THE RAPTURE OF THE CHURCH

JOHN 14: 3
1 THESS 4: 14-18
1 COR. 15: 51-52
 JOHN 14: 3

AND IF I GO AND PREPARE

3 

A PLACE FOR YOU, I WILL

COME BACK AND TAKE YOU
TO BE WITH ME THAT YOU
ALSO MAY BE WHERE I AM.
 • 1 THESS 4: 14-18
14 
FOR WE BELIEVE THAT
JESUS DIED AND ROSE
AGAIN, AND SO WE BELIEVE
THAT GOD WILL BRING WITH
JESUS THOSE WHO HAVE
FALLEN ASLEEP IN HIM.
 • 1 THESS 4: 14-18
ACCORDING TO THE LORD’S
15 

WORD, WE TELL YOU THAT WE

WHO ARE STILL ALIVE, WHO ARE
LEFT UNTIL THE COMING OF THE
LORD, WILL CERTAINLY NOT
PRECEDE THOSE WHO HAVE
FALLEN ASLEEP. 
 • 1 THESS 4: 14-18
  FOR THE LORD HIMSELF WILL
16 

COME DOWN FROM HEAVEN, WITH A

LOUD COMMAND, WITH THE VOICE
OF THE ARCHANGEL AND WITH THE
TRUMPET CALL OF GOD, AND THE
DEAD IN CHRIST WILL RISE FIRST.
 • 1 THESS 4: 14-18
  AFTER THAT, WE WHO ARE STILL
17 

ALIVE AND ARE LEFT WILL BE CAUGHT

UP TOGETHER WITH THEM IN THE
CLOUDS TO MEET THE LORD IN THE
AIR. AND SO WE WILL BE WITH THE
LORD FOREVER. 18 THEREFORE
ENCOURAGE ONE ANOTHER WITH
THESE WORDS.
 • 1 COR. 15: 51-52
LISTEN, I TELL YOU A
51 

MYSTERY: WE WILL NOT

ALL SLEEP, BUT WE WILL
ALL BE CHANGED— 
 • 1 COR. 15: 51-52
  IN A FLASH, IN THE
52 

TWINKLING OF AN EYE, AT THE

LAST TRUMPET. FOR THE
TRUMPET WILL SOUND, THE
DEAD WILL BE RAISED
IMPERISHABLE, AND WE WILL
BE CHANGED.
 RAPTURE
The rapture is the one most
important end time events to
understand:
1. When
2. Why
3. What
 RAPTURE
TITUS 2:13
WHILE WE WAIT FOR THE
13 

BLESSED HOPE—THE
APPEARING OF THE GLORY OF
OUR GREAT GOD AND SAVIOR,
JESUS CHRIST,
 RAPTURE
1 JOHN 3:3
ALL WHO HAVE THIS HOPE
3 

IN HIM PURIFY
THEMSELVES, JUST AS HE IS
PURE.
 RAPTURE
1 THESS. 4:18

18 
THEREFORE ENCOURAGE
ONE ANOTHER WITH
THESE WORDS.
UNDERSTANDING THE
RAPTURE
WHAT IS RAPTURE
1. DEFINITION

RAPTURE MEANS

CAUGHT UP
GREEK HARPAZO “TO SIEZE UPON, TO
SNATCH UP, CARRYING OFF,
SNATCHING AWAY
 RAPTURE
1 THESS. 4:17
17 
AFTER THAT, WE WHO ARE STILL
ALIVE AND ARE LEFT WILL BE
CAUGHT UP TOGETHER WITH THEM
IN THE CLOUDS TO MEET THE LORD
IN THE AIR. AND SO WE WILL BE
WITH THE LORD FOREVER.
WHAT IS RAPTURE
DEFINITION
ENOCH
GENESIS 5: 23-24
ALTOGETHER, ENOCH LIVED A
23 

TOTAL OF 365 YEARS. 24 ENOCH

WALKED FAITHFULLY WITH
GOD; THEN HE WAS NO MORE,
BECAUSE GOD TOOK HIM AWAY.
WHAT IS RAPTURE
Hebrew 11:5
5 
BY FAITH ENOCH WAS TAKEN
FROM THIS LIFE, SO THAT HE DID
NOT EXPERIENCE DEATH: “HE
COULD NOT BE FOUND, BECAUSE
GOD HAD TAKEN HIM AWAY.”[A
]
FOR BEFORE HE WAS TAKEN, HE
WAS COMMENDED AS ONE WHO
PLEASED GOD.
WHAT IS RAPTURE
DEFINITION
2 KING 2:17
BUT THEY PERSISTED UNTIL
17 

HE WAS TOO EMBARRASSED TO

REFUSE. SO HE SAID, “SEND
THEM.” AND THEY SENT FIFTY
MEN, WHO SEARCHED FOR
THREE DAYS BUT DID NOT FIND
HIM.
 THE RAPTURE OF THE CHURCH

THE RAPTURE OF THE CHURCH IS THE

EVENTS IN WHICH GOD “SNATCHES
AWAY ALL BELIEVERS FROM EARTH IN
ORDER TO MAKE WAY FOR HIS
RIGHTEOUS JUDGEMENT TO POURED
OUT DURING THE TRIBULATION
PERIOD.
 THE RAPTURE OF THE CHURCH

THE RAPTURE IS NOT FOR

EVERYBODY. THE THREE MAJOR
PASSAGES THAT TEACH ABOUT
THE RAPTURE INDICATE THAT IT
INVOLVES BELIEVERS ONLY.
 JOHN 14: 1-3
14 “DO NOT LET YOUR HEARTS BE
TROUBLED. YOU BELIEVE IN GOD[A
]; BELIEVE ALSO IN ME. 2 MY FATHER’S
HOUSE HAS MANY ROOMS; IF THAT
WERE NOT SO, WOULD I HAVE TOLD
YOU THAT I AM GOING THERE TO
PREPARE A PLACE FOR YOU?
 JOHN 14: 1-3
AND IF I GO AND PREPARE A
3 

PLACE FOR YOU, I WILL COME

BACK AND TAKE YOU TO BE
WITH ME THAT YOU ALSO MAY
BE WHERE I AM.
 1 CORINTHIANS 15:1
NOW, BROTHERS AND SISTERS, I
WANT TO REMIND YOU OF THE
GOSPEL I PREACHED TO
YOU, WHICH YOU RECEIVED AND
ON WHICH YOU HAVE TAKEN YOUR
STAND.
 1 CORINTHIANS 15:23
BUT EACH IN TURN: CHRIST,
THE FIRSTFRUITS; THEN,
WHEN HE COMES, THOSE
WHO BELONG TO HIM.
 1 CORINTHIANS 15:58
THEREFORE, MY DEAR BROTHERS
58 

AND SISTERS, STAND FIRM. LET

NOTHING MOVE YOU. ALWAYS GIVE
YOURSELVES FULLY TO THE WORK OF
THE LORD,BECAUSE YOU KNOW THAT
YOUR LABOR IN THE LORD IS NOT IN
VAIN.
 1 THESS 4:13
BELIEVERS WHO HAVE DIED
13 
BROTHERS AND SISTERS, WE DO
NOT WANT YOU TO BE
UNINFORMED ABOUT THOSE WHO
SLEEP IN DEATH, SO THAT YOU DO
NOT GRIEVE LIKE THE REST OF
MANKIND, WHO HAVE NO HOPE.
 1 THESS 4:13
FOR THE LORD HIMSELF WILL COME
 

DOWN FROM HEAVEN, WITH A LOUD

COMMAND, WITH THE VOICE OF THE
ARCHANGEL AND WITH THE
TRUMPET CALL OF GOD, AND THE
DEAD IN CHRIST WILL RISE FIRST.
 SUPERNATURAL EVENTS
2. DESCRIPTION
1 CORINTHIANS
15: 52 
IN A FLASH, IN
THE TWINKLING OF AN EYE, AT THE
LAST TRUMPET. FOR THE TRUMPET
WILL SOUND, THE DEAD WILL BE
RAISED IMPERISHABLE, AND WE WILL
BE CHANGED.
 3. A SACRED MYSTERY
THE
WORD MYSTERY MEANS
SOMETHING THAT HAS BEEN
HIDDEN BUT IS NOW
REVEALED
5
 1 COR 15:51-52
3. A SACRED MYSTERY
LISTEN, I TELL YOU A
51 

MYSTERY: WE WILL NOT ALL

SLEEP, BUT WE WILL ALL BE
CHANGED— BE CHANGED—
 1 COR 15:51-52
3. A SACRED MYSTERY
52 
IN A FLASH, IN THE TWINKLING
OF AN EYE, AT THE LAST TRUMPET.
FOR THE TRUMPET WILL
SOUND, THE DEAD WILL BE RAISED
IMPERISHABLE, AND WE WILL BE
CHANGED.
 TITUS 2:13
4. GLORIOUS EVENTS
WHILE WE WAIT FOR THE
13 

BLESSED HOPE—THE
APPEARING OF THE GLORY OF
OUR GREAT GOD AND SAVIOR,
JESUS CHRIST,
 THESS 5:1-2
5. A SURPRISE EVENTS
THE DAY OF THE LORD
5 NOW, BROTHERS AND SISTERS,
ABOUT TIMES AND DATES WE DO NOT
NEED TO WRITE TO YOU,  FOR YOU
2 

KNOW VERY WELL THAT THE DAY OF

THE LORD WILL COME LIKE A THIEF
IN THE NIGHT.
 1 COR 15:52
6. SUDDEN EVENTS
52 
IN A FLASH, IN THE TWINKLING
OF AN EYE, AT THE LAST TRUMPET.
FOR THE TRUMPET WILL
SOUND, THE DEAD WILL BE RAISED
IMPERISHABLE, AND WE WILL BE
CHANGED.
 THE RAPTURE IS RAPID AND QUICK

WILL TAKE PLACE A

IT

MOMENT IN THE
TWINKLING OF AN EYE.
 PRE-TRIBULATION

CHRIST WILL RAPTURE

THE CHURCH BEFORE
THE TRIBULATION BEGIN
 PRE-TRIBULATION

1. PRE-TRIBULATION
2. MIDTRIBULATION
3. POST-TRIBULATION
 ZECH 14:4
ON THAT DAY HIS FEET WILL STAND
4 

ON THE MOUNT OF OLIVES, EAST OF

JERUSALEM, AND THE MOUNT OF
OLIVES WILL BE SPLIT IN TWO FROM
EAST TO WEST, FORMING A GREAT
VALLEY, WITH HALF OF THE
MOUNTAIN MOVING NORTH AND
HALF MOVING SOUTH.
 ACTS 1: 12
THEN THE APOSTLES
12 

RETURNED TO
JERUSALEM FROM THE HILL
CALLED THE MOUNT OF
OLIVES, A SABBATH DAY’S
WALK  FROM THE CITY.
[A]
 ACTS 1: 11
11 
“MEN OF GALILEE,” THEY SAID,
“WHY DO YOU STAND HERE LOOKING
INTO THE SKY? THIS SAME JESUS,
WHO HAS BEEN TAKEN FROM YOU
INTO HEAVEN, WILL COME BACK IN
THE SAME WAY YOU HAVE SEEN HIM
GO INTO HEAVEN.”
 1 THESS 5:9
9 
FOR GOD DID NOT
APPOINT US TO SUFFER
WRATH BUT TO RECEIVE
SALVATION THROUGH OUR
LORD JESUS CHRIST.
PURPOSE OF RAPTURE
1. RECEPTION
2. REUNION
3. RESCUE
4. REWARDING
WHAT DOES THIS MEANS FOR US
TODAY
A. WE SHOULD BE
PREPARED AND READY
B. REMAIN FAITHFUL