(1 Thess. 4:16-17) plainly teaches the Rapture of the Church.
No verses in the Bible say such a thing is impossible. Was it impossible for Enoch or Elijah?
(Rev. 3:10) is further prove of the Rapture. It proves you wrong when you say God would not remove His people from trials or persecutions. (1 Peter 4:12) is not addressing the Tribulation.
Save your breath oh pious one.
Stranger
I Thessalonians 4:16 "For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with a voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first;"
The Lord is going to descend, at the seventh trump [the last trump]. Why will the dead in Christ rise first? Because they are already there, and with Him. All we have to do now is go to the book of Revelation, and find out in detail when this will be. We find out what events will occur just prior to this seventh trump sounding, and then when we see these certain events taking place before our eyes, we will know our Lord will return to earth next. Then the trump will sound, and the gathering will take place, and we will be changed from our flesh bodies to our spiritual bodies. And not one day before.
Many people have images of massive numbers of people flying away, with all sorts of accidents taking place; however, the Bible doesn't tell us it will be in that manner. In
Revelation 11, it tells us exactly three and a half days prior what will happen, and the whole world will know about it, for it is no hidden mystery. That is when the Antichrist will end his reign by killing God's two witnesses, and send the world into a three and a half day party of celebration.
In
Revelation 11 the world will know the two witnesses, for the disruption they have caused, and the world will watch as they are killed, and their dead bodies are put on display in a wide street [arena]. Are you still looking for a rapture, well my friend, at the end of the three and half day period it will be a time of great shame for you, For as
Revelation 9:4 points out, the truth will not be sealed in your mind, and God is going to turn you over to Antichrist. The "rapture theory", could be the death warrant of your very soul, or a commitment of your soul to great shame. If you believe in the "Rapture theory" you will be on the side of Antichrist, and will fly with anyone, because you just don't understand the Word of God.
Remember, Two bodies will be in the streets of Jerusalem for three days, causing a world wide massive party...that is your warning just before Jesus Christ return to this earth. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED.
I Thessalonians 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."
Revelation 11:9;
"And they of the people and kindreds and tongues and nations shall see their dead bodies three days and an half, and shall not suffer their dead bodies to be put in graves."
They simple do not want these bodies to come alive, or claim life when they in fact are dead. The world is witness to the corps of the two bodies. And they will think of all the damage these two prophets did to their crops and property; and most of all, the insults the witnesses gave this first Christ {Antichrist}, whom they all believed to be Jesus. Antichrist did as their rapture theory promised it would do. They got their wing's all right, straight to Satan's camp.
Revelation 11:10;
"And they that dwell upon the earth shall rejoice over them, and make merry, and shall send gifts one to another; because these two prophets tormented them that dwelt on the earth."
The torment the two gave the world was naming the Antichrist, Satan. This was unthinkable, for their traditions taught them otherwise.
Revelation 11:11;
"And after three and an half [days] the spirit [breath] of life from God entered into them, and they stood upon their feet; and great fear fell upon them which saw them."
Did you catch the time frame here? It's three and a half days following the death of two witnesses that the world will rejoice over their death.
When the whole world celebrates, you better be getting ready to meet your maker. Friend, the only flying out of here is by the two witnesses, and it is recorded here. God's elect will be changed here at this time.
Revelation 11:12;
"And they heard a great voice from heaven saying unto them [two witnesses], Come up hither. And they ascended up to heaven in a cloud; and their enemies beheld them."
There is no secret to this rapture, of two, for who are their enemies? Those who were against God's two witnesses.
Revelation 11:13;
"And the same hour was there a great earthquake, and the tenth part of the city fell, and in the earthquake were slain of men seven thousand: and the remnant were affrighted, and gave glory to the God of heaven."
This is Satan, and his fallen angels [that locust army of
Revelation 9] that were caste out with him.
The remnent who gave God the glory, are God's elect, and those who are sealed of God, including the 144,000 of the tribes of Israel. Those are the ones chosen to stand against the Antichrist, and only them. The traditions of men will be preached right up to the seventh trump. What happens then at the seventh trump? Well, that is what
First Thessalonians 4 is all about.
"The gathering back to Christ at the seventh trumpet".
Revelation 11:14-15;
"The second woe is past; and, behold, the third woe cometh quickly."[verse 14]
"And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The Kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever." [verse 15] THIS IS THE SEVENTH TRUMP.
You, as a Christian now know exactly what is to transpire for three and a half days prior to the sounding of the seventh trump. You will see the murder of the two witnesses, observe the massive celebration, and then be changed to another form before Christ returns to this earth. It's all in God's holy plan, and Paul, John, Peter, Mark, Luke as well as Jesus certainly do not want you ignorant of these facts.
There is no FLY AWAY, no dodging of the tribulation of the Antichrist and his system's deceptions, but Christ will come and establish His kingdom on earth, and you will see it in your spiritual body. Got it?
Now what about the clouds, and the air? The
"clouds" are in reference to a large gathering of people, as Paul used else where also. While the
"air" spoken of here, in the Greek is
"breath of life"; we will meet Jesus Christ in our "breath of life bodies, or spiritual bodies". That is the mystery Paul spoke of in
I Corinthians 15:50-54.
Revelation 3:10 "Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation [trial]
, which shall [that hour that is to]
come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth."
This is the first day of the Millennium, and all mankind, of every race and nation will bow a Jesus Christ's feet, including the Kenites. All will be so overwhelmed by the events taking place, all will bow on that day to Him.
The people in the Philadelphia church knew the order that the two "morning stars" would appear, and waited for the true morning star, Jesus Christ. They held fast in the "hour of temptation", when the people of the entire world were tried and chased after the false star, the Antichrist.
Revelation 3:11 "Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown."
You will have a special crown if you are able to understand God's Word, and not bow to the Antichrist, nor take his name or his number, or his system.
Revelation 3:12 "Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is new Je-ru'-sa-lem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God: and I will write upon him my new name."
The "pillar" is what supports the church, the true temple. These pillars, or believers, will be what Jesus builds his Millennium kingdom around. Once you overcome in this age, your position in Christ's kingdom is an eternal position that God set aside just for you. You are important where it counts, in God's kingdom.
The
"new name" is written in
Isaiah 62:4,
"my delight is in her", that's the new name.
"Her"being the bride of Christ. In the Hebrew, her name is
"Heph-zi-bah". The name for this new city is called
"Beu-lah land".
revelation3
I don't see a rapture in either verses you quoted...