The Rapture

#1 · July 30, 2008, 4:45 pm

Quote from Forum Archives on July 30, 2008, 4:45 pm
Posted by: <@...>
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. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also. (John 14:2-3 NKJV) (See also Acts 1:8-11 and 1 Thessalonians 4:14-17.)

Rapture - when Jesus descends in the clouds and takes to heaven all of those who are His.

Tribulation - the 1,000-year period in which Satan and his demons have full reign on earth; culminates in their defeat at the Battle of Armageddon and their eternal banishment to hell.

While the certainty of the Rapture and the Tribulation (Revelation 12) are well supported by scripture, there is debate among Christians regarding whether the Rapture will occur before the Tribulation (pre-Trib), after the Tribulation (post-Trib), in the middle (mid-Trib), or multiple occurrences scattered throughout (poly-Trib). The speakers of a recent radio program asserted that a pre-Tribulation Rapture was primarily "an American belief because Americans can't stand the thought of suffering." While suffering is admittedly not a cherished activity for most people, I pondered whether my own beliefs were truly that shallow. Consider this:

Remember Abraham's conversation with the Lord in Genesis 18 concerning Sodom, the city where Abraham's nephew and his family lived? Despite Sodom's wickedness, the Lord promised Abraham that He would spare the city if ten righteous people - ten people in right standing with God - could be found in it. Ten righteous were not found and the city was destroyed. However, the destruction could not occur until those who were righteous (Lot and his family) were removed (see Genesis 19:19-22).

In John 14:16, Jesus promised His disciples that when He left earth, He would send another Comforter. He reiterated the promise in John 15:26 and John 16:7. In John 14:26, He identified the Comforter as the Holy Spirit. The fulfillment of the promise commenced on The Day of Pentecost in Acts 2 when the Spirit of God came to earth. But look closely at John 14:16 and you'll notice that the promise was not only that the Holy Spirit would come, but that He would "remain with you forever." He is still here. Satan cannot have full reign on the earth so long as the Holy Spirit is here. And since the Holy Spirit has been promised to remain with us forever, when He does leave, so do those who are in right standing with God.

Earth is not the place any person would want to be during the Tribulation. Even if there are multiple Raptures, it would be wise to be in the first one. Are you in right standing with God? Is your name in the Lamb's Book of Life? Are you longing for His appearing?

Even so, come quickly Lord Jesus. Amen.
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Posted by: <@...>

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. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also. (John 14:2-3 NKJV) (See also Acts 1:8-11 and 1 Thessalonians 4:14-17.)

Rapture - when Jesus descends in the clouds and takes to heaven all of those who are His.

Tribulation - the 1,000-year period in which Satan and his demons have full reign on earth; culminates in their defeat at the Battle of Armageddon and their eternal banishment to hell.

While the certainty of the Rapture and the Tribulation (Revelation 12) are well supported by scripture, there is debate among Christians regarding whether the Rapture will occur before the Tribulation (pre-Trib), after the Tribulation (post-Trib), in the middle (mid-Trib), or multiple occurrences scattered throughout (poly-Trib). The speakers of a recent radio program asserted that a pre-Tribulation Rapture was primarily "an American belief because Americans can't stand the thought of suffering." While suffering is admittedly not a cherished activity for most people, I pondered whether my own beliefs were truly that shallow. Consider this:

Remember Abraham's conversation with the Lord in Genesis 18 concerning Sodom, the city where Abraham's nephew and his family lived? Despite Sodom's wickedness, the Lord promised Abraham that He would spare the city if ten righteous people - ten people in right standing with God - could be found in it. Ten righteous were not found and the city was destroyed. However, the destruction could not occur until those who were righteous (Lot and his family) were removed (see Genesis 19:19-22).

In John 14:16, Jesus promised His disciples that when He left earth, He would send another Comforter. He reiterated the promise in John 15:26 and John 16:7. In John 14:26, He identified the Comforter as the Holy Spirit. The fulfillment of the promise commenced on The Day of Pentecost in Acts 2 when the Spirit of God came to earth. But look closely at John 14:16 and you'll notice that the promise was not only that the Holy Spirit would come, but that He would "remain with you forever." He is still here. Satan cannot have full reign on the earth so long as the Holy Spirit is here. And since the Holy Spirit has been promised to remain with us forever, when He does leave, so do those who are in right standing with God.

Earth is not the place any person would want to be during the Tribulation. Even if there are multiple Raptures, it would be wise to be in the first one. Are you in right standing with God? Is your name in the Lamb's Book of Life? Are you longing for His appearing?

Even so, come quickly Lord Jesus. Amen.

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