When is the Rapture Coming?

When is the rapture coming?  Let us first explore the meaning of the term ‘rapture’. It is an expression not found anywhere in the Bible, so it is important to know exactly what it means and where the concept comes from. It is a relatively new belief that has crept into Christian thinking since the mid-19th century.  This belief endeavours to divide the series of events associated with the second coming of Christ into two main events and separate the instantaneous snatching away of believers into heaven from the actual appearance of the Son of God in power and great glory.  

These events are said to be 7 years apart.   During these seven years the antichrist will reign and bring about the great tribulation described in the Bible as a ‘time of trouble such as never was since there has been a nation’ (Daniel 12:1).  At the close of the great tribulation, Jesus is said to return to earth in triumph and glory to destroy the antichrist and reign for 1,000 years. 

Many believe the rapture is a secret event that will suddenly leave planes without pilots, cars without drivers, and children without mothers or fathers.  Does this sound like a God of love? Is this what the Bible teaches? We need to know these things so that we will not be deceived.

The idea of a secret rapture is not found in historic Christianity.  Christians for centuries have believed that Christ’s coming would be a literal, visible, and audible event that would follow a period of tribulation during which God’s true and faithful followers would be gloriously delivered from evil forces bent on their destruction (Psalm 91). This was the belief of great Biblical scholars of the past and the founders of present-day Protestant denominations. These include:

John Bunyan, John Calvin, Adam Clarke, Jonathan Edwards, Charles Finney, Matthew Henry, John Huss, John Knox, Hugh Latimer, C.S. Lewis, Martin Luther, D.L. Moody, George Mueller, Sir Isaac Newton, John Newton, Charles Spurgeon, William Tyndale, Isaac Watts, Charles Wesley, John Wesley, George Whitefield, William Wilberforce, John Wycliffe, Ulrich Zwingli, and many others.

Of course, the truth of a teaching is not dependent upon who believes it, but upon whether it is Biblical.  So, let’s look at some of the evidence. First note, that nowhere in the Bible are the events associated with the coming of Christ separated. They all occur at the same time.

• Will Jesus come like a thief in the night?

 “The day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up” (2 Peter 3:10, see also 1 Thessalonians 5:2). 

Does this mean Jesus will come secretly and silently and carry away believers and leave unbelievers behind? No. This same text that says Jesus will come like a thief, also says that the heavens will pass away with a great noise. And Psalm 50:3 says “Our God shall come and, and shall not keep silent. A fire shall devour before Him, and it shall be very tempestuous all around Him”. The apostle Paul adds, “For the Lord Himself shall descend with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet of God” (1 Thessalonians 4:16). That doesn’t sound very secret!  Especially when John the Revelator under inspiration, adds – “and every eye shall see Him” (Revelation 1:7). 

So, what does it mean for Jesus to come “like a thief in the night?” The apostle Paul explains, “But you, brethren, are not in darkness so that this Day should overtake you as a thief. You are all sons of light and sons of the day. We are not of the night nor of darkness. Therefore, let us not sleep, as others do, but let us watch and be sober” (1 Thessalonians 5:4-6). 

Jesus’ coming will be unexpected by those who are not watching and waiting for Him. To them, the day of the Lord will come as a complete and unwelcome surprise.  It will come like a thief in the night. But to God’s waiting, watching people it will be no surprise. They will be aware of the signs of His coming given by Jesus Himself in Matthew 24, and they will know when His coming is near, “even at the door”.

• When is the Rapture Coming?

The exact day and hour of this event is known only to God.  Regarding the timing of His return Jesus clearly stated, “But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of Heaven, but My Father only” (Matthew 24:36). 

BUT Jesus did say that we may know when His coming and the rapture of the saints is very near – even at the doors:

Matthew 24: 32-34 (MNKV) – “Now learn a parable of the fig tree. When its branch is still tender and puts out leaves, you know that summer is near.  So you, likewise, when you see all these things, shall know that it is near, even at the door.  Truly I say to you, This generation shall not pass until all these things are fulfilled. The heaven and the earth shall pass away, but My Words shall not pass away.”

The generation that sees “all these things” that Jesus talks about in Matthew 24, coming together at the same time, will know that the rapture (the second coming) is ‘at the door’ and will occur during their lifetime.

• What are ‘these things’ that reveal when the Rapture is about to happen? 

• Religious Deception.

Matthew 24:4 – “Take heed that no man deceives you”.

Matthew 24:24 – “False christs, and false prophets will arise, and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect”. 

Revelation 16:14 – “For they are the spirits of devils (demons), working miracles”. 

Satan has invented many false theories about the second coming and is deceiving millions into believing that Christ has already come, or will come secretly.  Christ specifically warns us not to believe those who say ‘Look! Here is the Christ! or ‘There!’  Or ‘Look, He is in the desert’ or ‘Look, He is in the inner rooms!’ (See Matthew 24:23-26).

• Wars and rumours of war.

Matthew 24:6 – “And you shall hear of wars and rumours of war. See that you are not troubled, for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet”. 

• Natural Disasters

Luke 21:11, 25 – “There shall be great earthquakes in various places, and famines and pestilences (disease epidemics), and there will be fearful sights and great signs from heaven . . . and distress of nations, with perplexity” (because they see no way out). 

“Natural disasters and armed conflicts have marked human existence throughout history and have always caused peaks in mortality and morbidity. But in recent times, the scale and scope of these events have increased markedly. Since 1990, natural disasters have affected about 217 million people every year, and about 300 million people now live amid violent insecurity around the world. The immediate and long-term effects of these disruptions on large populations constitute humanitarian crises” (New England Journal of Medicine, November 7, 2013). 

1. Persecution of Christ’s true and faithful followers.

Matthew 24:9 – “Then they shall deliver you up to the authorities and shall kill you, and you shall be hated of all nations for My name’s sake”.

Revelation 12:17 – “And the dragon (Satan, verse 9) was wroth (enraged) with the woman (the pure church) and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ”. 

Revelation 13:15-17 – “He was granted power to give life to the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak and cause as many as would not worship the image of the beast to be killed. And he causes all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark in their right hand, or their forehead, that no one might buy or sell, except one who had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name”.

• The Preaching of the gospel of the Kingdom to the whole world.

Matthew 24:14 – “And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come”. 

Revelation 14:6 – “Then I saw another angel (messenger) flying in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach to those who dwell on the earth – to every nation, tribe, tongue, and people”. 

The everlasting gospel, and the warning messages that follow it (Revelation 14), will be heaven’s last message to this world before earth’s probation closes. With satellite, television, the internet, and other electronic means, it is easy to see how the ‘everlasting gospel’ and the warnings against the mark of the beast can be delivered to the whole world before Jesus comes again. The message of salvation has never had a wider distribution than it does today. Christ’s second coming is now being preached in more than 900 languages and dialects, and nearly 95% of the world’s population has access to this message. 

All these signs, together with many others mentioned in Scripture, clearly tell us that the rapture of the saints at the second coming of Christ is indeed ‘at the door’. Today is the day of salvation.

• Second Coming tests for Further Study: 

John 14:1-3 – “Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.”

Acts 1:9-11 – “Now when He had spoken these things, while they watched, He was taken up, and a cloud received Him out of their sight. And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as He went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel, who also said, ‘Men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven.’ “

Revelation 1:7 – “Behold, He is coming with clouds, and every eye will see Him, even they who pierced Him. And all the tribes of the earth will mourn because of Him. Even so, Amen.”

Matthew 24:27 – “For as the lightning comes from the east and flashes to the west, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.”

Matthew 24:37-42 – “But as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying, and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and did not know until the flood came and took them all away, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. Then two men will be in the field: one will be taken and the other left. Two women will be grinding at the mill: one will be taken and the other left. Watch, therefore, for you do not know what hour your Lord is coming.”

Luke 17:35-37 – ” ‘Two women will be grinding together: the one will be taken and the other left. Two men will be in the field: the one will be taken and the other left.’ And they answered and said to Him, ‘(Taken) where, Lord?’ So He said to them, ‘Wherever the body is, there the eagles will be gathered together’ ”.  (The ‘taken’ are those destroyed by the brightness of Christ’s second coming – 2 Thessalonians 2:8). 

1 Thessalonians 4:16-17  – “For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord.”

Revelation 6:14-17  – “Then the sky receded as a scroll when it is rolled up, and every mountain and island was moved out of its place. And the kings of the earth, the great men, the rich men, the commanders, the mighty men, every slave and every free man, hid themselves in the caves and in the rocks of the mountains, and said to the mountains and rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of Him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb! For the great day of His wrath has come, and who is able to stand?”

Revelation 19:11-16  – “Now I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse. And He who sat on him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war. His eyes were like a flame of fire, and on His head were many crowns. He had a name written that no one knew except Himself. He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God. And the armies in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, followed Him on white horses. Now out of His mouth goes a sharp sword, that with it He should strike the nations. And He Himself will rule them with a rod of iron. He Himself treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. And He has on His robe and on His thigh a name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.”