The Partial Rapture View
Wenstrom Bible Ministries
Pastor-Teacher Bill Wenstrom
Sunday July 15, 2018
The Rapture of the Church: The Partial Rapture View
Lesson # 16
The “partial” rapture theory contends that not all believers will be taken off planet earth at the time of the rapture but only those who are “watching” or “waiting” for that event and who have reached some degree of spiritual development that makes them worthy to be included.
Those who adhere to this theory use Luke 21:36, Philippians 3:11, Titus 2:13, 2 Timothy 4:8 and Hebrews 9:28 to support this view that only those believers who “wait, look for” and “have loved His appearing” will be removed from the earth at the rapture.
The problem with this view is that it misunderstands the value of Christ’s death in the sense that this death, which propitiated the Father, reconciled the believer to God and redeemed the believer from the slave market of sin, frees the sinner from condemnation (Romans 8:1).
This view does not understand the doctrine of justification, which by way of definition is a judicial act of God whereby He declares a person to be righteous as a result of crediting or imputing to that person His righteousness the moment they exercised faith in His Son Jesus Christ.
Consequently, God accepts that person and enters that person into a relationship with Himself since they now possess His righteousness.
Thus, Paul declares the following:
Romans 5:1 Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom also we have obtained our introduction by faith into this grace in which we stand; and we exult in hope of the glory of God. (NASB95)
Romans 8:1 Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. (NASB95)
Thus, the person who adheres to the “partial” rapture position is minimizing the perfect standing of the believer.
The other problem with this view is that it denies the teaching of the unity of the body of Christ since 1 Corinthians 12:12-13 teaches that through the baptism of the Spirit, all church age believers are united to the body of which Christ is the head (Ephesians 5:23; Colossians 1:18).
Romans 12:4 For just as we have many members in one body and all the members do not have the same function, 5 so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. (NASB95)
1 Corinthians 12:12 For even as the body is one and yet has many members, and all the members of the body, though they are many, are one body, so also is Christ. 13 For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free, and we were all made to drink of one Spirit. 14 For the body is not one member, but many. (NASB95)
Therefore, if only a portion of believers are raptured, then the body of Christ would be disfigured and dismembered and the building of which Christ is the chief cornerstone would be incomplete and so would be the new creation.
Furthermore, Paul teaches explicitly in 1 Corinthians 15:51 that “all” believers will be changed at the rapture.
1 Corinthians 15:50 Now I say this, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. 51 Behold, I tell you a mystery; we will not all sleep, but we will all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; 52 for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. (NASB95)
The “partial” rapture view believes that the rapture itself is a reward in the sense that they contend that only those who are worthy will be resurrected at the rapture.
This confuses the teaching of the Bible regarding rewards, which are given by the Lord at the Bema Seat to those believers for faithful service whereas the Bible teaches the rapture is not a reward but a gracious gift that completes the believer’s salvation.
As we noted earlier, adherents to the “partial” rapture position use Luke 21:36 as support for their theory.
Luke 21:36, “But keep on the alert at all times, praying that you may have strength to escape all these things that are about to take place, and to stand before the Son of Man.” (NASB95)
This passage is taken from our Lord’s Olivet Discourse in which He was addressing the nation of Israel and was speaking in the context of His Second Advent, which will deliver Israel from Satan, Antichrist and the Tribulational armies.
Therefore, since He was speaking with regards to the future of the nation of Israel, this passage cannot be used for support of the “partial” rapture position.
“Partial” rapture adherents also use Matthew 24:40-41 for support of their position.
Matthew 24:40 “Then there will be two men in the field; one will be taken and one will be left. 41 Two women will be grinding at the mill; one will be taken and one will be left.” (NASB95)
Again, our Lord was speaking to Israel and with regards to His program for that nation.
The one taken is a Jew who is taken to judgment whereas the one left is a “born-again” Jew who is left to go through the millennium.
“Partial” rapture adherents also use Hebrews 9:28 for support of their position.
Hebrews 9:27 And inasmuch as it is appointed for men to die once and after this comes judgment, 28 so Christ also, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time for salvation without reference to sin, to those who eagerly await Him. (NASB95)
The writer is contrasting the unbeliever with the believer who is characterized as “those who eagerly await Him.”
This passage teaches that Christ appeared once to die for sin at the cross (Hebrews 9:24) and now appears in heaven for the believer (Hebrews 9:26) and to that same group, He will again appear as it says in Hebrews 9:28 to complete the work of redemption.
This passage infers that the same group to whom Christ appeared and for whom He now appears, will be the one to whom He will appear.
“Partial” rapture adherents also use Philippians 3:11 for support of their position.
Philippians 3:10 That I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death 11 in order that I may attain to the resurrection from the dead. (My translation)
This passage does not refer to the rapture but rather to the Christian experiencing His identification with Christ in His resurrection as a result of experiencing His identification with Christ in His death through undeserved suffering.
The active voice of the Greek verb translated “I may attain” indicates that Paul as the subject must produce the action of the verb whereas at the rapture the believer’s volition is not involved since the rapture takes place exclusively because of the sovereign will of God.
Those who support the “partial” rapture position also use 1 Corinthians 15:23 as support for their view.
1 Corinthians 15:23 But each in his own order: Christ the first fruits, after that those who are Christ's at His coming. (NASB95)
This passage is used by “partial” rapture adherents who contend that this passage teaches a division in ranks of the believer in the resurrection of the church.
However, Paul is not giving instructions on the order of the resurrection of the church but rather the divisions within the whole resurrection program, which would include not only church age believers but also Old Testament believers and Tribulation believers as well.
2 Timothy 4:8 is also used as support of the “partial” rapture view.
2 Timothy 4:7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith; 8 in the future there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day; and not only to me, but also to all who have loved His appearing. (NASB95)
The expression “all those who have loved His appearing” is found in the context of Paul discussing his receiving a reward from the Lord for his faithful service and is not speaking in the context of his being resurrected at the rapture of the church.
The expression “all those who have loved His appearing” refers to those believers who are motivated to faithful and diligent service to the Lord, which will result in rewards for them because they understand that the rapture is imminent.
1 Thessalonians 1:10 is also used to support the “partial” rapture position.
1 Thessalonians 1:10 And to wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, that is Jesus, who rescues us from the wrath to come. (NASB95)
This passage cannot be used as support for the “partial” rapture position since Paul is not using waiting for Jesus Christ as a condition to be delivered from the Tribulation period or in other words he is not saying that “if” we wait for Him, then He will deliver us from the wrath to come.