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Is The Rapture really a Myth?

by Dr. Henderson Ward  
5/02/2017 / Christian Living

One of the most contentious subjects relating to end-time events is this event, known as the rapture, and the contention has to do with two things in particular. First and foremost, the word “rapture” does not appear in the Bible, and secondly there is great debate as to when this event will take place. There is a third contention, which is not taken seriously by some Bible scholars, and is based on the notion that there will be no such separate event as the rapture.

The rapture, in biblical and eschatological terms, is a function by God comprising the removal of all true believers from the earth and gathering them to himself towards the end of time to prevent them from experiencing tribulation horrors destined to engulf the earth.

The Bible gives us several scriptures that indicate God’s people will be caught up to meet him in the air, and here is one of those scriptures:

“For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.” (1 Thessalonians 4:16–17 emphasis added)

Notice the italicized statement very carefully. It is clear that living believers, as opposed to those who died and were buried, will be raptured to meet the Lord in the air.  

There is need for the rapture to satisfy the biblical promise that God, in meting out punishment, will not allow sinner and saint to be treated alike.

We must remember that the Tribulation is a time when evil will be allowed to tear the world apart, but it is also a time when God will be punishing the world directly and spare believers, as stated by Abraham: “That be far from thee to do after this manner, to slay the righteous with the wicked: and that the righteous should be as the wicked that be far from thee: Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?” (Genesis 18:25).

The Second Advent of Jesus Christ will occur at a time of unprecedented distress for the world, but those who are going to be raptured will be living normal lives in normal times and this scripture suggests as such: “Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left. Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left.  Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come” (Matthew 24:40–42).

This scripture tells us that people would be going about their lives normally, doing normal everyday things: “But as the days of Noah were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark, And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.” (Matthew 24:37–39)

During the Great Tribulation, God will be reigning judgments upon the earth: the seven seals judgments, after that the seven trumpets judgments, followed by the seven bowls judgments, and then the Second Advent of Jesus Christ.

One of the difficulties some people have in accepting the rapture is that the Bible speaks of two, and only two, resurrections, and the rapture is seen not as a separate activity, but as part of the first resurrection.

The first resurrection takes place after the seven-year tribulation and is recorded in the Bible thus:

“And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgement was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years. But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection.” (Revelation 20:4–5 emphasis added)

The first resurrection includes people who defied the beast, did not receive his mark, did not worship his image, and were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, which tells us that the first resurrection took place after the Great Tribulation.  

It also tells us that the first resurrection took place before the millennium, for it says, “And they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years,” and as we know, the millennium is a period of a thousand years when Jesus will be ruling on this earth and will be doing so from Jerusalem.

The second resurrection comes after the millennium is over and immediately preceding the Great White Throne Judgement, and the Bible describes it like this:

“And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works.” (Revelation 20:12–13 emphasis added)

The italicized words refer to the second resurrection and is referred to in places as the resurrection of the damned: “And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation” (John 5:29).

The question then arises. If the first resurrection takes place after the Tribulation, then where does the rapture fit in? The answer lies in understanding what is meant by the first resurrection.

Many people believe that the first resurrection is one event happening in an instant, like a flash of lightning, and it is all over, but there is another explanation that seems more plausible and ties up a lot of loose ends.

The first resurrection takes place over a period of time and involves multiple phases.

The first phase began with the resurrection of Jesus: “But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept” (1 Corinthians 15:20).

We know from Scripture that there was another phase that took place immediately following Jesus’ resurrection, and the Bible describes it like this: “And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose, and came out of the graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many” (Matthew 27:52–53).

We do not know who these saints were, probably no one will ever know, but they were never heard of or mentioned again, which strongly suggests that they accompanied Jesus to heaven.

Another phase of the first resurrection will include the resurrection of the two special, ordained witnesses, preachers and prophets, who were killed and their bodies left unburied for three and a half days in the Jerusalem streets.

“And their dead bodies shall lie in the street of the great city, which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified. And they of the people and kindreds and tongues and nations shall see their dead bodies three days and an half, and shall not suffer their dead bodies to be put in graves. And they that dwell upon the earth shall rejoice over them, and make merry, and shall send gifts one to another; because these two prophets tormented them that dwelt on the earth. And after three days and an half the Spirit of life from God entered into them, and they stood upon their feet; and great fear fell upon them which saw them. And they heard a great voice from heaven saying unto them, Come up hither. And they ascended up to heaven in a cloud; and their enemies beheld them.” (Revelation 11:8–12)

Another phase, and here we are assuming that the rapture took care of those believers alive just prior to the Tribulation, will include the martyrs who were executed during the Tribulation:

“And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgement was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.” (Revelation 20:4)

The final phase of the first resurrection is what believers generally understand by the first resurrection, for this is the culmination of the first resurrection and it will occur instantly, in a flash, at the last trump, for salvation’s doors will be finally slammed shut, and this mighty reality is recorded thus:

“For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.” (1 Thessalonians 4:16–17)

The final thought that makes the rapture credible is that the climax of the first resurrection, which we have established will take place at the Second Advent of Jesus Christ, will occur at a known date, for the Bible clearly states that Jesus will come exactly forty-two months, i.e., three and one half years after the desolation of abomination in the temple at Jerusalem.

The Rapture, on the other hand, will be at a time and date unknown.

(This article is from my upcoming book: Throwing Light on the Powerful End-time Events)

Enough said.

Books by this author you may wish to read.

BASTARD: A STORY OF REDEMPTION (e-book fiction)
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B006OF3SD6

STAND UP TO THE DEVIL  (e-book)
Volume 1 – You must first identify him
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B005BQVLSS

THINGS EVERY CHRISTIAN SHOULD KNOW (e-book)
Volume 1 – Five tough facts to be faced
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B004YX5NSI

Dr. Henderson Ward received his Doctor of Divinity in theology, with distinction, from Masters International School of Divinity, USA, where he is currently a post-doctoral fellow. Dr. Ward's career involved pastoring, evangelism, and teaching. Copyright 2017

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