Posted on 05/05/2015 6:10:22 PM PDT by EveningStar
Question: A friend of mine has been reading the Left Behind books that have all of this stuff about the “Rapture” in them. Is there really going to be a “Rapture” like these books talk about?
Answer: No.The “Rapture” refers to a passage in First Thessalonians 4, where Christians are “caught up” in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air.” Many Christians believe, and the Left Behind books promote, that this being “caught up” to meet the Lord will occur before the Great Tribulation sometime in the near future. Christians will simply vanish, meet Jesus somewhere in the air, and then return with Him to Heaven to await the end of time.
(Excerpt) Read more at aleteia.org ...
So your answer is more Roodness? Oh well ...
Enoch was removed from the Earth prior to the flood, taken up into Heaven. Paul tells us that we are 'the' body of Christ, one, and He also explained to His disciples that He goes to prepare a place and will come and callt hem to be with Him 'There'. Not here, THERE. Then we will accompany Him back at the Second Coming to the Earth, to set foot on the Mount of Olives. When He arrives in that Terrible day of The Lord, He appears with His Vesture dipped in blood. A bridegroom would not come to call out his bride with his vesture dipped in blood.
The Epistle of Baarnabas (AD100) contains the argument for a pre-trib Rapture. Irenaeus in his 'Against Heresies' addressed it. His follower, Hippolytus also addressed it. From the Eastern Church tradition, Ephraem of Nisibis (306-373AD) asserted it clearly in his 'On The Last Times'. Several teachers in the eighteenth century addressed it. And prior to Darby taking up the challenge, at least two others in the nineteenth century had raised the issue.
The Epistle of Baarnabas (AD100) contains the argument for a pre-trib Rapture. Irenaeus in his 'Against Heresies' addressed it. His follower, Hippolytus also addressed it. From the Eastern Church tradition, Ephraem of Nisibis (306-373AD) asserted it clearly in his 'On The Last Times'. Several teachers in the eighteenth century addressed it. And prior to Darby taking up the challenge, at least two others in the nineteenth century had raised the issue.
Christ said Mark 13:20 AND except that the LORD had shortened those days, no flesh should be ‘saved’: (my apostrophe around that word saved, to point the obvious the purpose of this flesh journey.)
Mark 13:20 but for the elect’s sake, whom He hath chosen, He hath shortened the days.
21. AND then if any man shall sat to you, ‘Lo, here is Christ;’ OR, ‘Lo, He is there; believe him not:
22. For false Christs and false prophets shall rise, and shall show signs and wonders, to seduce, if it were possible, even the elect.
23. But take ye heed: behold, I have foretold you all things.
24. (Christ quotes Isaiah 13:10) But in those days, AFTER that tribulation, the sun shall be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light,
25. And the stars of heaven shall fall, and the powers that are in heaven shall be shaken.
26. AND then shall they see the Son of man coming in the cloud with great power and glory.
No secret leaving ever mentioned by Christ, and it takes rejecting 99.9% of the rest of the Word to dream up a raptor fly away tale.
My answer is the word of God
Your game is insanity in a delicate package.
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They do not accept the word of God!
If God won’t give them a secret rapture, they’ll turn to Satan for the one he’s been pushing through the Dispys.
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At the second touchdown on Earth, at the end of the Great Tribulation (the second half of the seventieth week of Daniel) Jesus is coming with Judgment upon the earth and all that dwell therein ... except a remnanet, the elect, whom the Holy Spirit is protecting from the anti-Christ. Those being protected, the elect, are in bodies mortal. They live through the awful things that happen during the Tribulation. These are not The Church.
Just as in the days of Noah ... God delivers from what is to come. In the days of Noah, He delivered by two means: Enoch was taken away into Heaven before the rains and Noah's eight were closed up in the ark and delivered alive to ride out the flood. In the analogy, Noah's family would be 'the elect', and Enoch would be the taken out to avoid the deception coming. The believers in the Church Age are defined as 'the (singular)body of Christ'. Jesus wasn't into self flagellation, that's a Muzzie thing. And BTW, the mooselimb Mahdi takes the Temple Mount as his throne and his deceiver jesus declares the Mahdi to be the lord of lords, which will deceive many!
As no one can predict the day or hour of the Rapture, anyone wanting to read the Bible can predict the Second coming. And Jesus explained this exact notion the Wednesday before the crucifixion, in the Olivet discourse. The Philadelphia Church is told they will be kept from what is coming: Rev 3:10 & 11 (‘Because thou didst keep the word of my endurance, I also will keep thee from the hour of the trial that is about to come upon all the world, to try those dwelling upon the earth. Lo, I come quickly, be holding fast that which thou hast, that no one may receive thy crown.)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b1xoON5GLSw
If you would like it in segments:
Part 1 =https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TI4tDG4OmGs
Part 2=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YcjYAMNa8uI
You may already be enough of a Bible student to go directly to part 2, but part 1 is an excellent foundation.
Meant to ping you, too.
kerping
It’s not a “secret” rapture. It’s plainly stated in scripture several times.
You certainly slither down to that personal attack quickly and often. What’s up with that?
John 14:3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto Myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.
The translators of the King James 'greek' did not translate into the English 'I will come and bring you to where I am'. It says I will come again, and receive you unto Myself'.
Christ is coming here, on God's green earth to reclaim it. Where is this place that the raptors think they are going to be wisked?
In Mark 13:23 But take ye heed: behold, I have foretold you all things.
There is not one single scripture that can be accurately quoted that compares/contrasts the little we are told regarding Enoch and a so call rapture.
At the second touchdown on Earth, at the end of the Great Tribulation (the second half of the seventieth week of Daniel) Jesus is coming with Judgment upon the earth and all that dwell therein ... except a remnanet, the elect, whom the Holy Spirit is protecting from the anti-Christ. Those being protected, the elect, are in bodies mortal. They live through the awful things that happen during the Tribulation. These are not The Church.
What is the 'great' tribulation? Matthew 24:21 (Christ quoting Daniel 12:1) For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world (age) to this time, no, nor ever shall be.
Obviously Christ knew what Daniel had written as He quoted him. So if Christ says I have foretold you all things, does that not include what this 'great' tribulation is that was not since the beginning of the world? It cannot be 'war', as there have been wars since Cain slew Able. So what is the great tribulation that some think that their only hope is to fly away? Is not God able to 'save' those that love Him? Daniel was thrown in the lion's den and was protected, as were the three Hebrew children tossed in the fiery furnace and king Neb saw 'four' souls not even touched by the heat?
Judgment does not begin until the end of the Lord's day which according to Peter is a thousand years. Some call it the millennium, Ezekiel describes in last chapters in great detail.
The action is to take place here on earth, and unless ones flesh returns to the dust from which it came everybody is going to see the 'great' tribulation.
Why was Christ tempted by the devil? Notice what the devil offered Christ. The devil has already been judged to death, but, because apparently many found his religion to be so seductive God is allowing the devil a short time to tempt His creation. That is the great tribulation, the devil playing Jesus, and all but the very elect crawling into his spiritual bed.
Just as in the days of Noah ... God delivers from what is to come. In the days of Noah, He delivered by two means: Enoch was taken away into Heaven before the rains and Noah's eight were closed up in the ark and delivered alive to ride out the flood. In the analogy, Noah's family would be 'the elect', and Enoch would be the taken out to avoid the deception coming. The believers in the Church Age are defined as 'the (singular)body of Christ'. Jesus wasn't into self flagellation, that's a Muzzie thing. And BTW, the mooselimb Mahdi takes the Temple Mount as his throne and his deceiver jesus declares the Mahdi to be the lord of lords, which will deceive many!
Christ said Matthew 24:37 But as the days of Noe (Noah) were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
We have not yet reach the activity here on earth as was happening as the days of Noe, but the earth sure is being primed for accepting that activity. And Christ pointing to that activity as a 'sign' of His return is critical in knowing the seasons. Notice what John has to say about this bunch in Revelation 12:10-17, and the closest thing to a so call rapture that is promised. God is able to protect those that love Him.
There is no such thing as the 'church' age. That is a tradition of man. Christ never warned about the deception of the Mahdi, He warned of the deception of those coming in His name.
As no one can predict the day or hour of the Rapture, anyone wanting to read the Bible can predict the Second coming. And Jesus explained this exact notion the Wednesday before the crucifixion, in the Olivet discourse. The Philadelphia Church is told they will be kept from what is coming: Rev 3:10 & 11 (‘Because thou didst keep the word of my endurance, I also will keep thee from the hour of the trial that is about to come upon all the world, to try those dwelling upon the earth. Lo, I come quickly, be holding fast that which thou hast, that no one may receive thy crown.)
How long is an 'hour' per God's methodology of time keeping? IIPeter 3:8 But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing,
that one day is with the LORD as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.
And some say God is outside of 'time'. He is the ultimate time setter and keeper. Everything is on His time, and He puts in place those that are intended to fulfill His plan.
In the New Testament it is called the deception, in the Old Testament it is called 'fly to save souls'. God knew way back in Ezekiel's days what His darlings were going to devise. Ezekiel 13:16-23 describes in full detail what God thinks of the rapture doctrine. He says He is going to deliver His people from the doctrine of 'flying to save souls' and '....they shall know that I am the LORD''"
So what did the busy fingers do? Why they changed the WORD of God in their new translations so it appears as if a 'bird' is the subject/object. People make choices and unfortunately the majority refuse to abide by the very choices they make.
Oh my!!! I've got news for you. Your not Israel and neither is the ekklesia "church" of Christ. If you think the "church" has superseded Israel you have more problems than worrying about some silly old rapture.
The Creator is the same yesterday, today, and will be forever. In Christ there is NOT a distinction of Israel/Judah and Gentiles. All have same opportunity for salvation. The only difference I have found is that the punishment dwelt out to the House of Israel was they would cease to know who they were. Jeremiah 3:8 And I saw, when for all the causes whereby backsliding Israel committed adultery I had put her away, and given her a bill of divorce; yet her treacherous sister Judah feared not, but went and played the harlot also.....
So when did this 'wedding' take place? Peter tells us that while in the tomb Christ went to all back to the days of Noah and offered them salvation. IPeter 3:18 and IPeter 4:6. We are not told how many souls have already chose Christ during this ministry.
The 'church' does not replace Israel, and as of yet Christ has not returned and joined the two sticks of the House of Israel and the House of Judah. God is quite capable of doing more than one thing at a time, even multiple of things at the same time. It is HIS plan and He send us the volume of the Book as His road map. And it is a tradition of men/women that devised up a rapture notion, I suppose because these souls do not consider God able to protect them through the great deception.
In Luke 21 Jesus describes the bitter things that will come upon the wole earth. At verse 28 He says, "Now when these things BEGIN to happen, look up and lift your heads, because your redemption draws near."
My question to you is, if the rapture happens at the end of the tribulation, and all the bitter things described in Luke 21 have already happened, or nearly all, then why didn't Jesus say something like, "Now when these things are nearly ended, lift up your heads..." Instead of "when these things BEGIN to happen?"
There is a beginnign to "these things" and there is an end... it is at the beginning that we are encouraged to lift up our heads, not at the end...
There will be a revival like the world has never seen when the Rapture happens and so many are left because they 'had no oil in their lamps.' That revival will be led by 144,000 children of Israel, the Two witnesses, and an Angel.
Can you see that Jesus need not set foot on the Earth to make contact with those in and on the Earth? Did he not appear to Saul ont he road to Damascus, without setting foot on the Earth?
Would you be so kind as to give me your definition of The Church? What is the hallmark of The Church?
The book of Daniel, chapter nine, is very specific in teaching seventy weeks for the covenants of God with Israel to be fulfilled. There is only one place in the New Testament where Jesus allows the People tosee Him as King. Do you know where that is in the scriptures? Are you aware that when Jesus did that, He aligned His walk with the end of the sixty-ninth week of Daniel's prophecy?
The confusion is understandable, perhaps. The Jews, who were far more familiar with the books of the Old Testament (and we call it the old testament because when Jesus came in the flesh and died and rose again, HE ESTABLISHED a new Testament), the Jews have debated for centuries over the idea that there may be two Messiahs, because they can see that Jesus came as a suffering Messiah who was rejected, cut off as Daniel expressed it, not for Himself but to be a ransom for many. The Jews debated perhaps one Messiah as a son of Joseph, for suffering, and one as a son of David, for the kingship. Why do you suppose this debate could even happen if the scriptures of the OT did not contain the prophecies of a period when Jesus would be cut off when He came the First Time to set foot on Earth, God with us, Emmanuel?
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