---As we get closer and closer to that glorious day which was promised to us, the return of Jesus, I can't help but think about all the events that are taking place around the world and how it's all coming together. I used to entertain the idea that Christ is coming for His bride, the church, to rapture us all away prior to the now nearing events of what we know as the great tribulation. I venture to say that there are many Christians who entertain the same idea. I just didn't understand why, in my spirit, I felt like I wasn't going to get to be a part of this rapture. I felt like God had some other plan for me and I wasn't going to get to go with everyone else. Left Behind. I began to search the scriptures for an explaination. I am overwhelmed with joy as to what I found. I found that there is going to be a rapture and I will take part in it. It's just that the rapture isn't going to happen when most think it will. I have listed scriptures that teach us concerning the rapture and when it will be.
Matthew 16:19 Jesus has given to me the keys to the kingdom of heaven and whatever I bind on earth shall be bound in heaven and whatever I loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.
---So right now, as you read, I bind the spirits of deception and disbelief and any other hindering spirits that hinder your spirit from coming to know the truth, and I loose a spirit of truth and understanding to minister to your spirit for the eternal glory of God, In Jesus' Mighty Name, Amen.
II Timothy 3:16 All scripture is inspiried by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and training in righteousness.
---So with this in our mind and heart, what does the scripture teach us?
Matthew 24:4 Jesus teaches his disciples(followers of Jesus, Christians, believers, us) that we(believers) should watch out that no one deceives us.
---There are many people that are deceived and they don't even know it. Maybe this is why it is called deception.
Matthew 24:9 Jesus teaches we(believers) will be delivered to tribulation. We(believers) will be killed and hated because of His Name.
---How can this happen if we are raptured before tribulation?
Matthew 24:13 The one who endures to the end shall be saved.
---The end? Is it safe to say since Jesus was teaching concerning the end days, this scripture refers to the end of the end days? Again, how is it possible to endure to the end if we are raptured before the end?
Matthew 24:15-18 Jesus teaches when they(believers) see the abomination of desolation(anti-christ) stand in the holy place, those in judea should flee immediately for safety.
---How can we see the anti-christ take his stand if we are raptured before the anti-christ is revealed?
II Thessalonians 2:1-3 teaches the coming of our Lord will not happen until rebellion occurs and the anti-christ is revealed.
Matthew 24:29-30, Jesus teaches immediately after the tribulation all the tribes of the earth will see the Son of Man(Jesus) coming on the clouds of the sky.
---How does "immediately after the tribulation" translate into a pre-tribulation or a mid-tribulation rapture?
Matthew 24:31 Jesus mentions a great trumpet.
---Where else in scripture can we learn of this trumpet?
---I Thessalonians 4 teaches a rapture will happen. (v.17)
Verse 14 teaches God will bring with Him(Jesus) those(believers) who have fallen asleep(dead) in Jesus.
Verse 15 teaches those(believers) who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will not precede those who have fallen asleep.
Verse 16 teaches the Lord will descend from heaven with the trumpet of God and the dead in Christ will rise first.
---Here is that trumpet again. Would you consider this a resurrection?
Verse 17 teaches then we(believers) who are alive and remain(remain until when? Refer back to verse 15) shall be caught up(rapture) for the big meeting in the air. And thus be with the Lord forever.
I Corinthians 15:51-52 teaches not all of us(believers) will sleep, but we will be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. The dead will raise and we(who are still alive) will be changed.
---Would you consider this a resurrection? Notice the trumpet this time. It is actually "the last trumpet". So this lead me to the book of Revelation, where we learn about a series of trumpets. If the dead rise and we change at "the last trumpet", what events take place at each of the trumpets that sound prior to "the last trumpet"?
1st trumpet sounds - Revelation 8:7 Earth smitten
2nd trumpet sounds - Revelation 8:8 Sea smitten
3rd trumpet sounds - Revelation 8:10 Waters smitten
4th trumpet sounds - Revelation 8:12 Heavens smitten
5th trumpet sounds - Revelation 9:1 Men smitten
6th trumpet sounds - Revelation 9:13 Men killed
---Would you call these events tribulation?
7th trumpet sounds - Revelation 11:15 the last trumpet. (dead raised and alive changed)
Revelation 20:4-5 souls of those who had been beheaded because of the testimony of Jesus and the word of God and had not worshiped the beast or his image and had not received the mark upon their forehead and upon their hand came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. This is the first resurrection.
---If this first resurrection includes souls who had not worshiped the beast and didn't receive the mark, then is it safe to say that this first resurrection happens after the anti-christ is revealed, immediately after the tribulation, after 6 trumpets are sounded, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet?
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Wow - I love your great blog. You are absolutely correct. Some interesting Google articles, which back up what you say, include "Pretrib Rapture Diehards," "Pretrib Hypocrisy," and "Famous Rapture Watchers." They were penned by the author who wrote the most comprehensive and accurate history of the pretrib rapture view - titled "The Rapture Plot" which I bought not long ago at Armageddon Books online. The research behind it has been endorsed by many leading evangelical scholars (Google "Scholars Weigh My Research"). Interesting, eh? Irv
ReplyDeleteRevelation 20:4-5
ReplyDeleteKing James Version
4 And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.
Where are the dead in Christ during the first resurrection that didn't get beheaded?
It only states that those who got beheaded were the ones that got resurrected during the first resurrection, where is everyone else that died in Christ before that?
You are adding to the scriptures if you include that everyone is being resurrected at this time instead of it just being those that got beheaded as the scripture states.
The same place all those who die in Christ go, Heaven.
DeleteTo be absent from the body is to be present with the LORD.
Where is the LORD? Heaven.
EVERY ONE WHO IS DEAD in Christ will be raised in the FIRST resurrection.
The rest of the dead did not live until the 1000 years were complete.
JOHN 6: 40
40 And this is the will of him that sent me,
that ***EVERY ONE*** which seeth the Son,
and believeth on him, may have everlasting life:
and I will raise him up at the last day.