Where does the teaching about the rapture come from?
The rapture is taught in the Apostle Paul's writings, particularly 1 Corinthians 15, where he unveils a mystery. This truth is a Church Age phenomenon, with no hint in the Old Testament, Gospels, or Acts; Paul alone writes concerning the Church, so the doctrine comes from his epistles.
Les explains that 1 Corinthians 15 deals with resurrection, and Paul uses various allusions and allegories from nature to illustrate resurrection from one state to another. Coming down to verse 51, Paul says, "Behold, I show you a mystery," a secret. Les emphasizes that there is not even the foggiest hint anywhere up through the Old Testament, all through the Gospels, into the Book of Acts, of a group of people who are going to be alive and suddenly taken off the scene, which we call the rapture. The reason is that it is a Church Age phenomenon, and only one writer in Scripture writes concerning the Church—the Apostle Paul. Therefore, from this man's writing we get the teaching concerning the Church, which is the rapture. It is a Church Age doctrine.