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Harpazo:
The Scriptural Concept of Rapture
"Then we which are alive and remain
shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the LORD in the air:
and so shall we ever be with the LORD"
(1Thessalonians 4:17).
by Tom Stewart
Preface
arpazo (har-pad'-zo)
is the Greek word which the New Testament translators have rendered as "caught up".
"I knew a man in Christ above fourteen
years ago, (whether in the body, I cannot tell; or whether out of the body, I cannot
tell: God knoweth;) such an one caught up
[Greek, harpazo]
to the Third Heaven" (2Corinthians
12:2). "Rapture" is taken from an
obsolete French word, which means "abduction" or "to carry
off". Though Greek scholars may refrain from using "rapture" to translate
"harpazo", it is not a wresting of Scripture for the honest Christian to
see the connection between the two. "According
to your faith be it unto you" (Matthew 9:29).
Some Background
any honest-hearted Saints have never read Hal Lindsay's
popular paperback, "The Late Great Planet Earth" (1970), never have listened
to a Bible teacher expound from J. Dwight Pentecost's study in Biblical Eschatology,
"Things to Come" (1958), or have never examined a copy of Dave Hunt's more
contemporary paperback, "Global Peace and the Rise of Antichrist" (1990),
but the "rapture" word has found it's way into the popular vocabulary of
Professed Evangelical Christianity. "After
this I looked, and, behold, a Door was opened in Heaven: and the First Voice which
I heard was as it were of a Trumpet talking with me; which said, Come Up Hither,
and I will shew thee things which must be hereafter"
(Revelation 4:1).
Even the dictionary suggests that "rapture" may be defined as the "transporting of a person from one place to another,
especially to Heaven" (from
the American Heritage Dictionary). "And they heard a Great Voice from Heaven saying unto
them, Come Up Hither. And they ascended up to Heaven in a cloud; and their enemies
beheld them" (11:12).
It should not surprise even the newest searcher of Bible Prophecy, that even those
who believe in a Rapture, have many and various positions as to the timing of the
event, i.e., Pre-Tribulational Rapture, Mid-Tribulational Rapture, Pre-Wrath Rapture,
Post-Tribulational Rapture, etc. Differences also exist as to the subjects of the
Rapture (who will be raptured), i.e., anyone who has been Born Again (backslidden
or not), or only those who are walking in obedience. Some even believe that there
will be more than one Rapture. Though it may seem laughable to skeptics to note such
a variety of Rapture positions, the LORD inspired the Apostle Paul to record that
the integrity of our faith is based upon what we have been persuaded is true. "One man esteemeth
one day above another: another esteemeth every day alike. Let every man be fully
persuaded in his own mind" (Romans 14:5). And, the integrity of our faith is vital to our very Christian
existence, as witnessed by Abraham's believing of God to give him a promised son
in his old age. "And being fully persuaded
that, what He had promised, He was able also to perform" (4:21).
Nearly 50 years ago, J. Dwight Pentecost wrote:
"The thing that hath been, it is that which
shall be; and that which is done is that which shall be done: and there is no new
thing under the sun" (Ecclesiastes
1:9).
Harpazo: Caught Up
ithout debating the timing of the Rapture, the subjects
of the Rapture, or the number of Raptures... the Scripture is unequivocal about the
concept of the Rapture. "16 For the LORD Himself shall descend from Heaven with a shout, with
the voice of the archangel, and with the Trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall
rise first: 17
Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up [Greek, harpazo] together with them in the clouds, to meet the LORD in the
air: and so shall we ever be with the LORD"
(1Thessalonians 4:16-17).
This reference to the Resurrection of the Just is found in conjunction with a definite
Rapture event. In addition to this reference, the Apostle Paul mentions his experience
of being "caught
up [Greek,
harpazo] into Paradise, and heard unspeakable
words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter"
(2Corinthians 12:4),
using the word "harpazo" twice (12:2, 4). Also, "harpazo" is translated "caught up" in the Revelation,
when describing the Ascension of the LORD Jesus Christ back into Heaven after His
Resurrection. "And she brought forth a
Man Child, Who was to rule all nations with a Rod of Iron: and her Child was caught
up [Greek, harpazo] unto God, and to His Throne"
(Revelation 12:5).
Harpazo: A Word Study
n addition to the four times that "harpazo"
is translated as "caught up" (in the King James
Version), there are nine other verses in which the Greek word "harpazo"
is found in the New Testament. The LORD Jesus used "harpazo" to describe
the ministry of John the Baptist. Even while in prison, Jesus compared the ministry
of John the Baptist as godly "violence", and John
as "violent" with his ministry
of "force".
"And from the days of John the Baptist
until now the Kingdom of Heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it
by force [Greek, harpazo]" (Matthew 11:12). Seizing something
by force is part of the meaning of "harpazo". It does mean that
the LORD will forcibly take His people Home, whether they know, have been taught,
understand, or even honestly-but-ignorantly disagree with the Rapture concept. "But that on
the good ground are they, which in an honest and good heart, having heard
the Word, keep it, and bring forth fruit with patience" (Luke 8:15).
In the Parable of the Sower (Matthew 13:1-23), the LORD described the Seed, which is the "Word of the
Kingdom" (13:19), i.e., the Word of God, falling into four kinds of ground:
Describing the vast majority who "heareth the Word of
the Kingdom, and understandeth it not"
(13:19), Satan "catcheth
away [Greek, harpazo] that which was sown in his heart"
(Matthew 13:19). The events surrounding the
Rapture are by stealth to the ungodly, i.e., the "Day
of the LORD so cometh as a thief in the night"
(1Thessalonians 5:2),
but not to the Godly. "But ye, brethren,
are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief" (5:4).
"Harpazo" is used to describe the great multitudes of people who were ready
to "come and take Him [Jesus] by force [Greek, harpazo],
to make Him a king" (John
6:15). Though they had the base design of wanting
to force Jesus to be their benefactor for selfish reasons, it does remind us that
the LORD will take His own by force for His own pleasure. "Thou
art worthy, O LORD, to receive glory and honour and power: for Thou hast created
all things, and for Thy pleasure they are and were created" (Revelation 4:11). It is the pleasure of our King to rapture His people,
that "where [King Jesus is], there ye may be also"
(John 14:3).
The Good Shepherd teaches us that He cares for us as His
sheep. "I am the Good Shepherd: the Good
Shepherd giveth His life for the sheep"
(John 10:11).
Compare the LORD Jesus Christ as the Good Shepherd to the Antichrist as an "hireling" (10:12). "But he that is an hireling [Antichrist], and
not the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, seeth the wolf [Satan] coming, and leaveth the sheep,
and fleeth: and the wolf catcheth [Greek,
harpazo] them,
and scattereth the sheep" (10:12). Again, Satan will catch those who "received
not the love of the Truth" (2Thessalonians 2:10), and
these will "be
damned who believed not the Truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness" (2:12).
Continuing with His analogy of Shepherd and sheep, Jesus assures us that no one is
capable of seizing us by force out of His hand. "28 And I give unto
them Eternal Life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck [Greek, harpazo]
them out of My hand. 29 My Father, which gave them
Me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck [Greek, harpazo] them out
of My Father's hand" (John
10:28-29). In this instance, it is with great
relief that we are not snatched away-- by Satan. "The
Name of the LORD is a Strong Tower: the righteous runneth into it, and is safe" (Proverbs 18:10).
Philip the Evangelist was directed by the angel of the LORD to go to Gaza. He met
an Ethiopian, who was a chief officer of Queen Candace, reading Isaiah 53. "6 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every
one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on Him the iniquity of us all. 7 He was oppressed,
and He was afflicted, yet He opened not His mouth: He is brought as a lamb to the
slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so He openeth not His mouth"
(Isaiah 53:6-7).
Expounding these Scriptures concerning Jesus the Messiah, the Ethiopian eunuch believed,
and was baptized. "And
when they were come up out of the water, the Spirit of the LORD caught away [Greek, harpazo]
Philip, that the eunuch saw him no more: and he went on his way rejoicing" (Acts 8:39). In this instance, Philip was caught away to other earthly employments.
About twenty years later, the Apostle Paul stayed over at Philip's house in Caesarea (21:8). But, to be caught
away by the LORD means to be repositioned for higher service-- Earthly or Heavenly.
When Brother Paul was seized by the Romans in Jerusalem, he had an audience before
the Sanhedrin of the Jews. There he attempted to make a defense of the LORD, as well
as himself. "And Paul, earnestly beholding
the council, said, Men and brethren, I have lived in all good conscience before God
until this day" (Acts 23:1). They demonstrated that they were in no mood to listen by ordering
him to be struck on the mouth, i.e., "And
the high priest Ananias commanded them that stood by him to smite him on the mouth" (23:2). Paul, then, acted
as the LORD Jesus taught. "Behold, I send
you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and
harmless as doves" (Matthew
10:16). He divided the Sadducees from the Pharisees
in the Sanhedrin by bringing up an issue on which the two disagreed, i.e., "Men and brethren,
I am a Pharisee, the son of a Pharisee: of the hope and resurrection of the dead
I am called in question" (23:6). The resulting division
between the Pharisees and Sadducees, allowed him to be extracted by the chief captain
of the Romans. "And
when there arose a great dissension, the chief captain, fearing lest Paul should
have been pulled in pieces of them, commanded the soldiers to go down, and to take
him by force [Greek, harpazo] from among them, and to bring him into the castle" (Acts 23:10). In the same way, the LORD will rapture us with a strong arm from
our enemies. "For in the time of trouble
He shall hide me in His pavilion: in the secret of His Tabernacle shall He hide me;
He shall set me up upon a Rock" (Psalm 27:5).
The Epistle of Jude offers us a final glimpse at this Greek word "harpazo".
"And others save with fear, pulling [Greek, harpazo]
them out of the fire; hating even the garment
spotted by the flesh" (Jude 23). An emergency rescue worker pulls people out of the fire, while
attempting to keep himself from also being injured. Christians have the same ministry,
but towards those who are spiritually lost. "For
the Son of Man is come to seek and to save that which was lost" (Luke 19:10). This depicts
to us a ministry that pulls sinners from the error of their sins. "Let him know, that he
which converteth the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death,
and shall hide a multitude of sins" (James 5:20). But, it also
recognizes the great danger of the rescuer to be harmed by the contagion of the sinner's
sin, as well as the "sin
which doth so easily beset us" (Hebrews 12:1). "But I keep
under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have
preached to others, I myself should be a castaway"
(1Corinthians 9:27).
So, the LORD has a "mighty
arm: strong is [His] hand, and high is [His] right hand" (Psalm 89:13) to pull [harpazo]
us out of this world with the strength of Omnipotence.
Conclusion
he Apostle Paul's first epistle to the Thessalonians
assures us that there will be a Rapture, and his first epistle to the Corinthians
reiterates that thought. "51 Behold, I shew
you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, 52 In a moment, in
the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the
dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed" (1Corinthians 15:51-52). Debates may rage as to the timing, the subjects, or even
the number of Raptures, but the Scripture is clear that the Rapture is not a machination
of modern Bible Eschatology. "13 But I would not
have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow
not, even as others which have no hope. 14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even
so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with Him. 15 For this we say unto you
by the Word of the LORD, that we which are alive and remain unto the Coming of the
LORD shall not prevent [literally, precede]
them which are asleep. 16 For the LORD Himself shall
descend from Heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the Trump
of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: 17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together
with them in the clouds, to meet the LORD in the air: and so shall we ever be with
the LORD. 18
Wherefore comfort one another with these Words"
(1Thessalonians 4:13-18).
Until the Harpazo, Maranatha!
.
Also Read:
The Character
of God Is Revealed in the Rapture ---New
Window
Must There Be a Pre-Tribulational
Rapture? ---New Window
Or, Taking Away the Restraining Influence
Why Will
There Be a Tribulation? ---New Window
Section Index for Prophecy
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