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. (The word “rapture” is
taken from the Latin Vulgate translation “rapio”.) 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.
2 Corinthians
12:2-4
I knew a man in Christ above fourteen years ago,
(whether in the body, I cannot tell; or whether out of the body, I cannot tell:
God knoweth;) such an one caught up to the third heaven. And I
knew such a man, (whether in the body, or out of the body, I cannot tell: God
knoweth;) How that he was caught up into paradise, and heard
unspeakable words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter.
Paul describes his visions of heaven as being so realistic that he
left it to God to determine whether they were spiritual experiences, or
physical experiences, or both. He describes being caught up (harpazo) to paradise where he
heard "unspeakable" words. Perhaps he witnessed the angelic hosts
singing in tongues before the throne of God. The revelations were of such
awesome magnitude that a demonic spirit was sent to afflict Paul in direct
opposition. The Lord allowed this to continue as a constant reminder that His
spiritual strength is sufficient to overcome every physical, mental or
emotional affliction.
1 Thessalonians 4:17
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.
Here is the verse that focuses
all the other meanings of harpazo. This is the objective of the revelation of
Jesus Christ: to reap the rewards of His sacrifice on the cross by raising up
all those who have believed in their hearts that He is Lord and that He was
raised from the dead and will resurrect those who believe. Immediately after
the Lord was resurrected there was a procession of raised saints through the
streets of Jerusalem, visible proof that He was the firstborn among MANY
brethren. Paradise, the compartment of hell where the righteous dead were
reserved until that moment, was snatched from the grasp of the devil and
relocated as Christ led captivity captive. Satan had positioned himself for
what he believed to be the ultimate defeat of God's purpose and plan, yet now
he stood by helplessly as this glorious cascade of scriptural fulfillment
buried him in a wave of righteousness. The next harpazo verse is a vivid
description of Satan's intentions and God's glorious intervention:
Revelation
12:5
And she brought
forth a man child, who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron: and her
child was caught up unto God, and to His throne.
In the form of a red dragon and with a
sweep of his tail, Satan snapped up the angels who were foolish enough to
follow him and cast them down to the earth, as one third of the angelic hosts
now were under his command. He and his army had spent every moment of the ages
since they rebelled against God trying to prevent the birth of the Messiah, and
this portion of Scripture describes their defeat as Christ is caught up (harpazo) to God. Contrary to
his evil scheme to devour God's Son, Christ is now seated at the right hand of
God and Satan will be cast down into the deepest depths of eternity, sealed in
the burning lake of fire forever.
With just one more verse to go, we have a
clearer picture of the full implications of the term harpazo and the concept of
the rapture. In this posting we see that it is the catching up (harpazo) of various prophets,
men of God, and Christ Himself to heaven, either for revelation or rescue. It
is a tool that God uses to impart spiritual visions to His people and to
perform His perfect will when circumstances seem hopeless. It is a tool of
communion also, a form of direct communication that God uses to bypass His
enemies. It is both a glorious demonstration of God's sovereignty and His
ability to conceal His intentions from the destructive forces of Satan, the
fallen angels, and other dark forces gathered in the world. As it is written,
Ephesians 1:9-10
Having made known unto us the
mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He hath purposed in
Himself: That in the dispensation of the fullness of times He might
gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and
which are on earth; even in Him...
Related Scriptures: 2
Corinthians 12:1-10; 1 Thessalonians 4:1-18; Revelation 12:1-17
