Frankly Answered Questions - FAQs

Will there be a rapture of the church?

Q: PLEASE SHARE WITH ME YOUR BELIEF ON THE SECOND COMING OF JESUS CHRIST? WILL THERE BE A RAPTURE OF THE CHURCH?

A: Yes. I believe this is taught in 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17: For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever.

The verb "will be caught up" is the same verb used in Acts 8:39 -- Philip the evangelist was caught away by the Spirit; 2 Corinthians 12:2-4 -- Paul was caught up to the third heaven; and Revelation 12:5 -- Christ is caught up, snatched away, from the power of the dragon.

When the trumpet sounds (1 Thessalonians 4:16; 1 Corinthians 15:52), dead believers will be raised from the grave and given spiritual bodies (1 Corinthians 15:35-49). Believers who are alive will also be changed "in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye" (1 Corinthians 15:52). Then all believers, the raised as well as the changed, will ascend to meet the Lord in the air (1 Thessalonians 4:17).

Q: WHEN WILL THE RAPTURE OCCUR? BEFORE OR AFTER THE GREAT TRIBULATION?

A: My own opinion is "before the great tribulation." I base this upon my understanding of the Jewish wedding feast. The groom came to get the bride, then a marriage ceremony was held, followed by a seven day feast. A wedding and marriage banquet seems to precede the coming of Christ to the earth (Revelation 19). Therefore, to put it all together, I assume that Christ's taking of His bride is the rapture, then the great Messianic banquet is held (cf. Matthew 26:27-29), then we proceed to earth with Christ to set up His kingdom.

Although I now hold to a pre-tribulation view of the rapture, I understand the reasons why Christians hold other views. At one point I was post-trib based on my reading of other passages in Revelation. At another point I was mid-trib based on passages in Daniel.

Q: WILL THE CHURCH STAY HERE DURING THE TRIBULATION AND SUFFER, OR WILL THE CHURCH BE RAPTURED OUT BEFORE THE TRIBULATION?

A: The church will be raptured before the tribulation, spend seven years (a week often represents one year in prophetic thinking, e.g. Daniel 9:25-27; Genesis 29:27) in the marriage supper with the lamb, then return to earth with Christ to establish the millennial kingdom (Revelation 19:11-21).