Will unbelievers hear the rapture trumpet?

Hi,

thanks for the email and question. I'll jump straight to it.
 

1. Are Thes 4:16-18 and 5:1-3 are they the same? I read somewhere that chapter 4 speaks about rapture and chapter 5 speaks about Second coming.

1 Thes 4:16-18 is about the rapture - the coming of the Lord for His Church. Ch 5:1-3 speaks of what happens after this. ie the 'Day of the Lord'. It isn't speaking specifically of the second coming but this will come at the end of the tribulation period. The 'Day of the Lord' is a term from the Old Testament that speaks of the period of God's judgement in the last days before the second coming of Jesus back to earth. Paul is saying that it will come like a thief in the night. The people will think that there is peace and safety and then the rapture and the judgement of the Day of the Lord will come suddenly. In this regard it is the same as what Jesus said concerning 'as it was in the days of Noah' in Matt 24:36-39 - Unbelievers will be going about their normal lives (eating, drinking, getting married etc) and will not see the rapture, and then the Day of the Lord coming. It will come like a thief in the night for unbelievers - suddenly and unexpectedly. 

2. If Jesus comes with a TRUMPET call, don't you think those who are left behind will also hear the the trumpet during rapture? Or will it be a quiet rapture?

It is a good question. 1 Thes is definitely about the rapture (the word rapture is taken from the Greek word Harpazo which is translated 'caught up' in 4:17). There will be a trumpet and there will be a command call. Who will hear the trumpet at the rapture? Will the unbelievers hear this? Certainly all believers will but I can't be dogmatic on what the unbelievers, if anything, will hear... because scripture isn't. All I can do is point you to two instances where God spoke and see what unbelievers heard.

Joh 12:28-30 "Father, glorify Your name." Then a voice came out of heaven: "I have both glorified it, and will glorify it again." (29) So the crowd of people who stood by and heard it were saying that it had thundered; others were saying, "An angel has spoken to Him." (30) Jesus answered and said, "This voice has not come for My sake, but for your sakes.

In this case some heard God's voice but thought maybe an angel had spoken. Others thought it was thunder. Could it be the same with the trumpet sound at the rapture? Yes it could. They may hear a sound but have no idea what it was. Look also at what others heard at Paul's conversion where Jesus spoke to Paul with others with him:

Act 22:6-9 "But it happened that as I was on my way, approaching Damascus about noontime, a very bright light suddenly flashed from heaven all around me, (7) and I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to me, 'Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?' (8) "And I answered, 'Who are You, Lord?' And He said to me, 'I am Jesus the Nazarene, whom you are persecuting.' (9) "And those who were with me saw the light, to be sure, but did not understand the voice of the One who was speaking to me.

The others saw some kind of light and heard a noise but they didn't understand it. Where as Paul heard the words and instructions of Jesus clearly. 

So - it could well be that unbelievers hear the noise of the trumpet and think that it is some type of thunder or something similar. The trumpet at the rapture and call "to come up here" is not for them but for the Church so I doubt, if they do hear it, that they will hear it clearly or comprehend what is said. But believers will... And what a day that will be!

Hope this helps! 

God Bless,

Iain.