"Is the Secret "Rapture" Biblical?"

One of the most controversial subjects in relation to the Second Coming of Jesus Christ,is whether or not there is a Secret Rapture of Christians seven years prior to His return.

We know from the apostle Paul's writings that at the last trump, when the trumpet sounds: "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 trump:for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality."

This raises the question, if there had already been a Christian rapture seven years earlier, why would Paul be telling them that he expects them to still be on earth (remembering that Paul did not know the timing of the Lord's return and wrote with the expectation that perhaps it would be during his lifetime)?.

This seems to state fairly clearly that these events takes place "at the last trump," not seven years before it. He shows that, "the trumpet shall sound." So it will be loud, not quiet or secret.

Some teach that Jesus Christ will return secretly in the twinkling of an eye, but Paul actually says it is the changing of the bodies of believers from mortality to immortality that happens in the twinkling of an eye. Therefore, 1 Corinthians 15:51-53 does not teach of Christians mysteriously vanishing at all. Rather, it reveals an extremely loud, audible return of Jesus Christ during the final sounding of the last trumpet and the instant transformation of believers into their new immortal bodies at the end of the world.

Paul also wrote 1 Thessalonians 4:16 - 5:4 "For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words. But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write to you. For yourselves know that the day of the Lord so cometh like a thief in the night. For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then cometh sudden destruction upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape. But you brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief."

I personally now believe that the Rapture will be a post tribulation event.Most of the research that I've done on it points to that conclusion.As a matter of fact the pre-tribulation rapture doctrine has only been getting taught for the last hundred years or so and had been propagated after a young scottish girl by the name of Margaret Macdonald recieved visions during an illness (you can read about it online).

I certainly wouldn't regard myself as an expert but I've written a few articles here and it's a good site to visit if you are looking for material to publish or looking for help and advice on any topic in general. Articles are also a great way to get traffic to sites that you wish to promote.Completely free to join.