RAPTURE WEARY OR READY?

Long debated, anticipated by a great many people, doubted and mocked by many others is the RAPTURE OF THE CHURCH. The English word "rapture" does not occur in the Scripture. However, the Greek (original language of the New Testament) word "harpazo" IS found in the New Testament. This Greek word means "CAUGHT UP." So, concerning the word rapture, it is used to describe the event of the church (followers of Jesus) being Caught Up from the earth and then taken to be with Jesus forever. The classic Scripture that speaks of this is: "For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain will be CAUGHT UP (harpazo) together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord" (First Thessalonians 4:16-17). This truth has been preached, taught, discussed and debated ever since the Holy Spirit inspired The Apostle Paul to write it. I have certainly heard about it all my life!

And as a preacher and teacher, I have personally proclaimed it for many years. Do I believe this to be true? YES, Indeed! Do I know when it will occur? NO! I believe the Scripture teaches the imminent return of Jesus to take His followers from this world to forever be with Him! The "imminent" return of Jesus means He could come back to take His followers "AT ANY MOMENT" maybe even before this day or this hour is over. Nothing has to happen first in order for Him to return to catch up His people!

I truly recognize that a large number of people over the years have believed and prepared for the rapture, some even setting specific dates and places. This is absolutely contrary to Scripture, which we have in Jesus' own words when He said, "No one knows the day or the hour, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone" (Matthew 24:36). Where the Bible and the heavenly host are silent, we too better be silent and refrain from all speculation! Some scholars have predicted the rapture will occur on one of the seven Jewish Feast Days. A prominent Jewish Feast Day that is considered to be a top candidate is The Feast of Trumpets, also known as "Rosh Hoshanah." This feast marks the beginning of ten days of repentance (turning away from sin) and consecration before God, and is a specific time of remembrance and prophetic expectation! Some Christians are often found scrolling through the internet, YouTube, FaceBook, etc. feeds only to be exposed to numerous videos to find information about the rapture. This past September 23rd (2025) was the latest Feast of Trumpets. Some of those videos even proclaimed with bold certainty, "This is it, get ready. Jesus is coming back this week." It is documented that some people even sold their homes and belongings, quit their jobs and literally made preparations to be raptured. Some went to hilltops and mountainous sites to help Jesus along by being closer to the skies (a bit of sarcasm here).

But in spite of all that, which I call "nonsense", here we are. The Feast of Trumpets 2025 has come and gone, and the Church still walks on planet earth! Hopes that were unbiblically raised high were dashed again! To further clarify, people who do foolish things such as described above have done the same type of things in previous years; last year was not the only time. Then in complete embarrassment, crazy explanations are contrived and communicted as to why the event didn't happen. And for many people, a deep weariness regarding the rapture sets into minds, hearts and attitudes. Skepticism Grows!

This skepticism was true even in the Apostle Peter's day too. Mockers rose up and criticized the idea of the rapture and the second coming of Jesus. They said something like, "Jesus forgot His promise" or "He is ignoring His very own teaching." But here is what Peter had to say about that, "Know this first of all, that in the last days mockers (scoffers) will come with their mocking, following after their own lusts, and saying, 'Where is the promise of His coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep (died), all continues just as it was from the beginning of creation. . .' The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish (eternally) but for all to come to repentance" (II Peter 3:3-4 and 9). According to this passage in the Bible, the only reason Jesus has not yet come to rapture His Church is for the express purpose of giving more people more opportunity to repent of their sins and surrender their lives to the Lordship of Jesus Christ! Perhaps you are one of those Jesus desires to come to repentance!

We have heard, read and pondered the rapture repeatedly. Some may be tired and weary of it all and just want to live this life undisturbed and not think about what or may not be coming in the future. That attitude and action would be a very bad idea, if not devastating! Jesus taught that if we love this world so much that we don't want to think about the future and where we will live eternally, then our relationship with Him is very faulty at best and non-existant at the worst. In either case, our eternal life is in danger! The Bible teaches that true followers of Jesus live in eagerness to depart from the world and to be with Him forever! Paul the Apostle wrote, ". . .awaiting eagerly the revelation (appearance) of our Lord Jesus Christ. . . ." (I Corinthians 1:7). Again, he penned these words, "So Christ. . .will appear a second time. . .to those who eagerly await Him" (Hebrews 9:28).

This is exactly where we must be very careful and truthful! There is everything right about hearing, seriously thinking about, and discussing the rapture. It is very good to hope, watch, and study about this subject and other prophetic events. After all, a large percentage of the Bible deals with prophecy. Prophesy is not a dusty corner of the Word of God! But we must avoid all speculation, making hasty and unbiblical choices, refusing to be wise, and being mis-directed on the teachings of the Bible! When you are in doubt, check it out with the teachings of Jesus found in the four Gospels (Matthew through John), and with the proclamations of truth that are covered by the Apostles of Jesus in the rest of the New Testament. We have to be very discerning and be well acquainted with and versed in the Scripture ourself. When we are not, we fall victim to

false teachings and false influencers. Be careful about following those who claim to "speak for God" to attach His authority to their words, for that is sacred ground. Any message must always conform to ALL the Scripture, NOT isloated verses that can be used, ignoring the context. Biblical teachings should be delivered in humility rather than arrogance and pride, with the willingness and readiness to be accountable! When any message or teaching does not follow these characteristics, it is not mere disappointment that occurs, but it is also deceptive, confusing and damaging to faith, trust and spiritual growth.

I remember when the booklet "88 Reasons Why The Rapture Will Be In 1988". Then when '88 came and went with no rapture, the author wrote a second booklet titled: "89 Reasons Why The Rapture Will Be in 1989". When these booklets hit the market, Christians scooped both up to read as soon as they could get their hands on them. They also strongly urged family, friends, neighbors and pastors to read and study them. That was back in 1988 and 1989 and here we are, about 37 years later and the rapture has still not occured. In fact, it has been around 1,993 years since Jesus' resurrection and ascension and the rapture hasn't taken place - YET!

So, am I a skeptic or a doubter that it will ever happen? ABSOLUTELY NOT! As I consider current events in our world, I'm more and more convinced of the rapture of the true followers of Jesus from this planet, and I believe it may be much closer than we are prone to think! The Apostle Paul penned these words of warning and encouragement: ". . .knowing the time, that it is already the hour for you to awaken from (spiritual) sleep; for now salvation is nearer to us than when we first believed. The night is almost gone, and the day is near" (Romans 13:11-12). Let's remember this from Scripture, "One day is like a thousand years and a thousand years is like a day with the Lord" (II Peter 3:8). This simply means that God is eternal, totally outside of time, and not bound by human timelines. It means that God's perspective allows Him to treat short moments as long periods, and long periods as short moments. We then are aware of His patience, faithfulness in keeping promises, and the certainty of His "timing", rather than a literal formula for calculating time.

So, Jewish Feast Days come and go. Our life continues with duties, responsibilities, joys, sorrows, adversities and victories day after day. The rapture has not yet happened, but be assured of this fact from the Bible, one day it will happen! The Lord will descend from heaven with a shout of power, victory and authority, accompanied by the voice of the archangel and the blast of the shofar (trumpet) and the rapture will then be experienced by those who love and serve Jesus!

Until then, let's keep watching, anticipating, studying, and discussing the rapture (being CAUGHT UP). Let us also be people who practice humility and honesty! Let us stay in the Word of God for knowledge, understanding and clarity. That is how we honor the Lord, and that is how we become prepared for that awesome day when "our faith actually becomes sight" (reality) and we meet the Lord in the air! How do we become prepared?

1) Surrender your life totally to Jesus; believe in your heart and confess with your mouth that Jesus is Savior and Lord, confess your sins, repent of them and truly ask Jesus into your life.

2) Daily read the Bible and pray. Join in with other believers in worship, study and fellowship.

3) Be spiritually diligent. Do not be "asleep" or distracted by the cares and responsibilities of life, but remain alert and seriously minded.

4) Live righteously. Grow in holiness, compassion, and love, ensuring your actions align with Biblical teachings.

5) "Watch and Pray". Utilize Scripture and prayer to stay strongly connected with God and to maintain your spiritual state of readiness.

6) Recognize the signs. Diligently observe the signs of our times - such as deception, disasters, catastrophies on the earth, wars and rumors of wars, political upheavals, social issues and chaos - as Jesus described in Matthew, chapters 24 and 25. We do not predict the exact day nor the hour, but we seek to recognize the signs showing the proximity of His coming.

7) Live with a sense of urgency. Approach daily life with a mission-oriented mind-set, serving God and His Kingdom concerns as first priority and seek to model life in Christ for the next generation.

A closing reminder: Let's not be "RAPTURE WEARY", RATHER LET'S BE "RAPTURE READY"!