What If The Rapture Never Happens?

A Loaded Question

As I said before, there are lots of different interpretations of the future apocalypse.

So many people have different opinions on what will happen.

When it will happen.

And how it will happen.

Some people don't think the rapture will happen at all, and that all we get are metaphors.

Nobody can agree on when they think it will happen.

All I can give you is what my opinion on the rapture is.

I could be right, I could be wrong.

But Ill explain my opinion, and give you the evidence for my opinion.

First things First

I think that the rapture will happen.

There are multiple passages that speak about being caught up with Christ at the end of the Earth.

Lets look at one in Mark 13

Jesus disciples asked Him about the end of time.

Jesus explains that wars and natural disasters will happen.

That people will live wicked and sinful lives.

And that other people will stand up and claim to be Christ.

Jesus says none of these things are signs of the End, just things that will happen.

Jesus says not to listen to anyone claiming to be Him.

Then he explains that there is one sign to look out for.

The Abomination of Desolation.

He explains bad things will happen when that shows up.

Jesus says there will be great suffering.

Then He says:

The NET Bible (Second Edition) Chapter 13

24 “But in those days, after that suffering, the sun will be darkened and the moon will not give its light;

25 the stars will be falling from heaven, and the powers in the heavens will be shaken.

26 Then everyone will see the Son of Man arriving in the clouds with great power and glory.

27 Then he will send angels and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of heaven.

This is Jesus explaining what we call the rapture.

Jesus will send angels to collect His people.

This is when things get really interesting.

A lot of people think that The rapture will occur before the tribulation.

The tribulation is a 7 year period that starts off with the antichrist making a promise to the Jewish people.

3 and 1/2 years after this promise, the antichrist will bring about the abomination of desolation

Which will probably be an idol of some kind.

And he will demand that everyone worships that idol.

This person will have extreme power here on earth, and will probably hunt down and kill anyone who doesn't worship that idol, and him along with it.

Then 3 and 1/2 years after the arrival of that idol, Jesus will return to earth and conquer the world.

Now a lot of people think that God with rapture us up before the time of tribulation.

But I feel that scripture is pretty clear that the rapture will happen alongside Jesus 2nd coming.

Notice that Jesus said “In those days, after that suffering...”

This is backed up by 2 Thessalonians 2

The NET Bible (Second Edition) Chapter 2

2:1 Now regarding the arrival of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered to be with him, we ask you, brothers and sisters,

2 not to be easily shaken from your composure or disturbed by any kind of spirit or message or letter allegedly from us, to the effect that the day of the Lord is already here.

3 Let no one deceive you in any way. For that day will not arrive until the rebellion comes and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction.

4 He opposes and exalts himself above every so-called god or object of worship, and as a result he takes his seat in God’s temple, displaying himself as God.

5 Surely you recall that I used to tell you these things while I was still with you.

6 And so you know what holds him back, so that he will be revealed in his own time.

7 For the hidden power of lawlessness is already at work. However, the one who holds him back will do so until he is taken out of the way,

8 and then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord will destroy by the breath of his mouth and wipe out by the manifestation of his arrival.

For me, I think the rapture has to happen.

I dont think its possible for it not to happen.

I think it will happen later than a lot of other people do.

But I still think it will happen.

If it doesnt happen, that just means that my interpretation of it was wrong.

I want to leave yall with one more passage of scripture in 1 Thessalonians 4.

You see, the people in Thessalonica were afraid.

Christians were being hunted down and killed by the Roman empire under the rule of emperor Nero

The early church watched their friends and family be hunted and slaughtered.

watched them be fed to lions in the Colosseum.

Just because they believed Jesus was the Christ.

So Paul gave them these words of encouragement.

The NET Bible (Second Edition) Chapter 4

15 For we tell you this by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will surely not go ahead of those who have fallen asleep.

16 For the Lord himself will come down from heaven with a shout of command, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first.

17 Then we who are alive, who are left, will be suddenly caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will always be with the Lord.

18 Therefore encourage one another with these words.

The Dead who placed their faith in Christ will be resurrected and gathered together with those alive at the end of time when Jesus returns.

We will all be united behind the Banner of our King

Who will crush the enemy beneath his heel.

If our faith is in Jesus, then death is only the beginning of our eternity with Him.

And those are some encouraging words.