The Rapture

1 Th. 4:16-17

The word "rapture" comes from the Latin word "raptu", which means "caught away" or "caught up." This Latin word is equivalent to the Greek term "harpazo" that is found in 1 Th. 4:17, and translated as "caught up." This event, described here and in 1 Co. 15, refers to the time when Christ will take His followers from the earth to meet Him in the air and be with Him in heaven. It involves only those who are part of Christ's true church - His faithful followers worldwide who are in a right relationship with Him.

Just prior to the rapture, as Christ is descending from heaven for His church, the resurrection of the "dead in Christ" will occur (1 Th. 4:16). This is not the same resurrection described in Rev. 20:4, which is an event occurring after Christ returns to earth, destroys the forces of the antichrist and confines satan to the bottomless pit (Rev. 19:11, 20:3). The resurrection in Rev. 20:4 relates to those who turned to Christ and died for their faith in Him during the tribulation. The Rev. 20:4 reference may possibly involve Old Testament followers of God as well.

At the same time as the dead in Christ rise, followers of Christ who are alive on earth will be transformed, their bodies becoming imperishable and immortal. This will happen in an instant - "in the twinkling of an eye."

Both the resurrected Christians and those who are instantly transformed will be caught up together to meet Christ in the air. They will be visibly united with Christ (1 Th. 4:16-17), taken to heaven and reunited with loved ones who have died knowing Christ (Th. 4:13-18). They will be removed from all suffering and distress (2 Co. 5:2, 4; Php. 3:21), from all persecution and oppression and from the entire realm of sin an death (1 Co. 15:51-56). The rapture also rescues Jesus' followers from "the coming wrath" - the great tribulation.

The hope that our Savior will soon return to take us out of the world to "be with the Lord forever" is the blessed hope of all who have yielded their lies to Christ. It is a major source of comfort for suffering Christians.

Paul uses "we" in 1 Th. 4:17 because he believed the Lord's return could have happened in his own lifetime. He communicates this same sense of urgency and anticipation to the Thessalonians. The Bible insists that Christians in all time periods must remain alert and ready for the Lord's return (Romans 13;11; 1 Co. 7:29).

Those who claim to be Christians and part of the church, yet are unfaithful to Christ and do not truly have a personal saving relationship with the Lord, will be left behind. They  will be left with only a false system of religion.

Following the rapture is "the day of the Lord", referring to a time that brings distress and judgment on the ungodly. That will be followed by the second stage of Christ's coming, when He literally returns to earth at the end of the tribulation to defeat the forces of the antichrist, destroy the ungodly and reign on earth for a thousand years at the end of time as we know it.