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The Amish Voice 8
will be a whole group of people who will
suddenly be removed from the earth and
they will not be found by those who
remain on the earth. This unusual future
event is called THE RAPTURE.
What does the word RAPTURE
really mean?
Christians often talk about the
RAPTURE and we need to understand
what this word means. The word
RAPTURE means "TO BE CAUGHT
UP, to be snatched up, to be taken or
carried away suddenly, to be taken away
quickly by force." The word is found in
1 Thessalonians 4:17:
"Then we which
are alive and remain shall be -- together
with them in the clouds to meet Lord in
the air.”
This same Greek word [harpatzo] is used
elsewhere in the New Testament:
1) In Acts 8:39 this word is used. We
learn
that
the
Lord
"C________________
a______________ Philip, that the
eunuch saw him no more." Philip
baptized the Ethiopian eunuch, and
when they came out of the water,
suddenly Philip was gone! God had
moved him from one place to another
place.
2) In 2 Corinthians 12:2 this word is used
of Paul who was caught to the third
heaven" (see also verse 4).
3) This word is used of the Lord Jesus
(the "MAN CHILD") who was
________
____________________
unto God when He ascended back to
heaven (Revelation 12:5). We also
read about the day when Christ was
taken up into heaven in Acts 1:2, 9.
Enoch was removed from earth and taken
to heaven. Someday Christ will come
and remove a whole group of people
from the earth and take them to heaven.
Christ will also raise up the bodies of
those Christians who have already died
(such as Peter, Paul, John, George
Whitefield, George Mueller, and a great
host of others). The most important
passage in the Bible that tells us about
this is found in 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18.
Read these verses and consider the
following diagram:
THEY (the believers coming down with
the Lord) and WE (the believers walking
with the Lord on earth) will
meet
together in the air
to be with the Lord
FOREVER in new bodies that will last
forever! See 1 Thessalonians 4:17.
When Christ comes down from heaven
(see 1 Thessalonians 4:16) there are two
things that will happen.
1) What is the first thing that will
happen (see 1 Thess. 4:16)? THE
DEAD IN CHRIST SHALL
R___________________ (God will
raise up their bodies).
2) What is the next thing that will
happen (see 1 Thess. 4:17)? Those
who are living when Christ returns
will be C____________ u___
(raptured) with them in the clouds,
to meet the Lord in the air.
Yes, the Bible teaches that there will be
a group of people living on the earth who
will never SLEEP (see 1 Corinthians
15:51). This means that they will never
DIE, just like Enoch did not die. The
reason they will never die is because
they will be CAUGHT UP to heaven just
like Enoch was. If Christ were to come
down from heaven today, would you be
CAUGHT UP?
Who Will Be Caught Up?
There is only one kind of person who
will be "caught up" (1 Thess. 4:17). This
person must "B________________ that
Jesus Christ died and rose again" (1
Thess. 4:14). The Lord Jesus spoke of
the rapture in John 14:3. If a person
wants to take part in this great event,
what must he do (John 14:1)? _________
_________________________________
In other words, the rapture is FOR
BELIEVERS ONLY! ! If a person wants
to be CAUGHT UP in the air to be with
Christ (John 14:3; 1 Thess. 4:17), he
must first COME TO CHRIST for
salvation (John 6:35, 37)!
Have you received Jesus Christ as your
personal Savior (John 1:12)?
Have you honestly and from your heart
said to God that you are a sinner and that
you need a Savior?
Have you confessed that the Lord Jesus
Christ died, was buried and was raised
up from the dead because of your sin and