Dr. Jeffrey A. D. Weima

1 Thessalonians 4:13-18


V. EXEGETICAL ISSUE

4:16-17 "For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet call of God. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air."

Q: Is the rapture a biblical teaching or mistaken idea?
A: Answer must come from examining these key verses grammatically, historically and theologically 

  • (Soft) Evidence #1: The public nature of Christ's coming
    Three prepositional phrases (with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet call of God) point not to a secret coming in which Christians will suddenly and quietly vanish but a public return of Christ which all people--both believers and unbelievers alike--will witness.
  • (Soft) Evidence #2: "will be caught up"
    • Greek verb harpazo used by many ancient writers to refer to people being "snatched away” from life to death.
      • Plutarch: uses verb harpazo and its compounds to refer to those who die an early death such that they are "snatched away" from "the advantages of life, such as marriage, education, manhood, citizenship and public office” (A Letter of Condolence to Apolloinius 113C; see also 111D, 117B-D).
      • Funeral inscriptions speak of how Fate has "snatched away" the living to the place of Hades (IG 2.1062a.3; 11477.9; 4.620.2; 5.733.12).
      • Lucian uses a synonym of harpazo in the speech of a grieving father who cries out to his deceased son: "Dearest child, you are gone from me, dead, snatched away before your time" (Funerals 13).
    • Paul, therefore, may have chosen the word harpazo not to describe a literal snatching away or "rapture" but rather to make a clever pun or inversion on the common use of this word.
    • Rather than the expected picture of people being "snatched away" from life to death, Christians will be "snatched away" from life to life such that they do not face death.
  • (Rock hard!) Evidence #3: "to meet"
    • Greek noun ἀπαντῆσις (apantêsis) does not refer generically to just any kind of meeting but is a technical term referring to the specific custom in Paul's day of sending a delegation of leading citizens--a reception party--outside the city "to meet" a visiting dignitary and then escort that person on the final part of their journey into the city.
    • These formal "receptions" typically involved the following elements:
      • Prominent citizens were chosen to be members of the delegation or reception party.
      • City leaders adopt a formal resolution to pay tribute to visiting dignitary and host formal reception in his honor.
      • These citizens would dress in their finest clothes (often white) and with laurel wreaths on their heads as they left the city to meet the visiting dignitary.
      • After meeting and greeting the visiting dignitary, reception part would escort this person the rest of his way into their city.
      • Sometimes the visiting dignitary would pronounce judgment on select prisoners, liberating some but sentencing others to execution.
    • Greek word apantêsis has this technical meaning not only in secular writings but also in its three NT occurrences:
      • Occurrence #1 of key word apantêsis: Matthew 25:6 (Parable of Wise & Foolish Virgins)
      • Occurrence #2 of key word apantêsis : Acts 28:15 (Paul's arrival in Rome)
      • Occurrence #3 of key word apantêsis : 1 Thess 4:17
    • "to meet the Lord in the air" means that the persecuted church plays the privileged role of being the delegation party that meets the descending Christ in the air and then, rather than go with Jesus to heaven for seven years (so Dispensationalists), escorts him to earth where Christ rules over the restored creation.


"Interpret scripture with scripture"

Matthew 24:37-41

37 As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. 38 For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark; 39 and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. 40 Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other left. 41 Two women will be grinding with a hand mill; one will be taken and the other left.

(Parallel version: Luke 17:26-35)

Context is king!

In Noah's day:

  • Those taken away (i.e. "raptured") = unbelievers who perish in flood
  • Those who remain (i.e. not "raptured") = Noah & his family who live
  • Conclusion: I want to be 'left behind'!


In the coming of Son of Man:

  • "That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. Two men will be in the field; one will be taken [away in judgment like unbelievers in Noah's day] and the other left [behind to live like Noah and his family]. Two women will be grinding with a hand mill; one will be taken [away in judgment] and the other left [behind to live]"


Q: The Rapture: A Biblical Truth or Mistaken Teaching?

  • Yes, the Bible teaches that the church will be joined or "raptured" to Christ at his return such that there is a separation between believers and unbelievers.
  • No, the Bible does not teach that there will be a sudden disappearance or "rapture" of the church to heaven for seven years after which it returns to earth with Christ to participate in his 1000 year millennial reign.


Last modified: Tuesday, August 7, 2018, 10:34 AM