A number of years ago I had a meal with one of the most well known Reformed theologians in America. The purpose of our get-together was to discuss the issue of Bible prophecy. A number of times throughout our conversation he would stop in mid-sentence and make a comment about how absurd the whole concept of the rapture was. He was not questioning the timing of the rapture at this point, but the very idea and concept of a rapture. Of course, my response was that even though he thought it ridiculous, the Bible teaches this strange event. In fact, the rapture of the church will not be the first rapture in history. When one examines the panorama of biblical history it is amazing to find a number of raptures throughout history and prophecy.

This month Harvest House Publishers is releasing the chart book that Tim LaHaye and I have been working on for the last couple of years. It is entitled Charting the End Times. We are both very pleased with this full-color prophecy chart book that not only has a fold-out master chart at the front of the book, but around 55 other prophecy charts that depict the entire spectrum of our prophetic future. Included in Charting the End Times is a chapter called "Various Raptures in History and Prophecy." This chapter demonstrates that while the rapture of the church is the first time that God will take a large group of people from earth to heaven without experiencing death, it will not have been the first time that God takes individuals to heaven in this way. Look at the following inventory of rapture events throughout biblical history as noted in the following list.