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Q: What is the rapture? How many have there been?? How many are yet to occur?
A: These are important, yet very complex questions to address because The Bible records and predicts several pre-death and post-death rapture experiences! Let's dig in...
The first question, what is the rapture, is a very controversial topic across the Christian world. It is one that is fraught with many misunderstandings based on misinterpretations and failure to read Scripture within context of the broad, strategic message God has for us. Following is my understanding on this topic, supported by Scripture. While the word, rapture, is not a Biblical term, both Paul and John refer to people being (a) physically caught up into Heaven, and concurrently (b) ‘materially transformed from mortal-to-immortality’.
Paul writes:
For The Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. 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 Thessalonians 4:16-17)
John writes:
Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him [physically], for we shall see Him as He is. (1 John 3:2)
It is obvious that they speak, not of pre-cross saints who died in saving faith, because Matthew 27:52-53 reports these saints received The Gospel message that Jesus preached in the upper, protected region of hell, referred to as the bosom of Abraham, per Ephesians 4:9-10, and were resurrected, transformed and raptured into Heaven when God received Jesus' sacrifice for sins, per Matthew 27:51-53. So Paul and John refer to people who would become post-cross saints during this current 3rd age of history. Ezekiel gives us stark insights into how Jesus, pre-incarnate, appears in His glorified, immortal body. (Ezekiel 1:27, 8:2, and 43:2) John backs this up with a post-incarnate, glorified insight. (Revelation 1:14-16) Thus, this is how we, whom God calls ‘righteous’, will soon look in our glorified, immortal bodies.
The second question, how many raptures have there been, requires a review of historical accounts of people who were transformed and raptured before or after their deaths.
The first pre-death transformation/rapture account is of Enoch, a pre-flood righteous man who walked with God for 300 years, then could not be found physically, ‘for God took him’. (Genesis 5:24) Whether he was taken to 'Abraham's bosom' or directly into Heaven is not revealed. The general understanding is that, only after Christ's sacrifice were humans admissible to Heaven. Nevertheless, God and Jesus do as They please, even making exceptions! Consider this: satan, himself, the essence of sinfulness, entered Heaven after he, as Lucifer, was expelled! (See: Job 1:6 and 2:1)
The second pre-death transformation/rapture account is of Elijah, a Jewish prophet who was physically caught up to 'heaven' in a chariot of fire, with horses of fire, in a whirlwind. (2 Kings 2:11) Again, specifically where he was taken is not specified, since throughout the Bible, 'heaven' has multiple meanings. See: How did Elijah send a letter to King Jehoram, if...
The first post-death transformation/rapture account is of Jesus being physically caught up to Heaven in a cloud. (Acts 1:9) In John’s vision on the Isle of Patmos, Christ’s ascension was framed in the broad context of God’s strategic plan for redemption. (Revelation 12:5)
The second post-death transformation/rapture account is the first group resurrection and rapture of deceased, pre-cross saints (from the 1st and 2nd ages of history) when Jesus was resurrected. 1
Paul details an account of him being spiritually caught up into Heaven in a vision, but this does not equate to a physical, transformative (from mortal-to-immortal) rapture.
The third question, how many raptures are yet to occur, is not traditionally discussed in the Christian world that fixates on only one pending rapture, that of The Church. However, this question is worth serious examination. Based on Scripture, there are several raptures yet to occur! Let’s take a look, and learn, hopefully with an open mind to what The Bible both predicts and also strategically infers.
This question is best understood in light of (a) the 7 ages of history The Lord has strategically planned for humanity, and has revealed to us across the pages of the Bible (see: Human History Ages (Series), and (b) a solid understanding of the concept called 'the first resurrection' (see: For You, Which Resurrection (Poem)).
This plan includes 6 ages on the current version of Earth, followed by the 7th eternal age on a promised, new, eternal Earth. The Bible includes clear signals of various kinds, that group resurrections will be dispersed across several of the first 6 ages of history. As noted above, the first one was of all 1st and 2nd ages saints, when Jesus was resurrected.
Key: When you think 'rapture', also think 'resurrection' since resurrections precede all group raptures.
The first prediction of a future, physical group rapture is of The Church – true (not fake, 'Christianesque') believers, both dead and alive, who, in sustaining faith, embraced God through Christ, post-cross. 2 (1 Thessalonians 4:17) This will occur at the close of the current, 3rd age of history (the age of Grace, also called the church age).
The second prediction of a future, physical group rapture is of two, unique, righteous witnesses during the tribulation period who will testify of Jesus, be killed by the global anti-Christ ruler, be resurrected back to life, and then caught up in a cloud (raptured) into Heaven. (Revelation 11:7-12) But these men are quite different, since they will pre-exist in Heaven before coming to to accomplish their tribulation ministry on Earth. These men will clearly not be included in what Revelation 20:12 infers will be the second general resurrection. They are indeed ...unique beings who will experience death, resurrection and rapture.
Beyond these two, clear predictions of future physical group resurrections and raptures, The Bible infers several additional rapture experiences.
1. The resurrection of the Church, before the 7-year tribulation period, as most Christians may believe, logically will not include the countless souls who will become righteous through faith in Jesus Christ during the tribulation age, all or many of whom will be martyred by the anti-Christ. (Revelation 7:9-17 and 13:7) This group includes:
(a) the 144,000 Jewish witnesses who will be sealed spiritually to testify of Jesus during the tribulation period (See Revelation 7:2-4, an experience similar to that in Ezekiel 9),
(b) the multitude of people who will come to faith as a result of the testimonies of these witnesses. See: Audacious Christians (Series), especially Part 2 that addresses the question, ‘Who might comprise the majority of this incalculable multitude, per Revelation 7:9-14?’
Those who are alive will be raptured, and those who will be dead (mostly beheaded) will be resurrected and raptured -- all transformed/glorified, and will receive Millennial Kingdom assignments. (Matthew 24:29-31). Just like earlier resurrected saints, they will also be with The Lord forever. (Zechariah 14:5, 2, 1 Thessalonians 3:13, Thessalonians 1:10, and Jude 1:14)
NB: Strategically, this infers a post-tribulation, pre-Millennial Reign rapture. Also, trace the references in Revelation about the 144,000 Jewish witnesses, first noted in Heaven (chapter 7:4 being spiritually sealed/commissioned), then physically on the Mt. of Olives with Jesus (chapter 14:1, presumably during their assignments, while angels are also warning people not to accept the mark of the beast.) It appears the great multitude referenced in Revelation 7:9-17 might be the fruits of the 144,000 witnesses, i.e., people saved as a result of their witness during the great tribulation.)
2. Might there be yet a group of souls whom God might declare ‘righteous’ …during the Millennial Reign?? And if so, might they also at some point transform from mortal to immortality, and transfer into service in The Millennial Kingdom?? I know of no Bible reference on this point, but knowing the Amazing Grace of God, we cannot rule it out.
Nevertheless, check out the important insights and issues in the series, Salvation in the Millennium? (Series), that addresses this question in light of what The Bible reveals are the basic foundations or tenets of Christian salvation. The questions discussed are whether these foundational points could be met during the Millennial Reign when the entire kingdom of satan is locked away, and is not performing its untoward functions on Earth, or whether these foundational salvation requirements could only be met after the Millennial Reign when the kingdom of satan is once again released on Earth. The latter case might have significant implications for life spans of mortals born during the Millennial Reign. It might also help to shed light on why Revelation 20 twice affirms satan (i.e., his kingdom) must/will be released again on the Earth at the end of Christ's Millennial Reign.
3. Ready for even more?? The Bible gives two highly curious indications that sinful, mortal humans will survive the Millennial Reign, just as some will survive the great tribulation period. For what John calls ‘a little while’, the kingdom of satan, which will have been locked away (place not revealed) during Christ’s Millennial Reign, will once again be released upon Earth post-Millennial Reign to deceive mortal people, just as is happening today, and has been happening since Eden. Will some of these people resist being deceived and become righteous in God’s sight, just like today?? Again, I would not rule it out. Would you?? If souls become righteous in God’s sight during this period, it seems very safe to conclude they, too, will, at some point in time, be ‘resurrected (if dead), transformed and raptured’ into God’s eternal Kingdom, presumably completing His lengthy, multi-millennia strategy to redeem a righteous remnant from across six ages of humanity to receive His gift of eternal life. 3 These saints will be included in the grand finale rapture discussed next.
4. ...And the grand finale! Revelation 20:11-15 infers that, after the 'little while' post-Millennial Reign age is over, every remaining human being who will have ever lived will be resurrected (if dead), transformed and raptured into Heaven, to appear before Jesus as God's Judge Ultimate. This will occur after the kingdom of satan is cast into the eternal lake of fire in their immortal, non-sexual, physical bodies, very likely on the promised, new Earth! (Isaiah 66:24, Revelation 20:7-10 and 22:15) The Lord will consult His Book of [Eternal] Life to sort these people into two groups: righteous (spiritual sheep) and un-righteous (spiritual goats). The un-righteous will be cast into the lake of fire with satan and his imps, and the anti-Christ and his prophet, who will have preceded all devils by over a thousand years! Get this: ALL residents in the lake of fire, including satan and his demons, will be very ALIVE in immortal, non-sexual, very likely in recognizable, human form! 4 (There’ll be no orgies in hell!)
In light of the above, we may need to RETHINK the concept of ‘the first resurrection’, since each group that will be raptured includes people who will have died and, thus will need to be resurrected prior to, or as they are raptured. Ergo, I surmise ‘the first resurrection’ is clearly not be a unique, numerical event, but is simply the resurrection to eternal life.
In conclusion, The Bible records several past rapture experiences of people alive and dead, and clearly-predicts several future individual and group raptures of people alive and dead. In the end, every human who will have been conceived will be transformed into an eternal, immortal being, and raptured into Heaven for The Lord's rewards or judgment. This is clearly an insight that is largely not taught across the Christian world, possibly for lack of interest, or the lack of deep study of God’s strategic message to humanity, The Bible.
Please diligently study both this message and the noted references in their broad contexts, and foremost in context of the declared and a revealed nature and strategic operations of The Holy Trinity. Also please pray about sharing this message, and follow The Spirit’s direction. Thank you~
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1 Matthew 27:52-53 confirms these saints were indeed resurrected, and presumably transformed and raptured, though there's no Biblical account. This event is predicted and later confirmed in the second point of Psalm 68:18 and confirmed in Ephesians 4:8. Some believe they may have died again, like we understand Lazarus died again after Jesus raised him. The notion of people dying more than once appears to conflict with Hebrews 9:7 that affirms it is appointed to man to die once. See: Goshen Effect (Poem, Part 3). Ponder this: Matthew only records these resurrections within his personal locales. But what if these were merely a modicum of the resurrection and/or rapture of ALL from the first two ages of humanity since Adam (i.e., from pre-flood-to-pre-cross)??
2 Remember, according to Matthew 27:52-53, pre-cross saints have already been resurrected, transformed and raptured. These verses only account for those saints who were buried in/around Jerusalem, but remember, some Jewish saints had migrated across the region and beyond! Jesus preached and confirmed His gospel to all who were within 'the bosom of Abraham', not just to those who had been buried in/around Jerusalem! History apparently does not record graves (of dead saints) being opened and previously dead folks walking around, so it seems safe to conclude saints who were raised outside of Jerusalem may have been raptured into Heaven. See: The Rapture - When? Part 1 and Part 2
3 I say presumably because of a reported Jewish concept that the ‘little while’ noted in Revelation 20 might constitute yet another 7,000 years of human history, effectively repeating the cycle of millennial weeks several times before the Great White Throne Judgment. wOw! Ponder how long it’s been since the event in Revelation 12:12 occurred! The Bible strategically reveals seven ‘ages’ of and for humanity: (1) pre-flood, (2) post-flood/pre-cross, (3) post-cross (Church Age), (4) tribulation period, (5) Millennial Reign, (6) post-Millennial Reign, and (7) eternity.
4 See: Goshen Effect, Grand Finale (Poem, Part 5). Demons who became humans, referred to in Genesis 6:3, 2 Peter 2:4 and Jude 6, will join satan and other demons in the lake of fire, as immortal, non-sexual, human beings. NB: There is no indication in The Bible that demons referenced in these verses were allowed to return to their proper, spiritual/angelic form, thus, I presume they remained in human form. See also: Is This the Man? (Poem)
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