The Rapture

 Temple Baptist Church - 7-8-2026

1 Corinthians 15:51-57

 

Introduction: 

 

1 Thessalonians 4:13-18  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.  (14)  For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.  (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 prevent them which are 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 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.  (18)  Wherefore comfort one another with these words.

 

A.  Tonight, we will look at one of the Cardinal Doctrines of the Faith.  The “Rapture of God’s Church.” The next event on the prophetic calendar.

 

The word Rapture is not found in your Bible.  Neither is the word Trinity, but the concept is there and plainly explained.  The word “Rapture” comes from the phrase “shall be caught up” in:

 

1 Thessalonians 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.” 

 

These four words, “shall be caught up,” are actually one word in the Greek:  arpazw harpazo har-pad’-zo, which means to catch up, take by force, catch away, or to pluck, to claim for oneself eagerly.  Harpazo is the Greek equivalent of our word Rapture.

 

RAP'TURE, n.  [L. raptus, rapio.]  A seizing by violence.  [Little used.]   Transport; ecstasy; violence of a pleasing passion; extreme joy or pleasure.

 

B.  The first question I feel the need to deal with is, “Why so much fuss?”  Because of the rejection by some and perversion by most on the subject. This is almost a message within itself.  This doctrine is not some frivolous one that has little importance and relevance in our day.

 

C.  Eschatology is firmly anchored with the Bible and should not be hard to see.  Bible believers are Pre-Millennial, Pre-Tribulation in their doctrine.  Both are attacked today.  The attack is a slow denial and change that is creeping into denominations and churches.

 

D.  There were a man and his wife that visited here several times and, each time, after or before the service time, continued to try to teach this pastor false doctrine.  He vocally attacked the Bible doctrine of the Pre-Tribulation Rapture. Needless to say, he has not come back since.  Let me say that I am teachable but not biblically ignorant.

 

E.  I want to look at the false teachings that have slowly permeated most of the Baptist churches along with Protestant ones. 

 

F.  The Denial of the Pre-Tribulation Rapture. 

 

1.  Mid-tribulation Rapture – Matthew 24:15-21  When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:) 16  Then let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains: 17  Let him which is on the housetop not come down to take any thing out of his house: 18  Neither let him which is in the field return back to take his clothes. 19  And woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck in those days! 20  But pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the sabbath day: 21  For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.   (Antiochus Epiphanes, B.C. 175-170  – greatly persecuted the Jews and offered a sow on the altar.)

 

2.  Pre-wrath Rapture - Zephaniah 2:2-3  Before the decree bring forth, [before] the day pass as the chaff, before the fierce anger of the LORD come upon you, before the day of the LORD’S anger come upon you. 3  Seek ye the LORD, all ye meek of the earth, which have wrought his judgment; seek righteousness, seek meekness: it may be ye shall be hid in the day of the LORD’S anger. 

 

1 Thessalonians 1:10  And to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come.

 

1 Thessalonians 5:9  For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ,

 

Revelation 3:10  Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth.

 

3.  Pre-tribulation Rapture is the correct position.  The Book of Revelation is clear as to the time of the Rapture.

 

(a)  Revelation’s breakdown of time.  Revelation 1:19  Write the things which thou hast seen, and the things which are, and the things which shall be hereafter;

 

(b)  “Write the things which thou hast seen” is the things that John had seen in chapter 1.

 

(c)  “and the things which are” speaks of the seven churches in chapters 2-3.  The age of the church. 

 

(d)  “and the things which shall be hereafter” speaks of chapters 4-22.

 

(e)  Chapter 4 begins with the Rapture.  Revelation 4:1-2  After this I looked, and, behold, a door was opened in heaven: and the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me; which said, Come up hither, and I will shew thee things which must be hereafter.  (2)  And immediately I was in the spirit: and, behold, a throne was set in heaven, and one sat on the throne.

 

(f)  The Antichrist is not introduced until chapter 6.  “that man of sin … the son of perdition”

 

Revelation 6:2  And I saw, and behold a white horse: and he that sat on him had a bow; and a crown was given unto him: and he went forth conquering, and to conquer.

 

2 Thessalonians 2:1-3  Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him,  (2)  That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand.  (3)  Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;

 

(g)  The correct position is Pre-tribulation Rapture.  The Church of Believers is absent in Revelation 4-18.  The Church is mentioned 17 times in the first three chapters of Revelation, but after John (a member of the Church) is called up to heaven, at the beginning of chapter 4, he looks down on the events of the Tribulation, and the Church is not mentioned or seen again until chapter 19, when she returns to earth with her Bridegroom at His glorious appearing. Why? The answer is obvious: she isn’t in the Tribulation. She is raptured to be with her Lord before it begins!  (The Church will be at the Judgment Seat of Christ and the Marriage Supper of the Lamb.  They will then return to earth in Revelation chapter 19 with the Lord.)

 

G.  The Millennium.  The 1000-year reign of Christ is found in Revelation chapter 19.

 

1. The Denial of The Millennium - 2 Peter 3:3-4  Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts,  And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation.

 

2. Post Millennialism

 

(a)  In Christian eschatology, postmillennialism is an interpretation of chapter 20 of the Book of Revelation which sees Christ's second coming as occurring after or post- the thousand year "millennium".  Although some postmillennialists hold to a literal millennium of 1,000 years, most postmillennialists see the thousand years more as a figurative term for a long period of time (similar in that respect to Amillennialism). Among those holding to a non-literal "millennium" it is usually understood to have already begun, which implies a less obvious and less dramatic kind of millennium than that typically envisioned by premillennialists, as well as a more unexpected return of Christ.  (These teach that the world will get progressively better, revival will break out, and then the Lord will return to sit upon the throne of David.)

 

(b)  Postmillennialism also teaches that the forces of Satan will gradually be defeated by the expansion of the Kingdom of God throughout history up until the second coming of Christ. This belief that good will gradually triumph over evil has led proponents of postmillennialism to label themselves "optimillennialists" in contrast to "pessimillennial" Premillennialists and Amillennialists.

 

3. Amillennialism

 

(a)  Amillennialism teaches that the Kingdom of God will not be physically established on earth throughout the "millennium", but rather that Christ is presently reigning from heaven, seated at the right hand of God the Father,  that He will remain with the Christian church until the end of the world, as he promised at the Ascension.

 

(b)  Amillennialism also teaches that at Pentecost, the millennium began, as is shown by Peter using the prophecies of Joel, about the coming of the kingdom, to explain what was happening, and that, therefore the Christian church and its spread of the good news is Christ's kingdom.

 

4. Pre-Millennialism

 

(a)  Pre-Millennialism in Christian eschatology is the interpretation of chapter 20 of the Book of Revelation in the Bible which sees Christ's second coming as occurring before or pre- his literal thousand year reign on earth (Revelation 19) which some envision to be centered literally on King David's throne in Jerusalem.  This is a fulfillment of the Davidic Covenant.)

 

1 Kings 9:5  Then I will establish the throne of thy kingdom upon Israel for ever, as I promised to David thy father, saying, There shall not fail thee a man upon the throne of Israel.

 

(b)  Pre-Millennialism is distinct in that it usually interprets these "thousand years" literally; other views often interpret this as a figurative term for a long, undefined period of time (particularly, A-Millennialists and many Post-millennialists). Premillennialism also holds this period of one thousand years is eschatological and has not yet begun.

 

5. The correct position is Premillennial Rapture.