29 - Ascension is Rapture

29 - Ascension is Rapture

Author: Exploring Bible Words in Greek and Hebrew May 29, 2025 Duration: 22:26

When you understand Jesus’ Old Testament references, you see that he spoke of end times more than anyone else in the Bible. But Jesus not only spoke of end times, he spoke of rapture, and he not only spoke of rapture, he demonstrated it.

Ascension Day is May 29th this year; it could just as easily be called Rapture Day. The two concepts are synonymous.

Just as Jesus modeled baptism for his church, and just as he was the first to have the spirit fall on him, just like Pentecost, and just like Jesus was the first to model how a Christian should live and how he expected his church to conduct herself, and just like Jesus was the first of his church to be resurrected, so too, Jesus was the first to be raptured. Only we miss it because of the language.

We call it Ascension. Luke called it anapharo. Paul called it harpazo which means to grab, and the Romans called it rapture, which means pretty much the same thing.

It’s a biblical theme. God can “grab” people and God does grab people.

The only difference between ascension and rapture being of course that Jesus left, he wasn’t grabbed. But that’s his prerogative and it doesn’t minimize the picture he meant to leave us with.

But maybe you are thinking that this is false because rapture theology is a recent invention? Well, that’s actually demonstrably false.

Don’t believe me? Let’s explore!

This episode digs deeper into “anephereto” (ἀνεφέρετο meaning ‘carried up’) in Luke 24:51.

Luke 24:51 - And it came to pass, while he blessed them, he was parted from them, and carried up into heaven.” (KJV)

Mentioned:

Lance Ralston’s Church history podcast: www.sanctorum.us

Lance Ralston’s Rapture teaching: www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rha4V9PkHbE&t=183s

Links:

Bammerhab Site: www.bammerhab.com

Bammerhab Substack: bammerhab.substack.com

SDG Morgan’s Substack: sdgmorgan.substack.com

Thanks to:

Aaron Woodard for Graphic Design

Dave Allam of Allam House for advanced audio techniques: sound.allamhouse.com

Bible Hub for Greek / Hebrew hypertext links

• Pixabay for sound effects (h/t jimena contreras & playsound)



This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit bammerhab.substack.com

The journey through ancient texts often hinges on a single, potent term, a concept that loses dimension in translation. Bammerhab-Words from the Word is a quiet, focused excavation of those foundational terms. Each episode is a deep dive into a specific Greek or Hebrew word from scripture, peeling back layers of historical context, cultural nuance, and original meaning. This isn't about rushed readings or surface-level commentary; it's a deliberate unpacking, led by a writer with a scholar's curiosity and a storyteller's touch. You'll hear how a word's usage in everyday ancient life informs its theological weight, discovering connections and insights that typically remain hidden in plain sight. The aim is to enrich personal study and reflection by returning to the source material, offering listeners a more textured, grounded understanding of familiar passages. This podcast lives in the details, believing that a closer look at the building blocks of language can lead to a fuller appreciation of the text itself. For anyone interested in the intersection of faith, language, and history, these explorations provide substantive, contemplative material. Find more from this exploration of Bible words in Greek and Hebrew on the associated Substack page.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 50

Bammerhab: Bible Explainer
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