Understanding the Rapture

What is the Rapture?

In the Gospel of John, Jesus tells us:

“Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me.  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, and where I go you know, and the way you know.”

- John 14:1-4

Jesus was telling us, He will return for us.  If we accept Him as our Lord and Savior

, we will be in heaven with Him.  There is a place right now being prepared for each individual believer.

Paul tells us in 1 Thessalonians:

“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.  Therefore comfort one another with these words.”

- 1 Thessalonians 4:16-18

Where Do We Get the Word Rapture:

The English words ‘caught up’ in the Bible can be translated as such:

• Greek: harpazo – Meaning: to seize, snatch suddenly, carry off by force.

• Latin (Vulgate): rapiemur – Meaning: we shall be caught up/ we shall be snatched.

The path is:

harpazō → rapiemur → raptus → rapture

This is where we get the word Rapture – meaning to snatch up suddenly.  That is what the Rapture is.  Both Jesus and Paul tell us that we will be taken away to Him.  Matthew 24:21 tells us it will happen with a shout and the sound of a trumpet.

Other Scripture verses, that I urge you to read, that support the doctrine of a Rapture is: 1 Corinthians 15:51-52; Revelation 3:10; and 2 Thessalonians 2:6-7. In the Old Testament there are patterns and foreshadows of the Rapture and include: Enoch (Genesis 5:24) who was taken; Noah (Genesis 7) who was lifted out of the flood waters; and Elijah (2 Kings 2:11) was taken up to heaven.  The New Testament patterns include: John (Revelation 4:1) taken up to heaven; Philip (Acts 8:39-40) where he was ‘caught away’ and taken to Azotus.

When will the Rapture Happen?

The New Testament repeatedly teaches that Christ’s coming for His Church is sudden, unexpected, and without any signs.  We know that based on Scripture, Jesus will come and gather His Church to Him before God’s full wrath (1 Thessalonians 5:9) is released on earth.  We are told that the Church will be kept from the hour of trials (Revelation 3:10). We do not know the timing.  In Matthew we are told no one knows when, except for the Father.  There is no biblical prophecy that gives a time, generation, or countdown.

How do We Prepare?

Scripture tells us that we are to be watchful, waiting, and prepared. We must be attentive; not anxious. We must be spiritually alert; not sleeping. We must be walking in obedience; following Jesus and doing His will. We cannot be complacent and believing it won’t happen in our lifetime. Jesus says He comes like a thief in the night (Matthew 24:43). Jesus tells a parable of the ten virgins in Matthew 25:1–13, and it is a great example of making sure that we do not fall into a false sense of security—thinking that outward association with Christ is enough while neglecting the inward preparation of the heart.

What Are We Watching For?

Jesus commands His people to watch, but He does not tell them to watch for dates, predictions, or sensational signs. Instead, Scripture gives us specific categories of things believers are to pay attention to as the day approaches. Watching is not fear‑driven; it is faith‑driven. It is the posture of a disciple who is awake, discerning, and spiritually alert.

The categories include:

• Spiritual Condition of the Church

  • Apostasy – great departure from the faith

  • False Teachings – saying what itching ears want to hear and not doctrine

  • Spiritual Lukewarmness – indifference and complacency

  • A Form of Godliness Without Power – false miracles and signs

    
    

• Moral and Cultural Climate of the World

  • Perilous Times – people will only care about themselves

  • Lawlessness – people will do what they want with no concern for the law

  • Violence and Corruption – abortion, murders, euthanasia, and such will be become the norm

    
    

• Israel’s Prophetic Alignment

  • Israel’s Increasing Isolation – countries will take away support more and more

  • Rising Hostility Toward Israel – antisemitism will grow and become normal

  • Movements Toward Temple Discussion or Preparation – prophecy tells us in the end times the temple will be rebuilt

  • Middle Eastern Instability that Aligns with Prophetic Patterns – we are already seeing much instability such as with Iran and the surrounding countries

    
    

• Global Convergence

  • Global Communication – it will get easier and easier to communicate with all corners of the world

  • Global Economic Systems – the world moving towards a one-world currency

  • Global Governance Structures – the world moving towards a one-world government

  • Global Surveillance Capability – satellites are making it easier and easier to spy on the people and follow their every movement

    
    

We are seeing all of these signs in our world right now.  COVID was an eye-opener for the world to see what was going on behind the scenes in our schools and our governments.  Transgender and pronouns were being introduced to indoctrinate our children to a more diverse and inclusive environment.  If you want to change the world; you start with indoctrinating children.

My Call:

Never has there been a time when this world has been ripe for the return of the Lord and for the Tribulation.  We are hitting the mark on all of the prophetic signs for the wrath of God to come upon the earth.  We need to wake up and fight back against the attacks on: our children, our churches, and Israel.  Fight against the radicalization of our kids and the antisemitism against Israel and the Jewish people around the world.

Will you answer the call?