The “Rapture”

1. The “Rapture”

2. Lots of Discussion in Christian Community about it Today! • Hal Lindsey – “The Late Great Planet Earth” • Tim LaHaye – “Left Behind” Series • Books that have come & gone: • “87 Reasons Why Christ will come in 1987” • - “88 Reasons Why Christ will come in 1988”

3. Lots of Concern About It back in the First Century! • 1 Now we request you, brethren, with regard to the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him, 2 that you not be quickly shaken from your composure or be disturbed either by a spirit or a message or a letter as if from us, to the effect that the day of the Lord has come. 2 Thessalonians 2:1-2

4. Important to Understand! • As believers, we need to understand what the Scriptures say – so that we don’t get “shaken” – as Shaul (Paul) said to his Thessalonian readers!

5. Let’s Start with some Basics:

6. Origin of Word • The word “Rapture” is NOT found in the Original Greek Manuscripts.

7. Latin Vulgate - produced by Jerome in the early 400s • Latin word RAPIEMUR – translated from: 1 Thessalonians 4:17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.

8. Strong's Number:  726   Greek: Har-pad'-zo Verb  Definition • to seize, carry off by force • to seize on, claim for one's self eagerly • to snatch out or away

9. Most Important Concept to Grasp: • Scripture does not emphasize about “When” this will occur, rather, emphasis is that it WILL occur! • The emphasis is that there will be a Resurrection from the dead for all believers when Messiah Yeshua returns!

10. The Promise of Resurrection: 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 13 But we do not want you to be uninformed, brethren, about those who are asleep, so that you will not grieve as do the rest who have no hope.14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus. 15 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 not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, 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 and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord. 18 Therefore comfort one another with these words.

11. Matt 24:31 • "And He will send forth His angels with a great trumpet and they will gather together His elect..."

12. 1 Corinthians 15:52 • "in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for the dead in Christ shall rise..."

13. There are 3 Main Views: • Pre-Tribulation • Mid-Tribulation • Post-Tribulation There are Th.D.s on All Sides!

14. Pre-Tribulation • Asserts that the Rapture will occur right before the Tribulation • Believers will not have to endure so many years of pain and tumult

15. Some argue that Pre-Tribulation Rapture Concept is of Relatively Recent Origin • “There is no known writing existing, or referred to by other writers, of the pre-trib rapture teaching prior to 1830. None of the early Church fathers or anyone else throughout Church history wrote about the saints being raptured before the end-time Great Tribulation. This does not conclusively mean that the theory is false, only that it is a historical fact that this teaching did not exist among the early Christians or the Church fathers or any Christians throughout history until 1830.”

16. However, Someone DID write about a Pre-Tribulation Rapture long BEFORE 1830! • Pseudo-Ephraem (c. 374-627) -The word "Pseudo" (Greek for false) is a prefix attached by scholars to the name of a famous historical person or book of the Bible when one writes using that name. Pseudo-Ephraem claims that his sermon was written by Ephraem of Nisibis (306-73), considered to be the greatest figure in the history of the Syrian church.

17. Pseudo-Ephraem's Sermon • The sermon consists of just under 1500 words, divided into ten sections and has been preserved in four Latin manuscripts. Three of these date from the eighth century and ascribe the sermon to Ephraem.

18. What is most significant for present-day readers is the fact that the sermon was popular enough to be translated into several languages fairly soon after its composition. The significance of the sermon for us today is that it represents a prophetic view of a pre-trib rapture within the orthodox circles of its day.

19. What it Says: • On the Last Times, the Antichrist, and the End of the World : “All the saints and elect of God are gathered together before the tribulation, which is to come, and are taken to the Lord, in order that they may not see at any time the confusion which overwhelms the world because of our sins.”

20. Thomas Ice • “Regardless of what else the writer of this sermon believed, he did believe that all believers would be removed before the tribulation-a pre-trib rapture view. Thus, we have seen that those who have said that there was no one before 1830 who taught the pre-trib rapture position will have to revise their statements by well over 1,000 years. This statement does not prove the pre-trib position, only the Bible can do that…” Examining an Ancient Pre-Trib Rapture Statement

21. Other Rapture Viewpoints:

22. Mid-Tribulation • Rapture will occur exactly 42 months after the Tribulation has begun, when things will get progressively worse.

23. Post-Tribulation • Believers must endure the entire 7-year Tribulation, after which they are raptured.

24. So, When will the Rapture Occur? • Interpretation hinges upon emphasis of certain Biblical passages over others.

25. However, there ARE Certain things that must be presumed to happen FIRST: • #1 - The Apostasy • #2 - Man of Lawlessness (Anti-Messiah) Revealed • #3 – The Temple & Sacrificial System are taking place! • See Handout: Messianic Jewish Chronology - MBI

26. #1 - The Apostasy2 Thessalonians 2 1 Now we request you, brethren, with regard to the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him, 2 that you not be quickly shaken from your composure or be disturbed either by a spirit or a message or a letter as if from us, to the effect that the day of the Lord has come. 3 Let no one in any way deceive you, for it will not come unless the apostasy comes first,

27. apostasy - i.e. MANY Believers will FALL Away from the Faith • Strong's Number:  646  - Apostasia ap-os-tas-ee'-ah   Noun • Definition: a falling away, defection, apostasy

28. Definition of Apostasy • The term apostasy comes from the Greek from Greek apostasis, which means "revolt". An apostate completely abandons their religious faith and either embraces a different religion or simply rejects religion entirely and become irreligious.

29. Meaning of Passage: • Many in what we call the “Church” today will “fall away” from the True Faith.

30. Other Things of Note from this Passage: • Ties together three other crucial Concepts concerning the Rapture:

31. Tie Together in this Passage: • the Coming of the Lord Yeshua (verse 1) • our gathering together to Him (verse 1) • day of the Lord (verse 2) Remember this Passage: We’ll come back to it Later!!!

32. #2 - Man of Lawlessness (Anti-Messiah) Revealed 2 Thessalonians 2 3 and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction, 4 who opposes and exalts himself above every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, displaying himself as being God.

33. Yeshua Warns… • "Therefore, when you see the abomination of desolation spoken of through Daniel the prophet standing in the holy place... for then there will be a great tribulation..." • Matthew 24:15-21

34. Abomination of Desolations • "And he will make a firm covenant with the many for one week, but in the middle of the week he will put a stop to sacrifice and grain offering; and on the wing of abominations {will come} one who makes desolate, even until a complete destruction, one that is decreed, is poured out on the one who makes desolate." Daniel 9:27

35. 70th Week of Daniel

36. #3 – The Temple & Sacrificial System are in Effect • Temple destroyed in 70 CE by Titus • Needs to be rebuilt first • Sacrificial system must resume first • Then “Anti-Messiah” (Anti-Christ) will place his “abomination of desolations” in Temple

37. Therefore…according to Yeshua in Matthew 24:15-21 • It seems the "great tribulation," a specific time of tribulation, occurs after the abomination of desolation has occurred. 

38. So, When WILL Yeshua Come for His Saints? 36"But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone.”Matthew 24

39. His Talmidim Asked that… 1 Jesus came out from the temple and was going away when His disciples came up to point out the temple buildings to Him. 2 And He said to them, "Do you not see all these things? Truly I say to you, not one stone here will be left upon another, which will not be torn down." 3 As He was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, "Tell us, when will these things happen, and what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?" - Matthew 24

40. Like the Days of Noah • 36"But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone.37 "For the coming of the Son of Man will be just like the days of Noah. 38 "For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, 39 and they did not understand until the flood came and took them all away; so will the coming of the Son of Man be. 40 "Then there will be two men in the field; one will be taken and one will be left. 41 "Two women will be grinding at the mill; one will be taken and one will be left.

41. This passage in Matthew 24 is often used to SUPPORT a Pre-Tribulation Rapture… 40 "Then there will be two men in the field; one will be taken and one will be left. 41 "Two women will be grinding at the mill; one will be taken and one will be left.

42. But does it REALLY??? • It depends who the “they” are!

43. What??? • 37 "For the coming of the Son of Man will be just like the days of Noah. 38 "For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, 39 and they did not understand until the flood came and took them all away; so will the coming of the Son of Man be.

44. Who were the Ones Taken? • The “They” talked about here in this passage? • Is the “They” those who were “saved” from the Flood, or those who were “lost”?

45. The “They” were those who were Lost! • “They” were the ones destroyed in the Judgment of the Flood! Distinctive between Noach and “they.” • 38 "For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, 39 and they did not understand until the flood came and took them all away;

46. Genesis 7:23 • Thus He blotted out every living thing that was upon the face of the land, from man to animals to creeping things and to birds of the sky, and they were blotted out from the earth; and only Noah was left, together with those that were with him in the ark.

47. Likewise, In this Passage of Matthew • When the Messiah comes back at the End of the Age, He WILL “Take them all away” to judgment just as what happened in the Day of Noach.

48. Judgment of the Nations • 31 "But when the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, then He will sit on His glorious throne. 32 "All the nations will be gathered before Him; and He will separate them from one another, as the shepherd separates the sheep from the goats; 33 and He will put the sheep on His right, and the goats on the left. • Matthew 25

49. Parable of Tares • 24 Jesus presented another parable to them, saying, "The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field. 25 "But while his men were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went away. 26 "But when the wheat sprouted and bore grain, then the tares became evident also. 27 "The slaves of the landowner came and said to him, `Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have tares?' 28 "And he said to them, `An enemy has done this!' The slaves said to him, `Do you want us, then, to go and gather them up?' 29 "But he said, `No; for while you are gathering up the tares, you may uproot the wheat with them. 30 `Allow both to grow together until the harvest; and in the time of the harvest I will say to the reapers, "First gather up the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them up; but gather the wheat into my barn.""'Matthew 13

50. Interpretation of Parable • "The Son of Man will send forth His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all stumbling blocks, and those who commit lawlessness,42 and will throw them into the furnace of fire; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.