Pastor John
what does rapture of the church mean?
Web Comment
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“Rapture” is a term used to refer to what will happen to faithful believers when the Lord Jesus returns. Paul described it like this:
From 1Corinthians 15:
50. This I say, brothers, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, neither does corruption inherit incorruption.
51. Pay attention now. I am telling you a mystery. We will not all sleep, but we shall all be changed
52. in an instant, at the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For he will sound the trumpet, 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;
42. The resurrection from the dead is the same way. [The human body] is sown in corruption; it is raised in incorruption;
43. it is sown in humiliation; it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness; it is raised in power;
44. it is sown a physical body; it is raised a spiritual body. There is a physical body, and there is a spiritual body.
And from Thessalonians 5:
15 Now I say this to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are left here alive until the coming of the Master will by no means precede those who sleep;
16 for the Master himself shall descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ shall rise up first.
17 Then we who are left here alive will be snatched away together with them among the clouds to meet the Master in the air; and after this, we will ever be with the Master.”
The term “rapture” is not found in the Bible, but it does refer to a real event that is coming for those who love Jesus.
Pastor John
PS None of this has anything to do with “church”. The promise of a “rapture” was made only to faithful saints, not to an institution.