Posted on 09/30/2014 11:41:47 AM PDT by NYer
Interesting that you call what I said a ‘gratuitous slam’ and then you go on to illustrate what I said.
I take it your quest has ended at the Assembly of God, the Assemblies, however, are neither non-denominational of post-trib which you now claim to be.
Oh Katy bar the door! We’re gonna be up all night on this one!
Read first and second Thessalonians as whole. Ask yourself what the main subject is (resurrection) while reading and let the Word speak to you instead of thinking about what it is supposed to be saying. 2 Thess 2 specifically states when the first resurrection occurs.
The rapture of the living occurs after the resurrection of the dead, right? Keep that in mind also.
Typo:
the Assemblies, however, are neither non-denominational or post-trib which you now claim to be.
Plantinga is cool! As president of the American Philosophical Association he gave an obligatory speech at their national convention. He injected his personal Christian testimony insisting that a belief in Christ was consistent with intellectual honesty. Half the crowd gave him a standing ovation.
Based on that story folks have pointed out that if you want to find Christian faculty on a college campus your best bet is to head to the Philosophy department.
A Thief in the Night.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QnsXGkx4FWU
1972 rapture film I bet a lot of us saw as kids.
I intended to state that I currently believe in probably a mid-tribulation rapture. However, I’m the first to admit that my views are highly biased by being immersed in Dispensational teachings. After hearing the beliefs of scholars I respect, such as R.C. Sproul, who differ with this position I have decided to put the topic in abeyance until I have a chance to take a more in-depth look.
To that end I am accumulating a respectable library of books on the topic. The centerpiece is Gregory Beale’s commentary on the book of Revelation which is supposed to be the best. I have also bought several Zondervan Counterpoint Series books on end times and eschatology. Some day I will enjoy the reading, study, and contemplation.
Until then, I would advise all Christians that if they notice the Christians about them rising in the air, it would NOT be a good time to grab on to something. Work out the exegesis later! :)
Jesus said the wrath, when it came, would come upon all who dwell on the face of the whole earth.
Luke 21:35 For as a snare shall it come on all them that dwell on the face of the whole earth.
That would mean that the " bride of Christ", true and faithfully believers would be subject to God's wrath. Never has that happened. That would make God untrue to His word. He told us we are not appointed to wrath.
1 Thessalonians 5:9 For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ,
Do you believe a loving God would subject faithfully followers of Jesus to His wrath even after saying they would not be?
The rapture will be of interest to the generation of people alive when the world ends. That could be in one year or 1000 years from now. Who knows? One has to always be prepared. No one knows the hour - not even the son.
Rev 3:10 is a favorite verse of mine to support my view of a pre-trib rapture. I refuse to argue with people over it. They can believe whatever they want.
“The whole idea that God will simply pull HIS people and leave everyone else on Earth is weird. I do not think God is going to abandon Earth.”
Christ’s return for his bride precedes the tribulation judgement on those who remain.
God’s judgement is not hard to believe. It was foretold.
“But something happened a few years ago...”
Yeah, he wracked up a huge debt to the IRS and started taking any movie that came along and phoning it in just to pay his bills.
Daniel 7:8 “While I was thinking about the horns, there before me was another horn, a little one, which came up among them; and three of the first horns were uprooted before it. This horn had eyes like the eyes of a human being and a mouth that spoke boastfully.
Muammur Kaddafi was the third king uprooted, the other two, Hosni Mubarak and Saddam Hussein. And uprooted is the perfect word as these three had nearly 100 years of combined rule in the M.E. No small feat indeed. Psalm 83 is THE WAR, not a sideshow. Psalm 83 contains the 'list' of the ten nations from Daniel and Revelation.
Daniel 8:23 “In the latter part of their reign, when rebels have become completely wicked, a fierce-looking king, a master of intrigue, will arise. 24 He will become very strong, but not by his own power. He will cause astounding devastation and will succeed in whatever he does. He will destroy those who are mighty, the holy people.
The fierce looking king stands up! What, I'm not supposed to know this? What will I do with all this knowledge...
Sunday, February 7, 1999 Published at 15:10 GMT
World: Middle East
Abdullah sworn in
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/274302.stm
Google: Amman seven mountains...
The rapture is nonsense, although the people that teach this lie are likely to be torn to shreds by their own congregations when they're not raptured. That will be entertaining.
“there are few things that are currently ‘hindering’ the anti-Christ to be revealed, including government, the Church and the Holy Spirit.”
Can you cite anything from the Bible that says that?
If you read the Bible, you would not be surprised that God discriminates. He’s not politically correct at all. He discriminates more than Born Agains think, too. I figure He’ll do what he wants...
Just as in the traditional Jewish wedding (read Old Testament) where the bride and groom are sequestered for seven days before coming out into the world so will Christ and His bride be sequestered in heaven for seven days(years) before coming coming into the world.
First, I don’t believe God takes Christians off the earth before the time of wrath and the return of the Messiah. The “bond-servants of our God” who are to survive the time of wrath are sealed on their foreheads after the seven seals are opened (Rev 6). They are not to be tormented by the evil locusts but they do experience the other traumatic events of Rev 8. As stated in ch 7, they hunger, thirst, experience extreme heat from the sun and cry a lot.
The servants of God are never abandoned and those who die during the tribulation are those who are resurrected at the return of Jesus and rule with Him. The rest of the dead (before and after the tribulation) are resurrected at the end of the reign of Jesus. (Rev 20:4-6)
Those servants who “come out of” the tribulation serve Him in His temple for eternity (Rev 7). The rest of the Children of God serve Him outside the temple in the Great City. It is so much fun thinking about when heaven and earth are finally one place. Living with God. What a place of peace and love and joy.
See my post #54
Luckily for His Church, Christ believes in the Rapture. See you in the clouds.
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