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Treasure Digest: Be Ready to Give an Answer: Does the Bible Teach a "Secret Rapture"?

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Treasure Digest

Be Ready to Give an Answer: Does the Bible Teach a "Secret Rapture"?

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Millions have read the Left Behind books based on a secret rapture. According to the most common version of the rapture, Christ will approach the earth, not return to it, to secretly seize believers seven years before His actual return. Does the Bible teach this? The basis of the teaching is 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 where Paul says Christians "shall be caught up...to meet the Lord in the air."

Context: Paul wrote 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 after the unexpected deaths of some brethren there to remind them of the hope of the resurrection. Nothing in this passage justifies an understanding other than that it is referring to Christ’s second coming. The "shout," "voice of an archangel" and "the trumpet of God" seem anything but secret (verse 16).

Related Passages: In 1 Corinthians 15 Paul wrote that the resurrection would occur "at His coming" (verse 23) and at "the last trumpet" (verse 52). This is the seventh trumpet of Revelation 11:15-18, which announces Christ’s second coming, the establishment of His Kingdom on earth. Where will Christ be after meeting the saints in the clouds? "In that day His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives" (Zechariah 14:4; compare Acts 1:9-11). Matthew 24:36-44 does talk of some being prepared for Christ’s coming, and others left unprepared, but it doesn’t say God’s people will be taken to heaven.

For More Information: "What’s ‘Left Behind’ in the Rapture Theory?" (March/April 2000 Good News, www.ucg.org/gn/gn27/rapture.html), Heaven & Hell, The Book of Revelation Unveiled and the GN radio program 48 "Are Christians Raptured Away?" (www.ucg.org/radio/gnrparchive.htm).

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Comments

  • United Church of God
    We hope this brief explanation of Revelation 15 will be helpful to you. Be sure to read our study aid on the book of Revelation, “The Book of Revelation Unveiled” at www.ucg.org/booklets. It explains more about the vision John saw, and it will help in understanding the correct chronological flow of events at the end of this age, leading up to the return of Christ.
  • United Church of God
    For proof, please note that Revelation 16:15 clearly indicates that Christ has not come yet, and that the saints must continue to be watchful: “Behold, I am coming as a thief. Blessed is he who watches and keeps his garments, lest he walk naked and they see his shame.” This verse shows that during the time of the seven last plagues and just before Christ returns, the saints are encouraged to continue to watch and to remain faithful. Obviously they are not in heaven, but still on the earth and still human. Revelation 17 and 18 also revert back chronologically to events leading up to the destruction of the great false religious system and “Babylon the great.” Finally it is in Revelation 19 that Christ returns to defeat the nations and to reign over them (verses 11-21). In verses 6-9 we read that “the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready.” The righteous saints (those resurrected and those alive at Christ’s return) will become the wife of Christ, and they will reign with Him for a thousand years (Revelation 20:4-6). It will be a time of great peace, happiness, and salvation for all nations.
  • United Church of God
    The book of Revelation was given to John in vision form, and he wrote down what he saw (Revelation 1:1-2, 9-10). The vision was about major events to happen at the end time, leading up to the second coming of Christ and the setting up of God’s Kingdom on the earth in Revelation 19 and 20. It is important to realize that sometimes the chronology of these events, which John saw in vision form, can skip back or forward. For example, after a brief description of the seventh trumpet in Revelation 11:15-19, the chronology in chapter 12 reverts back to the history of the Church and its war against Satan. Likewise the chronology in chapter 13 reverts back to events to happen several years before the seventh trumpet. By the time we get to the seven last plagues in Revelation 15 and 16, the chronology is getting very close to the return of Christ. In the vision John saw those who had gotten the victory over the beast standing on a sea of glass and singing about Christ reigning over the nations (verses 1-4). However, this does not mean the saints are in heaven, or that Christ is yet reigning on the earth -- instead it is a preview of what is about to happen.
  • murphyc1
    Can you explain Revelation 15 which seems to say that the saints are in heaven?.
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