Rapture

[Beetow]

.
The English word "rapture" is derived from the Greek word harpazo (har-pad'-zo) which
variously means to seize, catch away, pluck, pull, and/or take by force. For example:

● Acts 8:39 . . When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord suddenly took
Philip away, and the eunuch did not see him again

● 2Cor 12:2-6 . . I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up to the
third heaven. Whether it was in the body or out of the body I do not know-- God knows.
And I know that this man-- whether in the body or apart from the body I do not know, but
God knows --was caught up to paradise. He heard inexpressible things, things that man
is not permitted to tell.

I've watched a number of films pertaining to the rapture and every one of them left out
the part where the remains of 2,000 years of deceased believers from all over the globe
will be restored to life.

The films also left out the part where folks unified with Christ rise into the air to meet
him. Instead the films showed them here one second and gone the next, but I rather
suspect the event should be easily observed all 'round the world if it proceeds as
described by 1Thess 4:13-17 because 2,000 years of believers added to the world's
current believers, will likely construct a flash mob resembling a mini Oort Cloud when
they levitate together all at one time to rendezvous with Christ up in the sky.

The mob is likely to get pretty noisy too what with all the cheering, laughing, and
shouting that's sure to take place when Jesus' followers receive their new bodies; which
of course will be immune to death and the aging process. (1Cor 15:51-53)

* The "blink" component of the rapture pertains to the miraculous transformation that
Jesus' followers will undergo during the event. (1Cor 15:51-52)

The films also showed tiny children being taken while their parents are left behind.
That's highly doubtful because minors have often been collateral damage in the Bible
when God slammed their parents, e.g. zero children survived the Flood, and 120,00
would've been lost had God found it necessary to follow thru with His threat to annihilate
Nineveh. (Jonah 4:11)

One of the films depicted a Christian pastor left behind and to him it was no mystery. He
frankly admitted to being a career minister rather than a called minister, i.e. he was a
man of business rather than a man of faith. In real life, there will likely be quite a few like
him miss the cut because numbers of men coming out of seminaries take up the cloth
as a career rather than due to a passion to be of use to Christ.

I once heard a retired pastor say on radio that if the rapture were to occur Saturday,
quite a few churches would have no members missing Sunday morning. That's a strong
possibility as some card-carrying, church-attending Christians, are so only because it
rounds out the week and it looks good on a social resumé

NOTE: People left behind shouldn't let the rapture cause them panic because it isn't the
end of the world. They can still get themselves spared retribution and perdition, viz: it's
not like all hope is lost. In point of fact, vast numbers of folks from all over the globe will
be spared during the interlude between the rapture and Christ's feet touching down on
the ground to set up the kingdom conditions predicted by the prophets in the old
testament. (Rev 7:9-14)

However, the rapture terminates the church age so folks saved during the time of
Jacob's trouble won't become intimate members of Christ's family circle. But hey; is a
friend of the family such a bad deal when we take into consideration the final option?

● John 3:29-30 . .The bride belongs to the bridegroom. The friend who attends the
bridegroom waits and listens for him, and is full of joy when he hears the bridegroom's
voice.
_

 

[hawkman]

The films also showed tiny children being taken while their parents are left behind.
That's highly doubtful because minors have often been collateral damage in the Bible
when God slammed their parents, e.g. zero children survived the Flood, and 120,00
would've been lost had God found it necessary to follow thru with His threat to annihilate
Nineveh. (Jonah 4:11)

I do believe the children will go in the rapture . I believe this because for one thing threats to the children could be used as leverage to make the parents take the mark of the beast .

 

[MisterE]

PROOFS FOR A PRE-TRIBULATION RAPTURE
For discussion:

1 – Jesus made a promise to the church in Philadelphia – Jesus said, “Because you have kept my word about patient endurance, I will keep you from the hour of trial that is coming on the whole world, to try those who dwell on the earth” (Rev. 3:10). In his book, Jesus and the End Times, Ron Rhodes states, “According to the Greek language…the phrase, ‘hour of trial’ is described in Revelation 4-18. It is this timespan that the church is to be kept from itself.”

2 – We are not appointed to wrath – This is a crucial reason the Rapture must occur before the Tribulation. Romans 5:9 says, “We shall be saved from wrath through Him.” 1 Thessalonians 1:10 declares, “And to wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, even Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come.” And Revelation 3:10 states, “Because you have kept My command to persevere, I also will keep you from the hour of trial which shall come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth.” This reference speaks of a worldwide, global judgment. Clearly, the seven-year Tribulation is the wrath of God. For seven years, twenty-one judgments will befall the whole world. By reading Revelation 4-18, it’s clear that things go from bad to worse as the judgments of God literally tear this world apart. Those caught in the middle will suffer “A day of wrath-a day of distress and anguish, a day of trouble and ruin, a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and blackness” (Zeph. 1:15).

3 – We are covered by the blood – Few could argue that the Tribulation is a time of pain, wrath, God’s judgment, darkness, and destruction over evil, the Antichrist, and the earth. Because of the cross, the church has been cleansed by the blood of Jesus. Therefore, those who have been cleansed by confession of their faith in Jesus are not under condemnation and judgment (Rom. 8:1). Therefore, heaven awaits them, not the wrath of God. Those who genuinely walk and live. It is rather odd that the Rev. 19 passage is the most precise picture of the Second Coming of Christ, yet it does not mention a resurrection? Furthermore, the rapture will be the most significant event since the resurrection of Jesus, where hundreds of millions of Christians will be resurrected and translated. Yet, there isn't any mention of it here. That seems to be an essential part to leave out. The resurrection of the dead isn't mentioned because it doesn't occur at the Second Coming but 7-years earlier at the rapture.

4 – Zechariah 14:1-15 doesn’t mention a resurrection – This is an Old Testament picture of Jesus returning to earth at the Second Coming; yet again, there is no mention of any resurrection.

5 – Two unique pictures are painted – The Old Testament paints two different pictures of the coming Messiah. First, in Isaiah 53:2-10 and Psalm 22:6-8, 11-18, Jesus is the suffering servant. Then in Psalm 2:6-12, Zech. 14:9, 16 He is the reigning King. Looking back at both, one predicted the Messiah's first coming as suffering, dying on the cross for us. The future Second Coming, He comes as the reigning King of Kings. The New Testament also points to two pictures and two different descriptions of Jesus' coming. Under close examination, these two separate events are called the Rapture and the Second Coming.

6 – The known day and the unknown day – Concerning the return of Jesus, the Bible presents a day we can't know, and a day we can know. Look at Matthew 25:13, which declares, "For you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming." So, Jesus will return at an unknown time, while Revelation 12:6 tells us another story; the Jews will have to wait 1,260 days for the Lord to return. The 1,260 days begins when the Antichrist stands in the Temple and declares himself to be God (Matt. 24:15-21, 2 Thess. 2:4). This event will take place at the mid-point of the seven-year Tribulation (Dan 9:27). The Antichrist has authority to rule for 42 months, which is 1,260 days (Rev. 13:4). Ultimately, he will be destroyed by Jesus at His Second Coming (Rev. 19:20, 2 Thess. 2:8). The known and unknown days happen at different times, meaning they are two separate events.

9 – Two doors in Heaven – In the Revelation of Jesus Christ chapter 4:1, a door is opened. John the revelator is told, “Come up here.” As John is called to heaven to witness the Tribulation events unfold. This calling to heaven is prophetic of the church being caught up in the Rapture. Then, in Revelation 19:11, heaven is opened again. This time the armies of heaven are called out. Similarly, the church comes into play, which had spent the last seven years in heaven. Both doors, at the beginning and end of the book of Revelation, involved Jesus’ return; first, the Rapture, and second, the Second Coming.

10 – Revelation 4:1 John is called into Heaven – The words "Come up here" in Revelation 4:1 strike a similar chord with the Rapture of the Church. A voice out of heaven calls the apostle John to "Come up here," "Come up here.” Immediately he appears in heaven, ready to witness the future. This upward calling seems to be a prophetic reference to the Rapture of the Church. Similarly, in Revelation 11:12, the familiar phrase, "Come up here," is used to call back to heaven the two witnesses murdered in the middle of the Tribulation. Therefore, these three words could mean the church is raptured in Rev. 4:1. The word "church" is mentioned 22 times in Revelation 1-3 but is not mentioned again until Revelation 22:17.

11 – The 24 Elders in heaven have their crowns – Once John is called into heaven, he notices that the 24 elders have crowns on their heads (Rev. 4:4-10). According to 2 Timothy 4:8 and 1 Peter 5:4, it is clear that Christians will receive their rewards (crowns) at the Rapture. Furthermore, Luke 14:14 indicates that believers will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous. Therefore, the elders could not have received their crowns unless the resurrection (Rapture) had occurred.

12 – The Holy Ones are already in Heaven – Zechariah 14:5 indicates that the saints are already in heaven. They are “The armies in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, followed Him on white horses” (Rev. 19:14) at the armies of the end of the Tribulation. Paul speaking to the church in Colossae, told them, “When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory” (Col. 3:4). Dressed in fine linen confirms that these are not angels but the righteous saints. Clearly, in order to come out of heaven, the saints had to first go in, indicating a previous Rapture.