"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. 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. Therefore comfort one another with these words."  1 Thessalonians 4:16-18

The Rapture of the Church refers to that time when Jesus is going to come, without warning, and take away His Church, the Body of Christ, from this earth.  Aftr the Rapture, the Lord will pour out His wrath upon this sinful world and all those who remain.

There are those in the church who claim an ignorance of the Rapture, or they say that they are uncertain about it's timing.  I don't believe there is any excuse for not having a position on this issue.  We have God's Word, the Bible, and we're all capable of discerning just what God's Word says.

See John 14:1-3 and 1 Corinthians 15:51-52  -  We know that Jesus promised He would come again for His own, and we know that the Bible teaches that all believers will experience a glorious change when Jesus does return for His Bride. 

It is clear in Scripture that the church will be "caught up" (Raptured) to be with Jesus.  Jesus comes for His church.  This is the first event.  The second event is the Second Coming of Jesus Christ, when he comes with His church to establish His kingdom on this earth.  In order for Jesus to come with His church, He must have come for them prior. 

The Rapture can take place at any time.  I believe it is God's intention that every church age be convinced that they are the last generation, and as such we should live in a constant expectancy of our Lord's return.  There are no prophecies which must be fulfilled prior to the Rapture taking place.

There are many prophecies that must be fulfilled before Jesus can come again in His Second Coming - the Antichrist must be revealed, there must be the 70th Week of Daniel (the Great Tribulation) - but there is nothing that needs to occur prophectically before the Rapture of the church.

Scripture also teaches that the church will be spared the wrath of God which will be poured out during the Tribulation period - see Luke 21:36, 2 Thessalonians 2:7-8, Romans 5:9, 1 Thessalonians 5:9, Romans 1:18.

All throughout the Scriptures, it isn't consistent with the nature of God to judge the righteous with the wicked  - i.e. Lot, Noah, Enoch.

Every believer should be looking for the Lord of heaven to come and remove His church.  Jesus called us to pray that "His Kingdom would come".  The Rapture of the church will be yet another step to the fulfillment of that prayer.  

Until that time, we, the church, must be about the business of the Lord.  We must be bold in the proclamation of the Gospel, and do our part to reach those who are lost.....to reduce the population of hell and those who will experience the wrath of God in the Great Tribulation, and to increase the population of those who will participate in the Rapture of the church. 


For more information about what God's Word says in regards to the Rapture of the Church, please listen to the studies below:

1st Thessalonians Chapter 4 - The Rapture of the Church - Part One posted 5/20/2007

http://biblestudies.aroadinthewilderness.org/2007/05/20/first-thessalonians-chapter-4-the-rapture-part-1.aspx

1st Thessalonians Chapte 4  -  The Rapture of the Church - Part Two posted on 5/27/2007

http://biblestudies.aroadinthewilderness.org/2007/05/27/first-thessalonians-chapter-4-the-rapture-part-2.aspx