Is There a Secret Rapture?

There is a popular, widespread belief about a certain kind of rapture. I personally believed it for years, but only because I was taught that way all of my life, because I heard it being taught from the pulpit and I read it in all the popular books. I read all fourteen books of the Left Behind Series. I would find myself wondering when the moment would be when we suddenly vanish into thin air. Do we really leave our clothes behind? What if I was driving? Who would be left behind in amazement at all the disappearances and how would they explain it?

These were some of my thoughts until one day I asked God for truth. In exchange, I knew I had to open myself up to Him to show me truth even if it meant accepting that I was wrong. That is not easy for many of us. We might be bold and zealous about defending our beliefs, but for us to realize that we were wrong is not an easy thing. It took me three months of seeking God and struggling with myself to finally understand AND accept what He was showing me.

Truth is in His Word alone. Be careful of popular belief. Be careful of man's doctrine. Be careful of traditions. We need to break away from all of these to be a clean slate, and open to whatever God may show us. It is a privilege and very humbling when He does, and it is very worth it.

Also, we encourage you to confirm everything that we are showing you in this article, and all articles with an open Bible. Double check everything, look into His Word, Seek HIM, not other men and their opinions. God offers us the Spirit of Truth (John 16:13)  and He gives us the mind of Christ (1 Cor 2:16) so that He may teach us.

Now, back to the focus of this article.. is there a secret rapture?


We all know that the word "rapture" is never in the Bible, but it does explain us being caught up in the air to be with the Lord. We can find that in 1 Thessalonians 4:15-18.

"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.

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.

Wherefore comfort one another with these words."


We see that we shall be "caught up" together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. Note the word "them." The living shall be caught up with the dead in Christ who were asleep in their graves, then all together are we caught up in the air to be with the Lord.. forever.

"And so shall we ever be with the Lord." 

At that point, we are all together and we shall be with the Lord always, never to be separated again.

Also note that: Jesus will descend down from Heaven, with a SHOUT! 



Here is another verse that parallels to this one as well,


"Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,
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.

For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.

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.

O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?" 1 Corinthians 15:51-55


Now, these both are descriptions of this same event. We see in verse 15 that "we shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed".. only those who are dead IN Christ may rise, while those without Him will not be raised out of their sleep until the second resurrection (note: Rev 20:5,6, John 5:29). So the dead shall be raised up, the living shall be changed, and then together we are caught up together in the clouds.

When does this take place? We see it says "at the last trump."

We are changed from corruption into incorruption. We are changed from mortal to immortal. Death is swallowed up in victory and the grave is defeated.

Okay so.. why do we assume this is a secret rapture that occurs before the this 'seven year tribulation' .. that we go back to the grave just to be brought up again? We go back to our dead bodies and be raised up again? Wouldn't that be saying there two raptures?

I thought we were gonna be with the Lord forever? Now we have to be separated from Him again?

And I thought death was swallowed up in victory and the graves were defeated?

So let's say the secret rapture belief is right. We are raptured, then we go to be with Jesus for seven years during the tribulation, then Jesus sends us back to the grave and back to our corpses, to raise us up in another kind of spiritual body, then we are raptured again to meet him in the air, then he descends down again to the Mount of Olives. That's pretty confusing isn't it?

...God isn't the author of confusion. There are no two raptures. There is not a second coming, and then a third coming.

I've heard of others explaining that the first one isn't official because Jesus' feet never literally touch the ground. But where is that in the Bible? I have never found it. What I have found was:


"And his feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east, and the mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst thereof toward the east and toward the west, and there shall be a very great valley; and half of the mountain shall remove toward the north, and half of it toward the south" Zechariah 14:4

Wait, so His feet actually Do touch the ground after all?

When Jesus ascended to the skies after He rose from the dead, there were two angels and they said:


"Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven." Acts 1:11

And Jesus ascended from the Mount of Olives. Prophecy tells us He shall descend upon the Mount of Olives, the same way and at the same place.

Here's another one:

"Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen." Revelation 1:7

So.. every eye WILL see him? Yeah!


The Bible tells us that the wicked SHALL see it!


"The wicked shall see it, and be grieved; he shall gnash with his teeth, and melt away: the desire of the wicked shall perish." Psalm 112:10


We are caught up to be with the Lord during this great, terrible and awesome day. The wicked are left on earth to suffer the Lord's vengeance. It will be a day of battle against the wicked and kings of this earth. This is a big, fiery showdown. We definitely do not want to be below while all this is occurring! (check Isaiah 13:6, Joel 2:1-11, Rev 16:14, Zech 14:1-3, Joel 3:12-16, Isaiah 29:6, Isaiah 66:15,16, Malachi 4:1)

When we are caught up to be with the Lord, we shall descend down with Him to the Mount of Olives as well. (check Zechariah 14:5, Deuteronomy 32:2, Jude 1:14)


Let us look into more rapture verses and see if it all aligns up, stay with us!

"For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.

For wheresoever the carcase is, there will the eagles be gathered together.

Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken:

And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.

And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other." Matthew 24:27-31

We see this verse is describing the coming of the Son of Man. As lightning shines in one place, it shines in the other as well, and we will all see Him. This passage describes awesome things to behold! Does this sound like a secret rapture to you? Surely when Jesus comes, every eye shall see Him and they shall wail, or gnash their teeth at Him. They will all see us have our victory with the Lord Jesus.

What is so cool is that when you read the last verse there, it says that He shall send his angels to gather his elect from the four winds. That is how we are "caught up." It never says we vanish. It never says we fly but that we are "caught" UP in the air.. by the angels. (read Rev 7:1 speaking of angels standing on the four corners of the earth). Also,


"The enemy that sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are the angels." Matthew 13:39

There is a harvest on this Earth. The reapers are the ones who gather the harvest and place them in a basket of some sort and brings them to the barn house. The reapers for this harvest are the angels as they reap God's people.

Also notice how it says "the harvest is at the end of the world?" All this will take place at the same time, at the end of the world. We recommend our readers to read the Wheat and Tares parable in Matthew 13.

There is one second coming. There is one rapture. What about the tribulation? Don't you know that the last days already began when Christ left the Earth? We have already been living in the last days. Believers are being martyred and persecuted for their faith every single day. During the Dark Ages, 50 million Christians were tortured and killed. China is hiding underground right now in fear of a massacre. We ARE in the last days!

Paul wasn't wrong when he said we were in the last days. He was telling the truth. Some pastors teach that Paul mistakenly thought they were in the last days. There are no mistakes in the Bible, and the last days did begin then.

Here is another:

"But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up." 2 Peter 3:10 

The Lord's coming shall come as a shock to many people. The heavens will pass away with a great noise, the elements shall melt with a fervent heat, and the earth and it's wicked works shall be burned up. This is definitely no secret rapture. How can anyone miss that?

Paul comments on this further:

"For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night.
For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape.

But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief." 1 Thess 5:2-4

It will only be a thief in the night for those without Christ, not for us. We should be like the faithful servant that is always watching. We will not be caught off guard. We will be ready.

Also note how it says "sudden destruction"...

Only man's doctrine teaches us that Jesus comes but doesn't "arrive" so it is not technically the Second Coming. There is no scripture basis for this. The Bible also never describes us leaving our bodies to be with the Lord, then be separated from Him again, return unto our corpses and graves, to be brought up again, then rise again, and then descend. Where does it say all of this? It doesn't.

Think about it, but don't just take my word for it either. Search these scriptures diligently. Ask God for truth. Open your eyes and keep them wide open. Question everything. Ask for scripture proving whatever people tell you.

To Be Present with the Lord

Here is a verse that is the first one that most Christians will give in order to support that souls are gone to be with the Lord, or to be in hell the moment they die. We are here to show you this one verse for what it really is, and to debunk the popular belief. Hear us out, and let us use scriptures to prove this.

"We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord." 2 Corinthians 5:8

Before we begin, let us read the whole context first.

"For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.
For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with our house which is from heaven:

If so be that being clothed we shall not be found naked.

For we that are in this tabernacle do groan, being burdened: not for that we would be unclothed, but clothed upon, that mortality might be swallowed up of life.

Now he that hath wrought us for the selfsame thing is God, who also hath given unto us the earnest of the Spirit.

Therefore we are always confident, knowing that, whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord:

(For we walk by faith, not by sight:)

We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord." 2 Corinthians 2:5-8

Paul begins to speak of an earthly tabernacle and a heavenly tabernacle which is not made with hands, and that we are clothed with which refers to our bodies. He expresses his desire to receive the heavenly tabernacle and to be released from his earthly tabernacle (body).

This heavenly one is the one we shall receive at the coming of Christ. We shall be transfigured into a celestial body that is incorruptible. (Read all of 1 Corinthians 15 for an in-depth description)

"So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption; it is raised in incorruption: It is sown in dishonour; it is raised in glory: it is sown in weakness; it is raised in power: It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body. " 1 Cor 15:42-44

Paul stated above:


"..that mortality might be swallowed up of life." 

This aligns with 1 Corinthians 15 again. He is speaking of mortality putting on immortality and that death shall be swallowed up in victory.

^"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.

For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.

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.

O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?" 1 Cor 15:52-55


The grave shall be defeated at His coming.

Finally, Paul said that we would rather be absent from this body and to be present from this Lord. We all should desire to receive these things and look forward to these earnestly.

But, does this occur before the coming of Christ? It does not.

Because of Adam and because of sin, we all must die.


"For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." Romans 6:23

But in Christ, he shall make us alive. Jesus was the firstfruits of the resurrection, and we shall be at His coming. Not before then.


"For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ's at his coming." 1 Corinthians 15: 22,23 

But can we enter heaven before then? Do we receive our spiritual bodies before then?

"Thou fool, that which thou sowest is not quickened, except it die." 1 Cor 15:36

We cannot receive these things for we are mortal and we will die. We cannot enter the Kingdom of God; not until Jesus comes to transform us and redeems us at the Second Coming.

"Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption." 1 Cor 15:50

The Bible also tells us that no man has been to heaven except Jesus,


"And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven." John 3:13

We cannot receive these things on our own. We are simply mortal and await for that promise when Jesus shall come and give us immortality. Until then, we wait in our graves. We await to be released from our earthly tabernacle and to receive the new heavenly tabernacle.

The dead in Christ shall be raised up incorruptible, their graves shall be broken and death shall be defeated.  That is why the Bible calls us "sleeping" for we shall awake again.

Paul's desire is to be with the Lord and he shall be when Jesus returns.We will all be caught up together in the air, and then there we shall be with the Lord for always.

"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 4:17

Let us comfort one another with these words.

The Meek Shall Inherit the Earth part 3

In this entry, we will show where Christ's heavenly kingdom will be on this Earth. This will hopefully help us to grasp the understanding of Heaven, and where we will be after we die. We know that those who die in Christ are awaiting His glorious return. When Jesus returns, He comes to claim His bride and to set up His Kingdom on Earth upon what the Bible calls Mount Zion. (Note: In the NT, they spell it Sion because of the Greek/Hebrew original text.)

We want to show that wherever the Lord is, so shall we be. We shall rise to be with Him, and go with Him wherever He goes. The wicked shall be cut off and destroyed. They shall be consumed away by Him at His appearing.

First, let's begin with a very well known passage:

 ^"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.

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.

Wherefore comfort one another with these words." 1 Thessalonians 4:15-18

Some of us may read this and think that this passage is telling us that we will always be in the air with the Lord. Instead, what it really says is that we will rise, and from that point on, we will always be with the Lord wherever He goes.

When Jesus Christ returns with His army of Angels, the dead and the living that belong to Him shall rise to meet Him in the air. Those who are left behind on Earth will be destroyed and cut off. There are many verses speaking of this, and here are just a few to list as examples:

"For evildoers shall be cut off: but those that wait upon the LORD, they shall inherit the earth

 For yet a little while, and the wicked shall not be: yea, thou shalt diligently consider his place, and it shall not be. 

But the meek shall inherit the earth; and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace.

The wicked plotteth against the just, and gnasheth upon him with his teeth.

The LORD shall laugh at him: for he seeth that his day is coming." Psalm 37: 9-13

"For the LORD loveth judgment, and forsaketh not his saints; they are preserved for ever: but the seed of the wicked shall be cut off. The righteous shall inherit the land, and dwell therein for ever" Psalm 37:28, 29

"Wait on the LORD, and keep his way, and he shall exalt thee to inherit the land: when the wicked are cut off, thou shalt see it"  Psalm 37:34

The wicked shall be cut off and destroyed, and the righteous shall inherit the land. We shall have peace, and Jesus will rule the Earth the way it always should have been. We will all see the wicked perish and they will be gone.

The wicked will be consumed and destroyed by the Lord at His coming,

"By the blast of God they perish, and by the breath of his nostrils are they consumed" Job 4:9

"Let the sinners be consumed out of the earth, and let the wicked be no more. Bless thou the LORD, O my soul. Praise ye the LORD." Psalm 104:35

"And the destruction of the transgressors and of the sinners shall be together, and they that forsake the LORD shall be consumed." Isaiah 1:28

"For, behold, the day cometh, that shall burn as an oven; and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble: and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the LORD of hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch.

And ye shall tread down the wicked; for they shall be ashes under the soles of your feet in the day that I shall do this, saith the LORD of hosts." Malachi 4:1, 3

"Neither their silver nor their gold shall be able to deliver them in the day of the LORD's wrath; but the whole land shall be devoured by the fire of his jealousy: for he shall make even a speedy riddance of all them that dwell in the land." Zephaniah1:18

"Therefore wait ye upon me, saith the LORD, until the day that I rise up to the prey: for my determination is to gather the nations, that I may assemble the kingdoms, to pour upon them mine indignation, even all my fierce anger: for all the earth shall be devoured with the fire of my jealousy" Zephaniah 3:8 

And when Jesus comes down, His feet will touch the Mount of Olives (Zechariah 14:4) and we shall be with Him when Jesus descends to Earth and claims His Kingdom on Mount Zion:

"And ye shall flee to the valley of the mountains; for the valley of the mountains shall reach unto Azal: yea, ye shall flee, like as ye fled from before the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah: and the LORD my God shall come, and all the saints with thee" Zechariah 14:5

"And he said, The LORD came from Sinai, and rose up from Seir unto them; he shined forth from mount Paran, and he came with ten thousands of saints: from his right hand went a fiery law for them. Yea, he loved the people; all his saints are in thy hand: and they sat down at thy feet; every one shall receive of thy words." Deuteronomy 33:2, 3

"And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints" Jude 1:14 

More on what we will see!

"And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels,

 In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ:

Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power;

When he shall come to be glorified in his saints, and to be admired in all them that believe (because our testimony among you was believed) in that day." 2 Thessalonians 1:6-10

"And the Lord shall be king over all the earth: in that day shall there be one Lord, and His name one." Zechariah 14:9

More coming soon!

The Reapers and the Harvest

Many of us are familiar with this verse and know that we shall be "caught up in the air" yet most of us are not aware of how or when. Please allow us here at a Voice in the Wilderness to share with you our findings. We know that the topic of the end of the world and the second coming are very fascinating subjects, and we are here to tell you there is more to the story. Here is the infamous verse:

"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 4:17

We want to show you with these verses that we shall be caught up in the air by angels who shall carry us up. We will not fly, vanish, or float away. There are Angels that come with the Son of Man (Christ Jesus) in the clouds and they are sent to the four corners of the Earth to gather His people at the end of the world.


"And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other." Matthew 24:30, 31

"And then shall they see the Son of man coming in the clouds with great power and glory. And then shall he send his angels, and shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from the uttermost part of the earth to the uttermost part of heaven." Mark 13:26,27

"When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory" Matthew 25:31

"And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels" 2 Thessalonians 1:7

We have established that the angels shall appear with the Lord Jesus at His coming. When Jesus returns, He shall be seen by the whole world and take His throne. Every rapture verse you will find will not show that there is any discreet or "secret rapture" but only speaks of a wonderous and thunderous showdown when the Son of Man appears in the cloud. Every eye shall see Him and know that He is Lord. There is no "halfway" second coming, or third coming. When Jesus returns, all of this shall occur.

We also want to establish that the 144,000 is a symbolic number of Spiritual Israel squared which actually represents an innumberable amount of people. The 144,000 are those who are truly saved, who have been washed by the blood of the lamb, who are found without fault before the throne because of Jesus Christ, and they were redeemed from the Earth. We are that 144,000.

Introduction of the 144,000 (symbolic number): Read Revelation chapter 7

Verse 1 shows that there are Angels standing at the four corners of the Earth,

Verse 3 shows that they seal the servants of God on their foreheads.

Verse 4 shows there were 144,000 sealed (144,000 is a symbolic number since Revelation is filled with symbolic numbers. We see twelve tribes that are of Spiritual Israel and it is squared)

Verse 9 shows these are actually innumberable people worshipping the Lamb from many nations and languages.

Verse 13 and 14 show the "144,000" are those who have come out of the great tribulation and were made pure in the blood of the lamb (saved believers).

Verse 15 to 17 show their salvation through Jesus Christ.


"And I looked, and, lo, a Lamb stood on the mount Sion, and with him an hundred forty and four thousand, having his Father's name written in their foreheads.


And I heard a voice from heaven, as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of a great thunder: and I heard the voice of harpers harping with their harps:


And they sung as it were a new song before the throne, and before the four beasts, and the elders: and no man could learn that song but the hundred and forty and four thousand, which were redeemed from the earth.


These are they which were not defiled with women; for they are virgins. These are they which follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth. These were redeemed from among men, being the firstfruits unto God and to the Lamb.


And in their mouth was found no guile: for they are without fault before the throne of God." Revelation 14:1-5


These verses show that those who were sealed in Revelation 7 were sealed with the Father's name on their foreheads. We see that these people were the ones that were redeemed from the Earth (caught up in the air). We see here that these people are undefiled and pure because they are saved. When we are saved and washed in the blood of the lamb, then we are undefiled and without blemish. We are the 144,000 (spiritual Israel) that were redeemed from the Earth and undefiled.

When they are undefiled, they are undefiled by women. Why? The Bible calls the filth and the false religions the "whore." We are those who are undefiled by the whore. Immediately after verse 5 in Revelations 14, it explains what happens to those who have been defiled by the whore of Babylon and those who have "fornicated" with her. True believers and followers of Christ will not follow after the world and the whore. We shall be without fault before the throne of God because we have the blood of the Lamb.


The Parable of the Wheat and Tares (read Matthew 13)
*(very important parable)*

Verse 24 shows the Kingdom of Heaven is a man which sowed good seed in his field,

Verse 25 shows the enemy sowed tares (evil people) amongst the wheat (God's people),

Verse 29, 30 shows that God allowed the tares to grow alongside with the wheat, so that the wheat would not be rooted up (destroyed), so both live alongside with each other until the time of the harvest is come. The wheat shall enter His barn, while the tares are cast aside to be burned.


"Then Jesus sent the multitude away, and went into the house: and his disciples came unto him, saying, Declare unto us the parable of the tares of the field.


He answered and said unto them, He that soweth the good seed is the Son of man;


The field is the world; the good seed are the children of the kingdom; but the tares are the children of the wicked one;


The enemy that sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are the angels.


As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of this world.


The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity;


And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.


Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Who hath ears to hear, let him hear." Matthew 13:36-43


The key is that the Harvest is at the END of the world, the reapers are the Angels which "catch" them up into the air to be with the Lord, and He shall divide the wheat from the tares, and the sheep from the goat. Those who follow the enemy shall be burned at the harvest, and those who follow God shall enter His Kingdom (barn).

"So shall it be at the end of the world: the angels shall come forth, and sever the wicked from among the just, And shall cast them into the furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth. Jesus saith unto them, Have ye understood all these things? They say unto him, Yea, Lord." Matthew 13:49-51

I hope this helps us take a closer look to what will occur at the end of the world. The harvest is coming. The reapers are waiting. Are you ready?

He Shall Raise Us Up on the Last Day

Ok, here comes a controversial and touchy subject. The "rapture" of the church. For those that don't know, the rapture of the church is the "snatching away" of the elect in the end times. The controversy about this "snatching away" has to do with when it will occur. Some believe in a secret rapture of the saints before any tribulation occurs, some believe it will happen midway through, and others believe that it happens after the tribulation, before God's wrath. This last stance is the one I take, and I believe the Bible is very clear on it. Please allow me to show you what I have studied. I believe knowing the truth about the rapture is very important, because we are coming closer and closer to the end, and I don't think enough Christians are prepared for what we may face in our lifetime. This is a long read, but I encourage you to stick it out and please give me feedback, whether you agree with me or not. I am ultimately looking for God's Truth on the matter, and while nobody has been able to Biblically show me otherwise yet, I am still willing to hear people out! I'm not looking to defend a belief that doesn't coincide with God's Word. So with that being said, here we go...

First, it is very important to please pray and ask the Lord for the Holy Spirit to guide us and teach us His Truth. Pray that He leads you in this, and that He give you discernment to analyze this study for yourself. He is the Teacher after all. If He shows you any errors of mine, please do not hesitate to show me!

My study began with Matthew, Chapter 24. In it, Jesus gives us the signs that the end of the age are upon us. Here's Matthew 24:1-44:

[1] And Jesus went out, and departed from the temple: and his disciples came to him for to shew him the buildings of the temple.
[2] And Jesus said unto them, See ye not all these things? verily I say unto you, There shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down.
[3] And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?
[4] And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you.
[5] For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.
[6] And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.
[7] For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places.
[8] All these are the beginning of sorrows.
[9] Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name's sake.
[10] And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another.
[11] And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many.
[12] And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.
[13] But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.
[14] And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.
[15] When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:)
[16] Then let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains:
[17] Let him which is on the housetop not come down to take any thing out of his house:
[18] Neither let him which is in the field return back to take his clothes.
[19] And woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck in those days!
[20] But pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the sabbath day:
[21] For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.
[22] And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened.
[23] Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or there; believe it not.
[24] For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.
[25] Behold, I have told you before.
[26] Wherefore if they shall say unto you, Behold, he is in the desert; go not forth: behold, he is in the secret chambers; believe it not.
[27] For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
[28] For wheresoever the carcase is, there will the eagles be gathered together.
[29] Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken:
[30] And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.
[31] And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.
[32] Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When his branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh:
[33] So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors.
[34] Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled.
[35] Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.
[36] But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only.
[37] But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
[38] For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark,
[39] And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
[40] Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left.
[41] Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left.
[42] Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.
[43] But know this, that if the goodman of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken up.
[44] Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.

Please take the time to read this passage, it's very important. With that said, I want to point out a few things. First off, verses 5-12 are all things that are happening NOW, to varying degrees. Many coming in the name of Christ (Joel Osteen, Billy Graham, Rick Warren, Creflo Dollar, Pat Robertson, Todd Bentley, Benny Hinn, the list goes on and on). I believe that verse 5 refers to both people claiming to actually BE Christ (they're already out there) and those that claim they are OF Christ, or IN Christ. So we are seeing this all over the place today. Next, the wars and rumors of wars: Iraq, Afganistan, Israel, Palestine, Iran, nuff said? Famines are all over the place, earthquakes are happening at a much greater frequency and severity. Christians in non-Christian countries are being killed for their faith - just ask Paul Washer. False Prophets are everywhere. Finally, the love of many is waxing cold. Selfishness is the trend of the day. Nobody has time for anyone else, and "we're number 1!" A good way I gauge that is the way people drive these days. Think about it.

Ok, now for some intense stuff. Jesus warns that when we see the "abomination of desolation" stand in the holy place (temple), to flee. Keep in mind, Jesus is warning his people about what they will go through in the end times. He's warning about the antichrist here, saying to flee, to run away, to pray our plight isn't in the winter or the sabbath day (a blog on the sabbath is coming soon!) Notice verses 21 and 22. I have to write them here again, they are of the utmost importance.

For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened.

So a timeline is developing. We have all the birth pang signs - the false Christs, the wars, earthquakes, love of many growing cold - and now we are warned of the antichrist's arrival along with tribulation that the world has never seen before! Jesus says for the elect's sake these days will be shortened, out of mercy. Now, many have tried to explain away the meaning of the word "elect" as being the Jews. This is preposterous. When Jesus died he saved both the Jew and the Gentile, with the Gentiles being grafted into the vine, both collectively being the elect. Romans 9-11 explain this very clearly.

Romans 10:12 For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him.

There is no doubt that the elect pertains to both Jews and Gentiles, anyone that calls upon the Lord to be saved. The Jews aren't a special sort of elect, there's nothing in the Bible that shows that. There's no secret rapture that leaves behind Jews that have an opportunity to realize Jesus is the Messiah. Where is this in Scripture?

Moving on, Jesus starts to explain how His coming back will look. Everyone will be able to see Him. Next we have three of the most critical verses possible on this subject.

[29] Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken:
[30] And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.
[31] And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.

I can't stress the words in red enough. Jesus comes back right after the tribulation, and with the great sound of a trumpet has His angels gather the elect! This can't be any more straightforward than it is. I know, you probably have questions like "what about being caught up" and the like. I will address this from every angle I can. This chapter is the foundation for everything.

Next, Jesus describes more of how things will look at the end. Skip ahead to verses 40 and 41, two of the most twisted verses in all of the Bible.

[40] Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left.
[41] Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left.

See! See! The rapture! Ah, not so fast my friend. :) Now that we've examined these verses in the context of everything Jesus is saying here, we can easily see that the people taken up are taken at the second coming of the Lord. The ones that survive the tribulation.

So to summarize up to this point, here's what we have. We have the signs of the end of the age, then the warning to flee when the antichrist arrives, then the second coming of Jesus in the clouds, then the angels gathering up the elect. This passage is also illustrated in Mark 13:5-37 and Luke 21:5-36. I would encourage you to read those also, it will give you a great background and show you that the Bible is in agreement with itself about this. (We know the Bible cannot be wrong, so therefore we must test every verse that has to do with this, and they must all align.)

Now that we have established the backbone of this study, let's branch out into the supporting verses. 1 Corinthians 15 talks about the resurrection of Christ and our inheritance. Verses 51-52:

[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.

I'm not sure if I really need to explain this, but I will. The pre-tribulation stance likes these verses, because it's easy to see the "in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye" part and immediately think "rapture." Ah, but Paul gives us a reference point that fits directly with the timeline Jesus Christ gives us in the gospels: at the last trump. This is the trumpet we read of in Matthew 24:31. This is coming together isn't it!

1 Thessalonians 4:13-18
[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.
[18] Wherefore comfort one another with these words.

Crucial, crucial stuff here! We see in this passage that same exact timeline Jesus gave in the gospels, once again. The Lord comes, the trumpet sounds, THEN the ones that are still left after the tribulation meet the Lord in the air.

2 Thessalonians 2:1-4 is another excellent passage defending this. Here we receive a warning about the antichrist:

[1] Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him,
[2] That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand.
[3] Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;
[4] Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.

Here we learn that BEFORE Christ shall come, BEFORE anyone is taken up (the elect), BEFORE it's all said and done, there has to be a falling away (departure from Christ) and the antichrist has to reveal himself and sit in the temple! Once again, this is directly in line with Matthew 24. It even references the antichrist standing in the holy place, Matthew 24:15. Christians will see and experience the antichrist and his tribulation.

More words from Jesus here that coincide with a post-tribulation rapture. John 6:39-40:

[39] And this is the Father's will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day.
[40] And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day.

It doesn't get any clearer. Jesus Himself says twice in a row that he will raise His people up at the last day. He doesn't say He'll do it secretly, or He'll raise the Jews up at the last day, or He'll raise some people up, then raise the rest up later. No, He will raise ALL His elect at the last day.

John 11:24 shows that believers in Jesus knew as well. This passage is about Jesus' resurrecting Martha and Mary's brother. Let's see what Martha says:

[24] Martha saith unto him, I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day.

A more lengthy passage is Jesus' parable about the kingdom we find in Matthew 13:24-30, then explained in verses 37-43. I know this study is getting long, but I feel I should still paste the verses here! I want you to read them.

[24] Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field:
[25] But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way.
[26] But when the blade was sprung up, and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also.
[27] So the servants of the householder came and said unto him, Sir, didst not thou sow good seed in thy field? from whence then hath it tares?
[28] He said unto them, An enemy hath done this. The servants said unto him, Wilt thou then that we go and gather them up?
[29] But he said, Nay; lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them.
[30] Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn.

explained:

[37] He answered and said unto them, He that soweth the good seed is the Son of man;
[38] The field is the world; the good seed are the children of the kingdom; but the tares are the children of the wicked one;
[39] The enemy that sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are the angels.
[40] As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of this world.
[41] The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity;
[42] And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.
[43] Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.

This passage is awesome. Jesus paints us an amazing picture. I hope the meaning of this is clear to you. We see that the harvest is at the end of the world, not at some special time beforehand. The angels gather the elect, and the unrighteous are gathered and thrown into the fire. Does this sound like a pre-tribulation rapture to you? Everything happens at Jesus' second coming, the end of time!

Well that's pretty much the extent of my study on the rapture! Thank you very much for taking the time to read this, I hope it has helped. I hope that from this you can see that the only "rapture" we will have is the ultimate gathering of the elect at Jesus Christ's second coming in glory! I encourage you to share this message with anyone you know, because the more we are prepared for the times to come the better off we will be. We want to be strong in Christ if we are to face this tribulation, and if most Christians don't even believe we will suffer, what will it do to their faith if they face the sword, or if they are deceived when the antichrist hits center stage?

Again, I would encourage you to leave any feedback you have from this, whether it be positive or negative. I'm willing to hear and read differences of opinions, as long as they can be shown through Scripture. Thanks again!