Are the End Times Upon Us? Israel, the Rapture and the End of Days

Author Todd Hampson is on a mission to help people understand the rapture, a biblical construct that often sparks a variety of reactions among Christians. As many know, the rapture is the belief Jesus will take believers up into the skies before the terrors of the end times kick into high gear. It's seen as a biblical rescue plan for Christians, sparing them from many of the prophetic events and happenings detailed in the book of Revelation. Hampson's book, "The Non-Prophet's Guide to the Rapture: Bible Prophecy for Everyone," explores this subject matter in-depth. "The Rapture is at the end of the Church Age," he told CBN News. "All believers will be raptured ... the Greek word is 'harpazo,' and it means 'a physical snatching away.'" Hampson continued, "And it's kind of like when you look at the Old Testament, Elijah was taken. That was kind of an Old Testament version, but it's literally removed from the earth." The author and end-times expert said the concept of the rapture is "under attack right now," and so he decided to write his latest book to help people comprehensively explore the theology behind it. "There are different views," Hampson said. "I believe pre-trib is the one, and pre-trib means pre or before the seven-year tribulation period. So I believe the church is removed before God's active wrath falls on earth." A mid-tribulation rapture, in contrast, is one during which "believers will go through the first half of the tribulation and be raptured at the midpoint," and the post-trib rapture is one that generally sees the rapture and Second Coming as one solitary event. "And then there's another view, pre-wrath," he said. "They place it kind of towards the end, not quite post-trib, but almost post-trib, and then last but not least, there's pan-trib. People that are like, 'I don't know, but I know it's gonna pan out somehow in the end.'" Hampson said this latter view about the rapture might be appealing but that people really should take the time to wrestle with the biblical text and to walk away with a determination on where they stand. "The Non-Prophet's Guide to the Rapture" author devotes time in his book to offering some of the best evidence he believes backs a pre-trib rapture, noting a holistic look at Scripture, from his view, backs that contention. The rapture conversation is obviously part of a broader narrative about what's happening in the world today — and whether the end times are more quickly approaching. Watch him further explain.