What is "The Rapture" and how do you know of it? It is not in the bible!?

In the days of the Roman empire, Christianity was competing against various pagan religions for followers. Christianity won by offering followers a (relatively) convincing concept of eternal life and happiness.

Fast forward 1700 years. All the major world religions offer eternal life, in a remarkably similar heaven. Evangelical Christians (whose mission it is to convert people after all) needed something new and exciting to gain followers. They used the rapture which has little basis in scripture because it is a charming and joyous story, and one which they new would entice more people into the Evangelical fold.

THERE IS NO RAPTURE!

Matt. 24:27-31**

1. Called he parousia, "the coming" (27)

2. Jesus appears in heaven (30)

3. Coming on the clouds (30)

4. Angels present (31)

5. Great sound of a trumpet (31)

6. ---

7. Gathering of the elect (31)

1 Thess. 4:15-17 **

1. Called he parousia, "the coming" (15)

2. The Lord descends from heaven (16)

3. . . . with them in the clouds (17)

4. Archangel present (16)

5. Shout and trumpet of God (16)

6. Dead in Christ will rise (16)

7. We are caught up to meet him (17)

1 Cor. 15:52**

1. Called he parousia, "the coming" (23)

2. ---

3. ---

4. ---

5. At the last trumpet (52)

6. Dead will be raised (52)

7. ---

Who are the ones that will be ‘caught up in the clouds,’ as stated at 1 Thessalonians 4:17?

Verse 15 explains that they are faithful ones “who are left until the coming of the Lord,” that is, they are still living at the time of Christ’s coming. Will they ever die? According to Romans 6:3-5 and 1 Corinthians 15:35, 36, 44 (quoted on pages 314, 315), they must die before they can gain heavenly life. But there is no need for them to remain in the death state awaiting Christ’s return. They will instantly be “caught up,” “in the twinkling of an eye,” to be with the Lord.—1 Cor. 15:51, 52, RS; also Revelation 14:13.

Is it possible for Christians to be taken to heaven with their physical bodies?

1 Cor. 15:50, RS: “I tell you this, brethren: flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable.”

Does the experience of the prophet Elijah contradict this? Not at all. It must be understood in the light of Jesus’ clear statement centuries later: “No one has ascended into heaven but he who descended from heaven, the Son of man.” (John 3:13, RS) Although Elijah was seen as he “went up by a whirlwind into heaven,” this does not mean that he went into the spirit realm. Why not? Because he is later reported as sending a letter of reproof to the king of Judah. (2 Ki. 2:11, RS; 2 Chron. 21:1, 12-15) Before humans invented airplanes, Jehovah there used his own means (a fiery chariot and a whirlwind) to lift Elijah off the ground into the heaven where the birds fly and to transport him to another place.—Compare Genesis 1:6-8, 20.

Rom. 6:3-5, RS: “Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? . . . For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his.” (What occurred in the case of Jesus set the pattern. His disciples as well as others knew he had died. He was not restored to heavenly life until after his death and resurrection.)

1 Cor. 15:35, 36, 44, RS: “Some one will ask, ‘How are the dead raised? With what kind of body do they come?’ You foolish man! What you sow does not come to life unless it dies. It is sown a physical body, it is raised a spiritual body.” (So death comes before one receives that spiritual body, does it not?)

All we have to do is read the Bible to see that Almighty God has no need to 'remove' his people from the earth to protect them, he is very able to do that. Noah was protected through the end of that system of things, Lot and family, others...and the same is true of his people in this time, the end of this evil system of things. The rapture is someones skewed idea of one verse, and it certainly does not harmonize with the rest of the Bible, and that is the true measure of something.

The word "Rapture" isn't in the bible - true. But the doctrine of Jesus coming back for his church is detailed in the New Testament.

There have been previous examples of "taking up" in the Old Testament: Enoch - was taken up; Elijah too;Lot was delivered from Judgment; as was Noah; and the three Hebrew Children.

In Thessalonians, there is plenty of scripture detailing how Jesus is going to meet the Church in the Air before He returns to rule as King.

Read 1st Thessalonians 4:16-17

For the Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout,with a 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...

Hope this helps with the answer you seek....

Remember friend "those that earnestly seek HIM with their whole heart SHALL find HIM" 8-) Good luck with your search........8-)

Just because a word found in one language that attempts to define a biblical concept that is not found in the Bible does not invalidate the word or the concept.

Just what kind of biblical scholarship do you practice?

Looks like a pretty poor one.

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Rapture means to be caught up with power (or taken away with power). The idea is present in the Bible, but it is not something that happens quite the way most Christians think it will.

The Bible says that the rapture happens at the end of the world.

“Another parable put He forth unto them, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field: But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way. But when the blade was sprung up, and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also. So the servants of the householder came and said unto him, ‘Sir, didst not thou sow good seed in thy field? From whence then hath it tares?’ He said unto them, ‘An enemy hath done this.’ The servants said unto him, ‘Wilt thou then that we go and gather them up?’ But he said, ‘Nay; lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them. Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn.’’” (Matthew 13:24 – 29 KJV)

Now that is an interesting story, and it can be a little confusing; fortunately, because the disciples found this story a little confusing they also and asked Jesus to explain if further. Because our God is not a God of confusion (1 Corinthians 14:33), Jesus explained what this parable meant.

“Then Jesus sent the multitude away, and went into the house: and his disciples came unto him, saying, ‘Declare unto us the parable of the tares of the field.’ He answered and said unto them, ‘He that soweth the good seed is the Son of man; The field is the world; the good seed are the children of the kingdom; but the tares are the children of the wicked one; The enemy that sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are the angels. As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of this world. The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity; And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth. Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.’” (Matthew 13:36 – 42 KJV)

A closer study of this parable would seem to completely disprove the theory of a secret rapture of the church. Let’s take a look at what Jesus had to say about the time of the end through this parable. There are two groups on the earth represented by the wheat (the good or the church) and the tares (the evil). The workers of the field (probably representing angels) are troubled by the tares that the evil one (the devil) has planted. They ask the farmer (Jesus) if they should gather the weeds now and purify the field (the world). The farmer (Jesus) said that it should not happen that way because some of the wheat may come up with the tares. He then declares, “Let both grow together until the harvest (the end of the world): and in the time of harvest (the end of the world) I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn.” I find it hard to be a proponent of a secret rapture for the church when Jesus said that both the good and the evil will grow together until the harvest (the end of the world). How can the church be raptured, leaving the evil on the earth, when Jesus said they will be together until the very end?

There is another issue raised by this parable. Many well intentioned Christians use the story in Matthew 24:40 & 41 and Luke 17:34 – 36 as key proof of a secret rapture for the church, but if we examine this story about the end times with the earlier story Jesus told about the end times in Matthew 13, we get a completely different picture from what most Christians interpret this story to mean. Let’s look at what Jesus said in these verses.

“Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left. Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left. Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.” (Matthew 24:40 – 42 KJV)

“I tell you, in that night there shall be two men in one bed; the one shall be taken, and the other shall be left. Two women shall be grinding together; the one shall be taken, and the other left. Two men shall be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left.” (Luke 17:34 – 36 KJV)

Now I do not think that I am wrong in thinking that most Christians interpret these stories to mean that the man taken from the field, the woman that is taken while grinding, and the man taken in his sleep are the ones that belong to the group that is the church and are ruptured. This does not seem to be a plausible explanation however. Jesus gives an order for things to happen back in Matthew 13. “Gather ye together first the tares (the evil), and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat (the good or the church) into my barn.” Jesus clearly says that the evil will be gathered first. If we take this understanding and apply it to Matthew 24 and Luke 17, we get a very different understanding. The ones that are taken are not in the group we want to be in. The ones who are taken are the tares (the evil) that are being gathered to be burned, but the ones that are left are the wheat (the good) that are saved.

There is another metaphor that many well intentioned Christians use to support a secret rapture for the church; I feel that this too is an invalid interpretation of a story.

“But know this, that if the goodman of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken up. Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.” (Matthew 24:43 & 44 KJV)

“And this know, that if the goodman of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched, and not have suffered his house to be broken through. Be ye therefore ready also: for the Son of man cometh at an hour when ye think not.” (Luke 12:39 & 40 KJV)

“For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night.” (1 Thessalonians 5:2 KJV)

“But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.” (2 Peter 3:10 KJV)

“Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame.” (Revelation 16:15 KJV)

Here again, most Christians would attempt to say that this metaphor of a thief in the night is depicting a secret rapture for the church. I believe that most Christians have misinterpreted this too. First, Jesus explains what this metaphor means. He says that the meaning is not that the second coming is a secret but we do not know when it will occur. If we knew what day the Lord was to come, we would get ready the day before it, but since we do not know the day or the hour (Matthew 24:36), we must be ever ready! Just examine what Peter had to say of this metaphor in 2 Peter 3:10; he says that when the Lord comes as a thief,” the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, the elements shall melt with fervent heat, and the earth and the works that are therine shall be burned up.” Now I am not sure how all that could be kept a secret from anyone or how people would be able to live on the earth when it has passed away, burned up, and all the elements in it have melted.

I don't know.

And ur right; It's Not in the Bible.

I try to read the answers here,

it's such a lie;

I can't even understand it.

I get lost, back up, start over,

still I don't understand it.

It doesn't make sense.

It sounds like babbling.

(babbling=Babylon=confusion; Yep! that's it!!!)

And I do study the Bible.

And search for deep meaning.

LIES! ALL LIES!!

1st. Thessaloniana ch 4:v's 16-18! will tell you.Rely not on my word but by every word of God....not too many people take God seriously and they should, for what is to come only the word of God will get you thru.Have you ever seen or read any of the left behind movies/books?, this deals with the end times and goes with scripture...Revelations.......when eveyr ear has heard about Jesus, then this will take place....Revelations tells us what is going too take place....it's overwhelming, yet you know it is the truth......

Indianmaiden 77

Because the stuff made up now is just as "real" as the stuff made up and written down several hundred / thousands of years ago, and put down in a book so many people put too much stock in.

Just because lots of people believe it, doesn't mean it's true.

Might as well start a religion around the Mother Goose book I have for my toddler.

It also really cracks me up that many people who unthinkingly submit to religion, laugh at the people pointing up at the skies and saying UFOs have visited. Both are equally delusional. Instead, because it has been around longer, and spawns from a time when most people were completely uneducated, the sheep believe in the contents of a book because they have been told to.

However, if you like it, and it's fun, just go with it. Don't get hung up on the details like what exactly is and is not in a book, and don't believe everything you read.