1. Revelation Part 4
Lesson 11

2. The Rapture
“paralambano” receive from or take to; agressively take; to take with one in order to carry away, to assume an office,.
“harpaso” to seize; to catch away as if by force to meet the Lord in the clouds. I Thess. 4:17
Rev. 12:5 The woman’s child was “caught up”
John 14 Jesus quieted their troubled hearts by assuring them He was not leaving them permanently
I Thess. 4 Dead in Christ will rise – comforting
I Cor. 15 Whether believers die or not, their bodies WILL be changed into immortal ones. Perishable into imperishable.

3. “Receive” definition
“Paralambano” is used in the New Testament only of persons.
In Matt. 24:40 the opposite meaning is used. “To let be”. In these verses, those who are taken are not to be misconstrued as those whom the Lord favors, as if they were the same saints spoken of in I Thess. 4:17
Zodiates

4. I Thess. 4 & I Cor. 15 Order The Lord will descend from heaven
Dead in Christ will rise FIRST: the bodies of those whose souls are with Christ
THEN: believers living at that time, will be “caught up” together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air – in the clouds
The word rapture is not in the Bible, but the event is
I Cor. 15 Not all believers will die before He comes
Trumpet will sound LAST, 7th! vs. 52
Dead raised imperishable, immortal
Alive will be changed, too. It’s a mystery!! Mysteries are revealed…….

5. I Thessalonians
Paul encouraged the believers that had turned from idols to serve God that Jesus will rescue believers from the wrath to come. I Thess. 1:9-10
His teaching about the rapture in chapter 4:13-18, precedes his teaching on the Day of the Lord in chapter 5:1-11, so, that might indicate their order.
Believers are NOT destined for wrath, but for salvation. The Day of the Lord is a day of wrath and destruction.
I Thess. 1:9-10 and 5:9

6. 2 Thessalonians
The believers received some kind of message that had them believing the Day of the Lord had come.
They thought they had missed the “catching up” Thess. 2:1-5
Remember: Apostasy/rebellion comes first (2:3)
He who restrains must be taken out of the way (2:7)
Man of lawlessness must be revealed: and he IS at the 7th trumpet when he…..(2:3) (Rev. 11:15)
Stops the regular sacrifice and grain offerings
Goes into the most holy place and declares himself GOD
Man must take his mark in order to buy or sell

7. When does the rapture happen?
Rev. 3:10 Promise to the church at Philadelphia that He will keep them from the hour of testing coming on the whole earth; those who dwell on the earth
Daniel teaches the last 3 ½ years are for the purification of Israel (9:24)
Rev. 7:9-17 Multitude in heaven from every nation, martyred believers that have come out of the Great Tribulation, are IN heaven at this time (vs. 14)
These are the ones resurrected at the beginning of the 1,000 year reign. NOT the sheep of Matt. 24, because they are alive at Jesus’ coming.

8. WHEN??????
Rev. 17:14; 19:14 Those WITH the Lamb, are the called, chosen, and faithful (overcomers)
They are the armies in heaven who come with the Lord Rev. 17:14
They are the bride of Christ, clothed/made ready/arrayed in fine linen. Rev. 19:7 & 14
Rev. 1:19 Gives us the segments of the book which COULD be the chronological order of events
The things John saw- Jesus in the midst of churches
The things which are – the churches
The things which must take place after these things

9. Order of events Chapters 4-22 happen AFTER the churches.
If that is so, then where is the church during these chapters? With the Lord…..
That is some of the reasoning for Pre-Trib
IF you are Pre-Trib: the trumpet in I Cor. 15 cannot be the same trumpet as the 7th trumpet in Revelation
A trumpet WAS used to sound an alarm, or an announcement to gather Israel together
So: Do we argue our position?
Remember: No one has ever been argued into the kingdom

10. Homework pg. 146 #10 What we know:
The church is NOT destined for wrath
The Day of the Lord is a day of wrath/destruction
The Day of the Lord comes with the Great Tribulation (last 3 ½ years)
7th Trumpet brings in the Day of the Lord and the 7 Bowls OF WRATH
BEFORE the 7th trumpet sounds, the 2 Witnesses go up
The 2 Witnesses are HERE for the first 3 ½ years
Rapture: WHEN?????