Q141 : Did Jesus refer to the Rapture in John 11?

Dr Woods,

I've been listening to your presentations on What is the Rapture?^a and When is the Rapture?^b

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe you say that the first mention of the Rapture is 1Th. 1.10 (in reference to escaping the wrath of God). However, might we not conclude that John 11.25-26 is a reference to the Rapture? In this passage, Jesus says that “he who believes in Me will live even if he dies, and everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die...” (NASB - 1995)

I heard Dr. Jack Van Impe express this view a couple of weeks ago during his weekly television broadcast.

A141 : by Andy Woods

I do not believe that the Rapture is in John 11 for the simple reason that the Rapture is a mystery or a unknown truth in previous dispensations. Remember, although Christ's ministry took place in the New Testament, it still transpired under the prior dispensation of the Law (Gal. 4:4). The only resurrection that they knew of in that time period was the resurrection spoken of in Dan. 12:2. The church's resurrection program is not given until the teachings of the Apostle Paul. Christ hinted at the Rapture for the first time in the Upper Room Discourse in John 14:1-4 where he previewed certain truths for the coming church age. Other than these references, the earlier references to the resurrection refer to Dan. 12:2 and not the Rapture.