On the Survive page, we explain that the easiest way to survive the coming apocalypse (what the bible calls the great tribulation) is to become a Christian NOW! This not only guarantees your soul's survival for eternity, but ensures that your physical body won't be here on earth during "the hour of trial" as well. The reason is that Jesus promised that all those who kept His commands would be kept from experiencing this. Of course, no one knows exactly how or when this will happen, but rest assured, IT WILL HAPPEN! God always keeps his promises! This calling up to heaven of the Christians before the end of times is commonly known as the rapture or translation. When I looked the word "rapture" up in the concordance of my Bible, it was no where to be found, but the word "translation" was. Both of these words refer to the same event when The Church (the body of believers in Christ) are "caught up" in the air to meet the returning Jesus. For our purposes here, we will refer to this event as the rapture.
Before we go in to an explanation of what the rapture is, we must warn you that this is a hotly debated topic, even among Christians. Some Christians don't believe in any sort of rapture whatsoever. Others believe in a rapture, but debate the timing of it. Some believe the rapture will occur before the great tribulation and others believe Christians will have to suffer through God's judgment, just like non-believers if they are here on earth at that time.
We strongly believe that there will be a rapture of Christians, where we will be caught up to heaven to be with Christ BEFORE God's judgments are poured out on the earth. Even if we're wrong about this, there is nothing to fear since we are assured that these bodies are only temporary vessels for our eternal souls and that God has promised to give us new bodies when He creates a new heaven and earth...but I'm getting ahead of myself. Let's turn to the bible for some clues as to why we are convinced all believers will be caught up or raptured BEFORE the tribulation.
The book of Revelation provides many clues to the truth of the rapture. I will be quoting from The Living Bible here. Revelation is the last book of the bible. It was written by John, the last surviving apostle in Patmos around 90-96 AD. Revelation is a very complex book! Don't be discouraged if you become confused when studying it. But please try! It is a very important book with very important messages divided into two major sections. The first section includes letters John wrote to seven churches that were established in Asia Minor. The second section describes a series of visions detailing: the life and persecutions of God's people, the overthrow of evil, the second coming of Christ, God's final judgment, Christ's millennial reign on earth and what heaven is like. The main theme describes how the once humiliated Jesus (for further explanation of what this entailed, see the prophecies on The Messiah page) - The Perfect Lamb of God, slain for the sins of the world, returns to earth in power and glory, taking control of history at the end of time, bringing goodness, destroying evil and establishing righteousness forever. When this happens there will be no more sorrow, no more death, pain and suffering will be gone forever! This is a powerful message of hope for all believers!
As you can see, Revelation describes numerous events, including in detail, God's wrath that will be poured out on an evil world who rejected His son and gift of eternal life. But, let's start with some information about the pre-tribulation rapture.
Revelation 3:10 may provide the most compelling evidence for a pre-tribulation rapture. God instructed John to write a letter to the church of believers in Philadelphia. At the beginning of the letter, John tells the believers that this message is "sent to you by the one who is holy and true". "Because you have patiently obeyed me...therefore I will protect you from the time of the Great Tribulation and temptation, which will come upon the world to test everyone alive. 3:11 Look, I am coming soon!"
The New International Version (NIV) of the bible states it this way: "Since you have kept my command to endure patiently, I will also keep you from the hour of trial that is going to come upon the whole world to test those who live on the earth."
Both versions make it clear that God will test those still alive on earth at the end of times and that they will suffer many trials and temptations. One of the reasons God plans this "hour of trial" is to give unbelievers another chance to realize that there is only one God and that they must repent from their sin and seek salvation by accepting the gift of His Son, Jesus Christ as their savior. Since as believers we have already obeyed God, accepted His gift of salvation through Jesus and have been forgiven of our sins, it makes sense that He never intended for those believers left alive at the end of time to endure this type of trial and temptation. God also promises that since we have obeyed Him, He will protect us from the tribulation during this time in history.
Since, as believers, we don't require this type of trial to convince us to accept God's gift of salvation, we don't need to be here on earth when that time comes. And since God promises to protect us from the tribulation associated with these trials, how will we cease to be here on earth? God plans on taking His church out of this world before the Great Tribulation begins. While Rev. 3:10 is very clear (in any version) of God's intention to protect us, He provides symbolic explanations of how He plans to accomplish this. The bible is full of prophecy, much of which is more symbolic than direct in describing events that have proven over and over again did eventually come to pass.
It is significant that Revelation 3 ends with a message direct from Jesus who says in Rev. 3:20: "Look! I have been standing at the door (a symbol for our hearts) and I am constantly knocking." Jesus does not force himself on us, he knocks and waits patiently to be invited in! "If anyone hears me calling him and opens the door, I will come in and fellowship with him and he with me." 3:21: "I will let everyone who conquers (conquer eternal death by accepting Jesus as our savior) sit beside me on my throne, (in heaven) just as I took my place with my Father (God) on his throne when I had conquered."
Even though Jesus' earthly, human body died on the cross, his spirit did not perish. He was resurrected and ASCENDED TO HEAVEN. This verse, though more symbolic than explicit, assures that we as believers will also ascend to heaven, just as our Lord Jesus did. Christ ends this section with an explicit instruction: Rev. 3:22: "Let those who can hear, listen to what the Spirit is saying to the churches." Jesus is encouraging us to listen and understand what He has said here! This message was not just for the churches over 1900 years ago! This message is for us! Jesus already instructed the churches through John in the messages preceding this one. WE ARE "THOSE WHO CAN HEAR". This message is for us! That's exciting!
Many bible scholars believe it is no coincidence that the first thing that happens to John after the letters to the seven churches of believers is that he is taken up to heaven. Many feel that John, being the last remaining apostle and a member of God's Church, represents God's entire Church of believers being taken up to heaven BEFORE the tribulation begins. Why else does Jesus call John up to heaven? Couldn't He have shown John what was to come from right where he was? Of course He could have! We believe Jesus called John to heaven BEFORE showing him the events of the tribulation to represent how Jesus will call His Church to heaven BEFORE those events actually happen here on earth.
For more information about what it means to be a member of God's Church, please see:
The Bible calls it a mystery. We've talked about why God would want to spare His Church from the horrors of the Great Tribulation, but how will He accomplish this?
I Corinthians 15:51-52 "Behold, I show 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 shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed." The Living Bible words it this way: "we shall not all die, but we shall all be given new bodies! It will all happen in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, when the last trumpet is blown. For there will be a trumpet blast from the sky and all the Christians who have died will suddenly become alive, with new bodies that will never, never die; and then we who are still alive shall suddenly have new bodies too."
