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“For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command,
with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead
in Christ shall rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught
together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be
with the Lord forever” (1 Thessalonians 4 v 16-17)
with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead
in Christ shall rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught
together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be
with the Lord forever” (1 Thessalonians 4 v 16-
The Bible does not actually use the word ’rapture’, but it refers to the appearing of Jesus Christ
and the supernatural event of the ‘Church’ being taken from the earth to be with Christ in the air.
The word ‘RAPTURE’ in this biblical context comes from the Latin word ‘RAPIO’ and the Greek
word ‘HARPAZO’. These words mean to “size by force” “to snatch suddenly”.
The rapture of the Church of Jesus Christ, (that is those people who have accepted Christ as their
personal Saviour and Lord and have been ‘born again’ by the Holy Spirit), is a supernatural event
that could take place at any time and which will usher in the time of TRIBULATION.
The Bible has recorded three raptures that have already taken place:
1. ENOCH - (see Genesis 5v21-24 and Hebrews 11v15). Enoch did not die, instead we are
told that he was taken by God because he pleased God.
2. ELIJAH - (see 2Kings 2v1). Elijah was taken into heaven in a fiery chariot.
3. JESUS CHRIST - (see Acts 1 v 9-11 ). In front of all the disciples Jesus was taken into heaven
on a cloud.
The next rapture will be that of the ‘Church’
Bible references that talk of the ‘rapture’ (apart from the one above):
1 Corinthians 15 v 51-52
Listen, I tell you a mystery: we will not all sleep, but we will all be changed in a flash,
In the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound,
The dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed.
and the supernatural event of the ‘Church’ being taken from the earth to be with Christ in the air.
The word ‘RAPTURE’ in this biblical context comes from the Latin word ‘RAPIO’ and the Greek
word ‘HARPAZO’. These words mean to “size by force” “to snatch suddenly”.
The rapture of the Church of Jesus Christ, (that is those people who have accepted Christ as their
personal Saviour and Lord and have been ‘born again’ by the Holy Spirit), is a supernatural event
that could take place at any time and which will usher in the time of TRIBULATION.
The Bible has recorded three raptures that have already taken place:
1. ENOCH -
2. ELIJAH -
The next rapture will be that of the ‘Church’
Bible references that talk of the ‘rapture’ (apart from the one above):
1 Corinthians 15 v 51-
In the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound,
The dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed.
Rapture page 2