Rapture Defined
Rapture is actually a word that has been recycled, so-to-speak, to refer to an event described in the Bible in which Christian believers are alive together with those believers who have died before and have resurrected, are caught up together to meet Christ in the air and be with him forever more in heaven. This is mainly an event described by Paul in his gospel. The rapture is also alluded to by Jesus in the four Gospels that was supposed to have happened “immediately after the tribulation” which happens at the time of Jesus’ second coming:
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.
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:
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. (1 Thes 4:15-17)
Jesus:
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:
And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.
And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other. (Mat 24:29-31)
Jesus clearly expected his second coming to be during the first century. Though the gospels say that he didn’t know the day or hour, it was certain he strongly believed that it was very near, even “at the doors” and “at hand”.
Verily I say unto you, There be some standing here, which shall not taste of death, till they see the Son of man coming in his kingdom. (Mat 16:28)
…Ye shall not have gone over the cities of Israel, till the Son of man be come. (Mat 10:23)
So likewise ye, when ye see these things come to pass, know ye that the kingdom of God is nigh at hand. Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass away, till all be fulfilled. (Lk 21:31-32)
One of the prophecies that the Messiah was to fulfill at his coming was the rebuilding of the temple. However, after the tribulation the temple was still standing. Jesus predicted that at his second coming the temple would be destroyed:
And Jesus went out, and departed from the temple: and his disciples came to him for to shew him the buildings of the temple.
And Jesus said unto them, See ye not all these things? verily I say unto you, There shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down. (Mat 24:1-2)
The tribulation came and not only was there no rapture, but the temple was still there. To rebuild it, it would have had to be destroyed. We know from history that the temple was destroyed in 70 AD. There was no rebuilding of the temple, no second coming and no rapture.
The tribulation happened as Jesus predicted in Judaea. This happened to the Jews and they actually fled to the mountains as he instructed:
Then let them which be in Judaea 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. (Mat 24:16-21)
This horrific is a event that actually happened as we know from history in which the Romans killed thousands of Jews — the great tribulation.
However:
- Jesus disappeared from the scene before the temple was destroyed,
- Jesus did not return in the clouds;
- Jesus, as the Messiah, did not rebuild the temple,
- and the rapture didn’t happen
All this was supposed to happen at some time during the first century, at least, but that century and nineteen more have passed and there has been no rapture —- neither will there be.
Next: More Articles 2 | The King That Was No King Part 1