Rapture Mania: What is the Rapture and What Does the Bible Tell Us About It?

The rapture craze is kind of a new thing. Many, many people today are very interested in the coming of our Lord Jesus and the rapture. More than twenty years ago, this was not so. Most people didn't talk about it or seem to care.

I personally hadn’t even heard about it until I read some books written about it by the founder of Calvary Chapel, Chuck Smith. Shortly after, an explosion of rapture stories made popular by the Left Behind series began. These are what really popularized the rapture for most people. 

For anyone reading who doesn’t know what the rapture is, it is referring to this Bible verse found in 1 Thessalonians 4:17:

Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. So we will be with the Lord forever.

The word rapture comes from the Latin word that means "caught up." That’s pretty much it.

Because of the recent popularization of the rapture, this one verse has caused a lot of consternation among believers. There have been countless teachings and books dedicated to it. Everyone seems to have a different opinion about it. But the biggest fascination, it seems, is…WHEN?

When is Jesus our Lord going to snatch us away?? When is Jesus going to come back and make everything right and get us out of this mess that we got ourselves itself into? 

The desire to know when is not recent at all. Right before Jesus ascended into heaven after His resurrection, here’s what His disciples asked Him:

Therefore, when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, are you now restoring the kingdom to Israel?” Acts 1:6

It’s natural for us to want to know when Jesus is coming back. The problem is many people don’t like the answer we get. And here it is:

He said to them, “It isn’t for you to know times or seasons which the Father has set within His own authority. Acts 1:7

In actuality, Jesus is reiterating what He had said before He was crucified. Here’s what the disciples asked:

As He sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will these things be? What is the sign of your coming, and of the end of the age?” Matthew 24:3

And here is His answer to the "when" part of the question:

But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone. Matthew 24:36 NASB

Even though the Bible has many, many verses in the Old and New Testaments about the coming of Jesus and His eternal kingdom, the rapture has only one verse. But even so, it is definitely tied to Jesus’ return. 

So how do we biblically handle the rapture? Is it wrong to want Jesus to catch us away to be with Him forever? No, not at all. In fact, God wants us to desire it. He has a crown ready for those who do.

From now on, the crown of righteousness is stored up for me, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will give to me on that day; and not to me only, but also to all those who have loved His appearing. 2 Timothy 4:8

Jesus also wants us to look for His coming.

Looking for the blessed hope and appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ. Titus 2:13

But, according to His promise, we look for new heavens and a new earth, in which righteousness dwells. 2 Peter 3:13

There are more verses, but from just these two, we should look for God’s kingdom as if it were imminent and going to happen at any moment. It is what the disciples did from the time that Jesus walked the earth.

This is why it is so important not to set dates. Because this defeats the entire purpose of having an attitude that Jesus can come at any moment. For example, if Jesus had told the disciples before He ascended into heaven that He was not coming back for two thousand years, do you think that they would have looked for God’s kingdom? Do you think they would have felt the urgency to preach the gospel as fervently as they did? No way.

Christianity would have never spread as rapidly as it did. This is why setting the date of end times is not something that God wants us to do. Knowing the “when” puts our focus on the wrong thing.

God has, however, given us some idea of what’s going to happen leading up to His coming. Pretty much every book of the Bible has some reference to it, and one is completely dedicated to it. Our Creator has a plan for His creation, and He has let us know what it is through His Word. 

There is nothing wrong with studying these prophecies and comparing them with the times that we live in. In the book of Revelation, John says that people who do this are blessed. 

Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of the prophecy, and keep the things that are written in it, for the time is near. Revelation 1:3

Notice the reference to imminency…for the time is near… It is very clear that we are to know and discern what is going on in the times we live in according to the information given us in the Scriptures. Jesus rebuked the Pharisees for not doing this: 

Hypocrites! You know how to discern the appearance of the sky, but you can’t discern the signs of the times! Matthew 16:3b

As we study the Bible and its prophecies about God’s coming kingdom, some of these prophecies are happening right now. Jesus’ return is indeed very imminent. In fact, Jesus says that when we see certain things we can know that He is extremely close to returning.

Even so you also, when you see all these things, know that He is near, even at the doors. Matthew 24:33

What we are witnessing today seems to fall in line with biblical prophecy. With all of that said, the Bible has given us all the information that God wants us to have. We don’t need to be looking for new revelations that go against Scripture like date setting and things like that.

Instead, God wants us to live and act as if our time on this present earth is very limited. In reality, it really is. Even if Jesus does not come back in our lifetime, we are never guaranteed another day. We could see Jesus's face today. This should always be our attitude whether it is with everyone all at once or on an individual basis.

Don’t boast about tomorrow; for you don’t know what a day may bring. Proverbs 27:1

As Christians, we are to live our lives as if each day may be our last. Whether it be because Jesus catches us all up at one time to be with Him, or we individually breath our last breath and are then with Him, we are to make the most of the plans and purposes that God has put before us. This is how we handle the rapture. Living in this way is both glorifying and pleasing to God, and that should be the main goal of our lives.