NJBeliever said:
Regardless of what one's rapture model is, there is the huge question of: who is the multitude of Revelation 7? I believe that is the raptured church. I believe that all believers who are alive at the time of Christ coming in the clouds are raptured. I don't believe any Christians will be left behind. Reading Matthew 24, Jesus clarifies who will be left behind: those who are evil (Matt 24:48).
You got the first part of your message right. But I don't think you've properly understood what the idea of a 'rapture' is about.
It's simply about our gathering to Christ when He comes, being siezed to Him. Zech.14 shows He returns to this earth, specifically to the Mount of Olives as Acts 1 does also. So the idea of those 'taken' is actually a spiritual metaphor for being deceived to a false one, and instead of waiting to be gathered by Christ, those taken are gathered earlier to the antichrist. This is why our Lord Jesus gave the answer when His disciples asked where those would be 'taken', and He said wheresoever the carcase (dead) is, that's where the eagles (vultures) will be gathered together (Luke 17 and Matt.24).
On the 7th trumpet when Christ comes, or the "last trump" as Apostle Paul labeled it, all still alive on earth will be resurrected, including the unjust (John 5:29). Then we're gathered to Christ to the place where He returns, to Jerusalem, ON EARTH. The so-called 'rapture' has nothing to do with being gathered off the earth while the unjust are "Left Behind".
NJBeliever said:
Matthew 24: 36But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only. 37But as the days of Noah were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
38For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, 39And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. 40Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left. 41Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left. 42Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.
This is the rapture. It could not be at the end of the Great Tribulation/Daniel's 70th week because every Christian at that time will know the exact time Christ is Coming. Even the heathen and the antichrist clearly know since they are heading to Megiddo to meet him. An actual river is dried up supernaturally just to make sure all the armies get to their pre-appointed battle with Jesus at that time. So that is a known date, biblically and logically. Yet Jesus says the rapture is unknown.
No one knows the specific day or hour when Armageddon is to happen either, even though we are given events to be watching leading up to it. Our Lord Jesus also gave us signs to be watching that lead up to His return, for His coming is not to be to us as a thief in the night (1 Thess.5). That still has nothing to do with a pre-trib rapture, but has everything to do with watching the signs He gave us, and to wait for His coming. Christ showed in Matt.24 that His coming and our gathering is after the tribulation. Any idea or statement that goes against that is not from God.
NJBeliever said:
43But know this, that if the goodman of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken up.
44Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.
45Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his lord hath made ruler over his household, to give them meat in due season? 46Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing.
47Verily I say unto you, That he shall make him ruler over all his goods. 48But and if that evil servant shall say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming; 49And shall begin to smite his fellowservants, and to eat and drink with the drunken; 50The lord of that servant shall come in a day when he looketh not for him, and in an hour that he is not aware of, 51And shall cut him asunder, and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
So we are supposed to be ever looking and anticipating the return of Christ for His Church. The use of the word servant here is not referring literally to a servant of Christ. It's metaprhorical language. So an "evil servant" is someone who is evil, not someone redeemed by the blood of Christ. So no Christians will be left behind. New christians will come to believe after the rapture though.
Why do you twist our Lord's Message there in such a way? It's easy to understand what He's saying, and how it fits with endtime events He gave, regardless that He was giving a metaphorical example. The "faithful servant" there is a goodman of the house that stays on watch. And what is that faithful servant to be found doing when his lord returns? That servant is to be giving "meat in due season". That's a metaphor for feeding the sheep, feeding the household, keeping them strong, keeping them on watch. That's a Message especially for the pastors of Christ's flock. The idea is staying in the field (world) doing His work, and being found by our Lord still doing His work when He does return.
But the slothful, unwise servants won't be on watch, nor giving those of the house meat in due season. The meat symbol here is about the "strong meat" Paul taught of in Hebrews 5. It's about the strong meat understanding in God's Word, which also keeps us from being deceived, makes us able to spot the wolves in sheep's clothing that creep into Christ's flock. Contrast the teachings of most pastors on the Pre-trib secret rapture with pastors who are on the "strong meat".
The pre-trib teaching is one of escape, an idea that leads away... from wanting to stay in the field (world) to be found by Christ still doing His work when He does comes. Many pre-trib pastors teach their flocks they don't need to stay on watch for the signs of Christ's coming, not to worry, but just to believe and He will rapture them out prior to the tribulation. Most of their teaching is a 'milk' based teaching of God's Word, and not the "strong meat" of line upon line, precept upon precept Bible teaching. Some of them even teach one need only know a small part of The Bible and not to be concerned with the signs of the end our Lord gave in His Word. Some of them are teaching more from so-called Christian author's books (like the "Left-behind" series books) instead of direct Bible teaching from The Bible.
