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What the Bible says about "the Rapture"


RETIREDFAN1

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What the Scriptures Say about “The Rapture”

 

We hear people talking a lot today about something they call “the rapture”. They claim that the end of time is near and Judgment Day is swiftly approaching. We are going to take some time today to study “the rapture” and shine the light of Scripture on it to see if what these people teach is actually what the Bible teaches.

Acts 17: 11

 

As we begin this study, we need to note that the Bible says absolutely nothing about “the rapture”. The word “rapture” is not even found in the Scriptures. The very idea of “the rapture” is not found anywhere in the Bible.  False teachers, commonly called “Premillennialists” or “Dispensationalists,” have invented the doctrine of the rapture. This doctrine is a doctrine of man, not of God. We are taught that all doctrines of man are vain and useless. 

Matthew 15: 9

Matthew 15: 13




 

The Bible is very plain and clear about the second coming of the Messiah. It teaches us that He is coming again. He promised that He would return.

John 14: 1 - 3

 

When He ascended back to Heaven, the angels promised that He would return again. 

Acts 1: 9 - 11

 

The Holy Spirit, speaking through Peter, promised us that the Messiah would be returning. 

II Peter 3: 10 - 11

 

There are many other passages we could add to this, but it is sufficient to say that the Messiah has promised to return and will return one day. 

 

We are taught very clearly in Scripture that the Second coming of the Lord will be sudden and unexpected.  

Matthew 24: 42 - 44

I Thessalonians 5: 1 - 11

 

Knowing all of this, we had better be prepared for His return at any time. 


 

The Bible also plainly and clearly teaches that no man knows the time when the Lord will return. Jesus does not know. The angels do not know. Only God, the Father knows when the Messiah will return.

Matthew 24: 36

Mark 13: 32

 

Since no being but God knows, it is impossible for anyone to predict the time or to give any signs that point to the coming return. There won’t be any warning signs that the Messiah is about to return. He will come at the hour God has appointed for Him to return. 

 

The Bible also clearly teaches that Christ is coming back to deliver His kingdom to God, the Father.

I Corinthians 15: 24

 

He already rules over His Kingdom. He has since it’s beginning on the Day of Pentecost recorded for us in Acts 2. His Kingdom is the Church of Christ, made up of each one of us individually. 






 

The Bible clearly teaches that when Christ comes again, the universe and everything in it will be destroyed. 

II Peter 3: 10

 

The Bible teaches that when Christ comes again, the dead will be  raised and judgment will take place.

John 5: 28 - 29

 

Those who have obeyed the Gospel and lived faithful lives in service to Him will be raised and rewarded. Those who have not obeyed the Gospel, or those who fell away, will be raised and punished. All of this is eternal.

Matthew 25: 31 - 46

 

Finally, following the second coming of Christ, the judgment of the world, and the destruction of the earth, the saved ones will be with the Lord forever.

1 Thessalonians 4:13-18

 

The Bible teaching on the second coming is simple, plain, and easily understood.  There is nothing in the Bible about the rapture. Our purpose on earth is not to try to guess the time when the Lord will come, but to be ready so that when He does come, we will be prepared.

 

Are you prepared to meet the Lord when He comes again?  Have you believed in Jesus Christ, the Son of God?

John 8:24   

 

Have you repented of all your past sins?  

Luke 13:3  

 

Have you confessed that Jesus Christ is the Son of God?  Matthew 10:32 - 33

 

Have you been immersed in water and raised up into Christ for the forgiveness of your sins?

Mark 16:16

Romans 6:3 - 4

 

If you’ve done all that, are you living faithfully now? 

Revelation 2: 10

 

Why not obey Jesus Christ today so that you will be prepared to meet Him when He comes, whenever that may be?  It is not important to know the time of His coming.  It is important to be prepared for His coming.

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I have never understood why anyone would teach that the Rapture happens.  Even in Revelations when the Millennial reign happens there will be the first resurrection of the just Revelations 20:4-5.  The Bible doesn't even say what will happen to those that were just that followed Christ instead of the Beast will die, but they will for all will taste death just as Christ did.  While Elijah was taken to heaven he may have already experienced death or he was translated as John the beloved were to not taste death until Jesus Christ returns, but they both will die, and be resurrected.  

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15 hours ago, DaveTV1 said:

I have never understood why anyone would teach that the Rapture happens.  Even in Revelations when the Millennial reign happens there will be the first resurrection of the just Revelations 20:4-5.  The Bible doesn't even say what will happen to those that were just that followed Christ instead of the Beast will die, but they will for all will taste death just as Christ did.  While Elijah was taken to heaven he may have already experienced death or he was translated as John the beloved were to not taste death until Jesus Christ returns, but they both will die, and be resurrected.  

There is no thousand year reign taught either......Revelation is a book written in symbols and figurative language.......Elijah experienced death as John the Baptist.......

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9 hours ago, RETIREDFAN1 said:

There is no thousand year reign taught either......Revelation is a book written in symbols and figurative language.......Elijah experienced death as John the Baptist.......

So you do not accept Revelations as the inspired vision given to John the beloved ?  Show me in the scriptures where either John the beloved or Elijah experienced death.  I know that John the Baptist had his head cut off for his rebuke of Herod Antipas.  He is not one and the same as John the Baptist, he and his brother James didn't follow Jesus Christ until after Christ was baptized by John the Baptist to fulfill all righteousness.  As the Apostle Paul points out Cephas (Peter), James, and John were the pillars of the early church after our Savior was crucified. Galations 2:9.  Oddly enough John was also the only Apostle that witnessed our Saviors crucifixion. 

There will be a Second Coming of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, and then the millennium as Daniel, Enoch, and John spoke of.  Then the faithful to our Father in Heaven shall gather with our Savior, Michael the Archangel, and many others to vanquish lucifer and his minions forever.  They shall suffer in the lake of fire forever, and those that follow Christ will live a life of perfection.  We will want of nothing, but there will still be work to do.  It will be easy though.  I say this, because I want it to happen, because I do love music who knows if The Righteous Brothers will be there, but I hope so :  

 

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12 hours ago, DaveTV1 said:

So you do not accept Revelations as the inspired vision given to John the beloved ?  

 

Yes, I do....I also acknowledge, as did the writer, that the book was written in symbolic and figurative language, not literal........and the things that were being prophesied were to occur SOON, not several thousand years into the future......Revelation is a symbolic prophecy about the destruction of the Roman Empire.........

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12 hours ago, DaveTV1 said:

  Show me in the scriptures where either John the beloved or Elijah experienced death.

 

Elijah experienced death AS John the Baptist......

Malachi 4:5-6 English Standard Version (ESV)

“Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the great and awesome day of the Lord comes. And he will turn the hearts of fathers to their children and the hearts of children to their fathers, lest I come and strike the land with a decree of utter destruction.”

 

 

Matthew 11:13-15 English Standard Version (ESV)

13 For all the Prophets and the Law prophesied until John, 14 and if you are willing to accept it, he is Elijah who is to come. 15 He who has ears to hear, let him hear.

 

 

Matthew 17:10-13 English Standard Version (ESV)

10 And the disciples asked him, “Then why do the scribes say that first Elijah must come?” 11 He answered, “Elijah does come, and he will restore all things. 12 But I tell you that Elijah has already come, and they did not recognize him, but did to him whatever they pleased. So also the Son of Man will certainly suffer at their hands.” 13 Then the disciples understood that he was speaking to them of John the Baptist.

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12 hours ago, DaveTV1 said:

 

There will be a Second Coming of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, and then the millennium as Daniel, Enoch, and John spoke of.  

 

There will be a second coming of the Messiah to judge ALL men on the SAME day as we can clearly read in the New Testament passages referenced in the original post......All the prophecies of Daniel were fulfilled by AD 70 and the Roman destruction of Jerusalem......John spoke of the same thing to happen to Rome, though it was in symbolic and figurative language......the book of enoch is not inspired by God, and as such, irrelevant in any conversation about Scripture.......

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10 hours ago, RETIREDFAN1 said:

There will be a second coming of the Messiah to judge ALL men on the SAME day as we can clearly read in the New Testament passages referenced in the original post......All the prophecies of Daniel were fulfilled by AD 70 and the Roman destruction of Jerusalem......John spoke of the same thing to happen to Rome, though it was in symbolic and figurative language......the book of enoch is not inspired by God, and as such, irrelevant in any conversation about Scripture.......

Then there would be no need for a second resurrection.  That is spoken of in John, Acts, Daniel, and of course Revelations.  There will be a great final battle after the millennium.  I actually wonder why there hasn't been a Major Motion Picture made about it especially with the C.G.I. that is available, it would make the stupid meteor movie "Armageddon " that was a box office hit pale in comparison.  I know it's a movie I would go and see, just to see if it is how I have seen portions of the battle in my dreams, and thinking about what will occur.  

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On 12/1/2020 at 6:47 PM, DaveTV1 said:

Then there would be no need for a second resurrection.  That is spoken of in John, Acts, Daniel, and of course Revelations.  

You obviously don't know what the FIRST resurrection is........The FIRST resurrection comes when one hears, believes, confesses, and is baptized to wash away their sins and raise from their spiritual death......The SECOND resurrection is the one that will occur on Judgment Day when ALL are raised from the dead and judged.......

Romans 6:3-4 English Standard Version (ESV)

Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.

 

.The SECOND resurrection is the one that will occur on Judgment Day when ALL are raised from the dead and judged.......

Matthew 25:31-33 English Standard Version (ESV)

The Final Judgment

31 “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. 32 Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33 And he will place the sheep on his right, but the goats on the left.

 

 

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10 hours ago, RETIREDFAN1 said:

You obviously don't know what the FIRST resurrection is........The FIRST resurrection comes when one hears, believes, confesses, and is baptized to wash away their sins and raise from their spiritual death......The SECOND resurrection is the one that will occur on Judgment Day when ALL are raised from the dead and judged.......

Romans 6:3-4 English Standard Version (ESV)

Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.

 

.The SECOND resurrection is the one that will occur on Judgment Day when ALL are raised from the dead and judged.......

Matthew 25:31-33 English Standard Version (ESV)

The Final Judgment

31 “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. 32 Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33 And he will place the sheep on his right, but the goats on the left.

 

 

You will see, and the first resurrection is not baptism.  There will be a resurrection of the just, and then the unjust.  

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