The Rapture of the Church - Is it Biblical?

When I look around other websites dealing with the end times and Bible prophecy, there is one particular teaching that is proclaimed in the majority of these websites, and that is the "rapture" teaching. These websites teach that one day soon, Christ is going to suddenly remove His church from the world, before the tribulation comes. Now there is confusion regarding this rapture teaching, because some believe it will happen before the tribulation (pre-trib). Some believe it will happen during the tribulation (mid-trib). And others believe it will happen after the tribulation (post-trib). So does the Bible give us a definitive answer? You bet it does, as God is NOT the author of confusion and does not leave us in doubt about the truth.

Before we look into the Bible truth about this, please bare in mind that the word "rapture" doesn't even appear in the Bible at all. So, we need to be very careful about teaching something that isn't even mentioned. Those who teach it, base the word rapture on the words "caught up" in 1 Thessalonians 4:17. So the truth we need to find out is WHEN we will be "caught up" to meet Christ Jesus in the air.

A Parable of Jesus Reveals the TRUTH

In Matthew 13, Jesus tells us a parable of the wheat and the tares, and this parable contains the definitive answer as to WHEN the church is taken to heaven with Christ. Please read this with open eyes and allow God to teach you HIS WAYS.

Matthew 13:24-30 ...'Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field: But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way. But when the blade was sprung up, and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also. So the servants of the householder came and said unto him, Sir, didst not thou sow good seed in thy field? from whence then hath it tares? He said unto them, An enemy hath done this. The servants said unto him, Wilt thou then that we go and gather them up? But he said, Nay; [NO] lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them. Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together FIRST the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn.'

Ah, I hear some people say ... "The harvest IS the rapture." ... Ok, so let us read on:

Matthew 13:38-40 ...'The field is the world; the good seed are the children of the kingdom; but the tares are the children of the wicked one; The enemy that sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are the angels. As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of this world.'

Wow! Friends, you can either hold onto verses that can be taken different ways on their own that don't PROVE the truth. Or you can accept the above clear Words of Christ Jesus Himself that PROVE BEYOND ANY SHADOW OF DOUBT the rapture theory to be false. How does it prove the rapture as false? Well, those who teach that the church will be raptured away believe that the world will continue AFTER that event for at least another 7 years. They also teach that the church will be separated from the rest of the world BEFORE the end. But what do the above verses teach?

The church (wheat) and the wicked (tares) live TOGETHER until the harvest, which is the end of the world.

The tares (wicked) are the ones who are actually taken FIRST.

So those who proclaim this rapture theory can hold onto those flimsy verses all they want, which prove nothing. But what we have above is the clear truth that cannot be disputed.

What About One Taken and One Left Behind?

Luke 17:36-37 ...'Two men shall be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left. And they answered and said unto him, Where, Lord? And he said unto them, Wheresoever the body is, thither will the eagles be gathered together.'

This is such a misunderstaood Bible verse, and yet Jesus even reveals the clear truth within the verse itself. It's just that people have been blinded to it because of the traditional view. If you read Luke 17 in context, you will see that Jesus is describing His physical, visible second coming. And it is during this event that we are told "one is taken and the other left". But notice what the disciples say next:

"Where Lord?"

Now have a very careful think about this. Why are the disciples asking "where?". Do they need to know where the one left in the field is? Of course not, he's in the field! So they must be asking where is the one who has been taken. And what answer does Jesus give?

"Wheresoever the body is, thither will the eagles be gathered together"

That word "eagles" in the original language can also mean VULTURES. And where do Vultures gather? Where there is a DEAD BODY. And in Matthew 24, Jesus even makes it clearer by saying it is a CARCASS ... A dead body! So what does this mean? It means the one that is taken is the wicked person (tare) who is taken to be destroyed. And the one left behind is the saved person (wheat). And this ties in with the parable of the wheat and the tares, in which it confirms that the wicked are TAKEN FIRST.

You see, Jesus described the end like the days of Noah. And what happened in the days of Noah? Was Noah TAKEN? No, he was left behind. It was the wicked who were taken away by the flood and destroyed. The same as Lot. He was the one who was saved and "left behind", whereas the wicked were "taken" and destroyed by the fire.

Friends, there is no rapture. This is just a deception from Satan in order to make people think they will be taken away before the tribulation, and therefore not need to go through the tribulation. And those who are not prepared for the coming time of trouble by learning to rely solely on Christ Jesus will find it almost impossible to get through it safely. Please seek the truth and give your all to your Lord and Saviour Christ Jesus.