End Time Prophecy Series: The Rapture – to be or not to be?

A Jesuit Priest came up with the view that there would be a rapture, but in 1792 to 1834 Edward Irving brought it to the forefront after a young woman in the congregation had a vision of the Lord’s return. In March 1830, Margaret McDonald had a vision where she saw the glorious Second Coming of Christ during one of his church services. She also saw “another” coming of Christ—a special coming, a secret coming in which Christ would come and rapture away those who were truly ready and looking for His return. Her vision revealed that those left behind would experience a horrendous tribulation period.

John Nelson Darby, an Englishman 1800-1882, was a prolific writer and became an avid follower of Edward Irving’s teaching. One of his early admirers and students was Scofield. Scofield eventually added this teaching to his Scofield Reference Bible. Since then, the rapture teaching has become widespread and is adopted by many Bible schools and students today.
The problem with this story is that people believe the vision and teaching are false without truly studying scripture.

What does scripture say? The TRUTH is that the original Greek texts in 1 Thessalonians 4:17 uses the Greek word “Harpazo”. Greek Scholars translated “harpazo” to the phrase, “caught up”. Scripture was also translated into Latin. The Greek translation from “Harpazo” to Latin is “rapturo”. We anglicised the Latin to English, and that’s how we get the word “rapture”. So, the story of Margaret McDonald’s vision is about the “Harpazo” effect, what we call “the rapture” today. It’s also not the only vision received about the rapture or the second coming of Christ. Even little children today, who receive so easily from the Spirit of God, have said, Jesus is coming soon.

I Thessalonians 4:16 and 17 says, For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus, we shall always be with the Lord.

The rapture is a “relocation event” of the Church, followers of Jesus Christ who worship in Spirit and Truth.