Pre-Tribulation Church Rapture 101

Have you even read it?

Fact

How much of lies is enough and when?

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Sad to say there are many people in the world today who think like you.

2Pe 3:3 Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts,

2Pe 3:4 And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as [they were] from the beginning of the creation.

There must be two FUTURE appearances of Jesus.

One is unannounced at a time unknown. Like a thief in the night.

A second comes when He returns with His saints at the battle of Armageddon. Well announced and at a time that anyone can discern because of events that are occurring as foretold in prophecy.

The first appearance is labeled as the rapture event and the latter appearance is called the second coming of Christ.

Post and Pre-Tib are BOTH CORRECT!

If you read the letters to the 7 Churches, ONE
of the churches is raptured, the rest of the
weak churches go through Tribulation to strengthen
their faith.

Revelation 3:10

I will also keep you from the hour of trial that is going to come on the whole world

Let us look at the history of the rapture. Rapture is a popular term used by some Christians for the rising of the faithful from the dead. This belief states that the rising of the faithful from the dead will be prior to or after a period of immense trouble or tribulation. After seven years of tribulation, the belief is then that there will be 1,000 years of peace followed by the day of final judgment.
Where did this belief come from?

Until the 1830s all Christian Churches believed basically the same things about the second coming of Jesus Christ. Around this time a member of the Scottish sect the Irvingites, Margaret MacDonald, made the first claim that there would be Rapture and the faithful would be gathered to Christ before the period of persecution. From what can be gleaned from research, she was discounted by some people as being “of the Devil” and her prophesies have been discounted.

John Nelson Darby (1800-1882) next picked up the belief in the Rapture and made it very popular. This belief of the Rapture made its way into the footnotes of a translation of the Bible by Cyrus Ingerson Scofiled and the Scofield Reference Bible. This version of the Bible was widely used in England and America and therefore the rapture started to become an accepted doctrine of belief.

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 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.
But notice, in verse 15, Paul says that “…we who are alive, who are left,” shall be caught up. This is a very important point to stress. Those who are “left” get caught up to meet the Lord. Keep that in mind as you look at these next couple of Scripture passages.

The popular Left Behind books get their name from a passage in Luke 17, and a similar passage in Matthew 24, which compares the coming of the Lord to the days of Noah and the days of Lot. Matthew 24 puts it this way: “As were the days of Noah, so will be the coming of the Son of man…[they ate, they drank, they married] and they did not know until the flood came and swept them all away, so will be the coming of the Son of man. Then two men will be in the field, one is taken and one is left. Two women grinding at the mill, one is taken one is left.”

“One is taken, one is left” — the Rapture right? Jesus takes the Christians and leaves behind non-Christians.
That’s how rapture enthusiasts interpret these passages. Well, you need to say to them: “Not so fast, folks.” Two problems with the “Left Behind” interpretation: First, in the passages from Luke 17 and Matthew 24, Jesus’ coming is compared to the days of Noah and the days of Lot. Let’s think about that for a moment. After the flood, who was left? Noah and his family — the good guys. The bad guys were taken and the good guys were left behind! After Sodom and Gomorrah went up in smoke, who was left? Lot and his daughters — the good guys. The bad guys were taken and the good guys were left behind!

The second problem with the “Left Behind” interpretation, has to do with what I mentioned above: 1 Thessalonians 4 says that those who are “left” get to meet Jesus in the air. You want to be left behind. Why? Because those who are left behind get to meet Jesus on His return to earth. Again, when you put 1 Thessalonians 4 together with Matthew 24 and Luke 17, it becomes quite apparent that the good guys are the ones left behind to meet Jesus.

And, if you need further proof of that, there’s a passage in Matthew 13 that pretty much seals the deal. Matthew 13:39-43, “…and the enemy who sowed them [the bad seed] is the devil; the harvest is the close of the age, and the reapers are angels. Just as the weeds are gathered and burned with fire, so will it be at the close of the age. The Son of man will send His angels and they will gather out of His kingdom all causes of sin and all evildoers, and throw them into the furnace of fire; there men will weep and gnash their teeth. Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father.”

So when Scripture says that “one is taken and one is left,” as it does in Luke 17 and Matthew 24, it is not talking about the Rapture, it is talking about the harvest at the close of the age. The ones who are taken, as it says in Matthew 13, are the evildoers. The angels have taken them and tossed them into the furnace of fire. So, the Left Behind books got it exactly 180 degrees wrong. The ones taken are not the good guys, they are the evildoers. The ones who are left behind are the ones who get to be caught up in the clouds to meet Jesus in the air at His Second Coming, when He will bring all of the angels and saints with Him and there will be a new Heaven and a new earth.
In other words, there will be no Rapture like the one the Left Behind books talk about. The Left Behind books teach the opposite of what Scripture actually says.

I present this in good faith and I am not trying to change anyone’s mind or belief. I am simply presenting an opinion because many Christians do not accept the belief in a rapture as detailed above.

The Apostle Paul wrote not to even get in to conversations like these as they don’t produce any fruit and do not build anyone up. And Jesus said he is coming back for those that are his, and it specifically states that those that are Christ’s have crucified their flesh. Everyone done that?

True Christians are not appointed to God's wrath but are definitely appointed to tribulation.

We will be here for the Great Tribulation, hated and persecuted by the world, but once God starts pouring out His wrath, it will not be poured out upon us.

For those of you who would like to know more about the Rapture here are some interesting and well written Chick illustrated tracts on this important subject.

WHERE DID THEY GO?... [link to www.chick.com (secure)]

HERE HE COMES!... [link to www.chick.com (secure)]

LETS FLY AWAY!... [link to www.chick.com (secure)]

THINGS TO COME?... [link to www.chick.com (secure)]

If you don't go to church, how can you teach anyone about the Bible?

Yes to some imperfect degree, but our own messed up lives is not the problem because no matter how hard we try all we are doing is spinning our wheels. We have to be ready now for the Lords return which is literally at any moment.

Girl, you have been saying that for ages now. You are clearly a false prophet that needs to sit down and learn more.

Once, or twice.

^^Sounds familiar...^^

2 Peter 3:4
And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation.

Nah, I could show you all the quotes (as others have done) about how wrong you are ... but you are to pig headed to change your opinion ... thinking you are wise.

We must be patent and occupy the time. We have been told that the bridegroom will tarry.

That also means that you have been blessed with a little more time, don't waste it by standing on the sidelines and being a mocker. Get right with the Lord today, you could get hit by a bus tomorrow and then where would you be?

"Assuredly, I say to you, this generation will by no means pass away till all these things take place" (Matthew 24:34).

The pre trib rapture must be true if most Christians don't believe it. To fight about this subject is silly at best. It's not a salvation issue at all. I have been on both sides of the fence. The pre trib theory was around in Jesus's time.

Which part am I wrong about? The rapture? Or the mocking of it? Please, do tell...

Technically all of it. But you don't care about being wrong about any of it.

Enlighten me. Though I'm no fan of being wrong, I'll admit it when I am. Make your case. As I see it, you're saying I'm wrong, that there will be no rapture period whether pre, mid or post & second, you're saying I'm wrong that there will be no mocking pertaining to the 2nd coming of Christ. You show me where/how I'm wrong, via scripture, not opinions or "quotes", and I'll happily admit I'm wrong.

Oh, Judy ... we have played this game many times. Not just me, but many others. I've watched you deny the undeniable truth time and time again.

And when I said you were wrong about all of it, I should have said it's because you follow the failed messianic claimant named Jesus. The true Messiah is to come and accomplish everything, but once.

And that's the tragedy.

Oh, Chip, I don't know. I don't see it that way.

The way *I* see the "believers" in a Pre-trib rapture is that they don't want to go through a tribulation, and have a WISHFUL HOPE that they will be spirited away and not have to suffer in this world when the evil one begins to really let loose.

For those who DON'T KNOW, the whole doctrine of the Pre-Trib rapture ONLY came into focus about 70 years ago or so.....before that, people KNEW there would be go "get out of jail free" card when it came to those who were still alive during those terrible tribulation years.

Go research it. It is NOT Biblical.

lol, I'm not Judy. I'm not even a female so you're way off the mark here. One could even say you've, "sinned" (religious humor). Yes, I follow the "claimant" Jesus. Jesus IS the true Messiah. Now, you've not shown me jack since I asked. Instead you continue to assert you're right & I'm wrong with zero substance to back up your claim. You take it further to claim there's another messiah coming. Well you're partly right there but he won't be who you think he is. Most of us refer to him as the Anti-Christ. Jesus accomplished exactly what was prophesied regarding His first coming. To die for the sins of the world. To be a sacrificial lamb. To be a servant. Upon His 2nd return, He comes back as a roaring lion. Now... I'll ask one more time for grins & giggles. You show me where/how I'm wrong, via scripture & not some condescending diatribe & I'll admit I'm wrong.

Well you could make a start by watching the video that this thread is about.

Ooops, sorry, meant ONE HUNDRED SEVENTY years.