Posted on 03/13/2015 7:43:01 AM PDT by amessenger4god
Will there be a rapture? Is it pre-tribulational? I believe the answer is an emphatic 'yes' to both questions. Here are some key points:
1. For starters, I want to address the small, but growing minority of Christians who emphatically state that the rapture isn't even in the Bible. Now I believe it is one thing to hold to various views as to the timing of the rapture event, but no rapture at all? I believe that this belief is thoroughly nonsensical. The argument often takes shape the same way that Jehovah's Witnesses will say that the Bible doesn't teach the doctrine of the "Trinity" since the word "Trinity" is not in the Bible... yet the doctrine of the Trinity is found all throughout the Bible, from Genesis 1:1-3 to Revelation. The word "rapture" is not in the Bible, end-of-story.
This argument doesn't even make sense--of course the English word "rapture" is not in the Bible. So too the Latin word that we derive "rapture" from is also not in the Bible. The New Testament was written in Greek! The Greek word for "rapture" is in the Bible. Even setting aside all other scriptures, parables, patterns, and parallels that may support the rapture, the rapture event is clearly and unequivocally taught in 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17. This passage doesn't necessarily answer the question as to the timing of the event, but yes, the rapture is going to happen. A trumpet will sound and the dead in Christ and those who are "alive and remain" will be "caught up" into the clouds. It plainly, unequivocally says believers will meet the Lord in the air.
2. Next, I want to talk about perhaps the most common argument against the pre-tribulational rapture. This argument is now known to be factually incorrect. So if you believe in a mid-trib, pre-wrath, or post-trib rapture, that's fine by me, but don't use this argument. The argument is that the pre-tribulational rapture theory was invented by a girl in 19th century Scotland named Margaret MacDonald. This is patently false. For starters, 18 years prior to MacDonald, a Catholic Jesuit priest espoused his belief in the pre-trib rapture in his book The Coming of Messiah in Glory and Majesty. We now also have clear, extra-Biblical support for the pre-trib rapture as early as 373AD (Ephraem the Syrian who clearly taught the doctrine, even using exact language). See here: http://www.raptureready.com/rr-margaret-mcdonald.html and here: http://www.grantjeffrey.com/article/why_some_reject.htm
3. Thirdly, many Christians will often argue that the pre-tribulational rapture is not foreshadowed in the Bible and that the doctrine is just "easy-escapism". In essence they will say that God doesn't remove us from trials and tribulation, He just protects us in the midst of it.
I actually agree with their point about God protecting us in the midst of tribulation. However, this has nothing to do with the pre-tribulational rapture, which I believe is CLEARLY foreshadowed. The 70th week of Daniel (final 7 years of the age), are the years specifically set aside for God to pour out His OWN wrath. Not just the normal trials and tribulations every generation has faced because of the consequences of sin, but a tribulation God Himself sends on the world, as the Scripture says to test an unbelieving and unrepentant world (Revelation 3:10; see also Luke 21:36). That same passage says clearly says that God will keep believers from facing that coming tribulation. Elsewhere the Bible says "we are not appointed unto wrath" (1 Thessalonians 5:9).
So, yes, it is correct to say God doesn't always remove us from worldy tribulation, but He does ALWAYS remove us from His wrath if we trust in Him. This is foreshadowed:
Exactly correct.
I remember back in the 70’s many Christians were convinced they didn’t have to plan for the future.
They were all going to be carried away.
Never happened...they all died poor.
Same thing happened back in 79 AD after Jerusalem was sacked by the Romans.
Some of the Christians thought that was the End Times.
Never happened.
Must re-read my booklet 88 REASONS WHY THE RAPTURE WILL BE IN 1988.
No, it doesn't. It merely said that even Christ--at that time--did not know the date and time.
Scripture does teach us--through the parable of the 10 virgins as an example--that we are to be alert for His coming, watch for Him, and be prepared.
Who do you think you are kidding? He told Lot to get out. Abraham knew that God would not destroy the good with the bad and pleaded to save the whole city because of them. When Lot hesitated the angel actually took Lot by the hand to lead him out of there. God wasn't going to destroy the faithful. Abraham was simply pleading for the entire city.
Scripture teaches salvation through Jesus alone still many do not believe.
The tribulation happened in 70 AD - the”rapture” will be the in-gathering at the end of time. Jesus himself said “this generation will see it all” when asked when these things would happen - and so they did.
I found something interesting not long ago. The Southern Baptist Convention has never accepted or denied Scofield’s end times doctrines that have taken over so many churches.
The Independent Baptist church leader John R Rice never accepted those doctrines, but after his death, Curtis T Hutson did accept and teach them.
My thought is that too many people spend too much time trying to prove the first chapters of Genesis or analyzing the book of Revelation, when they should be concentrating on what is between those.
That’s the most intelligent argument you could come up with to the points of the article?
You are mixing Old Testament events with New Testament “end times” prophesy. But, you leave out Deut 30-31 where God told them, “... I’ve set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; NOW YOU CHOOSE.”
If you want to find out what Jesus actually did by his death and resurrection; it’s best to stick with the New Testament.
AMEN brother. A huge AMEN!
Many surprises lie ahead - especially for those who have it all figured out........
TWO things are clear and important in all that Jesus said about His return: Jesus is coming when no one expects it (”no one” includes all pre-trib folk); we’d better be READY and looking for His coming and living every moment like it’s our last.
If you are right about these two, the details don’t matter.
Jesus said it would be as the days of Noah and as the days of Lot. In both cases, the wicked were the ones who were removed from the earth. The righteous, though still remaining on the earth, were protected from the wrath of God. No rapture.
Those who are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord will be caught up in the Spirit as John was on the isle of Patmos (he was caught up though still on the earth and remained on the earth). Even the Apostle Paul was caught up to the third heaven while on earth.
“They were eating and drinking and marrying and being given in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all. Likewise, just as it was in the days of Lot—they were eating and drinking, buying and selling, planting and building, but on the day when Lot went out from Sodom, fire and sulfur rained from heaven and destroyed them all— so will it be on the day when the Son of Man is revealed.” (Luke 17:27-30)
Read mathew 24. Then read revelation 6 and 7.
Note the difference between tribulation and Gods wrath.
If there is pre trib rapture, we missed the boat, as the Church is under great Tribulation right now with entire nations of Christions being martyred.
Preztrib is an American fantasy.
2 Peter 3:3 Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, 4 And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation.
I can not figure where the idea comes from that the last part of the last week is 2000 years after the first part.
It appears to me that the power of the holy people was scattered about three and one half years after Jesus was resurrected.
The killing of Steven caused the saints to leave and the gentile started getting the word.
It also should be noted that Jesus said four times that he would raise us up at the last day .
1 Corinthians 15
22 For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.
23 But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ’s at his coming.
24 Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power.
The resurrection is at Christs coming, at the end.
Also all shall be made alive, which means we were dead.
52 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.
Again the last trump - the last day.
I see the “great tribulation” as actually two 3.5 year periods. The first is the “tribulation”, in which the antichrist comes to power and makes life all around miserable for Christians. I see it as a sort of “wrath of satan”.
And then the rapture after the sealing of the 144k.
And then the 3.5 year “wrath of God” on who is on the planet. There will be no salvation for them beyond the 144k. Though, as I think about it, maybe they will minister to the rest of the Jews...never mind. I’ll have to dig into that. It just popped into my head...
I'm assuming you are getting this from 1 Th. 5:2. If you continue reading to 5:4, you will see this:
"But you, brothers and sisters, are not in darkness so that this day should surprise you like a thief."
I would conclude from this that your parenthesis about "no one" is therefore incorrect.
Bwahahahahaha!!
“Elsewhere the Bible says “we are not appointed unto wrath” (1 Thessalonians 5:9). “
You need to give the rest of the verse “but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ”
Wrath is contrasted with SALVATION, ie he is talking about things eternal.
No matter how much tribulation Christians go through in this life, wrath is what the unsaved suffer in eternity.
You think that Christians being martyred is God's wrath? Surely you jest.
It was already recognized as God's wrath at the very beginning as we see in Revelation 6.
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