THE RAPTURE ***
The word “rapture” does not appear in the Bible. Rapture is a word adopted by some Christians to represent the imagery of being “taken up,” “lifted up,” or “caught up” in the air are represented in these verses:

Several old testament scriptures also convey the idea of being taken up, caught up or lifted up. These are all synonyms for exaltation which is an Old Testament term that means the same thing as taken up, lifted up, and caught up in the New Testament . The following verses all describe what happens whenever people hear God’s spoken voice in their hearts:

Kings 2:1 And it came about when the LORD was about to take up Elijah by a whirlwind to heaven, that Elijah went with Elisha from Gilgal.

The only way to really understand what God means by being “taken up” or “caught up” in the air, or in the clouds, it is necessary to experience listening to God’s spoken voice.

STUDY TIP: See this link for understanding of what God’s spoken voice sounds like. Also see this link for rules of thumb about listening to God’s spoken voice.

Instead of rapture, exalt is a better word that explains what happens when we hear God’s spoken voice. Exalt is a word that does appear many times in the Bible. To be exalted means to be lifted up in the heart. But hearts can be lifted up by man or by God. When man’s heart is lifted up through his own effort or by the praise of men, the result is religious pride. When God exalts a man’s heart, it is the result of hearing his spoken voice.

The first time people experience lifting up/rapture is when they first hear God’s spoken voice. It typically happens after proud people humble themselves by confessing that they have wrongly interpreted the bible literally and created religion out of their interpretation. But the rapture experience is not a one-time event. It happens every time a New Covenant disciple hears God’s spoken voice. And that will most reliably happen when they listen to hear God’s voice while reading scripture. Since God’s words are sweet like honey, they will study and listen often.

The concept of rapture, as it is commonly understood by religious people, relates exclusively to the idea of the end times. The idea of a one-time, end-time event for believers is a fabrication of the imagination of religious people who interpret the Bible literally. The imagery of people flying through the air to Jesus exists because of failure to understand the symbolism of air, clouds and Jesus.

The symbolism of clouds is very complex. In natural terms, a cloud is a visible mass of condensed water vapor floating in the atmosphere, typically high above the ground. A cloud is essentially water.

God’s spoken voice is symbolically called living water. Biblical references to washing with water symbolically represent the power of God’s voice to cleanse religious people from the sin of practicing religion. Living water transforms evil, impure hearts to clean pure hearts.

In biblical symbolism, a cloud is the community of New Covenant disciples (i.e.  true prophets, angels, messiahs, high priests, witnesses, and warriors) whom God has chosen, anointed, and sent to speak for him. Symbolically speaking, those whom God sends are members of a cloud of witnesses who speak for God. Symbolically speaking, they shower God’s spoken word (i.e. rain,  dew) on people who listen to their words. People who hear God’s words spoken through this cloud of witnesses are effectively cleansed (i.e. washed) from their sins by God’s words. They are lifted up and exalted when this happens.

STUDY TIP: See this link for the symbolic interpretation of clouds of witnesses.

But not all who hear the words the witnesses speak understand or appreciate the words. These are the super religious people who are secure in their strongholds of wrong thinking. Instead of welcoming and receiving God’s words in their hearts, they stubbornly reject it. These hard-hearted people are deaf to hearing God’s voice because they choose to listen to false prophets.

STUDY TIP: See this link for understanding of spiritual deafness.

The simplest way to understand what religious people call “the rapture” is to equate being “taken up” and “exalted” with the response we experience in our hearts when we hear God’s spoken voice. People who have heard God’s voice will understand this comparison. People who have not heard God’s voice will not understand.

Being “taken up” is another way of saying “born again.” After we are born again, we focus our attention on things above — not on the things of the world of religion.

For more understanding of this process of being taken up, it is instructive to consider the following scriptures:

1 Thessalonians 4:13-17 But we do not want you to be uninformed, brethren, about those who are asleep, so that you will not grieve as do the rest who have no hope. 

COMMENTARY: References to “asleep” are commonly interpreted as being applied to people who have died physically. This happens because sleep is sometimes us as an euphemistic term for death. This is not how this scripture should be interpreted. The context for interpreting scripture should always be spiritual — not physical.

God uses the idea of physical sleep to represent a spiritual condition which is the opposite of being alive. We are either spiritually alive or spiritually dead. Or, we are either spiritually awake or spiritually asleep. People who are awake/alive can hear God’s spoken voice, and people who are asleep/dead do not hear his voice. People who have hope hear God’s spoken voice. People who have no hope do not hear his voice.

STUDY TIP: For more understanding of spiritual life and death, see Death, Resurrection, New Life, Salvation, Forgiveness, Heaven and Hell, and Two Deaths. Also see Commentary on Spiritual Life, THE HEART IS THE PLACE, and HOW TO KNOW IF YOU ARE BORN AGAIN .

14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus. 

COMMENTARY: The kind of death Jesus experienced in the Easter story is the second death. According to the story, Jesus was dead in a grave for three days. The grave symbolically represents the condition of being spiritually dead. Symbolically speaking, the religious people who plotted to have Jesus killed won a short-term victory. Jesus was out of commission for a brief time when he did not hear God’s spoken voice.***

15 For 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 not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord.

COMMENTARY:

1 Corinthians 15:50-54 Now I say this, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable.51 Behold, I tell you a mystery; we will not all sleep, but we will all be changed,52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed.53 For this perishable must put on the imperishable, and this mortal must put on immortality.54 But when this perishable will have put on the imperishable, and this mortal will have put on immortality, then will come about the saying that is written, “DEATH IS SWALLOWED UP in victory.

Mark 13:24-33 “But in those days, after that tribulation, THE SUN WILL BE DARKENED AND THE MOON WILL NOT GIVE ITS LIGHT,25 AND THE STARS WILL BE FALLING from heaven, and the powers that are in the heavens will be shaken.26 “Then they will see THE SON OF MAN COMING IN CLOUDS with great power and glory.27 “And then He will send forth the angels, and will gather together His elect from the four winds, from the farthest end of the earth to the farthest end of heaven.28 “Now learn the parable from the fig tree: when its branch has already become tender and puts forth its leaves, you know that summer is near.29 “Even so, you too, when you see these things happening, recognize that He is near, right at the door.30 “Truly I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place.31 “Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will not pass away.32 “But of that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone.

33 “Take heed, keep on the alert; for you do not know when the appointed time will come.
COMMENTARY:

Daniel 12 “Now at that time Michael, the great prince who stands guard over the sons of your people, will arise. And there will be a time of distress such as never occurred since there was a nation until that time; and at that time your people, everyone who is found written in the book, will be rescued.2 “Many of those who sleep in the dust of the ground will awake, these to everlasting life, but the others to disgrace and everlasting contempt.3“Those who have insight will shine brightly like the brightness of the expanse of heaven, and those who lead the many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever.4 “But as for you, Daniel, conceal these words and seal up the book until the end of time; many will go back and forth, and knowledge will increase.”5 Then I, Daniel, looked and behold, two others were standing, one on this bank of the river and the other on that bank of the river.6 And one said to the man dressed in linen, who was above the waters of the river, “How long will it be until the end of these wonders?”7 I heard the man dressed in linen, who was above the waters of the river, as he raised his right hand and his left toward heaven, and swore by Him who lives forever that it would be for a time, times, and half a time; and as soon as they finish shattering the power of the holy people, all these events will be completed.8 As for me, I heard but could not understand; so I said, “My lord , what will be the outcome of these events?”9 He said, “Go your way, Daniel, for these words are concealed and sealed up until the end time.10 “Many will be purged, purified and refined, but the wicked will act wickedly; and none of the wicked will understand, but those who have insight will understand.11 “From the time that the regular sacrifice is abolished and the abomination of desolation is set up, there will be 1,290 days.12 “How blessed is he who keeps waiting and attains to the 1,335 days!13 “But as for you, go your way to the end; then you will enter into rest and rise again for your allotted portion at the end of the age.”

COMMENTARY:

Matthew 24 Jesus came out from the temple and was going away when His disciples came up to point out the temple buildings to Him.2 And He said to them, “Do you not see all these things? Truly I say to you, not one stone here will be left upon another, which will not be torn down.”3 As He was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately , saying, “Tell us, when will these things happen, and what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?”4 And Jesus answered and said to them, “See to it that no one misleads you.5 “For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will mislead many.6 “You will be hearing of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not frightened, for those things must take place, but that is not yet the end.7 “For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and in various places there will be famines and earthquakes.8 “But all these things are merely the beginning of birth pangs.9 “Then they will deliver you to tribulation, and will kill you, and you will be hated by all nations because of My name. 10 “At that time many will fall away and will betray one another and hate one another.11 “Many false prophets will arise and will mislead many.12 “Because lawlessness is increased, most people’s love will grow cold.13 “But the one who endures to the end, he will be saved.14 “This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all the nations, and then the end will come.15 “Therefore when you see the ABOMINATION OF DESOLATION which was spoken of through Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place (let the reader understand ),16 then those who are in Judea must flee to the mountains.17 “Whoever is on the housetop must not go down to get the things out that are in his house.18 “Whoever is in the field must not turn back to get his cloak.19 “But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days!20 “But pray that your flight will not be in the winter, or on a Sabbath.21 “For then there will be a great tribulation, such as has not occurred since the beginning of the world until now, nor ever will.22 “Unless those days had been cut short, no life would have been saved; but for the sake of the elect those days will be cut short.23 “Then if anyone says to you, ‘Behold, here is the Christ,’ or ‘There He is,’ do not believe him.24 “For false Christs and false prophets will arise and will show great signs and wonders, so as to mislead, if possible, even the elect.25 “Behold, I have told you in advance.26 “So if they say to you, ‘Behold, He is in the wilderness,’ do not go out, or, ‘Behold, He is in the inner rooms,’ do not believe them.27 “For just as the lightning comes from the east and flashes even to the west, so will the coming of the Son of Man be.28 “Wherever the corpse is, there the vultures will gather.29 “But immediately after the tribulation of those days THE SUN WILL BE DARKENED, AND THE MOON WILL NOT GIVE ITS LIGHT, AND THE STARS WILL FALL from the sky, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken.30 “And then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the SON OF MAN COMING ON THE CLOUDS OF THE SKY with power and great glory.31 “And He will send forth His angels with A GREAT TRUMPET and THEY WILL GATHER TOGETHER His elect from the four winds, from one end of the sky to the other.32 “Now learn the parable from the fig tree: when its branch has already become tender and puts forth its leaves, you know that summer is near;33 so, you too, when you see all these things, recognize that He is near, right at the door.34 “Truly I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place.35 “Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will not pass away.36 “But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone.37 “For the coming of the Son of Man will be just like the days of Noah.38 “For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark,39 and they did not understand until the flood came and took them all away; so will the coming of the Son of Man be.40 “Then there will be two men in the field; one will be taken and one will be left.41 “Two women will be grinding at the mill; one will be taken and one will be left.42“Therefore be on the alert, for you do not know which day your Lord is coming.43 “But be sure of this, that if the head of the house had known at what time of the night the thief was coming, he would have been on the alert and would not have allowed his house to be broken into.44 “For this reason you also must be ready; for the Son of Man is coming at an hour when you do not think He will.45 “Who then is the faithful and sensible slave whom his master put in charge of his household to give them their food at the proper time?46 “Blessed is that slave whom his master finds so doing when he comes.47“Truly I say to you that he will put him in charge of all his possessions. 48 “But if that evil slave says in his heart, ‘My master is not coming for a long time,’49 and begins to beat his fellow slaves and eat and drink with drunkards;50 the master of that slave will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour which he does not know,51 and will cut him in pieces and assign him a place with the hypocrites; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 

COMMENTARY:

Luke 12:40 “You too, be ready; for the Son of Man is coming at an hour that you do not expect.”

COMMENTARY:These people are all sons of man because they have not been born again by the spirit of God.

1 Thessalonians 5:2 For you yourselves know full well that the day of the Lord will come just like a thief in the night.