Meditations

Passages to be considered:

1 Thessalonians 4

¹³ But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. ¹⁴ For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. ¹⁵ For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. ¹⁶ 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: ¹⁷ 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.  -kjv

1 Corinthians 15

⁵¹ Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, ⁵² In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. ⁵³ For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. ⁵⁴ So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory.  -kjv

Question from moody radio listener on September 16, 2017:

My question is about the rapture event and I have never really been taught about any of the specifics about it but, of course I believe in the second coming, what are the scripture verses that support the belief of the rapture event and what is the history of the word, is rapture the English word or what was the original greek word?

Answer from Dr Michael Rydelnik:

The greek word “harpadzo” is caught up and is used in 1 Thessalonians 4 and so when people say rapture, it is not in the bible and the word trinity is not in the bible either but we believe it. I do find it’s funny that when people say it is not in the scriptures, I don’t know how anyone could say that it is not in the scriptures. In 1 Thessalonians Chapter 4, it says that we will be caught up,  beginning with verse 13 of chapter 4, it says ” we don’t want you to be uninformed brothers concerning those who are asleep”,   those who are dead, they are called asleep because that’s the metaphor for death, “so that you will not grieve like those who have no hope, since we believed that Jesus died and rose again, in the same way, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep through Jesus, who we say this to you, by revelation from the Lord, we who are still alive at the Lord’s coming will have no advantage over those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a loud shout,  with the arch angel’s voice and with the trumpet of God and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive will be caught up together with them in the clouds, there will be a great reunion between those who died and those of us who are still alive” , will be caught up together with them. The word “caught up” is “harpadzo” . In Latin, it’s something like “rapturo”. And so from the latin word “rapturo”, that’s where we get rapture. But, it’s caught up and it’s right there in scripture. In 1 Corinthians 15, will be transformed in the twinkling of an eye and so in scripture, the idea those who are alive will be translated immediately to be with Him.