I Will Come Again and Receive You Uinto Myself

(Please notation: the following paragraph cannot exist supported from the Bible). The first will be a surreptitious rapture—or carrying abroad of the saved to heaven—at the beginning of a seven-twelvemonth period of tribulation, during which the antichrist will appear. The second phase occurs at the close of this time of tribulation when Jesus will return to Earth in triumph and glory.

Browse rapture topics

• Is the second coming hugger-mugger?
• Will Jesus come equally a thief in the night?
• Raptured or left backside?
• Seven years of tribulation
• Are the elect raptured earlier the tribulation?
• How old is the rapture theory?
• The rapture, pre-tribulation & last 24-hour interval events

Rapture and the Bible

Jesus promised that He would return to Earth to take His people to be with Him. He said, "Let not your heart exist troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father'due south house are many mansions; if it were non so, I would accept told you. I go to fix a place for you. And if I become and gear up a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may exist also (John 14:1-3, NKJV). Did Jesus mean that He would return secretly and "rapture" His people from Earth, leaving behind those who are lost to wonder where their raptured friends and relatives have gone? This is the belief of those who concur to the idea of the rapture. In these verses, Jesus doesn't say how He volition return—secretly or otherwise. But other Bible texts make information technology obviously what will happen when Jesus returns.

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Signs of Jesus' Second Coming

Is the Rapture Biblical?

After His resurrection, Jesus returned to heaven, and the disciples watched as He rose into the sky. The Bible says, "While they [the disciples] watched, He [Jesus] was taken upwards, and a cloud received Him out of their sight. And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as He went up, behold, two men [angels] stood by them in white apparel, who likewise said, 'Men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will and so come in like style every bit you saw Him get into heaven' " (Acts 1:9-11, NKJV).

2 points stand up out in these verses. First, the Jesus who returns to Earth the 2d time is the very same Jesus who lived here on Earth with us and went dorsum to heaven following His resurrection. And 2d, He volition return to Earth the same mode—"in like manner"—every bit He went back to heaven. How did Jesus go to heaven following His resurrection? Did He go secretly? No. The disciples watched Him rise, literally, bodily, into the air until a deject hid Him from their sight. So these verses tell the states that Jesus will return to globe the same way—non secretly.

Is Jesus' Second Coming Secret?

Another Bible text makes it even more than clear that Jesus will not return secretly. "Behold, He [Jesus] is coming with clouds, and every eye will run across Him, even they who pierced Him" (Revelation 1:7, NKJV). This text says that when Jesus comes, every eye—everyone on earth—will see Him come. That doesn't audio similar He is coming secretly! Matthew says that Jesus' coming will be as visible equally the lightning that flashes from one terminate of the sky to the other. "For equally the lightning comes from the east and flashes to the west, then also will the coming of the Son of Human be" (Matthew 24:27, NKJV). The Bible says that Jesus will come in glory with the angels (see Matthew xvi:27); that He will come up with the shout of the archangel and a boom from the trumpet of God (encounter 1 Thessalonians 4:16, 17); that the wicked volition run across Him coming and cry out for the rocks and mountains to fall on them and hide them from His confront (come across Revelation 6:14-17); and that He will return as King of kings, leading the armies of heavenly angels (see Revelation 19:xi-16). All these texts arrive clear that Jesus' coming is anything but cloak-and-dagger!

Will Jesus come up like a thief in the dark?

The Bible says, "The day of the Lord will come up as a thief in the nighttime, in which the heavens will laissez passer away with a cracking racket, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in information technology will be burned up" (2 Peter 3:10, NKJV; encounter also 1 Thessalonians 5:2). But does this mean that He will come secretly and snatch away the saved, leaving the wicked behind? No. This very text that says Jesus volition come like a thief in the night, also says that the heavens will pass abroad with a great noise. That won't be secret!

Then what does it mean for Jesus to come up "like a thief in the night?" The campaigner Paul says, "But yous, brethren, are not in darkness, and then that this Twenty-four hour period should overtake you as a thief. You are all sons of light and sons of the solar day. We are not of the night nor of darkness. Therefore let united states not slumber, as others do, merely permit us scout and exist sober" (ane Thessalonians 5:4-half-dozen, NKJV). Jesus' coming will be unexpected by those who are not watching and waiting for Him. It will come upon them like a thief in the night. Simply His people—who are not of the night nor of darkness—will be looking for Him. They will be aware of the signs of His coming and will know that information technology is nearly. Jesus' coming will not overtake them like the unexpected appearance of a thief. That'southward what the Bible ways by saying that Jesus' coming will be like a thief in the night—information technology will be unexpected to those who are not watching for Him.

The "24-hour interval" of the Lord comes as a thief in the night

Note: both ii Peter three:10 and 1 Thessalonians 5:2 practice not speak almost the "Lord" coming as a thief in the night, but rather the "day" of the Lord coming as a thief. This completely changes the pregnant of the poetry. In fact, the subject of the sentence is "mean solar day," while the phrase modifying the subject is "of the Lord." Christians are to picket and be prepare for the "twenty-four hour period" of the Lord to come suddenly, but one time the event is at hand it cannot be subconscious. It will be very obvious when Jesus comes once more!

Raptured or Left Behind?

But doesn't Matthew 24:37-42 say that when Jesus comes, some people will be snatched away and others volition be left behind? Allow's come across what Matthew says. "But every bit the days of Noah were, then also volition the coming of the Son of Human being exist. For equally in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the twenty-four hours that Noah entered the ark, and did not know until the flood came and took them all abroad, and so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. Then two men will be in the field: 1 will be taken and the other left. 2 women will be grinding at the manufacturing plant: ane volition be taken and the other left. Watch therefore, for you exercise not know what hour your Lord is coming" (Matthew 24:37-42, NKJV).

Matthew says that when Jesus comes it volition be like information technology was in the time of Noah—some people volition be saved (left) and other people will be destroyed (taken). Looking more in-depth at Matthew'due south diction, those who are "taken" when Jesus comes are those who are lost, taken away, and destroyed by the brightness of His coming (see ii Thessalonians ii:eight).

Y'all can remember of it similar this, imagine a flood swept through your town. Those who escaped, were left behind by the waters of the inundation, while those who lost their lives were taken away by the water. Additionally, in the parallel passage of Luke 17:37, Jesus' 12 apostles enquire the question, "Where Lord?" referring to those who are taken. Jesus responds past saying, "Where in that location is a dead body, there the vultures volition gather." Thus Jesus again explains that those who are taken will be destroyed as is symbolized by the gathering of vultures seeking to swallow the expressionless. Therefore, we can see that the Bible does not support the idea of the hole-and-corner rapture for the saved.

(Annotation: Logically and scripturally, the question "where" only applies to those who are taken, because the location of those who are left would be the exact aforementioned location as before the event occurred.)

Those who concur to the idea of a surreptitious rapture also believe that at that place will be seven years of tribulation following the rapture and that during this time individuals who were left on globe will have another opportunity to accept Jesus and be saved. Is there any Bible bear witness for this belief?

7 Twelvemonth Tribulation

First, there is no biblical testify for a seven-twelvemonth menstruation of tribulation following Jesus' return to Globe. And the Bible is articulate that when Jesus returns, every person'southward eternal fate has been decided; individuals who are lost volition not have a 2d chance to be saved. Jesus says, "Behold, I am coming chop-chop, and My reward is with Me, to give to every one co-ordinate to his work" (Revelation 22:12, NKJV). The Bible presents Jesus' second coming every bit the great climactic event of the ages when men and women are either saved or lost for eternity. There is no seven-year period to reconsider our lives and change our destiny. Jesus pictured the separation that will take place at His coming between the righteous and the wicked—the saved and the lost—in these words: "When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then He volition sit on the throne of His glory. All the nations will be gathered earlier Him, and He will split them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats. And He will set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left. Then the Rex will say to those on His correct hand, 'Come up, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the globe' . . . Then He volition as well say to those on the left paw, 'Depart from Me, y'all cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels' " (Matthew 25:31-34, 41, NKJV).

That is not to say in that location volition not be a tribulation. The Bible does certainly foretell of a shortly coming "time of problem such as never was since at that place was a nation, even to that time" before Jesus' return (Daniel 12:1). Still, does Scripture support the interpretation that Christian believers will exist raptured, and taken away from the tribulation, leaving simply the wicked?

Jesus doesn't go out usa in the dark and sheds light on the event that will exist similar none other before it. "For then shall be great tribulation, such as was non since the commencement of the world to this time, no, nor always shall be. And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: just for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened" (Matthew 24:21-22).

Are the elect raptured before the tribulation?

Ane must question, if the "elect," or God'south people, are raptured before "the great tribulation," why would they demand the days "shortened?" Actually, all throughout the Bible, we are given examples of God'due south people being saved in the middle of tribulations, not being saved before it.

• When the Israelites were captive in Egypt, God preserved them in the midst of the plagues that devastated Egypt. Simply as Israel was delivered from Egyptian bondage later on the plagues, so God's church volition be protected through the plagues and be delivered from the manus of the oppressor (one Corinthians 10:xi; Psalm 91; Psalm 46).
  
• Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego entered the flames when they refused to yield to the universal expiry decree of Babylon'south King. Their decease-defying faith forced them to face up the flames of tribulation, and in those flames God miraculously delivered them (Daniel 3:16-28).
  
• Daniel's determination to be faithful in his daily prayers caused him to be tossed into the lion'southward den. God saved Daniel while he was going through tribulation, non before it came (Daniel vi).
  

Similarly, right before Christ returns, the faithfulness of the elect will cause them to be the target of the ungodly, bringing most a time of persecution and great tribulation. Nonetheless, merely every bit throughout all of Biblical history, God preserves His elect. The same Jesus that was with the Hebrew men in the fire and lion's den, will go with us through our trials.  When the last twenty-four hours judgments are poured out on the globe, God volition shield those who follow Him with all their heart and mind.

How old is the rapture theory?

Historically, the belief in the cloak-and-dagger rapture is relatively new. Many of the notable Christian leaders of the faith understood from the Bible that Christ's coming would be a literal, audible, glorious event for God's persecuted people who would be raptured later on they endured the great tribulation brought about by the antichrist including:

John Bunyan, John Calvin, Adam Clarke, Jonathan Edwards, Charles Finney, Matthew Henry, John Huss, John Knox, Hugh Latimer, C.S. Lewis, Martin Luther, D.L. Moody, George Mueller, Sir Isaac Newton, John Newton, Charles Spurgeon, William Tyndale, Isaac Watts, Charles Wesley, John Wesley, George Whitefield, William Wilberforce, John Wycliffe, Ulrich Zwingli, and many others.

Of form, the truth of a teaching is not dependent upon who believes information technology, but whether or not information technology is in line with all of the Scriptures.

The rapture, pre-tribulation & concluding day events

There are some other points to consider when seeing if the "secret rapture" and pre-tribulation understanding fits into the terminal events of earth'south history equally outlined in the Bible:

• The notion that the tribulation will occur afterward Christ comes for the church building is glaringly inconsistent with ii Thessalonians ii:ane-iii, which makes it plain that the antichrist is revealed before Jesus comes and is destroyed by the brightness of His coming (ii Thessalonians 2:viii).

Thus, as we take seen, the instruction of the undercover rapture is non constitute in line with what the Bible teaches near the Second Coming of Jesus.

Bible verses about the rapture

John 14:1-iii (NKJV), "Let not your eye be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Begetter'due south house are many mansions; if it were not and so, I would take told you. I go to ready a identify for you. And if I go and prepare a place for yous, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there y'all may be also."

Acts 1:9-11 (NKJV), "Now when He had spoken these things, while they watched, He was taken upwardly, and a deject received Him out of their sight. And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as He went up, behold, 2 men stood by them in white dress, who as well said, 'Men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing up into heaven? This aforementioned Jesus, who was taken upwards from y'all into heaven, will so come up in similar manner as you saw Him become into heaven.' "

Revelation 1:7 (NKJV), "Behold, He is coming with clouds, and every eye will see Him, even they who pierced Him. And all the tribes of the earth will mourn because of Him. Nevertheless, Amen."

Matthew 24:27 (NKJV), "For as the lightning comes from the e and flashes to the west, so besides will the coming of the Son of Human being be."

Matthew 24:37-42 (NKJV), "But as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the 24-hour interval that Noah entered the ark, and did not know until the flood came and took them all away, so also will the coming of the Son of Human being be. Then two men will exist in the field: one volition be taken and the other left. Two women will be grinding at the manufacturing plant: one volition be taken and the other left. Watch therefore, for you do not know what hour your Lord is coming."

Luke 17:35-37 (NKJV), " '2 women will be grinding together: the ane will be taken and the other left. 2 men will exist in the field: the one will be taken and the other left.' And they answered and said to Him, 'Where, Lord?' And so He said to them, 'Wherever the torso is, there the eagles volition be gathered together.' "

one Thessalonians 4:16-17 (NKJV), "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 ascension first. Then nosotros who are alive and remain shall exist defenseless up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus nosotros shall always be with the Lord."

Revelation vi:14-17 (NKJV), "Then the sky receded equally a scroll when it is rolled up, and every mountain and isle was moved out of its identify. And the kings of the earth, the peachy men, the rich men, the commanders, the mighty men, every slave and every free man, hid themselves in the caves and in the rocks of the mountains, and said to the mountains and rocks, "Fall on us and hide united states of america from the face of Him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb! For the corking day of His wrath has come up, and who is able to stand?"

Revelation 19:eleven-16 (NKJV), "Now I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse. And He who saturday on him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes state of war. His eyes were similar a flame of fire, and on His head were many crowns. He had a proper name written that no 1 knew except Himself. He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His proper noun is chosen The Give-and-take of God. And the armies in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and make clean, followed Him on white horses. Now out of His mouth goes a sharp sword, that with information technology He should strike the nations. And He Himself will rule them with a rod of atomic number 26. He Himself treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. And He has on His robe and on His thigh a proper noun written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS."

2 Peter 3:10 (NKJV), "But the solar day of the Lord volition come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass abroad with a neat racket, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the globe and the works that are in it volition exist burned up."

one Thessalonians 5:2 (NKJV), "For you lot yourselves know perfectly that the twenty-four hours of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night."

Revelation 22:12 (NKJV), "And behold, I am coming rapidly, and My reward is with Me, to requite to every one co-ordinate to his work."

Matthew 25:31-34, 41 (NKJV), "When the Son of Human comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, and so He volition sit down on the throne of His glory. All the nations will be gathered earlier Him, and He will separate them ane from another, every bit a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats. And He volition set the sheep on His right mitt, just the goats on the left. Then the King volition say to those on His right hand, 'Come up, you blessed of My Begetter, inherit the kingdom prepared for y'all from the foundation of the earth:' ... Then He volition likewise say to those on the left hand, 'Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting burn down prepared for the devil and his angels.' "

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