The Rapture to the Thessalonians

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Author: Lois Grant-Holland

Article source: http://www.loisgrantholland.com/. Used with author's permission.

Too often, we forget that the concept of transition, or spiritual revolution, is one that has been a mainstay of the Christian faith for it's two thousand years of existence. The second Coming of Christ, the Rapture, the Tribulation, the New Heaven, the New Earth, the Millennium, and a return to an eternal state are basic doctrine in almost every Christian denomination. As is true with many other issues, there is a great divergence of thought regarding the biblical prophecies and the sequence in which the prophesied events will take place, but we can summarize by looking at the three predominant belief systems:

PREMILLENNIALISTS believe that the Second coming will precede the millennium.

AMILLENNIALISTS believe that when Christ returns, the Second Coming will immediately usher in the New Heaven and New Earth and the eternal state.

POSTMILLENNIALISTS believe that the world will get better and better as it becomes more Christianized through preaching the Gospel until it reaches a thousand years of a golden age, with Christ coming at the end of the period.

The question of whether to interpret prophetic Scripture literally or non-literally is the root of the controversy within the Church itself. Historically, the literal translation of biblical prophecy led to premillennialism. Non-literal interpretation led to amillennialism and has also tended to support the postmillennialism viewpoint. It is generally agreed by theologians and historians that the major division into these three belief systems are derived from differences in the theory and the application of "literal interpretation of prophecy."

Paul described the Rapture to the Thessalonians as the Lord coming bodily from heaven to the air above the earth and issuing a loud command, accompanied by the voice of Michael, the Archangel. A trumpet from God will be the signal for Christians who have died to be resurrected. A moment later Christians still living will also be "caught up." or "raptured." with those who are resurrected to meet the Lord in the air. This rapturing is described as being "in the clouds," a reference either to atmospheric clouds or to the multitude of those being raised in the sense of "so great a cloud of witnesses" (Heb 12:1). Once they meet the Lord in the air they go to Heaven to fulfillment of the prophecy of going to the Father's house (John 14:2-3).

The human bodies of both those who have died and those who are living will be transformed instantly into bodies suited for heaven (I Cor 15:51-52). This passage makes it clear that our present bodies are not suited for heaven because they are perishable, or subject to decay (v.53), and afflicted with mortality. A further difficulty is that our present bodies are sinful and need to be transformed into bodies like Christ's (Phil 3:21). Those who died and went to heaven left their bodies behind and will not be complete until they receive their resurrection bodies.

Some Bible scholars interpret Scripture as saying that the rapture is a phase of the Second Coming. Others regard it as a separate event that will occur several years before the Second Coming of Christ. While biblical passages are not specific regarding the timing of these events, the major prophecies point to the conclusion that only a rapture preceding the tribulation would be a literal fulfillment of Scripture, and it is this view that is held by the majority of Christians in this country today.

According to Scripture, the Rapture is a movement from earth to heaven, whereas the Second Coming is a movement from heaven to earth. This would seem to separate them into two separate events.

The doctrine of the rapture is a simple one. Prophecies make no mention of angels or attending hosts, and no mention of a judgment on earth to follow. The Rapture's single purpose is to take the Church from earth to heaven. The Second Coming, on the other hand, is a very complicated event which will take place over many hours as a gigantic procession of millions of saints and angels move from heaven to earth (Rev 19:11-16).

None of the passages concerning the Rapture mention any preceding events, but those passages that describe the Second Coming prophesy many specific events that will come before Christ's return. Jesus himself describes His Second Coming-and the events which will precede it - in Matthew 24, and chapters 6 through 18 of Revelation add many details.

The question of when the Rapture will occur is vital to the belief system of any Christian, since it determines what, if any, role they will play in The Tribulation - a time of great trouble that will last for three and a half years and immediately preceding the Second Coming of Christ. Revelation 6-18 reveals that there will be war, famine, pestilence, demon possession, stars falling from heaven, earthquakes, and a disruption of the ordinary course of nature. The result of all of these events will be the most of the world's population will be destroyed.

Although some scholars have tried to interpret these prophecies symbolically, most Christians take them as a literal description of catastrophes that will occur in the natural work and will result in great loss of life and physical destruction of the earth. These events will be the result of God's wrath, and will be directed toward Israel and those who chose not to believe and accept the way of salvation through Jesus Christ when it was offered.

From a logical standpoint, a Rapture climaxing the period of Tribulation would be "no great blessing." The Rapture is offered to Christians as a "blessed hope" (Titus 2:13), indicating that the Christians will be taken up into heaven before the period of Tribulation begins.

All who are living during the Tribulation period will suffer, but I Thess 5:4, God has promised that His church will not experience His wrath. Therefore, according to Rev 6:17, the church will be raptured before "the great day of His wrath" begins. The period of Tribulation will climax with a devastating worldwide earthquake (Rev 18); the cities of the nations will collapse (v. 16-19) and islands and mountains will disappear (v. 20). The judgment of the earthquake will climax in a supernatural hailstorm in which the stones will weigh a hundred pounds each (v. 21). The world will be in shambles, and its cities will be in ruins. It is to this scene that Christ will return with the raptured saints, as described in Rev 19:11-16, to establish a new world of order.

Following the meeting of the Lord in the air, the Church will appear at the judgment seat of Christ to receive her reward (2 Cor 5:10-11). The Church will return with Christ to the earth at His Second Coming and will reign with Him. Following the completion of the millennial Kingdom, the Church will share with the saints of other ages the blessings of dwelling in the new Jerusalem in the new heaven and the new earth.

There are as many perspectives of the changes now coming about as there are belief systems. It's interesting to note, however, that - while the Christian interpretation of "the end times process" as defined in the Bible is specific to the Christian perspective and uses definitive Christian theological language - the process itself is in basic agreement with the prophecies put forth by every other philosophical school regarding the geological, political, socio-economic and spiritual changes being predicted for the end of this century.

If we are willing to look beyond the phraseology and focus, instead, into the concepts being presented, we can - with very little effort - bridge the gap between the Christian perspective of end time prophecy and the perspectives of other belief systems. As we explore the ideas behind the words, we will see for ourselves that - while God's truth comes in many forms to accommodate the many spiritual levels of mankind - that truth is always the same.