The word RAPTURE, while not in the Bible, is a word that defines several passages that speak about the return of Christ and the GATHERING of believers.

● 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 “For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be CAUGHT UP together with them in the CLOUDS to MEET the LORD in the AIR, and so we will always be with the Lord.” When this occurs, only God knows.

● John 14:2-3 “In my Father’s house are many rooms. If that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and TAKE you to be with ME that you also may be WHERE I am.”

● Matthew 24:40-41 “Then two men will be in the field; one will be taken and one left. Two women will be grinding at the mill; one will be TAKEN and one left.”

● Revelation 3:10 “Since you have kept MY command to endure patiently, I will also keep you from the hour of trial that is going to come on the whole world to test the inhabitants of the earth.”

● 1 Corinthians 15:51-52 “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.” Listen…● Revelation 19:6-9 “Then I heard what sounded like a great multitude, like the roar of rushing waters and like loud peals of thunder, shouting: “Hallelujah! For our Lord God Almighty reigns. Let us REJOICE and be GLAD and give HIM glory! For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and HIS BRIDE has made herself ready. Fine linen, bright and clean, was given her to wear.” (Fine linen stands for the purity of God’s holy people.) Then the angel said to me, “Write this: BLESSED are those who are INVITED to the wedding supper of the Lamb!” And he added, “These are the true words of God.” ❤️ The union of Christ (the Lamb) and His Church (the Bride). Hallelujah and Amen

The term “rapture” itself is not found in the Bible, but a few Old Testament saints were vanished. A Christian eschatological viewpoint is primarily derived from the scriptures listed above. However, there are passages in the Old Testament that some theologians and scholars believe foreshadow or resonate with the themes associated with the rapture, such as divine deliverance, God’s protection of His people, and the gathering of the faithful.

● Enoch’s Transcendence in Genesis 5:24 “Enoch walked with God, and he was no more, because God took him.” This verse is an incident of a faithful person not dying; but being TAKEN away by God.

● Elijah’s Ascension in 2 Kings 2:11 “As they were walking along and talking together, suddenly a chariot of fire and horses of fire appeared and separated the two of them, and Elijah went up to heaven in a whirlwind.” Elijah did not die, but he ascended as another dramatic incident of God’s Way of taking a faithful servant.

● The gathering of God’s people pictured in Isaiah 26:19-21 “But your dead will live, Lord; their bodies will rise. Let those who dwell in the dust wake up and shout for joy. Your dew is like the dew of the morning; the earth will give birth to her dead. Go, my people, enter your rooms and shut the doors behind you; hide yourselves for a little while until his anger has passed by.” This verse is a symbol of deliverance and protection during divine judgment.

● A Vision in Daniel 12:2-3 “Multitudes who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake: some to everlasting life, others to shame and everlasting contempt. Those who are WISE will shine like the brightness of the heavens, and those who lead many to righteousness, like the stars for ever and ever.” This verse speaks to the resurrection of the dead, a gathering up, a rapture theology that is His Way.

The imagery of dead bones coming to life is featured in  the Ezekiel 37:1-14. The “Valley of Dry Bones.” The prophet has a vision where he is brought to a valley filled with dry bones. God asks Ezekiel if the bones can live, Ezekiel replies that “Only God knows.” God instructs Ezekiel to prophesy to the bones. As Ezekiel obeys, the bones come together, are covered with flesh, and are breathed into life by the Spirit of God, symbolizing the restoration of God’s people who had been exiled and felt spiritually dead. A message of hope, resurrection, and renewal, demonstrating God’s power to restore both physically and spiritually. The resurrection of Jesus Christ, emphasizes the truth of God’s supernatural Way of triumph over death. The imagery of dead bones coming to life serves as a powerful metaphor for spiritual renewal and the restoration of HOPE. All scripture is God breathed and His Ways are NOT our ways. Divine intervention is His Way. The resurrection, and the gathering of the faithful is the Lord’s SOVEREIGN WAY of a rapture as articulated in the New Testament. Pray, believe, and get ready.

Psalm 118:7-17 “The Lord is with me; He is my Helper. I look in triumph on my enemies. It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in humans. It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in princes. The Lord is my strength and my defense ; He has become my salvation. I will not die but live, and will proclaim what the Lord has done.” God said…

The verse “not subject to wrath” is a direct quote from God to His faithful. We are free from wrath, anger, or His severe judgment.

● Romans 5:9 “Since we have now been justified by His blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through Him!”

● John 3:36  “Whoever BELIEVES in the SON has ETERNAL life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on them.”

●Ephesians 2:3  “All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our flesh and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath.”

● 1 Thessalonians 5:9 “For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.”

●Colossians 3:6 “Because of these, the wrath of God is coming.”

These verses reflect God’s faithfulness that believers in Christ are spared from divine wrath through faith and salvation.

Colossians 3:2 “Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.” Our God of Wonders does  confound the wisest of mankind. His Ways do not fit in a mind bereft of faith. The “Left Behind” series, was co-authored by Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins. A fictional portrayal of the Rapture and the events that follow, based on a pre tribulationist interpretation of Christian eschatology.  In the late 1990’s this work  explored the sudden disappearance of millions of people (the Rapture) and its impact on those left behind. The story focuses on a group of characters navigating a world that has been thrown into chaos. The son of Jerry Jenkins, Dallas Jenkins produced a popular series “The Chosen.” Both works led  many to read the Bible. Time to dust it off and read.