Is the rapture before or after all the scary stuff in RVLTN?

[Tongan321]

Is the rapture before or after all the crazy stuff that goes down in Revelation?

By scary stuff, I mean all the dragon, the beast, etc.

 

[JohnEboy1983]

Different Theologians have different views. You have 4 different millenial persepctives on revelation and all believe different things about how it is to happen. You have Amillenial, Post-Tribulation Premillennial, Pre-Tribulation Premillennial and Preterist Postmillennialism. It depends who you ask on what type of what response you will come up with. Instead of knowing which one to believe is going to actually happen I just know that I am saved and Gods will be done and I have nothing to fear however it happens.

 

[Ed the Ned]

I am still new in learning how to understand prophecy, my initial belief is that we must try and interpret scripture in the most literal way possible. This is leading me in a more pre-wrath (Gods Wrath) rapture. I am still learning and this may not be my final belief. Its just I feel a person needs to start from a point where he or she has not been influenced by a specific belief as such. And it is also important to ensure that the belief is taken from scripture. Although I am saved and my understanding of end time prophecy has no bearing on that I feel it is important to try and understand biblical prophecy as a whole. It gives you a better understanding of who God is and his plan.

 

[Drew]

I do not think there will even be a rapture. I suggest that texts that refer to people "being caught up in the air" are metaphorical. And this claim is not without substantiation. I can make a case that such images are used in other places in the scriptures in a clearly metaphorical sense.

Besides, I believe that rapture theology only came into being in the last 200 years or so. That doesn't make it wrong, but it is interesting.

 

[Sinthesis]

Is the rapture before or after all the crazy stuff that goes down in Revelation?

By scary stuff, I mean all the dragon, the beast, etc.

Whenever the rapture is/was, the one thing you don't want to do is put your faith in a rapture to save you instead of the Lord. Some people like to believe they are special, thinking that surely they won't have to weather difficulties, while all those other sinners deserve what they get. Countless Christian individuals have for the past two thousand years suffered unimaginable tribulation for their faith. Don't imagine it can't still happen to you, but don't forget in whom you have placed your faith, and that your reward is not in this world. :angel3

 

[brakelite]

Mathew 13:24-30 ¶ Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field: But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way. But when the blade was sprung up, and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also. So the servants of the householder came and said unto him, Sir, didst not thou sow good seed in thy field? from whence then hath it tares. He said unto them, An enemy hath done this. The servants said unto him, Wilt thou then that we go and gather them up? But he said, Nay; lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them. Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn.

Two very important points in the parable I would like to make.
1. The tares, (the unsaved) and the wheat (the saved) grow together right up to the time of harvest.
2. The tares are gathered first.

Note that Jesus said "as in the days of Noah, so also shall the coming of the Son of Man be." Now, according to prevailing current Christian thought,the rapture takes place leaving the wicked to be destroyed. But tell me, in the days of Noah , after the wicked were destroyed, who was left behind? Noah. After Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed, who was left behind? Lot and his 2 daughters.

When Paul and Jesus both spoke of the second coming and the time of our resurrection and/or translation (depending on whether we are alive or dead at the time) both said this event took place on the last day.

Joh 6:39 And this is the Father’s will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day.
Joh 6:40 And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day.
Joh 6:44 No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day.
Joh 6:54 Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day.
Joh 11:24 Martha saith unto him, I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day.
Joh 12:48 He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day.

1Th 4:15 -17: For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: (if this is the secret rapture people speak of, it's isn't very secret with loud voices and trumpets blaring now is it) and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.


Let me add some more thoughts regarding Noah's age.
God called the wicked to repent. They didn't.
God called the wicked to repent some more. They didn't.
God called the wicked to repent for decade after decade. They didn't.
God warned they would be destroyed if they didn't repent. They still didn't repent.
God then, destroyed the Earth and all living things within it. The wicked perished on the same day God closed the door and the rains started to fall.
Noah, was kept ---"THROUGH"--- the judgment of God. Divinely protected within the Ark, and very much remaining mortal, remaining corruptible, and remaining on planet Earth, with absolutely no remote example of being removed from the planet for protection. (As pretrib sometimes likes to attempt to make a 'type')


At the moment Jesus is ministering in the heavenly sanctuary as our intercessor and mediator. When He leaves the temple to return to the earth, there will be a time before He arrives here, that there will be no mediator. His ministry will be finished. Thus, there will be no more possibility of mercy being found for the wicked. Their time will be over in which they have opportunity to repent. Just as there was a time between the shut door of the ark and the flood--7 days. A time of fear and forboding while the clouds were gathering and the light drizzle began perhaps. But although the wicked were suddenly aware that Noah had spoken the truth, it was too late. The door was shut.
We should be preparing today, while salvation is possible. Because when we see Jesus , for the righteous- rejoicing; for the wicked, terror. Too late to repent then.
And who's to know? Maybe the door will shut before the final days of tribulation.
So no use waiting and putting off the time for getting our lives right til the first of the plagues. It could be too late then too.

Regards to all
Brakelite.