WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY?

 

KEY BIBLE STUDIES IN BRIEF FOR THE FAMILY

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CATCHING AWAY (or Rapture) OF THE CHURCH

 Kathy Urbanik, The Church Triumphant of Columbus

Key Verse ~ JOHN 14:2

“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.” (NKJV)

 

FOCUS ~ Either heaven is real or Jesus led His followers with lies. If heaven is a hoax, then it is the biggest hoax ever perpetrated upon mankind. If there is no heaven, then the Bible is not true, and Jesus was a deceiver. If heaven is not the hope of humanity, then the human race has no hope whatsoever. (Taken from the Pentecostal Herald)

 

 

 

RAPTURE comes from the original Latin word “raptus” which means “a carrying off.” It is used to refer to the time when Jesus will return and “carry off” the Church to be with Him in Heaven. The word rapture is not found in the Bible.

 

How do we know that the Rapture will happen?

  • Jesus said, “When everything is ready, then I will come and get you, so that you can always be with me where I am. If this weren’t so, I would tell you plainly.” (John 14:1-2)
  • The disciples were given a promise on the day that Jesus ascended into heaven. “Men of Galilee, why are you standing here staring at the sky? Jesus has gone away to heaven, and some day, just as he went, he will return!” (Acts 1:9-1)
  • Our hope is based on His return for His Bride! 1 John 3:2 says, “Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when He appears, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.” (NIV)
  • Jesus promised to return as seen in Titus 1:2, “In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began.” (KJV)

 

When will the “rapture” happen?

  • Jesus gave us signs to watch. However, no one knows the exact day and time of the “rapture” (Matthew, chapter 24; 1 Thessalonians 5:1-2).

 

Where will the “rapture” take place?

  • In the sky (1 Thessalonians 4:17).

 

Why would Jesus do this for us?

  • Because He loves us and desires fellowship with us.
  • Because that was His plan, from the beginning, when He walked with Adam and Eve in the Garden (John 14:3).

 

How do we prepare for the rapture?

  • Salvation, as found in Acts 2:38, is the first step.
  • You must continue to live for Christ (Titus 2:11-14).

 

What does the rapture mean to me?

  • I must be living for God if I expect to go to heaven.
  • I will be with Jesus for eternity.
  • I will be done with the cares and problems of life here.
  • I must do all I can to help others see the rapture as a reality and to help them to be ready to go.

 

During his 1960 presidential campaign, John F. Kennedy often closed his speeches with the story of Colonel Davenport, the Speaker of the Connecticut House of Representatives:  On May 19, 1780, the sky of Hartford darkened ominously, and some of the representatives, glancing out the windows, feared the end was at hand. Quelling a clamor for immediate adjournment, Davenport rose and said, “The Day of Judgment is either approaching or it is not. If it is not, there is no cause for adjournment. If it is, I choose to be found doing my duty. Therefore, I wish that candles be brought.”

 

Rather than fearing what is to come, we are to be faithful until Christ returns. Instead of fearing the dark, we are to be lights as we watch and wait.

 

Additional scriptures to study

Mark 13:32-27          

2 Peter 3:10

Revelation 3:3           

Revelation 16:15