The Timing of the Rapture

The Timing of the Rapture.

There is much Debate in the Body of Christ today in regards to the Timing of the Rapture, the fact that there are so many views in itself reveals one Truth.

That Truth is this “They cannot all be right.”

If they cannot all be right then there is an issue of Truth and Not Truth.

I believe as a Believer in Jesus Christ that the Truth is found in God’s Word alone!

To understand the Truth in regards to the Timing of the Rapture we must search the Scriptures and see and hear what the great men of God have to say.

There is a saying that some people use and it is as follows:

“Christians who are Teaching on the End Times should be willing to acknowledge that none of the Rapture Views can be taught with 100% certainty.”

Have you heard of this saying before?

Have you ever pondered on this saying?

I have pondered on this phrase and the following is what I have noticed.

1. Teachers have a Great Responsibility to Teach the Truth.
2. Teachers should only Teach Truth.
3. Teachers should ONLY Teach what is Truth from Scripture and if there is any doubt then do not Teach on that section of Doubt.
4. Teachers should acknowledge that they MUST only Teach Truth.
5. If the Doctrine is clearly defined in Scripture then that is Truth and MUST be acknowledged as Truth.
6. Teachers MUST realise that there has to be a Doctrine that is more Truthful than the others.
7. There has to be Doctrines that are not Truth.

Jesus was bold in teaching the Truth, Paul and John and Peter were also bold in Teaching the Truth, if they were bold and there words of Truth are clearly recorded in Scripture then all we have to do is repeat exactly what they said.

It is our job as Believers to search the Scriptures to find the Truth in establishing a Doctrine.

Below is a Statement that I believe is Truth and that we Believers should be Teaching.

2Ti 3:16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:

2Ti 3:17 That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.

That is a Statement of Truth that we should all use and it should be at the heart of all Teaching.

I believe that all Scripture is inspired by God and for this reason alone it is Truth, I also believe that Scripture is very profitable for Doctrine and for Reproof and Correction.

I personally believe that the main reason why there are so many different Teachings is because the scriptures are not given their place of Truth.

There are many things stated that do not come from the Word of God, they are statements that you will not find anywhere in Scripture.

To me that Rings very Loud Alarm Bells.

Scripture is what should have the authority not the words of men.

Here is another phrase that some people say “If one view could be taught with 100% certainty then good and faithful Christians would not have many different views on the Timing of the Rapture.”

This phrase highlights the fact that the different views exist because they are just views, when in fact it should be based on Scripture.

There is a book called “The Rapture of the Church” written by Don Stewart who I have great respect for, in his book he states the following phrase: “As far as coming to conclusions about the Timing of the Rapture is concerned, we must understand that there is no simple answer to this question, neither is there any quick solution.”

I totally disagree with what Don states; I believe that there is a simple answer to this question and that there is a quick solution. It is called the Word of God.

Don also makes another statement in his book as follows: “Almost everyone agrees that there is no single verse or passage that gives an undeniable or irrefutable answer to the question of the Timing of the Rapture.”

I again totally disagree with what Don states: I believe that there is a verse and there are passages that do give an undeniable and irrefutable answer to the question of the Timing of the Rapture. It is again called the Word of God.

I do agree with another statement that Don wrote in his book which is as follows: “Any answer MUST be derived from Studying the Totality of Scripture.

Let me say this one Truth, every word that is found in Scripture is Truth, every verse in Scripture is Truth.

If you place each of those words of Truth together in their Truthful context you will end up with Truth and thereby end up with a Doctrine of Truth just as it is stated in 2 Timothy 3:16-17.

I believe that there is a Simple and Very Clear Passage and Verse that reveals the Timing of the Rapture, it is found in 1 Thessalonians 4:17. Let me read these verses to you:

1Th 4:16 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:

1Th 4:17 Then we which are alive and remain (shall be caught up) Raptured Up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.

I believe these two verses are extremely Profitable for Doctrine and are full of some very important Foundational Truths.

From these two verses we can clearly see what events must take place prior to the Rapture and also what the Rapture is.

Can you clearly see the Timing of the Rapture in these two verses?

Paul makes the Timing of the Rapture very clear to you and I and he leaves us with no doubt.

Let me repeat what Profitable Truths that Paul has stated:

1. Jesus literally descends from Heaven with a Shout.
2. The Voice of the Arch Angel is heard.
3. The Trumpet of God is sounding.
4. The Resurrection of the Dead takes place.
5. Then the Rapture takes place, the Rapture is the Action that takes place when those who are Resurrected from the earth in their Incorruptible Bodies and we who are alive and remain are Caught Up, or Raptured UpTogetherto meet Jesus in the air.
6. The word Rapture means to be seized and moved from one location to another.

I believe that the Word of God is Truth and that the Timing of the Rapture is made very clear to you and I by Paul in these two verses.

Paul states clearly that The Timing of the Rapture takes place after the Resurrection of the Dead takes place, Yes! The Dead are raised FIRST and then TOGETHER we are Raptured up to meet Jesus. It is also made very clear by Paul that the Trumpet of God must be sounding, and there must also be the voice of the Arch Angel. Paul also states a very special event that must take place and that is that Jesus himself will be descending from Heaven with a Shout.

We have a Clear Truth,The Rapture cannot take place unless the Resurrection of the Dead takes place First.

The Resurrection of the Dead precedes the Rapture, therefore if we find verses that clearly show the timing of the Resurrection of the Dead we will see more about the Timing of the Rapture.

These two verses in 1 Thessalonians 4 alone proves that there is a verse and also a passage that clearly shows the Timing of the Rapture, I am not sure why there are those that say that there is not one verse or passage that indicates a clear timing of the Rapture.

Truth 1. The Resurrection of the Dead takes place First before the Rapture.

Truth 2. Jesus must descend from Heaven with a Shout.

Truth 3. The Trumpet of God sounds at the time of the Resurrection of the Dead.

I hope that you have been encouraged so far in this Study and most of all I hope you have seen the Scripture being used in a profitable way so as to show the Timing of the Rapture.

I want to now focus on something very important in this Study before we go deeper into Gods Word.

The Resurrection of the Dead takes place First then the Rapture.

I want to look again at 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17

1Th 4:16 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:

1Th 4:17 Then we which are alive and remain (shall be caught up) Raptured Up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.

Paul makes a statement that the Dead in Christ are raised from the Dead FIRST then the Rapture.

Do you agree with this Statement of Paul?

Yes it is true!

The Dead in Christ will be raised FIRST and then together with them we are Raptured up to meet Jesus.

The Resurrection of the Dead MUST take place FIRST!

In verse 13 Paul stated to us that he does not want us to be ignorant concerning the Believers in Christ that have died, Paul does not want us to sorrow as those that do not know Jesus Christ.

1Th 4:13 But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.

Paul gives us believers the reason for our Hope in verse 14, Paul states that Jesus died and rose again and Jesus will be bringing with Him all that have died.

1Th 4:14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.

It is in verse 15 that we find that there is an order; Paul states that we believers who are alive on the earth at the coming of Jesus Christ will NOT be before those that have died.

1Th 4:15 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 be before them which are asleep.

Yes there is an Order.

First Jesus will bring with Him all that have died, and First the Resurrection of those Dead Bodies will take place and that is the time when those that Jesus brought with Him will be clothed in those Incorruptible Resurrected Bodies.

They will be on the earth in their Resurrected Incorruptible Bodies and THEN we that are alive and remain shall be Raptured Up Together with them to meet Jesus in the air.

There is Unity in the Rapture, we will all ascend up together to meet Jesus Together.

Jesus may be bringing with Him those that have died before the Resurrection takes place BUT we are all going to be Raptured up TOGETHER to meet Jesus.

Do you agree with the Dead in Christ coming with Jesus First?

Do you agree with the Resurrection of the Dead taking place First before we will be Raptured up together?

1Th 4:16 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:

1Th 4:17 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.

This word First in the Greek is “Proton” it literally means First in time, or place, or order, or importance.

When Paul said that the Resurrection of the Dead will take place first he literally meant that it will be the First in Order.

It is the same Greek Word that Jesus chose when He said in Matthew 6:33 we should FIRST seek the Kingdom of God and His Righteousness and then all these things shall be added unto you.

Mat 6:33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.

It is also the same Greek word that Jesus used in Luke 21:9.

Luk21:9 But when ye shall hear of wars and commotions, be not terrified: for these things must first come to pass; but the endisnot by and by.

This Greek word “Proton” G4412 in the Strong’s Concordance relates to the Greek word “Protos” G4413 in the Strong’s Concordance. “Protos” means the foremost in time, place and order of importance.

I believe that Paul makes it clear to you and I using Scripture that the Resurrection of the Dead must First take place then the Rapture.

I do believe that we can conclude from the Scripture that we have read so far that the Resurrection of the Dead takes place FIRST then the Rapture.

I do believe that if we can find a verse or verses in Scripture that speak clearly of the Resurrection of the Dead we again will have Scripture that is Profitable for Doctrine and we will see more about the Timing of the Rapture.

Look now with me in Revelations Chapter 20 and you will see a very clear Timing for the Resurrection of the Dead.

John saw some amazing things when Jesus revealed to him the Revelation of Jesus Christ, in Revelations 20:4 John saw Thrones and he saw people sitting on those Thrones that were given the authority of Judgement. John also saw the souls of those that were beheaded for the Witness of Jesus and for the Word of God. John saw those that did not worship the Beast, nor worshipped its image and those that did not receive the beasts mark on their foreheads or on their hands.

At the end of verse 4 John said that they “Lived and Reigned with Jesus Christ for 1000 Years”

Rev 20:4 And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.

This is a Resurrection of the Dead that John is describing but it is NOT a Resurrection of every dead person in the world.

No!

It is clearly a Resurrection of those that are in Christ, because these people that are Resurrected are Reigning with Jesus Christ for 1000 Years.

John confirms this Truth in verse 5, where John states that the rest of the dead did not Live again (Resurrected) until the 1000 years is finished.

Rev 20:5 But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection.

In verse 5 John gives us timing for this Resurrection of the Dead, John states that it is the First Resurrection of the Dead.

The Greek word that John used is “Protos” which means the foremost in time, place and order of importance.

This “Protos” word is used in 1 Timothy 2:13 and 1 Corinthians 15:45.

1Timothy 2:13 For Adam was first formed, then Eve.

1Corinthians 15:45 And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit.

First clearly means First.

Yes! John is clarifying that this Resurrection of the Dead is the First and Foremost of the Resurrection of the Dead. It is the Resurrection of the Dead we are waiting for.

It is a very important Resurrection, it is the Resurrection of the Dead that includes many people and they are all the people of God and they are the ones that will Reign with Jesus Christ for 1000 Years.

John speaks more about this First Resurrection in verse 6, John states that the people in this First Resurrection are Blessed and are Holy and the second death has no power over them. These people that are in the First Resurrection shall be Priests of God and Jesus Christ and they shall Reign with Jesus for 1000 Years.

Rev 20:6 Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.

Yes! Scripture is Profitable for Doctrine as we have seen so far in this Study and I do believe it still is.

We certainly had no problem in 1 Thessalonians 4 in agreeing with Paul that the Resurrection of the Dead must take place First and then the Rapture and we have no problem in agreeing with Jesus when He says that we must First seek the Kingdom of God and His Righteousness and then all things will be added.

In the same way we believed Scripture in 1 Thessalonians 4 we should also believe the Scripture in Revelations 20.

If Jesus revealed to John that this Resurrection of the Dead is the First and Foremost of the Resurrections then we must believe it.

I believe that many Christians come to a Cross Road when they read Revelations 20:4-6, they have to choose whether to agree with Scripture that is Profitable for Doctrine or disagree with Scripture.