Revisiting the Rapture: Helpful Points for When Your Debate It!
Books promoting the rapture idea have sold millions, but from 1988 to now, it’s been a no-show. If we are supposed to be raptured before tribulation, what can we say to those who are in tribulation now? Would it be fair of God to give us a free pass from our lukewarm western churches while others are dying for their faith? Could we have misunderstood Christ’s words? If not, does the Bible contradict itself?–“We must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God.” Acts 14:22.
Many scholars are no longer convinced…
The rapture is not clearly taught in the Bible and because of this, it’s easy to jump to a mistaken conclusion. For example, Christ says that “when He comes and knocks,” we should “open to Him immediately.” Luke 12:36. If you have been taught to believe in a rapture, it may be easy to think that’s what Christ means here. But several points don’t fit rapture teaching. Why would Christ say, “Have your loins girded, have your lights burning” in the previous verse if He were going to rapture us, even from sleep? We don’t need to sleep with our clothes or lights on. This is about something else.
1. When Christ said, “One shall be taken, and the other left” (Matthew 24:39-40), He wasn’t talking about a rapture. Luke gives more details. The disciples asked, “Where, Lord? And He said unto them, Wheresoever the body is, there will the eagles be gathered.” (Luke 17:37). With this additional information, it suggests that those who are taken are not raptured to heaven; they become the dinner for vultures. “One shall be taken and the other left” should not be understood as a rapture.
2. A pre-tribulation rapture is contrary to God’s way of dealing throughout history. Our belief that it won’t happen to us is based on a few texts that can be explained to mean something else. Everyone in history lived through trouble and died, except for Enoch and Elijah (discussed below).
3. Christ said, “As it was in the days of Noah” (Luke 17:26). Noah wasn’t raptured; he came through the storm. Enoch was raptured before Noah was even born, so his being taken to heaven had nothing to do with avoiding the Flood or tribulation.
4. Elijah was raptured after he confronted false worship of Baal. Our confrontation will be with Antichrist when the United Nations mandates everyone to be marked or implanted for identity purposes, for this will be contrary to the Bible, Revelation 13:16,17; 14:9,10.
5. “As it was in the days of Lot,” Luke 17:28. Lot wasn’t raptured. He was told to flee, and Christ told us to flee when we see military. This is what caused early believers to flee in 66 AD. We are seeing a militarization of police. Are we shrugging it off because we expect to be raptured? Maybe it’s time to think about how to obey Christ if martial law hits the US? Then will be tribulation, Matthew 24:15-21; Mark 13:14-20.
6. When asked about the end of the world, Christ said to understand Daniel. Daniel and his friends were tested by life and death situations in each of the first six chapters. This is not about a rapture. We would feel like second class citizens in heaven if we were raptured from trouble and lukewarm materialism (Revelation 3:17) if we did not have the opportunity to face trouble manfully as did Daniel, Peter or Paul.
“Daniel” means God is my Judge and we may only be judged when we face death and do right. Otherwise we may be “fair-weather” Christians. The Bible teaches that we don’t know our own hearts; we might be like Peter who said he would go to prison and death with Christ, but later that night he ran and later denied that he knew Him!
7. “Broad is the way, that leads to destruction.” Matthew 7:13. Millions of rapture books support a broad way that is pleasing to believe, but it could leave us unprepared and what will we do if events take us by surprise and aren’t what we expect?
Some rapture believers ask, Will Christ drag His bride through trouble? Point #1 above shows an obvious misunderstanding of Luke’s wedding parable. For a FREE 4-5 star book explaining this parable and how we can qualify–”He will make [us] ruler over all that He has,” (Luke 12:44), visit http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00N325K1Q Wednesday, September 10.
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Whistler Blowers, Insiders
2 Thessalonians 2: the whole chapter tells us what is going to happen. Mark 13 Matt 24 and Luke 21 tells you also what’s going to happen. Jesus foretold us all things but man wants to interpret God no where in the bible is the word rapture or even mentions such a thing but again man uses his own false doctrine Christ comes at the 7th trump and antichrist comes at the 6th period
There are already plenty of rapture-bashing articles around here. And all of them burn straw men in the process. Look up my rapture and prophecy articles here if you want to know what the rapture teaching really says. Or just go to http://www.fether.net/index.php?page=refuting-slander-against-the-pre-trib-rapture/ .
One common error in rapture-bashing posts is equivocation on the word “tribulation”. Of course we have “tribulation” in this life; it is promised to everyone who follows Jesus. But that has exactly nothing to do with the Rapture. The time called THE Tribulation is NOT the normal trouble and suffering of this life.
Everything has been debated over and over here, so there’s no point in starting it again. Just consider that there are many more false charges against the Rapture teaching, so you should actually read what we believe before trying to make people hate and fear it.
Thank you, Human Being, for taking the time to comment and share.
I did visit the website you cited and found it also with misunderstandings.
I think one problem is a failure to understand the wedding parables and an assumption that it’s a rapture.
God took Israel from Egypt to a covenant relationship and later said, “I am married to you” Jer 3:14.
Paul including the Exodus “how our fathers passed through the sea…ALL those things happened for examples…ends of the world.” 1Cor 10:1,11.
We should expect a similar liberation that we don’t see the need for yet, but martial law is coming and when the books of Daniel & Revelation began, both Daniel and John were in captivity. Heads up, and readiness for the wedding includes “watching” which your view for rapture doesn’t address.
Where is this in Scripture–”PTR believers simply see the promise in scripture that Jesus will remove his Bride before the wrath of God is poured out on the world.” It’s one thing to say He has not appointed us to wrath but God with with the Hebrews in the fire, Dan 3.
Please get a FREE 4-5 star book explaining this parable and how we can qualify–”He will make [us] ruler over all that He has,” (Luke 12:44), visit http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00N325K1Q Wednesday, September 10.
If any humans were taken to heaven before Christ — then they have preceded Jesus Christ and Jesus then can not be the First born of many brethren, Jesus can not be the first to be resurrected to eternal life.
If Jesus Christ is not the first in all things then He is not our savior. Christ clearly stated none have been in heaven but He who came down from heaven. Enoch is dead, Isaiah is dead. All are dead waiting in their graves for the FIRST RESURRECTION.
Truthseeker is a great name, we should all be that way.
Sometimes it’s possible to jump to conclusions when we may not be familiar with a broader picture in the Bible. Hebrews 11:5 says, “By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death…he had this testimony that he pleased God.”
RichardRuhling
You are correct, sometimes its possible to jump to conclusions.
In Hebrews 11 after the statement in verse 5 that Enoch was translated or transferred which is a correct translation of that word, in verse 13, after saying Enoch was “transferred”in verse 5, it further states “These ALL died in faith NOT having received the Promises”. Enoch is part of the ALL so Enoch did die and is in his grave with all the others.
And in the last verse of Hebrews 11; verse 40 ” God having provided some better thing for us that THEY [ all of the above] without US —[the followers of Jesus Christ] — should NOT be made perfect”
Verse 40 is saying those that came before the Saints will not be made perfect [ born again into immortal spirit] before us — but that all will be resurrected together on the LAST DAY. If Enoch was made perfect and taken to heaven before our Savior then again Jesus Christ is not the first to be given eternal life – Christ would then not be the First Born!
Please explain how from the word “translated” one can “jump” to the false conclusion that Enoch was taken to heaven?
Did not our Savior Jesus Christ give a clear statement in John 3: 13??
“And NO MAN HATH ASCENDED UP TO HEAVEN but He that came down from heaven even the SON of Man which is in heaven.”. I believe Christ —- there is not one born on earth that has gone to heaven.
I have just scratched the surface on this subject, if you think some have been taken to heaven ahead of the first resurrection which will occur at the return of Jesus Christ then your basic understanding of scripture is in need of a complete restudy.
Dear Brother,
I believe God intended Scripture to be read and understood by the common person and I believe the common person would understand these two translations–
“By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and was not found, because God had translated him: for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God.” KJV
“By faith Enoch was taken from this life, so that he did not experience death: “He could not be found, because God had taken him away.”[a] For before he was taken, he was commended as one who pleased God.” NIV
He is singled out as an example of how we may live by faith to please God, then other examples are given (Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Sarah) These all died in faith in contrast to the explicit example of one who was taken. You are welcome to believe Enoch also died, but that’s not how most people would read it and I don’t care to belabor beyond this explanation.
Please get a FREE 4-5 star book explaining the wedding parables parable and how we can qualify–”He will make [us] ruler over all that He has,” (Luke 12:44), visit http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00N325K1Q Wednesday, September 10.
Richard,
You must then also believe that Christ came to save everyone today, that also is not correct. This is not the only day of salvation.
Christ over His 7 year ministry cut short to 3 1/2 years and after preaching to 10′s of thousands had only 120 disciples. Christ only “saved” 120 after 3 1/2 years. And lots of folks died during that 3 1/2 years that never heard or saw Christ.
And even today out of 7 billion I have read there is only about one or two billion so called christians. are the other 5 billion — garbage??
Luke 8:
9 “And his disciples asked him, saying, What might this parable be? 10And he said, Unto you it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God: but to others in parables; that seeing they might not see, and hearing they might not understand.”
If Christ has wanted the common man to understand they why did He say “that seeing they might NOT SEE and hearing the MIGHT NOT UNDERSTAND???
Have you read Isaiah 28??
9 Whom shall he teach knowledge? and whom shall he make to understand doctrine? them that are weaned from the milk, and drawn from the breasts.
10 For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little:
11 For with stammering lips and another tongue will he speak to this people.
12 To whom he said, This is the rest wherewith ye may cause the weary to rest; and this is the refreshing: yet they would not hear.
13 But the word of the LORD was unto them precept upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little; that they might go, — and fall backward, and be broken, and snared, and taken.
Richard this is not the only day of salvation, if you will study Revelation 20: 4 – 6
You MAY see that there is one resurrection before the 1000 years – this is the first resurrection — and then the REST of the dead live not again until AFTER the 1000 years, that is a 2nd resurrection.
And Richard you have yet to address the problem of Christ not being the FIRST Born if others preceded Him in being changed to Spirit plus the direct statement by Christ that no one had been in heaven?
The wisdom and understanding of the spiritual comes only through the gift of the Holy Spirit of the Father and not by the carnal mind of man. Without the Seed of the Father in a person the Word of God is corrupted into 4000 or more paths of confusion, which is the state of so called christianity today.
Truthseeker,
“Now is the day of salvation” does not mean that it is theONLY day of salvation. Tomorrow is also the day of salvation for some. “The times of this ignorance God winked at” (and He is able to save those who live up to the light or truth that they have) so we should not be too judgmental about what God can do or not. He that loveth knoweth the Father for God is love” (even if they haven’t had a missionary tell them about Jesus)
We can’t put God in a box so that He can only do what we think…
richard,
I strive to live by every Word of God not just the ones that conform to my beliefs.
You and I are not even close and what I have written from the Word of God has not even made a dent in your thinking — If the Direct spoken Word of Jesus Christ has no effect, then it is time for me to go.
Rapture = ecstasy, an emotion, an internal high, not literally being floated up into the sky high. Just how dumb are you?
Here’s the dictionary definition: “noun. 1. a feeling of intense pleasure or joy. Eg, “Leonora listened with rapture”