Here is my paper on the rapture from the last class, Foundations of Biblical Eschatology II:

The Rapture of the Saints based on the Olivet Discourse

 

        The question is  posed, simply, what is the most complete eschatological passage in scripture?  Where is a thorough, somewhat detailed outline of eschatological events in one plain context?  The  epitome  of end of the age teaching can be found in the Olivet Discourse – Mark 13, Matthew 24, and Luke 21.  In this short discourse, no one other than the Lord Himself outlines what will occur before, during, and after His coming.  It is this Divine outline, with it’s plain chronological sequence, that we can use in crafting all understanding of Eschatology.  Even further, when defining and ascertaining the doctrine of “rapture”, one must only look at these passages to gain a plain understanding.

            Throughout the entire discourse, Jesus provides a profound sequence of events.  He prophetically predicts near events as well as further.  Reading the passage, one finds numerous chronological words; then, after, first, those days, etc.  He provides a clear sketch of coming events.  He outlines specifically what will happen at the end of the age and the details surrounding His coming.  It all comes to a climax, however, in verse 24 of Mark 13 when He explicitly explains His return, what it will look like, and what will happen to believers.  Verse 27 details what will become of us.

            “And then He will send out the angels and gather His elect from the four winds, from the   ends of the earth to the ends of heaven.” (Mark 13:27 ESV)

            As stated previously, the Olivet Discourse provides the Lord’s very crafting and understanding of “the rapture”.  The concept of rapture comes to us from 1 Thessalonians 4:17, when Paul comforts the Thessalonians with the coming day when all who “are alive, who are left, will be caught up (harpazō)”.  The word rapture originating from the Greek harpazō.

            In the Olivet Discourse, Jesus identifies the time and essence of the rapture.  In Mark 13:24, He sets His entire coming and the ramifications for believers in the context of the tribulation, “after that tribulation“.  So the entire 24-27 passage is conducted after the tribulation, then major cosmic and seismic disturbances (vs. 24-25), and then the actual, visible coming of Jesus (vs. 26).  It’s important to take note that He sets obvious, visible, and clear details to His coming.  In no other passage, at all, can one find mention of more than one coming.  Jesus, alive and walking the earth during His first coming, explains and gives vibrant details concerning His return.  Verse 24 presents a darkened atmosphere (the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light).  Verse 26 describes His coming from the perspective of the earth (And then they will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory).  This is not a secret, invisible coming or reign.  This is up-front, obvious in real time and space. 

            “There is your rapture of the faithful who endure to the end!… Notice the timing of when the elect of God are gathered together, from one end of the sky to the other:  not until after the Abomination of Desolation is seen standing in the holy place, after the great persecution by Antichrist has been initiated against the saints of God, after many professing Christians fall away and lose their love for Christ, after two back-to-back signs have been displayed in the heavens, and after the entire world sees the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky, with power and great glory!”[i]

            It’s during this very real, very actual, very clear coming that He “send[s] out the angels [to] gather His elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of heaven“.  The only difficulty with this plain explanation is the meaning of “elect”.  The only difficulty in interpreting the text is made when scholars, the great majority mind you, insert only Israel into the meaning of “elect”.  For example such a use and solution,  “The regathering of the dispersed Israel is an essential and traditional them of Jewish eschatological hope.  When Jesus touched upon this theme in the context of the eschatological discourse he reinterpreted Israel’s hope in a profound way…The remnant of Israel will recover their lost unity through Jesus… To be gathered by the Son of Man is to participate in the eschatological community and to experience the messianic blessing.”[ii]

                        I say again that the only difficulty in interpreting “the elect” is the hindrance placed by scholars assuming Israel is the elect in this context.  The Greek eklektos is used here, describing those picked out, chosen (chosen by God, to obtain salvation through Christ, the Messiah is called “elect”, as appointed by God to the most exalted office conceivable, choice, select, i.e. the best of its kind or class, excellence preeminent: applied to certain individual Christians)[iii].  The variety of meanings, with a clear mention of gentiles, especially the use of eklektos to refer to those from every tribe, tongue, and language in Revelation 17:14, can only rest the case of its use in this passage.  One can only insert the Jews as elect in this passage to fit a presumptuous theological scheme of eschatology.

                        The rapture of the believers, or the elect, according to Jesus’ outline in the Olivet Discourse is a clear, obvious event following the Great Tribulation, during the second coming of Jesus, and by the Holy Angels unto gathering us to Him as He returns to the Earth.

[i] Van Kampen, Robert.  The Rapture Question Answered. Grand Rapids, Michigan:  Revell, 1997. Page 85

[ii] Lane William L. The New International Commentary on the New Testament:  The Gospel of Mark. Grand Rapids, Michigan:  Wm. B. Eerdmans, 1974. Page 476, 477

[iii] Blue Letter Bible. “Dictionary and Word Search for eklektos (Strong’s 1588)“. Blue Letter Bible. 1996-2009. 8 Apr 2009. < http:// www.blueletterbible.org/lang/lexicon/lexicon.cfm?
Strongs=G1588&t=ESV >

 

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