Bible Prophecy, End Times: Rapture Revisited
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patrick
Summary: Revelation's apocalypse for the end times does not have a rapture. Many are reconsidering this popular belief.
1n 1988, millions of Evangelical Christians were eager for a rapture because Christ said, "This generation shall not pass till all these things be fulfilled." Matthew 24:34. He was referring to a fig tree parable and many believed it represented Israel's replanting in the Holy Land in 1948. 40 years is a biblical generation, leading to rapture expectancy by 1988.
But after millions of books and movies and disappointed hopes, it's worth another look...
1. When Christ said, "One shall be taken, and the other left" (Matthew 24:39-40), Luke has more details. The disciples asked, \\\"Where, Lord? And He said unto them, Wherever the body is, there will the eagles be gathered." (Luke 17:37).This helps us see that those who are taken are not raptured to heaven; they become dinner for vultures, Revelation 19:17,18.
2. The rapture is unlike God's way of dealing in history. God has always delivered people in spite of the problem. "We must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom." Acts 14:22. Belief that trouble won't come to us is based on a few texts that can mean something else. History shows everyone lived through trouble and died except for Enoch and Elijah (below).
3. Christ said, "As it was in the days of Noah" (Luke 17:26). If it is like Noah, that does not suggest a rapture. Noah came through the storm. Enoch was taken to heaven before Noah was born, and it had nothing to do with avoiding tribulation.
4. Elijah was taken to heaven, but Christ never said the end would be like Elijah, and Elijah was raptured only after he dealt with false worship. As Elijah confronted Baal, we must confront Antichrist when the United Nations intends to mark everyone or implant them with a microchip. Revelation 13:17; 14:9,10 is the Bible's strongest warning.
5. "As it was in the days of Lot," Luke 17:28. No rapture for Lot; he was told to flee. Christ told us to flee because of tribulation, Matthew 24:15-21; Mark 13:14-20.
6. "Broad is the way, that leads to destruction." Matthew 7:13. Sales of millions of fictional books on the rapture show a broad following, for the idea of a rapture.
7. Christ said to understand the book of Daniel. Daniel faced death with no suggestion of a rapture in his book.
8. "By their fruits ye shall know them" Matthew 7:20. The fruit of believing in the rapture is a failure to study Revelation. People think they won't need to understand it, in spite of Christ's blessing for reading and "keeping those things that are written therein." Revelation 1:3.
9. Rather than rapturing "lukewarm...miserable" Christians (Rev 3:17), we may anticipate "the Lord, whom [we] seek, shall suddenly come to his temple...But who may abide the day of his coming...for he is like a refiner's fire," Malachi 3:1,2. If we prove faithful through trials, we will be ready when Christ comes in the sky, 1 Thessalonians 4:16,17.
10. The last lukewarm church ended in an earthquake. Young's Analytical Concordance and many encyclopedias show this. It initiates the "day of the Lord," Joel 2:10,11; Zephaniah 1:7,10. We should expect a "wake up" call as Paul said-" the day of the Lord comes as a thief in the night. For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction comes." 1Thessalonians 5:2,3.
Like the five blind men examining the elephant, each with a different report, let's keep studying and comparing what we see in Scripture. God says He won't do anything without revealing it, Amos 3:7. But few understand the next verse. It says, "The lion has roared, who will not fear?" Christ is the Lion of Judah in Revelation 5:5 and the Bible says, "the Lord also shall roarand the heavens and earth shall shake," Joel 3:16. Many Evangelical Christians are reconsidering the rapture idea.
1n 1988, millions of Evangelical Christians were eager for a rapture because Christ said, "This generation shall not pass till all these things be fulfilled." Matthew 24:34. He was referring to a fig tree parable and many believed it represented Israel's replanting in the Holy Land in 1948. 40 years is a biblical generation, leading to rapture expectancy by 1988.
But after millions of books and movies and disappointed hopes, it's worth another look...
1. When Christ said, "One shall be taken, and the other left" (Matthew 24:39-40), Luke has more details. The disciples asked, \\\"Where, Lord? And He said unto them, Wherever the body is, there will the eagles be gathered." (Luke 17:37).This helps us see that those who are taken are not raptured to heaven; they become dinner for vultures, Revelation 19:17,18.
2. The rapture is unlike God's way of dealing in history. God has always delivered people in spite of the problem. "We must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom." Acts 14:22. Belief that trouble won't come to us is based on a few texts that can mean something else. History shows everyone lived through trouble and died except for Enoch and Elijah (below).
3. Christ said, "As it was in the days of Noah" (Luke 17:26). If it is like Noah, that does not suggest a rapture. Noah came through the storm. Enoch was taken to heaven before Noah was born, and it had nothing to do with avoiding tribulation.
4. Elijah was taken to heaven, but Christ never said the end would be like Elijah, and Elijah was raptured only after he dealt with false worship. As Elijah confronted Baal, we must confront Antichrist when the United Nations intends to mark everyone or implant them with a microchip. Revelation 13:17; 14:9,10 is the Bible's strongest warning.
5. "As it was in the days of Lot," Luke 17:28. No rapture for Lot; he was told to flee. Christ told us to flee because of tribulation, Matthew 24:15-21; Mark 13:14-20.
6. "Broad is the way, that leads to destruction." Matthew 7:13. Sales of millions of fictional books on the rapture show a broad following, for the idea of a rapture.
7. Christ said to understand the book of Daniel. Daniel faced death with no suggestion of a rapture in his book.
8. "By their fruits ye shall know them" Matthew 7:20. The fruit of believing in the rapture is a failure to study Revelation. People think they won't need to understand it, in spite of Christ's blessing for reading and "keeping those things that are written therein." Revelation 1:3.
9. Rather than rapturing "lukewarm...miserable" Christians (Rev 3:17), we may anticipate "the Lord, whom [we] seek, shall suddenly come to his temple...But who may abide the day of his coming...for he is like a refiner's fire," Malachi 3:1,2. If we prove faithful through trials, we will be ready when Christ comes in the sky, 1 Thessalonians 4:16,17.
10. The last lukewarm church ended in an earthquake. Young's Analytical Concordance and many encyclopedias show this. It initiates the "day of the Lord," Joel 2:10,11; Zephaniah 1:7,10. We should expect a "wake up" call as Paul said-" the day of the Lord comes as a thief in the night. For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction comes." 1Thessalonians 5:2,3.
Like the five blind men examining the elephant, each with a different report, let's keep studying and comparing what we see in Scripture. God says He won't do anything without revealing it, Amos 3:7. But few understand the next verse. It says, "The lion has roared, who will not fear?" Christ is the Lion of Judah in Revelation 5:5 and the Bible says, "the Lord also shall roarand the heavens and earth shall shake," Joel 3:16. Many Evangelical Christians are reconsidering the rapture idea.
About the Author:
Dr. Richard Ruhling is an author and conference speaker. His blog on prophecy and the wedding parables is http://theBridegroomComes.wordpress.com He offers a free download of his favorite book, Health & Happiness, at #12, http://www.ChooseABetterDestiny.com Click here for article submissions.
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