The Rapture: Is it Really Biblical? (Part: 2)

"And to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come."

(1 Thessalonians 1: 10, KJV)

 

In yesterday's blog we looked at John 14: 1-3 and 1 Corinthians 15: 51-53. Today we are going to look at 1 Thessalonians 1: 10; 2: 19; 4: 13-18; 5: 9, 23. No doubt, these Thessalonian passages are perhaps the most popular verses used by dispensationalists to support their doctrine on the Rapture, especially chapter 4: 13-18. So let us look at these passages from this First Epistle to the Thessalonians and see whether they refer to the teaching on the Rapture. 

1 Thessalonians 1: 10. After reading the entire chapter, it becomes apparent that the Rapture is not in view here. There are two parts of this verse I want to focus on as follows: (1.) "And to wait for his Son from heaven"; (2.) "Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come." The first part, "to wait for his son" is usually automatically assumed by advocates of Dispensationalists as referring to the Rapture. But there is nothing in this chapter that even hints at this. The chapter refers to the power of the Gospel.  

 "Which delivered us from the wrath to come: if we read the word as our translation hath it, delivered, it looks to what Christ hath already done and suffered for our deliverance. If in the present tense, as the Greek now hath it, it implies a continued act: he is delivering us from the wrath to come, either by his intercession, or by supplies of his grace delivering us from the power of sin and temptations, and so preserving us in a state of salvation. Or if we read the word in the future tense, who will deliver us, as we often find the present tense both in the Hebrew and Greek to have a future signification, it refers to his last coming; and therefore the saints need not be afraid of the terror of that day, but wait for it; for though the wrath to come is greater than ever yet brake forth in the world, Ro 2:5, yet a drop of it shall not fall upon them. Though they may meet with temporal afflictions and chastisements at present, and may be assaulted by the wrath of men, yet they shall be free from the wrath to come. And this will be done by a powerful rescue of Christ, as the word imports, ruomenon, notwithstanding all the danger and difficulty that may attend it."[1] 

1 Thessalonians 2: 19. The verse reads as follows, “For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Are not even ye in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at his coming?” (To be Continued...)

---

[1] Matthew Poole, Matthew Poole's Commentary, (Power Bible CD, 5.2).