What, Where, & When?

What’s the Trigger?

The Rapture, my favourite subject, is still a bit of an enigma. I mean, all questions hinge on the when, what, where, who, and why of eschatology. It’s all a bit of a mystery isn’t it? In fact, the whole subject of eschatology is a mystery because we cannot even begin to imagine what it’s all going to be like, or when anything will happen. We have no reference points other than which the Word of God says and even then, there is a great deal of disagreement over interpreting nearly everything.

Even defining the Rapture isn’t easy. Most eschatologists quote 1 Corinthians 15:51-53 (NKJV) “Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall 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 shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.” This is the standard scripture given for the rapture and reading it again, you can see why there is so much difference in the various interpretations of it. It’s not that it is ambiguous in any way, it is simply that we have no other event in history with which to compare it. Jesus said that He saw Satan thrown out of heaven – and again we have no reference points for that either. So all we can do is to use both our imagination and our God-given revelation and interpret from there. So, the trumpet sounds and the dead are raised, and we are changed “in the twinkling of an eye” and we all will rise up to meet Him in the clouds. Matthew 26:64 also says “ . . . . you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Power, and coming on the clouds of heaven.” - another scripture often quoted to support the Rapture.

Then we need to explain the when, what, where, who, and why.

When, Matthew 24:36-44 “But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only. 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 day 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 Man be. Then two men will be in the field: one will be taken and the other left. Two women will be grinding at the mill: one will be taken and the other left. Watch therefore, for you do not know what hour your Lord is coming. But know this, that if the master of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched and not allowed his house to be broken into. Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.” We simply don’t know when. The question of pre, mid, or post tribulation is another question altogether – but see ‘why’ below. I guess a more important question is, “What is the trigger that will start it all off?”

What, Jesus will return to collect His Bride, the Church, and we will be taken up to meet Him as He returns. I do not think He will return to earth at that time, but only far enough to collect His Bride. I believe He will return again later for the judgement although, if He returns for His Bride, the there is the question of judgement of the Church first, then judgement of the rest of us. I don’t think He will allow His Bride to be “beaten up”, as it were, in the tribulation although, even then, there is logic which says that the tribulation is a time of cleansing and purifying of the church.

Where, We will be raptured from earth straight into heaven. This is the mystery – “where did all those people disappear to?” Think of the mayhem the rapture could cause – life insurance claims, bank monies, wills and bequests. Not to mention people disappearing from vital jobs and leaving positions un-manned. Am I being too imaginative here?

Who, All saved, born again, Blood bought Christians. Forget the questions of folk losing their salvation or not. We do not know for certain about any of that. All we know is that Jesus is returning to collect His Bride, and that’s US, the people who make up the Church.

Why is one of those odd questions. It depends on your point of view. Why pre-trib? Why mid-trib? Why post-trib? Essentially, I suppose, it is to separate the “wheat from the chaff” where the wheat is kept and the chaff is thrown into the fire.

Ultimately, it is “Why? Because the Word of God says so – that’s why.”