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When the Lord Jesus Christ was in the upper room with his disciples he promised that he would come back and take them to be with him (John 14: 2-3).
When the Lord Jesus went back to heaven, after he had risen from the dead, an angel told his disciples that he would come back in the same way that they had seen him go (Acts 1: 11). The Christians in Thessalonica asked the apostle Paul about the Lord's return, they were afraid that some of them would die for their faith before this happened. Paul told them about the Rapture; he told them that the Lord Jesus would return to the sky and call everyone who has ever believed in Christ as Saviour to come and meet him in the air (I Thes 4: 13-17). The Rapture is an event that precedes the Second Coming of the Lord. When the Lord Jesus was alive he said that no man knew the day of his return (Matt 24: 36). All believers are called to be ready for the Lord's return (Matt 24: 42-44). There is an accurate timetable given in the books of Daniel and Revelation for any believer to work out the time of the Lord's return to the earth after the entire program has been set in motion. Believers who are waiting for the Lord to return are called to wait for an event that will take them by surprise; this is the Rapture. The prospect of the Rapture is one of hope and joy rather than fear. |
