The concept is that when The Rapture happens, all the World will see (if they notice anything at all) is a bunch of people disappearing. The Pre-Tirb Rapture based fiction usually never has them even being able to put the pieces together that they all followed the same Faith.
The basis comes from only one of the classic Rapture passages. 1 Corinthians 15:52.
In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.The idiom is of speed not visibility. But the point is that the phrase essentially means "blink and you'll miss it".
This passage lacks most aspects of what happens at The Rapture. Including what the word "Rapture" itself refers to, us being Caught Up/Gathered. Nor does it have the Parusia, Jesus coming on The Clouds.
It's only about three things. 1. The Last Trump, 2. The Resurrection of believers, 3, The still living Saved being change/perfected into our Resurrected states without dieing first.
That is all that is happening at that speed. Once that happens, then Jesus comes to Gather us, and elsewhere The Bible is always clear The World sees that. In Matthew 24, I Thessalonians 4, and Revelation 14.
Chuck Missler and Mark Easton have done a lot of material about Dimensions and the Science of The Resurrection. About how Jesus in the Resurrection was in more then just our four dimensions. And I recommenced their work on that even though I'm more strictly Young Earth Creationist then they are.
But Missler makes a statement that I'm sure he has this Secret Rapture idea in mind with. Where he says Jesus was only "Seen by loving eyes and touched by loving hands". By which I'm sure he means only Saved individuals.
My problem with that is this flies in the face of the efforts of all these other Christians seeking to show how Historically proven the Resurrection is. If 100% of the eye witnesses were people who already supported Jesus. Paul spoke in his Epistles of there being many, many witnesses to the Resurrection.
1 Corinthians 15:3-8
For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures: And that he was seen of Cephas, then of the twelve: After that, he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once; of whom the greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep. After that, he was seen of James; then of all the apostles. And last of all he was seen of me also, as of one born out of due time.Besides simply the large number, I notice the inclusion of The Lord's half-brother James. His siblings were not believers yet at any time they appear during his ministry. The typical conclusion from this verse is that James became a believer after seeing the Risen Jesus. And we certainly know Paul wasn't saved yet when he saw him.
Jared,
ReplyDeleteOne thing On this, is Paul is our PATTERN.
1 Tim.1:11 According to the glorious gospel of the blessed God, which was committed to my trust.
12 ¶And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who hath enabled me, for that he counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry;
13 Who was before a blasphemer, and a persecutor, and injurious: but I obtained mercy, because I did it ignorantly in unbelief.
14 And the grace of our Lord was exceeding abundant with faith and love which is in Christ Jesus.
15 This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief (FIRST).
First= Strongs G4413- Strong's Definitions: †πρῶτος prōtos, pro'-tos; contracted superlative of G4253; foremost (in time, place, order or importance):—before, beginning, best, chief(-est), first (of all), former.
16 Howbeit for this cause I obtained mercy, THAT IN ME FIRST Jesus Christ might shew forth all longsuffering, FOR A PATTERN to them which should hereafter believe on him to life everlasting.
Is interesting too as the Lord appeared to Paul SUDDENLY, those with him saw a light but that light BLINDED SAUL. Also... It was at NOON.Acts 9, 22, 26.
I think that people arging about pre / mid /post tribulation rapture is due to one common mistake: an endtime seven year tribulation that is nowhere spoken of in the Bible, but is supposed by people that force to insert an everlasting gap between the 69th and the 70th weeks of Daniel 9.
ReplyDeleteAfter the resurrection of Jesus, there is one mention of a GREAT tribulation in Acts 8:1, just following the stoning of Stephen. In Acts 8:1 it is translated as "great persecution", but in the original Greek, in Acts 8:1 "GREAT TRIBULATION" is written with the exact same "GREAT TRIBULATION" Greak words as written in Matthew 24! So the GREAT tribulation, began at that time, which seams to correspond to the time of the end of the 490 years of Daniel 9 considered without a gap.
History shows that that tribulation was already very intense at that time. Thousands of Christians were crucified, other were burned alive being coated with wax like torches, fed to lions, etc., and that tribulation in fact never ceased during our last 2000 years, it is still intense in our days but only where TRUE Christians are preaching the TRUE gospel. The Devil doesn't need to persecute these lukewarm false Christians that go to these vile entertainment theatres they call "churches" but are in fact dens of thieves were are preached false gospels like the prosperity gospel (give and you will become rich), the watered down easy-believism gospel, the hyper-grace gospel / OSAS lie (license to sin) and the pre-tribulation rapture fable (free air ticket to heaven), accompanied by sensual pop / demonic rock music that satisfy people addicted to that demonic garbage style of entertainment, for the love of money. And that's what we are now seeing almost everywhere, especially in North America.
Also there is no mentions of an antichrist in Daniel 9. Jesus himself put an end to [the need of] sacrifices, becoming himself the perfect sacrifice. What kind of covenant may a supposed antichrist confirm with Israel? Absolutely none.
The prophecy of Daniel 9 is about:
– to finish the transgression, and
– to make an end of sins, and
– to make reconciliation for iniquity, and
– to bring in everlasting righteousness, and
– to seal up the vision and prophecy, and
– to anoint the most Holy.
(Daniel 9:24)
That's all beautiful things that only God can do. Jesus fulfilled it all. There is absolutely NOTHING here about the work of an antichrist!
The city (of Jerusalem) and the sanctuary was destroyed by the PEOPLE of a prince, NOT the prince himself. So the "He" (singular) pronoum of Daniel 9:27 can only refer to a single person, the Messiah (singular) spoken just before, NOT to a people or group of persons (plurial). And that's what exactly happened in the year 70. Titus commanded to destroy the city BUT also to not touch the sanctuary. Unfortunately someone of the people threw a torch in the sanctuary and it burned entirely, melting all the gold that went down to the foundations. That's why later people moved all the stones to pick the gold letting no one stone above one stone as Jesus prophetized in Matthew 24. That was fullfilled in history, now people can argue that the prophecy may have other fulfillments (maybe man-made), but nowhere is spoken of of a specific detached post-gap future 7 year period tribulation. One has to distort a lot of scripture and word meanings to defend their pre-tribulation rapture fable, even remove move a lot of scripture, restricting one part of the Bible for some people and the other part for other people, a Bible smashing they call "rightly dividing".
Now the good thing considering an already long great tribulation is that since we are already in the great tribulation for almost 2000 years, we can still keep the "blessed hope" of the very near second comming, without arging about "pre", "mid" or "post" tribulation rapture.
The point of my Mid=Trib view is that in Revelation it's between the Trumpets and Bowls. But that it's preceded and followed by three and a half year periods is also inferred in Revelation alone, I don't need Daniel 9.
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