What does CAUGHT UP mean?

[afaithfulone4u]

We have always thought of it as taken off the earth, but could it really mean UP as in position in life that would not see or be harmed. HIDDEN as in kept safe from harm up out of the way?

Isa 26:20 Come, my people, enter thou into thy chambers, and shut thy doors about thee: hide thyself as it were for a little moment, until the indignation be overpast.
21 For, behold, the LORD cometh out of his place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity: the earth also shall disclose her blood, and shall no more cover her slain.
KJV
Luke 21:35 For as a snare shall it come on all them that dwell on the face of the whole earth.
36 Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.
KJV

In the story of the rich man and Lazarus the beggar, we see that there are two gulfs and those in the LOWER COMPARTMENT (hell)with no rest, can not come to those in the UPPER CHAMBER(heaven) who rest in the bosom of Abraham. But once Jesus paid the debt, many of those saints in Abraham's bosom were released and came out of their graves according to the Bible at his resurrection.
Is it the same for us on earth? Of course it is. We see those who have never tasted death(hellish life) and live very comfortable with rarely seeing crime in their own personal life seemingly to be spared it. While there are others who can't even walk out their front door without some kind of violence in their front yard, Every day!! Or struggling with famine and poverty in their nation or wide spread diseases.

The elect, who will be caught up, will be those chosen to rule and reign with Christ for the 1,000 yrs as kings and priests of God on earth. Perhaps that is the meaning of Caught up to GOD'S THRONE(RULE) that Paul talked about in the twinkling of an eye they will receive their UPPER CLASS positions of power to rule and reign with Christ and until then we are to shut our doors and stay separated from those who are being thrown into the fires of hell on earth where there is weeping(crying)wailing(complaining) & knashing of teeth(anger) in war, violence, famine, pestilence, diseases, earthquakes, tornados, hurricanes, floods, drug addiction etc.. that try and test man to see what kind of fruit these trees will produce? For these are the BIRTH PAINS that are beginning of sorrows, about to birth the son's of God in the earth to be caught up as Ruler's. For in my Father's house are many mansions Position's of rule for the TRUE holy body of Christ.

Matt 13:30
30 Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn.{SAFETY}
KJV
Matt 13:39-43
39 The enemy that sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are the angels.
40 As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of this world.
41 The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity;
42 And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.
43 Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.
KJV

 

[Eric E Stahl]

1 Thessalonians 4
13But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.
14For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.
15For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep.
16For 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:
17Then 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.
18Wherefore comfort one another with these words.

I am looking forward to being caught up to meet Jesus in the air!

 

[avoice]

Thats nice your looking forward to it
Problem with that is Christ is descending to earth and those with him are the dead who were raised first. So your not going very far.

Air here actually means the lower atmosphere the air we breathe that is around us ..it has nothing to do with heaven.

This is the time of the 7th trump and Christ is returning to earth. Mathew 24:29-31
Whats the first thing Christ does here at his return ? Send his angels out to collect the elect from the four corners (all directions) this is where you meet him in the air ..on his way to earth.

 

[Retrobyter]

Shalom, afaithfulone4u.

We have always thought of it as taken off the earth, but could it really mean UP as in position in life that would not see or be harmed. HIDDEN as in kept safe from harm up out of the way?

Isa 26:20 Come, my people, enter thou into thy chambers, and shut thy doors about thee: hide thyself as it were for a little moment, until the indignation be overpast.
21 For, behold, the LORD cometh out of his place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity: the earth also shall disclose her blood, and shall no more cover her slain.
KJV
Luke 21:35 For as a snare shall it come on all them that dwell on the face of the whole earth.
36 Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.
KJV

In the story of the rich man and Lazarus the beggar, we see that there are two gulfs and those in the LOWER COMPARTMENT (hell)with no rest, can not come to those in the UPPER CHAMBER(heaven) who rest in the bosom of Abraham. But once Jesus paid the debt, many of those saints in Abraham's bosom were released and came out of their graves according to the Bible at his resurrection.
Is it the same for us on earth? Of course it is. We see those who have never tasted death(hellish life) and live very comfortable with rarely seeing crime in their own personal life seemingly to be spared it. While there are others who can't even walk out their front door without some kind of violence in their front yard, Every day!! Or struggling with famine and poverty in their nation or wide spread diseases.

The elect, who will be caught up, will be those chosen to rule and reign with Christ for the 1,000 yrs as kings and priests of God on earth. Perhaps that is the meaning of Caught up to GOD'S THRONE(RULE) that Paul talked about in the twinkling of an eye they will receive their UPPER CLASS positions of power to rule and reign with Christ and until then we are to shut our doors and stay separated from those who are being thrown into the fires of hell on earth where there is weeping(crying)wailing(complaining) & knashing of teeth(anger) in war, violence, famine, pestilence, diseases, earthquakes, tornados, hurricanes, floods, drug addiction etc.. that try and test man to see what kind of fruit these trees will produce? For these are the BIRTH PAINS that are beginning of sorrows, about to birth the son's of God in the earth to be caught up as Ruler's. For in my Father's house are many mansions Position's of rule for the TRUE holy body of Christ.

Matt 13:30
30 Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn.{SAFETY}
KJV
Matt 13:39-43
39 The enemy that sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are the angels.
40 As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of this world.
41 The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity;
42 And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.
43 Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.
KJV

There are three crucial things for you to understand about what you've said so far. First of all, the word most often translated as "caught up" is from the Greek word harpazoo (ending in an omega), and it's a verb meaning literally "I snatch away." It may not mean "up" by itself, but it is much more forceful than you are hoping it would convey in meaning and has nothing to do with leadership position.

Secondly, you must understand that the parables of Matthew 13 are NOT ABOUT TODAY! They are about the future Kingdom of God that Yeshua` brings back with Him when He comes. He must rule and reign in Yerushalayim (Jerusalem) from the throne of His father, David. Only the parable of the sower sowing grain upon the four soils is about the present. I've pointed this out before, but it bears repeating if people don't understand it, yet:

The parables consistently say, "The Kingdom of heaven is like...."

The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field... (Matt. 13:24)
The kingdom of heaven is like to a grain of mustard seed... (Matt. 13:31)
The kingdom of heaven is like unto leaven... (Matt. 13:33)
The kingdom of heaven is like unto treasure hid in a field... (Matt. 13:44)
The kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchant man... (Matt. 13:45)
The kingdom of heaven is like unto a net... (Matt. 13:47)

Therefore, this is talking about the Millennium, not about today.

One also needs to understand that this means that the Millennium is different than the Eternal State, and that the Millennium, coming before the Eternal State, is itself yet in the future. All one needs to do to confirm this is to compare the parable of the wheat and the tares to the passage in 1 Corinthians 15:20-28 and to Revelation 20:1-15:

Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43
24 Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field:
25 But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way.
26 But when the blade was sprung up, and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also.
27 So the servants of the householder came and said unto him, Sir, didst not thou sow good seed in thy field? from whence then hath it tares?
28 He said unto them, An enemy hath done this. The servants said unto him, Wilt thou then that we go and gather them up?
29 But he said, Nay; lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them.
30 Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn.
...
36 Then Jesus sent the multitude away, and went into the house: and his disciples came unto him, saying, Declare unto us the parable of the tares of the field.
37 He answered and said unto them, He that soweth the good seed is the Son of man;
38 The field is the world; the good seed are the children of the kingdom; but the tares are the children of the wicked one;
39 The enemy that sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are the angels.
40 As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of this world.
41 The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity;
42 And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.
43 Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.
KJV

1 Corinthians 15:20-28
20 But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept.
21 For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead.
22 For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.
23 But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ's at his coming.
24 Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power.
25 For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet.
26 The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death.
27 For he hath put all things under his feet. But when he saith, all things are put under him, it is manifest that he is excepted, which did put all things under him.
28 And when all things shall be subdued unto him, then shall the Son also himself be subject unto him that put all things under him, that God may be all in all.
KJV


Revelation 20:1-21:3
20:1 And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand.
2 And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years,
3 And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season.
4 And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.
5 But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection.
6 Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.
7 And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison,
8 And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea.
9 And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them.
10 And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.
11 And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them.
12 And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.
13 And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works.
14 And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.
15 And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.
21:1 And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.
2 And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.
3 And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.
KJV

2 Peter 3:3-13
3 Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts,
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.
5 For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water:
6 Whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished:
7 But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.
8 But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.
9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.
10 But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.
11 Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness,
12 Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat?
13 Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.
KJV

When you've harmonized all of these passages, you will discover that this parable in Matthew 13 is not about when the Messiah Yeshua` returns but AFTER He has reigned for a thousand years. That's when the "tares" are taken out of His Kingdom and burned in the fire, i.e., thrown into the lake of fire. AFTER that, the righteous ones shall shine in the Kingdom of their Father, God the Father!

 

[veteran]

The idea of being "caught up" of 1 Thess.4 is involving the heavenly state of the spiritual body, i.e., the resurrection. It's the same event of 1 Cor.15 where Apostle Paul was talking about the resurrection, and the last trump event when those still alive on earth are changed to their spiritual bodies at the twinkling of an eye. Paul was pulling from Isaiah 25 about that event also.


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)