When the Lord comes, we will be caught up to the air. But now we haven’t been raptured, so the Lord

[Hora.J]

[SIZE=12pt]According to man’s imagination, for one “to be raptured” is to be caught up from the earth to the air, that is, to depart from the world and be received by the Lord. This is the concept of many believers in the Lord. Is such a concept right then? [/SIZE]
[SIZE=12pt]Let us read Acts 8:39-40: “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. But Philip was found at Azotus: and passing through he preached in all the cities, till he came to Caesarea.” [/SIZE]
[SIZE=12pt]These verses tell us that Philip preached the gospel of the Lord to a eunuch of Ethiopia and the latter received it, and so Philip baptized him. When Philip came up out of the water, he was caught away by the Spirit of the Lord, and the eunuch saw him no more. According to our imagination, since Philip was caught away by the Spirit of the Lord, surely he would no longer be on earth but be taken up to heaven. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=12pt]The fact, however, was contrary to our imagination. Instead of being taken up to heaven, Philip was found preaching the gospel of the Lord in all the cities, carrying out God’s will on earth. From this, we see that “to be raptured” is not, as we imagine, to be ascended from a lower place to a higher place, to be [/SIZE][SIZE=12pt]taken from earth to heaven, or to be caught up to the air by the Lord in the twinkling of an eye to escape the disasters and then be put down on earth again to live. All these are man’s imagination, and not the fact God will accomplish. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=12pt]So, how man will “be raptured” cannot be conceived by man’s mind, nor can it be understood according to its literal meaning, for it is a spiritual thing, not a thing of the physical world.[/SIZE]

 

[rockytopva]

Thank you for that.

 

[ATP]

The rapture will certainly not be imminent. There are events that must come to pass before the rapture/day of the lord begins...

Prewrath Rapture of the Church by Marvin Rosenthal
http://www.middletow...ph/prewra01.JPG

1. Antichrist signs peace treaty with Israel to begin the 70th week Isa 28:15 NIV, Isa 28:18 NIV, Isa 57:8-9 NIV, Dan 9:27 NIV, Rev 6:2 NIV, Rev 6:8 NIV.
2. The third temple is built Ez 40-48 NIV, Dan 9:27 NIV, 2 Thess 2:3-4 NIV.
3. The first 3.5 years are birth pains, the first four seals are open along with apostasy of Jews Dan 11:36-45 NIV, Matt 24:4-7, 2 Thess 2:3 NIV, Rev 6:1-8 NIV.
4. At the middle of the 70th week the abomination of desolation takes place Dan 9:27 NIV, Dan 11:31 NIV, Dan 12:11 NIV, Matt 24:15 NIV, 2 Thess 2:3-4 NIV.
5. Michael the angel, the restrainer is removed here Dan 12:1 NIV, 2 Thess 2:6-12 NIV, Rev 12:6-12 NIV.
6. Immediately after the abomination of desolation the fifth seal is open and the Great Tribulation begins, man's rebellion against God Rev 6:9-11 NIV.
7. This is right around where the two witnesses make their appearance and prophesy for 1,260 days Mal 4:5 NIV, Rev 11:2-3 NIV.
8. The last 3.5 years of the 70th week now begins.
9. Then the Great Tribulation is cut short around the middle of the last 3.5 years Matt 24:22 NIV.
10. Immediately after the Great Tribulation ends cosmic disturbances occur before the Day of the Lord begins.
11. The 144,000 are then sealed before the rapture, so they can enter the Day of the Lord without harm Rev 7:2-4 NIV.
12. The rapture occurs at the seventh seal, after the Great Tribulation and at the beginning of the Day of the Lord Matt 25:31-46 NIV, Rev 7:14 NIV, Rev 8:1-5 NIV.
13. The Bema Seat of Christ is here Matt 16:27 NIV, Luke 14:14-15 NIV, 2 Cor 5:10 NIV, Rev 19:8-9 NIV, Rev 22:12 NIV.
14. The Feast/Marriage Supper of the Lamb is also here Luke 14:14-15 NIV, Rev 7:9 NIV, Rev 19:1 NIV, Rev 19:9 NIV.
15. Then begins the Day of the Lord, the start of God's wrath of trumpets. The 5th trumpet will also last five months Rev 9:5 NIV.
16. At the end of the 70th week the beast will kill the two witnesses, but after 3.5 days they will come alive Rev 11:7-12 NIV.
17. Very few people will be left after the 70th week is complete Zech 13:8-9 NIV.
18. Jesus Christ landing on the Mount of Olives is here Zech 9:14-17 NIV, Zech 10:1-12 NIV, Zech 12:10-14 NIV, Zech 14:4 NIV, Mal 3:2-4 NIV, Matt 25:31-46 NIV, Rom 11:26-27 NIV, Jude 1:14-15 NIV, Rev 19:11-21 NIV.
19. After the 70th week is complete the bowl judgments begin for 30 days Dan 12:11 NIV, Zech 12:10-14 NIV.
20. Then the 45 days begin for cleansing of the Temple Dan 12:12 NIV, Zech 13:1-6 NIV.
21. After the 45 days are finished the 1,000 year millennium begins Rev 20:4-6 NIV.
22. Nonbelievers will also be a part of the 1,000 year millennium Zech 14:16-19 NIV.
23. After the 1,000 years are finished, the dead believers and nonbelievers that are left over will be judged Rev 20:11-15 NIV.
24. Then a New Heaven and a New Earth will appear making everything new Rev 21:1-8 NIV.
25. Lastly, Eden is restored in which we now live with Jesus Christ forever and ever. Amen Rev 22:1-5 NIV.

Side Note 1: The full seven years are never called "the tribulation period", rather the 70th week is the proper name to describe the seven years.

Side Note 2: The Great Tribulation and the Day of the Lord are not the same event. The GT is man's rebellion against God, and the Day of the Lord is God's wrath against man. These two events are split in half in the last 3.5 years of the 70th week. The church will have to go through the first five seals and also the GT, but they will be raptured before the Day of the Lord begins, God's wrath of trumpets and bowls. The church will witness the signing of the peace treaty, the third temple built, the first four seals opening, the abomination of desolation, the two witnesses, the fifth seal opening, the GT of man's rebellion and the sixth seal of cosmic disturbances in the sun, moon and stars before they are raptured.

 

[iakov]

[SIZE=12pt]So, how man will “be raptured” cannot be conceived by man’s mind, nor can it be understood according to its literal meaning, for it is a spiritual thing, not a thing of the physical world.[/SIZE]

1Th 4:16-17 (RSV) For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the archangel's call, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first; then we who are alive, who are left, shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air; and so we shall always be with the Lord.

There is nothing in those words, or anywhere else in the passage, to indicate that Paul was talking about "[SIZE=12pt]a spiritual thing, not a thing of the physical world."[/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt]It is a parallel teaching to that found at Mat 24:29-31 Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken; then will appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory; and he will send out his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt]How man can be raised from the dead and be immortal and have an imperishable body is also something that "cannot be conceived by man’s mind." Do you propose that we should also not be taken literally?[/SIZE]

Your not wanting to believe it does not make it cease to be reality.