The Answerer

Wow! you do seem to know about the rapture already and I like that. Jesus will be the one to do it – He said so. God stays in His heaven at all times. And it is all spelt out in the Scripture. I like that too. Why? Well if Jesus says something will happen, it WILL happen. Jesus did not use the word ‘Rapture’, but His description of what will happen sounds awfully good.

Christians use the word ‘Rapture’ because it describes how that event will be. I.e. When a singer, pop group, orchestra or solo piano player gives an outstanding performance the crowd give him/her ‘Rapturous applause’ and sometimes they all stand up because it was so very, very good.

So the ‘Rapture’ will be very joyful for Christians. Paul describes the event for some Christians in Thessalonica who were worried that some of them had died before Jesus ‘came back’ as he had told his disciples that He would. To put their minds at rest Paul wrote this : “And now, dear brothers, I want you to know what happens to a Christian when he dies so that when it happens, you will not be full of sorrow, as those are who have no hope. For since we believe that Jesus died and then came back to life again, we can also believe that when Jesus returns, God will bring back with Him all the Christians who have died. I can tell you this directly from the Lord:that we who are still living when the Lord returns will not rise to meet Him ahead of those who are in their graves. For the Lord himself (Jesus)will come down from heaven with a mighty shout and the soul-stirring cry of the archangel and the great trumpet-call of God. And the believers who are dead will be the first to rise to meet the Lord. Then we who are still alive and remain on the earth will be caught up with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air and remain with Him forever. So comfort one another with these words.” (1 Thessalonians.Chapter 4: verses 13 to 18 The Living Bible)

Don’t dismiss Paul as a fool. He was highly intelligent and a member of ‘the best groups in town’. He was a ‘Professional Envoy’ from Jerusalem, given authority to round up any Christians he could find – and they mostly went in chains – to Jerusalem to jail or death. His life did a ‘U-turn’ and he became God’s chosen person to spread the ‘Good News’ about Jesus. That’s in Acts Chapter 9.

It is known as ‘A Damascus Road Experience’ and is still used in sports commentaries about players and coaches and people whose lives take a ‘U-turn’.

I believe that ‘The Rapture’ could be around the same time as ‘Judgement Day’. That is in Matthew Ch. 25, verses 31 to 46. Please note: There is some difference of opinion among Christians as to the exact sequence of ‘The Rapture’, ‘The Tribulation’, and ‘The Second Coming’ of Christ. Many many books have been written on those three events but only God knows the exact timing of those events. An intelligent person will not put dates on it – that would be foolish – and neither does a careful Christian argue about who is right about it all.