Does the bible teach that there is a Rapture?
There are churches and so many that teach on this doctrine called the Rapture. The purpose of the doctrrie of the Rapture is based on the premise that God will not allow His beleivers to enter a time of tribulation and judgement on the earth. That prior to the great tribulation the Lord shall Rapture the believers and take them to heaven. The most famous of all texts used to prove the Rapture is found in 1 Thessolonians 4:16-18 which reads the following:
1Thessolonians 4:16-18
(16) 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:
(17) 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.
(18) Wherefore comfort one another with these words.
Is this scripture really evidence of the Rapture? If we examine this scripture a little closer you will find a few key words and phrases that truly indicate what this event is.
1) The Lord Himself Shall Descend.
2) With a voice of the Arch-Angel.
3) With the Trumpet of God.
4) The Dead in Christ shall Rise First.
5) Then we who are Alive and Remain shall be Caught up to be with the Lord.
Now let us look at other scripture that pertains to the resurrection. It is important to note that the event of the Resurrection as all agree occurs at the end of the tribulation where the Rapture is before the tribulation.
1 Corinthians 15:51-52
(51) Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,
(52) 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.
Now after reading this we come up with these key phrases:
1) We will not all sleep (WHICH MEANS DIE) but we will all be changed.
2) In a twinkling of an eye, at the Last Trumpet.
3) The dead shall be raised.
In this text we can see such similiar factors found in 1 Thessolonians 4:16-18
1) When this event occurs there will be both Dead and Alive Christians who are resurrected.
2) There is a Trumpet, now this indicates not just any trumpet but at the LAST TRUMPET.
Some argue that this event is different than the Thessolonian Event. So before we come to a conclusion let us look at other scripture indicating the resurrection.
Revelation 11:15
(15) And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever.
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Revelation 11:18
(18) And the nations were angry, and thy wrath is come, and the time of the dead, that they should be judged, and that thou shouldest give reward unto thy servants the prophets, and to the saints, and them that fear thy name, small and great; and shouldest destroy them which destroy the earth.
Now let us look at some of the factors in this scripture:
1) The Seventh Angel Sounded this is the Seventh Trumpet (The LAST TRUMPET)
2) The Saints are resurrected for Reward and the Sinners are Judged.
It is plain that these scriptures have so many similiarites as those found in 1 Thessolonians when it pertains to the when the Saints are resurrected. So lets take a look at other scripture.
Matthew 24:29-31
(29) Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken:
(30) And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.
(31) And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.
There is no greater evidence found in scripture than that found in the words of Jesus on the Resurrection.
1) Immedeitly After the Tribulation.
2) The Lord himself Descends on a cloud.
3) With the angels.
4) Sound of a great trumpet.
5) Then he shall gather the elect.
The words of Jesus in Matthew 24 and the words spoken by Paul in 1 Thessolonians on an event are identical. Except for the fact that Jesus states this will happen at the End of teh Tribluation and preachers and other teachers say it will happen at the beginning of the tribulation. So who do you believe???
To review we see the following.
1) A trumpet sound.
2) Angels
3) Jesus on the Cloud
4) The resurrection of dead believers
5) The resurrection or Rapture of alive believers.
6) At the Last Trumpet
7) At the end of the Tribulation.
So that settles it. The bible never teachs that Christians will be RAPTURED but rather resurrected at the end. What???? Still not convinced Alright lets look at this. In the first letter to the Thessolonians Paul writes on us being with the Lord and that it should be a comfort knowing the Lord shall unite us with Him and those who preceeded us. Now in his second letter he writes this:
2 Thessalonians 2:1-5
(1) Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him,
(2) That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand.
(3) Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;
(4) Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.
(5) Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things?
He reminds them that the event of us being gathered will not happen until:
1) Christians Turn away from the faith.
2) The Anti-Christ sits in the temple and claims himself to be God.
In the Tirbulation Time Line. These events occur when the tribulation had already begun and in one case when the Tribulation is already in the 3.5 year mark. Jesus tells us the same:
Matthew 24:12-15
(12) And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.
(13) But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.
(14) And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.
(15) When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:)
O.K. There. WHAT???? You need more. Fine. Lets now reason further. Why should there be a Rapture? Many will say the Rapture:
1) Is So that Christians do not suffer through the Tribulation.
2) Because Christians were not appointed to go through the tribulation.
Alright just by thinking about this we must ask ourselves:
1) Paul Peter and many of the Apostles and Christians suffered the greatest of all tribulation for 300 years. Were they appointed to die and be tortured while we are not?
2) If Christians are raptured so that they do not have to go through the tribulation and suffer, then why in 1 Thessolonians 4:16-18 are those who already died resurrected also. Can a dead man go through the tribulation also?
Folks it is so evident that the Rapture prior to the Tribulation is not a doctrine which any of the apostles or Christ himself taught. Rather to endure through suffering and to be strong during times of struggles looking to the end is what was taught.
For more information contact me at www.HCFAZ.org
Pastor Michael Salman
Harvest Christian Fellowship
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