Doctrine of the Rapture - worksheet

Daniel’s prophecy

Q1 Read Daniel 9:24-27 (NIV) 24“Seventy ‘sevens’ are decreed for your

and your holy to finish , to put an end to sin, to atone for wickedness, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy and to anoint the Most Holy Place. 25“Know and understand this: From the the word goes out to restore and rebuild Jerusalem the Anointed One, the ruler, comes, there will be seven ‘sevens,’ and sixty-two ‘sevens.’ It will be rebuilt with streets and a trench, but in times of . 26After the sixty-two ‘sevens,’ the Anointed One will be put to death and will have nothing. The people of the ruler who will come will destroy the city and the . The end will come like a flood: War will continue until the end, and desolations have been decreed. 27He will confirm a covenant with many for one ‘seven.’ In the middle of the ‘seven’ he will put an and offering. And at the temple he will set up an that causes , until the end that is decreed is poured out on him.

And read this article about the tribulation.
What is the end times (great) tribulation in your own words?


Jesus’ warnings in Matthew 24

Jesus says in Matthew 24:36-42 (NIV) 36“But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the

. 37As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of . 38For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark; 39and they knew nothing about what would happen until the came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. 40Two men will be in the field; one will be and the other . 41Two women will be grinding with a hand mill; one will be taken and the other left. 42“Therefore , because you do not know on what day your Lord will come.

Nobody knows when Jesus’ will return (verse 36). Jesus describes the time before His return, comparing that with Noah’s days (verse 37). The people were not prepared for judgment by the flood (verses 38-39). Not aware of things to come, the people lived their daily lives (verses 40-41). Jesus calls them to be watchful (verse 42).

Q2 Is Jesus prophecy in the passage about the rapture or about the second advent?


Q3 Is this a warning for the unbelieving Jews of for the church? What could be the reason why Jesus speaks about the Son of Man, instead of the Son of God?


Proof texts of rapture and second coming

In 1 Thessalonians 4:17 (NIV) we see the word caught up, which is in the original Greek harpazoo, pointing to rapture (positive).
In Matthew 24:40-41 (NIV) twice the word taken is used, which is in the original Greek παραλαμβάνεται , which points to judgment (negative) in the second advent.


Q4 The verses 40 and 41 are often used by people taking the post-tribulation position as proof of their doctrine. Does that make sense? Or are there two events, 7-years apart?


Rescue and judgment

Q5 Genesis 5:21-24 (NIV) says 21When Enoch had lived 65 years, he became the father of Methuselah. 22After he became the father of Methuselah, Enoch walked faithfully with God 300 years and had other sons and daughters. 23Altogether, Enoch lived a total of 365 years. 24Enoch walked faithfully with God; then he was no more, because God took him away. Is this passage a preview of the rapture or of the second coming?

Q6 Read Genesis 6-9, the story of Noah and the flood. Is that a preview of the rapture or of the second coming?


A place prepared in heaven

John 14:1-3 holds a promise for all Christians. Jesus says to all followers 1“Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God ; believe also in me. 2My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to

a place for ? 3And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will and to be with me that you also may be where I am.


Q7 What is Jesus doing for us in heaven?

Q8 What are the two promises? And what is the benefit for us?

The rapture in first Thessalonians

First Thessalonians 4:13-18 (NKJV) is the basic text regarding the rapture. It reads in the NKJV: 13But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope. 14For if we believe that Jesus

and , even so God will bring with Him those who in Jesus. 15For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep. 16For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a , with the voice of an archangel, and with the of God. And the will rise first. 17Then we who and remain shall be caught up together with them in the to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. 18Therefore comfort one another with these words.


Q9 What is the difference between dying and sleep in Jesus (verses 14 and 16)?

Q10 In verse 17 we see the word caught up, which is in the original Greek harpazoo. It means snatch away. Explain verse 17. Are we snatched away from the earth or from somewhere else? Does this passage talk about the second coming when Jesus will set foot on the mount of Olives?

When will the rapture take place related to the tribulation and the second coming of Christ?

Post-trib
Some Christians believe that the rapture takes place after the tribulation. They take the post-trubulation position (post-trib). That would mean that all people, including Christians, will go trough the horrors of the tribulation. That is very unlikely, because God doesn’t allow His followers to perish (Romans 8:1). See more …

Mid-trib
Midtribulationism teaches that the rapture occurs at the midpoint of the tribulation. At that time, the seventh trumpet sounds (Revelation 11:15), the church will meet Christ in the air, and then the bowl judgments are poured upon the earth (Revelation 15—16) in a time known as the great tribulation. In other words, the rapture and Christ’s second coming (to set up His kingdom) are separated by a period of three and a half years. According to this view, the church goes through the first half of the tribulation but is spared the worst of the tribulation in the last three and a half years. Very close to midtribulationism is the belief in a “pre-wrath” rapture, i.e., a belief that the church is caught up to heaven before the “great day of … wrath” comes (Revelation 6:17). See more …

Pre-trib
Pretribulationism teaches that the Rapture occurs before the Tribulation starts. At that time, the church will meet Christ in the air, and then sometime after that the Antichrist is revealed and the Tribulation begins. In other words, the Rapture and Christ’s Second Coming (to set up His kingdom) are separated by at least seven years. According to this view, the church does not experience any of the Tribulation. See more…


Q11 When you have understood the three positions, which one is in your view the most credible position? And tell why?