Posted on 05/15/2012 5:50:55 PM PDT by Former Fetus
My previous articles [1] commenced a series on the rapture of the church. We began with the question, "What is the Rapture?" This question can best be answered by noting ten truths about the rapture from 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 and 1 Corinthians 15:50-58. In previous articles, we saw that the rapture is an important doctrine and not something that can be marginalized or explained away as a secondary doctrine. We also noted that the rapture is an event that is distinct from the Second Advent of Christ. We further observed that the rapture will involve the catching up of every believer to meet the Lord in the air. We now move to our fourth point.
A Reunion
Fourth, the rapture will be a reunion. The concern of Paul's Thessalonian converts that initiated his discussion on the rapture is recorded in 1 Thessalonians 4:13. This verse says, "But we do not want you to be uninformed, brethren, about those who are asleep, so that you will not grieve as do the rest who have no hope." Apparently, upon planting the church in Thessalonica, Paul had taught the new converts about the rapture. However, his sudden departure from Thessalonica (Acts 17:1-9) left him no opportunity to explain the full ramifications and implications of this doctrine. Thus, when some of the Thessalonian Christians began to die, either due to natural causes or persecution, the question that likely remained in the minds of the living Thessalonian believers was whether those who had died before the Lord’s return in the clouds would miss the rapture?
(Excerpt) Read more at bibleprophecyblog.com ...
I think he explains it pretty well. It is pretty well documented in both scripture and actual testimony that after we die in Christ we're immediately in His presence. So the dead in Christ do rise first.
I'm not so sure, however, that the dead in Christ won't have their resurrected bodies. Why wouldn't they? "Those who are alive and remain" will of course experience an instant change into their glorified bodies, but I'm not at all sure those who die in the Lord aren't also in their glorified bodies even now as we speak. Many stories of those who have been to Heaven and back seem to corroborate this. Scripture also points to this:
There are also celestial bodies, and bodies terrestrial: but the glory of the celestial is one, and the glory of the terrestrial is another. There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars: for one star differs from another star in glory. So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption; it is raised in incorruption: It is sown in dishonor; it is raised in glory: it is sown in weakness; it is raised in power: It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body. 1 Cor 15:40-44
From the article:
“Paul obviously believed that the rapture is a foundational doctrine because he mentioned it immediately after discussing other basic doctrines such as the Holy Spirit (1:5) and conversion (1:5, 9). He also mentions the rapture doctrine (4:13-18) just after and before discussing other basic Christian truths such as sanctification (4:3, 5:23) and the dimensions of man’s nature (5:23). Evidently, in Paul’s thinking, the rapture was just as important as these other truths and deserved the same level of treatment and understanding.”
After reading this penetrating paragraph words of response fail me.
Just where in the Bible is the word “rapture”????
When does the “rapture” happen?
Do the two witnesses appear before or after the “rapture”?
If you read the article you would know the answer to your question.
“Rapture” is from the latin “raptoro”, meaning “captured or taken up”.
It appears in the latin version of the Bible.
| 1 | Now when they had passed through Amphip'olis and Apollo'nia, they came to Thessaloni'ca, where there was a synagogue of the Jews. |
| 2 | And Paul went in, as was his custom, and for three weeks he argued with them from the scriptures, |
| 3 | explaining and proving that it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead, and saying, "This Jesus, whom I proclaim to you, is the Christ." |
| 4 | And some of them were persuaded, and joined Paul and Silas; as did a great many of the devout Greeks and not a few of the leading women. |
| 5 | But the Jews were jealous, and taking some wicked fellows of the rabble, they gathered a crowd, set the city in an uproar, and attacked the house of Jason, seeking to bring them out to the people. |
| 6 | And when they could not find them, they dragged Jason and some of the brethren before the city authorities, crying, "These men who have turned the world upside down have come here also, |
| 7 | and Jason has received them; and they are all acting against the decrees of Caesar, saying that there is another king, Jesus." |
| 8 | And the people and the city authorities were disturbed when they heard this. |
| 9 | And when they had taken security from Jason and the rest, they let them go. |
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1 Thessalonians 4 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 10 and indeed you do love all the brethren throughout Macedo'nia. But we exhort you, brethren, to do so more and more, 11 to aspire to live quietly, to mind your own affairs, and to work with your hands, as we charged you; 12 so that you may command the respect of outsiders, and be dependent on nobody. 13 But we would not have you ignorant, brethren, concerning those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. 14 For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep. 15 For this we declare to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, shall not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16 For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the archangel's call, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first; Read more: http://www.ewtn.com/ewtn/bible/search_bible.asp#ixzz1uzk0t1TI
Case closed.
| 1 Corinthians 15 50 |
I tell you this, brethren: flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. | |
| 51 | Lo! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, | |
| 52 | in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. | |
| 53 | For this perishable nature must put on the imperishable, and this mortal nature must put on immortality. | |
| 54 | When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written: "Death is swallowed up in victory." | |
| 55 | "O death, where is thy victory? O death, where is thy sting?" | |
| 56 | The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. | |
| 57 | But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. | |
| 58 | Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ | |
1 Thessalonians 4:17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.
I Thessalonicenses 4:17 deinde nos qui vivimus qui relinquimur simul rapiemur cum illis in nubibus obviam Domino in aera et sic semper cum Domino erimus Caught up (Greek: harpazo - to seize, carry off by force)
Caught up (Latin: rapiemur - shall be caught up)
English Rapture.
IF IT IS SO IMPORTANT,, then why isn’t the word rapture there?
An analogy, the word “purge” is in the bible from whence comes the word Purgatory. That’s understandable.
I get “caught up” on my homework, or if I am running or driving in a race, I might catch up with the leader.
That’s beneath you Salvation. You should know very well the Latin means Rapture and it’s in the Catholic Bible. That attempt was weak and surely not up to your standards.
I thought it was funny. Guess you didn’t.
What is being said here is that at the final judgment, we will all be called forward. Saints, sinners, sheep and goats. We will be in groups. The Christ will send the groups to the appropriate place, either heaven or hell.
At the Last Judgment there will no longer be a Purgatory.
I was given a Catholic Bible when I was a teenager.
The Living Bible-Catholic “version”—paraphrased!
“Paraphrased” makes me wonder.
I know that there are many translations/interpretations throughout the ages; it tends to put me on guard.
I had read the “rapture” theory grew out of the visions an ill woman in Scotland had in the 1890s.
Has anyone else read this?
Nope. The church is no longer on earth during the Tribulation period. Current believers will be “caught up” then the Tribulation during which new believers will be killed. Only the select Jewish believers will live through the Tribulation to repopulate the world where Christ is King for one thousand years.
>>At the Last Judgment there will no longer be a Purgatory.<<
What Catholics think is purgatory was closed when Christ took those souls to heaven after His death on the cross. No purgatory today.
Only people who try to deny the truth of scripture put that forth and believe it.
Purgatory is still very alive and active. Souls from Purgatory have visited people and told them they will meet those who pray for them at the moment of the praying person’s death.
Where in the Bible does it say that Christ closed Purgatory?
Never heard that before.
Strange and false — someone is giving you erroneous information.
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