The rapture of the Christian is a well known matter among believers around the world. It is sometimes referred to as the catching away. Jesus spoke of it in Matthew 24:37-42 But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, and marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coining of the Son of man be. Then two shall he in the field; the one shall be taken. And the other left. Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left.
The Apostle Paul further elucidates the matter by adding to it a few details that the account in Matthew leaves out. 1 Corinthians 15: 51-52 Behold I show 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 trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.
Like so many other prophecies of the second coming believers can’t seem to fully agree on this one. The three common views are what are known as, pre-tribulation, mid- tribulation and post-tribulation rapture. That all believers dead or alive will be instantly transformed and carried up to meet the Lord at his second coming is not the argument. It is only when their going to be caught up that so puzzles the believer.
Not wanting to add to the confusion I can say that only the first two views have any possibility of being correct. The main purpose of Christ’s return is to judge a world that has plunged into the worship of the devil in the flesh (antichrist) and it culminates in the pouring out of God’s wrath on the entire world.
When the pouring out of God’s wrath actually begins in the course of the antichrist’s reign is extremely hard to pinpoint with accuracy. But whenever it is we who believe in Christ won’t be here. The reason this can be said without one shred of doubt is based on a promise God has made to his children that he will save them from the wrath to come. The wrath of God is for the wicked not for his own children. This promise is found in 1Thess.1:10 And to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come.
The idea that we are not removed from the world before God starts to pour out his wrath, not only flies in the face of this clear promise but it smacks of absurdity. We would he directly in the line of fire and only a cursory perusal of God’s judgments would he enough to see that no one will escape some damage. In modern warfare that is called, collateral damage, but even this term would not adequately describe the damages to almost everything and everyone during God’s judgments.
About the Author:
Rev Bresciani is the author of "An American Prophet and His Message" a Christian book on the second coming of Christ. He has hundreds of articles both online and in print. Please visit www.americanprophet.org
Without A Trace - The Great Rapture Controversy
