Raptures in the Bible

There are many raptures throughout the Bible that support the concept of a rapture of the saints as described in 1 Corinthians 15:45-53 and 1 Thessalonians 4:13-17.

• Enoch walked in close fellowship with God. Then one day he disappeared, because God took him. This is a foreshadow of the secret rapture of the saints. (Genesis 5:24)
• Noah a preacher of righteousness was called into the ark. This is a foreshadow of the rapture of the saints because Adam was saved from the destruction inside the protection of the ark and the second coming because the wicked are destroyed by God’s judgement outside the ark. (Genesis 6:8; Genesis 7:1; 1 Peter 3:20; 2 Peter 2:5; Hebrews 11:7)
• Moses was taken by God and guarded by angels at Mt. Pisgah (Deuteronomy 34:6; Jude 1:9; Luke 9:30)
• Elijah — As they were walking along and talking, suddenly a chariot of fire appeared, drawn by horses of fire. It drove between the two men, separating them, and Elijah was carried by a whirlwind into heaven. (2 Kings 2:11-12)
• The transfiguration of Jesus with Moses and Elijah. (Matthew 17:1-8; Mark 9:3; Luke 9:28-36; 2 Peter 1:16-21)
• The beggar Lazarus who was carried away by the angels to Abraham’s bosom. (Luke 16:22 WEB)
• The ascension of Jesus. (Luke 24:50-51; Acts 1:1-2, 6-11; 1 Timothy 3:16)
• The temporary raptures of Philip and Paul. (Acts 8:39; 2 Corinthians 12:2)
• The calling up of John. (Revelation 4:1)
• The resurrection and rapture of the two witnesses. (Revelation 11:12)

Here are verses of the imminent rapture of the saints:

I tell you that many will come from the east and the west, and will sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the Kingdom of Heaven, (Matthew 8:11 WEB)

They will come from the east, west, north, and south, and will sit down in the Kingdom of God. (Luke 13:29 WEB)

So also it is written, “The first man, Adam, became a living soul.” The last Adam became a life-giving spirit. However that which is spiritual isn’t first, but that which is natural, then that which is spiritual. The first man is of the earth, made of dust. The second man is the Lord from heaven. As is the one made of dust, such are those who are also made of dust; and as is the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly. As we have borne the image of those made of dust, let’s {NU, TR read “we will” instead of “let’s”} also bear the image of the heavenly. (1 Corinthians 15:45-49 WEB)

Behold, I tell you a mystery. We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed, 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 will be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. (1 Corinthians 15:51-53 WEB)

But we don’t want you to be ignorant, brothers, concerning those who have fallen asleep, so that you don’t grieve like the rest, who have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so those who have fallen asleep in Jesus will God bring with him. For this we tell you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left to the coming of the Lord, will in no way precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with God’s trumpet. The dead in Christ will rise first, 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. (1 Thessalonians 4:13-17 WEB)

Because you kept my command to endure, I also will keep you from the hour of testing which is to come on the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth. (Revelation 3:10 WEB)

Digging Deeper

• What is the rapture? harpázō – seized by force, caught up, snatched away – Study of the Greek word harpázō translated as rapiemur in the Latin Vulgate Bible, which has been Anglicized as rapture for many centuries.
• Are you ready for the upward calling? – These verses are an encouragement to live ready for the upward calling because we have never been closer to the end times than now.
• Matthew 24 is the second coming (not the rapture) – In Matthew 24, Jesus answers some very specific questions of what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?
• A brief history of the future – Share this brief history of the future as revealed in the Bible. It is a good introduction to eschatology, which is the study of end times.