Will There Be A Rapture?
By Kenneth Perkins
Christians are continually with the Lord; He and His
Father dwell with us in the New Jerusalem that has come out of heaven.
(Part Five)
If the end as come, then
that means that the judgment has come and that the dead have been raised. How
can this be possible? The Bible tells us exactly how this took place.
The first thing that one
must understand is that those who were judged were not all people, but the
dead:
Matthew
The Son of man shall send
forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that
cause stumbling, and them that do iniquity,
Matthew 24:31
And he shall send forth 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.
Taking these passages on
their own, one might come to the conclusion that all people were involved in
this gathering. One must, however, take all passages on a subject together. For
example, from Romans
Daniel 12:2
And many of them that sleep
in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to
shame and everlasting contempt.
They who “sleep in the dust
of the earth,” the dead went on to everlasting life (or contempt) at the
resurrection, not all people.
Hebrews 9:27-28
[27] And inasmuch as it is
appointed unto men once to die, and after this cometh judgment; [28] so
Christ also, having been once offered to bear the sins of many, shall appear a
second time, apart from sin, to them that wait for him, unto salvation.
The system that God has
established has death first, and then judgment; one’s judgment (as far as the
eternal inheritance of heaven and hell is concerned) does not come while one is
still alive. This point is reiterated in the book of Revelation:
Revelation 20:11-15
[11] And I saw a great
white throne, and him that sat upon it, from whose face the earth and the
heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. [12] And I saw the
dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne; and books were
opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the
dead were judged out of the things which were written in the books, according
to their works. [13] And the sea gave up the dead that were in it; and death
and Hades gave up the dead that were in them: and they were judged every man
according to their works. [14] And death and Hades were cast into the lake of
fire. This is the second death, even the lake of fire. [15] And if any
was not found written in the book of life, he was cast into the lake of fire.
Notice that this passage
explicitly defines the phrase “every man” as the dead. The judgment in this
passage refers to what happened (and still does happen) when people are dead.
Thus, the Bible affirms that the judgment has come.
In addition to the Bible
affirming that the day of judgment has come, it also affirms that the dead have
risen. When died prior to the second coming of Christ, one did not go to heaven
or hell; one went to “Hades” (“Abraham’s bosom” and the “torments” in the story
of the rich man and Lazarus in Luke 16:19-31). This is affirmed by the
following passages of scripture:
John 3:13
And no one hath ascended
into heaven, but he that descended out of heaven, even the Son of man,
who is in heaven.
Here we learn that at the
time of Christ “none” has ascended to heaven; if all those who had previously
died were in heaven, surely Christ would not have said this.
Acts 2:34-35
[34] For David ascended not
into the heavens: but he saith himself, The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou on
my right hand, [35] Till I make thine enemies the
footstool of thy feet.
Here we learn from Peter
that David did not ascend into the heavens; if dead people went to heaven,
would this not be where David went? It is clear, then, that Hades, and not
heaven or hell, was the destination of the dead before they rose.
You may be asking yourself,
“Why were the dead not seen if they rose?” Paul answered this question in his
first epistle to the Corinthians:
1 Corinthians 15:35-46
[35] But some one will say, How are the dead raised? and with what manner of body do
they come? [36] Thou foolish one, that which thou thyself sowest
is not quickened except it die: [37] and that which thou sowest,
thou sowest not the body that shall be, but a bare
grain, it may chance of wheat, or of some other kind; [38] but God giveth it a body even as it pleased him, and to each seed a
body of its own. [39] All flesh is not the same flesh: but there is one flesh
of men, and another flesh of beasts, and another flesh of birds, and another of
fishes. [40] There are also celestial bodies, and
bodies terrestrial: but the glory of the celestial is one, and the glory
of the terrestrial is another. [41] There is one glory of the sun, and another
glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars; for one star differeth from another star in glory. [42] So also is the
resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption; it is raised in
incorruption: [43] it is sown in dishonor; it is raised in glory: it is sown in
weakness; it is raised in power: [44] it is sown a natural body; it is raised a
spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body.
[45] So also it is written, The first man Adam became a living soul. The last
Adam became a life-giving spirit. [46] Howbeit that is not first which
is spiritual, but that which is natural; then that which is spiritual.
Here Paul explains several
things. He explains that for one to be “raised” one must first die; thus, it is
when one dies that one receives this new body. He goes on to explain that this
new body will not be made of the same “stuff” as the old body; when the dead
were raised, they were raised in spiritual, not natural, bodies. Paul
even goes on to explain in verse 50 that “flesh and blood cannot inherit the
Finally, the Bible explains
what it means to be “caught up.” Many people think that this refers to the
futurist “rapture” or taking away of the church at the second coming of Christ.
However, when we examine some passages of scripture together, we shall see what
this refers to:
1 Corinthians 15:51-54
[51] Behold, I tell you a
mystery: We all shall not sleep, but we shall all be changed, [52] in a moment,
in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and
the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. [53] For this
corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.
[54] But when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal
shall have put on immortality, then shall come to pass
the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory.
It is evident that this
passage refers to the same event as 1 Thessalonians 4:13-17:
1 Thessalonians 4:14-17
[14] For if we believe that
Jesus died and rose again, even so them also that are fallen asleep in Jesus
will God bring with him. [15] For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord,
that we that are alive, that are left unto the coming of the Lord, shall in no
wise precede them that are fallen asleep. [16] 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; [17] then we that
are alive, that are left, shall together with them be caught up in the clouds,
to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.
Notice, however, that to
the Corinthians Paul writes nothing of being “caught up”; he does, however,
mention a “change”. The act of being “caught up” found in the Thessalonians’
epistle refers to the same thing as the “change” found in the letter to the
Corinthians. What is this “change”?
The word translated as
“caught up” in 1 Thessalonians, is the Greek word “harpazo”
(Strong’s Number G726). Thayer defines the word as “(1) to seize, carry off by
force; (2) to seize on, claim for one’s self eagerly; (3)
to snatch out or away.” The word appears thirteen times in the Bible. In the
KJV, it is translated as “to catch up” or “to catch away” five times (Matthew
From what is one being
seized in 1 Thessalonians 4:17? The Bible tells us clearly:
Romans 7:22-25
[22] For I delight in the
law of God after the inward man: [23] but I see a different law in my members,
warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity under the
law of sin which is in my members. [24] Wretched man that I am! who shall
deliver me out of the body of this death? [25] I thank God through Jesus Christ
our Lord. So then I of myself with the mind, indeed, serve the law of God; but
with the flesh the law of sin.
Here Paul speaks of being
delivered from the “body of this death.”
Romans 8:20-21
[20] For the creation was
subjected to vanity, not of its own will, but by reason of him who subjected
it, in hope [21] that the creation itself also shall be delivered from the
bondage of corruption into the liberty of the glory of the children of God.
Here Paul speaks of being
delivered out of the bondage of corruption.
2 Corinthians 1:9-10
[9] yea, we ourselves have
had the sentence of death within ourselves, that we
should not trust in ourselves, but in God who raiseth
the dead: [10] who delivered us out of so great a death, and will deliver: on
whom we have set our hope that he will also still deliver us;
Here Paul speaks of the
deliverance from spiritual death from which God has saved all those who believe
on His Son.
Galatians 1:3-4
[3] Grace to you and peace
from God the Father, and our Lord Jesus Christ, [4] who gave himself for our
sins, that he might deliver us out of this present evil world, according to the
will of our God and Father:
Here Paul speaks of
deliverance from the “present evil world.”
Colossians 1:9-13
[9] For this cause we also,
since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray and make request for you, that
ye may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and
understanding, [10] to walk worthily of the Lord unto all pleasing, bearing
fruit in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God; [11]
strengthened with all power, according to the might of his glory, unto all
patience and longsuffering with joy; [12] giving thanks unto the Father, who
made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light; [13]
who delivered us out of the power of darkness, and translated us into the
kingdom of the Son of his love;
Here Paul speaks of
deliverance out of the power of darkness.
1 Thessalonians 1:9-10
[9] For they themselves
report concerning us what manner of entering in we had unto you; and how ye
turned unto God from idols, to serve a living and true God, [10] and to wait
for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, who delivereth us from the wrath to come.
Here Paul speaks to the
Thessalonians about the fact that God has delivered them from the wrath to
come. What was this wrath? The spiritual death of which Paul
wrote to the Corinthians.
Hebrews 2:14-15
[14] Since then the
children are sharers in flesh and blood, he also himself in like manner partook
of the same; that through death he might bring to nought
him that had the power of death, that is, the devil; [15] and might deliver all
them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.
Here the Hebrews author
speaks of deliverance from bondage and the power of death. We see therefore,
that the being “caught up” in the Thessalonians’ epistle is the deliverance
from spiritual bondage and corruption. Thus, the seizure that took place was
the spiritual change of 1 Corinthians that occurred when Christ completed His
task of delivering His people out of the curse of the old covenant.
What does the passage in 1
Thessalonians mean when it speaks of believers being in the clouds? Is this
passage speaking of people living at the Second Advent going to heaven? It
cannot be, because, as we have already seen, it is after one has died that one
faces judgment and it is after the physical body is dead that one is raised
spiritually. To what, then, does this phrase refer? The Bible explains this
also:
Matthew 6:19-21
[19] Lay not up for
yourselves treasures upon the earth, where moth and rust consume, and where
thieves break through and steal: [20] but lay up for yourselves treasures in
heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth consume, and where thieves do not
break through nor steal: [21] for where thy treasure is, there will thy heart
be also.
Was Jesus saying in this
passage that one’s heart would “literally” be in heaven if one’s treasure were
there? No, he was speaking spiritually.
John 3:13
And no one hath ascended
into heaven, but he that descended out of heaven, even the Son of man,
who is in heaven.
Was Jesus, the Son of Man,
“physically” in heaven when He spoke these words? No; however, he was “in
heaven” in a spiritual sense.
1 Corinthians 5:3
For I verily, being absent
in body but present in spirit, have already as though I were present judged him
that hath so wrought this thing,
Here Paul spoke of being “present in spirit,” denoting that although he was not with the people literally, there was a sense in which he was with them. Likewise, there is a spiritual sense in which the Christians of the day were “in clouds”: the spiritual change that occurred when Jesus returned “caught up in clouds” those who were alive at Christ’s return. It is in this manner that the promise of 1 Thessalonians was fulfilled. As we have seen, Christians are continually with the Lord; He and His Father dwell with us in the New Jerusalem that has come out of heaven. It is in this manner that God has kept his promises to His people.