangelizing straight away. God Himself will be happy if you do that. Remember, the harvest is much and the labourers are few and time is such.

JESUS is indeed coming.Let everyman be prepared to meet the Lord.

Shalom

i dont do "e-evangelism" ,i do face-face evangelism,and i also go beyond preaching alone,I teach,and do follow ups.

Let your reason for getting people saved be genuine(i.echrist died for their sins) not because of rapture.
There only thing that saves,"the Gospel of Christ", nothing else saves.i repeat,Nothing else saves apart from the Gospel of Christ.

I have shown you several scriptures about preaching and yet you still refuse to accept.

sportsmaster:

i dont do "e-evangelism" ,i do face-face evangelism,and i also go beyond preaching alone,I teach,and do follow ups.
Let your reason for getting people saved be genuine(i.echrist died for their sins) not because of rapture.
There only thing that saves,"the Gospel of Christ", nothing else saves.i repeat,Nothing else saves apart from the Gospel of Christ.
I have shown you several scriptures about preaching and yet you still refuse to accept.

Then go and continue with that and let me continue with what I am called to do. God is the Ultimate Judge, not man.

Rapture is real and is going to happen any moment from now. Let no man deceive you to believe otherwise.

The antichrist is around already and is already planning his own government once the trumpet sounds.

escape with Jesus, now.

Naysayers and scoffers will soon realise their errors when they discovered the doors of grace had been shut. It was like this in the time of Noah and I don't expect it to get any better, rather worse.

Governments of nations know what is about to happen. They are already preparing how they will react to that event, once it happens, But Christians, the subject matter are in deep sleep, even snoring. They still go about to argue whether it will happen or not. I tell you. It will happen. It is around the corner. Stay ready at all times.

Shalom.

JESUScoming

Rapture is an ability of a sane HUMAN being to believe that one day he Wil fly away n go to heaven and 666 will come and torture everybody.

It is around the corner. It will happen whether scoffers believe it or not.

This is the generation that must prepare the garment of the Lord - without blemish, defilement, wrinkles, but holy.
This is the generation before whom scriptures shall be fulfilled.
This is the generation that will hear the trumpet sound.
This is the generation whose eyes shall witness the coming of the Messiah. Are you prepared for this all-important event? Are you/?
If you miss your own wedding, that is good enough. You can never afford to miss the marriage of the Lamb. Prepare in holiness and righteousness. Soon. He that must come will come.
For the purpose of sounding these warnings did His Mighty Hand redeem me.

shalom.

JESUScoming

WELCOME TO 2016!

The watching and waiting upon the Lord for His return continues this year. Let us watch, prepare and wait together.

The NAYSAYERS and SCOFFERS will soon understand the magnitude of their errors as it was in the days of Noah. But you that are watching, waiting and preparing, let the Lord meet you doing so.

Shalom.

everything is ready. Are you ready?

The Spirit and the bride say, come.

Stay ready at all the time.

Isaiah 26: 19

19 Thy dead men shall live, together with my dead body shall they arise. Awake and sing, ye that dwell in dust: for thy dew is as the dew of herbs, and the earth shall cast out the dead.

JESUS is coming. Stay ready at all times. Stay ready in absolute repentance and holiness.

The dead in Christ shall rise first. Will you be caught up with them?

Prepare yourself in absolute repentance, righteousness and holiness.

Very soon, we are going to be with the Lord. Stay ready.

He is coming! Stay ready!

The dead in Christ shall rise first, then we which are alive shall be caught with them to meet with the Lord in the air.

are you ready?

Stay ready for the Lord. He is coming.

He is coming! Stay ready till the end.

Soon. I will see Him.

If you missed the rapture, you are in for a very hard time. . money will become useless, no matter how much you have kept, your position will become useless whether you are president, governor, bishop, pastor, pontiff,managing director.

Escape for your life, now.
Jesus is coming. Stay ready

The gathering away of the saints! It is about to happen. Be part of it.

Be ready to meet thy Lord in the air.

This same Jesus shall come in likewise as he was taken up.

In the twinkling of an eye, shall He come. Stay ready.

The dead in Christ shall rise first.

And we which are alive shall be changed