Rapture

The Rapture was first named by the British preacher John Nelson Darby in the mid-19th century.

Behold, I shew 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." -- I Cor. 15:51-52.

Due to prophecies fulfilled at an alarming rate, many Christians believe that will take place in the near future.^{[Citation Needed]} Jesus will come in the air, gather up the Church from the earth, and then return to Heaven with the Church.

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. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. 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. 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: 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. Wherefore comfort one another with these words. -- I Thes. 4:13-18

Some evangelical commentators suggest that the following events need to occur for the Rapture to take place:^{[Citation Needed]}

• The countries of the world must have the same currency (see Euro).
• Peace in Israel
• One World Government, like the Revelation 7th beast (see United Nations)
• Jerusalem must rebuild the Jewish temple.
• The Jewish people must control Israel.
• The Antichrist must be walking the earth in human form.

Rapture Ready maintains an index of how close we are to the Rapture.

Once these conditions have been met, and a Red Heifer has been sacrificed in the Temple of Solomon, Jesus will rise once again to wipe away the sinful world and reward all the faithful.

There is some debate in such circles over whether the Rapture will occur before, during or after the reign of the Antichrist, but the original reference by St Paul to the faithful being 'caught up into the clouds' at I Thessalonians 4:17 clearly dates it to the time of the Second Coming, and does not suggest in any way that it will result in Christians being spared in advance the horrors of the Last Times, as is sometimes proposed.

• Premillennial Dispensationalism
• Postmillennial Dispensationalism
• Midmillennial Dispensationalism

Sources

• Armstrong, K., The Battle for God (Harper Perennial, 2000)
• Cruden, A., Complete Concordance to the Old and New Testaments (Lutterworth, 1930)
• The Holy Bible (King James Version)
• The New English Bible (Oxford & Cambridge University Presses, 1970)
• The New Jerusalem Bible (Darton, Longman & Todd, 1990)
• Peake, A.S., Commentary on the Bible (Nelson, 1962)
• Young, R., Analytical Concordance to the Holy Bible (Lutterworth, 1939)