I have been studying scripture for the purpose of learning end time prophecies so that I can be prepared for the things to come. I even have a new website that is geared to this, it is The Lamb's Wife. The Holy Spirit has been guiding me, and not just once of late, toward the *theory* of a rapture, being "caught up" to meet our Lord in the air and there shall we ever be with Him. I have no problem with that idea! However, I do have a problem with the three common versions of this rapture which are PRE|MID|POST tribulation. In other words, some think the church as a whole will be caught up before the tribulation begins (PRE); some think it will occur in the middle at the 3 & 1/2 year mark (MID); and then some think it will be at the end of the tribulation (POST). And you may even find some out there that think like I do and say there will be no *rapture* as most regilions believe today, meaning most think the rapture is being caught up to heaven to live there for a while and then after the tribulation we return to earth with the Lord.
I do believe we will be caught up to be with the Lord, that's a given, documented fact of scripture. I do believe that we will be with the Lord from that time forward and forever more, also documented in scripture. What I do not believe is that we'll be raptured into heaven at any point before the seventh trumpet which signals the END of the tribulation culminating in the return to earth of Jesus (in the clouds with saints and angels) when He stands on the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem at His second coming, which is also known as the Day of the Lord! To profess there is some sort of rapture anytime before this is false doctrine. Nowhere does the Bible say the Lord is sort of coming to gather the saints/elect but that really doesn't count as His coming because He's going right back up to heaven with his bride the church. There is consistantly only one other return of Jesus (aside from His first coming) and that will be His second coming at the end of this age, the Day of the Lord.
Let me start off with this scripture, spoken of by our Lord Himself, in Luke 18:8 "I tell you that he will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?" Have you ever wondered why Jesus would say this when today there are thousands and thousands of believing Christians? I'm not talking about professing Christians, or those that accepted Christ and went no further in their spiritual development. I'm talking about active believing, working for Christ, Christians. It's terribly unfortunate that the Lord wonders if He'll even find faith on the earth at His return, but it is a stark warning to those that are listening and who want to know the meaning of all things. That scripture is powerful, read on and you'll see why.
Now, I'm not really sure what your stance is on the subject of the rapture, and I don't care to debate the issue, I'm simply pointing out what I've been shown by the Holy Spirit within me. That being said, the quoted verse above is a clue to the times of the end and how Christians will 'fall away'. I think I've discovered why that will occur. Most that proclaim the church will be *raptured* before|during|after the tribulation lead people to believe that at some point in time the church will be going to heaven and will escape the tribulation either fully or to some degree. We can all understand why no one wants to be here for the tribulation, right? Those that profess that doctrine hang the bulk of it on this scripture: 1 Thessalonians 4:17 in which we see, "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." And also this scripture in 1 Corinthians 15:51-53 "Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal [must] put on immortality." I agree with these scriptures as to what will happen to our bodies but neither relate to any other time than the Lord's second coming, HERE ON EARTH, notice the *clue* here ... at the last trump (refers to the seventh trumpet of Revelation) which is the return of the Lord Jesus to EARTH!
I feel that to be a complete Christian I need to at least try to know all that God wants me to know. Knowledge & wisdom are gifts from God but must be sought out, "ask and ye shall receive". I'm doing that in my studies of the written word of God as I'm sure you are, after all ... you are still reading here right? I wanted to point out something I have discovered and toss the seed your way, what you do with it is up to you but I would hope you will carefully consider the evidence for what I'm about to say, and if you teach please include something in your teachings of this evidence to keep Christians from *falling away* in the future, as Christ alludes to in Luke 8:18. This to me is as imparative as pointing out how people have transgressed the laws and need Christ's cleansing blood for salvation, for without the foreknowledge of things to come many WILL fall away. Christ would not have told us of future events if He didn't feel they were important to our faith, especially during the end times. Pray about what you are about to receive, and ask the gracious, loving, Lord of your life (I'm hoping that's Jesus) to help you understand ...
Again, let me reiterate that I DO believe we will be with our Lord someday and from then onward forever, and that we will be changed ... a new body. Of these points I have no doubt. But what I think is key to what I'm about to point out is the *when factor*. When reading 1 Thessalonians 4:17, and if going by that verse alone, yes one would get the idea we'll be *raptured*, but the raging debate about when is the problem, it causes much decension in the churches ... as satan would happily have it. If you continue on reading into 2 Thessalonians Paul clarifies his meaning and intent of his first letter to them, he apparently was concerned that the first letter might get misconstrued!!! I have quoted some of those passages below.
I discovered that when putting that one verse back into context with the WHOLE book (letter) of Thessalonians, and thinking of the writing as a whole as though it were written to me, (hypothetically) a Thessalonian, and what it must have been like to be a relatively new convert to Christ in that day, we find that Paul and other Christians were being persecuted for teaching and preaching the gospel. They managed to convert some Thessalonians but were run off (Paul later sent Timothy back to them for which he then returned to Paul with a report of their progress). Paul also states that the newly converted Thessalonians were also persecuted. If we keep all that in mind and understand that Paul is writing the Thessalonians out of concern for their spiritual well-being and growth, we can understand that when he talks of the dead in Christ being raised he is speaking to THEM of their martyred brethren for which the Thessalonian brethren were apparently greatly concerned over. Remember this is a letter TO them and they were suffering persecution. Now, yes, it also tells us that we'll be caught up also, so yes it is prophetic (applicable to those in the future) as well, but his intent was to comfort his Thessalonian brethren regarding those that were likely martyred and then also the changing of those that were alive and remain at Christ's return, the Day of the Lord.
My point is that we cannot concentrate on singular verses and take them out of context from that which they were written. It's things like this that will cause people to 'fall away' when it's most important that they don't! It shouldn't be so important to people when we are caught up to meet our Lord & Savior but that we serve Him while we are here for however long and whatever the trials may be, even through the tribulation if so called. If people teach that we'll not be here during the tribulation then IF we are here during the tribulation, all seven years of it, can you imagine the masses lost in disbelief if taught they'd not be here for the choas? People will be expecting to miss the tribulation when in fact the Bible clearly states in many places that we will BE HERE until the Day of the Lord AND BEYOND.
Matthew 24:37-41 & 2 Peter 2:5 likens the DAY of the Son of Man to the days of Noah, who was still here during the flood, he was protected but he was here on planet earth. Luke 17:29-30 speaks of Lot being here during Sodom/Gomorrah destruction, he was protected and taken out of the way of the wrath but he was still here on earth. The parable of the wheat/tares in Matthew 13:24-50 & Mark 13:19-20 ... this is a clear sign we'll still be here, it's not the wheat (believers) that will be *removed*, it's the tares (unbelievers)! Jesus Himself is speaking these things, all referring to His return, the Day of the Lord aka the DAY of the Son of Man! Notice too, there is only ONE Day of the Lord, He's only coming again ONCE ... at His second coming!
Please read these passages, by themselves if you like, and then again in context with the times and the subject of conversation at their speaking. One of satan's greatest tools is the Bible, he knows it inside out and then some. We must let people know of the things yet future, it's just as important as the here and now. Because if we are not prepared to go through the tribulation, many, many, many souls will fall away. There is no instance where Christ comes to get the saints/elect first and then comes back a third time to rule the earth ... He is only coming again ONE more time and THAT is His second coming, period! After that He remains on earth, New Jerusalem comes down, and after the millenium and that final battle with satan ... even God the Father will dwell here on earth.
Additionally, consider John 17:15-20 where Jesus prays that God NOT take the apostles out of the world, and then also that He NOT take those yet future that believe in Him ... rather He prays that God will keep us from the evil one. Friends, we aren't going to leave the earth, heaven (New Jerusalem) will come down to us when the time is right and all things are fulfilled as prophecied! In reference to us being caught up in the air to meet the Lord, yes ... that's true ... but if He's in Jerusalem and you are in Timbucktwo, Yourcountryhere ... how else will your soul/spirit, newly merged to your glorified body, get to Him if not *in the air*? You will be brought to Him to New Jerusalem, read it below!
Remember Jesus words in Matthew 24:29-31 "Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken: And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other." <<< IN THE AIR {Emphasis mine}
Here in 2 Thessalonians 2:1-5 (on onward, read the whole chapter) Paul clarifies his first letter: "Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and [by] our gathering together unto him, That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand. Let no man deceive you by any means: for [that day shall not come], except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God. Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things?" {Emphasis mine}
Now we see why Jesus wondered if there would be any faith on the earth at His return ... there will be a falling away first ... I wonder why ... NOTICE ... there comes a falling away (of the faith/faithful) first, likely due to people being mislead in such instances as this article relates to where people will think they'll not have to go through the tribulation when in fact they will ... being told something will not happen, and then it does, will certainly cause masses to leave the faith! And then, the man of sin (antichrist) will be revealed, sitting in the temple of God showing himself as though he were god. Only after these things take place will the Lord return!
And again I remind you what our Lord said in Matthew 24:22-27 "And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened. Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here [is] Christ, or there; believe [it] not. For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if [it were] possible, they shall deceive the very elect. Behold, I have told you before. Wherefore if they shall say unto you, Behold, he is in the desert; go not forth: behold, [he is] in the secret chambers; believe [it] not. For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be." {Emphasis mine}.
Please consider what I have said, LOOK UP these passages for yourself, and may God richly bless you and give you understanding! Hopefully all of you will see what I see and help folks prepare for the important days to come ... fearful and awesome as they will be, we can rest assured that God will protect us none the less! I pray you see the light! Amen.
All quoted scripture on this page is KJV. God Bless!
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© Deb (Sandberg) Murtagh 2006
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