The Secret Rapture Bible Truth
Let's start by finding out what this secret rapture teaching is all about.
The teaching of the secret rapture is to do with the belief that Jesus Christ will return in two stages. At the first stage of Jesus' return, He will secretly rapture away the church just before the start of a 7 year tribulation. During this seven year period, there will be 144,000 literal Jews who take the Gospel to the rest of the world, giving them a second chance to turn to Jesus. Then at the second stage of Jesus' return, after the 7 years, He will physically return with the church to start the 1000 year millennial period. That is a very brief description of the secret rapture theory. Is it true? Not a single part of it is true.
Did you know? The secret rapture theory was invented by 
the
Jesuits. Now the Jesuits are part of the Roman Catholic Church and
they decided they needed to come up with a false interpretation of how Jesus would return. Why would they do this? Well, during
the reign of the Catholic Church between 538AD - 1798, they just used brute force to make people bow down to them, but rulers and
monarchs in Europe during the great reformation turned on the Catholic Church and rejected their use of force. Therefore, the
Roman Catholic Church, now being exposed by the reformers as 'Antichrist', could no longer use force, and therefore created a
'counter reformation' and started an order known as the 'society of Jesus' (the Jesuits) lead by Ignatius Loyola, to introduce
subtle deceptions into Bible doctrine, with this 'secret rapture' theory being one of them. If you take a look at the Who
is the Antichrist website, you will see that they have done much more twisting and changing of God's Holy Word.
Is "Secret Rapture" in the Bible?
Let's take a look at the very name secret rapture. You will not find these words together anywhere in the Bible. Not only that, but you will not even find the word 'rapture' itself anywhere in the Bible. So this isn't a good start for this teaching. Not only are Christians confused about the secret rapture teaching, but most of them debate amongst themselves as to whether they will be taken before, during, or after the seven year tribulation. There is just utter confusion on this, when there shouldn't be, as God's Word is very clear on it. It's a false teaching and in this study we are finding out why. To say that Christ will secretly rapture away the church goes against the very teaching of the end times taught in the New Testament. As we take a look through some Bible verses, you will see that the focus is on 'The Resurrection Day', which will be the physical second coming of Christ. There is no mention at all of any 'secret' return.
Matthew 24:23,26 ...'Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or there; believe it not. Wherefore if they shall say unto you, Behold, he is in the desert; go not forth: behold, he is in the secret chambers; believe it not.
The word
'rapture' is based on the words 'caught up' in the verses in 1 Thessalonians 4:15-17 ...'For this we say unto you by the
word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. 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 in the clouds, to meet the Lord
in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.' ... This is the scripture that the word 'rapture' is based on, and yet reading
the whole verse above in context actually exposes the 'secret rapture' teaching as false. How does Jesus return in the verses
above? 'With a shout, and with the trump of God.' There's not even a hint of secrecy, it's a noisy event!
The End of the World
Matthew 28:20 ...'lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.' ... Now why would Jesus say He would be with us until the end of the world, if He was going to rapture away His people BEFORE the end of the world? The secret rapture teaching contradicts what Jesus is saying here.
John 6:40 ...'And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day.'
John 6:44 ...'No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day.'
John 11:24 ...'Martha saith unto him, I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day.'
John 12:48 ...'He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day.'
Do you see the focus here in these above verses? Eternal life is given on the 'last day'; The resurrection is on the 'last day'; And judgment is given on the 'last day'. This last day is the physical second coming of Jesus Christ. The whole focus of the promise to look forward to is the physical second coming of Christ, not a secret rapture. If the secret rapture theory was true, then those who were 'raptured' would have received their judgement and reward BEFORE the last day. This goes against what Jesus said.
We receive our judgement and reward on the LAST DAY
In Matthew 13, Jesus tells the disciples a couple of parables. One of them being the wheat and the tares. Now have a real good think about the following verses:
Matthew 13:24-30 ...'Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field: But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way. But when the blade was sprung up, and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also. So the servants of the householder came and said unto him, Sir, didst not thou sow good seed in thy field? from whence then hath it tares? He said unto them, An enemy hath done this. The servants said unto him, Wilt thou then that we go and gather them up? But he said, Nay; lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them. Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn.' ... These verses alone show the secret rapture theory to be false. Notice that Jesus says to leave the wheat (children of God) and the tares (the wicked) TOGETHER UNTIL THE HARVEST. When is the harvest? At the physical second coming of Christ. Do you realize that with just this verse, the secret rapture teaching is dead in the water?
But you may say though that the harvest is the secret rapture. Well, let's take a look at when Jesus said the harvest would be ... Matthew 13:38-40 ...'The field is the world; the good seed are the children of the kingdom; but the tares are the children of the wicked one; The enemy that sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are the angels. As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of this world.' ... There we have the Bible truth. Not only does Jesus confirm that the harvest is the end of the world, but he says the angels are the reapers and they come (with Jesus) to gather up the wicked FIRST and then the children of God. So this harvest is when the separation takes place, AT THE END OF THE WORLD, not seven years before in secret.
The angels are the reapers right? Notice in this following verse that it also confirms the angels to be the reapers, but this only happens at the physical second coming of Jesus, not before ... Matthew 24:30-31 ...'And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.'
How Will Jesus Return?
Now remember that the Bible, the very Word of God, does not speak anywhere of a secret rapture. Let's see what is does say about the second coming of Christ Jesus:
Matthew 24:27 ...'For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.'
1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 ...'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 in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.'
Matthew 25:31 ...'When
the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory.'
2 Thessalonians 1:7-8 ...'And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.'
Revelation 1:7 ...'Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen.'
The Harvest is the END OF THE WORLD.
Friend, there is no secret rapture. Jesus isn't going to secretly take His people away. There is only one event where the righteous are taken, and that is at the physical, loud, fiery, illuminating, thunderous, glorious second coming of Jesus Christ.
The Thief and the Left Behind
Let's take a look at some of the verses that the people who believe in the secret rapture use to backup their view.
Matthew 24:37-42 ...'But as the days of Noah were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, and knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left. Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left. Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.' ... Those who proclaim the secret rapture theory cling on to the one verse above, where it says, 'one shall be taken and the other left'. But this is totally taken out of context of what Jesus was saying and is interpreted the wrong way round. Jesus was saying to remember what happened in Noah's day. Noah preached to the people telling them of the coming flood, but the people ignored him and mocked him, but then the flood TOOK THEM AWAY and destroyed them. Now remember that Jesus said in Matthew 13 that the wicked (lost) will be gathered FIRST ...'Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them.' ... So as in Noah's day, the wicked were TAKEN away by the flood (destroyed) and Noah and his family were LEFT (alive), so the same will happen when Jesus returns. The wicked will be TAKEN by the angels (destroyed), and the saved will be LEFT (alive) to meet Jesus in the air. Are you getting the truth of this? The verse that says 'one shall be taken and the other left', means that the person who is lost, will be taken and destroyed first, and the other person who is saved will be left alive to meet the Lord Jesus in the air. So with the wicked lost person being the one taken first, this completely exposes the secret rapture theory to be wrong.
The whole context of Matthew 24 from verse 37 onwards is talking about watching and being ready and prepared for Jesus return, because if you are not prepared, then you will be taken and destroyed. Those who believe in the secret rapture also quote the verses that say 'Jesus comes as a thief in the night'. Let's take a look at these:
1 Thessalonians 5:2 ...'For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night.' ... What Jesus is saying here, is that His coming will surprise many, they will not be ready. The problem with those who hold to the secret rapture theory is that they stop when it says 'thief in the night'. But if we carry on and read it in context, then we can see the truth of what is being said. Verses 3-4 ...'For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape. But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief.' ... Who does Jesus come as a thief in the night upon? THE LOST! Notice, for when He does come as a thief, then sudden destruction happens. As it says, that day should NOT overtake YOU (child of God) as a thief. So Jesus doesn't come for US (children of God) as a thief, He comes for the lost, those who are not prepared, as a thief. Friend, this is the Bible truth of God and it's a wonderful truth to behold!
There is another scripture verse which talks about Jesus coming as a thief:
2 Peter 3:10 ...'But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.' ... Again, those who hold to the secret rapture theory, stop when it says thief in the night. Now, if we read on and take the verse in context, then the secret rapture theory is damaged beyond repair! So what does Peter say? ... 'the Lord will come as a thief in the night; IN WHICH THE HEAVENS SHALL PASS AWAY WITH A GREAT NOISE AND THE ELEMENTS SHALL MELT WITH FERVENT HEAT.' Wow! the 'secret rapture' is dead in the water. God has revealed His truth to us.
There are other Bible verses that describe Jesus as coming like a thief. But have a really good think about these verses in what they are really saying ...
Matthew 24:43 ...'But know this, that if the goodman of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken up.'
Revelation 3:3 ...'Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard, and hold fast, and repent. If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee.'
Revelation 16:15 ...'Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame.'
Do you see what is being said in these Bible verses? It is to those people who are not ready, those who are lost and will be destroyed that Jesus comes as a thief to, because they are unprepared and Jesus' return will be a surprise to them. To those who are saved and have watched and prepared for Jesus' return, He will not return as a thief, because they will be READY for Him. Now, take a look at the following verse:
John 10:10 ...'The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.' ... There you have it. The thief does not come to save the children of God, to take them away secretly, the thief comes to kill and destroy. For the saved, the children of God, Jesus comes to give life.
It would be no good for a thief to come to your house if you were ready for him, for then he would not be able to break in and rob you. In the same way, we need to be ready for Jesus every day, so that He does not catch us out like a thief would. Friend, there is no secret rapture. Please don't put your trust in this false teaching, because it is nothing but a deception from the evil one. Put your trust in Jesus Christ and study His Word. Ask Him to reveal His truth to you and be ready for His triumphant return as King!
If you would like more information on how the secret rapture teaching came about, see Futurist Futurism.
To continue with this second coming study, click on The Great Tribulation.