A Biblical Worldview: Is the Rapture Theory True or False?

[Rick Shabi] Let’s face it. If you’re paying attention, the world is becoming a stranger and more dangerous place, day by day. As uncertainty in the future looms, there’s a popular theory among much of the world’s Christian population that seems to be circulating more frequently. It’s called the rapture theory.

Maybe you’ve heard of it. Maybe you believe it.

It goes something like this. Believers in Jesus Christ are secretly taken to heaven before the Great Tribulation mentioned in the Bible. One day, the theory goes, Christians will be swept up to safety in heaven, while everyone else on earth is “left behind” to suffer what will be the worst time of persecution and trial to ever to come on earth.

It’s a “convenient” theory, but is it true? Does the Bible—the word of God—back up this theory?

Let’s dig into this today, because you need to know the truth.

Using only the Bible—the infallible word of God, we’ll uncover the truth about this theory. Then, stick with us until the end, we will show you, from the Bible, what you must do if you are looking for God’s deliverance from that Great Tribulation—a time that really is coming upon mankind, just as Jesus Christ predicted in Matthew 24:21.

So, we will look at three major tenets of the rapture theory, starting with a scripture that rapture believers often quote to support the idea of Christians being secretly whisked away into heaven.

1 Thess 4: 16-17. here’s what it actually says.

Verse 16, “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.”

Let’s stop right there. With a shout, the voice of an archangel, and the trump of God. Does that sound like it’s a secret? That’s loud. That’s public. People hear it. So much for a “secret” whisking away. That’s not at all what the Bible says.

Let’s look at verse 17:

“Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air . . .”

It does say “we will meet the Lord in the air, “but it doesn’t say anything about going to heaven. It simply says His chosen ones will meet him in the air. Jesus Christ is descending from heaven with a shout, then His chosen ones meet Him in the air.

Where are they going? To meet Jesus Christ? Where is He going? He is returning to earth to begin His millennial reign!

And Zechariah 14:3-4 tells us exactly where on earth He is going as He descends from heaven:

“Then the Lord will go forth and fight against those nations, as He fights in the day of battle. And in that day His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, which faces Jerusalem on the east.”

Verse 5 tells us “Thus the Lord my God will come, and all the saints with [Him].

Ah. His saints/His followers/His chosen ones meet Him in the air but they’re not going to heaven, they’re coming back to earth, to Jerusalem, along with Jesus Christ!

So already we’ve debunked two primary facets of the rapture theory. It isn’t secret, and Christians are not being whisked away into heaven.

As a matter of fact, since we are talking about going to heaven . . . did you know that Jesus Christ and the Bible plainly say no man or woman has gone to heaven?

Notice John 3:13:

“No one has ascended to heaven but He [speaking of Christ] who came down from heaven.”

See that? Christ Himself said, No one has gone to heaven, even after they die. Only Jesus Christ did, because He is the firstborn resurrected from the dead to eternal life.

But not even David, a man after God’s own heart, is in heaven today. See what the Bible says about that in Acts 2:34 (show this on screen).

Let’s look at one more facet of the rapture theory: that it occurs before the Great Tribulation.

Again, knowing the verses we’ve already read, look what Christ Himself says about His return to the earth with His saints in Matthew 24:29-31:

“Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.”

Notice, His return comes AFTER the tribulation, not before. His coming will be visible to everyone. It won’t be secret. All the tribes of the earth will see Him. And at that time, not before the tribulation His angels, with the sound of a great trumpet, will gather His elect from around the world.

Need we go further? I think not. The Bible itself refutes three major tenets of the rapture theory. Even though it is true that true Christians will meet Christ in the air, there is no secret, pre-tribulation whisking away of Christians to heaven. If you have been taught that, and believe it, then you have been deceived.

You shouldn’t believe everything you hear. Look into the Bible and prove it to yourself. Read what it says. It will help you distinguish between truth and error. This is the only pure source of truth on the earth today.

Before we finish, let’s look at one more verse people like to use in support of the misleading rapture theory.

In Revelation 3:10, where Christ is speaking to one of the seven churches of Revelation, the Philadelphia church, He makes an interesting promise to them.

“Because you have kept My command to persevere, I also will keep you from the hour of trial which shall come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth.”

Notice this verse doesn’t say I will bring you up to heaven. It just says I will keep you from the hour of trial. That could mean anything. God can protect us wherever we are on earth, even in the midst of the tribulation brewing around us.

But more importantly than that is . . . who is Christ talking to here? What are these people like?

What’s special about them? And what is God is looking for from you and me, if we are to be kept from this “hour of trial?”

Look at the whole section here on this church—these called out ones. How do they live their lives?

Verse 8 “I know your works . . . you . . . have kept My word, and have not denied My name.”

What does that mean? It means you live by every word of the Bible. If you take the name of God and claim to be one of His children, then you must follow Christ’s example.

You worship God and love God and show that love by keeping all of His Ten Commandments—not only the physical aspect but also the spiritual aspect as Jesus Christ defines in Matthew 5.

It means you distinguish between the holy and unclean and keep yourself unspotted from the world as it says in James 1:27. That means you follow and observe His holy times, including the seventh day Sabbath and the Holy Days He defines—the same ones that Christ Himself and all His apostles observed, and as God’s true Church still observes today.

And, as verse 12 adds, you overcome. Do you know what that means? You look to God, and when you say you believe in Him, you do exactly what Peter said in Acts 2:38, you repent—that is you acknowledge your sinful ways, defined by this Bible, the word of God.

You sincerely and wholeheartedly turn to God and leave the ways of the world behind. You are baptized into the name of the Father, son, and Holy Spirit as Christ commanded, then (and only then) do you receive the Holy Spirit.

These people, fully committed to God and living His way, are defined in this same book of Revelation.

Revelation 14:12 “Here is the patience of the saints; here are those who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus.”

You want to escape the terrible times that are coming upon this world?

You won’t find that escape through the rapture theory. You won’t find that escape by just saying that you believe in Christ. The Bible says even the demons believe in Him, but they’re not Christian!

If you are counting on escape by just having a “belief” in Christ—you will be sorely disappointed.

God wants you to change and DO HIS will, DO His truth, and live His way if you want to be counted worthy to escape “all these things that will come to pass” as Christ says in Luke 21:36.

Have we made you think? I hope so.

Will you do things God’s way, or do you want to continue blindly following error and falsehood?

There’s a lot to learn, and we’re committed to teaching you the truth of the Bible, just as Christ commanded His Church to do.

Visit us at ucg.org/rapture where we have accumulated several resources and other short videos for you to review, if you are really interested in learning the truth.

And be sure to subscribe to this channel if you are interested in the truth of the Bible. Leave us a comment with any questions, and be sure to share this video with your friends, who like you are seeking the truth.