A Biblical Case for the Rapture
**If you are unfamiliar with this topic, I would encourage you to read this post for a brief explanation of the Rapture, the Tribulation, and the main passages that describe them.**
The Rapture has long been a source of curiosity for both the church and popular culture, making its way into books, TV shows, and movies over the last several decades. Unfortunately, it is also a significant source of contention within the church, with many disagreeing on when it will take place, or if the concept of the Rapture is even biblical at all! A recent study conducted by Lifeway Research found that on average, Protestant pastors have been unable to reach a consensus regarding the Rapture:
36% believe in a pre-tribulation rapture
18% believe in a post-tribulation rapture
25% believe the rapture should not be taken literally
21% make up a variety of less-popular views (mid-tribulation, pre-wrath, preterist, or unsure)
Thankfully, this is a secondary issue that we can disagree on without jeopardizing our faith, but I believe it is nonetheless important to arrive at a conclusion that is best supported by Scripture. By taking a plain-sense, literal approach to the Bible, I have become thoroughly convinced that the pre-Tribulation Rapture is both biblical and true. My intention is not to scare or coerce anyone into believing - I simply want to shed light on what the Bible says about this important topic. As always, don’t just take my word for it - study these passages and decide for yourself!
7 Reasons for the Pre-Tribulation Rapture
“Rapture” Events Have Occurred Before
A common criticism of the Rapture is that it’s just too outlandish and unbelievable. Millions around the world disappearing into thin air? Talk about a conspiracy theory! However, you may be surprised to learn that several other “raptures” have been recorded in the Bible (six, to be exact). Although these were all individual experiences, they do highlight the fact that the coming Rapture is not entirely unique. Here are the six additional “raptures” in the Bible:
The Rapture of Enoch (Genesis 5:24)
Enoch’s claim to fame is that he walked so closely with God that God took him to heaven without dying.
“Enoch walked with God, and he was not, for God took him.” – Genesis 5:24 (ESV)
“By faith Enoch was taken up so that he should not see death, and he was not found, because God had taken him. Now before he was taken he was commended as having pleased God.” – Hebrews 11:5 (ESV)
The Rapture of Elijah (2 Kings 2:1, 11-12
Likewise, Elijah was also taken to heaven without experiencing death:
“And as they still went on and talked, behold, chariots of fire and horses of fire separated the two of them. And Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven…And [Elisha] saw him no more.” - 2 Kings 2:11-12 (ESV)
The Rapture of Jesus (Luke 24:51; Acts 1:9-11; Revelation 12:5)
“And when he had said these things, as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight.” - Acts 1:9 (ESV)
Revelation 12 is a parallel, symbolic version of this passage. Here, the woman represents Israel, through whom the child, Jesus Christ, entered the world. The Greek word harpazo (meaning “caught up” or “snatched away”) is used to describe Jesus’ ascension to heaven in Revelation 12:5.
The Rapture of Philip (Acts 8:39-40)
“When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord suddenly took Philip away, and the eunuch did not see him again, but went on his way rejoicing. Philip, however, appeared at Azotus…” - Acts 8:39-40a (NIV)
The word harpazo is once again used to describe Philip’s instantaneous transportation from one location to another town estimated to be 20-30 miles away.
The Raptures of Paul (2 Corinthians 12:2-4) and Isaiah (Isaiah 6)
Both Paul and Isaiah describe being caught up to heaven and receiving a revelation from God (again, Paul uses the term harpazo). Although it is unclear whether these were physical transportations or simply visions of heaven, both certainly experienced the feeling of physical rapture. Paul wrote, “Whether it was in the body or out of the body I do not know – God knows.” – 2 Corinthians 12:2b (NIV)
What can we learn from these passages? These events described in Scripture appear to be literal and involve a physical transfer that occurred with little or no warning. The same will be true of the future Rapture of the church.
2. Wedding Parallels
Scripture describes Jesus as the bridegroom (Mark 2:19-20; John 3:29) and the church as His bride (Ephesians 5:25-32; Revelation 19:7). Following this analogy, we can see that teachings on the Rapture closely align with the pattern of ancient Hebrew weddings, which contained an important sequence of events:[1] Once the marriage was legalized between the couple’s parents, the groom would return to his father’s house to begin building an additional space in which they would live. During this time, the bride would wait with eager expectation for him to finish preparations. The groom would return unexpectedly - sometimes even in the middle of the night - to claim his bride and take her back to his father’s house, so the bride would remain ready to leave at all times. When the couple finally returned to their new home together, there would be a marriage feast that could last several days.
With this in mind, look at how Jesus introduced the concept of the Rapture to His disciples:
“Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.” - John 14:1-3 (ESV, emphasis added)
Here, Jesus uses an analogy that would have been clear to His disciples. Right now, Jesus is at His Father’s house in heaven preparing a place for His bride (the church). When everything is ready, Jesus will come back, not to join us here on Earth, but to take us to the home He has prepared in heaven. It is only at the end of the Tribulation that Jesus will establish His kingdom on Earth (see The End: God’s Prophetic Plan).
Following the wedding analogy, the marriage feast for Christ and His bride is described in Revelation 19:6-10, just as He returns to Earth after the Tribulation. Notice the parallel language used in the following passages to describe the saints arriving with Jesus at the Second Coming:
“Let us rejoice and exult and give him the glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and his Bride has made herself ready; it was granted her to clothe herself with fine linen, bright and pure - for the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the saints…Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.” - Revelation 19:7-9a (ESV, emphasis added)
“Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse! The one sitting on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and makes war…And the armies of heaven, arrayed in fine linen, white and pure, were following him on white horses.” - Revelation 19:11, 14 (ESV, emphasis added)
3. Imminence
“Imminence” is used here to describe something that could occur at any moment. Although the Rapture may or may not happen soon, Scripture continually teaches us to be ready and eagerly awaiting Jesus’ imminent return (1 Corinthians 1:7; Philippians 3:20; 4:5; 1 Thessalonians 1:10; Titus 2:13; Hebrews 9:28; James 5:7-9; 1 Peter 1:13; 4:7; 1 John 3:1-3; Jude 1:21; Revelation 3:2-3, 11; 22:7, 12, 20).
“But concerning that day or that hour, no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. Be on guard, keep awake. For you do not know when the time will come. It is like a man going on a journey, when he leaves home and puts his servants in charge, each with his work, and commands the doorkeeper to stay awake. Therefore stay awake - for you do not know when the master of the house will come, in the evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or in the morning - lest he come suddenly and find you asleep. And what I say to you I say to all: Stay awake.” - Mark 13:32-37 (ESV; see also Matthew 24:36-51; Luke 12:35-40)
The prophecies in Revelation describe the events of the Tribulation period in great detail. All of these events will culminate with the Second Coming of Jesus. If the Rapture were to occur during the mid-point or the end of the Tribulation period (as some views suggest), anyone living during that time would be able to predict an accurate time frame for Jesus’ return. Only the pre-tribulation position accounts for the Bible’s teachings on imminence.
4. Deliverance from God’s Wrath
Although Christians are not exempt from trouble and hardship in this life (John 16:33; Acts 14:22; 2 Thessalonians 1:4), we are promised that we will not endure the wrath of God (Romans 5:9; 1 Thessalonians 5:9). The Tribulation is primarily defined as a time when God pours out His wrath on the earth, beginning from the first seal judgment in Revelation 6 and continuing until Jesus’ Second Coming in Revelation 19. Thankfully, God has a history of removing His people from danger before enacting judgment:
- Noah and his family were delivered from the flood on the ark (Genesis 6-8)
- Lot and his family were taken out of the city before God destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah (Genesis 18-19)
- The firstborn of God’s people were protected by the blood of the lamb when He struck the firstborn in Egypt (Exodus 12)
- Rahab and the Israelite spies were removed from the city before the destruction of Jericho (Joshua 2; 6)
In a similar manner, Jesus will come for His bride before God’s wrath is poured out in the final days:
“You turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come.” - 1 Thessalonians 1:9b-10 (ESV, emphasis added)
“Because you have kept my word about patient endurance, I will keep you from the hour of trial that is coming on the whole world, to try those who dwell on the earth. I am coming soon…” - Revelation 3:10-11a (ESV, emphasis added)
The Greek word Paul uses for deliver means “to draw or snatch out to oneself, to rescue, to save, to preserve."[2] In essence, these verses tell us that Jesus will come to “snatch” us away before God’s wrath is unleashed on the earth. Notice that both verses refer to Jesus as the rescuer, not God the Father. This is in keeping with both Paul and Jesus’ descriptions of the Rapture, where believers will be caught up to meet Jesus as He comes from heaven to claim His bride (John 14:1-3; 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17).
5. The Removal of the “Restrainer”
When writing to the Thessalonians, Paul explains that the “man of lawlessness” (the antichrist) will not be revealed until the proper time. He says:
“Now concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered together to him…Let no one deceive you in any way. For that day will not come, unless the rebellion comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed…And you know what is restraining him now so that he may be revealed in his time. For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work. Only he who now restrains it will do so until he is out of the way. And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will kill with the breath of his mouth and bring to nothing by the appearance of his coming. The coming of the lawless one is by the activity of Satan with all power and false signs and wonders…” - 2 Thessalonians 2:1, 3, 6-9 (ESV, emphasis added).
Many have speculated about what Paul means when he refers to the “restrainer,” and this is an admittedly divisive topic. The prevailing theory among theologians is that Paul is referring to the Holy Spirit, and that makes sense. Only God Himself has the power and authority to hold back the activity of Satan and prevent the coming of the antichrist until the time is right. The problem with this view is that the Holy Spirit, an omnipresent member of the Trinity, cannot be completely removed from the earth. However, many scholars have concluded that Paul is referring not just to the Holy Spirit, but more specifically to the work of the Holy Spirit within the body of Christ. John Philips writes,
“The church age is a parenthesis in God’s dealings with the world. The church, injected supernaturally into history at Pentecost and supernaturally maintained throughout the age by the baptizing, indwelling, and filling works of the Holy Spirit, will be supernaturally removed when this age is over. What is removed then is the Holy Spirit’s mighty working through the church. Until that happens, Satan cannot bring his plans to a head. Thus, I believe the restrainer in 2 Thessalonians 2:6-7 is neither the Holy Spirit alone nor the church alone. Rather, the restraining force is both of them together. In Acts 2, on the day of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit came to earth in a new capacity. He came to earth to indwell each individual believer (1 Corinthians 6:19) and the church as a whole (1 Corinthians 3:16). By his Spirit, God empowers his people in this age to restrain evil. That restraining force will be here as long as the church is here.”[3]
The removal of the church at the Rapture fits perfectly with this passage. Once the restraining influence of the Holy Spirit within the church is removed, the door will be opened for uninhibited rebellion against God and His standards (v. 3). Mark Hitchcock writes, “The absence of this restraining influence will create an environment fit for the Tribulation.”[4]
6. Two Phases of Jesus’ Coming
If the Rapture is true, then Jesus will be coming in two phases. He will come first to claim His bride and take us to heaven, then He will return again in glory to establish His kingdom at the end of the Tribulation. This idea of two phases is supported by Scripture, as there are several conflicting descriptions of Jesus’ coming that can only be resolved if He comes at two separate times (i.e., the Rapture and the Second Coming). Here are a few examples of the different descriptions of Jesus’ return:[5]
Rapture
Jesus comes in the air (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17)
Jesus comes for His bride (John 14:1-3; 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17)
Believers leave the earth (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17)
Involves only believers (John 14:1-3; 1 Corinthians 15:51-55; 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17)
His coming is imminent (see above)
Occurs “in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye,” suggesting only those who are involved will see Jesus (1 Corinthians 15:51-52)
Second Coming:
Jesus sets foot on the earth (Zechariah 14:4)
Jesus comes with His bride (1 Thessalonians 3:13; Jude 1:14; Revelation 19:14)
Unbelievers are taken away (Matthew 24:37-41)
Involves the nations of the earth (Matthew 24:1-25:46)
His coming is preceded by many signs (Matthew 24:4-29)
The entire world will see Jesus (Matthew 24:27; Revelation 1:7)
7. The Blessed Hope
Paul ends his description of the Rapture by urging his readers to “encourage one another with these words” (1 Thessalonians 4:18). Likewise, Titus 2:13 says, “[We wait] for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ.” The imminent return of Jesus is always presented as a joyous, hopeful event. This suggests that the early church believed in a pre-Tribulation Rapture. After all, what hope or encouragement would there be in living through the Tribulation? Believers especially would not be hopeful because the Bible predicts that many will be killed for their faith (Revelation 6:9-11; 13:7, 15). Jesus described it as a period of distress “such as has not been from the beginning of the world until now, no, and never will be. And if those days had not been cut short, no human being would be saved” (Matthew 24:21-22). That doesn’t sound very hopeful to me!
We see further evidence that the first-century church believed in the Rapture in 2 Thessalonians 2. While facing hardship and persecution, the church in Thessalonica apparently received a counterfeit letter that led them to believe they were already in the Tribulation (v. 2). Paul describes the Thessalonians as “shaken in mind [and] alarmed,” leading us to believe that they never anticipated going through the Tribulation. If they had, they might have been excited to see prophecy fulfilled, or to know that Jesus’ return was right around the corner. Because of the false letter, they either believed they had misinterpreted Paul’s teachings from 1 Thessalonians 4-5, or that they had missed the Rapture and been left to endure the Tribulation. Paul corrects and encourages them, explaining that the Tribulation will not commence until the restrainer is removed (see above).
Some would suggest that the idea of the Rapture originated in the 1800s and that the early church did not believe in the imminent return of Jesus. However, if we take teachings from all of Scripture into consideration - using a literal, plain-sense approach to the Bible - I believe we must conclude that the Rapture is entirely biblical. The Rapture is the hopeful expectation of every believer, and it should encourage us to live faithfully for Christ as we eagerly await His return!
“Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for He who promised is faithful. And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another - and all the more as you see the Day approaching.” - Hebrews 10:23-25 (NIV)
Notes
[1] Ron Rhodes, “The Rapture,” in The End Times in Chronological Order: A Complete Overview to Understanding Bible Prophecy (Eugene, OR: Harvest House, 2012), Hoopla Digital Library.
[2] Ibid.
[3] John Phillips, Exploring 1 and 2 Thessalonians: An Expository Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI: Kregel, 2005), 120, cited in Mark Hitchcock, The End: A Complete Overview of Bible Prophecy and the End of Days (Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale, 2012), 165.
[4] Mark Hitchcock, The End: A Complete Overview of Bible Prophecy and the End of Days (Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale, 2012), 167.
[5] Ibid, 151-52.