resurrection VS rapture

resurrection, rapture... what's the difference?

many often ask about the rapture, and when it will take place. before addressing the "when", i find it is important to first realize that the word "rapture" is not even found in the Bible. this seems a bit odd when this event is held to be a major part of the return of Christ. one will quickly find upon Biblical study that this "rapture" is merely part of a larger event, known as the resurrection.

many seem to believe the meaning of "resurrection" and "rapture" is the same. however, doing a word study will show otherwise.

"rapture" is from the Latin word "raptum", from the Greek word "harpazo" - 1) to seize, carry off by force; 2) to seize on, claim for one's self eagerly; 3) to snatch out or away - which refers to those still alive being "caught up" and "changed" into spirit form upon Christ's return.

1Thess 4:16 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.
17 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.

"resurrection" is from the Greek word exanastasis - 1) a rising up, a rising again; 2) resurrection - which refers to the raising of the dead in Christ (as Christ did, being the "first of the firstfruits"), and also the rising up of those in Christ who will be changed into spirit form who are still alive at Messiah's return.

1Cor 15:50 Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor does corruption inherit incorruption.
51 Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed--
52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.

so this change into spirit, or "rapture", is one part of the larger event, known throughout the Bible as the "resurrection", and more specifically, the "first resurrection" - as noted in Revelation, which coincides with the return of Christ as we just read in 1Corinthians.

Rev 20:4 And I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was committed to them. Then I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their witness to Jesus and for the word of God, who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received his mark on their foreheads or on their hands. And they lived and reigned with Christ for a thousand years.
5 But the rest of the dead did not live again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection.
6 Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection. Over such the second death has no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with Him a thousand years.

"rapture" refers to the process of being caught up; therefore, to call the event "the rapture" would be like calling it "the caught up", which only focuses on those in Christ still alive and excludes the dead in Christ rising first.


different meaning, different doctrines

it is important to also understand that there are doctrines built around the word "rapture" that are not Biblically accurate. there are surely different versions of "rapture doctrine" that vary within church denominations, but there are usually a few shared Biblical inaccuracies which reveal the "rapture doctrine" to be misleading to those seeking truth on this subject.

for example, the resurrection of the dead in Christ is rarely ever mentioned when the "rapture" is spoken of. this stands to reason when one understands that the "rapture" is merely part of the "resurrection", but it seems this detail is "left behind" in many versions of the "rapture doctrine". i find that somewhat ironic in that the dead in Christ will rise before those still alive are "raptured".

1Thess 4:13 But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope.
14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus.
15 For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep.
16 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.
17 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.

i have not read the "Left Behind" books, but i wonder if the resurrection of the dead is ever even mentioned. i saw the movie version of the first book and do not recall any mention of the resurrection. from my recollection, nor does the movie portray the rapture to occur after the 7 seals & 7 trumpets of the great tribulation, as we will soon see. the rapture is often portrayed as occurring before any of the real great tribulation begins.

most versions of the rapture doctrine also profess that Christ will return in a "secret" manner and will snatch up His children and leave others behind. in contrast, the Biblical teaching of the resurrection doctrine professes that Christ will come "as a thief in the night" (not knowing when He will return), and that His return, simultaneous with the first resurrection is anything but secret.

Matthew 24:23-28 as the lightning comes from the east and flashes to the west, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be

Matthew 24:29-33 and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.

Luke 17:24 flashes out of one part under heaven shines to the other part under heaven, so also the Son of Man will be in His day

Luke 21:20-28 Then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.

from these verses, we can be sure that Christ's return will not be a secret! if we only focus on the "rapture doctrine", we will miss out on this important truth.

as we continue to compare the precepts contained in the "rapture doctrine" to those Biblical precepts regarding the resurrection, we begin to embark on an entirely more fulfilling Biblical study which causes us to look at not only the "first" resurrection - simultaneous with Christ's return - but also the "second" resurrection (at the end of the millennial reign of Christ's Kingdom on earth), and also to Christ's resurrection from the grave ("hell") and becoming the first of the firstfruits of God. these events are all connected with one another and expressed in the Biblical precepts of the resurrections, but not in the rapture doctrine.


pre/mid/post-tribulation

regarding "when" Christ will return and the resurrection will occur, it is also interesting that not only does no man know this time, but Christ Himself even said He didn't know.

Matthew 24:35-36 but My words will by no means pass away. But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only.

Mark 13:31-33 but My words will by no means pass away. But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.

so if Christ doesn't even know the time of His return - only the Father knows - we can be sure that no man will know beyond a guess.

however, regarding His return and the time frame of the first resurrection, and the "pre/mid/post-Tribulation" issue, i have yet to find a Biblical suggestion of a pre-Tribulation resurrection. we are told it will be at the "last trumpet":

1Corinthians 15:50-55 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.

the only place in the Bible i have seen any succession of trumpets is in Revelation, the seventh being the last of the trumpets:

Revelation 11:15 Then the seventh angel sounded: And there were loud voices in heaven, saying, “The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever!”

this verse describes the return of Christ and the dethroning of satan. the kingdoms of this world are currently under command of the world's king, satan, but the return of Christ will mark the beginning of His millennial reign. this is the only "last trump" of a succession of trumps i have found in the Bible, as described in 1Cor 15. so it appears that Christ's return will be directly after the blowing of this seventh trumpet.

regarding the chronological events in Revelation, it appears that the great tribulation occurs before and after the blowing of the trumpets: we have the 7 seals, then 7 trumpets, then the 7 bowls afterward.

in between the trumpets and the bowls, Rev 12 & 13 seem to be a revelation in and of itself - a story which seems to transcend the timeline we have been following through the book of Revelation. elements from both chapters appear to give various historical accounts in heaven and on earth.

we should also remember that the book of Revelation is written from the visions John has received, perhaps similar to being in a dream state. therefore it seems reasonable to sympathize with the difficulty John must have had in getting all of these awesome visions translated to text in an orderly fashion.

chapter 14 seems to get us back into the timeline where we left off with the 7th trumpet being sounded and Christ being heralded as the king of all the kingdoms of this world. it begins by speaking about the 144,000 firstfruits after being resurrected.

this 144,000 was also spoken of earlier in Rev 7, along with "a great multitude which no one could number, of all nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues." these are those who will receive the seal of God's protection, before the trumpets begin to sound:

Rev 7:1 After these things I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth, that the wind should not blow on the earth, on the sea, or on any tree.
2 Then I saw another angel ascending from the east, having the seal of the living God. And he cried with a loud voice to the four angels to whom it was granted to harm the earth and the sea,
3 saying, "Do not harm the earth, the sea, or the trees till we have sealed the servants of our God on their foreheads."
4 And I heard the number of those who were sealed. One hundred and forty-four thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israel were sealed:

(verses 5 - 8 list the tribes of the 144,000)

9 After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could number, of all nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, with palm branches in their hands,
10 and crying out with a loud voice, saying, "Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!"

in reading Rev 7, it is noteworthy to point out the phrase "came out" in verse 14 of the KJV. the NKJV seems to be a better translation in that it doesn't use a past tense.

Rev 7:14 And I said to him, "Sir, you know." So he said to me, "These are the ones who come out of the great tribulation, and washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.

the KJV translation might confuse someone into thinking the first resurrection would have already taken place. it is apparent that is hasn't, because Christ's return hasn't occurred yet, and those receiving God's seal still on earth would already be in spirit form and therefore would have no need for this protection from impending physical catastrophes.

this brings up the issue often debated regarding the people in various churches being protected or saved from the great tribulation. based on the sealing of the servants of God in Rev 7:3, it seems that from this point on, they will be protected from the rest of the great tribulation, including the seventh seal, the trumpets, and the plagues ("bowls").

but notice that six seals have already been opened before the angel of God seals the servants of God on their foreheads, so this strongly suggests that even God's Church will be allowed to suffer through at least a portion of the great tribulation.

chapter 15 & 16 speak of the seven last plagues, or "bowls of the wrath of God on the earth." these plagues surely are included in the great tribulation, along with the seals and trumpets.

therefore, it seems fairly conclusive in light of the scripture that the return of Christ, simultaneous with the first resurrection, will be during the great tribulation, after the last trumpet is sounded.

so to put it into a nice little sound byte, one might say that the first resurrection will occur "mid-trib". further details beyond this are beyond my scope of understanding at this point.


a second chance?

there has been much debate in various churches over the issue of a "second" chance. i have been collecting some thoughts and scriptures on this subject for further study.

one scripture regarding "all being taught by God" seems pertinent:

John 6:44-45 “No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up at the last day. “It is written in the prophets, ‘And they shall all be taught by God.’ Therefore everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to Me.

it could be argued that this raising up at the "last day" is speaking of the first resurrection, but logically, wouldn't the people who did not die "in Christ" perhaps need more teaching about Christ than those who did die "in Christ"?

also, a word search for "last day" will yield 8 references (in the KJV/NKJV anyway) - 7 of which are in the book of John, where he seems to suggest differing times of this "last day". 2 of which suggest strongly he is speaking of the second resurrection:

John 12:48 “He who rejects Me, and does not receive My words, has that which judges him--the word that I have spoken will judge him in the last day.

John 7:37 On the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink.

one of the annual Sabbath's of God, the great last day of the Feast of Tabernacles, is usually agreed by scholars to be symbolic of the final great white throne day of judgment spoken of in Rev 20. so here again, this "last day" seems to be referring to the second resurrection, which is the resurrection of the dead to the physical realm.

Rev 20: 11 Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. And there was found no place for them.
12 And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books.
13 The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works.
14 Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.
15 And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.

upon cursory reading, it would seem that the dead, who were not "in Christ", are resurrected only to be shown how they went wrong and then put to death (the second death) based upon their works and the things written in the books (biblios, ie: Bible).

but the fact is that it doesn't say here that the only reason this Book of Life is opened is to determine who is in it, and then destroy everyone else. couldn't it also be opened to add names to it? also, perhaps the books (the Bible) are opened for instruction to righteousness and to preach the gospel of Christ to those who never really had the opportunity to do so in their earthy walk.

through the judgment process we are going through now, can we not repent? sure we can! well then if we can repent now, why would people not be able to repent during the final judgment period? especially if they never even heard the teachings of Christ - the ONLY way to eternal life!

the word "judge" (krino) doesn't only mean "condemn", although a lot of people seem to believe so. it can also mean to determine, to contend, to dispute, and even teach! so how can anyone be so sure that God will not use this time of judgment to teach those who never knew Him and give them an opportunity to accept His gift of salvation?

perhaps the plan of God involves a kind of "due process of law" that we do not fully comprehend, in which the same grace that we are currently given in our lifetime will also be offered to those people having had no clue during theirs.

another noteworthy scripture regarding the resurrections & final judgment:

Dan 12:1 “At that time Michael shall stand up, The great prince who stands watch over the sons of your people; And there shall be a time of trouble, Such as never was since there was a nation, Even to that time. And at that time your people shall be delivered, Every one who is found written in the book.
2 And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, Some to everlasting life, Some to shame and everlasting contempt.
3 Those who are wise shall shine Like the brightness of the firmament, And those who turn many to righteousness Like the stars forever and ever.

here it seems Daniel is speaking of the second resurrection, for in the first resurrection, only those "in Christ" will rise up. therefore, none of those would awake to shame and everlasting contempt. this further seems to suggest that from of the second resurrection, some will repent and accept the gracious gift of salvation and some won't.

so, would it really be a second chance for those who never knew God to be raised up in the second resurrection, taught of God, and then added to the Book of Life upon their repentance and acceptance of His gift of salvation?

i submit that for many people raised up at the second resurrection, it will be their first chance to be instructed in the truth of God! there are those who have never been witness to God's truths in remote places of the world. here are also those who died at a very young age, at birth or even in the womb who fall into this category.

and after all, God has personally given me more than 2 chances throughout my life thus far, so i can certainly understand that He might give others the same!

8-)

bernard baruch carman
www.SeedsOfTruth.org
9/05
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