The rapture (harpazo in the Greek text) means "to seize, to carry off by force, to snatch away" is perhaps the most talked about of all Biblical prophecies today. The idea of large numbers of people being "snatched away", often portrayed as shooting up into the air, or simply vanishing, is an headline grabber for sure. However the scriptures seem to indicate that there won't be many who get to experience the harpazo/rapture, and a prime reason for that is the coming apostasia, or "falling away, defection". These two ideas are intimately linked in scripture, and that is what we will look at in this article.
While the timing of the rapture is assumed by many thanks to the monumental success of books and movies based on the "Left Behind" series of Tim LaHaye, or the earlier "Pre-tribulation" interpretations of the popular Christian writer Hal Lindsey, we will see in another article that they have assumed quite incorrectly that the rapture could happen at any moment. It cannot.
The purpose of prophecies is to prove the power and glory of God, usually by His predictions coming true under the most amazing and unlikely circumstances. God insists that all of His prophecies must be fulfilled, and some of these remain before the rapture can occur.
Let's look at two that are clearly defined by Paul in 2 Thessalonians 2:1-4. Here Paul is writing to the Thessalonian church, who he had only roughly three weeks to work with before he was chased out of town by the Jews who constantly seemed to pursue Paul. In these verses, Paul is telling the Thessalonian church that two things must occur before Jesus Christ will return and claim His rightful throne, the Throne of David, and rule over Jerusalem and the whole earth. (1Kings 2:45, 9:5, Isaiah 9:7, Luke 1:32)
The two historical markers of the soon return of Jesus Christ is the revealing of the "man of sin" (the Antichrist) and the Great Apostasy. The first is clearly stated to happen midway through the final seven year period of this age. (Read Daniel 9:24-27.) The man of sin, we are told (Daniel 9:27, Matthew 24:15), will reveal himself 3 and 1/2 years into the final seven year period of prophetic history. The Great Apostasy will also occur at this time. As you can see from the definition of this word (Taken from Strong's and Thayer's Greek definitions), this apostasy means a betrayal, a mass migration of those who called themselves Christians departing from the faith and following the false Christ.
Many struggle with this idea because of an extremely simplistic idea of "eternal salvation". I believer your salvation is secure if you are willing to live, suffer and die for the Lord Jesus Christ. However, many today who call themselves Christians will prove, when the intense persecution (tribulation) of the last days comes, that they are not willing to give their lives for the Savior. In Revelation 12:11 we are told that believer overcome the Antichrist through three things. The blood of the Lamb (AMEN), their testimony, and that they loved not their lives unto death. If anyone is not willing to die for Jesus Christ, I dare say they are not worthy of the Kingdom of God.
Just a side note on this. Do folks really think that everyone that attends their church is willing to die for their faith? It is something to consider.
If we read a bit further in 2 Thessalonians 2 we see that the Antichrist is aided in his short-lived charade by a power, signs, lying wonders, (vs. 9) deceivableness, unrighteousness, (vs. 10) and finally a strong delusion (vs. 11)". This supernatural revelation and power will aid the Antichrist in accomplishing the Apostasy, the turning away of many who formerly professed faith in Jesus Christ.
Daniel 9:27 points out that these two events happen three and one half years into the final seven year period of this age. Let me add here that the end of the age is NOT, NOT THE END OF THE WORLD. It is the end of one period of history (rule of the Gentiles) and beginning of another (rule of Jesus Christ in His thousand year kingdom, the Millenial Kingdom, see Revelation 20:2-4).
The rapture/snatching away is accomplished by God's angels as stated in Matthew 24:31. They will come and gather all of the Lord's elect to Him. That is, those who survive the horrors that effect the whole world (the first six seals opened in Revelation 6) and the great persecution mentioned in Matthew 24:9-13, 21-22.
So, the rapture is a real event executed by God's angels (Psalm 50:5, Matthew 13:39, 24:31). It will occur sometime after the revelation of the Antichrist in the rebuilt Temple in Jerusalem (Daniel 9:27) and the following Great Apostasy (2 Thessalonians 2:1-4). As we read in Matthew 24:29-31 it will occur in conjunction with the "Day of the Lord" wrath which will be released on the unrepentant who remain on earth.
Believers in Jesus Christ are promised deliverance from God's wrath on the unrepentant world (1 Thessalonians 5:9), and the rapture is that deliverance for those believers who remain alive before the return of Jesus Christ in all of His power and glory.