The Common Thread

Many people ask us, “What are the main scripture passages that reference the rapture?” In all walks of rapture proponents whether you be PreTrib, MidTrib, PreWrath, or PostTrib, two passages that we all seem to agree on are 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 and 1 Corinthians 15:51-53.

1Th 4:13 But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.
1Th 4:14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.
1Th 4:15 For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep.
1Th 4:16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:
1Th 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.
1Th 4:18 Wherefore comfort one another with these words.

1Co 15:51 Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,
1Co 15:52 In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.
1Co 15:53 For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.

In these two passages we see the event that we commonly refer to as ‘The Rapture’. The term rapture comes from the Latin translation of the word Harpazo as seen in the original greek, which we see here rendered in the English words ‘caught up’ in verse 17 of 1 Thessalonians 4.

The word Harpazo (har-pad'-zo) means: to seize (in various applications): - catch (away, up), pluck, pull, take (by force).

In essence the parallelisms of the two passages clearly relate them to the same event. At the same time only 1 Thessalonians 4 mentions being ‘caught up’ however the synoptic verses clearly are defining the same event… the rapture.

Essentially, these passages describe an event where at the sound of a trump and in the twinkling of an eye, the dead in Christ (Christians who have died) will be raised from the dead, and we who are alive will be changed. That is we will have our bodies changed to immortal and incorruptible bodies much akin, if not exactly alike to the body that Christ has now, and has had since his resurrection. If we remember from the scriptures, Christ still bore the nail holes in his hands, so it still was His body, that he had on earth. However, his body was changed; changed to be a glorious body, one fit for heaven and the presence of God, and not this sinful, imperfect body that we are all residing in now. It is important to also note here that the bible clearly teaches that the dead in Christ are currently temporarily separated from their bodies. For when a Christian dies, they do now reside in heaven. Their spirit in heaven, but their body remains in the grave until this event we call the rapture, where they too will be reunited with their bodies and changed.

Common Misplaced Passages

Many of you reading this article will no doubt be wondering about a famous set of verses that many people use as ‘Rapture passages’. The verses I of course am referring to are found in Matthew 24:41-42 and Luke 17:34-36.

Mat 24:40 Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left.
Mat 24:41 Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left.

Luk 17:34 I tell you, in that night there shall be two men in one bed; the one shall be taken, and the other shall be left.
Luk 17:35 Two women shall be grinding together; the one shall be taken, and the other left.
Luk 17:36 Two men shall be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left.

The action of taking one person away and leaving the other does indeed sound a lot like the rapture we discussed in the previous section. However, upon careful study and consideration, we find that these passages describe an event at the end of the Tribulation period that results in what we commonly call ‘the sheep and goat judgment’; the details of which can be found in Matthew 25.

I am not going to go into detail on these scriptures within this article , but I encourage you to read the article titled “Two Women Grinding at the Mill – A Rapture Passage?” found here to further explain these seeming rapture passages.

Your Honour. May I present… Exhibit ‘A’

While we are on the subject of verses that are incorrectly used to describe the rapture event, I’d like to take a moment here and discuss a passage that is many times overlooked by many when considering rapture verses. The verse I am referring to is found in John 14:

Joh 14:1 Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.
Joh 14:2 In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.
Joh 14:3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.
Joh 14:4 And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know.

Now many people see this verse as a promise for us to go to heaven when we die. And although they are right in concept, I believe they are erred in application of this verse. I will explain in a moment.

I would first like it to be noted here that those that believe in the PostTrib position of the rapture (the rapture happens after the Tribulation just moments before Christ appears in the sky on his white horse and we all descend to earth for Armegeddon) have troubles making this verse align with their viewpoint. The reason for this is that if we are raptured and immediately return to earth with Christ, the promise of John 14: “I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.”; never comes to pass. As Christ is faithful and true, we must assume therefore that he will keep his promises. Those with the PostTrib viewpoint therefore align these verses of John 14 with the concept of heaven upon death, as we discussed earlier.

However;

If I may, I would like to enter into evidence a compelling and yet sound idea that these verses of John 14:1-4 are actually indeed rapture passages, and although that would be damaging to the argument of the PostTrib rapture, it would be completely supportive of the PreTrib rapture position.

The PreTrib rapture position is the position that the church (those alive in Christ) will be raptured to heaven prior to the beginning of Daniel’s 70th week (or the Tribulation) thereby fulfilling the promises of God of sparing those redeemed by Christ from the Wrath of God. This position maintains that there will be at least a 7 year time period where those that are raptured will reside in heaven while the tribulation wrath is poured out on the earth. With this in mind, I propose that the John 14:1-4 verses are indeed fulfilled within this rapture promise.

The key to this thought is when we actually take the passages, verse by verse from John 14:1-4 and aligned them with a ‘proven’ rapture passage: namely 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18.

When we do that we come up with a chart like so:

The uncanny parallelisms cannot be ignored in these two passages. They unfold in each case in exactly the same order; the theme and main components are identical, and in both cases we are lead from the troubles of earth, to the glories of heaven, or presence with the Lord.

I’ll leave it to you to make up your own mind on this, however, to myself the evidence is clear before me. When it comes to the Holy Scriptures I do not believe in coincidences. For the Word of our Lord came unto us not by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost (2 Peter 1:21). Our God is not a God of coincidence, but a God of purpose.

Amo 3:7 Surely the Lord GOD will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets.

Conclusion

With our discussion behind us I would like to present John 14:1-4 to be added to the list of ‘Rapture Passages’. With the synchronized parallelisms of 1 Thess. 4:13-18 and the fulfillment of Christ’s promise to take us to His father’s house, I believe the evidence is proven sound and admissible for consideration.

With that being said, I would like to go back now and answer our very first question: “What are the main scripture passages that reference the rapture?”

To which I believe we can now safely answer: 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18, 1 Corinthians 15:51-53. and John 14:1-4.

- J.R.Hall

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