Pluck Out (Harpazo, Part 3 of 5)

The rapture is not a term that is found anywhere in the Bible, it is a concept invented by man to conceive of the Greek word harpazo. This word has five meanings spread across thirteen different Scriptures, so it is my intent here to let the Spirit lead into a deeper understanding of this word, and thereby a greater understanding of the concept of the rapture.

John 10:28-29

And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of My hand. My Father, which gave them Me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of My Father's hand.

This is one of the most revealing harpazo passages. The dual nature of this meaning is powerful. It is the nature of the promise of the Father, that as we receive the free gift of His grace through His Son Jesus Christ unto salvation by His shed blood on the cross, we are firmly held in the hand of both Jesus and the Father. Therefore no man is able to pluck us out (harpazo) of their hands. To complete the picture, we have the indwelling presence of the Lord in our hearts in the Person of the Holy Spirit, our Comforter identical to Jesus and who does not speak of Himself but accomplishes the will of God based upon His spoken Word, and who is the seal of His promise unto the day of redemption when He will deliver all believers from the grasp of the enemy.

All three members of the Godhead have sworn their covenant with the one who believes in Jesus Christ, God in the flesh. The trinity of God, in complex unity (echad), has promised to catch us up (harpazo) from the wrath to come. As it is written,

For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ

See also Latter and Former Rain; Walking With God Through the Blood

Related Scriptures: John 10:1-42; John 14:1-31