Although the word "rapture" does not appear in our Bible translations, it is perfectly usable. Rapture simply summarizes all the biblical phrases identified with this event; such as: "Received unto the Lord..." (John 14:3); "Caught up to meet the Lord in the air..." (1 Thess. 4:16); and "Gathered together with the Lord..." (2 Thess. 2:1).
However, if one does not wish to use the word rapture, then use the biblical phrases that describe the event.
Satan, our adversary, has sown more confusion within the Christian community over this prophesied event than any other. It is evident that he does not want anyone to believe in this biblical event. If he cannot keep one from believing, then he attempts to keep them in a state of confusion.
Among Christians there are those who are pre-tribulation, mid-tribulation, post-tribulation, no-tribulation, a-millennist and pan-millennist. Confusion abounds!
Who is the author or source of all this confusion? First Corinthians 14:33 clearly establishes that it is not God! Therefore, Satan, our adversary, is the source. Wouldn't you know it, everybody has scripture for their favorite position. Think with me. Satan has always used scripture, out of context, to either have his way or prevent one from knowing the truth.
Jesus said, "You shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free" (John 8:32). Satan used scripture, out of context, in his attempt to confuse Jesus in Matthew 4. Christians must not allow themselves to be misled simply because a minister may use scripture.
A cardinal rule of theology is never take scripture out of context. This rule has been violated again and again by sincere ministers and theologians.
There can only be ONE position on the event of the rapture that is absolutely biblical. All others will be the result of satanic confusion. One of several reasons confusion is rampant among Christians is because we "pick and choose" from the scripture whatever seems to agree with our personal ideas and opinions.
When scripture is left in context and allowed to relate to the subject in both Old and New Testaments, one discovers God's absolute position on the subject. Now let us allow God's Word to speak in context for itself.
A Scriptural Study Of The Rapture
A careful study of the scriptures reveal a total of seven "catching away" events.
Genesis 5 reveals the catching away of Enoch. This supernatural event occurred prior to the flood of Noah's day. Hebrews 11:5 and 6 provide additional insight to Enoch being caught up to Heaven.
The second event involved the Prophet Elijah. The record of his experience is found in 2 Kings 2. An interesting point with Elijah's experience is that he knew he was going prior to the catching away. He simply did not know where along the way the event would occur.
Elijah was faithful and obedient and ready for the event. Interestingly enough both Jesus and Paul teach us to stay obediently ready, because like Elijah, we do not know the day and hour of the appearing of our Lord Jesus.
Event number three was none other than the taking up of our Lord Jesus from the Mount of Olives.
Acts 1 provides the story of His ascension, with similar wording of the taking up of Enoch. Keep in mind Jesus is our example.
The fourth catching away is the one referred to by Jesus in John 14:3; by Paul in Romans 5:9, Colossians 3:4, 1 Thessalonians 1:10 and 4:16-18. It is the resurrection and catching away of all the righteous to meet Jesus in the air.
This rapture must occur prior to the beginning of the Tribulation. The Tribulation begins with a massive act of God's wrath. God has always provided for the complete removal of the righteous before an act of His wrath.
See Genesis 6 and 19, Exodus 14, Nahum 1:2 and 1 Thessalonians 5:9-11. A thorough study of the Holy Scriptures firmly establishes the catching away of the righteous prior to the beginning of the Tribulation.
Catching away number five is the Great Multitude of Revelation 7:9. This event occurs at the mid-point of the Tribulation. The description of this Great Multitude is quite different from that of the righteous who were previously caught up.
Number six is revealed in Revelation 14:1-5. It is none other than the 144,000 young Jewish men who have served as God's ministers during the Tribulation until their catching away.
The last to be caught away are the Two Witnesses of Revelation 11.
After lying dead for 3� days, they are resurrected, on camera, for all the world to witness and then caught up to Heaven. This is the seventh�and final�event of the rapture.
For more than 150 years, preachers of evangelical backgrounds have been preaching "Jesus is coming soon." Occasionally one hears someone say they have changed their mind and no longer believe in the catching away.
Such a person has allowed their intellect to overrule their spirit and enter into unbelief of scriptural teachings.
Often the question is asked, "When is Jesus coming?" The answer is found in John, Chapter 17. There Jesus is praying to our Father and asking that we become one, even as They are one, that the world may know that the Father sent Him.
It becomes our responsibility as Christians to get to know one another and have wonderful fellowship. Together�in unity�we will cause an immense harvest of souls; the greatest in history!
Although we do not know the day or hour of Jesus' coming to catch the Glorious Church away, we have a clue. This important clue is found in the teachings of Jesus recorded in Matthew 24:44-47.
Here is the clue: "Blessed is that servant whom his master, when he comes, will find him so doing." Doing what, you may ask? Simply learning how to get along with fellow Christians and in unity winning the lost to Jesus.
At the peak of this harvest, Jesus will step out of Heaven and shout, "come up here!" I strongly recommend you begin to get along with fellow Christians, even though we may differ on some points of theology.
Generally, our theological disagreements have nothing to do with God's gift and plan of salvation.
Yeah, and I can post just as many articles proving the rapture is a hoax started in the late 1800s by a mentally ill woman named Margarette McDonald who was dying in her farmhouse. No one believed it until a little known man named Darby discovered it and started building a theology from it.
My point isn't to argue the rapture, but to show you can find articles to say anything you want, it doesn't mean they are true.
Just for your information, the fact that God always removes His people is a lie. Were the Israelites removed from Egypt during the plagues? What about Samson? Noah? Jesus? Steven? The Apostles? No, God protects and cares for us, but He does not take us away.
Next time you might try proving that spirit before you post it and start preaching it.
To many people do not read the Word of the Lord,they listen to what a man believes,then they become even more adamant about the teaching then those that started the teaching
The Word is not clear on the rapture,yet the Word definitely is clear about the Lord protecting His people.
The Word the 'Church' uses for the rapture is found in 1st Thessalonians 4:17
1Thess. 4:17 ThenG1899 weG2249 which are aliveG2198 and remainG4035 shall be caught upG726 togetherG260 withG4862 themG846 inG1722 the clouds,G3507 to meetG1519 G529 theG3588 LordG2962 inG1519 the air:G109 andG2532 soG3779 shall we everG3842 beG2071 withG4862 the Lord.G2962
Caught up together#726 Strongs Greek=Harpadzo.
This is the same word used by Yeshua when He says no man can pluck (Harpadzo)them out of my hand.
Joh 10:28 And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.
Act 8:39 And when they were come up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught away Philip, that the eunuch saw him no more: and he went on his way rejoicing.
Caught away=Harpadzo,Philip never left this life.
We need to follow Yeshua; He said to watch and pray.
No man knows the hour or time.
PJ,do not put all of your eggs into the basket of the rapture.
Expect the best,yet be prepared for the worst.
Joh 17:14 I have given them thy word; and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.
Joh 17:15 I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil.
Joh 17:16 They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.
Joh 17:17 Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.
Joh 17:18 As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world.
Joh 17:19 And for their sakes I sanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth.
Joh 17:20 Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word;
Joh 17:21 That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.
George you always nullify your post by saying to many do not read the word themself, thus .no one can believe you.
Question, since you are always confessing it, is it your confession you do not study the word yourself.
Leon you have never seen me post an article this is the first time, I have because it is a accurate description of the rapture according to scripture and not opinion.
Leon if you are concerned about the lost, then come into agreement with John 3:16 and acts 2:4, and you will receive the power to be a witness.
George if I followed your advice I would have to call Jesus a liar, my faith is in his word not any basket, if his word is not true, then known are none are not saved, and then their is not need to post. but of course his word is absolute and trustworthy.
hi.. I agreed with the OP first comments but I totally disagree with the idea that the rapture takes place b4 the tribulation... I am convicted that the tribulation is the coming of satan as Jesus, where he calls fire down from heaven and he forces the mark on people who are are not anchored in Gods Truth and Seal... when Jesus comes to reveal satans lie then the saints who have kept the commands of God and the faith of Jesus will be raised, along with the dead in christ(pray that you are the among the first rising for you shall not see second death)... after 1000 yr reign in heaven with Jesus where we will judge the fallen angels and the dead humans who were not caught up we return to earth, the evil are raised and then the armeggeddon happens.. the evil are cast into the lake of fire, the earth is made new from the heat and together with Jesus, Who now stands on the mount of olives, reigns with us forever... as with any message we are to study and pray to God>> His Spirit will not keep us in the dark.... "we shall know the Truth and the Truth shall make us Free"... blessings for Gods Spirit of Discernment
I totally agree with PJ on this one.It was well written and organized.This did surprise me.PJ did a very good job here.
I believe in pretribulation. I believe God would not send his people threw what is meant of unbelievers. The anti-hrist has to have some event to gain control. An event to control the world would have to be the ressurection/ rapture of the saints. This would remove how many millions and knock out how many countries.See my point???
The church would be in the way of the anti-Christ if it is still here.PJ posted all the scriptures.I can not ad any thing to that.Dennis
This rapture must occur prior to the beginning of the Tribulation. The Tribulation begins with a massive act of God's wrath. God has always provided for the complete removal of the righteous before an act of His wrath.
Please give the Sriptures which say this,and then give them in their proper context
What does Yeshua/Jesus Say.
Mat 24:5 For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.
Mat 24:6 And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.
Mat 24:7 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places.
Mat 24:8 All these are the beginning of sorrows.
Mat 24:9 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.
Mat 24:10 And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another.
Mat 24:11 And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many.
Luk 17:26 And as it was in the days of Noe, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man.
Luk 17:27 They did eat, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, and the flood came, and destroyed them all.
Luk 17:28 Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded;
Luk 17:29 But the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all.
Take Notice:Noah and Lot never,NEVER,NEVER,NEVER left this life, or this planet.
The ark Noah was in protected everyone one within the Ark,yet Noah and the others went through the flood which WHAT,
The Flood represents the wrath and judgement of GOD.
Noah was not Raptured
Likewise Lot and his family had to be forceablyremoved from Sodom,to a mountain cave,This alos represents the PROTECTION of GOD during the outpouring of HIs wrath and judgement upon man.
Lot was not Raptured.
PJ:You talked about the Word in its context,Yet you have taken the Word out of context here and many other numerous places where you have written.
PLease give the context of the posted Scriptures about this rapture,and then expound upon those Scriptures.
