Journal: Pneumatikos
Volume: PNEUMATIKOS 15:2 (Fall 2024)
Article: Jesus And The Rapture Part 2: John 14:1–4 Reconsidered
Author: Andrew Woods

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Jesus And The Rapture Part 2: John 14:1–4 Reconsidered

Andrew Woods

Sugar Land Bible Church
Chafer Theological Seminary
Sugar Land, Texas, USA

Keywords: rapture, John 14, church fathers, upper room discourse, dispensationalism, pretribulational rapture, πορεύομαι, παραλαμβάνω, μονή, μένω

Abstract: Part 1 of this series concluded that Jesus did not refer to the rapture in Matthew 24:40–41, but this does not preclude Him from speaking about the rapture elsewhere. This article argues that Jesus spoke of the pretribulational rapture in John 14:1–4, focusing on key phrases like “my Father’s house,” “many mansions,” and “I go to prepare a place for you” in John 14:2, as well as “I will come again” and “receive you to myself” in John 14:3. The article begins with some preliminary reasons for seeing the rapture in John 14 and ends with some critiques of alternative interpretations of this passage.

John 14:1–4

This article will attempt to argue that Christ spoke of the rapture of the church in John 14:1–4. These verses say:

Do not let your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father’s house are many dwelling places; if it were not so,

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I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you. If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also. And you know the way where I am going.

This article will attempt to make this argument by noting several preliminary reasons why interpreters should be open to a rapture teaching in this passage, by contending that the details of the text favor a rapture interpretation, and by noting the inadequacy of the views advocating a non-rapture interpretation of John 14:1–4.

Preliminary Reasons

There are five preliminary reasons why interpreters should be open to a rapture interpretation in John 14:1–4 even before attempting an exegesis of this passage. These...