Miscellaneous thoughts on the Rapture

[KUWN]

For some reason, and I have read scholars who state this, many say that the word Rapture is not in the Bible. This is not true.


The word rapture is found in the Bible in Paul’s writings, more than once. Those who claim the word Rapture does not appear in the Bible have no biblical basis for such a claim.


Here is just one usage of Rapture from 1 Thes 4.17



ἔπειτα ἡμεῖς οἱ ζῶντες οἱ περιλειπόμενοι ἅμα σὺν αὐτοῖς ἁρπαγησόμεθα ἐν νεφέλαις εἰς ἀπάντησιν τοῦ κυρίου εἰς ἀέρα· καὶ οὕτως πάντοτε σὺν κυρίῳ ἐσόμεθα

There it is, just as plain as day!

The rapture is defined as a single event, whereas apostasy is a process that has no definable beginning and end. An Apostasy is not something you can point to as an event. Apostasy can be interpreted as ‘departure.’

Irenaeus, as of today, has the oldest Pre-Trib statement made, in the second century! No, the Rapture did not first come on the scene with Darby.

The Rapture takes place before the beginning of the Day of the Lord (aka, The Tribulation).

The Rapture has no antecedent signs; it comes as a thief in the night, hence the Rapture could happen any time, it is, unlike the Second Coming, imminent. This was the belief of the early Church.

The primary purpose of the Rapture is to end the Church dispensation and resume the Jewish age. There are 7 years left until the Jewish dispensation is over with.

Rev 3.10 states that the Church will be removed from the time of the Tribulation.

If the Lord will keep us safe during the Trib, as Post-Trib claim, why have a Rapture at all, surely the Lord can keep us safe at the end of the Trib. A Rapture at the time of the second coming serves no prophetic purpose.

If the Rapture and the Second Coming occur together, as post tribbers believe, and all living believers are caught up to meet Jesus and escort him back to earth, then there won’t be any sheep left on earth when Jesus arrives. All that would be left is goats, who will be sentenced to the eternal flame.

The sine qua non of Dispensationism is to keep the Church and Israel separate for all eternity. The Church did not replace Israel, Israel's program is just delayed for as long as the Church Age is present.

The Church is exempt from the wrath of God (1 Thes 5.9, i.e., the Tribulation). The wrath of God is the unique event called the Day of the Lord, which is preceded by the Rapture.

The Church is a mystery in God’s overall plan. No Rapture is mentioned in the OT, while the second coming is taught in the OT.

Of Christ’s return to earth, the Rapture is phase one of the return of Christ, while the second coming is phase two of his coming. I have no problem counting the Rapture as Christ's mystery coming as per 1 Cor 15.

 

[mattfivefour]

Absolutely! The Greek word harpazo (ἁρπάζω) appears 14 times in the New Testament and 18 times in the Septuagint. And every time it refers to being seized, snatched away or carried off. And in 1 Thessalonians 4:17 the context is clearly the carrying off of the Church.

 

[Adziílií]

.
I've watched a number of films pertaining to the rapture and every one of them left
out the part where the remains of 2,000 years of deceased believers from all over
the globe will be restored to life.

The films also left out the part where folks unified with Christ rise into the air to
meet him. Instead the films showed them here one second and gone the next, but I
rather suspect the event should be easily observed all 'round the world if it
proceeds as described because 2,000 years of believers added to the world's
current number of believers, will likely construct a flash mob resembling a mini Oort
Cloud when they levitate together all at one time to rendezvous with Christ up in
the sky.

The mob is likely to get pretty noisy too what with all the cheering, laughing, and
shouting that's sure to take place when Jesus' followers receive their new bodies;
which of course will be immune to death and the aging process. (1Cor 15:51-53)

* The blink component of the rapture pertains to the quickness of the miraculous
transformation that Jesus' followers will undergo during the event. (1Cor 15:51-52)

The films also showed tiny children being taken while their parents are left behind.
That's highly doubtful because minors have often been collateral damage in the
Bible when God slammed their parents, e.g. zero children survived the Flood, and
120,00 would've been lost had God found it necessary to follow thru with His threat
to annihilate Nineveh. (Jonah 4:11)

NOTE: People left behind shouldn't let the rapture cause them panic because it isn't
the end of the world. They can still get themselves spared retribution and perdition,
i.e. it's not like all hope is lost. In point of fact, vast numbers of folks from all over
the globe will be spared during the interlude between the rapture and Christ's feet
touching down on the ground to set up the kingdom conditions predicted by the
prophets in the old testament. (Rev 7:9-14)
_

 

[Hol]

…left out the part where the remains of 2,000 years of deceased believers from all over
the globe will be restored to life.

Those who have died with their faith in Jesus these past 2,000 years won’t necessarily be noticed by those left behind. Their immaterial self is already with Jesus and as He comes to snatch us up, those who died will not need to disturb their final bodily resting area to be united in their new body.

 

[Ghoti Ichthus]

It would be cool if I was out at the cemetery putting flags on family graves when the happens. I'd get to see all of them head up before me

 

[Margery]

It would be cool if I was out at the cemetery putting flags on family graves when the happens. I'd get to see all of them head up before me

I've got G's ashes in a wooden box behind me in the study. He's with the Lord, but I want my ashes (if the Lord tarries and I go the usual way of all flesh) with his wherever the kids like on some remote mountainside up near here. Son in law is a forester as well as a farmer so he knows all the places.

I love to think that maybe, just maybe I'll hear his ashes go - shake rattle and roll as he goes up a split nanosecond before me. Maybe just maybe I'll be here typing a reply and then before I can even hit post, Jesus comes and gets us.

 

[Batman]

"Come up hither" is a very good 3-word phrase! It sure does seem like those left behind will see bodies vanish and all the resultant crashes of equipment/vehicles/planes, etc. But not sure they will see living bodies floating up. Not sure they will hear the trumpet. Not sure of any phenomenon other than instant disappearance. It's also hard to fathom if unborn babies leave the wombs of unsaved left behind mothers. Lots we cannot know and most are too hard to properly speculate. But one thing I do believe will happen........I will be in the air above the earth with long, thick, wonderful hair and better than original health/looks/etc.

 

[Spartan Sprinter]

"Come up hither" is a very good 3-word phrase! It sure does seem like those left behind will see bodies vanish and all the resultant crashes of equipment/vehicles/planes, etc. But not sure they will see living bodies floating up. Not sure they will hear the trumpet. Not sure of any phenomenon other than instant disappearance. It's also hard to fathom if unborn babies leave the wombs of unsaved left behind mothers. Lots we cannot know and most are too hard to properly speculate. But one thing I do believe will happen........I will be in the air above the earth with long, thick, wonderful hair and better than original health/looks/etc.

If the rapture were to fall on a Sunday, the people i would feel sorry for the most would be people that were at a church service and were left behind when the rapture happened.

 

[Ghoti Ichthus]

If the rapture were to fall on a Sunday, the people i would feel sorry for the most would be people that were at a church service and were left behind when the rapture happened.

Especially any Pastors . . .

Most especially if they were left behind, standing all alone in the Sanctuary, in the middle of reading 1 Corinthians aloud at that exact moment . . .

51 Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,
52 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.
53 For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.
54 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.
55 O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?
56 The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law.
57 But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
58Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.
1 Corinthians 15:51-58, KJV

 

[mattfivefour]

The films also showed tiny children being taken while their parents are left behind.
That's highly doubtful because minors have often been collateral damage in the
Bible when God slammed their parents, e.g. zero children survived the Flood, and
120,00 would've been lost had God found it necessary to follow thru with His threat
to annihilate Nineveh. (Jonah 4:11)

You have made a mistake in logic by presuming something that is not true. Physical death does not mean eternal death. King David's baby died (2 Samuel 12:16-25) yet David said he would see him again. Just because God allowed the lives of innocent children to end on earth does not mean they are not in Heaven.