What is the Rapture and is it Biblical?

There is question about the Rapture and whether it is Biblical or not. I understand that the Idea of Jesus meeting us in the clouds can seem scary. Rather than this being a time of fear it should be a time of hope. Most people are exasperated by the way the world is. I can tell you that I struggle most with the idea of children who seem born to lose. (explain). So the idea of Jesus returning and taking away His elect gives me comfort.

What is the rapture?

Vine’s Complete Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words Catch

CATCH

1. harpazo (ἁρπάζω, 726), “to snatch or catch away,” is said of the act of the Spirit of the Lord in regard to Philip in

Here we see that the word rapture is not in the Bible it actually comes from the Latin Vulgate. I submit to you though, that the concept is taught in scripture.

The word that we use for Rapture is the Greek word “harpazo” where we will be caught up or snatched away.

Are there any examples of people being snatched away, or put another way go to heaven without dying? For the interest of time I will not give an example of every rapture in the Bible, but only a few

Enoch is the first example that I would like to point out Genesis 5:24 “And Enoch walked with God: and he was not; for God took him.” In this example it could look like Enoch simply passed away.

I would like to point out that this is an illustration of the importance of both the old and the new testaments of scripture. Both scriptures combined form one complete book

Hebrews 11:5 “By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and was not found, because God had translated him: for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God.”

God took up Enoch and he did not see death

I submit to you that the timing of this event is significant and God did this to accomplish more than one thing.

Elijah is the next example that I would like to give 2 Kings 2:11 “And it came to pass, as they still went on, and talked, that, behold, there appeared a chariot of fire, and horses of fire, and parted them both asunder; and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven.”

Here we see Elijah not die, but was rather taken up to heaven in a chariot of fire.

Elisha was a witness of this and continued to be used in a mighty way to glorify the Living God.

The final and most important example that I would like to give is Jesus

Acts 1:9–11 “And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight. And while they looked stedfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel; Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.”

Here is the literal fulfillment of Rev 12.5 the man child or Jesus as mentioned above.

The woman in Revelation 12 is controversial and perhaps one day we will look into who she might be

The reason that the teaching of rapture is important is so believers know what to expect.It is an event that can take place at any time Matthew 24:36 “But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only.” This is also known as the doctrine of imminency. The church is going to be taken up 1 Corinthians 15:51–52 “Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.” Enoch was said to have been translated. Once I understood that the church is going to be raptured then it changed my outlook on scripture and life in general. I know some people don’t believe in the rapture and to that all that I can say is we are told to watch Luke 12:37 “Blessed are those servants, whom the lord when he cometh shall find watching: verily I say unto you, that he shall gird himself, and make them to sit down to meat, and will come forth and serve them.” If we have faith in Jesus it should give us a sense of hope and not of fear. If we understand the rapture then it will give us an understanding that the time is now to do what we can for the Glory of God.