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Post by lovelace on Nov 9, 2005 7:54:20 GMT -5
What are your opinions of this? I have not dug deep into this, but we were watching the left behind series and it seems distant to me. Once God comes back for his children, those left on earth are condemed to hell (they are not saved or repented)? The movie (I know it is a movie), portrays that you can still be saved to go to heaven?
Your opinions on this?
God Bless, Mike
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Post by Rickey Dale Crain on Nov 9, 2005 10:10:31 GMT -5
Great point... the theology of todays church in essence is giving a second chance ot those left behind....this movement though around for sometime was given it's biggest boost in the early 70's with the book "the late great planet earth" matthew 24 and 25 and rev 4-end of chapter are evidently not important to those who believe this..... why would God give us that scripture if we are were raptured (not a biblical word by the way) by chapter 3..... who is he talking to in chapter 24-25 execept Christians here during the tribulation... a few good books on this subject are "the Pre-wrath rapture" by rosenthal and "The Sign" by Van Kampen.... check out this web site for further info... prewrathministries.org/index.htmland www.solagroup.org/rdc |
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Post by pitbull on Nov 10, 2005 7:05:53 GMT -5
THE RAPTURE
The next thing in Bible prophecy to occur is the Rapture. Revelation 4& 5 show the church in Heaven with God and the church is not seen again until chapter 19. During this time period of earth, the church is absent from the earth so it will miss God's punishment upon the wicked [Matthew 24:22,31,40,41; John 14:1-3; 1 Corinthians 15:35-54; 1 Thessalonians 5:9; 2 Thessalonians 3:2,3].
I. THE TRUMPET
At the moment of the Rapture, we shall hear a trumpet command us to come to Christ. The unsaved though will only hear thunder. [John 12:28-29]
· “In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.” [1 Corinthians 15:52]
· “For 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. For 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: Then 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.” [1Thessalonians 4:15-17]
· “After this I looked, and, behold, a door was opened in heaven: and the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me; which said, Come up hither, and I will shew thee things which must be hereafter.” [Revelation 4:1] – See Revelation 11:12 also.
II. THE CHANGE
At the moment of the Rapture, our bodies shall be changed to be like Christ’s resurrected body.
· “Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory.” [1 Corinthians 15:51-54]
· “Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the workings whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself.” [Philippians 3:21]
· “Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.” [1 John 3:2]
III. THE TRANSLATION
After we are changed, there will be a translation or a removal of us from this earth by the Lord.
· “By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and was not found, because God had translated him: for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God.” [Hebrews 11:5]
The Holy Spirit will also leave earth [2 Thessalonians 2:7]. Where does the Holy Spirit currently dwell? He lives in believers [1 Corinthians 3:16]. So when the believers leave this earth during the Rapture, He will leave also.
There has been some controversy over 2 Thessalonians 2:7, especially concerning the identity of the restrainer. Here are five main theories to the identity: (1) the Roman Empire, (2) human government and law, (3) Satan, (4) the church, and (5) the Holy Spirit. Consider the following:
1. The restrainer could not be the Roman Empire because such a view limits the restrainer to the past and this passage of Scripture refers to one being restrained as still to come.
2. Human government will continue to exist even when the man of sin is revealed, so it cannot be that.
3. Satan cannot be the restrainer because a house divided against itself will fall.
4. The church is not the restrainer because the one being restrained has “all power and signs and lying wonders.” [2 Thessalonians 2:9]
5. Only a member of the Godhead is able to restrain this man of sin who is empowered by Satan, hence the proper interpretation is the Holy Spirit.
The removal of the Restrainer then refers to the departure of the Holy Spirit in the rapture of the Church.
How do we know that the Rapture has occurred in Revelation chapter 4? We now see the church in Heaven with God and the church is referred to as the Twenty-Four Elders. During this time period of earth, the church is absent from the earth so it will miss God's punishment upon the wicked [Matthew 24:22,31,40,41; John 14:1-3; 1 Corinthians 15:35-54; 1 Thessalonians 5:9; 2 Thessalonians 3:2,3].
a. Why 24? Two is the number used in the Bible to be symbolic of witness [church is witness of Christ -- Acts 1:8] and twelve is the number used to be symbolic of government [church is to rule with Christ].
b. The white raiment is our clothes washed in the blood [Isaiah 1:18].
c. The crowns of gold represent our rewards [1 Corinthians 9:25; James 1:12].
Also consider John 14:1-3. Jesus said, "And if I go and prepare a pace for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also." Where is Jesus? He is in Heaven. Where will the church go when He comes to get it? To Heaven. Considering that the 19th chapter of Revelation has the church returning to earth with Christ at His Second Coming ["The Day of the Lord"], how did it get there except by the Rapture? Also, if the Rapture is post-tribulation, then Jesus lied in John 14. There is no other way around that except to call Jesus a liar. Do you really want to do that?
IV. THE GATHERING
The removal of us from this world will also result in a gathering of the saints on the way to Heaven.
· “For 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. For 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: Then 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.” [1Thessalonians 4:15-17]
· “Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him.” [2 Thessalonians 2:1]
Some will try to tell you that the word “rapture” is not found in the Bible. That is incorrect. The actual Greek in the 1 Thessalonians passage previous mentioned was translated into the English phrase “caught up” but the literal translation is “rapture”. The KJV Bible translators did this so that people would better understand the passage. That is another example of why the KJV Bible is a true lexicon.
V. OLD TESTAMENT TYPES
The Rapture is not just a New Testament but also a mystery [1 Corinthians 15:51] that was taught [but not revealed] in the Old Testament. Remember that the Old Testament is given to the church for types, pictures, and figures. There are such of the Rapture.
1. The first such example is Noah and his family. They are removed from the earth [via the ark] and later returned [see Genesis chapters 6-8]. They escape the wrath of God.
2. There is the picture of Lot. He and his family are removed from the cities of the plains before God pours out His wrath upon them [see Genesis 19].
3. Another picture of the Rapture is found in 3rd chapter of the book of Daniel. When God spared Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the fiery furnace, where was Daniel? Daniel is used here as a type of the church while the other three as a type of Israel. Israel will go through the fiery furnace of the Tribulation Period, while the church will be absent from the scene.
VI. THE FIRST RESURRECTION
The Rapture is only the first part of what is known as the First Resurrection [Revelation 20:3-6]:
1. The Rapture of the Church [John 14:1-3; 1 Thessalonians 4:15-17; Revelation 4:1-11]
2. The resurrection of the Two Witnesses [Revelation 11:1-12]
3. The resurrection of the 144,000 Jews [Revelation 7:1-8; 14:1-5]
4. The resurrection of those martyred during the Tribulation Period as well as the Old Testament saints [Daniel 12:2; Matthew 24:29-31; Revelation 7:9-17; 20:4]
All four of these events are part of the First Resurrection – the Rapture is only the first part of it.
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Post by pitbull on Nov 10, 2005 7:07:29 GMT -5
I have notes on the Tribulation Period also, but they are too much to post here. Feel free to email me at bsk1971@juno.com if you want them.
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