Does the Bible really teach that believers will be raptured up to heaven?
It's time to UNLEARN the lies.
Hey, welcome to UNLEARN.
My name is Lex, and I'd like to invite you to join us each week as we UNLEARN the lies
and dig deeper into the truth of God's Word.
Now, let's get started.
The rapture theory has become quite popular among Christians, but the popularity of a
teaching does not determine its truthfulness.
The Bible is our source for truth and doctrine, so we need to find out if the rapture theory
is Biblical or not.
There are a few verses that are commonly used to support the rapture theory, so we need
to examine those verses to see what the Bible is actually telling us.
One of the most common verses used is 1 Thessalonians 4:17.
“Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds
to meet the Lord in the air.
And thus we shall always be with the Lord.”
- 1Thessalonians 4:17
However, when we look at the context of this verse we find out that Paul is actually talking
about the resurrection of the dead.
“But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest
you sorrow as others who have no hope.
For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those
who sleep in Jesus.
For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until
the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep.
For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel,
and with the trumpet of God.
And the dead in Christ will rise first.
Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds
to meet the Lord in the air.
And thus we shall always be with the Lord.”
- 1 Thessalonians 4:13-17
Many who hold to the rapture theory claim it will happen secretly and without warning,
but these verses describe a shout and a trumpet that will announce the return of the Messiah.
This is not a secret vanishing of believers, this is a worldwide announcement of the return
of the Messiah.
Notice also that the text says,
“we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those
who are asleep...”
- 1 Thessalonians 4:15
So, if the living do not proceed the dead, then how are we “raptured” before the
tribulation?
Because Paul said that when Yeshua returns, “the dead in Christ will rise first”.
This is the “first resurrection” as described in the book of Revelation.
However, Revelation tells us the first resurrection will take place after the tribulation when
Messiah returns to setup His kingdom.
"... He laid hold of the dragon, that serpent of old, who is the Devil and Satan, and bound
him for a thousand years; and he cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up,
and set a seal on him, so that he should deceive the nations no more till the thousand years
were finished…
Then I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their witness to Jesus and for
the word of God, who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received his
mark on their foreheads or on their hands.
And they lived and reigned with Christ for a thousand years.
But the rest of the dead did not live again until the thousand years were finished.
This is the first resurrection.
Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection.
Over such the second death has no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ,
and shall reign with Him a thousand years."
- Revelation 20:4-6
Probably the most popular verse that is used to support the rapture theory is 1 Corinthians
15:52 which says,
“in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet.
For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.”
- 1 Corinthians 15:52
However, looking at the rest of the chapter we see that this verse has been completely
taken out of context to support their theory.
The entire chapter of 1 Corinthians 15 is about the resurrection of the dead.
Verse 52 is part of Paul’s answer to the question, “How are the dead raised up?
And with what body do they come?"
He points out that there are different types of bodies belonging to humans, animals, and
angels.
Then he explains that our body will be changed into an immortal spiritual body at the resurrection.
"So also is the resurrection of the dead.
The body is sown in corruption, it is raised in incorruption.
It is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory.
It is sown in weakness, it is raised in power.
It is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body.
There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body."
- 1 Corinthians 15:42-44
Then Paul explains that we must obtain a spiritual body before we can inherit the kingdom of
God because corruption cannot inherit incorruption.
Now, look at the text in question, and see how it fits into Paul’s argument for the
resurrection.
"Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed - in
a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet.
For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.
For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.
So when this corruptible has put on incorruption, and this mortal has put on immortality, then
shall be brought to pass the saying that is written: 'Death is swallowed up in victory.'
'O Death, where is your sting?
O Hades, where is your victory?'"
- 1 Corinthians 15:51-55
Notice again that Paul mentions the trumpet sound, and the dead being resurrected.
This is the same event that he was describing in 1 Thessalonians 4, which takes place after
the tribulation.
This entire chapter is about the resurrection of the dead, not a pre-trib rapture.
Another popular verse that is used to support it is Matthew 24:31 which says,
“And He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together
His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.”
- Matthew 24:31
Again, notice that it is announced with trumpets, so this is no secret gathering of believers.
In Matthew 24, Yeshua is answering a question that His disciples asked, saying,
"Tell us, when will these things be?
And what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?"
- Matthew 24:3
To which Yeshua responded by describing a number of events that will take place before
He returns.
He warned that there will be false Christs, false prophets, wars, famines, earthquakes,
and tribulation before His return.
Then He described His return.
"Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon
will not give its light; the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens
will be shaken.
Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the
earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with
power and great glory.
And He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together
His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other."
- Matthew 24:29-31
It is very clear from this passage that Yeshua is going to return after the tribulation to
gather His people.
We have the same elements here as we did in 1 Thessalonians 4 and 1 Corinthians 15 (the
trumpet sound, Messiah coming in the clouds, and gathering His people to Him), but Yeshua
makes it clear that these things will happen “immediately after the tribulation”, which
completely disproves the pre-trib rapture.
Another related Scripture that is often cited as “proof of the rapture” is also found
in Matthew 24, and it speaks about one person being taken while another is left behind.
This is actually where the “Left Behind” book series got its name.
However, we must look at the context of these verses to find out who is being taken and
who is being “left behind”.
"But as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.
For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving
in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and did not know until the flood
came and took them all away, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.
Then two men will be in the field: one will be taken and the other left.
Two women will be grinding at the mill: one will be taken and the other left.
Watch therefore, for you do not know what hour your Lord is coming."
- Matthew 24:37-42
Yeshua said that His return will be like the days of Noah, and just as the flood took away
everyone outside of the Ark, so also will the wicked be taken away when Messiah returns.
This is the opposite of the “Left Behind” series which portrays the godly being taken
away and the wicked being left behind.
However, we don't want to be taken away like those “in the days of Noah”.
Before Yeshua was crucified, He prayed an amazing prayer for all of His followers (present
and future), and the words of His prayer go against the very idea of a rapture.
"I have given them Your word; and the world has hated them because they are not of the
world, just as I am not of the world.
I DO NOT PRAY THAT YOU SHOULD TAKE THEM OUT OF THE WORLD, BUT THAT YOU SHOULD KEEP THEM
FROM THE EVIL ONE.
They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world.
Sanctify them by Your truth.
Your word is truth."
- John 17:14-17
Did you catch that?
Yeshua was opposed to the idea of a rapture.
His prayer was that we would remain in the world, and that we would be separate from
the world, being sanctified by the truth of God's Word.
This is very similar to the parable He told about the wheat and the tares, in which the
owner instructed the servants to let the wheat and tares grow together until the harvest.
"Let both grow together until the harvest, and at the time of harvest I will say to the
reapers, "FIRST gather together the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them, but
gather the wheat into my barn."
- Matthew 13:30
As we have seen, the Bible describes the snatching away of the wicked from the earth, and the
godly being "left behind" to join Yeshua in His kingdom.
Now it's your turn.
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See you next time.