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Rapture in the Bible: 1 Thessalonians 4:15-17
The Bible teaches that one day Jesus Christ will return to earth to gather his followers to heaven. Many Christians call this future event the "Rapture," and see this passage as a description of that moment.
http://biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1Thess.4.15-1Thess.4.17&version=NIV
Topics:
End Times, Left Behind, Rapture
All Topics
1 thes 4:15-17
Q: how is it a secret rapture if there is a SHOUT and the TRUMP of GOD?
Iv’e heard a shout before and iv’e heard a trumpet, how much loader would the trumpet of god be?
please explain.
thank you
craig
This passage has confused me some. By asleep, we mean physically dead, correct? So does this mean that a christian physical death today does not translate to being in heaven today?
Craig:
Where do you get “secret” rapture? Other versions say, ‘blast of the trumpet’. Blast is defined as a sudden very loud noise.
Kat:
Romans 8:38-39 (New International Version)
38For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons,[a] neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Death can’t separate God from His children but it isn’t until the rapture (forceful grabbing or snatching) that we are given new bodies and taken into heaven.
“This passage has confused me some. By asleep, we mean physically dead, correct? So does this mean that a christian physical death today does not translate to being in heaven today?”
check my blog for your answer http://ootbc.blogspot.com/
Thanks for providing your thoughts, Shan05! Anybody else care to agree or disagree with Shan05’s answer?
If the understanding of the original Roman/Greek audience and the Hebrew/Roman author are the guide (if our understanding wouldn’t make sense to them, we need correction), the description of going out “to meet the Lord in the air” in verse 17 was a common response of citizens to a returning King. The King would approach the city, the citizens would go out to meet him, not to go _away_ with him, but to celebrate around him as he entered the city to occupy and rule it. The “in the air” is a supernatural twist on this, as is the resurrection of the dead, but the picture is of the King joining us here, not us being taken away elsewhere, to “Paradise” or the New Jerusalem written of in Revelation.
This is the much longer, more thorough explanation by one of leading New Testament historians and theologians:
http://www.ntwrightpage.com/Wright_BR_Farewell_Rapture.htm
how about the scriptures in matthew 24:40-42. then 2 men will be in the field: one will be taken and the other be left. 2 women will be grinding at the mill: one will be taken one will be left. vs 42 says watch therefore you do not know what hour your Lord is coming.
Which one will be taken the follower of the Lord or the other???
I have had some recent discussions on this and would like feedback.
Are you all sure? what if we really rwead the passage and looked up the words as what did they mean to a first cenrty jew or Greek?
You may find this interseting:
What About the Rapture?
Are you all sure? What if we really read the I Thess 4 passage (not read into it) and looked up the words, as what did they mean to a first century Jew or Greek?
You may find this interesting, as where does this all come from? Look at the text:
According to the Lord’s own word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left till the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. 1 Thessalonians 4:15-17
Let’s take a look: the context is Paul being “pastoral†and encouraging his people who were being martyred, and seeing their loved ones killed or imprisoned at worst and at best losing their homes and livelihood. In these extreme tough times, Paul addresses his grieving people with a prophecy to look forward to. He gives a hope to foster them with the consolation of anticipation of what Jesus will do to support them, so they can press on with their persevering faith. The prophecy is real and will come about; the fact of our Lord’s return is a reality that no Christian group that adheres to God’s Word would deny. The questions and debates center on what is not important, and that is the details of when and how this will come about. One of these details is called the Rapture where Christians will be caught up and rise into the air to meet Jesus in the clouds. The passage in English clearly teaches this, or so I thought until a little research told me otherwise. And now, I was faced with a paradigm shift in my eschatological thinking. What I had always thought was not backed up with facts—only presumptions. 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 has been the principle passage for this theory. It is interesting to note that none of the Church Fathers nor any of the Reformers or anyone in Church History taught this “theory†until the 1830’s when heretical groups ignoring the context of the passage, Greek word meaning, and the meaning of the metaphors in question, as what they meant to a first century Jew or Greek.
The word rapture is not in the Bible, which is not a problem since many theological terms are not in the Bible such as Trinity or essential ministries such as Youth Ministry. But, the concept of a rapture cannot be found either. It is, at best, a misunderstanding, and at worst, a cynical, sinister pawn to distract us—the Church—from that to which God is calling us. As a word, rapture is originally from a Latin word meaning “caught up†or “caught away”, and is based on 1 Thessalonians 4:15-17. The exegetical problem is our being “caught up†with Him as air being lifted up in the sky. Is this what the text actually says? In reality, it was a Greek military term set in Jewish judgment language that is used here; John and His readers would have laughed at our theories! Let’s look at this word-by-word in the Word.
• Word of the Lord means Jesus is telling us all that He indeed is coming and when He does it will be loud and clear. This was a term used in other ancient texts for a special visiting king who was celebrated (Matt. 24:27; Luke 22:61; Acts 20:35; 1 Cor. 7:10).
• Shout/loud command, refers to a command or a stern summons, and in connection with Trumpet (1 Kings 1:34; Rev. 1:9-20; 9:13; 11:15-19).
• Trumpet means God is calling like a war cry, of impeding danger, and for us to pay attention (Ex. 19:16; Psalm 47:5-9; Isa. 31:4; 42:13; Amos 2:2).
• Caught up. This is a metaphor for meeting, as in catching up to the party with whom you are meeting. Heed this; an important emissary or king is coming such as one of the Caesars coming to join him and/or to escort Him, or He will escort those who show. Here it indicates that Christ has come, and His angels escort us as we meet Him. This does not mean to rise up in the air, although God can certainty do this if He chooses, but this is not what the text says. This is about the excitement and ecstasy of the event.
• Clouds. This means judgment is coming or hear and the end is here, time is up and the coming of the son of man from Daniel. This also means a spectacular event, such as numbers of angels testifying to God’s glory. It could also mean an extraordinary storm of clouds (Ezek. 30:3; 32:7; Joel 2:2; Dan. 7:13; Zech. 12:10; Matt. 16:28; 24:30-31, 34; 26:64; Rev. 1: 1-8).
• Meet the Lord in the air means two opposing armies who meet in the middle of a battlefield to discuss terms. Meeting in the air was also a way to say dignitaries are here (which was a great honor), from a city and are meeting with emissaries from another city to escort them to a meeting. Sometimes this meant meeting halfway, like diplomats or generals of opposing armies at a village as a neutral zone. This also meant gathering people to join and/or meet. Here, it is with Jesus when He comes back as a “royal coming†(Matt. 24:27-31; Acts 17:7). Rapture is the Latin rendering of the Greek word “harpazo.†The Latin rendering of “raptus†is where we get the word rapture. It is not from the Bible. This does not mean we get to fly up into the air; we may, but the passage and the others people use to support this theory in the contexts clearly states otherwise.
The object of this passage is Christ; He is coming is one of the themes of this Epistle, Matthew 24, and Revelation. This passage is basically announcing to us that Christ is coming back. This was comfort for the suffering Christians at that time, but chastisement for those who were evil and rejected Him (Deut. 33:2; Isa. 19:1; Zech. 1:16; Mal. 3:1-2; Matt. 10:23; Rev. 2:5; 3:20). Various first century Jewish groups saw that at the end of the age there will be a resurrection of the dead and a judgment, basically what Jesus taught too (1 Thess. 2:12; 5:3; Acts 17:7). The application can denote the assembled Church will come together to meet with Jesus physically or in some supernatural way that is yet undesignated.
In Mathew it is called, the Coming of the Son of Man! A spectacular rising into the air to meet Him! (Matt. 24:29-35). This passage is also used to show the belief that the entirety of true believers of Christ as Lord—the Church—will be suddenly taken up into the sky to meet Him in mid-air in the clouds. This is a fun theory and many people are so very dogmatic about it that fights occur as to when and how this will happen. Very few people actually look at the text to see what it really is saying.
Another passage that is used for this rapture is in Revelation 4:1-5: a trumpet said. This means God is preparing to give a command or the pronouncement of His Word (Ex. 19:16). Here, many misguided interpreters read into the text a “rapture,†and string together other passages out of context to create a grand theology out of injudicious reading and inserting ideas that are not in these passages at all, such as 1 Cor. 15:51-54.
This practice of using these texts and others for a Rapture is called “isagesis†which is inserting into the text something that is not there or a personal interpretation of a text from one’s own ideas. However, we are called to read His Word with “exegesis,†or a right explanation and analysis of the text from what it actually says. Also, in the Revelation 4:1-5 passage, the word “church†does not appear until Revelation chapter 22. Many think this means the church is not on earth during the last days. Again, this is reading into a text our ideas and not God’s. We are never to stretch or construe Scripture according to our whims and/or opinions. Rather, we are to plainly seek what He has for us from what He has clearly revealed to us.
This does not diminish the excitement and wonder when Christ does come back and we get to meet with Him. That will be far more excitement and hope than any convoluted theory could ever produce! The main point is this: we are called to join Him or be whisked away to judgment. We meet Christ on His terms to receive our rewards for being in Him and for those who reject Christ to receive judgment; it is simple as that. No elaborate esoteric theories are needed (Dan. 7:13; Matt. 24:31)!
Is there a “Secret Rapture?â€
Some misguided Bible teachers have even been teaching there will be a secret rapture or a second rapture or mutable raptures. They claim each shout of the trumpet from relation is a new rapture. This is ridiculous, as a shout of a Trumpet means God is preparing to give a command or a pronouncement of His Word (Ex. 19:16). God’s way of making this spectacular and public then to be in secret misses God’s point and power. This will be very public; everyone will see the Coming of our Lord—both the dead and the alive, and that is no secret!
BTW this is called, Biblical or “Exegetical Eschatology†what does this bible say in its real word meanings and context not what we want it to mean…
See more here:
http://www.churchleadership.org/apps/articles/default.asp?articleid=43936&columnid=4624
http://www.churchleadership.org/pages.asp?pageid=67280
Since Jesus clearly says, “He will come like a thief in the night, totally unexpected. He then says elsewhere, when He Appears, “Every Eye Will See Him, including those who pierced Him. He is speaking of two separate “comings”. I understand this to mean He’s coming “For His Church” as there is the “Judgment Seat of Christ” where the Saints receive their rewards (Gold, Precious Stones, etc, or lose some rewards, called “wood, hay, and stubble”. Later He will return “With His Church” after the final 7 Year period of Daniel’s prophesy. He must take His Holy Spirit and Church out of the way/World before the Tribulation period begins as He states, “Since you have kept the word of my Patience, I will also keep you from the “Hour that will try them who live upon the Earth”. Thus, He will return “With His Church” to destroy, the Beast (the Devil) with the “Breath of His Mouth, and destroy with the Brightness of His coming”. His coming will destroy Antichrist and the false Prophet, and chain Satan for 1000 yrs. After which time, “Satan must be loosed for a “short time, to go out to deceive the Nations once more”. It is after this that Satan will join the Antichrist and the false prophet in the Lake of Fire “prepared for the Devil and his angels” and is thus destroyed forever. Then, God’s creation of a New Heaven and a New Earth wherein dwells Rightousness”; there will be no more Sea, Sun, or Moon as Jesus’ Brightness will Light the New Heaven and Earth as well as the the New Jerusalem. Then, Eternity Begins. So, Rapture, or whatever you choose to call it, we, The Saints MUST be removed before Hell begins on Earth.
“He will come like a thief in the night”?…
The main point of this passage in Matthew 243 is to tell us not to be discouraged, but remain faithful and vigilant. We are to live our lives as if Christ would be coming tomorrow, or preparing and planning as if He were coming a thousand years from now. We are no to be preoccupied with the details and trivialities. That is why Jesus did not give them to us. Rather, our faith development and steadfastness are far more impacting and real on ourselves and others around us!
• “Taken” refers to being taken to Judgment (Jer. 6:10-12)! Most people think this is the rapture, but, it is never explicitly taught or illustrated, although the text does “allow” for such as view. (What is my view? I do not have one. After 20 years of carefully studying the books of Revelation and Daniel, I am not ready to publicly form one; I still need more study!)
• “Thief” will come literally means to “break in,” as to dig into the clay and brick sides to get inside the home. This could only happen if the people were not there—as in not ready (Ex. 22:2-3).
“No one knows”…angels, or the Son… Why did Jesus not know, when He is the omnipresence God? God keeps most of His plans secret for good reason (Deut. 29:29; Zech. 14:6-9). We would become preoccupied with them and come uo with these crazy theories and then miss our point and purpose for being here on earth. Just look at some Catholics and how they are overzealous with artifacts; in fact there are enough so-called pieces of the cross of Christ in European Cathedrals to build a large church! There is also the obsession for the Holy Grail (the cup of Christ in His last supper). They look to “stuff” and not to substance!
We do this too with our crazy end time theories…
http://70030.netministry.com/articles_view.asp?articleid=33345&columnid=3803
MATT 24:29 IMMEDIATELY AFTER the
TRIBULATION of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall
not give her light, and the STARS SHALL FALL FROM HEAVEN, and the
POWERS of the heavens shall be shaken:
WHAT has this chapter talked about so far up to THIS VERSE? = False
prophets & the Abomination / Satan.
WHY were you told? = Jesus told you BEFORE so that you would not be
DECEIVED by the rapture or other lies!
WHO came to the Holy city or earth so far in THIS chapter? = The false
prophets and the Abomination / Satan.
WHERE did all of this happen so far? = The Holy city.
WHERE is the Holy city? = Jerusalem on the EARTH.
WHAT is the TRIBULATION here? = MAT 24:15 = WHEN the abomination
( Satan ) stands in the Holy place.
WHEN will all of this happen = MAT 24:15 WHEN the abomination ( Satan )
stands in the holy place = ISA 14:12-22
WHAT does IMMEDIATELY AFTER the TRIBULATION mean here? = WHEN
the TRIBULATION is OVER!
Did ANYONE get raptured? = NO Did anyone CAUGHT up? = NO
Did anyone fly away?
When it says 2 in the fields one is take one is left behind ..can you show me where it says the believer is taken or the non believer is taken? its dosen’t say not that I can find..
I disagree with everyone of you. Rkrejcir said it best, but he still was off about it.
The hole thing ties in with Revelations. In Revelations it says that we will only know His coming is near when the weather patterns change, for example. The fourth trumpet that was sounded was for four angels to go out to the four corners of the Earth and blow their breath so that the winds would blow in opposite directions, causing more hurricanes, tornadoes, and more earthquakes would come. Terrorist attacks will increase and there shall be many. If anyone has tied current events into the passages in the Bible, such as Leviticus 26:16-17, which says “I also will do this to you: I will even appoint terror over you, wasting disease and fever which shall consume the eyes and cause sorrow of heart. And you shall sow your seed in vain, for your enemies shall eat it. I will set My face against you, and you shall be defeated by your enemies. Those who hate you shall reign over you, and you shall flee when no one pursues you.” This says that we, the U.S. and Britain, have sinned terribly, and for doing so, He punishes us. In order to truly understand the Bible, one must first have knowledge and be wise. The Bible is not easily interpreted. This passage is prophesy and one that is easily overlooked and misinterpreted.
Bringing me to the topic at hand. There is no RAPTURE, the word is nowhere in the Bible, making the theory incorrect. The same goes for the word TRINITY. There is no trinity. The word God comes from the Hebrew word Elohim, meaning family, meaning more than one. As it says in Genesis 1:26, “Then God said, ‘Let Us make man in Our image, according the Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.’” Note the plural Our and Us and not the single My and Me.
Back to the passage on hand. 1 Thessalonians 4:15-17 was misinterpreted and, therefore, brought about the theory of the Rapture. Although it’s a summary–and a very short summary–of what shall come to pass at Christ’s coming. “Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die, for I have not found your works perfect before God. Remember therefore how you have received and heard; hold fast and repent. Therefore if you will not watch, I will come upon you as a thief, and you will not know what hour I will come upon you.” (Revelation 3:2-3) It only says that He come upon you if you are not wary of the times, watchful for the signs of His coming. Those who He calls will be ministers (servants) and prophets. It is His chosen who will be watchful more than others. Also the seven years of tribulation began where it states in Revelation 12:13-14 “Now when the dragon saw that he had been cast to the earth, he persecuted the woman who gave birth to the male Child. But the woman was given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness to her place, where she is nourished for a time and times and half a time, from the presence of the serpent.” This marks the beginning of the 7 Years of Tribulation. From here forward, the Lord’s chosen will be taken to a place of safety. Basically saying the we shall dwell in a place of safety and be led to it by Him. Satan shall reign on earth 7 years before Christ and the 144,000 who were sealed make their appearance known. The 144,000 sealed were prophets and priests in His name who died for God’s cause. These 144,000 will never leave His side but will follow Him where He goes. They remain on earth. Nobody leaves earth and so, therefore, there is no rapture. 1 Thessalonians 4:15-17 is misleading to the common eye. The New Jerusalem shall come from the sky and it is there where Christ shall reign on earth for 1,000 years. That is what the passage truthfully refers to, not the false rapture.
its not a secret,if you know him you will hear him.if you do not then you will miss him,when he comes.