ENDTIME BIBLE PROPHECY New American Standard Bible

Bible Prophecy Study Outline: Restoration of Israel and Jerusalem Prophetic Signs That We Are Near The End (2000) Rapture Seven-Year Period of Daniel Great Tribulation Day Of The Lord Armageddon Second Coming And The Millennium Great White Throne Judgment

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RAPTURE

The phrase rapture (in Greek-harpazo, in Latin-rapere) means to be caught up or taken away suddenly. The rapture refers to the sudden removal of God's people on the earth. In the twinkling of a eye born again Christians will suddenly be transformed out of our human bodies and will rise up into the air to join Jesus Christ. In the bible others have been taken away from the Earth like Enoch, Elijah, and Jesus when he left the Earth after his first coming.

Many biblical scholars feel that the rapture will occur prior to the Tribulation Period or Pre-Tribulation. Thus God will spare his Church from the persecutions of the Antichrist and the wrath of God which follows upon the wicked people of the earth. Other views of the timing of the rapture can be found in the links at the end of the page.

1 Thessalonians 4:13-17 ¹³But we do not want you to be uninformed, brethren about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve, as do the rest who have no hope. ¹⁴For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus. ¹⁵For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive, and remain until the coming of the Lord, shall not precede those who have fallen asleep. ¹⁶For 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. ¹⁷Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up in the air, and thus we shall always be with the Lord.

1 Corinthians 15:50-53 ⁵⁰Now I say this brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. ⁵¹Behold, I tell you a mystery; we shall not sleep, but we shall all be changed, ⁵²in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall all be changed. ⁵³For this perishable must put on the imperishable, and this mortal must put on immortality.

Matthew 24:40-41 ⁴⁰Then there shall be two men in the field; one will be taken, and one will be left. ⁴¹Two women will be grinding at the mill; one will be taken, and one will be left.

• Billions of people will be left behind on this earth full of surprise and terror at the disappearances of their loved ones and friends. Who knows what kind of explanations the Antichrist will invent to explain the vanishings.

John 14:1-3 ¹"Let not your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in me. ²In my father's house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you. ³And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you to myself; that where I am, there you may be also."

2 Thessalonians 2:3,6-7 ³Let no one in any way deceive you, for it (the Day of the Lord) will not come unless the apostasy comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction. ⁶And you know what restrains him now, so that in this time he may be revealed. ⁷For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only he who now restrains will do so until he is taken out of the way.

• The word apostasy may have 2 different meanings.
• The first is to fall away from the faith. During our present time many Christian values and commandments are virtually ignored. Many have fallen away from Christ. Many more will fall away during the endtimes.
• The second meaning is to fall away from or depart. This may be a reference to the rapture. Who is "He"? There are also two opinions as to who he is? 1) He is the Holy Spirit who dwells within God's church and people and is removed by the rapture. The other opinion favored by non-pre-tribulation Christians is that he is the Archangel Michael. At the start of the tribulation he stands up therby removing his protection over Israel. Daniel 12:1 "Now at that time Michael, the great prince who stands guard over the sons of your people, will arise. And there will be a time of distress such as never occurred since there was a nation until that time; and at that time your people, everyone who is found written in the book, will be rescued.
• After the rapture the Antichrist is revealed. The Antichrist is probably on the world scene now.

Acts 1:9-11 ⁹And after He had said these things, He was lifted up while they were looking on, and a cloud received Him out of their sight. ¹⁰And as they were gazing intently into the sky while He was departing, behold, two men in white clothing stood beside them; ¹¹and they also said, "Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into the sky? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in just the same way as you have watched Him go into heaven.

• Jesus will return to the Earth the same way he left by the clouds

Promise of Delivery From the Wrath of God to Come

• God promised that he would deliver his Church from the persecutions of the Antichrist and the wrath of God which follows upon the wicked people of the earth. The rapture is the fulfillment of that promise.

1 Thessalonians 5:4,9-10 ⁵For you yourselves know full well that the day of the Lord will come just like a thief in the night. ⁹For God has not destined us for wrath, but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, ¹⁰who died for us, that whether we are awake or asleep, we may live together with him.

Romans 5:9 Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him.

Colossians 3:6 For it is on account of these things that the wrath of God will come

1 Thessalonians 1:10 and to wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, that is Jesus, who delivers us from the wrath to come.

Luke 21:34-36 ^34"Be on guard, that your heart may not be weighted down with dissipation and drunkenness and the worries of life, and that day come on you suddenly like a trap; ³⁵for it will come upon the face of the earth. ³⁶But keep on the alert at all times, praying in order that you may have strength to escape all these things that are about to take place, and to stand before the Son of Man."

• Be ready for the rapture. Escape the wrath!

Isaiah 26:19-21 ¹⁹Your dead will live; Their corpses will rise. You who lie in the dust, awake and shout for joy. For your dew is as the dew of the dawn, And the earth will give birth to the departed spirits. ²⁰Come, my people, enter into your rooms, And close your doors behind you; Hide for a little while, Until indignation runs its course. ²¹For behold, the Lord is about to come out from his place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity; and the earth will reveal her bloodshed, and will no longer cover her slain.

• The rapture of the dead followed by his people. After the rapture the indignation or tribulation will fall upon the Earth.

Revelation 3:10-11 ¹⁰Because you have kept the word of my perseverance, I also will keep you from the hour of testing, that hour which is about to come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell upon the earth. ¹¹I am coming quickly; hold fast what you have, in order that no one take your crown.

• The Lord will keep his people and church out of the Tribulation.

Zephaniah 2:2-3 ²Before the decree takes effect-- The day passes like the chaff-- Before the burning anger of the Lord comes upon you, Before the day of the Lord's anger comes upon you. ³Seek the Lord, All you humble of the earth Who have carried out His ordinances; Seek righteousness, seek humility. Perhaps you will be hidden In the day of the Lord's anger.

Imminency of the Rapture

• The Rapture and the coming of Christ can occur at any time. We must always be ready.

Matthew 24:42 Therefore be on the alert, for you do not know which day your Lord is coming.

Matthew 24:44 For the Son of Man is coming at an hour when you do not think He will.

Matthew 24:36 But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone.

Matthew 25:13 Be on the alert then, for you do not know the day nor the hour.

• The belief in an imminent or at any time rapture has two beneficial effects on the church

1. It encourages us to live righteously as Christ may return at any time

2. It encourages soul winning believers and missionaries to win over friends, family and the lost of the world before he returns