In a new video discussing the rapture, Vlad Savchuk explains his take on this end times event and why he believes it will be different than many Christians have been taught.
Savchuk notes that the rapture has been taught by some to be a secret event, where Jesus quietly takes believers away before the world experiences tribulation. This view, he notes, has been shaped by movies or popular preachers, suggesting a hidden disappearance. He says, however, that Scripture presents a very different picture.
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The word “rapture” does not appear in the Bible, but the concept is clear. In 1 Thessalonians 4:17, it says, “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.” 1 Corinthians 15:51-52 also declares, “We shall all be changed in a moment, in a twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet.” Savchuk emphasizes, “It’s going to get really loud. The trumpet will sound…not all of us are going to die. Some people are being raised who were Christians. And then we’re quickly being changed in a twinkling of an eye.”
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The Greek word parousia, often translated as “coming,” describes the visible arrival of a king. Savchuk explains, “In the ancient world, when the king approached the city, the citizens would go out to meet him and escort him with celebration inside the city. That’s the picture Scripture gives us of Jesus’ coming.” Savchuk further affirms, “I believe that the rapture of the church and the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ are the same event.”
According to Savchuk, Revelation 20 further clarifies the timing. The “first resurrection” involves believers who refused the mark of the beast: “Blessed and holy is he who takes part in the first resurrection…they shall be priests of God and of Christ and shall reign with Him for a thousand years.” This, he says, demonstrates that resurrection and rapture happen after tribulation, not before. “There is no resurrection taking place during a rapture…It’s just not in the Bible.”
Savchuk further says, “Pre-tribulation secret rapture is not found in the Bible’s plain teaching…It is clearly not supported by the Bible because the Bible makes it very clear: Jesus’ return will be one. There will be one resurrection of the dead for Christians.”
Scripture also consistently shows God preserves His people within trials rather than removing them. “Noah was preserved during the flood…Lot wasn’t removed from the planet, but he was relocated to safety just before the judgment fell…Rahab was protected while being in the midst of Jericho,” Savchuk says. Similarly, Revelation 3:10 promises that God will keep us safe during trials, not whisk us away: “Because you have kept My command to persevere, I will keep you from the hour of trial.”
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The real hope for believers, the, lies in endurance and the glorious return of Jesus, not in escape. As Savchuk concludes, “Instead of anchoring your hope in escape, let’s anchor our faith in faithfulness to Jesus, no matter what comes, trusting He will return as He promised, once in glory for all to see.”
Abby Trivett is content development editor for Charisma Media.
