THE RAPTURE

1. The Rapture

a) When Christ comes for His saints, to take them to heaven, they will be caught up into the air. This is called the rapture.

i) "We shall be caught up... to meet the Lord in the air", 1 Thessalonians 4:17.

b) This is not the same as Christ's coming in glory. In the Old Testament we often read of His coming as King, but Paul speaks of the rapture as a "mystery", 1 Corinthians 15:51. A mystery is a truth not revealed in earlier times. The Lord Himself made this truth known to Paul, 1 Thessalonians 4:15. So we know that the rapture is not taught in the Old Testament.

c) The teaching about this first part of Christ's second coming is found in 1 Corinthians 15:51-56 and 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18. Here we see that:

i) The Lord will descend with a shout.

ii) Believers already dead will rise first from the dead.

iii) Living believers will be changed, and given a new body.

iv) They will be caught up into the air.

v) All this will happen very quickly, "in the twinkling of an eye."

vi) Then they will be forever with the Lord.

d) This is a glad and wonderful hope for every believer, the blessed hope, Titus 2:13. But let us remember that everyone of us shall give account of himself to God, Romans 14:12.

i) "We must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ", 2 Corinthians 5:10.

e) Do not think that believers will be judged for their sins at the judgment seat of Christ. 

f) The Bible tells us plainly that...

i) There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, Romans 8:1.

g) What then will take place there? Christ will give us rewards for whatever we have done for His glory. Some will with sorrow see their works go up in the fire. Why will they be burnt? They were good works, but the Christian did them not to please and glorify God, but in order to get honor and profit for himself. They themselves shall be saved, 1 Corinthians 3:13-15. Those who receive crowns will throw them at the feet of the Savior. They will add still a little more to the glory that will be His, Revelation 4:10.

h) After the judgment seat of Christ, we read of the marriage supper of the Lamb, Revelation 19:1-8. This will be a time of great joy, both for the saints and the Savior, the beginning of an eternity of happiness in heaven.