¶ … Rapture and Tribulation
The Church Rapture is what believers call 'Blessed Hope'. The Bible's New Testament explains a certain 'mystery', where according to Paul in 1 Corinthians 15:53, we will not all die (or sleep), but rather 'we will be changed' (1 Corinthians 15:53). Paul, in the letter he wrote to Thessalonica, writes,
"For Christ himself will come down from heaven; there will be a shout, with the archangel's voice, and with God's trump: and those who died in the Lord will first resurrect: After that, we who are living and remain will be held up together with the others in the sky, where we will meet Christ in air: and so will we forever be together with Christ. Wherefore give comfort to each other using these words." (1 Thess 4:16-17)
Trials, persecution and tribulation have been part of man from the day he left the Garden of Eden. Each tribulation in the present has been either solely human against human, or human against the Church, otherwise referred to as Christ's body. However, a verse in Matthew 24 talks about a kind of trial and persecution that differs from all these.
Matthew 24:21 states that there will be mighty tribulation, greater than any other that was ever seen since the beginning of the world.
Rapture
The term 'Rapture' describes the "end times," also known as the "eschatological" event. This is when Jesus Christ comes back to get His Church. The believers that are "alive and remain will be held together within the clouds, so that they can meet Christ in air." At that time, there will be resurrection; every Christian will have their resurrected body. The first to get these bodies are the ones who have faced death as Christians. Those that are living and remain will then get the bodies (The Rapture n.d.).
a. Theological Definition
Rapture means an end time or eschatological event in which Christ will come back to get the real believers. Those that are "living and remain will be held together with those that are already dead as Christians in the sky, where they will meet Christ in air" (1 Thess 4:17). This...
The first people to receive resurrected bodies are the ones that are already dead as Christians, followed by those that are "living and remain." (Mckim 2014)
b. Biblical Definition
Most believers put their
faith in something they believe to be a "saints' rapture" with regard to only two verses in the Bible, that were written by Paul the
Apostle. Most teachers of religion teach that rapture is only possible just before Christ's Second Coming, where He will be the world ruler for a millennium. Others who believe that, the kind of "snatching up," where saints will be taken, will take
place in SECRET. This is so that the chosen few will be spared from the trials and
suffering stated in Revelation. As taught, the believers are moved to heaven, where they stay for some time, until they triumphantly come back with Christ, to fight against those that have fallen for Satan's deceit. They will then be the world rulers along with Christ (The Bible Study Site n.d.).
c. Practical Foundation
Nowadays, Churches often leave out the
preaching and study of prophesies from the Bible. This is because they view the topic as impractical and contentious. However, most of them bewail the believers' indifference and try hard to convince them to live holy lives. Churches that are part of this trap should be aware that the lesson about the Rapture, contained all over the Bible's New Testament, deal with these factors and can give encouragement…
