Are you Rapture (Catching Up) Ready?? Beware!!

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justbyfaith

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That the rapture will occur (whether pre-trib, mid-trib, post-trib, or post-mil) is sound doctrine.
 

atpollard

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To those who are not Futurist...
How have the scriptures in the OP been fulfilled already? Asking for a friend ;)
To the best of my knowledge, no serious theology believes that Christ has already returned and people have already been raptured.

Your friend is probably thinking of “preterism”, the belief that the events that must happen before the return of Christ were all fulfilled in the First Century. Under Preterism, Jesus could return for his church at any time. There is nothing that must happen first. Most of Revelation is seen as symbolic of the current (2000 year old) struggle between the World and the Church. Things like the “Abomination of Desolation” and “Great Tribulation” are references to the corruption and destruction of the Temple and Jerusalem that led to the great dispersion of the Jewish people in AD 70. So the events in the OP scriptures (Jesus return to claim His Bride) could happen anytime ... all other prophecies needed were fulfilled before the death of the Apostle John.
 

CharismaticLady

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Reminiscent of "where is the promise of his coming?" (2 Peter 3:3-4).

Those who are even in the graves are in fact looking for Him from their position of being in soul-sleep, if that be a reality (while 2 Corinthians 5:8 appears to denounce the idea, it appears to be also substantiated by specific verses in the book of Job and elsewhere).

And for those to whom He hasn't appeared to the first time, I believe that the scripture says, that they will look on Him whom they have pierced, and shall mourn over Him as over an only son.

And they will realize at that time that He is the same Jesus who came to earth before and died for the sins of the world.

I used to believe in soul sleep when I was SDA, because of the verse they used of "not knowing anything under the sun." But then I got to thinking, 'what about above the sun.' 1 Thes. 4 also say Jesus will bring those to are asleep WITH Him. So for me, the dead in Christ are with Him always.
 
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CharismaticLady

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Personally, I believe in a pre-tribulation rapture because of Revelation 3:10.

J, don't forget the paradigm of the plagues of Egypt. Were the children of Israel already out of Egypt then, or were they being protected while in Egypt?
 

Josho

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Alright I am jumping in, hopefully I don't get in trouble for my views hahaha.

Matthew 24:36-44

“But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only. But as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and did not know until the flood came and took them all away, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. Then two men will be in the field: one will be taken and the other left. Two women will be grinding at the mill: one will be taken and the other left. Watch therefore, for you do not know what hour your Lord is coming. But know this, that if the master of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched and not allowed his house to be broken into. Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.

Now if we look at verse 38 and 39 "For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and did not know until the flood came and took them all away, so will the coming of the Son of Man be. "

Now let me ask you all, was before the flood a time of tribulation? It didn't start flooding until Noah entered the Ark.

The others did not know until the flood came that weren't in the ark.

Then we go on to read verse 40, 41

"Then two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other left. Two women will be grinding at the mill; one will be taken and the other left."

Verses 40 and 41 sound very much like a rapture to me.

Will those without the mark of the beast be working next to those with the mark of the beast during the tribulation? Both doing the same job?

Or does one get raptured and the other one left on earth before "the storm" (the storm in other words the Great Tribulation)?

If ones life was in danger, would he really be working next to someone with the mark of the beast during the Tribulation?. I mean Matthew 24:40-41 sounds like a peaceful situation before the storm.
 
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justbyfaith

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I used to believe in soul sleep when I was SDA, because of the verse they used of "not knowing anything under the sun." But then I got to thinking, 'what about above the sun.' 1 Thes. 4 also say Jesus will bring those to are asleep WITH Him. So for me, the dead in Christ are with Him always.
Verses in Job that to me appear to substantiate soul sleep: Job 14:20-22, Job 21:32-33.
 

OzSpen

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I have and I will always disagree with this fairy tale of an idea

historyb,

Please provide an exegesis of 1 Thess 4:16-17 (NIV) that demonstrates that Paul did NOT teach the Thessalonians that they would be 'caught up' (raptured in Latin) when the Lord returns.

I'm waiting for a careful examination of Scripture instead of a throw-away line about 'this fairy tale of an idea'. I find this statement to be blasphemous.

Blasphemy is 'the action or offence of speaking sacrilegiously about God or sacred things; profane talk' (lexico.com 2020. s.v. blasphemy).

Oz
 

OzSpen

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Those that are believers but are not expecting and looking for the rapture (catching up) will be left behind!!!
Hebrews 9:28 tells us who Jesus will return for on rapture day===Hebrews 9:28 So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and """unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time"""" without sin unto salvation.

GISMYS,

Heb 9:28 supports the Lord's second coming but nothing is said about the Rapture.

Those rejecting the rapture need not worry and fight against the catching up as they will be left behind!!

I wish you would not make such an extreme statement because there are many born-again Christians who have contrasting views of eschatology. Do you believe all supporters of amillennialism will not be caught up, all premillennial post-tribulation believers will remain on the earth because they don't accept your premillennial view of the Rapture?

Oz
 
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OzSpen

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Are you Rapture (Catching Up) Ready?? Beware!! Time is very,very short!
God's Word on the catching up (rapture)??

GIS,

How do you know that is a true statement?

In Matt 24:36 (NIV) Jesus stated: 'But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father'. So it's a false statement by you that 'time is very, very short'. You don't know that; nobody on earth knows it; angels don't have a clue when that will be, and Jesus the Son didn't know the time.

Yet GISMYS knows the 'time is very, very short'. You teach false doctrine when you state this.

Oz
 

FollowHim

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Peter 3:3 Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts,

2Peter 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.

2Peter 3:5 For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the word of God.
I am ready for the Lord's return or rather for me to meet Him.

Is there more required? Or is this rapture specific salvation?

Are you not saved until you accept the rapture? Jesus spoke about faith being appropriate, and prepared. Praise the Lord He dwells with His people.
 

GISMYS_7

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GIS,

How do you know that is a true statement?

In Matt 24:36 (NIV) Jesus stated: 'But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father'. So it's a false statement by you that 'time is very, very short'. You don't know that; nobody on earth knows it; angels don't have a clue when that will be, and Jesus the Son didn't know the time.

Yet GISMYS knows the 'time is very, very short'. You teach false doctrine when you state this.

Oz

We cannot know the hour or day for Jesus's return but we are comanded to know when the day of His return is near and that time is TODAY!!
 

Nancy

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I mean, sure, that's a fair enough thing to believe. I believe the rapture will only come ce the great Tribulation however.

"I believe the rapture will only come ce the great Tribulation however."

Hi Friendof,
I'm not sure what you mean by the above.
 

Taken

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Okay. So, does that mean that He only "kind of" comes back? Or, just part way comes back? o_O

Examples, com-parables, analogies...whatever we want to call them:

Say you went to a Store.
You Said you would return to the Store.
You leave your home.
You stop along the way, at the Justice of the Peace.
You call your friends to meet you along the way.
You wait for your friends.
Your friends arrive.
Oh, but there are no guests/witnesses.
Your dad, gathers guests, (from the Store).
Guests Arrive.
You and your Friends get married.
You, your spouse, guests, have a feast.
Your guests go to your dad's house.
You WITH your bride, returns to the Store.

Jesus IS you.
The Store is Earth.
The Bride is Christs Church.
The dad is God.
The Guests/witnesses Are Israel.
The Justice of the Peace, is in the Clouds.
The marriage & feast is In the Clouds.
Jesus & His Bride Return to Earth.
The Guests are Gods People & go to His Kingdom/Heaven.
The Bride is Jesus' Bride and go with Jesus to His Kingdom on Earth.

I believe that He will not only return in the blink of an eye but He will have the dead who preceded us with Him,

Jesus LEFT Earth "in a blink of an eye"...man's eye. Men saw Jesus, and in a blink of man's eye, Jesus was IN the Clouds, and men could then Not see Him.

When Jesus, is about to Return to Earth...set His Feet ON the Earth...The Earth shall be Darkened...yet a Bright Light across the world shall Shine...and Every eye shall See Him descending from the Clouds.
(Those With (His Bride) Him see Him.)
Those ON Earth, and IN The Earth Looking UP shall See Him...and "their" (on Earth, In the Earth...reaction... ?

1 Cor 15:
[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.

Trumps are sounded all throughout Scripture, signals, warnings, for particular things are going to happen.

Mortals, (FLESH bodies, that all are subject to Death)...All MUST Die.

The LAST Trump...is NOT pertaining to Christ's Church...(AKA those IN Christ) a different Trump was signaled to Them to be RISEN Up.

1 Thes 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:
[17] Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to [/B] meet the Lord in the air:[/B] and so shall we ever be with the Lord.

The Guests/witnesses, are Those ON Earth, whom God Gathers....Their souls...their Bodies are Dead, killed during the reign of the Anti-Christ.

A Remnant of believing Mortals will occupy lands Outside of Jesus' Kingdom (Jesus on Earth With His Church IN His Kingdom).

For 1,000 years Mortals will live, be born, Believe or not, mortally die, be buried, the same as Gods People (Israel) during the Great Tribulation.

Satan will be in the Earth for 1,000 years, released, war against Jesus' Church, again convince many Mortals to exalt him...and all Mortals shall die. And Satan removed from the Earth Forever, along with Mortals...with him.

The LAST TRUMP...is After...the Great Tribulation, After...the 1,000 yr reign of Jesus...After All Mortals have died...After Satan and Unholy angels are forever removed from the Earth....
THEN are All (the Remaining, (from the OT faithful men, the Great Tribulation, from the 1.000 year Reign,) Dead BODY'S of Faithful "to God the Father" RISEN Up in a twinkling of an eye, to Glorified Immortal Body's.

Thereafter, there ARE no more Warning TRUMPS, to signal or Call the Lord Gods People to gather...."they" are (void of Evil Forever) are already All gathered Together With their Lord God...ON Earth.

And at the SAME time, He (IMO) will gather those who are alive in Him, together in the clouds as He APPROACHES the earth along with His angels, and us in glorious bodies.

That is the Rapture. Jesus gathering His Church UP with Him, in the Clouds.

From there, we come back WITH Him to conquer Satan and Gods enemies.

This Skips too much.
Many are still ON Earth, who are Not Gods Enemies....ISRAEL....they are Faithful to God, they believe IN the Word of God, They believe in the Messiah....they simply DO NOT believe the Word of God/Messiah/the Christ is Jesus.

God Does NOT Forget "HIS People".
God sends "Servants" TO His People, the Jews and Tribes of Israel.
Two Servants TO Jerusalem for 3.5 years.
144,000 (12,000) Servants from each of Israel's Tribes TO Tribesmen ON Earth to Be Preached to for them to be Saved. 3.5 years.
(Gentile's, Christ's Church, haven't, Don't, nor will be Gods Servants Preaching to Gods People.)
People of Christ's Church are Christ's People, already dead...Crucified with Jesus, Converted, Saved, MADE Whole, with Jesus IN the Clouds.

Those of Gods People, ON Earth, go through part of the Tribulation, For rejecting Jesus.
They begin (by Gods Servants preaching), accepting Jesus, and are killed by armies of the Anti-Christ, (ruling the world), and Rejecting the anti-Christ.

Their Dead bodies are not forgotten...their dead bodies are Raised ON the LAST Trump.

Those NOT subject to Wrath are exclusively, those IN Christ.

Many of Gods People, are subject To the Lambs Wrath, for rejecting Him...and the Lambs Wrath occurs during the Opening of the SEALS. (Whereby Christ & His Church is not ON Earth...and the anti-Christ IS Revealed with world power. Israel (Gods People do not accept the anti-Christ, but have not yet accepted Christ...thus Gods sends His Servants...(not Gentile's), to save His people).

It's all about, Who, and WHEN and Why.

Rev 6:
[16] And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb:

Glory to God,
Taken
 
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Taken

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Jesus will return and the judgment will happen. Not a secret wisking away of Christians first.

Agree.
Not subject to Wrath!
Because:
they have been MADE WHOLE, IN Christ.
Because:
they are no longer "OF" the Earth.

Those WHO ARE STILL "OF" the Earth, and shall SEE Jesus coming to Earth...are Not IN Christ or With Christ.

And those NOT in Christ...on Earth Reaction?
WAILING, when they see Him.

Rev 1
[7] Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen.

Wail meaning-
a prolonged high-pitched cry of pain, grief, or anger.

Seriously? Christ's Church is ON Earth, OF the Earth....and shall look up at Jesus touching down ON Earth...and cry in pain, grief and anger?

Eh...no. Those IN Christ see Christ because they ARE With Him...and definitely NOT looking up WAILING in pain, grief and anger.

Glory to God,
God Bless,
Taken
 

charity

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Question by Gismys:- 'Are you rapture ready?'
No, because I do not believe in something that was invented in the 1800's by a man
Hello @historyb,

Would you please tell me who this is that you are referring to? For I have never heard this said before.

Thank you
In Christ Jesus
Chris
 

Taken

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John 15:
[19] If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you.

How is a man Chosen By Jesus, OUT of the world?

Inanutshell- Believe in Jesus and He who sent Jesus, Heart-fully Accept Jesus' Offering of Forgiveness, and His Power to MAKE a man WHOLE, body, soul & spirit.

^ that MAKES a man...the salt of the Earth (who can not lose his savor) AND Rapture Ready. I.e. prepared.

Matt 5:
[13] Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted?

Glory to God,
Taken
 

Taken

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Personally, I believe in a pre-tribulation rapture because of Revelation 3:10.

Rev 3:10
[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.

Is about Gods People "Israel." Not Gentile's, or Jews "IN" Christ.
Those who have Gods WORD in patience...are Faithful Israel ... following God...but not Christ.
Jews are being patient, still waiting for Christ.
Gods people are subject to the Lambs Wrath, then saved, Before Gods Wrath upon those who Reject God.

Christ's "people" are those IN Christ, and are neither subject to the Lambs Wrath or Gods Wrath.

1 Thes 5:
[9] For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ,

(Us), NOT appointed to Wrath, are IN Christ.
(Most of the Tribes of Israel...are Not IN Christ).

Luke 22:
[29] And I appoint unto you (iN Christ) a kingdom, as my Father hath appointed unto me;

Those IN Christ are appointed a Place in Christ's kingdom on Earth for 1,000 years...
Christ's kingdom on Earth for 1,000 years has boundaries...
The boundaries are the Exact Boundaries of Land Promised to Abraham and his faithful descendants.
Once the 1,000 years have passed...dead bodies of those Faithful to God are RISEN up in glory/immortal...
And without boundaries...the Whole world will be Filled with ONLY the Faithful To our Lord God Almighty...SEE Him and BE Like Him...and all Evil and Wickedness swallowed up IN Death.
Victory prevailing Forever.

Glory to God,
Taken