Literal "Rapture"?
AS JESUS taught His apostles and disciples as recorded in the gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, He never spoke of living people flying away or disappearing, and Jesus revealed all things. So considering this and more, even that "it is appointed unto men once to die" this has lead me to look into this further, what was spoken of in Paul's letter to the Thessalonians. Consider:
Heb 9:26 For then must he often have suffered since the foundation of the world: but now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself.
Heb 9:27 And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:
Heb 9:28 So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation.
There is one scripture in the Holy Bible that speaks of "living" people being "caught up" in the "air". From a true Biblical perspective, not the doctrines of men, it is the entire foundation of the "rapture" doctrine, although the word "rapture" does not appear in the Bible. It is found in the letter of Paul written unto an assembly in Thessalonica in the first century...
(KJV)1Th 1:1 Paul, and Silvanus, and Timothy, unto the church of the Thessalonians which is in God the Father and in the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ.
(KJV)
1Th 4:13 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.
1Th 4:14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.
1Th 4:15 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.
1Th 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:
1Th 4:17 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.
1Th 4:18 Wherefore comfort one another with these words.
The first thing I notice is that Paul refers to those who were "asleep" (:13), and how Jesus rose from the dead (:14). To say "asleep" is to say those "in their graves", the dead in Christ (:16). These were to be resurrected before the living were to be "caught up together with them" (16-17).
The next thing is Paul said is:
"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."
In the letter to the assembly in Thessalonica, Paul said "We which are alive and remain", suggesting that of himself and the people he was writing to, some would remain alive at the coming of the Lord, (Jesus spoke of this too saying "there are some standing here who will not taste of death before the son of man comes in his kingdom"), that those who were alive and remaining at Christ' coming would be "caught up" with those who were raised from their graves, to meet the Lord in the "air", where they would remain forever.
Look closer at the Greek word translated as "caught up":
STRONG'S CONCORDANCE
G726- ( "caught up" )
ἁρπάζω
harpazō
har-pad'-zo
From a derivative of G138; to seize (in various applications): - catch (away, up), pluck, pull, take (by force).
I will present the scripture again:
(KJV)
1Th 4:13 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.
1Th 4:14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.
1Th 4:15 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.
1Th 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:
1Th 4:17 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.
1Th 4:18 Wherefore comfort one another with these words.
Unless they would literally remain in the air forever, the language is accommodating and not to be taken literally. It is descriptive of the victory of the saints and their translation to heaven as a matter of law at the consummation. Look closely at these examples of how the living can be raised up to God, in Paul's own words, by matter of law:
Col 1:12 giving thanks to the Father, who has made us fit for a share of the inheritance of the saints in light,
Col 1:13 who delivered us out of the authority of darkness, and translated us into the kingdom of the Son of His love,
Col 3:1 If, then, you were raised with Christ, seek the things above, where Christ is sitting at the right of God;
Col 3:2 mind the things above, not the things on the earth.
Eph 2:4 But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us,
Eph 2:5 even we being dead in deviations, He made us alive together with Christ (by grace you are being saved),
Eph 2:6 and raised us up together and seated us together in the heavenlies in Christ Jesus,
Eph 2:7 that He might demonstrate in the ages coming on, the exceeding great riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.
The final translation to heaven as a matter of fact comes only upon the death of the body. That is why Paul said "air", not heaven. It is appointed to all men to die. To be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord.
2Co 5:6 Therefore we are always confident, knowing that, whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord:
2Co 5:7 (For we walk by faith, not by sight:)
2Co 5:8 We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.
Paul was a deep thinker, and I sincerely believe what he was expressing was deep, speaking in a first century spiritual manner unto first century people who would have better understood what he was saying than us 20th Century English hearers, expressing how Christ was "to seize", "to choose", "to breathe" life upon both those who were "asleep" and those who were living when those who slept were raised, and they would join together in the kingdom of God.
Peter mentioned this, that Paul was a deep thinker and was misunderstood, and that Paul was indeed speaking of salvation:
2Pe 3:15 And think of the long-suffering of our Lord as salvation, as also our beloved brother Paul wrote to you, according to the wisdom given to him;
2Pe 3:16 as also in all his epistles, speaking in them concerning these things, in which are some things hard to understand, which the unlearned and unsettled pervert, as also they do the rest of the Scriptures, to their own destruction.
Paul was a deep thinker and wise talker, but make no mistake, This gospel, Peters gospel, and Christ's gospel are all about "SALVATION"!
"Salvation" is to be rescued into safety, delivered. Jesus is called "deliverer" because he delivers us from sin. Could it be said that we are "caught up" to God, "rescued into safety", by receiving salvation? Could it be salvation is to be "caught up" to the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, even as we live? It is all about salvation in Christ, being caught up to God, and to his throne, that is, taken into his special, powerful, and immediate protection!
For both the dead and the living to receive SALVATION in Christ, and a heavenly home in Christ, even as they live. Paul is in effect saying whether they were dead or alive, when the Lord Jesus uttered his shout of victory, all flesh, living or dead, would see the salvation of God. This is the very point made in the next chapter, 5:8-11... (COMPARE to 1Th 4:17-18)
(KJV) 1Th 5:8-11 But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for a helmet, the hope of salvation. For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ, Who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him. Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also ye do.
G4991 ( "salvation" )
σωτηρία
sōtēria
so-tay-ree'-ah
Feminine of a derivative of G4990 as (properly abstract) noun; rescue or safety (physically or morally): - deliver, health, salvation, save, saving.
Look again how close in meaning "salvation" is to "caught up":
G726- ( "caught up" )
ἁρπάζω
harpazō
har-pad'-zo
From a derivative of G138; to seize (in various applications): - catch (away, up), pluck, pull, take (by force).
Salvation gives you WINGS!
So you made it this far, blessings. Now you ask, when? Read more.
Part Two - The words of Jesus
I have heard some say that Jesus spoke of a literal flying away in this one scripture:
Mat 13:30 Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn.
The parable of the harvest. The "tares" were children of the wicked one. The children of the wicked one were to be gathered FIRST, then the "children of the kingdom", the "wheat" was to be gathered into the "barn", the kingdom of God. The tares were gathered from the grave by the "reapers", the angels, and the wheat was caught up in the kingdom of God, all the children of the kingdom who remained would then shine forth as the sun in the Kingdom of God, even as they lived.
See the parable of the tares:
(ESV)
Mat 13:36 Then he left the crowds and went into the house. And his disciples came to him, saying, "Explain to us the parable of the weeds of the field."
Mat 13:37 He answered, "The one who sows the good seed is the Son of Man.
Mat 13:38 The field is the world, and the good seed is the sons of the kingdom. The weeds are the sons of the evil one,
Mat 13:39 and the enemy who sowed them is the devil. The harvest is the close of the age, and the reapers are angels.
Mat 13:40 Just as the weeds are gathered and burned with fire, so will it be at the close of the age.
Mat 13:41 The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will gather out of his kingdom all causes of sin and all law-breakers,
Mat 13:42 and throw them into the fiery furnace. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
Mat 13:43 Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears, let him hear.
The kingdom of God did come, but not with observation, Just as Jesus said, saying the Kingdom of God is within you.
--
I have heard some say Jesus spoke of a literal flying away here as well:
Luk 17:33 Whosoever shall seek to save his life shall lose it; and whosoever shall lose his life shall preserve it.
Luk 17:34 I tell you, in that night there shall be two men in one bed; the one shall be taken, and the other shall be left.
Luk 17:35 Two women shall be grinding together; the one shall be taken, and the other left.
Luk 17:36 Two men shall be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left.
Luk 17:37 And they answered and said unto him, Where, Lord? And he said unto them, Wheresoever the body is, thither will the eagles be gathered together.
This is the same subject Jesus spoke of earlier. This is not about a "rapture" of living, this is about death (17:33). This is about a persecution, a judgment, taken and being killed, the "body" and the "eagles" who gathered them. That is to say those who were killed, their souls were gathered up from the grave and taken up to heaven by the angels of God. This persecution was to occur in JUDEA as revealed by comparing what Jesus said just before this, and in another scripture. Jesus said:
Luk 17:31 In that day, he which shall be upon the housetop, and his stuff in the house, let him not come down to take it away: and he that is in the field, let him likewise not return back.
Luk 17:32 Remember Lot's wife.
Jesus had spoke of this before, concerning JUDEA...
Mat 24:16-21 Then let them which be in JUDEA flee into the mountains: Let him which is on the housetop not come down to take any thing out of his house: Neither let him which is in the field return back to take his clothes. And woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck in those days! But pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the sabbath day: For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.
And just as Jesus went on to say, all things were to and did come upon that same generation:
Mat 24:34 Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till ALL these things be fulfilled.
The Siege of Jerusalem persisted roughly 66 AD thou 73 AD. During this time, there was a horrible persecution of Christians, and a time of great tribulation for his people. For a time, as many as 3,000 Christians were crucified every single day, and by 70 AD, Jerusalem was absolutely trodden by the Gentiles and the temple in Jerusalem was made desolate. Just like Jesus said, upon that same generation, and rightfully so, for many reasons, as well as for the blood of all the prophets.
See Jesus said "this generation", and it was so.
--
I have heard some say that Paul spoke of a literal flying away in this scripture...
1Co 15:50 Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption.
1Co 15:51 Behold, I show you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,
1Co 15:52 In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.
1Co 15:53 For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.
1Co 15:54 So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory.
1Co 15:55 O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?
1Co 15:56 The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law.
1Co 15:57 But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
This is not about a flying away, a "rapture", the scripture above is clearly about "the grave"/ "hades", about the DEAD being changed, the resurrection of the dead. "the DEAD shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed." There is an earthly tabernacle, and there is a heavenly tabernacle. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body. We shall be changed, all things will become new. There will be no more hunger or thirst, no sorrow or tears, no pain or death.
IF YOUR SAVED AND YOU KNOW IT CLAP YOUR HANDS!
Saved from what? Eternal death. Jesus, born of a woman as to be born of the law, and being without sin he fulfilled the law, lifting the curse of death up from the earth, because it was said anyone who broke a single law was cursed. He is life. We are free from the curse of the law, but we are not free to break the law. Blessed are they that do his commandments.
You who believe were given eternal life through Jesus Christ, even as you live...
(KJV) John 11:25-26 Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?
(KJV) John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
Look at that, They all say the same thing! Because eternal life is the promise, there is no more death. That is the promise to those in whom the Spirit of God dwells. That is what Christ has done for us. And so it is:
Rev 21:4 And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.
And so it is, in the paradise of God, for all eternity. Amen.
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