The Blessed Hope

What is the Rapture?
The rapture is the blessed hope of every follower of Jesus Christ.  It is a supernatural hope that encourages and comforts us!  I am looking forward to the day when Christ comes for His Church!

Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ.—Titus 2:13 MEV

Jesus comforted His disciples regarding His departure from them with the promise of His coming for the church. This event is commonly called the rapture. This promise was introduced by The Lord to His twelve disciples during the last supper just before His crucifixion.

In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And 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. (John 14:2-3)

Jesus revealed this promise in more detail to the Apostle Paul for the church to be comforted and edified as it runs the race with patience. The Lord himself will descend into the atmosphere. The dead in Christ will receive their resurrection bodies first. The church alive in the last days will be caught up in the air!  A mass disappearance! Sounds crazy right, but it is true nonetheless!

For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep. For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. (1 Thessalonians 4:15-17)

The phrase caught up is the Greek word “harpazo” and carries with it two meanings, one is to carry off by force, and another means to rescue from the danger of destruction. The word most commonly used is “rapture” which comes from the Latin word “rapiemur” in the Latin Vulgate Bible. “Rapiemur” is derived from the root verb “rapio”, which means to snatch, carry off or to seize someone or something quickly and suddenly.

It is referred to as a mystery to be revealed in the last days. There is a generation in the last days that will not experience physical death! This is a great mystery that is going to be revealed to the world in the last days.

Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. So when this corruptible has put on incorruption, and this mortal has put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written: “death is swallowed up in victory.” (1 Corinthians 15:51-54)

The rapture is found throughout all of the Apostle Paul’s epistles to the churches he established. It is a central truth every Christian should understand. It is the blessed hope of the believer.

It is our time of redemption!  Our salvation experience includes a future ressurection which the Apostle Paul calls “the redemption of our bodies.”

Not only that, but we also, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, groan within ourselves while eagerly waiting for adoption, the redemption of our bodies. For we are saved through hope, but hope that is seen is not hope, for why does a man still hope for what he sees? -Romans 8:23-24 MEV

It is our time of transformation!  The ressurection of our bodies will involve a physical transformation, a new body just like The Lord Jesus. 

But our citizenship is in heaven, from where also we await for our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our body of humiliation, so that it may be conformed to His glorious body, according to the working of His power even to subdue all things to Himself. -Philippians 3:20-21 MEV

It is our time of our perfection!  The Lord Jesus will present His Church to Himself.  He will perfect us by removing the flesh which we have to overcome and keep under control every day.  In other words we will be made sinless.

…that He might present to Himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing, but that it should be holy and without blemish. -Ephesians 5:27 MEV

It is our time of gathering!  The Lord Jesus is going to gather His church at the close of the church age.  The Apostle Paul calls it “the dispensation of the fullness of the times.”

…as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in Christ, which are in heaven and on earth… who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory. -Ephesians 1:10,14 MEV

When will the rapture occur?
The Apostle Paul uses the phrase “last trump” in connection with the resurrection of all believers and the translation of those who are alive when the trumpet sounds. The last trumpet illustrates that the entire church of all ages is assembled together to receive their glorified bodies and then rewarded for their works.

Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. (1 Corinthians 15:51-52)

Paul may have taken the phrase “last trump” from the Roman Military’s practice in his day to illustrate when the rapture will occur which will be at the close of the church age.  This would fit nicely with what Paul teaches.  Here is a full explanation of applying a military metaphor to the phrase last trump.

The phrase last trump could be a reference to something else. The Apostle Paul was well versed in the Old Testament. He used the scriptures to prove that Jesus was the Christ. You can see his frequent references to the Old Testament in his letter to the Corinthians. He illustrates Israel’s annual feasts as a type and shadow to the redemptive work of the Lord Jesus Christ. Paul says in Colossians 2:17 that the feasts were “a shadow of things to come, but the substance is of Christ.” He refers to Christ as our Passover, our Unleavend Bread, and our First-fruits in his letter to the Corinthians. When Paul mentions the last trumpet he may be making a reference to something in the Old Testament. What could Paul be referring to? Paul’s reference to the “last trump” may refer to something found in the book of Numbers, specifically chapters 2, 9, 10 and 33. To understand what Paul may have meant by the “last trump” first read the book of Numbers. It is a story of the congregation of Israel in the wilderness.

The Congregation in the wilderness
Stephen, the first Christian martyr, mentions “the congregation in the wilderness” in his preaching to the Jews in Acts 7:38 which can be seen as an illustration of the church. Numbers 2 records how the 12 tribes of Israel were encamped around the Tent of Meeting where the Glory of God would manifest.  When God’s glory would move, trumpets were sounded and the nation would pack up and move.  The tribes would move in a particular order.  The order given is east first, south second, Levites and the tabernacle third, west fourth, and north last. Israel’s encampment was shaped like a cross.

These are the ones who were numbered of the children of Israel by their fathers’ houses. All who were numbered according to their armies of the forces were six hundred and three thousand five hundred and fifty. But the Levites were not numbered among the children of Israel, just as the LORD commanded Moses. Thus the children of Israel did according to all that the LORD commanded Moses; so they camped by their standards and so they broke camp, each one by his family, according to their fathers’ houses. (Numbers 2:32-34)

The cloud by day and fire by night
Numbers 9 records how the 12 tribes (over 600,000 Israelite men) were led through the wilderness. This was God’s way to alert the nation that it is time to move. They were supernaturally led and protected by the emblem of God’s divine presence.

Now on the day that the tabernacle was raised up, the cloud covered the tabernacle, the tent of the Testimony; from evening until morning it was above the tabernacle like the appearance of fire. So it was always: the cloud covered it by day, and the appearance of fire by night. Whenever the cloud was taken up from above the tabernacle, after that the children of Israel would journey; and in the place where the cloud settled, there the children of Israel would pitch their tents. At the command of the LORD the children of Israel would journey, and at the command of the LORD they would camp; as long as the cloud stayed above the tabernacle they remained encamped. Even when the cloud continued long, many days above the tabernacle, the children of Israel kept the charge of the LORD and did not journey. So it was, when the cloud was above the tabernacle a few days: according to the command of the LORD they would remain encamped, and according to the command of the LORD they would journey. So it was, when the cloud remained only from evening until morning: when the cloud was taken up in the morning, then they would journey; whether by day or by night, whenever the cloud was taken up, they would journey. Whether it was two days, a month, or a year that the cloud remained above the tabernacle, the children of Israel would remain encamped and not journey; but when it was taken up, they would journey. At the command of the LORD they remained encamped, and at the command of the LORD they journeyed; they kept the charge of the LORD, at the command of the LORD by the hand of Moses.(Numbers 9:15-23)

The two Silver Trumpets
In Numbers 10:1-10, the Lord gave Moses instructions concerning the use of the two silver trumpets. One of the purpose of the blowing of the silver trumpets was to announce the time to pack up and begin their journeying through the wilderness. When the cloud moved the Levites were to blow the trumpets camp by camp, like clockwork first east then south then west then north. Numbers 10:5-6 makes mention that the camps on the east side go first and the camps on the south side go second. The other camps are not mentioned here, but they are mentioned in Numbers, chapter two. Each camp would be instructed to assemble for the journey sequentially. At the last trump the north camp would assemble and the entire nation would be on the move. There had to be order and clear orchestration. This picture is a powerful illustration to us today—the last trump indicated that the entire congregation was now on the move. The cloud would move, the trumpets sounded for each of the camp first east, second south, third west, and last north. Remember God was leading over a million people through the desert wilderness.

So the last trump indicates when the rapture will take place. When will the rapture takes place? When The Lord has finished building His church. Only The Lord knows. As we see the signs of the second coming of Jesus Christ to the earth we know that the rapture is at hand because the rapture will occur before the time of tribulation. The big question is, are you ready to stand before The Lord?

Either interpretation of the last trump as something related to the Roman military or Israel’s wandering in the wildness both bring the same conclusion regarding the timing of the rapture.  The rapture will take place at the close of the church age.   A day is coming when the church’s departure will take place!  I believe it is very soon!

A Departure
Remember Jesus told his disciples at the last supper that there was much more He wanted to teach them but they were not ready yet. The Holy Spirit would come to reveal deeper truths. The Lord chose the Apostle Paul’s to write much of the New Testament revelation. The doctrine of Christ’s coming for the church was commissioned to Paul and is fully disclosed in 1 & 2 Thessalonians. The doctrine of the rapture brings hope and comfort not confusion or anxiety. Jesus gave the same admonition regarding His return saying, “don’t be deceived and don’t be troubled.”

Now, brethren, concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him, we ask you, not to be soon shaken in mind or troubled, either by spirit or by word or by letter, as if from us, as though the day of Christ had come. Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition.—2 Thessalonians 2:1-3

There are two specific and well-defined events that signal the day of the Lord is rapidly approaching. First is the falling away meaning a departure.  This text misinterpreted as a great number of believers falling away from the Lord.  The word apostasy is used in several translations.  But that is not taught by the Apostle Paul in the New Testament, he stated to Timothy that some will depart from the faith.  In fact the writers of the New Testament (Peter, James, John, and Paul) all speak of a great harvest in the last days.  Should we expect  a mass departure from the faith or a continued harvest by the outpouring of the Holy Spirit?  I believe the latter!

The earliest English Bibles that were written translated this word (in 2 Thessalonians 2:3) as departure not apostasy.  There are contemporary translations that hold to the meaning of a departure as well.  The Weust Translation puts it this way, “And now you know with a positive assurance that which namely, the departure of the church, the Saints being assembled together to the Lord…”  The World English translation puts it this way, “Let no one deceive you in any way. For it will not be, unless the departure comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of destruction…”  Departure and not apostasy better fits the context when Paul explains the removal of the restrainer. The removal of the Holy Spirit’s ministry and the departure of the church coincide together because the Holy Spirit indwells the church.

The second specific event is the revealing of the anti-Christ which the Apostle Paul explains can’t take place until “he” the restrainer is taken out of the way. And now you know what is restraining, that he may be revealed in his own time. For 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 “he” that restrains is the Holy Spirit who was poured out upon the church on the day of Pentecost which is a restraining force upon Satan’s kingdom. The Holy Spirit has been at work for 2000 years in convicting men’s hearts of their need for Jesus annd He will continue to do so after the church is raptured.  Jesus referred to the Holy Spirit as HE in John 14-16 and that He, the Holy Spirit would be just like Himself.  

The Anti-Christ can not appear until the church is departed because of the awesome authority and power He placed in the church. Revelation 4 & 5 is an account of the Apostle John’s vision of the redeemed worshiping at the throne of God. The redeemed then witnesses who would open the seals to judge the earth it is the Lamb of God, Jesus! The first seal judgment is the release of the rider on a white horse to conquer which is none other than the anti-Christ to deceive the nations of the world. So the church is in heaven watching the judgments unfold.

There is also a clear distinction between the destiny of the world and the destiny of the church. Read 2 Thessalonians 1:3-10 and notice the Apostle Paul compares the church who receives rest from persecution versus the world who receives punishment for not obeying the Gospel.  Read 2 Thessalonians 2:8-13 and notice the Apostle Paul compares the church who is set apart for salvation because of faith versus the world who is under delusion and condemnation because of unbelief.  The future is very clear!  It is dark for the world but bright for the church.

The Apostle Paul closes 2 Thessalonians with an admonition to stand fast and hold to the “traditions.”  Those traditions Paul is referring to is his teaching and revelation of who the believer is IN CHRIST which you can download here: (Believers’ IN CHRIST Confession).  That revelation is the heart of the New Testament. 

The best way to prepare for the rapture is to become grounded in God’s Word! Specifically read, meditate and confess over yourself the promises of God found in Paul’s letters every day! As you do you will grow in faith, hope, and love! God your Father will give you hope and comfort as you follow Him and do His will.