What does it mean when we talks about, “Being raised from sleep (from the dead)” “To be resurrected;” and to be caught up,” or “Raptured?”
To be raised, then resurrected, and finally to be caught up. Each difference in their meaning.
Each needs to be examined, and put in the context in which it has been framed. Careless interpretations have lead to a misunderstanding of the Biblical message to the Christian community.
What does it me to rise, or be raised from the dead?
The Greek word “To rise,” means to cause to rise up, to raise up, cause to stand, from the dead. It has nothing to do with being caught up, or raptured. In the verses which follow, the word “rise” is used as an intransitive verb, and aorist.
An Intransitive verb, is one which expresses an action, or state that is limited to the agent. In other words, an action that does not pass over to, or operate upon, an object. In the following, Jesus is the agent which causes corpses, which are the object to rise. These corpses can not raise themselves.
Perfect tense, meaning a distinction of time, as doe’s plural perfect,
Aorist, in the Greek is the name given to certain tenses which express an action as completed in past time, but also leave it in other respects totally indeterminate. Verses follow are both intransitive, and aorist.
Jesus being raised from the dead was a separate event from Him being caught up into heaven 40 days later.
In John 10:17, Jesus is speaking of His own life, and of His being raised from the dead. He is His own agent, “No man taketh it (His life) from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again,” meaning that He raised Himself from the grave.
Mark 9:4-9-10, we read how the three apostles were taken to a high mountain. There appeared to them a glorified Christ, with both Moses and Elias, who had been dead for many centuries.
Verse 9, “And as they = (the apostles with Jesus) came down from the mountain, He = (Jesus) charged them that they should tell no man what things they had seen, till the Son of man were risen from the dead. (Jesus is the agent that showed His glorified self to the apostles, and having raised the bodies of both Moses and Elias.) And they = (the apostles) kept that saying with themselves, questioning one with another what the rising from the dead should mean.”
John 20:9, “For as yet they knew not the scripture, that he = (Jesus) must rise again from the dead.”
Acts 17:3, “Opening and alleging = (explaining) that Christ must needs have suffered, and risen again from the dead.”
Matthew 20:19, Jesus is telling the apostles that He shall be delivered, “To the gentiles to mock, and to scourge, and to crucify him: and the third day he shall rise again (He was that agent that raised Himself from death to life).”
Luke 16:31, This is about the rich man, and Lazarus the beggar. Jesus said of the rich man, who was in hell, “If they = (rich man’s family) hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead.” (Jesus was saying that even if He raised Lazarus from the dead no good would come of it).
1 Thessalonians 4:14-16, “For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with Him… For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel = (Jesus descending is the event that will cause the dead to be raised to life), and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise = (Jesus will raise these) first.”
The last two verses speak only of the dead being brought back to life; then they with the living, are caught up, see verse 17. Being raised first, then being caught up in the air to be with the Lord.
What does it mean to be resurrected?
Metonymically, meaning to put one work for another; Jesus the author or cause of the righteous rising up and as a metaphor, Jesus is the author of a better state, of higher prosperity, having put an immortality and eternal happiness,
Luke 2:34, “Simeon — said to Mary —, Behold, this child is set (destined) for the fall and rising again of many in Israel.”
The word “Resurrection” is a noun. It speaks of the revival of the dead, or their return from the grave to life. Unlike “To rise” which points to the agent (Jesus) who is the power behind the raising; resurrection speaks of corpses that are brought back to life, having nothing to do with the raptured.
The resurrected body will be a miraculous work; and represents the same body that is laid in a grave. What changes that will take place to it are not known. But what is known, and found in Scripture, is that it is a change from death to life.
When the Lord Jesus appeared in Judea, the resurrection from the dead was taught as one of the principle articles of the Jewish religion. The people believed this teaching, but the Sadducees rejected it.
Jesus raised, Himself, and then appeared in the same body in which He died. His resurrection is held forth as the model of what is to come for believers. Paul writes in,
Philippians 3:20-21, “We (the saved) look for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto His glorious body.”
The resurrected body will be refashioned, or altered into the same likeness, immortality, and glory, of the Lord Jesus Christ. There is no change in our identity, but of our actions and behavior. After we die, the righteous man’s spirit goes back to the Father from where it originated; this begins to fulfill Jesus pledge concerning our bodily resurrection. This can be seen in:
I Corinthians 15:51-53, Paul writes, “Behold I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep= (die) but we shall all be changed, For this corruptible = (Present body) must put on incorruption = (A new resurrected body), and this mortal must put on immortality.”
Of Individuals Who Have Returned to Life.
1. Hebrews 11:35, “Women received their dead raised to life again.” This verse is a reminder of events which took place in the Old Testament, see the two following verses.
1 Kings 17:22, “And the LORD heard the voice of Elijah; and the soul of the child came into him again, and he (the child) revived.”
2 Kings 4:34, “And he (Elisha) went up, and lay upon the child, and put his mouth upon his mouth, and his eyes upon his eyes, and his hands upon his hands: and he stretched himself upon the child; and the flesh of the child waxed warm (resurrected).”
Concerning Jesus,
Acts 1:22, “Beginning from the baptism of John, unto that same day that He (Jesus) was taken up from us, must one be ordained to be a witness with us of His resurrection.”
3. Acts 2:31, “He seeing this before spake of the resurrection of Christ, that His soul was not left in hell, neither his flesh did see corruption.”
4. Acts 4:33, “And with great power gave the apostles witness of the resurrection
of the Lord Jesus.”
5. Acts 17:18, “He = (Paul) seemed to be a setter = (proclaimer) forth of strange gods: because he preached unto them Jesus, and the resurrection.”
6. Romans 1:4, “And declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the Spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead:”
To be Raptured, or caught up.
The goal of Christian teachers is to communicate the message of the Bible in that it may be understood by all and in every place. This word “Rapture,” seems to be understood by most Christians here and elsewhere in the world, but also by unbelievers, thanks to Hollywood and T.V.
The word does express to be taken by force, but not in every case. It can be used and understood in several ways, depending on context.
Rapture is a Latin word spoken by the ancient Romans in the days of Christ, well before the Catholic Church was established. Latin was a tongue spoken for the most part until modern times. It was taught in major universities through-out Europe; it was the language of the Catholic clergy, and the dominant language of the state in western Europe, its schools, and churches.
In early America schools, because the Scriptures were taught, certain Latin words and phrases were given as an exercise to the children.
Synonyms, for caught up, or raptured up.
To seize upon, to snatch, catch away, rent in pieces, ravening the prey, crave, to take by force, pull out of a fire, pluck out, to rob, plunder, etc. We see this in,
Matthew 11:12, “The violent take it (the kingdom of God,) by force,” meaning certain religious leaders in Jesus’ day were forcefully advancing or endeavoring to establish their own rule. In this they were attempting to take God’s kingdom by force.
When speaking of being caught up, the word force here points to God’s power, His energy, and His strength. To be raptured in no way implies that we have any power or control of this glorious event. Those who are alive and those who have died, will be influenced by God in such a way as to be taken up, or raptured up. Our bodies will be accelerated up from the earth into the air in a moment, at the speed of light.
To be caught up can be found as meaning to carry away, to hurry off, by force involuntarily.
Acts 8:39, “When they (Peter and the Eunuch) were come up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught away Phillip, that the Eunuch saw him no more.”
This is the same concerning the rapture of the church. Once we are taken up, the world that is left behind will see us no more.
Paul wrote,
2 Corinthians 12:2-4, “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 to the third heaven. How that he was caught up unto paradise.”
1 Thessalonians 4:17, “Then we (Christians’) which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them (those who have died in Christ) in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air,” this by the power of the Almighty.
Septuagint for catching away,
Judges 21:21, “If the daughters of Shiloh come out to dance in dances, then come ye out of the vineyards, and catch you every man his wife of the daughters of Shiloh.”
In this was the tribe of Benjamin saved from extinction, so also will the church be saved.
Phil LaSpino www.seekfirstwisdom.com