In the twinkling of an eye
Ephesians 4:4 assures us that all Christians share one glorious hope. That isn’t to say that we all realize that or even agree on it. But it remains true whether all believers agree on it or not. The verse begins by informing us that there is only one body. That is why our hope must be shared. When the Lord returns to take the church to be with Himself, we won’t be sorted on the basis of our previously-held prophetic schemes. We’ll all be caught up together. One body, one hope.
We look forward to this event as the rapture and, hopefully, we expect that it could come at any moment and we live in accordance with that hope.
What takes place at the rapture?
1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 details the order of events at the rapture. But other passages expand upon our understanding and enlighten us as to some of the consequences.
The defeat of death.
“O death, where is your victory? O grave, where is your sting?” (1 Cor. 15:55). These two questions are not merely parallelism; they form a duet. When the Lord returns for His own, the dead in Christ shall rise first. As they do so, their great shout of triumph will be, “O death, where is your victory?” And then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up to meet them in the air; at that moment we, whom death never had a chance to claim even temporarily, will respond, “O grave, where is your sting?”
The transformation of the believer.
“when He appears, we shall be like Him, because we shall see Him just as He is” (1 Jn. 3:2 NASB). Beholding Christ automatically changes us to be more like Him (2 Cor. 3:18). But today there are obstacles that obscure our view, and so the transformation is gradual and incomplete. We can be frustrated with our lack of growth. But take heart! At the moment of the rapture, “we shall see Him just as He is”—without distraction or obstacle. As a consequence, “we shall be like Him.” This will be no partial transformation; it will be complete. And it will not be gradual; it will all take place in a moment—in the twinkling of an eye.
The consummation of our salvation.
Although we have already entered into the good of our salvation, the Bible speaks of a future aspect of many of the blessings we presently enjoy. Once we have been raptured, we will enter into the fullness of our salvation (Heb. 9:28), sanctification (1 Thes. 5:23; 1 Pet. 1:5), adoption (Rom. 8:23; Eph. 1:5), redemption (Rom. 8:23; Eph. 1:14; 4:30), conformation (Rom. 8:29; 1 Jn. 3:2; Php. 3:21), and glorification (Php. 3:21; 1 Cor. 15).
The importance of the rapture
There are those who accuse doctrine of being impractical. But we note that the Bible consistently links the rapture to consequences that are both practical and profound.
Persistence and patience.
Taking seriously the imminent return of Christ strengthens and challenges us to “be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your toil is not in vain in the Lord” (1 Cor. 15:58). A consciousness of the rapture enables us to keep going when the road gets rough. “You too be patient; strengthen your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand” (Jas. 5:8).
Comfort and encouragement.
After describing the rapture, Paul exhorts the Thessalonians to “Therefore comfort one another with these words” (1 Thes. 4:18). When confronted with the injustices and suffering of this present world, how refreshing it is to look ahead to the glories that will follow!
Godliness and holiness. John tells us that if we take seriously the promise of perfect conformity to Christ in the future, we will experience growing conformity in the present. “And everyone who has this hope fixed on Him purifies himself, just as He is pure” (1 Jn. 3:3). Believing that our Lord can return at any moment encourages us to live carefully, lest we “be ashamed before Him at His coming” (1 Jn. 2:28).
When is the rapture?
The timing of the rapture has been the subject of much debate among Christians. It isn’t the point of this article to enumerate the many biblical reasons for believing that the rapture will occur before the tribulation. But two points are worth keeping in mind.
We don’t know when it will be.
Much ridicule has been brought upon Christianity by those who announced a specific date for the return of Christ, only to see that date come and go. But there are many who would never set a specific date who nonetheless feel compelled to suggest they know at least a general time period. But the Lord Jesus explicitly stated that not only don’t know the exact dates of end-time events (Mk. 13:32), it is not for us even to know the times or seasons (Acts 1:7).
It could be at any moment.
“You too be patient; strengthen your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand” (Jas. 5:8). The imminent return of Christ for the church is the consistent teaching of Scripture. This is crucial. If we believe that years of tribulation must precede it, then we cannot say it is at hand, it would hardly be the current encouragement the Bible presents it as (since it would require horrendous suffering first), and its incentive to godly living would be greatly diminished (since we would have years of warning of our Lord’s return).
The main point.
There are many excellent reasons for looking forward to the rapture. We look forward to an end of suffering. We look forward to an end of sorrow. We look forward to an end of sin. But the main reason for the rapture is even more important than these. You might have noticed that although we’ve talked about the what and why and when of the rapture, we haven’t talked about the where—where will we go when we’re raptured?
It’s interesting that the Bible doesn’t use the phrase “going to heaven.” Certainly Christians are on our way to heaven. But that is not the focus of the Bible’s record of our future. Consider these key verses about the rapture and notice what the Lord emphasizes about our destination.
“And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also” (Jn. 14:3). “Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and thus we shall always be with the Lord” (1 Thes. 4:17). “Now we request you, brethren, with regard to the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and our gathering together to Him” (2 Thes. 2:1).
Our future is a person, not a place.
When I was away at university, I eagerly looked forward to getting home. There were many good reasons for that. Certainly my parents’ house was far more comfortable (and aesthetically pleasing) than the orange and green 10-foot cube I lived in at university. And don’t get me started on the food. But as I was taking (enduring?) the long bus ride north, it wasn’t the house or the meals that made my heart burn for home (as wonderful as they might be). My real motive for getting home wasn’t what was there but who was there.
Is that what motivates us to long for our Lord’s return? It’s fine and even noble to desire a removal of suffering, sorrow, sickness, and sin. But does our desire to see Him eclipse all of other motives?
Just before going to the cross, our Lord did something He rarely did: He expressed His own will: “Father, I will that they also, whom You have given Me, be with Me where I am” (Jn. 17:24a). In unspeakable grace, having us with Himself is the hope of the Lord Jesus. May this be our blessed hope, too!