RAINBOW: See bow.
RAPTURE: Matt 24:36-51, 1 Thess 4:13-18, 1 Cor 15:51-53. From the Greek word harpazo which means to be caught up or forcefully carried away. The Latin Bible uses the word rapere which is the root word for the English word rapture. It is the event described in 1 Thess 4:13-18 and 1 Cor 15:51-53 in which Jesus returns to earth for those who believe in him. He brings with him the spirits of those who had previously died as believers in him. He gives them resurrected or glorified bodies at that time and also has his angels collect all of those who are still living on earth who are believers in him. Their bodies are instantaneously changed to resurrected or glorified bodies and they are caught up to meet Jesus in the clouds. They go to heaven with Jesus for the Marriage Supper of the Lamb, where they will become the bride of Christ forever. The timing of this event is debated by Christians, but it obviously precedes the Second Coming since Jesus brings his believers back with him to spend the millennium on earth. There are many scriptures which seem to indicate that believers will not have to endure the wrath of God which leads many to believe that the rapture will come before or right at the start of the tribulation. In fact Luke 17:26-36 indicates that the rapture takes place on the very day that the seven year tribulation period begins. We will next discuss what I consider to be some of the purposes for the rapture, in four parts. (1) We believe that when we die the real and everlasting us, our spirit, immediately goes to heaven to be with God, assuming we are a believer. At death our spirit leaves the “tent” or “house” that that we temporarily live in while we inhabit the physical world. While our spirit is in heaven before the rapture it apparently has no immediate need for a physical body. In John 14:1-4 Jesus tells us that he was going to heaven to create a new house for our spirits to live in. Is it the glorified resurrected body that we will live in that he is creating? He said that he would eventually return to take us to heaven so that we could reside in the same place in which he resides. (2) Jesus tells us that he has future plans for his bride that include again living in this physical world. That will reach fulfillment at the Second Coming when we return to earth with Jesus to live with him during what is called the millennium. (3) I see at least two major purposes described in the Bible for the rapture. One is to give those who make up his bride new “glorified resurrected” bodies to inhabit during the millennium on earth. The second is to rescue his bride from the imminent wrath or judgment of God, the seven year period called the tribulation period. (4) Right after the rapture a wedding takes place in heaven, the marriage of the bride to Jesus. I see the new glorified resurrected body being a “wedding present” to the bride from the bridegroom, Jesus. Also see Bride of Christ and Marriage Supper of the Lamb
RESURRECTION, FIRST AND SECOND: Rev 20:1-6: See definition of soul for a discussion of the resurrections.
RIVER: Rev 12:15, 22:1. Symbolically representative of the Holy Spirit (John 7:37-39) in Jerusalem (Zech 14:8), in the millennium (Joel 3:18) and in heaven (Rev 22:1, Ps 46:4) in the end times. A river may represent a stream, a torrent or a flood of water. Water sometimes represents the peoples or races of the earth (Rev 17:15) similar to the way that “sea” is used in Dan 7:2-3 and Isa 60:5. In Rev 12:15 it may refer to a torrent or flood of evil angels (spirits) or the Nephilim that are released from Tartaros during the judgments.