There Will Be a Rapture

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veteran

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I'll take the challenge.



The word 'rapturo' comes from the Latin, so 'rapture' is from the Latin Bible. It is put for the Greek word 'harpazo' which is translated to "caught up" in the KJV Bible. Greek 'harpazo' means 'to sieze, pluck, pull, take by force, etc.' (Strong's no. 726).

Let's see how 'harpazo' was translated in other Bible Scripture, and I'll use the KJV...

Matt 11:12
12 And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force.
(KJV)

Matt 12:29
29 Or else how can one enter into a strong man's house, and spoil his goods, except he first bind the strong man? and then he will spoil his house.
(KJV)

Matt 13:19
19 When any one heareth the word of the kingdom, and understandeth it not, then cometh the wicked one, and catcheth away that which was sown in his heart. This is he which received seed by the way side.
(KJV)

John 6:15
15 When Jesus therefore perceived that they would come and take Him by force, to make Him a king, He departed again into a mountain Himself alone.
(KJV)

John 10:12
12 But he that is an hireling, and not the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, seeth the wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep, and fleeth: and the wolf catcheth them, and scattereth the sheep.
(KJV)

John 10:28
28 And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of My hand.
(KJV)

John 10:29
29 My Father, Which gave them Me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of My Father's hand.
(KJV)

Acts 8:39
39 And when they were come up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught away Philip, that the eunuch saw him no more: and he went on his way rejoicing.
(KJV)

2 Cor 12:2
2 I knew a man in Christ above fourteen years ago, (whether in the body, I cannot tell; or whether out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth;) such an one caught up to the third heaven.
(KJV)

2 Cor 12:4
4 How that he was caught up into paradise, and heard unspeakable words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter.
(KJV)

Rev 12:5
5 And she brought forth a man child, who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron: and her Child was caught up unto God, and to His throne.
(KJV)

There's a few more Scripture examples I didn't include that are repeats of those same usages for Greek 'harpazo'. But the meaning for 'harpazo' should be clear in those various ways how it can be used. It's simply a Greek word that means to sieze, like siezing one's goods, or take something against another's will, and can include the use of force.

The three usages of 'harpazo' in 2 Cor.12 , in Rev.12:5 is, and Acts 8:39 are most important in finding the real meaning how Paul meant it. But we STILL have to compare how harpazo applies in each one of those Scripture examples, for all THREE of them are different.

In the Acts 8:39 example with Philip being "caught away" after preaching The Gospel to the Ethiopian, Philip simply was no more with the Ethiopian, but was taken in the Spirit to a location north of that spot. Both Philip's flesh and his spirit were simply whisked away and he was gone to another location, on earth. God did this with Elijah also, miraculously transporting both his flesh and spirit to another location on earth during his ministry. Does that fit the 1 Thess.4:17 usage of 'harpazo'? Not completely, because 1 Cor.15 must include the 'change' at the 'twinkling of an eye' Paul taught will occur on that day. So the Acts 8:39 example gives us an idea, but it's still not the exact same application.

In 2 Corinthians 12, Paul speaks of one he knew that was "caught up" to the third Heaven, to God's Paradise. The one Paul speaks of could not have died, otherwise Paul could not have known about it. I think Paul was speaking of himself, for he was once stoned and left for dead (Acts 14). In all of God's Word, there is not one record of someone who was caught up to God's Paradise and lived to tell about it, except this one 2 Cor.12 example (and of course our Lord Jesus). Those who have died do not come back and tell us about God's Paradise. Even our Lord's story about the rich man in Luke 16 reveals that, as the rich man wanted to go back down to earth and warn his brethren about hell. They have Moses and the prophets, Abraham told him.

So what of this one that was caught up to God's Paradise? Just what was caught up? If Paul was speaking of himself, which I think he was, then it suggests Paul had a 'near-death' experience. There are recorded cases today with people that have almost died on the operating table, only to awaken and tell experiences they had in Heaven, just recently with a popular book Heaven Is For Real about a pastor's little boy and his experiences. I have heard personal witnesses to this effect for myself from others that had almost died because of some malady or operation. Before one thinks this cannot happen, like the dead know nothing idea, then you might want to look at this example by Paul more, along with his explanation in 2 Cor.5 of what happens after flesh death. And also consider about those who were resurrected at the time of Christ's death on the cross.

So what of the one Paul spoke of in 2 Cor.12? If that was Paul in a 'near-death' experience, we then know his flesh was not what was 'caught up' to God's Paradise, but his spirit. Does that have a link to what he taught in 1 Cor.15 about the 'change' at the 'twinkling of an eye', our body of corruption putting on a body of incorruption, i.e., a resurrection type body? Yes. It has a connection to that very idea. But it's still not that 1 Cor.15 change, simply because Paul was revived to continue living in his flesh body.

Does the 2 Cor.12 example agree with what Eccl.12:5-7 teaches that occurs at flesh death? Yes, with one exception...

Eccl 12:6-7
6 Or ever the silver cord be loosed, or the golden bowl be broken, or the pitcher be broken at the fountain, or the wheel broken at the cistern.
7 Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God Who gave it.
(KJV)

That "silver cord" is a mystery. But that's the condition which Eccl.12 shows must happen for our flesh to become separated from our spirit at death. That silver cord must be severed, or "loosed". In the case with a 'near-death' experience like the one Paul spoke of in 2 Cor.12, his "silver cord" was not "loosed", meaning the sliver cord connection remained and that one was revived to continue on earth. And that one brought back remembrance of experience his spirit had in God's Paradise. Remember in Luke 23:43, our Lord Jesus while on the cross told the malefactor who believed on Him, that that day he would be with Him in Paradise.

So in the 2 Cor.12 example, "caught up" is about that one's spirit being caught up to Heaven, not his flesh body. That example is getting even closer to the 1 Thess.4:17 meaning, but still has a difference, since that one of 2 Cor.12 continued to live in their flesh to tell about it.

The Rev.12:5 example is about our Lord Jesus when He ascended to Heaven to The Father, in a cloud, from the Mount of Olives, whiile His disciples were standing there watching it (Acts 1). In Acts 1, angels then told His disciples that's also how He would be returning to this earth at His coming. Zechariah 14 reveals that Mount of Olives is also the spot where He is gong to return at His coming. When Christ Jesus was transfigured at the mount where He spoke to Moses and Elijah, it involved that idea of God's cloud overshadowing them. Moses and Elijah then spoke to Jesus about His coming crucifixion, and then disappeared out of thin air (Luke 9; Mark 9; Matt.17). Our Lord Jesus was not yet in His resurrected Body when that happened, but His flesh body was transfigured temporarily. Yet at His Ascension to The Father, we know His flesh body had been transfigured to His Resurrection Body, still retaining the marks of His crucifixion.

Now we're closer to how 1 Thess.4:17 harpazo was meant by Paul. It's still different than how our Lord Jesus's flesh was transfigured to the Heavenly order body. At the "last trump" event, we will be changed to the "spiritual body" which Paul spoke of. Our flesh body will be cast off. That's what the 'change' at the "twinkling of an eye" is about that Paul spoke of, and why he showed the body our spirit is sown in (flesh) is not that body that shall be (spiritual body).

Then there is one HUGE factor about that timing of the 'harpazo' about the Heavenly dimension. That "twinkling of an eye" change is about Heaven being revealed here, on this earth.

Isa 25:6-9
6 And in this mountain shall the LORD of hosts make unto all people a feast of fat things, a feast of wines on the lees, of fat things full of marrow, of wines on the lees well refined.
7 And He will destroy in this mountain the face of the covering cast over all people, and the vail that is spread over all nations.
8 He will swallow up death in victory; and the Lord GOD will wipe away tears from off all faces; and the rebuke of His people shall He take away from off all the earth: for the LORD hath spoken it.
9 And it shall be said in that day, "Lo, this is our God; we have waited for Him, and He will save us: this is the LORD; we have waited for Him, we will be glad and rejoice in His salvation."
(KJV)

THAT Scripture is where Apostle Paul was pulling from in 1 Cor.15 when teaching about the change at the twinkling of an eye. That "vail" is symbolic of the wall that separates our earthly dimension and the Heavenly dimension. At Christ's coming, the Heavenly is going to be revealed right here on earth, to ALL peoples. That vail is caused by our flesh body, and that's why it must go through that 'change' at a "twinkling of an eye" on that "last trump" of Christ's coming.

AND, in our "spiritual body" is HOW we are gathered to Christ Jesus where He is coming, to the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem. That is where that "mountain" is per that Isaiah 25 Scripture. That's where His saints will dine with Him when He comes, and will say that Isaiah 25:9 verse about Him. That's HOW death will be swallowed up in Victory. That is going to be revealed right here, on earth, to ALL peoples, not just us. It will not be separate coming for just His saints in secret. There won't be any secret coming to it at all. All peoples are going to see it and know. And all peoples still alive on this earth will go through that 'change' Paul speaks of in 1 Cor.15, not just Christ's elect.

Thus we will not be taken away from this earth at that event. Heaven is coming here. That's the main difference. The harpazo this event involves will AFFECT EVERYBODY still alive upon this earth, but ONLY Christ's saints will be gathered to Him where He is going to come, to that great valley He will first form in Jerusalem when His feet touch back down again upon this earth. If you're expecting to be 'raptured' UP off of this earth, then you would be going to the wrong place, for Heaven is going to be revealed right here, on this earth, both dimensions joined together in one space and time.