What does the Bible say about the rapture?
What is the "rapture"?
Although the expression "rapture" is not used even once in the Bible, it is the name given to the occasion when Jesus will descend from heaven to seek those who have loved him above all on this earth, and have been his faithful disciples.
"For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a commanding voice, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God; and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who live, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to receive the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. Therefore, encourage one another with these words. "1 Thessalonians 4: 16-18.
The disciples of Christ who have already died will be resurrected first, and those who still live in Christ will be united to them. All together will be raptured in incorruptible bodies to meet Jesus in the air.
"For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we will be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. "1 Corinthians 15: 52-53.
Who will be raptured?
Jesus says to his disciples: "And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and I will take you to myself, so that where I am, you also may be. And you know where I am going, and you know the way. "John 14: 3-4. This means that there is a way by which we can go. A path that leads us to Him; to be with Him for eternity. Those who love Jesus know where the road goes.
"These are they who follow the Lamb wherever he goes ... in their mouths no lie was found, for they are without blemish before the throne of God." Revelation 14, 4-5.
These are those who, by the grace of God, have followed the footsteps of Jesus. They have done what is right and good, and they have become what they are called to be: light and salt in this world. (Matthew 5: 13-16) This means that no injustice, no dissatisfaction or complaint, no anxiety, no discouragement, no laziness, no worldliness or vanity, etc., has been found in them.
All together are called "the bride of Christ." They have held firm without fluctuating what is right, good and true in every circumstance, just as their husband did in his days on earth, so they are pure and worthy to be. "Wife." "Let us rejoice and be glad and let us give glory; because they have bequeathed the marriage of the Lamb, and his wife has prepared. And she has been granted to wear fine linen, clean and shining; for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints. "Revelation 19: 7-8.
When will the rapture happen?
The Bible does not tell us exactly when the rapture will happen. Jesus says that He Himself does not know it. "But of that day and of the hour no one knows, not even the angels who are in heaven, nor the Son, but the Father." Mark 13:32.
But in Matthew 24 Jesus speaks of various signs we can observe to know when the Son of Man will come. We can see that some of these things happen in this time that we live now, so we can probably expect that it will not be too long. Time marches inexorably forward, and as the world sinks deeper into darkness, we know that the midnight Jesus speaks in the parable of the ten virgins is not far away. We must take Paul's exhortation in Ephesians 5:16 in the heart: "... making good use of time, because the days are evil."
But for those who walk in the light, just as He is in light (1 John 1: 7), there is no reason to worry, but only to wait for that day with joy and expectation. This is the goal of your whole existence while you are here on this earth: prepare for when your husband comes to look for you. They live for the eternal.
Will I be part of the rapture?
"If anyone wants to come after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross every day, and follow me." Luke 9:23. Do you renounce your own will and deny yourself to be a disciple of Christ?
"And everyone who has this hope in him, purifies himself, just as he is pure." 1 John 3: 3. Do you do only what is right, good and true, and you purify yourself, and keep pure?
Do you do all this now? Then you will be part of the rapture. And if you're not doing it, then you can start now! We still live in a time when the amazing grace of God is effective, and we are still in a condition to follow Jesus on this path where we deny ourselves and overcome sin. This hidden life gives us communion with him, then the Bridegroom will recognize you the day he descends from heaven to gather those who belong to him. (Philippians 3: 8-10)
It's more than a fairy tale. It will be an inconceivable reality for those who have loved their heavenly Spouse so much that they have been willing to follow him on this path that leads to eternal life!
