Christians and the rapture?

Question

I am a Christian too but do not understand the rapture. Can some of you please explain who wrote the rapture prophecy, why I should believe him, and what the rapture means. It is a lot of symbolism can it not mean many many things?

Answer 1

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The Rapture is a very large topic so i cannot explain all about. But in brief, the is when god will 'catch up' all his elect.
1Th 4:13 But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.
1Th 4:14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.
1Th 4:15 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.
1Th 4:16 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:
1Th 4:17 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.

Why the rapture is pre-trib
1. The Tribulation is the day of God's wrath, and 'God hath not appointed us to wrath'.
Rev 6:17 For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?
1Th 5:9 For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ,
2. Joh 14:2 In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.
Joh 14:3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.
This means it is not after the tribulation because after the tribulation god will come to establish his kingdom (rev. 19,20)
3. Mat 24:13 But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.
Mat 24:14 And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.
If you read Matthew you wil see that the end is before the trib. and we only have to endure(remain) unil the end.

Answer 2

the rapture is a fabrication. it is not biblical.
the rapture will not happen until christ returns AFTER the tribulation.

Answer 3

Many believe in the rapture of the Church and some do not. You are best to seek you answer from a better source than those on this site. I personally believe in the rapture of the Church. Try going to www.amazingfacts.org or even to www.ttb.org.

Answer 4

The pre-Tribulational Rapture of the Church is found throughout the New Testament, so the short answer is that God wrote this prophecy.

Please, DON'T let anyone tell you that the word "rapture" isn't found in the Bible (it is, but it's derived from a word in the Latin Vulgate translation), or that the Rapture wasn't even thought of until the 1900's (we have ancient Christian manuscripts that mention the Rapture).

Since there are so many verses in the New Testament that teach this event, there isn't enough space here to go into it. However, Dr. Arnold Fruchtenbaum, a Messianic Jewish scholar, has written a paper on the subject which you can download and print free here: http://www.arielm.org/dcs/pdf/mbs039m.pd…

EDIT: @ Sirius: there is no mention of the Rapture in the OT because the Rapture is a promise made to the CHURCH, not to those living before Christ. And before you say "then it's not valid," may I remind you that Paul himself wrote that the Church was a MYSTERY not revealed until NT times (Col. 1:24-27)?

Answer 5

The rapture is when Christ returns to earth and takes with him all the "good souls" who lived by the ten commandments and the bible and takes them to heaven. The other "bad souls" stay on the earth for like 100000 something years and all hell brakes loose.

Answer 6

2Th 2:7 For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth [will let], until he be taken out of the way.

This is simply put that God has all power in heaven and in earth
the antichrist can do nothing while Gods Spirit abides on the earth ( in His people) when they are taken out of the way...then the man of perdition shall be revealed......and then the 7 year plan of peace is given with Israel...and in the midst of that week ( 7 years) ...thats 3 1/2 years the antichrist will break that treaty with Israel and then try and destroy her...then God will come with ALL His saints with Him to save His people Israel...and will with the brightness of His coming destroy that wicked one.....!!!

The catching away or rapture takes place before that event...cause of that scripture above..HE that will let will let or ( hindrance; obstacle; impediment; delay ) till He (spirit of God in His people ) be taken out of the way !!! [Rapture] { catching away }


AN D for you who want OLD Testament scripture read : Gen 5:24 And Enoch walked with God: and he [was] not; for God took him.
Hbr 11:5 By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and was not found, because God had translated him: for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God.

AND ALSO : 2Ki 2:11 And it came to pass, as they still went on, and talked, that, behold, [there appeared] a chariot of fire, and horses of fire, and parted them both asunder; and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven.

Elijah was Raptured ( caught up or caught away ) up into heaven in a chariot !!!


AND ANOTHER to ADD ; 1Th 4:15 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.
1Th 4:17 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.

Source(s):

Gods Word
Bible

Answer 7

rapture : when Jesus get his "bride", the saved, and we MEET UP with HIm in the clouds, then the tribulation will happen on Earth (antichrist leadership, one world government and so on, God's wrath, which born agains people are saved from ) then the 2nd coming will happen, when Jesus RETURNS to the earth with all of the saints. Destroys satan. and the new earth/new jerusalem will be made and that is where we will spend eternity with Jesus.

Source(s):

<>< get right (with God) or get left (behind)

Answer 8

Matthew 24:40-41
"Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other left. Two women will be grinding with a hand mill; one will be taken and the other left."

is the only verse i can think of atm.

Matthew 24:30,31
"At that time the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and all the nations of the earth will mourn. They will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky, with power and great glory. 31And he will send his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other."

the last verse appears to be saying that the "rapture" will be when Jesus is returning which happens at the end of the tribulation, not before.

Answer 9

Luke 17:34-35 (King James Version)

34I tell you, in that night there shall be two men in one bed; the one shall be taken, and the other shall be left.

35Two women shall be grinding together; the one shall be taken, and the other left.

1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 (King James Version)

16For 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:

17Then 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.

Answer 10

The Rapture is mentioned directly by Paul, in the First Thessalonian Epistle. chapter 4, verses 16 & 17.

The phrase in verse 17, "caught up together" is "harpazo" in the original Greek. Literally, it means to be snatched away, suddenly.
The Latin Vulgate of this passage uses the term "rapturos."
The rapture is further supported in 2 Thessalonians 2:1 in the phrase "...by our gathering together unto Him..."

Finally, the Rapture seems to be supported in Revelation 4:1, when John is told to "Come up here...". From this point on in Revelation, the church is not spoken of again until Chapter 19, at the Second Coming of Christ, when the church accompanies Him back to Earth.

Source(s):

The Rapture of the church becomes less symbolic, and more real as you research the original languages of the scriptures.

Answer 11

Rapture is just for cowards.

Answer 12

The Rapture is a prophesied event in Christian eschatology, in which Christians are suddenly taken from the earth to participate in the Second Coming of Christ. Christians who have died are to be resurrected to participate in the coming of Christ along with those who are still living at the time of the event.

The primary passage describing the Rapture is 1 Thessalonians 4:15-17, in which Paul cites "the word of the Lord" about the return of Jesus to gather his saints. Although all Christian denominations believe in Christ's return, there are two primary views regarding its nature:

"Rapture", when used in eschatological terms, is an English word used in place of the Latin word raptus, taken from the Vulgate of 1 Thessalonians 4:17. In Koine Greek, this word is harpazo, which means "caught up" or "taken away".

all of the New Testament writers pointed first century believers to the hope of the Second Coming as a source of encouragement and comfort. In his beautiful and joyous description of the rapture of the living saints at the second coming Paul says “The dead in Christ will rise first, then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them. . . . Therefore comfort one another with these words” (I Thess. 4:16-18). There is a contemporary flavor in this exhortation. Paul's use of the word “we” certainly includes the implication that he at this point considered the possibility that it could happen in his lifetime. Yet he later predicted his own death, as Peter also did. Paul's final word on the hope of the resurrection was that we should all wait for it with patience. Peter and James both echo this in saying that patience is the virtue that leaps over time, even though that time may span a “thousand years” (cf. II Peter 3:8).

Source(s):

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rapture
http://www.americancybercafe.net/theology/Kingdom/index.html

Answer 13

Their is no such thing as a rapture! Show me a rapture foretold in the Old Testament. If the Old Testament foretold of the New Testament then why doesn't the Old Testament mention a rapture. See how Christians have formed their own God and Belief which spun off from the Torah or Old Testament just like the Muslims.