As a servent and teacher of Jesus the Christ, I am often faced with questions about different teachings in the scriptures. One of them is the RAPTURE. Some do not believe in it. Some think it will happen before things get to bad down here. What does Jesus Say on the subject?
I hope that those of you who read this will give feedback.
The Rapture
(Pre-trib or Post-trib)
There are all kinds of teachings and debates over whether the Rapture will happen and when.
Part of this debate is whether the "Rapture" of the church will happen "pre-millennial" or "post-millennial". I can't see any reason to waste time on this debate. Unless we are currently in the second millennium, under the time of Satan's free run for a thousand years, looking at the first 1000 years after the crucifixion as the 1000 years of peace, we must assume that the Rapture is "pre-millennial".
As far as the "pre-trib" (before the tribulation) or "post-trib" (after the tribulation) debate is concerned, I can't imagine that there is a good reason why some would hold this bit of doctrine so important as to establish divisions over it. There is truth and there is fallacy. It is certainly important to hold on to truth, and to dispel the false.
Many have stated (from human logic) that, “ Our loving God would not let us go through that.” This seems to be a mostly “American” point of view. This statement overlooks the facts of the torturous deaths of the original apostles and the continued slaughter of 100,000 Christians in the world every year in this current time. The idea of using the “loving God” argument to teach something that is not in the Bible flies in the face of seeing children die slow deaths from cancer and other disease.
In points of division, it would be wise to hold strong to the truth that there will be a rapture of the church. It is one of our foundational hopes. The promise is that Jesus will return for His people. To divide over when this will occur is more a work of Satan than an act of righteous determination to defend the gospels from false teachings. Having said this, I wish to state what I perceive to be the definitive teachings of JESUS and the Holy Scriptures on this subject.
Nowhere in any scripture is there a teaching that JESUS will return two times after HIS initial ascension. In fact, HE warns us not to believe anything we hear about HIS return until HE returns in all HIS glory. "Every eye shall see HIM on that day." (Rev. 1:7) This will take place, "immediately after the tribulation" (Matthew 24:29)
We can establish the foundation of this teaching from the words attributed to the very mouth of HIM who put all things in motion and who will see to it that they are completed.
Matthew 24:4-14
4. And Jesus answered and said unto them, "Take heed that no man deceive you.
5. For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.
6. And ye shall hear of wars and rumors of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.
7. For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places.
8. All these are the beginning of sorrows.
9. Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name's sake.
10. And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another.
11. And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many.
12. And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.
13. But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.
14. And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.
Since My Bible establishes a break at this point, I have chosen to bow to superior minds and do the same. Let us look at this teaching and see what we can find.
First, we need to see that this teaching is written to the saints. The warning is given to the believers and not to the masses. For those of us who understand the purpose of the Bible, to instruct JESUS' people in what is expected of them and what to expect, this understanding is a given.
In the light of that truth, we see Jesus clearly informing HIS people that they will be delivered to be killed and that “they will be hated by everyone for HIS name's sake”.
And finally, we read that those who endure to the end will be saved. The next few verses will establish that "the end" means the end of the world. Therefore, it is already clear that this teaching establishes that JESUS' people will be here on earth through this persecution unto the end of the world. Let us look at the rest of this teaching in Matthew.
15. When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand: )
16. Then let them which be in Judea flee to the mountains:
17. Let him which is on the housetop not come down to take anything out of the house:
18. Neither let him which is in the field return back to take his clothes.
19. And woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck in those days!
20. But pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the Sabbath day:
21. For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.
22. And except those days should be shortened, there would no flesh be saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened.
23. Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or there; believe it not.
24. For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall show great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.
25. Behold, I have told you before.
26. 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.
27. 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.
28. For wheresoever the carcass is, there will the eagles be gathered together.
Again, let me stop at this point to look at some of this teaching. As we have already established, JESUS is teaching us, HIS people, what to expect when tribulation comes upon us. HE is clearly teaching that we will see all of these signs as HIS people. Now, take a good look at verse 24.
JESUS, in verse 24, gives us a wonderful promise here. Yes, HE is warning us that false prophets will rise with great signs and wonders. HE is teaching us that they will deceive many. But look at the assurance. JESUS tells us that it is not possible for the elect to be deceived. HIS sheep "Know HIS voice and will not follow another"(John 10:27-28). HE clearly teaches that the elect, HIS sheep, will be here on earth during this time and promises that they cannot be deceived. Now back up to verse 22.
JESUS is telling us that the time of the tribulation will be shortened for the sake of HIS chosen people. I know that there are those that profess that these are the ones that will be chosen during the tribulation. I have no idea where they get that. Why would JESUS have a chosen people who will go through the tribulation and a chosen people who will not? There is no break in HIS teaching. HE is telling HIS disciples that they will be in the tribulation.
Finally we have CHRIST'S return in Matthew 24: 29-31
29. 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:
30. 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.
31. 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.
Here JESUS is teaching us that when HE comes, every eye will see HIM and HE will come in power and glory. HIS coming will be at the end of the tribulation and that this is the time that HE will gather HIS elect from the four winds and all of heaven. (The phrase "the four winds is used in scripture to indicate "all of the earth, north, south, east, and west) In the next series of verses, JESUS teaches about the rapture in some detail. It is clear that it will take place at the end of the tribulation at the time of HIS coming.
This same teaching is also recorded in Mark and in Luke.
From this foundation we can take a look at other verses that deal with this doctrine.
The 4th chapter of 1st Thessalonians teaches us that we will meet Christ in the air when HE comes in HIS glory in the clouds. JESUS has told us that this will happen immediately after the tribulation.
Almost the entire book of second Thessalonians was written to allay fears that the people of the church there had already missed the rapture of the church and the "Day of the LORD". In this writing, GOD reveals to us the sign of the "man of sin" (Chapter 2:3) would first be seen by the saints, before JESUS would return for them.
1st Corinthians 15:52 tells us:
"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."
In The Book of The Revelation John tells us about a series of trumpet soundings that signal different events in the established plans for the tribulation period. There are a series of plagues and pestilences that are turned loose upon the earth during the end times. This scripture in 1st Corinthians tells us the church will be raptured "at the last trump".
There are some things in the scriptures that could be misinterpreted and therefore give some credence to the notion that those who are Christ's will miss the tribulation. I would like to look at one of them.
1st Thessalonians 1:10
"And to wait for his Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, even JESUS, which delivered us from the wrath to come."
Here we find that we are waiting for JESUS to come from heaven. We have already established that this happens at the end of the tribulation. But, it is the word "wrath" that seems to add some dispute.
The Greek word used in this text refers to being MENTALLY under wrath. It implies anger towards someone or something. It does not reference any physicality or action associated as wrath. God's wrath is not that which takes place in the temporal realm. God's wrath is the eternal torment that is awarded those who choose to reject HIM.
JESUS himself has given us a definitive teaching on the subject of HIS return and the Rapture of the church. HE makes it very clear that at the end of the tribulation period, HE will return and gather all of HIS elect to HIMSELF. No parables, no ambiguity, nothing but clear concise teaching that follows a specific chronological order of events.
Posted by blessgodamerica
at 10:15 AM EDT
On April 9, we had the privilege of hosting a fundraiser display at the Wal-Mart store in Lilburn, Georgia. Here's the setup. We had a great assortment of materials, including our T-shirts, pins, brochures and business cards. It was a good time to raise visibility for the ministry and reach some folks for Christ.
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