According to the Bible, the Rapture is the sudden changing and catching up of living believers together with resurrected church-age believers to meet the Lord in the air.
This event is revealed through the Apostle Paul as a mystery in 1 Corinthians 15:51-52 and is described in 1 Thessalonians 4 as believers being "caught up" to meet the Lord. Les Feldick teaches that the Rapture is imminent and could happen at any moment.
1 Corinthians 15:51 — Paul calls the Rapture a mystery that had never before been revealed, showing it is a distinct and secret truth for the Church Age.
1 Thessalonians 4:17 — Describes the moment when living believers and resurrected believers are caught up together to meet the Lord in the air.
The Bible's clearest statement about the Rapture is made by the Apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians 15:51: "Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed." The next verse explains how this will happen: "In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed." Paul connects this same event to 1 Thessalonians 4, where he writes about believers who have died and then says in verse 17: "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." Thus the Bible presents the Rapture as an event in which living believers are suddenly changed and, together with the resurrected dead, meet the Lord in the air.
Les Feldick teaches that the Rapture is a Pauline doctrine — a mystery revealed through the Apostle Paul that is never referred to anywhere else in Scripture. He points to 1 Corinthians 15:51 as the place where Paul says "Behold, I shew you a mystery," and he explains that the mystery is this: one group of believers will not die physically but will be alive when everything comes to a culmination. For Les, the Rapture is the "outcalling" of living believers as well as the resurrection of church-age believers. Les emphasizes that the Rapture has always been an imminent event. Even in Paul's day believers were admonished to be prepared for the Lord's suddenly coming. Today we still do not know when it will happen, and Les says, "I think it could happen before the end of the year." He also connects the Rapture to the completion of the Body of Christ: when the last person is brought into the body, the vessel will be full, and God will take the church out of the way. Regarding terminology, Les notes that the English Bible does not contain the word "rapture," but the German translation does. He points out that Paul's word "caught up" in 1 Thessalonians 4 has the same meaning. He acknowledges the event is hard to comprehend — millions of people suddenly congregating in the atmosphere and going back with Christ into heaven — but says the Book says exactly that, so he believes it even though he cannot envision it.
Les notes that the word "rapture" is not in the English translation of the Bible, though it is in the German translation. He explains that 1 Thessalonians 4 uses the phrase "caught up" and that there are two words that mean the same thing, so the absence of the English word is no reason to dismiss the doctrine.
In 1 Corinthians 15:51 Paul writes, "Behold, I shew you a mystery." Les emphasizes that this means a secret never before revealed. The idea that a group of believers would be alive at the end of the church age and suddenly changed is hinted at nowhere else in Scripture, which makes it a Pauline doctrine and part of the mystery revealed through him.
Les says the Rapture has always been an imminent event — even in Paul's day believers were admonished to be prepared for the Lord's sudden coming. He says we do not know when it will happen, but he thinks it could happen before the end of the year. The timing is also connected to the completion of the Body of Christ: when the last person is brought into the body, the vessel is full, and God will take the church out of the way.
At the last trumpet the dead believers of the church age will be raised incorruptible, and living believers will be changed in a split second. Paul describes this as a fraction of a second — in the twinkling of an eye. Les describes the scene as Christ coming to the atmosphere, the trumpet sounding, the archangel shouting, dead church-age believers being resurrected and going up to meet the Lord in the air, and then living believers following in a split second.
Scripture Basis for the Rapture
Les turns to 1 Corinthians 15 before beginning his teaching on the Rapture, showing that this passage is the biblical starting point.
Imminence and the Believers' Change
Les explains that in a fraction of a second — the twinkling of an eye — dead believers are raised incorruptible and living believers are changed, and he stresses the event has always been imminent.
The Mystery of 1 Corinthians 15:51
Les shows that Paul calls the Rapture a mystery — a secret never before revealed — and that one group of believers will not die physically but will be alive at the culmination.
Outcalling and Resurrection of the Church
Les defines the Rapture as the outcalling of living believers and the resurrection of church-age believers, and he notes not everyone from Adam is resurrected at the same moment.
'Caught Up' — the Same as Rapture
Les acknowledges the English word "rapture" is not in the Bible, but he says Paul's phrase "caught up" in 1 Thessalonians 4 has the same meaning.
Split-Second Departure of Living Believers
Les describes how Christ will come to the atmosphere, the trumpet will sound, the archangel will shout, dead church-age believers will be raised, and living believers will follow in a split second.
Belief Despite Incomprehension
Les says this mystery was revealed to Paul and is no longer a secret; even though the event is hard to comprehend, believers are to believe it because the Book says exactly that.
Completion of the Body Triggers the Departure
Les teaches that when the last person is brought into the Body of Christ, the vessel will be full and God will take the church out of the way.
1 Corinthians 15:51: Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,
Paul introduces the Rapture as a mystery — a secret that had never before been revealed.
1 Corinthians 15:52: In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.
Describes the speed and order of the Rapture: the dead are raised incorruptible and living believers are changed.
1 Thessalonians 4:13: But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.
Paul introduces the same subject to the Thessalonians, speaking about believers who have died.
1 Thessalonians 4:17: 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.
This is the clearest Bible statement that living and resurrected believers are 'caught up' to meet the Lord in the air.
The Rapture is the outcalling of living believers and the resurrection of church-age believers, when they are suddenly changed and caught up together to meet the Lord in the air (1 Corinthians 15:51-52; 1 Thessalonians 4:17).
English Bibles do not contain the word, though the German translation does. Paul uses the phrase "caught up" in 1 Thessalonians 4, which Les says is the same idea.
No. Les stresses that the Rapture is imminent and could happen at any moment — even before the end of the year — but no date has been revealed.
Les says not everyone from Adam will be resurrected at the same time. The Rapture includes the resurrection of church-age believers, while living believers are changed and caught up.
Watch the Teaching: What Happens at the Rapture? 1 Corinthians 15 Explained