What is the “Rapture”?
Have you ever seen a bumper
sticker that says, “In case of rapture car is yours”?
Lets take a look at what
this (false) interpretation of Scripture teaches. According to those who
believe in this “rapture” theory, they say that suddenly and secretly
Christians who are upon the earth will suddenly vanish at Christ’s second
coming. Cars will suddenly be found without drivers and mass collisions on the
highways will result. Planes, now without pilots, will crash, killing their
occupants. Couples walking together in conversation will suddenly find
themselves talking to themselves as the second person vanishes. Wives and
husbands will wake up to finding their spouse missing and parents and children
will be left alone. The resulting chaos will make news headlines like never
before seen. After the Lord supposedly removes the righteous from the earth in
this manner there will be a seven-year period on earth known as “The Great
Tribulation.” (They get this from Revelation 7:15.
But the phrase “the great tribulation” is not The Great Tribulation.
It is merely a phrase just as if someone were to say, “there is much happening
in the great chaos below.” It’s ‘“the great chaos”, not “The Great
Chaos”). During this “tribulation” period, they say, God will pour out
great wrath and vengeance upon earth and its remaining inhabitants. After this
seven-year period, Christ will come yet again to fight a final battle against
the armies of the earth. He will be victorious and execute judgment on the
ungodly. He will then usher in His kingdom, a 1,000 period in which Christ
reigns on earth. After this 1,000 reign of Christ on earth, there will be one
final attempted uprising of evil against good, which of course, will fail. Then
there will be a second resurrection and all who have lived will rise to receive
their reward or punishment.
Now, let’s examine what the
Bible really says regarding Christ’s second coming:
First, much of the error of
this teaching can be cleared up by simply examining what the Bible says will be
the events on the last day. There is no 1,000 year “lull” between
Christ’s return and the final Judgment and the resurrection of the dead.
#1.) There will be one resurrection, which
will include both Christians and non-christians alike:
John 5:28-29
“Do not be amazed at this, for a time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice and come out--those who have done good will rise to live, and those who have done evil will rise to be condemned.”
#2.) This resurrection will occur on the last
day:
John 6:39-40
“And
this is the will of him who sent me, that I shall lose none of all that he has
given me, but raise them up at the last day. For my Father's will
is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal
life, and I will raise him up at the last day.”
John 6:44
“No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him, and I will
raise him up at the last day.”
John 6:54
“Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has
eternal life,
and I will raise him up at the last day.”
John 11:24
“Martha
answered, "I know he will rise again in the resurrection at the last
day.”
#3.) The judgment will occur on the last day:
John 12:48
“There
is a judge for the one who rejects me and does not accept my words; that very
word which I spoke will condemn him at the last day.”
Now, having firmly
established that the resurrection occurs on the last day, let’s look at what
else happens when the dead rise--
#4) At the resurrection (which occurs on the last
day), Christ shall return!
1Thessalonians 4:13-18
“Brothers, we do not want you to be ignorant about those who fall asleep, or to grieve like the rest of men, who have no hope. We believe that Jesus died and rose again and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him. According to the Lord's own word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left till the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. Therefore encourage each other with these words.”
Having already examined John
12:48 in (#3 above), we can further reinforce that judgment day
occurs when Christ returns (which occurs on the last day,
accompanied by the resurrection of the dead):
2Thessalonians 1:5-10
“All this is evidence that God's judgment is right, and as a result you will be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you are suffering. God is just: He will pay back trouble to those who trouble you and give relief to you who are troubled, and to us as well. This will happen when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven in blazing fire with his powerful angels. He will punish those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. They will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord and from the majesty of his power on the day he comes to be glorified in his holy people and to be marveled at among all those who have believed. This includes you, because you believed our testimony to you.”
#5) When Christ returns (along with the Judgment), it
will bring the destruction of the heavens and the earth:
2 Peter 3:3-14
”First of all, you must understand that in the
last days scoffers will come, scoffing and following their own evil desires.
They will say, "Where is this 'coming' he promised? Ever since our
fathers died, everything goes on as it has since the beginning of
creation." But they deliberately forget that long ago by God's word the
heavens existed and the earth was formed out of water and by water. By these
waters also the world of that time was deluged and destroyed. By the same word
the present heavens and earth are reserved for fire, being kept for the Day of
Judgment and destruction of ungodly men.
But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a
thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. The Lord is not slow in
keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not
wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.
But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will
disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the
earth and everything in it will be laid bare.
Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people
ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives as you look forward to the
day of God and speed its coming. That day will bring about the
destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt in the heat.
But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a
new earth, the home of righteousness.
So then, dear friends, since you are looking forward to this, make every effort
to be found spotless, blameless and at peace with him.”
#6) The last trumpet occurs at the resurrection:
1Corinthians
15:50-55
I declare to you, brothers, that flesh and blood cannot
inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable.
Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be
changed-- in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For
the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will
be changed. For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and
the mortal with immortality. When the perishable has been clothed with the
imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written
will come true: "Death has been swallowed up in victory."
"Where, O death, is your victory?
Where, O death, is your sting?"
#7) The Lord’s return shall not be secretive. Every
eye shall see Him!
Revelation 1:7
Look, he is coming with the clouds,
and every eye will see him,
even those who pierced him;
and all the peoples of the earth will
mourn because of him. So shall it be! Amen.
So in conclusion, the Bible says that when Christ returns several events
will occur:
àIt will be the last day
àIt will be Judgment Day
àThe dead will rise (both the righteous and the
unrighteous)
àThe last trumpet and shout of the archangel will be
heard
àChristians who are living at the time will instantaneously
receive their new, glorified, immortal
bodies and will rise in the
air to meet Christ and be with Him forever
àThose disobedient to Christ’s gospel will receive
eternal punishment
àThe destruction of the heavens and the earth will occur
àGod will bring about the new earth-- the New
Jerusalem (Revelation 21)
When Jesus Christ returns, there will be no “second chances”. It will be
the end of time. The lost will be horrified and terrified beyond belief,
knowing that inescapable, eternal damnation in the fires of hell is upon them.
There will be no more tomorrows. There will be no way out. The end will be
here--finally and at last. Are you ready for His return? If Christ were to return at this very moment, would
you be found in Him? Are you ready right now? Or would you be
found to be in disobedience to His gospel? If you want to be sure, if you want to
know for certain what you must do to be saved, if you want to know whether you
are saved or not, click
here.
Sounds of hell?
You decide--
Whether or not this is real or fake-- it matters
not-- will the sounds of eternal damnation
sound any less horrifying than this?
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666 and the connection to Rome