Rapture questions
By Richard P. Joseph
I wrote an article in October 2018 entitled “Why was a Rapture Necessary”. In this article I would like to discuss the ongoing question of whether or not there was a rapture. Preterists have an ongoing discussion about whether a rapture actually took place or if it is more of a spiritual rapture from law based to Holy Spirit based living. I, at this time, prefer a physical rapture. This physical rapture actually paves the way for a spiritual shift in things giving both views a type of legitimacy. In this short article I would like to take a quick walk through Paul’s letters to the Thessalonians and document my position on it.
The two epistles to the Thessalonians are laced with eschatological passages. Wouldn’t it be nice to have a recording of what Paul taught them personally! Unfortunately we don't have one so that leaves us to infer what the church actually asked Paul, of course, in context, of the rest of scripture.
In 1 Thessalonians 1;10 Paul says;
and to wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, even Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come.
This passage can go either way. Paul is telling them that at the parousia, Jesus will deliver them from the wrath to come. The wrath was something that was to follow the Tribulation. The Tribulation was a 3 ½ year period where Christians would suffer at the direction of the Jews and Romans. The wrath is the payback that the unbelieving Jews will have by the hands of the Romans. Since the rapture, apparently described by Josephus, happened exactly between the two events, it gives credence to the physical rapture. To me, if the “rapture” event was to just relieve Christians from their current persecutions, then the rapture event would be after the fall of Jerusalem, not before.
In 2:19 Paul talks about them being in the “presence” of the Lord at the parousia.
For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Is it not even you in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at His coming?
This, being in the presence of the Lord, makes me think that they will be in the presence of the Lord. It is not just talking about being filled with the Holy Spirit and living for the Lord, it seems to be indicating that they will actually be with the Lord in his heavenly realm. Keep in mind that in Revelation new crowds of people show up in heaven allegedly at this very time. I do not believe it is simply talking about a new lease on life down here, I really do believe that those people were raptured, creating a clean delineation point in history between the inspired world versus the uninspired world. The consolation for the uninspired world is that we now are guided by the Holy Spirit.
1 Thes 3:13 again talks about them being in the presence of the Lord.
so that He may establish your hearts blameless in holiness before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all His saints.
1 Thes 4:14 Jesus is going to “bring” with him those that have already died. This is because Hades is emptied at the rapture.
For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who [c]sleep in Jesus.
In 4:15 Paul lets them know that the living will by no means precede those that have passed. If the living wasn’t going anywhere then what does this verse mean? In other words, where are the dead going that the living is also going, but after?
For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are [d]asleep
4:16-17 says that the dead and living will end up in the same place. It never talked about the dead coming back to earth at this point, it only talks about them being taken up to meet the lord in the air. There is no mention of those that are staying behind.
For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air.
5:3 is like saying “There is no escaping from dungeons and dragons”!
For when they say, “Peace and safety!” then sudden destruction comes upon them, as labor pains upon a pregnant woman. And they shall not escape.
If the living saints were going to stay then this verse would make no sense except it might get their enemies off their backs. But the following verses assure the saints that they have no part in the wrath. I personally have a hard time imagining any of the apostles all of the sudden losing their inspiration and living the rest of their lives in a dumbed down state of being. Since none of them write after AD 64, let alone even appear in the historical record, it lends itself to the possibility that they were raptured. This view makes the most sense. I don’t believe that they were merely “elevated” to the next level of spiritual consciousness, nay, if they stayed around they would have actually been “demoted” to a lower state. I therefore, at this time, believe a physical rapture took place creating a definite point in history between the old world and the new world. The rapture was the beginning mark of the 3 ½ year long parousia which culminated in AD 70. After this point, all Christians rely on the Holy Spirit for guidance and truth. There are no more personal gifts. If a miracle takes place, it is by the hand of the Holy Spirit, not us. We can pray and act and be confident that we are now living in the everlasting kingdom of Jesus Christ. We are currently living in his kingdom while on this earth and our soul will continue after we depart our fleshly body. Either way, we are with the Lord.
