Perhaps Today - September, October - 2001- Prophecy, Q & A

Prophecy Q & A

With Dr. Jack Van Impe

What is the Rapture?

The term rapture comes from the Latin word, rapio, which means ‘a snatching away.’ The Rapture, then, is the time when the Lord comes in the clouds of glory, bodily (see Acts 1:11), to take out of this world — also bodily — all those who have died in Christ and who are still living as believers in the Saviour. First Thessalonians 4:16-18 describes it: 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 [the dead in Christ] 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.

The Rapture is also described in 1 Corinthians 15:51: 1 show you a mystery; We shall not all sleep [be dead], but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump. And so this twinkling of an eye is a "snatching away," and occurs as we zip through the heavenly skies to meet Jesus Christ in clouds of glory.

How long is "the twinkling of an eye?’

Scientists at General Electric Company have measured the twinkling in a human being’s eye, and it amounts to eleven one hundredths of a second. I hope the Rapture occurs some morning when the astronauts are on their way to Mars or some other planet. Suddenly the Lord says, Come up hither (Revelation 4:1). Immediately we zip through space — in the twinkling of an eye — right past the astronauts. I can see them trying to figure out what they’re viewing from that altitude! "Houston, Houston … UFOs?" No. The coming of Jesus!

Presently, the U.S. has two spacecraft exploring outer space. It is estimated that it will take 40,000 years to reach the first star and 120,000 years to reach the second star. Beyond that there are millions, billions, and even trillions of stars as far away as 178 billion trillion miles according to astronomers. However, when Christ says, Come up hither, we’ll zip through millions of light years of space in eleven one hundredths of a second to see Jesus face to face.

Who are the "elect" of Matthew 24:22?

Oh, I like this! The post-tribulationists use this verse — Except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect’s sake those days shall be shortened — saying it indicates that the Church will be here because we are the elect. I say, "Hold it! God has two elect groups on earth!"

There is the Church (see Ephesians 1:4; 1 Peter 1:2), but that is not the group referred to in Matthew 24:22. How do I know? Isaiah 42:1 speaks of the Jews as God’s elect. So does Isaiah 45:4, 65:9, and 65:22. How does one know that the Jews are the elect for whom the days are being shortened in Matthew 24:22?

Let’s keep the text in context. First of all, this elect group is to flee from Judaea to the mountains. Judaea, my friend, is the Holy Land (see Matthew 24:16)! They are not to flee on the sabbath day [shabbat] (Matthew 24:20). According to Exodus 31:13, the Sabbath Day is eternally practiced by the Jews. In Mark 13:9, we find that they are beaten in the synagogues ... not the church. We don’t meet in synagogues because we are the Church (see Acts2:47).

Finally, all these events take place in the area of Jerusalem (see Luke 2 1:24). So the elect, at this point in time in the future are Jews — Israelites.

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	Prophecy Q & A With Dr. Jack Van Impe
	What is the Rapture? The term rapture comes from the Latin word, rapio, which means ‘a snatching away.’ The Rapture, then, is the time when the Lord comes in the clouds of glory, bodily (see Acts 1:11), to take out of this world — also bodily — all those who have died in Christ and who are still living as believers in the Saviour. First Thessalonians 4:16-18 describes it: 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 [the dead in Christ] 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. The Rapture is also described in 1 Corinthians 15:51: 1 show you a mystery; We shall not all sleep [be dead], but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump. And so this twinkling of an eye is a "snatching away," and occurs as we zip through the heavenly skies to meet Jesus Christ in clouds of glory. How long is "the twinkling of an eye?’ Scientists at General Electric Company have measured the twinkling in a human being’s eye, and it amounts to eleven one hundredths of a second. I hope the Rapture occurs some morning when the astronauts are on their way to Mars or some other planet. Suddenly the Lord says, Come up hither (Revelation 4:1). Immediately we zip through space — in the twinkling of an eye — right past the astronauts. I can see them trying to figure out what they’re viewing from that altitude! "Houston, Houston … UFOs?" No. The coming of Jesus! Presently, the U.S. has two spacecraft exploring outer space. It is estimated that it will take 40,000 years to reach the first star and 120,000 years to reach the second star. Beyond that there are millions, billions, and even trillions of stars as far away as 178 billion trillion miles according to astronomers. However, when Christ says, Come up hither, we’ll zip through millions of light years of space in eleven one hundredths of a second to see Jesus face to face. Who are the "elect" of Matthew 24:22? Oh, I like this! The post-tribulationists use this verse — Except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect’s sake those days shall be shortened — saying it indicates that the Church will be here because we are the elect. I say, "Hold it! God has two elect groups on earth!" There is the Church (see Ephesians 1:4; 1 Peter 1:2), but that is not the group referred to in Matthew 24:22. How do I know? Isaiah 42:1 speaks of the Jews as God’s elect. So does Isaiah 45:4, 65:9, and 65:22. How does one know that the Jews are the elect for whom the days are being shortened in Matthew 24:22? Let’s keep the text in context. First of all, this elect group is to flee from Judaea to the mountains. Judaea, my friend, is the Holy Land (see Matthew 24:16)! They are not to flee on the sabbath day [shabbat] (Matthew 24:20). According to Exodus 31:13, the Sabbath Day is eternally practiced by the Jews. In Mark 13:9, we find that they are beaten in the synagogues ... not the church. We don’t meet in synagogues because we are the Church (see Acts2:47). Finally, all these events take place in the area of Jerusalem (see Luke 2 1:24). So the elect, at this point in time in the future are Jews — Israelites.

CLOSE WINDOW