The rapture of the church is the event in which God removes all believers from the earth in order to make way for His righteous judgment to be poured out on the earth during the tribulation period.

 

There are many Christians who do not believe in the rapture. There are two comings of the Lord, and people often get confused. The first coming is the rapture, where the Lord doesn’t come down to earth, and the second is what we call the appearing, where He comes to set up his 1000 year kingdom.

 

There will be people saved after the rapture, God will begin to work with the Jews again, and it also talks about people being martyred for their faith in the tribulation. However, there will be no second chances for those who reject the gospel now.

 

Look up:

2 Thess. 2: 7–12

 

 

Different Positions

 

Those who think that the rapture and the appearing are the same.

 

 

Problems with this idea

1) At the rapture, believers meet the Lord in the air (1 Thessalonians 4:17). At the second coming, believers return with the Lord to the earth (Revelation 19:14).

2) The second coming occurs after the great and terrible tribulation (Revelation chapters 6–19). The rapture occurs before the tribulation (1 Thessalonians 5:9; Revelation 3:10).

3) The rapture is the removal of believers from the earth as an act of deliverance (1 Thessalonians 4:13-17, 5:9). The second coming includes the removal of unbelievers as an act of judgment (Matthew 24:40-41).

4) The rapture will be secret and instant (1 Corinthians 15:50-54). The second coming will be visible to all (Revelation 1:7; Matthew 24:29-30).

5) The second coming of Christ will not occur until after certain other end-times events take place (2 Thessalonians 2:4; Matthew 24:15-30; Revelation chapters 6–18). The rapture is imminent; it could take place at any moment (Titus 2:13; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18; 1 Corinthians 15:50-54).

 

 

Mid-Tribulation Rapture

 

Problems with this idea

1) This idea would suggest that the Church will be raptured half-way through the 7 year tribulation. People who go along with this idea would say that the trumpet sound in Rev 11:15 is one and the same as the one heard in Cor 15:52 

 

2) First Thessalonians 5:9 says that the church has not been appointed “to suffer wrath but to receive salvation.” This would seem to indicate that believers will not experience the Tribulation. 

 

3) Even in Revelation 4–21, the lengthiest description of the Tribulation in all of Scripture, the word church never appears.

 

 

What we believe Scripture teaches:

The Rapture is the secret removal of the Church to be with Jesus.

The Rapture could happen at any moment.

 

You need to be ready!