Hi RJP, Your words: "Millenialism, which is the foundation of rapturism, has its own digressions. For most of the history of Christendom the notion of pre-millenialism held a primary place in eschatology. Simply stated, the world would achieve utopian status prior to the second coming."
As far as I know that has never been the position of pre-millennialism. Amil and post-mil yes, but pre-mil has always been that Christ needs to come before the millennium to begin. That is what the prefix "pre" means!
Your words: "But it goes further than that. I've done my homework and it is also my opinion that those who hold to the rapture myth do so out of a sense of desperation and no desire whatsoever to pursue the truth."
Obviously, a little more "homework" is in order. Pre-wrath rapturism is not an 'escapist" doctrine. We believe we will be here for the great trib and that the majority of believers will be martyred during that time period so there is absolutely no "sense of desperation". The bible teaches that "we are not appointed to wrath" so we believe the rapture will occur after the great trib but before the wrath of God. How is that unscriptural?
Hi S4C, Listen, words in and of themselves are neither good, nor evil, they are just words. Even words like: lie, steal, sin or evil aren't good or bad, they're just words. When someone asks you, What kind of a car do you drive? Do you answer (for ex.) a 2010 Buick Century or do you say "I have a red chariot drawn by 308 horses? just so you won't use unscriptural terms. Yes, this is just that silly. If I were to play your game, I could just as easily say your denial of this spiritual concept called the rapture is as bad as what you're trying to say my belief in the rapture is and point all those scriptures back at you.
Do you know what makes anything good or evil? It's simple really. Heb. 4:12 - "For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart."
I know that God knows that my intentions are pure when discussing this topic, so I have no fear of judgment concerning this or any other topic. If there was a topic in which I erred in my conversation, then God also knows it is based on what I believe the scriptures to be saying, not on some evil, dark scheme to lead my fellow believers astray.
So, lighten up already! There is no devilish scheme involved here. Words are just words, it's one's intentions on why they say what they say. My reason is simply that I believe what I'm saying based on the scriptures I have provided in past conversations.
As far as I know that has never been the position of pre-millennialism. Amil and post-mil yes, but pre-mil has always been that Christ needs to come before the millennium to begin. That is what the prefix "pre" means!
Your words: "But it goes further than that. I've done my homework and it is also my opinion that those who hold to the rapture myth do so out of a sense of desperation and no desire whatsoever to pursue the truth."
Obviously, a little more "homework" is in order. Pre-wrath rapturism is not an 'escapist" doctrine. We believe we will be here for the great trib and that the majority of believers will be martyred during that time period so there is absolutely no "sense of desperation". The bible teaches that "we are not appointed to wrath" so we believe the rapture will occur after the great trib but before the wrath of God. How is that unscriptural?
Hi S4C, Listen, words in and of themselves are neither good, nor evil, they are just words. Even words like: lie, steal, sin or evil aren't good or bad, they're just words. When someone asks you, What kind of a car do you drive? Do you answer (for ex.) a 2010 Buick Century or do you say "I have a red chariot drawn by 308 horses? just so you won't use unscriptural terms. Yes, this is just that silly. If I were to play your game, I could just as easily say your denial of this spiritual concept called the rapture is as bad as what you're trying to say my belief in the rapture is and point all those scriptures back at you.
Do you know what makes anything good or evil? It's simple really. Heb. 4:12 - "For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart."
I know that God knows that my intentions are pure when discussing this topic, so I have no fear of judgment concerning this or any other topic. If there was a topic in which I erred in my conversation, then God also knows it is based on what I believe the scriptures to be saying, not on some evil, dark scheme to lead my fellow believers astray.
So, lighten up already! There is no devilish scheme involved here. Words are just words, it's one's intentions on why they say what they say. My reason is simply that I believe what I'm saying based on the scriptures I have provided in past conversations.