HARPOZO

by Hal Warren

The next great event in the prophetic calendar is the coming of Christ for His church.  This event is imminent with no prophecies unfulfilled that would delay His coming.  Traditionally we have called this event “The Rapture” although this word does not appear in most translations of the Bible.  The word rapture comes from the Latin, Rapare, which means to "take away" or "snatch out." The word with the meaning of rapture in the Bible is the Greek word harpozo.  This Greek word harpozo is literally translated “caught up” and has the following meanings: to carry off by force or to rescue from the danger of destruction.

We will examine this word where it occurs in the Bible (in context):

NKJ 1 Thessalonians 4:13 But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope. 14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus.  15 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 by no means precede those who are asleep.  16 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.

In verses 13 and 14 the phrases “fallen asleep” and “sleep in Jesus” are euphemisms for death.  Jesus will return with all of the righteous saints that have died, from Adam to the time of His coming, and will descend into the lower atmosphere of Earth.  His purpose will be to:

• First, resurrect and transform the decayed bodies of those that have already died into perfect glorified bodies. Then reunite these glorified bodies with the spirits of the saints that have come with Him from Heaven (saints referring to all that died from Adam to the time of His coming that have a personal relationship with God the Father through Jesus Christ the Son).

NKJ 1 Corinthians 15:51 Behold, I tell 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 trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.

• Second, transform the bodies of the Saints that are alive at His appearing (those that are alive and have a personal relationship with God the Father through Jesus Christ the Son).

NKJ 1 Corinthians 15:52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.

• Third, draw both of these groups that have glorified bodies to Himself for transportation to Heaven.

NKJ Philippians 3:20 For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, 21 who will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to His glorious body, according to the working by which He is able even to subdue all things to Himself.

NKJ 1 John 3:2 Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.

NAU Colossians 3:4 When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory.

The word “clouds” refers to the great mass of glorified saints so numerous that they have the appearance like unto the cloud that lead Israel by day in the wilderness.  The same word is used in the Greek classics of a large army of foot soldiers.

The catching away or rapture of the church will occur prior to the Great Tribulation based on the following:

• Earlier in the article, the Greek word harpazo’s definition was said to be: “to carry off by force” and “to rescue from the danger of destruction.”  Jesus will carry us off by force when He removes us through the territory of the Prince of the Power of the Air (lower denser atmosphere) who will apparently attempt to interfere with our leaving Earth.  Jesus will rescue us from the danger of destruction by taking us to Heaven prior to the Great Tribulation.

• The book of the Revelation of Jesus Christ is broken up into to the three parts:

NKJ Revelation 1:19 "Write the things which you have seen, and the things which are, and the things which will take place after this.

• The things that you have seen – the Patmos Vision of the Lord Jesus (Chapter 1).
• The things which are – the Church age (Chapters 2 and 3).
• The things that will take place after this – events taking place after the Church age (Chapters 4 – 22).

• The last church age listed in Revelations chapter 3 is the Laodicean age.  The genuine Christians in this church will be kept from the hour of “the testing.”

NKJ Revelation 3:10 "Because you have kept My command to persevere, I also will keep you from the hour of trial which shall come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth.

• NKJ 1 Thessalonians 1:10 and to wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, even Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come.

• NKJ 1 Thessalonians 5:9 For God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ,