The Rapture for beginners
The "No Rapture" Theory: Myths and Realities
The "No
Rapture" theory has been popularized recently, largely by institutional religious organizations who seem to have a vested interest in people NOT reading or studying the Bible for themselves.
Those that are not afraid have
little to fear from
"stupid" theories that they "know" will never happen and
never apply to them...in anycase.
But let's take a few seconds to look at the few verses in the New Testament that deal with what Rapture Advocates suggest is
the Rapture.
Here is the passage in the Bible.
I Thess 4:13 But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep (dead), that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope (no eternal hope).
14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus (those who have died but were Christians) will God bring with him.
15 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 (dead) (from being with God).
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.
5:1 But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you.
2 For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night.
3 For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape.
4 But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief.
5 Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness.
6 Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober.
7 For they that sleep sleep in the night; and they that be drunken are drunken in the night.
8 But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation.
9 For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ,
The Trouble for the "No
Rapture" theory Advocates, has always been that this Biblical passage actually is a
description of the activities of Jesus Christ (just like much of the New Testament is a description of the activities of Jesus Christ).
Note the sequence of events that the Passage describes:
1. the Lord himself - Jesus Christ - descends from heaven
2. The dead in Christ rise first (we will say more about that ... in a moment)
3. Those who are alive and remain - are "Caught Up" and are with Jesus Christ from that point in time on.
16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump
(trumpet) 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.
That passage in the New Testament also has a parallel passage which specifically describes the process of what happens when the Lord Jesus Christ returns. You may notice that
"No
Rapture" advocates seem to think that the fact that Christians cannot point to a specific time and moment when
the Rapture is going to occur...is suggested as a weakness in
the Rapture theory.
But God - wanting to demonstrate that He is almighty God and He can do anything He wants - specifically says in the passage below...that No Man knows when
the Rapture will occur. God
refused to disclose the timing of the
Rapture on purpose...so that those who follow God would continue to focus on Him and trust Him for the guidance that God gives. This is what it means when it says below at verse 42:
Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.
in the passage below, the actions of society and people on Earth will be the same RIGHT BEFORE
the Rapture, as the manner in which the people of Earth ALSO behaved RIGHT BEFORE the Flood -
(the original Flood of Noah where only He and his family were
saved) - that came and wiped out mankind: most of
those living when the
Rapture occurs will be totally surprised by the Events that God initiates and causes, and will have been living indulging in their own pleasures, not paying any attention to God.
Matthew 24:37 But as the days of Noe (Noah) were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man (the Coming of Jesus Christ) be.
38 For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe
(Noah) entered into the ark,
39 And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man
(the Coming of Jesus Christ) be.
40 Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left.
41 Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left.
42 Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord (Jesus Christ)
doth come.
43 But know this, that if the goodman of the house had known in what watch (time period) the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered (allowed) his house to be broken up
(to be broken into).
44 Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man (Jesus Christ) cometh
(comes back).
45 Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his lord hath made ruler over his household, to give them meat in due season?
46 Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing (shall find doing the things of God and following Jesus Christ).
47 Verily I say unto you, That he shall make him ruler over all his goods.
48 But and if that evil servant shall say in his heart, My lord (Jesus Christ)
delayeth his coming;
49 And shall begin to smite his fellowservants, and to eat and drink with the drunken;
50 The lord of that servant shall come in a day when he looketh not for him, and in an hour that he is not aware of,
51 And shall...
Now we have two passages that both are describing the same event, and each passage sheds a bit more light on the other passage. You may notice the suddenness with which those Christ-followers (those who are true Christians) are taken to be with Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ comes down and the dead rise first [more on that in a moment].
That first event - in the sequence of events - are the graves of Christians who have ALREADY died - being opened, and their contents emptied.
Obviously, the question is WHY. Why would THAT happen ?
The reason is that the emptying of the graves represents the first step in God restoring Creation, restoring Earth to the condition it was in ...before Sin (imperfection) came into the world.
Environmentalists think that THEY are going to restore the planet. They are welcome to try, but when Jesus comes back, He will begin a clean-up operation on a much greater level.
Our physical bodies are all affected by Sin and death. On some level we realize this, and the fact that we are all affected by Sin and physical degeneration (where our bodies loose energy and efficiency as we age)...proves that Sin has consequences and UNLESS the Rapture arrives, the result of our living will eventually be our death.
Jesus Christ was present at Creation. In Fact, The Bible refers to Jesus Christ as the CREATOR of Earth (in
John 1), which makes sense since Jesus Christ is part of the Christian Trinity (also called the Christian Triune God or the Godhead).
Since Jesus Christ was the Creator, when He comes again (at the
Rapture), He begins by giving His followers a New body, which is a Different body than the ones that have been affected on Earth by Sin, Degeneration and Death.
This giving of a new and more capable body applies first to those Christ-followers who have already died.
Their souls were already in Heaven, but when Jesus Christ comes back to earth, those souls receive their new Body.
The manner in which this occurs is:
1. Jesus Comes back in the Air
2. The trumpet sounds (which we may or may not hear)
3. the physical graves of those Christ-followers who have died are opened.
4. Their contents are emptied.
5. Those contents are instantly transformed by Jesus Christ into a New body for those Christians (who went to Heaven after their human deaths) who had been waiting for this to happen for a very long time.
6. Then those Christ-followers who are Alive and remain on Earth (those who are living when Jesus Christ returns in the air) ...are "caught up" to meet Jesus Christ in the air with him, and they also receive a new body.
Those are the events of the
Rapture, Rapture meaning "Snatching away" - referring to the Christians who were snatched away from Earth by Jesus Christ.
The issue of the dead in Christ receiving a physical body is strange except that all of these events are
intended to give demonstration to humans...that the Rapture (snatching away) Really DID take place.
There will be millions and millions of humans suddenly missing from the planet. Some will say they have vanished. Others will say that they were taken by Aliens. But those views will be wrong and misleading.
The PROOF that it is the
Rapture - that specific event - will be the Millions of Graves around the world, that will be not only be empty, but those graves will have been ruptured, broken. This will be evident in hundreds of thousands of cimetaries all over the world.
And THAT will make the
Rapture, much harder to deny, since those graves being opened is one of the PROOFs that
the Rapture has taken place.
The Rapture in a sense is an Echo of what happened when Jesus Christ died on the Cross (and rose again). Jesus Dies and when that occurs, there are many who had actually died PRIOR to that, who were RAISED AGAIN to physical life, when Jesus Christ died.
Here is the often overlooked passage in the New Testament, that describes those dead rising again:
Matthew 27: 50 Jesus, when he had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost.
51 And, behold, the veil of the temple [The Temple of the Jews in Jerusalem] was rent in twain [torn into two pieces] from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent;
52 And the graves were opened;
and many bodies of the saints which slept (those who were dead) arose,
53 And came out of the graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy city [Jerusalem], and appeared unto many.
54 Now when the centurion, and they that were with him, watching Jesus, saw the earthquake, and those things that were done, they feared greatly, saying, Truly this was the Son of God.
Now of course, there have been many religious people who do NOT believe the
Rapture. That is okay and they are not obligated to believe. But the process of participating in the Rapture is a
self-selective process.
If you do not take the steps to be sure that you are included in the Rapture (as anyone who wants to be can be), then you will not be Raptured.
That presents a bit of a dilema. The purpose of the
Rapture is not only for God to demonstrate His glory By the
Rapture, but is to continue to demonstrate his glory AFTERWARDS, to those who would not believe in Jesus Christ.
No one is obligated to believe in God. But God believes in consistency.
Those who want the Absence of God will get exactly what they want: the Actual
Absence of God. Those who do not believe in God should be given the chance to experience the planet as it would be, if God were
entirely absent from the Planet.
After all, if people TRULY do not need God, then they have nothing to fear by His Absence, do they ?
So God leaves the Earth - for Seven Years. And during these seven years, mankind is left to deal with his own true nature, immense catastrophes and wars happen, Billions of people die, and most those that are still alive
volunteer themselves into being Spiritually Deceived into cooperating with Satan.
At the end of the Seven Years, God comes back and comes back to fight against Satan and against all of those who have declared their own allegiance to Satan.
But if none of this is true, then who cares ?
On the other hand, the best way to judge a book of a religious nature is by dealing
with its prophecies.
If the prophecies in the Bible have taken place and are accurate, then it makes sense that the
REST of the prophecies STILL
in the Bible will ALSO come to pass.
So a wise person might learn more about the Bible (from real authors) and would want to be SURE that they are NOT left behind on Earth AFTER the Rapture.
The Pace of Change in our lifetimes
All of those events, and all of those conclusions, are known by religious people who DENY the Rapture. There are many religious leaders, who are still religious and are themselves in denial about
the Rapture and about God.
In 1989, the time period known as "the cold war" ended. Before that, it appeared as though the world would forever continue as the contest between the Communist system and the Free Enterprise system.
Today 15 years later, The world and its alliances have entirely changed.
In the early 1990s, it looked as though Japan would be the superpower in Asia. Today 15 years later, it is
China that the world understands will be the new Global power from Asia.
Before 1948, The Bible had predicted that the nation of Israel would be re-created even though it stopped being a nation with the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 A.D. (destroyed by the Romans under Titus).
Since 1948, Israel has been recreated and the calendar of prophecy not only continues to move forward, but will continue to take a more and more dominant central stage.
The Point is that once these events move, they move very fast.
The Bible predicted Four power blocks - global Power Blocks - right before and during the Seven Year period known as the Great Tribulation
Here is that list. They are:
1. Russia (Gog and Magog)
2. China (Kings of the East)
3. The Arab/Islamic Confederation with Sudan, Egypt and Persia (Iran) all having key roles
4. The European Union where Ten (temporal) Kings will give their power in turn to ONE leader, who will then rule Europe and the World, and will exalt himself Against
God, by falsely claiming to be the Christ.
In order for Prophecy to move forward, these power blocks HAD to be in position. The combination of Ben Laden and Technology cemented and solidified the rise of the Islamic Block.
Not only today is China a global player, China is actively TAKING power from the United States with almost every separate
Trade Deal that they make, and every country in Asia, Africa and Latin America who are trading their alliances and allegiances with the United States, for their
new Alliances with CHINA.
Most of these things have been solidified under the watch of George Bush
II, who in many cases (on purpose or
not) facilitated the bringing about of these events that - geopolitically - look
extremely similar - to the Political power arrangements on the Planet that exist, when the Rapture occurs and when the Seven year Tribulation period
STARTS.
One of the points not talked about, is the dissapearance of the United States from the Political power structure of the planet.
At the time of the 7 year Tribulation, the United States is not mentioned.
Whether the U.S. actually is non-existent, or whether this means that the U.S. would continue to exist, only no longer as either a nation or a global power-center, we have no idea (and we would be happier if the USA does continue to exist, and if the U.S. does do what is right, and does truly help people on the Earth, and truly does bring freedom to many, and helps to free people from Oppression). But it is interesting to note that there is a group - right now - of very powerful American and Global leaders -
who plan for the United States to No longer exist, but to instead merge Canada, and the United States and Mexico into a new country, totally without borders and into an integrated
market...within less than FIVE YEARS. (that is based on what THEY have said and written, and NOT what we are saying About them).
The question then becomes:
For those who deny the Rapture, what will they do ? and what will their options become ?
There are essentially - theologically - three camps of those who deny the Rapture:
1. The group of those who Deny that the
Rapture is Literal and Physical, but believe that the rest of Evangelical Historic Christianity is TRUE. They believe that they will be here for the 7 years, and that they will essentially be here to witness and try to survive the seven year Tribulation.
2. The second group of those who Deny that the
Rapture is Literal and Physical, but believe that THEY are the ones who will usher in the Kingdom of God on Earth - and that they will participate in the reign of Christ on Earth. (however, these people deny the Rapture and they also deny the prophetic appearance of the False Christ. This means that if someone on Earth did come from Europe and DID proclaim himself as the True Christ [though this claim would not be true] - that they would accept his claim as the "true Christ" - and thereby doom themselves to cooperation with a False Christ, and the one who commands that False Christ, who would be Satan. This is a group of
"Kingdom Now" theologians who claim to have protestant roots, though their theology is actually New Age. This is the group that believes the teachings of
William Branham, E.W. Kenyon and Paul Cain
- and the leaders they have trained. They agreed to rewrite their theology and merge it into the New Age movement, as Jeremy Rifkin
suggested in his book Entropy. (but these are the Protestant mystics). These teachers seem to have a very close working relationship with
C. Peter Wagner.
3. The third group of those who Deny that
the Rapture is Literal and Physical, but believe that
THEY are the ones who will usher in the Kingdom of God on Earth - and that they will participate in the reign of Christ on Earth. These are the leaders and the power-holders in the
Roman Catholic Church and some in the Eastern Orthodox Church
also. (however, these people deny the Rapture and they also deny the prophetic appearance of the False Christ. This means that if someone on Earth did come from Europe and DID proclaim himself as the True Christ [though this claim would not be true] - that they would accept his claim as the "true Christ" - and thereby doom themselves to cooperation with a False Christ, and the one who commands that False Christ, who would be Satan. While the Vatican has constantly denied any plans to rule the world in this century, they have pursued this plan
ever since their inception and funding from the Imperial Treasury of the Roman Empire in the days of the pagan Emperor Constantine.
This is NOT to say that the Vatican represents ALL Roman Catholics. That is NOT the case. (some
Roman Catholics are true Christians and understand Vatican contradictions to the Bible) And some Roman Catholics study their Bibles and Prophecy. But the prophecies of Fatima, the Blue Army, Lourdes, and the Aparitions of Mary and/or saints, etc are
simply False as the Bible states. Mary was Never Co-redemtrix, she never died for the sins of Anyone. She is neither Holy
nor More Holy than Jesus Christ, and Mary the mother of Jesus died in
her sins and with a Sin
Nature (though she was saved and she did go to Heaven). She was not the "Mother of God" in any Theological sense, but rather Only the
"Bringer-Forth-of-God", the one THROUGH WHOM Jesus Christ was
Physically born.
This is not a small point. Mary is the "mother of God" only in the physical sense. The vatican took this and
changed it to mean that Mary was the mother of God THEOLOGICALLY, in order to make Mary more Holy than Jesus.
This change was made to substitute the worship of Mary for the worship of Jesus. But if our view on this is false, then the Rapture will not happen
either, and the prophecies in the Bible will not continue to occur.
Many Roman Catholics will deny the facts about the Anti-Jesus nature of the Worship of
Mary. But the Roman Catholic Church believes in its own supremacy and has expressed desires both to cooperate in
Ruling Europe and the World, and to have Jurisdiction
over Jerusalem.
The Bible Predicts that someone living in Rome during the seven Year Period, exercises great spiritual influence working with and cooperating with the False Christ, and that they work together against
the Jews. The Bible suggests that the false ruler from Rome is from the city that is set upon the seven hills, which can be no other city than Rome, but the Roman Catholic Bibles changed this passage in Revelation in order to alter its meaning in recent Roman Catholic Bibles (of the past 150 years).
Now Obviously, those Religious leaders (and their followers) who are NOT raptured would deny that it was the Rapture that will have taken place. They will have many many Other explanations, but whatever those explanations are, they will contradict the idea of the Rapture. After all, if the Rapture were true, it would mean that the Seven Year Tribulation would be
about to start, and those leaders know it means that the world is in for a very bad time.
Those who believe the Rapture:
1. know and understand that they do not have control over the events of mankind
2. know and understand that they are not in charge
3. know and understand that they can do very little to either advance or slow down the prophetic calendar.
What do most Christians believe will happen to Israel ?
Most Christians today believe the following:
1. The State of Israel will exist on 1/2 of its traditional territory (for now, as a result mostly of Bush II).
2. The State of Palestine will temporarily exist and be given to the Arabs (in Historic Galilee, Judea & Samaria).
3. Friction and conflict will continue between the two states.
4. A political Leader from Europe will arise offer the Two States a PEACE TREATY.
5. The duration of that Peace Treaty will be Seven Years.
6. the person (European Leader) who Signs that treaty will offer Peace to the Jews, but will not be sincere.
7. The Vatican will support that European Leader offering the 7 year peace plan for the Middle East.
8. The Vatican would probably assume official international "stewardship" of Jerusalem as an "International" city.
9. An international War begins very close to the Signing of that Peace treaty. That war will be against Israel. Those attacking Israel will loose and suffer devastation.
10. The European Leader in concert with other leaders will rebuild the Jewish Temple, but without Destroying or Harming the Dome of the Rock. Both will exist side-by-side.
11. The European Leader will break the treaty that guarantees the Borders of Israel at the 3 and 1/2 year midway point (or 3.5 years after the Mideast Peace Treaty is signed).
12. When the European Leader breaks the treaty, he will go into the Jewish Temple and proclaim himself as God.
13. When this leader takes these steps, the Jewish people will know that other actions are about to be taken which will greatly harm them.
14. At that point, the Jews should flee to the city in Jordan which has been prepared for their preservation.
How to be saved, reconciled to God, and be included
in the
Rapture
(It's a LOT less complicated than people think !)
Free Ebook
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The Real Question is: what are you going to do with the information that was presented above ?
Is the Information True ? Yes
Is the Information Accurate ? Yes.
Do I - before God - have some responsibility to accept and act on the information in this passage from the New Testament ? Should I be making an effort to understand the End Times ?
Do I understand that there are Spiritual Forces that want to prevent me from having GREATER spiritual understanding about God, but that God himself is always in MORE of a hurry than I am,
for Me to get to know HIM ?
Do I realize what my personal state of preparation will be, within me, when Islam becomes the Dominant Religion in the United States, as it is already in Europe, and how I will personally be required to defend my Faith, by argument and persuasion, using knowledge of the Bible and of History and of Christianity, and that God will rightly hold me accountable ?
In view of these facts, should I try to set aside more time for the study of the Word of God, and more time for the study of History and the true history of the Christian Church, and to learn about how other Christians in the past, actually learned to have and to gain GREAT and genuine spiritual strength ?
If no one reaches out to help prepare me for the coming challenges, whose job is it STILL for me to be prepared to answer these challenges and questions ?
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Christian Conversions - According to the Bible - Can NEVER be forced.
Any Conversion to Christianity which would be "Forced" would NOT be recognized by God. It is in
His True and KIND nature, that those who come to Him and choose to believe in Him, must come to Him OF
THEIR OWN FREE WILL.
Don't Let anyone tell you that Christians support Forced Conversions.
That is False. True Christianity is NEVER forced.
We invite your questions and comments, so please do not hesitate to contact us at
Everyone talks about the Book of Revelation (the last book of the Bible)
Prophecy & So-called End-Time Events are popular topics of Discussion
We thought that we would post the actual Book of Revelation, so that all can read & study as they wish
Isaiah 55:6
Seek the LORD while he may be found; call on him
while he is near.
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(XOFC Staff)
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