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Christians believe that Jesus Christ will return in the clouds to take His saints
(those who accept His free gift of salvation) with Him to heaven. Scripture tells us
that Christians who have died will be raised first, followed by Christians who
are alive on the earth. There are two main passages that deal with the rapture:
1 Corinthians 15:51-52:
Behold, I tell you a mystery; we will not all sleep, but we will all be changed,
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.
1 Thessalonians 4:15-17:
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. 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. 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.
The one area that is up for debate regarding the rapture is when it occurs. There are
three interpretations:
Pre-Tribulation rapture: This view states that before the Tribulation begins the
believers will be taken out of the earth and carried to heaven to be with Christ.
Mid-Tribulation rapture: This view states that Christ will return to gather His
church at the mid-way point of the Tribulation.
Post-Tribulation rapture: This view states that Christians will remain on earth
throughout the Tribulation with the rapture occurring at Christ’s second coming.
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