The Rapture

I will agree with you in that, the word "rapture," is not in the bible. However, the words "caught up," are.

That does not make the wondrous event an untruth. The word "bible," is not in the bible either. That does not make it an untruth. Perhaps a better word, (for those who base their argument of this not "happening," on the non-existance of the word in the bible), would be "translation." The point is this: What matters is the fact, that the Bride of Christ is going to be taken out of this old world. In the twinkling of an eye... By the way, "the" event is not a secret, only
the timing. Scripture tells us that even the Son does not know, only the Father.
The word "rapture," is a way of describing this event. What does it mean? Bliss, happiness, joy. Indescribable delight, elation. Rapture is the best word we have to describe the indescribability of the event, with our limited vocabulary. Don't lay your beliefs on whether or not the word exists in the bible. That is just extra issue for clouding the truth. The coming of the
Lord for His Church is real. It is that glorious event when Christ will appear and take his Bride, living and dead, to heaven
with Him, forevermore!

When? We do not know exactly. No one knows this but God. He has, however, given us things that we are to look for. How do we know it is going to happen. Because, He tells us so and we believe. What we are told to look for is the crux of this article. Believing is entirely up to you!

By Daivd Reagan (The Lion and the Lamb Ministries) There are four ways people look at the "event," of the rapture:

Pre-tribulation
Post-wrath
Mid-tribulation
Post-tribulation

I am going to talk about each of the above. Starting with Post-tribulation and letting my Lord Jesus, His Holy Spirit and His inspired word, the scriptures, be my guides. I am, the potter's handiwork.

The rapture, or the taking out of the saints is mentioned in the Bible several times. But, it is not clearly mentioned until we get to the New Testament and the words of Jesus Christ in:

1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 13. But I would not have you to be ignorant, bretherm, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope 14. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus 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. 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. (KJV)

The most confusing part about the Rapture is not the Rapture itself. But, about its timing. Many place it at the end of the
Tribulation, thereby making it a part of the second coming of Christ. Many put it as happening in the middle of the Tribulation.
Others believe it occurs at the beginning of the Tribulation. The latter, is the gospel of Jesus Christ.

The reason for this confusion would probably be, because the time of the Rapture is not revealed in scriptures. Jesus Christ
tells us things to look for and warns us of it coming upon all as a thief in the night. We also know that Christ is not the author
of confusion but rather; Satan, is the father of all confusion. If he had his way, he would fool all into believing a false teaching.
There is, it would seem, room for honest opinion, and lines of fellowship should not be drawn over conclusions in these differ-
ences. However, it is an important point. A decision here, will determine if a you will be taken out at the beginning , or, go through the entire Tribulation period. Do you belive in the promise of our Savior?

Those who follow after the belief, that the rapture is at the end of the Great Tribulation, usually base this belief on the two
parabales in Matthew 13: The wheat and tares, and the net. They also base it upon the Lord's Olivet Discourse in Matthew 24.
In Matthew 24:29, Jesus pictures the gathering of His saints as happening "Immediately after the tribulation of those days."
I have to say, it certainly sounds like a Rapture at Post-Tribulation. One should also notice that the language of Matthew
is different from the language in Luke. Matthew is directed at the Jews, so, Jesus' speech has a very Jewish flavor. When
compared to the same record in the book of Luke, we find it to be directed at the Gentiles.
In Matthew 24:15-20 there are references to Judea and to Jewish laws about traveling on the Sabbath. These words are
omitted in the book of Luke. Instead, Luke talks about the saints looking up for deliverance. "To escape all these things."
When signs of the end time, "begin to come to pass." Luke 21:28 and Luke 21:36. The saints referred to in Matthew are
told to flee from Judea and hide out. In Luke, the saints are told to look up, for their deliverance.

We are looking at two different sets of saints. The saints in Matthew are those who receive Jesus as their Savior in the
midst of the Tribulation. Those in Luke are those who receive Jesus as their Savior before the Tribulation begins.
We know that most, who accept Christ during the Tribulation, will be martyred. (Revelation 7:9-14)
Notice the wording of Matthew 24:31. It states that these "elect," will be gathered from the four winds, from one end of
heaven to the other. These are the saints, those who have been in the wedding chamber of the Bride of Christ and those martyred. He is gathering them from heaven, not the earth. This concerns the second coming of Christ, not the Rapture. The events being depicted in these verse are, Christ coming from heaven to the earth in Daniel 7:13,14 and in 2 Thessalonians 1:7-9, with the righteous judgement of God!

In Matthew 13:24-30 and in Matthew 13:47-50 we read about the parable about the wheat and tares and the parable of
the net. These are referencing to a separation of sinners and saints at the end of the Tribulation period. The saints are those
who receive Jesus as their Savior during the Tribulation, both Gentile and Jews.

Matthew 24:36-44 36. But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father
only. 37. But as the days of Noah were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man 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
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 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 therrefore: for
ye know not what hour your Lord doth come. 43. But know this, that if the goodman of the house had known
in what watch the thief would come, he would have wateched, and would not have suffered his house to be
broken up. 44. Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not, the Son of man cometh. (KJV)

Those who belive in the Mid-Tribulation Rapture identify this trumpet with the last of the seven trumpets of judgement in the
book of Revelation. The trumpet blown in the Revelation 11 at first appears to be at mid-point in the Tribulation. It is
therefore stated, that the Rapture has to occur in the middle of the Tribulation.

The problem with this interpretation is as follows. The last trumpet of 1 Corinthians 15, is for belivers, the trumpets of
Revelation 8,9 and 11 are sounded for non-believers. These trumpets have absolutely no relevance for the Church.
The trumpet of Revelation 11 is a "fast forward" to the end of the Tribulation. These forwards are very common in the
book of Revelation. They are done in this manner to assure the reader that everything is going to be as it should be, when
Jesus returns at the end of the Tribulation. The seventh trumpet sounded in Revelation 11 results in the establishment of the
millennial kingdom of Christ! Not the Rapture of the Church.

This belief is based upon the wrath of the Tribulation as being the wrath of man and Satan, not God. This concept
follows that since the Church is promised protection from the wrath of God, the Bride will not be taken out until near the end of the Tribulation. This is when God will pour out His wrath upon the world.

This belief raises a very serious theological problems. It quetions the sovereignty of God. It says that man and Satan can act
apart from the will of God. The fact is, neither can do anything that God is not willing to permit.
Down through the history portrayed in the Bible, God uses evil men and nations to carry out what He wants accomplished.
As an example, lets read in Habakkuk 1:13. Babylon is allowed to discipline the nation of Israel by destroying the city of
Jerusalem and the Temple and carrying away the surviving people into slavery.
Habakkuk is asking the question, why does God use the evil to punish those who are more evil that the ones being punished?

The events during the Tribulation, that appear to be done by man against man or Satan against man, are the will of God. We
read in Psalm 2:1-6, that God laughs over the deeds and plans of men. This is not because God does not care, it is because
He has everything under control. Satan is pure evil, God orchestrates that evil to triumph. "The wrath of man shall praise you"
(God) (Psalm 76:10).

God does not always pour out His wrath upon man directly. There are many instances in the Bible where He backs away and
lowers the protection He has put into place. Read Romans 1:18-32. What does God do in these verses, when men turn away from His teachings? When they begin to worship the creation rather than the Creator? He "gives them over", to do the evil that is in their hearts. He steps back and lets the evil increase. These scripture also state that when they refuse to
repent of this evil, He steps back even further and "gives them over to these degrading passions." When they still do not re-
pent of their sins, He gives them finally, "over to a depraved mind."

In other words, God will give them over to the very destruction of society. This wrath is not the wrath of man, it is the wrath of
God working through man.

Where do the seal judgements originate? From the throne of God as the Lamb opens each seal of the scroll that is in the right hand of the One. Who is Jesus Christ! (Revelation 6:1).
These are not the seals of man nor of Satan, but of God.
Where do the trumpet judgements come from? The very same place. From the throne of God. Revelation 8:2. When we get
to the bowl judgements what are we told? "The wrath of GOD is finished."

In the pre-wrath belief, the seal judgements are viewed as the wrath of man and Satan. That they occur in the first half of the
Tribulation. That the trumpets and bowl judgements are the ones attributed to God. That the two are lumped together at the
end of the Tribulation. Where is the justification for this belief? This belief does great damage to the order of when these things take place in the book of Revelation.

One last problem with the pre-wrath Rapture is, it disputes the fact, that there is no reason for the Church to even be in the
Tribulation. The Tribulation is the 70th week of Daniel, a time given for God to accomplish His purpose among the Jewish
people, not the Church!

We are told, repeatedly in scripture, to watch for the appearing of the Lord. We are told "be ye also ready:.."

We are told "to watch therefore..."

We are told "let your loins be girded (dressed) and to keep our lamps burning."

All of these carry an urgency, a persistence, that Jesus can appear at any moment.
IMMINENCE! Any other doctrine destroys this appearing of Christ, because they say other prophetic events must take place first.

If the Rapture is going to take place in the middle of the Tribulation, or at the end, why would we be looking for the Lord's appearing at any moment? Should we not be looking instead for the peace treaty? The rebuilding of the Temple? The revel-
ation of the Antichrist? Scripture does not bear any of these things taking place before the Church is "caught up."
Nowhere in scripture are believers told to watch for the appearing of the Antichrist. We are told to watch for Jesus!

Titus 2:13 Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ.

1 Peter 1:13 Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is
to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.

1 John 3:2,3 2. Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be, but we
know that when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. 3. And every man
that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.

Matthew 24:15 is the only place in the Bible where it speaks of watching for the anti-christ. Who is being spoken to? The
Jewish people. They will be living in Israel when the anti-christ desecrates the rebuilt temple.

God promises to protect the Church from His wrath. I have already shown you this. The book of Revelation shows that the wrath of God will be poured out during the entire period of the Tribulation.

God promises over and over that the Church will be delivered from God's wrath. Romans 5:9 says that "we shall be saved
from wrath through him." 1 Thessalonians 1:10 states: And to wait for his Son from heaven...which delivered us from the
wrath to come." The very same promise is said again in 1 Thessalonians 5:9: For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but
to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ."
I have two questions for you. If we, who accept Christ as our Savior, are to go through the horrible time of the tribulation, what is the point of giving your life to Christ now? Why not just wait and see how terrible the tribulation is going to actually be?
We who accept and serve Jesus Christ our Savior know that it is this, the Tribulation wrath we are to be spared. There is no other wrath referred to in scripture concerning the end times! Read above scriptures again! We will be in the marriage chamber, (seven days, same as bride and groom in bridal chamber; which also means seven years, the length of the Great Tribulation,) with Christ! Then, at the end of the seven years, there will be the marriage feast!