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:
In a word, Yes.
In THE Word, Yes.
Welcome to FR.
I refuse to believe humans have God figured out.
In an answer, no. Christians will have to suffer for the Lord Jesus, just like Jesus did in His passion.
There will be a rapture at the second coming of Christ. The perousia.
False choice....all or nothing figured out. Of course we cannot comprehend everything, figure everything out. But certain things He was very clear about.
Bandwagon fallacy. Just because a number of people believe it doesn't make it true. Moreover, the statement is not even true, unless Catholics and Orthodx Christians don't count- they do not believe the concept of a pre-tribulational rapture is in the Bible either.
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.
Strawman fallacy. This is not the argument at all. The argument is that this was never a doctrine of any Christian church before MacDonald; that is no group of Christians ever accepted this, incorporated this into their written beliefs, and believed it as divinely inspired. No sifnificant number of Christians believed this before Margaret MacDonald spread this false doctrine to John Darby who spread it to a number of seminaries, which led to the result of it spreading like wildfire as a wholly new doctrine that was eventually believed by a significant number of Christians, despite never being accepted as such in the two thousand year history of the church.
I refuse to believe humans have God figured out.
I agree.
Understanding what God said in His word is not having "God figured out".
Not once in all of scripture are faithful followers of Christ subjected to God's wrath. In fact, they are promised to never suffer the wrath of God.
I certainly agree with that sentiment, but I think the discussion revolves around what God Himself has revealed... not just human conjecture.
Jesus and the apostles did.
Welcome to FR.
I think...
I once got into it on Facebook with some who made similar arguments. You really can’t reason with someone like that.
What I call “The Rapture” is in Revelation 7, after the 144k are sealed. But it could just be the “subject shift” that happens so often in Revelation.
Oh, and how can anyone who has read the Bible even think that God desires to remove us from experiencing trials and tribulations? Trials are the means of sanctification, of drawing us closer to him, of refining us, as is clearly indicated through the lives of almost every figure in the Bible— throughout the Old Testament (Noah, Moses, Job, Joseph, David...) and New (Jesus, apostles). Paul tells us this directly multiple times, but especially in Romans 5.
I believe the Bible was written so we could “figure God out”.
Does that mean that we always get our “figuring” right - NO! it doesn’t.
But, God graciously gave us the instructions anyway.
The Bible tells a story of a prophesy that was given about a Messiah. Well, that came true. So, even those many people who did NOT believe in a Messiah; they were witnesses to His arrival, His life, and His death.
You can be ready for whatever, by just accepting Christ as your Savior; finding a good church and growing in the knowledge of Him. If you do this, you will not be surprised by events.
Remember what Jesus told us, “... it has been given unto you to KNOW THE MYSTERIES AND SECRETS OF THE KINGDOM”.
Jesus suffered greatly for us; why then would God want to punish us more. If we have received Christ, all our sins have been washed away, so why would we deserve more punishment?
We, Christians, have not been appointed unto wrath.
You can be punished if you want, but I’m redeemed from the curse ...”
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