Posted on 03/08/2024 9:36:46 AM PST by Roman_War_Criminal
If you read through the New Testament, you’ll quickly notice how its various authors point their readers back to the first Book of the Bible: Genesis. Peter, Paul, and the Lord Jesus Christ all interpreted Genesis 1-11 as real, literal history. In fact, the Lord Jesus draws a fascinating parallel between the calling up of the Church from this world (the pre-tribulation Rapture) and the dramatic events that occurred during Noah’s life.
Consider how Jesus used the historical backdrop of Genesis 6-9 to illustrate an important truth about the pre-tribulation Rapture: “But as the days of Noah were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. For 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, And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be” (Matt. 24:37-39 KJV).
There are a number of details that we can unpack from Jesus’ statement(s) here, but I’d like to begin by pointing out the context of what was going on during Noah’s day. According to Genesis 6:5, “the wickedness of man was great in the earth.” This was a time of immense wickedness and moral depravity. Demonic activity was interfering with the created order (Gen. 6:1-2), and the hearts of men were dead set on doing evil continually in the sight of God, demonstrating a full-scale rejection of the Creator and His laws.
In the words of Martyn Iles, “We crave the status of Creator. We want to redefine what he has already defined. We have forgotten that we are dust.”
Certainly, the men and women of Noah’s day were content with living as they saw fit, choosing to forge their own way in this world and forgetting that it was God who set the standard for how human beings are to live.
Interestingly, Jesus shares some details of what people were occupying themselves with in the days that led up to the Deluge: they were eating, drinking, and partaking in marriage. We know that God’s perfect design for marriage had already been corrupted and compromised by man (refer to Gen. 4:23) by the time Noah had been born, so it’s likely that many people were participating in polygamy and other perversions of God’s pattern for the one-man and one-woman union that He instituted in the Garden of Eden.
I think Jesus’ point, however, is that people were doing their usual routine when the waters of judgment suddenly fell upon them. They were so caught up in their normal, day-to-day affairs that they were unaware of the times in which they were living. It’s likely that their hearts had been so hardened from years of unrepentant, rampant sin that they were completely ignorant of eternity and the things of God.
This kind of ignorance was not an excusable ignorance, either, because we know from Scripture that all people are aware of God’s existence (Rom. 1:20) and possess a conscience that is capable of differentiating right from wrong. This kind of ignorance was a willing, intentional one brought about by constant rebellion against God and His Word. As a result, Noah’s generation was blindsided by the onset of the Flood and the ensuing cataclysm.
Sadly, it seems as though many in our world today have also neglected the things of eternity in favor of what’s temporary and material. The Scriptures plainly teach that Christians should be on high alert for the coming of our Lord Jesus in the air (Lk. 21:34-36), especially since we do not know when this wonderful event might occur. It very well could be tonight, or it could be a few months from now. The reality is that we don’t know! Nevertheless, we can (and should) learn from Noah’s example so that we will be ready when our Lord comes back.
While the majority of people were busy in their routines, Noah was busy working on the Ark that God had commanded him to build. He was resolute in carrying out the task that God had given him to do, understanding the gravity of the situation (even though there hadn’t ever been a global Flood before). At the same time, Noah was also busy preaching the truth!
Peter referred to Noah as “a preacher of righteousness.” What an amazing testimony to have! There’s even an ancient Jewish tradition that purportedly reveals the contents of Noah’s preaching: “Be ye turned from your evil ways and works, lest the waters of the flood come upon you, and cut off all the seed of the children of men.” If there’s any truth to this statement, we can see that our forefather in the faith was preaching a message of repentance to his brothers and sisters in Adam. Noah was pleading with them to turn from their wickedness and kneel before God while there was still time.
I want us to ask ourselves this question now: are we encouraging people today to do just that? To turn from wickedness and believe in the Lord Jesus Christ for salvation while there is still time?
This should be the very heart of our evangelism efforts and outreach. Jesus is our ark of salvation, and He has invited all people to lean upon Him in true faith and repentance!
If perchance you are reading this article and the Rapture has already occurred, there is still hope for you yet. Flee to Christ for salvation as the very name of God is a strong tower and a place of refuge from danger (Prov. 18:10). Though the coming days will be difficult, you can rejoice and take comfort in knowing that your eternal destiny is secure with Christ, just as Noah and his family were secured by God aboard the ark.
As we wait for the coming of our Lord in the air, may we learn from His teaching and take His Word as He has written it. Genesis 1-11 is the historical foundation for the rest of the Bible, and it was Jesus who has given us a valuable lesson about our way out from the coming destruction by referring to the life of Noah and the events of the Flood. Jesus was not bringing up a fictional fable to articulate a real, eschatological event. He was pointing back to real history so as to warn those with ears to hear about the danger of missing the real Blessed Hope.
As soon as we start to spiritualize or allegorize elements of the Bible that are clearly literal events, this unlocks the door of compromise. Instead, a good understanding of God’s Word from beginning to end will allow us to better comprehend “all the counsel of God” (Acts 20:27) and point others to the Creator.
Nice website. I got that bookmarked now!
Israel in Egypt
Daniel in Babylon (twice)
Purim
There’s probably about a dozen others too.
Why do these guys have to lie about it?
It’s one thing to not believe in it, fine.
But they take it a step further and lie about it.
Satan really hates the idea of the Rapture because his game is up once it happens.
For those who want to know the TRUE HISTORY of the PRE-TRIBULATION RAPTURE as documented by Dr. Thomas Ice:
https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1003&context=pretrib_arch
I post this so people can refute the lies that come from non-Biblical believing people who clearly want to confuse others.
Maranatha!
Not many Christians know how to rightly divide The Word.
It’s why folks get all bent out of shape on threads like this.
2 Timothy 2:15
Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
What does it mean to be rightly dividing the word of truth (2 Timothy 2:15)?
https://www.gotquestions.org/rightly-dividing-the-word-of-truth.html
Like I said, those who ascribe to this view are welcome to it. Believe in the pre-trib rapture. Don't believe in the pre-trib rapture. I care not. The whole point of my post was to point out that there is more than one view on this. Is that OK with you? You said you didn't want to debate (and neither do I), so let's leave it at that.
Well, if you calumniate me by calling me a liar, I have nothing to say to you, so I won't waste my time responding. It's really sad that you would find a difference of interpretation such a threat.
Another one ... and there are many more ...
Your #11 asserts the Doctrine of the Pretribulation Rapture is began in the 1830s.
Here is the part of your post that I’m responding to again for all to see:
“It was not developed until the early 19th century. It originated in England but is mostly held by many (not all) American evangelicals.”
That point is blatently false (see links above) and quite frankly - yes a lie.
I’m not here to make friends and there are probably hundreds of “FReepers” who have cancelled me - join the club if you don’t want to respond to me.
I will call a spade a spade however.
Good day!
As will I. But since you have (uncharitably and without basis) judged me to be a liar, I'm probably lying about that too. Good day, and God bless you.
Well, the good news is that redeemed by the Blood of Jesus Christ believers who refute the “rapture” or when it does or does not take place will still take part in it!
The bad news is that those who are not redeemed by the Blood of Jesus Christ, “Christians” in name only so to speak, will be aghast when they realize their foolishness. They will be left with a choice, get the mark or get beheaded. But before that, they may be able to still enlighten some of those clueless left behind with them as to what is actually happening.
Of course, the wicked at heart will rejoice that all these people have simply disappeared...free stuff for the taking, lots of job openings, depopulation, etc.
Unless you polled people yourself, you cannot make that kind of claim because you don't know. You have no idea how many Christians believe it and how many people who claim to be Christian believe it.
That’s a great, very concise, article. Thanks for posting that!
{sigh} As I've pointed out to you time and again, the majority of Christians in the world are either Catholic (3.3 billion), Orthodox and other Eastern Churches (about 300 million) who do not ascribe to modern Dispensationalism vastly outnumber the American influenced Evangelical Protestants and Protestant Fundamentalists (about 1.8 million) that are the ones who primarily embrace modern Dispensationalism. Why can't you accept that other Christians have a different interpretation of Scripture than you?
For me, the “snatching away” of Enoch before Noah and the Flood, serves as a picture of the Rapture.
.
The Hope of Christ’s Second Coming: How is it Taught in Scripture? And Why? Samuel Prideaux Tregelles. March 17, 1864.
“I am not aware that there was any definite teaching that there would be a SECRET rapture of the Church at a SECRET coming, until this was given forth as an utterance in Mr. Irving’s Church, from what was there received as being the voice of the Spirit. But whether anyone ever asserted such a thing or not, it was from that supposed revelation that the modern doctrine and the modern phraseology respecting it arose. It came not from Holy Scripture, but from that which falsely pretended to be the Spirit of God, while not owning the true doctrine of our Lord’s incarnation in the same flesh and blood as His brethren, but without taint of sin.
“But there is a very different theory of the coming of the Lord as the hope of His Church, which many teach, and which many more receive, as though it were unquestioned truth.”
“It is said that there shall be a SECRET coming of the Lord Jesus Christ; that at this SECRET coming His believing people who are in their graves shall be raised, and the living changed, and that a SECRET rapture of the Church shall then take place; that this SECRET coming and SECRET rapture are our hope, and not the manifested appearing of Christ in the clouds of heaven.”
“It is said that after this SECRET removal of the Church, the full manifestation of human evil, for some years at least, will take place, during which time shall be the display of the power of Antichrist,—the persecutions foretold in the Revelation, the extreme trials of Israel, the unequaled tribulation,—and that the end of this will be the manifestation of Christ visibly coming with His Church in the cloud of glory.”
“This is the doctrine of the SECRET coming of Christ, which many now preach as if it were the acknowledged truth of God, instead of its being (as is really the case) that which at every point would require proof from Scripture.”
“But not only is this doctrine of the coming of Christ not taught in the Word of God, but if, in what has been previously said, there is any point of truth, then this whole system stands in distinct contradiction of what the Scripture reveals.”
I love how you think!
Great point!
Harpazo
harpazó: to seize, catch up, snatch away
Original Word: ἁρπάζω
Part of Speech: Verb
Transliteration: harpazó
Phonetic Spelling: (har-pad’-zo)
Definition: to seize, catch up, snatch away
Usage: I seize, snatch, obtain by robbery.
As in the following verses:
John 10:28
Acts 8:39 (Philip’s Rapture)
2 Corinthians 12:2 (Paul’s Rapture)
1 Thessalonians 4:17 (Rapture of the Church)
https://biblehub.com/greek/726.htm
Enoch was taken
Noah serves as another example
Lot & Daughters serves as another example as they leave Sodom
👍
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