I welcome everyone in the name of our Father, the Lord Jesus Christ Himself. I believe all the followers and readers of our last series, the seventy weeks of Daniel and the seventieth (70th) week are blessed and enlightened.
As I said previously, we are moving on to our next series which is the rapture series. Make sure you take time to read and study with your bible all the articles on this series, because this most important event which is about to happen must not be what a true child of God must miss, because immediately after the Rapture, it will be so terrible and horrible, and that's why it's crucial you understand everything that pertains to it.
With a child-like faith there are those who would deny the Teaching of "the Rapture", saying, "There's no such word in the Bible". But those of a more mature Faith are well aware that the Bible teaches that at the time of the Second Coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, the living Saints will be "Caught Up" to meet their Lord.
I honestly do not understand why this is such a majorly controversial subject but I can only think that Satan does not want anyone to know the truth. There are generally speaking two categories of belief types on this subject. These two groups can be divided as those that believe in a rapture event and those that do not believe in a rapture event. Why anyone would not want to believe in rapture, I do not know. I think it would be like someone not believing in salvation. But, we have a very significant number of people in the world who call themselves Christians that do not believe in a rapture event. We have other people that believe in a rapture event but do not understand it at all or how it will take place (this is why they will miss it). Then we have some believe in a rapture event with contradictory predicted timings for the event. Therefore the believers of the rapture can be further divided into three sub-category group types.
That leaves us with Christian rapture beliefs generally falling into 4 differing realms of categories. First, there are many Christians that believe in a pre-tribulation rapture event. Second, there are definitely some that believe in a mid-tribulation rapture event. Third, there are some that believe in a post-tribulation rapture event. Finally, the fourth group is those that simply state that there is no rapture event ever revealed in the Bible. Based upon these wide ranges of opposing beliefs we can easily conclude that many Christians are obviously deceived in the church today. I mean using only basic logic and probability outcome reasoning we can easily understand that the existence of 4 such diverse positions cannot all be the truth. We must always be open to the reality that God’s truth needs to be discovered or we will potentially miss it while we stagnate in our current belief,bbecause Revelation of God's Word is progressive. Hopefully you can understand that the greatest enemy to knowing the truth is the belief that you have already discovered it.
Here again are the four major belief categories concerning current known rapture beliefs:
1. Pre-Tribulation Rapture – The belief that the church will be taken up prior to the initiation of the 7 year period of time called the great tribulation.
2. Mid-Tribulation Rapture – The belief that the church will be taken up in the middle of the 7 year period of time called the great tribulation. The Tribulation period will last for 84 total months and somewhere around 42 months the 100% Word-Bride will be taken up from the earth.
3. Post-Tribulation Rapture – The belief that the church will be taken up immediately following the end of the 7 year period of time called the great tribulation.
4. No Rapture – The belief that the church will remain on the earth during the tribulation. Imagine what a great delusion and deception.
Since all the four cannot be true, only one will be the Truth, and rightly dividing and interpreting the Word of God, we know that Rapture will take place in Midst of the Tribulation period (number 2), we will still have time to explain this using the scriptures. But before that let me lay some foundation. Let's see the meaning of the Rapture and related the scriptures reveals concerning it.
WHAT IS RAPTURE?
The Word Rapture means "to be caught up".
Some refer to it as being "caught away"; to others it is being "caught up"; the majority of believers call it "The Rapture". The Greek word is 'harpazo': meaning: to eagerly claim for oneself; to eagerly snatch out or away.
2 Kings 2:1,11
[1]And it came to pass, when the LORD would take up Elijah into heaven by a whirlwind, that Elijah went with Elisha from Gilgal.
[11]And it came to pass, as they still went on, and talked, that, behold, there appeared a chariot of fire, and horses of fire, and parted them both asunder; and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven.
The word ‘Rapture’ does not appear in the Bible. What we found in the scriptures is ‘Translation’ which means same thing. And through out this series, I will be using both words interchangeably.
Hebrews 11:5
[5]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.
The word rapture comes from the Latin word rapture which means "seize", "snatch" or "take away." The term rapture is used to refer to the faithful believers being taken up to meet Christ in the air.
The Rapture of the church refers to that time when a trumpet shall sound (not a trumpet you will hear with your physical hear as many Christian think), and our Lord Jesus Christ will descend from heaven with a shout and with the voice of the archangel, and we believers who are alive at such time will rise to meet our Lord in the air, while the mortal bodies are being changed from corruptible into glorified immortal bodies.
This is an event prophesied almost 2000 years ago in I Thess. 4:16-18 and I Cor. 15:51-54.
So, the Rapture is a term which refers to the “being caught up” discussed in 1 Thessalonians 4:17, when the “dead in Christ” and “we who are alive and remain” will be “caught up in the clouds” to meet “the Lord”.
Only the midnight criers and the wise virgins (Matt 25) who are ready will go up in the rapture, for it will be a “secret” catching away of the Bride of Jesus Christ. This event will take place just before the coming of the Great Tribulation and right before the Anti-Christ system takes control over all the whole world’s religious and political systems as recorded in I Thess. 5:1-11.
RAPTURE DEFINED FROM THE DICTIONARY
Let’s begin by just searching for a basic definition of the word rapture and use that information to enlighten us for the remainder of this lesson. Since the word rapture can be found in the modern dictionary the concepts behind the word must have originated from someone somewhere. We need to understand what the word means in order to know what the possible synonyms might be that we need to search for in our Bible. I went to the internet and found these definitions of the word rapture:
Rapture: The transporting of a person from one place to another, especially to heaven.
Rapture: The English derivative of the Greek word RAPTURO, which means “to be removed quickly.”
Rapture: The act of carrying, or fact of being carried, onwards; force of movement
Here we have found a reference to at least one scripture verse and we have another synonymous term to consider and place in our vocabulary. Let me give you a list of possible synonymous terms that could apply to this basic foundational concept found in the word rapture.
Transport Up/Out/Away
Caught Up/Out/Away
Taken Up/Out/Away
Catch Away
Gathered Up/Out/Away
Seize Up/Out/Away
Pluck Up/Out/Away
Pull Up/Out/Away
Extract Up/Out
Convey Away
Remove Up/Out
Snatch Up/Out/Away
Depart Up/Out/Away
Ascend Up/Away
I believe these are all valid phrasings for synonymous terms of the word “rapture”.
See, everything will be finished for the Gentile church when the Bride is taken from the earth. The Spirit of God leaves the earth and is secluded only to one location on the earth. Mae yourself ready.
DID THE BIBLE REVEAL ANYTHING PERTANING TO THE RAPTURE?
Ok, let's see some scriptures revealing to us some important things to know concerning the event called The Rapture.
1 Thessalonians
4:13 But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.
4:14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.
4:15 For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which
are asleep.
4:16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the
dead in Christ shall rise first:
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 CORINTHIANS 15:51-54
“Behold, I shew you a mystery; we shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal [must] put on immortality. So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory.”
Daniel 12:1-2
And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people: and there shall be a
time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation [even] to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book.
Matthew 24:29-31
Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken: And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.
I THESSALONIANS 5:1-11
“But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you. For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape. But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief. Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness. Therefore let us not sleep, as [do] others; but let us watch and be sober. For they that sleep sleep in the night; and they that be drunken are drunken in the night. But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation. For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him. Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also ye do.”
Luke 17:34-37
I tell you, in that night there shall be two [men] in one bed; the one shall be taken, and the other shall be left.
Revelation 3:10
Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth.
PSALMS 27:3-5
3 Though a host should encamp against me, my heart shall not fear: though war should rise against me, in this [will] I [be] confident.
4 One [thing] have I desired of the LORD, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD, and to enquire in his temple.
5 For in the time of trouble he shall hide me in his pavilion: in the secret of his tabernacle shall he hide me; he shall set me up upon a rock.
6 And now shall mine head be lifted up above mine enemies round about me: therefore will I offer in his tabernacle sacrifices of joy; I will sing, yea, I will sing praises unto the LORD.
Mark 13:32
But of that day and [that] hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father.
Matthew 24:42
Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.
Luke 12:40
Be ye therefore ready also: for the Son of man cometh at an hour when ye think not.
Matthew 24:27
For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
Mark 13:32-37
But of that day and [that] hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father.
1 Thessalonians 1:10
And to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, [even] Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come.
2 Thessalonians 2:3-7
Let no man deceive you by any means: for [that day shall not come], except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition.
Luke 17:34
I tell you, in that night there shall be two [men] in one bed; the one shall be taken, and the other shall be left.
Mark 14:62
And Jesus said, I am: and ye shall see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven.
Hebrews 11:5
[5]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.
2 Peter 3:3 – 5
3:3 Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts,
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.
3:5 For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water:
3:6 whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished:
3:7 But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.
This might not be all the scriptures that talk about the rapture... Kindly post other scriptures you know that talk about the rapture...
Now that we know there is to be a "Catching Away" or "Rapture" of the 100% Word-Bride of Christ. BUT the question is: HOW, WHEN and in WHAT manner will it occur? And has Rapture happened before in the history of man kind?
We shall continue our series in our next article…
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JESUS IS AT THE DOOR!!!
