What About The Rapture?

[sheep wrecked]

By popular demand, let's talk about the rapture :cloud9:

What do you say?

[Emjesown]

ahhhh ship wrecked
what are you doing?
you bring up all the controversiel topics
topics that either no one wanna talk about or

it will end in a fight hahaahha
EMJE

[strefanash]

(12-25-2008 09:39 PM)sheep wrecked Wrote:  By popular demand, let's talk about the rapture :cloud9:

What do you say?

Stref:

I take the Rapture to be a real event. To me I Thessalonians 4:17 is most clear - there will be a time when the dead in christ wil rise then we who are alive will be snatched away to meet the Lord in the clouds.

The greek word is harpazdo - to seize or snatch, and rapture is simply a latin equivalent of this word. That the word rapture does not appear in scripture is not relevant. It is a theological term summarizing what is clearly taught in the Bible, just as the word Trinity, another latinism, is. For though the word trinity is not in the Bible the reality of some kind of threeness (latin Trinitas, lit threeness)in the Godhead is

However i flatly deny the rapture will be a secret rapture. I hold it is the same thing as the first resurrection and happens at the very end of the Great Tribulation as Christ returns. And it wil be loud (with a shout) and visible, in order to vindicate the Church which had just been being martyred in their multitudes. When the unbelievers see this they will run screaming in terror crying for the rocks to hide them as those they had been miurdering were rising from the dead before their very eyes

That is to say if the Great Tribulation happens in our lifetimes we wil live through it and/or be martyred.

They wouldnt be so arrogant and cocky if they thought they were going to go through the great trib. And they certainly wouldnt be trying to foment war in the Middle East knowing they would have to live with the consequences

[carl37]

I agree with Stref, it is not a secret event. It happens at the last trump. Which if one does look at Revelation as a reference for endtime events, the last trump is when the Almighty's full wrath is poured out.

[sheep wrecked]

(12-25-2008 09:57 PM)Emjesown Wrote:  ahhhh ship wrecked
what are you doing?
you bring up all the controversiel topics
topics that either no one wanna talk about or

it will end in a fight hahaahha
EMJE

We aim to please



Jump right in - the water's fine

[sheep wrecked]

(12-25-2008 10:29 PM)strefanash Wrote:  Stref:

I take the Rapture to be a real event. To me I Thessalonians 4:17 is most clear - there will be a time when the dead in christ wil rise then we who are alive will be snatched away to meet the Lord in the clouds.

The greek word is harpazdo - to seize or snatch, and rapture is simply a latin equivalent of this word. That the word rapture does not appear in scripture is not relevant. It is a theological term summarizing what is clearly taught in the Bible, just as the word Trinity, another latinism, is. For though the word trinity is not in the Bible the reality of some kind of threeness (latin Trinitas, lit threeness)in the Godhead is

However i flatly deny the rapture will be a secret rapture. I hold it is the same thing as the first resurrection and happens at the very end of the Great Tribulation as Christ returns. And it wil be loud (with a shout) and visible, in order to vindicate the Church which had just been being martyred in their multitudes. When the unbelievers see this they will run screaming in terror crying for the rocks to hide them as those they had been miurdering were rising from the dead before their very eyes

That is to say if the Great Tribulation happens in our lifetimes we wil live through it and/or be martyred.

They wouldnt be so arrogant and cocky if they thought they were going to go through the great trib. And they certainly wouldnt be trying to foment war in the Middle East knowing they would have to live with the consequences

[sheep wrecked]

(12-25-2008 10:34 PM)carl37 Wrote:  I agree with Stref, it is not a secret event. It happens at the last trump. Which if one does look at Revelation as a reference for endtime events, the last trump is when the Almighty's full wrath is poured out.

[DarkGlass1312]

Here is what happens in Revelation: some time after Paul died, Satan would be bound for 1,000 years. This was not in John the Apostle's time either, as he said that Satan's seat was in Pergamos (Revelation 2:13), so Satan was still unbound. Peter also said that Satan was walking around like a roaring lion (1 Peter 5:8). Paul was given his thorn in the flesh by Satan as well. So Satan was bound after the New Testament was completed; when, I don't know. It had to be after 1008 AD, because he would have been freed last year. BUT HIS ANGELS ARE STILL RUNNING FREE. That's the bad news. Anyway, after Satan is set free sometime in the near future, he will make war with the angels of heaven. He will lose, and knowing his time is short, he will make war with the saints. The Antichrist, a Jew, will come to power in Israel. The False Prophet, probably the Pope at that time, will force everyone to take the mark of the beast. Some will give in and go to the lake of fire forever, while others won't (even if you don't take it, you may suffer eternally). Many Christians will take the mark. It will be visible, not some chip under the skin. THERE WON'T BE A RAPTURE UNTIL AFTER THE GREAT TRIBULATION! Enoch and Elijah were special cases, and only those two were ever 'raptured'. Noah did not rapture up to God when the flood came; God took him through it. The three Hebrews went through the fire, and they came out. Millions of Christians suffered over the centuries. We must do the same.

[ceebee]

I'm looking forward to the rapture and I hope I am included. Does one really know if it is the 'catching away' that's in the Bible or is it another made up story ?

One night I dreamt, maybe I had a cheese sandwich before bed but it felt real.

I had been praying and crying and really heartbroken and had been asking God to forgive me. I was on my knees convinced I was going to hell. I prayed the Sinners Prayer on a daily basis not knowing if I was forgiven and trying to quit smoking and winning then failing. I was really defeated.

I dreamt about the rapture and it was beautiful. I felt so peaceful and it was like being awake and watching myself with thousands and thousands others floating upwards and saying to myself ITS THE RAPTURE and feeling so pleased ! It was so real that when I woke up I remembered it exactly and I felt a bit sad that it was only a dream, It was probably wishful thinking but after that I didn't have the crying jags so much.

Has anyone else had a dream or vision of anything similar ?

[sheep wrecked]

(02-06-2009 09:53 AM)ceebee Wrote:  I'm looking forward to the rapture and I hope I am included. Does one really know if it is the 'catching away' that's in the Bible or is it another made up story ?

One night I dreamt, maybe I had a cheese sandwich before bed but it felt real.

I had been praying and crying and really heartbroken and had been asking God to forgive me. I was on my knees convinced I was going to hell. I prayed the Sinners Prayer on a daily basis not knowing if I was forgiven and trying to quit smoking and winning then failing. I was really defeated.

I dreamt about the rapture and it was beautiful. I felt so peaceful and it was like being awake and watching myself with thousands and thousands others floating upwards and saying to myself ITS THE RAPTURE and feeling so pleased ! It was so real that when I woke up I remembered it exactly and I felt a bit sad that it was only a dream, It was probably wishful thinking but after that I didn't have the crying jags so much.

Has anyone else had a dream or vision of anything similar ?

Hey, ceebee!

I think we all have thoughts about Christ's return - what a glorious day that will be!!!

The word "rapture" is pretty much used today to promote a specific doctrine that Jesus will come back and zap people up into the air and take them to Heaven, leaving unbelievers behind for the tribulation. That concept is a false one as Scripture does not say that.

However; the true "rapture" will be when Jesus returns, with the sound of the trump and a loud voice. EVERY eye will see Christ, not just a few - and all will bend the knee to Him - believers and non-believers. The dead in Christ will rise first, then believers will rise with them and forever be with the Lord. That does not say or imply we will be whisked to Heaven, but that we will be with the Lord as He comes to earth. Heaven is coming down here where there will be a new earth and a new Heaven in which we will live forever with God. I am not sure of the order of how these things happen. Revelations gives us some pretty fantastic pictures, but I don't think anyone really knows exactly how God is going to do things.

I hope I didn't complicate it too much. I don't really like to get in too deep on the last days [eschatology] stuff as it tends to take the emphasis off of just living for Christ everyday until we die or He returns.

Just a note. God heard you the first time you repented and asked for His forgiveness. He is faithful to forgive us when we ask because Jesus paid for it on the cross, once and for all. If we don't "feel" anything, it's not important. That is where faith comes in - by reading His Word - visions and dreams do not build faith because then one bases their "faith" on what is seen, not on what the Word says .

We are told that God forgives those with a repentant heart in the NT. This is why it is so important to keep reading the Bible. Our faith is built because we the words that God has given to us are written on our hearts and they put our hope and trust in Him --- because they are living words inspired by His Spirit

To be honest, I once thot that I had to spend days in repentance when I first converted because I did not feel anything. That is when someone showed me that we need to have faith in God according to His written Word. It was then, when I accepted God's truth, that the peace of Christ settled in my heart and has never left :cloud9:

So, have you quit smoking?