The primary purpose of this post is to clarify an error of the era that I frequently see associated with the explanation of the “gathering together unto Him” (aka- the rapture). Actually, the error is not isolated to those in adherence to the rapture, but that is my focus.
As a proponent of the rapture, I will include a few chapters of scripture at the end of this post…or maybe just link them to separate threads ….
Additionally all scripture is linked to BLB to save space…. except for the chapters.
I am going on the assumption you are aware of the new covenant that was initiated on Pentecost to the Jews first… and later to the Gentiles in Act 10…..And that this “administration of grace” that God set up, that we are living in today “The body of Christ” …. is not an extension of the church of the Bride …spoken of in the gospels.
The bride is the bride, and the body is the body… The bride was not assimilated into the body…. There is NOTHING in the epistles that gives us any indication that the Church of the Bride continued….. It was a full stop….held in abeyance until after the grace period …. it resumes again in Revelation.
Currently we are in this dispensation of grace (better translated administration) which involves many things. Things that were not known until Paul received them by revelation from Jesus Christ (Gal 1:12) (Eph 3:1-9)
There are a few vailed indications in the gospels of things to come, which were lightly touched on by Jesus. But, other than that…. the greatness of what took place at Pentecost and the years following were just not known…nor were they available to be known during Christ’s ministry…..or anytime previous.
It was no secret that the gentiles would be blessed under Abraham …but nothing even close to the extent of what God revealed after Pentecost was known, written, or even thought about…
THE MYSTERY WAS A SECRET HIDDEN IN GOD….. Things like → The one body…. Jews and Gentiles fellow heirs …. the one new man …. salvation by grace ….born again with/of incorruptible seed …. spirit within unconditionally …. Christ being head of the body and us being members in particular…. and a few other things including “our gathering together unto Him” … These were things that even Jesus Christ did not know of, or know the fullness of… at the time …Because, it was hid in God → 1Co 2:7&8.
Pe 1:10 Of which salvation the prophets have enquired…
1Pe 1:11 Searching … sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow…
1Pe 1:12 …..The angels desire to look into….
With the understanding that this was a GREAT secret (mystery) hidden in God until it was revealed to Paul ….The OT (Old Testament) prophets including Jesus Christ… could not prophesize “anything” regarding this administration of grace ….and therefore, everything that was prophesize by Jesus Christ (which He got primarily from the OT scrolls)….. were the coming events …things that “were” going to be taking place next.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~ BUT ~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~ and this is the greatest But ~~~~
God had something up his spiritual sleeve that was not written in OT prophecy nor spoken of by Jesus Christ ….It was a secret, a mystery, that God had kept hidden ….this unforeseen, untraceable administration of Grace… and everything it entails….
And …Wow! Aren’t we thankful…. Aside from this kicking the devil where it hurts …we should be eternally grateful for what God pulled off…….. We were Gentiles (goy) … we had nothing….. and Now we are sons & daughters of the most high God with the promise of eternity and so much more.
By God sandwiching in this unknown administration of grace….. it put a temporary halt to everything that Jesus spoke of in the gospels …………. Those are things that will resume when the era of the Church of God is completed …. I don’t know when that is, and neither does anyone else …. God knows….but it will culminate with the gathering together (rapture) of the body of Christ, both dead & alive…at which point the tribulation will technically begin … of which there are biblical earmarks that tell us that.
So, that is one reason we cannot use any prophecy from the gospels or the OT to substantiate or correlate anything regarding “the gathering together unto Him” (rapture). The second reason is that everything that Jesus prophesied about, was to Israel, whom Jesus came to redeem ~originally~. Understandably the gentiles, at that time, would have been subject to the events going on, but unless you were a proselyte you had no hope…
I know, many of those who adhere to the rapture try to pull certain scripture from the gospels to substantiate certain thing …but that is incorrect…. Everything regarding “the gathering together unto Him” must be gleaned from the Epistles. Because despite the date when the gospels were written (as given by revelation from Jesus Christ) ……they are to be viewed and understood only in their respective time…. and that respective time was before Pentecost… before God made known the greatness and the fullness of the mystery….and that is why there can’t be any prophecy regarding the grace administration in the gospels or OT.
I know there are some similarities in the gospels that look like they might fit with the gathering together in the epistles ……… but similar is not identical, and there are several vast differences between tribulation time and the “gathering together unto Him” (rapture).
I should add one thing…. Just in case there are those reading this who believe we are living in the beginnings of the tribulation period. You need to understand… if that were true (it’s not) but if it were, then nothing in the 7 Church epistles would apply to you…. salvation by grace, spirit within, the one body …etc, etc etc…. You would have none of that. Because that would mean the administration of grace has ceased, and you are now living in the time of Revelation. I know times are tumultuous …but we ain’t there…we might be close to the rapture ….or not…
Just live each day as though He is coming back today….but plan as though He’s never coming back (in your lifetime)
I was going to add the chapters from I Thessalonians chapter 4:13-18 & chapter 5 and II Thessalonians chapter 2. But I may do them on individual threads and link them to this page….↓
I Thessalonians chapter 4:13-18 & chapter 5
As a proponent of the rapture, I will include a few chapters of scripture at the end of this post…or maybe just link them to separate threads ….
Additionally all scripture is linked to BLB to save space…. except for the chapters.
I am going on the assumption you are aware of the new covenant that was initiated on Pentecost to the Jews first… and later to the Gentiles in Act 10…..And that this “administration of grace” that God set up, that we are living in today “The body of Christ” …. is not an extension of the church of the Bride …spoken of in the gospels.
The bride is the bride, and the body is the body… The bride was not assimilated into the body…. There is NOTHING in the epistles that gives us any indication that the Church of the Bride continued….. It was a full stop….held in abeyance until after the grace period …. it resumes again in Revelation.
Currently we are in this dispensation of grace (better translated administration) which involves many things. Things that were not known until Paul received them by revelation from Jesus Christ (Gal 1:12) (Eph 3:1-9)
There are a few vailed indications in the gospels of things to come, which were lightly touched on by Jesus. But, other than that…. the greatness of what took place at Pentecost and the years following were just not known…nor were they available to be known during Christ’s ministry…..or anytime previous.
It was no secret that the gentiles would be blessed under Abraham …but nothing even close to the extent of what God revealed after Pentecost was known, written, or even thought about…
THE MYSTERY WAS A SECRET HIDDEN IN GOD….. Things like → The one body…. Jews and Gentiles fellow heirs …. the one new man …. salvation by grace ….born again with/of incorruptible seed …. spirit within unconditionally …. Christ being head of the body and us being members in particular…. and a few other things including “our gathering together unto Him” … These were things that even Jesus Christ did not know of, or know the fullness of… at the time …Because, it was hid in God → 1Co 2:7&8.
Pe 1:10 Of which salvation the prophets have enquired…
1Pe 1:11 Searching … sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow…
1Pe 1:12 …..The angels desire to look into….
With the understanding that this was a GREAT secret (mystery) hidden in God until it was revealed to Paul ….The OT (Old Testament) prophets including Jesus Christ… could not prophesize “anything” regarding this administration of grace ….and therefore, everything that was prophesize by Jesus Christ (which He got primarily from the OT scrolls)….. were the coming events …things that “were” going to be taking place next.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~ BUT ~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~ and this is the greatest But ~~~~
God had something up his spiritual sleeve that was not written in OT prophecy nor spoken of by Jesus Christ ….It was a secret, a mystery, that God had kept hidden ….this unforeseen, untraceable administration of Grace… and everything it entails….
And …Wow! Aren’t we thankful…. Aside from this kicking the devil where it hurts …we should be eternally grateful for what God pulled off…….. We were Gentiles (goy) … we had nothing….. and Now we are sons & daughters of the most high God with the promise of eternity and so much more.
By God sandwiching in this unknown administration of grace….. it put a temporary halt to everything that Jesus spoke of in the gospels …………. Those are things that will resume when the era of the Church of God is completed …. I don’t know when that is, and neither does anyone else …. God knows….but it will culminate with the gathering together (rapture) of the body of Christ, both dead & alive…at which point the tribulation will technically begin … of which there are biblical earmarks that tell us that.
So, that is one reason we cannot use any prophecy from the gospels or the OT to substantiate or correlate anything regarding “the gathering together unto Him” (rapture). The second reason is that everything that Jesus prophesied about, was to Israel, whom Jesus came to redeem ~originally~. Understandably the gentiles, at that time, would have been subject to the events going on, but unless you were a proselyte you had no hope…
I know, many of those who adhere to the rapture try to pull certain scripture from the gospels to substantiate certain thing …but that is incorrect…. Everything regarding “the gathering together unto Him” must be gleaned from the Epistles. Because despite the date when the gospels were written (as given by revelation from Jesus Christ) ……they are to be viewed and understood only in their respective time…. and that respective time was before Pentecost… before God made known the greatness and the fullness of the mystery….and that is why there can’t be any prophecy regarding the grace administration in the gospels or OT.
I know there are some similarities in the gospels that look like they might fit with the gathering together in the epistles ……… but similar is not identical, and there are several vast differences between tribulation time and the “gathering together unto Him” (rapture).
I should add one thing…. Just in case there are those reading this who believe we are living in the beginnings of the tribulation period. You need to understand… if that were true (it’s not) but if it were, then nothing in the 7 Church epistles would apply to you…. salvation by grace, spirit within, the one body …etc, etc etc…. You would have none of that. Because that would mean the administration of grace has ceased, and you are now living in the time of Revelation. I know times are tumultuous …but we ain’t there…we might be close to the rapture ….or not…
Just live each day as though He is coming back today….but plan as though He’s never coming back (in your lifetime)
I was going to add the chapters from I Thessalonians chapter 4:13-18 & chapter 5 and II Thessalonians chapter 2. But I may do them on individual threads and link them to this page….↓
I Thessalonians chapter 4:13-18 & chapter 5
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