Which portion of Revelation is the Rapture?
We must take into serious consideration that none of the original apostolic fathers who planted the New Testament church believed nor taught on the doctrine of the Pre-tribulation Rapture.
Pre-tribulation rapture theology originated in the eighteenth century, with the Puritan preachers Increase and Cotton Mather, and was popularized extensively in the 1830s by John Nelson Darby and the Plymouth Brethren, and further in the United States by the wide circulation of the Scofield Reference Bible in the early 20th century. Some, including Grant Jeffrey, maintain that an earlier document called Ephraem or Pseudo-Ephraem already supported a pre-tribulation rapture. (Wikipedia)
Jesus will take away the faithful followers on earth, who patiently
waited for His return.
The Bible does not sustain the theme of Christians being taken away or flying out of the earth. The Bible maintains that the role of the Christian is to bring the Kingdom of Heaven to the earth with our hearts (intentions and motives) and minds (our mindsets or culture) for the purpose of restoration. Jesus is seeking for believers who have his mind, his nature, the fruit of the spirit, his character, his function (High Priests). This is the reason we must be transformed in our minds, this is not an option for the Christian believer.
Jesus has already prophesied about us, we simply need to prepare and believe that he will do through us everything he promised.
John 14:12 Berean Study Bible
Truly, truly, I tell you, whoever believes in Me will also do the
works that I am doing. He will do even greater things than these
because I am going to the Father.
Ephesians 4:21-23 Berean Study Bible
Surely you heard of Him and were taught in Him, in keeping with the
truth that is in Jesus, to put off your former way of life, your old
self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be renewed
in the spirit of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be
like God in true righteousness and holiness.
In Noah's story, the wicked were taken away or destroyed, the righteous remained or were left behind. We need to be on the earth to rule with the nature of Christ.
We, the saints, have a mandate of restoring the earth. Jesus will not physically return to a miserable church. He will return for spiritual sons, a first-born priesthood who is bringing the redemption of all things.
Acts 3:21 Berean Study Bible
Heaven must take Him in until the time comes for the restoration of
all things, which God announced long ago through His holy prophets.
Luke 17:20 "Berean Study Bible -
The Kingdom is unseen. The kingdom is gradually revealed in the heart
of believers.
When asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, Jesus replied, “The kingdom of God will not come with observable signs."
In the end, the Kingdom will fully manifest and every human will see it with the naked eye.
Habakkuk 2:14 Berean Study Bible
For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the
LORD as the waters cover the sea.
Numbers 14:21 Berean Study Bible
"Yet as surely as I live and as surely as the whole earth is filled
with the glory of the LORD,
John 3: 30 (NKJV) - The Kingdom of Heaven and the nature of Christ grows internally
"He (Jesus) must increase, but I must decrease (thoughts that do not
align with the Kingdom of Heaven and the nature of Christ)."
Philippians 2:5 Berean Literal Bible -
The mind of Christ is the culture of the Kingdom of Heaven
"Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus
1 Corinthians 2:16 Berean Study Bible
“For who has known the mind of the Lord, so as to instruct Him?” But
we have the mind of Christ.
1 Thessalonians 4:17 KJV+
Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with
them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever
be with the Lord.
What about caught up?
CAUGHT UP: G726 - ἁρπάζω - Harpazō - From a derivative of G138; to seize (in various applications): - catch (away, up), pluck, pull, take (by force).
G138 - αἱρέομαι - Aihreomai - Probably akin to G142; to take for oneself, that is, to prefer. Some of the forms are borrowed from a cognate (ἕλλομαι hellomai), which is otherwise obsolete: - choose. Some of the forms are borrowed from a cognate hellomai, hel-lom-ahee; which is otherwise obsolete.
G142 - αἴρω - Airō - A primary verb; to lift; by implication to take up or away; figuratively to raise (the voice), keep in suspense (the mind); specifically to sail away (that is, weigh anchor); by Hebraism (compare [H5375]) to expiate sin: - away with, bear (up), carry, lift up, loose, make to doubt, put away, remove, take (away, up).
MEET: G529 - ἀπάντησις - Apantēsis - From G528; a (friendly) encounter: - meet.
G528 - ἀπαντάω - Apantaō - From G575 and a derivative of G473; to meet away, that is, encounter: - meet.
AIR: G109 - ἀήρ - Aēr - From ἄημι aēmi (to breathe unconsciously, that is, respire; by analogy to blow); “air” (as naturally circumambient): - air. Compare G5594.
MEET IN THE AIR: The purpose of being renewed in our minds is to escort Jesus-Christ to the earth with our Christlikeness or heavenly Divine mindset.
Your question “and the rider on the white horse (Rev 19)."
Revelation 19:11-16 (NKJV)
- Christ on a White Horse - We will conduct the grape harvest with Jesus Now I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse. And He who
sat on him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness, He
judges and makes war. His eyes were like a flame of fire, and on His
head were many crowns. He had a name written that no one knew except
Himself. He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is
called The Word of God. And the armies in heaven, clothed in fine
linen, white and clean, followed Him on white horses. Now out of His
mouth goes a sharp sword, that with it He should strike the nations.
And He Himself will rule them with a rod of iron. He Himself treads
the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. And He has
on His robe and on His thigh a name written:
“a robe dipped in blood” the blood of the Word of God speaks of His DNA in us. Joseph’s prophecy comes to pass.
Genesis 37:31 Berean Study Bible
Then they took Joseph’s robe, slaughtered a young goat, and dipped the
robe in its blood.
“followed Him on white horses” the forerunners of the Kingdom. The prophecy of Zechariah 14:20 comes to pass
Berean Study Bible
On that day, HOLY TO THE LORD will be inscribed on the bells of the
horses, and the cooking pots in the house of the LORD will be like the
sprinkling basins before the altar.
“He Himself treads the winepress” the grape harvest. The prophecy of Genesis 49:11 and Isaiah 63 come to pass.
Genesis 49:11 Berean Study Bible
He ties his donkey to the vine, his colt to the choicest branch. He
washes his garments in wine, his robes in the blood of grapes.
Which part of Apostle John’s vision is interpreted as the Rapture?
Revelation 4:1-5 (NKJV) - The Throne Room of Heaven - Catching Away
After these things I looked, and behold, a door standing open in
heaven. And the first voice which I heard was like a trumpet
speaking with me, saying, “Come up here, and I will show you things
which must take place after this.”
Immediately I was in the Spirit; and behold, a throne set in heaven,
and One sat on the throne. And He who sat there was like a jasper and
a sardius stone in appearance; and there was a rainbow around the
throne, in appearance like an emerald. Around the throne were
twenty-four thrones, and on the thrones, I saw twenty-four elders
sitting, clothed in white [b]robes; and they had crowns of gold on
their heads. And from the throne proceeded lightnings, thunderings,
and voices. Seven lamps of fire were burning before the throne, which
are the seven Spirits of God.
Revelation 5:1-7 (NKJV) The Lamb Takes the Scroll
And I saw in the right hand of Him who sat on the throne a scroll
written inside and on the back, sealed with seven seals. Then I saw a
strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, “Who is worthy to open the
scroll and to loosen its seals?” And no one in heaven or on the earth
or under the earth was able to open the scroll or to look at it.
So I wept much because no one was found worthy to open and read the
scroll, or to look at it. But one of the elders said to me, “Do not
weep. Behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has
prevailed to open the scroll and to loose its seven seals.”
And I looked, and behold, in the midst of the throne and of the four living creatures, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as
though it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are
the seven Spirits of God sent out into all the earth. Then He came and
took the scroll out of the right hand of Him who sat on the throne.
Revelation 12:4-8 (NKJV) - The Man-Child or believers with the fullness of the nature of Christ are caught up
His tail drew a third of the stars of heaven and threw them to the
earth. And the dragon stood before the woman who was ready to give
birth, to devour her Child as soon as it was born. She bore a male
Child who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron. And her Child
was caught up to God and His throne. Then the woman fled into the
wilderness, where she has a place prepared by God, that they should
feed her there one thousand two hundred and sixty days.
As a commentary:
"Elijah shall first come to seal the beloved ones."
Commodianus 240 AD, ANF 4:211
We must first take into account that Jesus the lamb of God (G286 - amnos - Singular) is not mentioned in the book of Revelation whatsoever. Only the word (arnion) is mentioned in the book of Revelation, the lambs of God or a collective group of believers (G 721 - arnion - Plural).
John 21:15 - Blue Letter Bible
So when they had dined, Jesus saith to Simon Peter, Simon, son of
Jonas, lovest thou me more than these? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord;
thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my lambs. G721
These two links from the Blue Letter Bible provide all verses with the lambs of God "Arnion":
http://www.blbclassic.org/lang/lexicon/lexicon.cfm?Strongs=G721&t=KJV&sstr=0
http://www.blbclassic.org/lang/lexicon/lexicon.cfm?strongs=G721&t=KJV&page=2
The lamb G721 arnion is the Elijah company who prepare the church to receive the fullness of God’s glory. The spirit and the mantle of Elijah will seal believers who have prepared their souls for the glory of God.
"a Lamb standing on Mount Zion", the arnion (the Elijahs collective group of believers). These are the ones who harvest the 144,000 (a metaphorical number, there will be more than this number, 12 x 12 = 144 speaks of God’s Kingdom of Heaven structure).
Revelation 14:1-5 (NKJV) - The Lamb and the 144,000
It is clear that the Elijah harvests the 144,000 in Revelation 14.
Then I looked, and behold, a Lamb standing on Mount Zion, and with Him
one hundred and forty-four thousand, having His Father’s name written
on their foreheads. And I heard a voice from heaven, like the voice of
many waters, and like the voice of loud thunder. And I heard the sound
of harpists playing their harps. They sang as it were a new song
before the throne, before the four living creatures, and the elders;
and no one could learn that song except the hundred and forty-four
thousand who were redeemed from the earth. These are the ones who were
not defiled with women, for they are virgins. These are the ones who
follow the Lamb wherever He goes. These were redeemed from among
men, being first-fruits to God and to the Lamb. And in their mouth
was found no deceit, for they are without fault before the throne of
God.
Scholarly Inquiry
I’m interested to know whether there have been studies by scholars on
the Book of Revelation in order to find the concept of the Rapture.
You can study the book of Revelation from the writings and teachings of the original Apostolic Fathers who established the New Testament church. You will not find the Rapture theology within their teachings.
Victorinus on the Apocalypse is a great study. Hippolytus is also very good. Origen Adamantius "Man of Steel" has some awesome eschatological teachings. There are also some great commentaries from Matthew Henry.
