THE TIMING OF THE RAPTURE

The term "Rapture" does not appear in the King James Version of the Bible. It actually comes from the Douay Version translated by Jerome in the fifth century. Jerome, when translating 1 Thessalonians 4:17, used the Latin word "Rapture" to express the idea of being caught up. We use the word today when describing one "being caught up in the moment." A person is said to "enraptured" when being overwhelmed by great art or music. In a sense, it is something that happens to a person rather than one choosing to experience it.

The Church, for the most part, agrees that the Church will be removed to meet the Lord in the air. The only question is, when. There are three views all related to the time of the Tribulation: before, during, and after. I would like to give ten reasons why I believe it will occur prior to the Tribulation.

1. Daniel's Seventieth Week has to do with Israel, not the Church (Daniel 9:24-27).
2. The period is a time of wrath, judgment, punishment, destruction, darkness, trial, and Jacob's trouble.
3. The Church was not present during the first sixty-nine weeks, so why would it be here then?
4. The doctrine of imminence teaches that nothing need occur before Christ returns for His Church.
5. There are numerous signs preceding Christ's return to begin His thousand year reign.
6. The Church is indwelt by the Holy Spirit, Who is the Restrainer of 2 Thessalonians 2:7-8.
7. The two witnesses in Revelation 11:1-12 are to warn Israel during the first half of the Tribulation.
8. The Church of Philadelphia will be removed; the Laodiceans are not saved and will remain on earth.
9. The Church is not mentioned after Chapter Three of Revelation.
10. The Church is not appointed to wrath (1 Thessalonians 1:9-10 and 5:2-11).

The Rapture is part of the sixth dispensation, and the Tribulation is the judgment of the fifth dispensation. As I have tried to say in earlier posts, one needs to rightly divide the Word of God to understand it.