Some say the word "rapture" isn't in the Bible. However rapture simply means "caught up" as in
verse 17 below. Much of what is known about the rapture comes from 1 Thessalonians chapter 4.
1 Thes 4:13; But we do not want you to be uninformed, brethren, about those who are asleep, so that you will not grieve as do the rest who have no hope.
1 Thes 4:14; For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus.
1 Thes 4:15; For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep.
1 Thes 4:16; For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first.
1 Thes 4:17; Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord.
1 Thes 4:18; Therefore comfort one another with these words.
There have been hundreds of debates here on TJ about when the rapture will happen, but for the purpose of this thread it doesn't matter. Only that it will happen at some point.
Some say this is simply the second coming and that there is only one event.
Matt 24:29; "But immediately after the tribulation of those days THE SUN WILL BE DARKENED, AND THE MOON WILL NOT GIVE ITS LIGHT, AND THE STARS WILL FALL from the sky, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken.
Matt 24:30; "And then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the SON OF MAN COMING ON THE CLOUDS OF THE SKY with power and great glory.
Matt 24:31; "And He will send forth His angels with A GREAT TRUMPET and THEY WILL GATHER TOGETHER His elect from the four winds, from one end of the sky to the other.
The language here is similar to 1 Thess chapter 4. Again we see that term "gather together" or "gather up".
Matt 24:39; and they did not understand until the flood came and took them all away; so will the coming of the Son of Man be.
Matt 24:40; "Then there will be two men in the field; one will be taken and one will be left.
Matt 24:41; "Two women will be grinding at the mill; one will be taken and one will be left.
Matt 24:42; "Therefore be on the alert, for you do not know which day your Lord is coming.
We see the familiar passage here of two men in a field and two women at the mill, in both places,
one will be taken, and one will be "left" (behind). The passage in Luke 17 is similar.
Luke 17:30; "It will be just the same on the day that the Son of Man is revealed.
Luke 17:31; "On that day, the one who is on the housetop and whose goods are in the house must not go down to take them out; and likewise the one who is in the field must not turn back.
Luke 17:32; "Remember Lot's wife.
Luke 17:33; "Whoever seeks to keep his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life will preserve it.
Luke 17:34; "I tell you, on that night there will be two in one bed; one will be taken and the other will be left.
Luke 17:35; "There will be two women grinding at the same place; one will be taken and the other will be left.
Luke 17:36; ["Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other will be left."]
Again we the two men in a field, and two women grinding (presumably at the mill) but here is
an added passage we don't see in Matthew. Two in bed. Perhaps a husband and wife. One is taken
and the other is left (behind).
The thing I notice about these passages is that people are being "taken up" or gathered up, or
caught up. No matter how it is worded, we see these people are going UP to the clouds to be
with Jesus. ( 1 Thes 4:17; Matt 24:31; ) This direction of UP is important. Why would Jesus be taking people
up to the clouds to meet with Him?
Some say the parable of the 10 virgins in Matt 25:1-13; could be related to this as well.
So what is the significance of going UP to the clouds with Jesus? Well the main thing is that it's the
opposite of DOWN.
When Jesus comes back DOWN to the earth (not simply just the clouds) He will reign on the earth for
1,000 years. Depending on your view of when the rapture is (before, during, or after the tribulation)
This affects who you think will be reigning with Jesus during the 1,000 years He reigns on the earth.
Rev 20:4; Then I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was given to them. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony of Jesus and because of the word of God, and those who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received the mark on their forehead and on their hand; and they came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years.
Rev 20:5; The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were completed. This is the first resurrection.
It says here that those who were beheaded because of their faith, and those who did not worship the beast or take his mark "came back to life" (so they must have ALL been dead).
But the people and these people ALONE have the right to rule and reign with Jesus during the 1,000 year
reign on earth. (The REST of the dead do not come back to life until the 1,000 years are completed).
So if the rapture happens before the millennial reign, those who "caught up" in the clouds will reign
with Him. If it doesn't happen until after the millennial reign, then only those who were beheaded because of their faith will reign with Him for the 1,000 years.
verse 17 below. Much of what is known about the rapture comes from 1 Thessalonians chapter 4.
1 Thes 4:13; But we do not want you to be uninformed, brethren, about those who are asleep, so that you will not grieve as do the rest who have no hope.
1 Thes 4:14; For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus.
1 Thes 4:15; For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep.
1 Thes 4:16; For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first.
1 Thes 4:17; Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord.
1 Thes 4:18; Therefore comfort one another with these words.
There have been hundreds of debates here on TJ about when the rapture will happen, but for the purpose of this thread it doesn't matter. Only that it will happen at some point.
Some say this is simply the second coming and that there is only one event.
Matt 24:29; "But immediately after the tribulation of those days THE SUN WILL BE DARKENED, AND THE MOON WILL NOT GIVE ITS LIGHT, AND THE STARS WILL FALL from the sky, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken.
Matt 24:30; "And then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the SON OF MAN COMING ON THE CLOUDS OF THE SKY with power and great glory.
Matt 24:31; "And He will send forth His angels with A GREAT TRUMPET and THEY WILL GATHER TOGETHER His elect from the four winds, from one end of the sky to the other.
The language here is similar to 1 Thess chapter 4. Again we see that term "gather together" or "gather up".
Matt 24:39; and they did not understand until the flood came and took them all away; so will the coming of the Son of Man be.
Matt 24:40; "Then there will be two men in the field; one will be taken and one will be left.
Matt 24:41; "Two women will be grinding at the mill; one will be taken and one will be left.
Matt 24:42; "Therefore be on the alert, for you do not know which day your Lord is coming.
We see the familiar passage here of two men in a field and two women at the mill, in both places,
one will be taken, and one will be "left" (behind). The passage in Luke 17 is similar.
Luke 17:30; "It will be just the same on the day that the Son of Man is revealed.
Luke 17:31; "On that day, the one who is on the housetop and whose goods are in the house must not go down to take them out; and likewise the one who is in the field must not turn back.
Luke 17:32; "Remember Lot's wife.
Luke 17:33; "Whoever seeks to keep his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life will preserve it.
Luke 17:34; "I tell you, on that night there will be two in one bed; one will be taken and the other will be left.
Luke 17:35; "There will be two women grinding at the same place; one will be taken and the other will be left.
Luke 17:36; ["Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other will be left."]
Again we the two men in a field, and two women grinding (presumably at the mill) but here is
an added passage we don't see in Matthew. Two in bed. Perhaps a husband and wife. One is taken
and the other is left (behind).
The thing I notice about these passages is that people are being "taken up" or gathered up, or
caught up. No matter how it is worded, we see these people are going UP to the clouds to be
with Jesus. ( 1 Thes 4:17; Matt 24:31; ) This direction of UP is important. Why would Jesus be taking people
up to the clouds to meet with Him?
Some say the parable of the 10 virgins in Matt 25:1-13; could be related to this as well.
So what is the significance of going UP to the clouds with Jesus? Well the main thing is that it's the
opposite of DOWN.
When Jesus comes back DOWN to the earth (not simply just the clouds) He will reign on the earth for
1,000 years. Depending on your view of when the rapture is (before, during, or after the tribulation)
This affects who you think will be reigning with Jesus during the 1,000 years He reigns on the earth.
Rev 20:4; Then I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was given to them. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony of Jesus and because of the word of God, and those who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received the mark on their forehead and on their hand; and they came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years.
Rev 20:5; The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were completed. This is the first resurrection.
It says here that those who were beheaded because of their faith, and those who did not worship the beast or take his mark "came back to life" (so they must have ALL been dead).
But the people and these people ALONE have the right to rule and reign with Jesus during the 1,000 year
reign on earth. (The REST of the dead do not come back to life until the 1,000 years are completed).
So if the rapture happens before the millennial reign, those who "caught up" in the clouds will reign
with Him. If it doesn't happen until after the millennial reign, then only those who were beheaded because of their faith will reign with Him for the 1,000 years.