Rapture
For the time has come for judgment to begin at the house of God;
and if it begins with us first,
what will be the end of those who do not obey the gospel of God?
~ 1 Peter 4:17 .
The
Apostle Paul wrote: 13
Then one of the elders answered, saying to me But I do not want you
to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep,
lest you sorrow as others who have no hope. 14 For if we believe that
Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who
sleep in Jesus. 15 For this we say to you by the word of the Lord,
that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by
no means precede those who are asleep. 16 For the Lord Himself will
descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and
with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. 17
Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with
them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall
always be with the Lord. 18 Therefore comfort one another with these
words.
~
1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 ~
What Is It? ~ When Is It? ~ Who Goes In It?
'What?' God's Rescue For His Children ~ 'When?' Could Be Right Now! ~ 'Who?' Believers In Christ Who Are Ready
RAPTURE
Three Raptures~ brief overview ~
The Tribulation is a time of testing and refining of those who either take their relationship with the LORD as passive or non-existent. Scripture supports different views on this. Within Scripture are symbolic examples of these groups:
#1 The Bride ~ 1st Harvest ~ Barley ~ Those Who Are Ready, Watching And Are Raptured Pre-Tribulation
#2 Left Behind Church ~ 2nd Harvest ~ Wheat ~ Half-hearted/Sleepy/Lukewarm, Wise Virgins, Tribulation Saints, 144,000 Jewish virgin males; 12,000 from each tribe of Israel; possibly in 3rd rapture.
#3 The Jewish Remnant ~ 3rd Great Harvest ~ Fruit/Grape ~ Finally Turn To Yeshua Mashiach/Jesus Christ. Additional Tribulation Saints/Martyrs.
#4 The Worldly Unrepentant ~ Unwise Virgins. No Rapture ~ But Will Be Gathered At The End To Receive God's Wrath
(Revelation 19)
NOTE: Jews who are believers are referred to as Messianist or Messianic
and will join with the believing Gentiles. One-third of Judah (the Jews) return to their true Messiah Yeshua Mashiach/Jesus Christ toward the end of the Tribulation joining in #3 Rapture
There may be Jews who turn and believe before the 2nd and there may be additional Gentiles in the 3rd
The following three links lead to several Scriptures which are only 'symbolic' of these groups
Only the Father has the final say as He knows the heart, who is true and who is not.
What is presented here is simply one view of three raptures.
Rapture/Harvest/Gathering Events
There are several examples of the different groups of people in Scripture; those who seek and follow closely, those who came to experience His miracles, those who came to try to catch Him doing wrong, and those who hated everything about Him.
Seven Churches of Revelation
The church is made up of a body of believers in various stages of their walk with the LORD. Revelation reveals this through the seven churches. One is ready for Him to appear any time, the other six are warned to get ready. Are all ready for the Pre Tribulation Rapture?
Parable Of The Sower; Four Groups
Life events happen to us all. This
parable is a beautiful picture of how we can receive or reject God's Word when it is made available to us.
Armor Up With Another Resource
End-timesinfo.org has charted a thought provoking list between the Synoptic Gospels.
It is brief, to the point and with clarity.
A sample of the information is presented here.
Please do enjoy the entire work entitled:
Synoptic Gospel Difference Reveal
Multiple End-Times Groups
Referencing the Scripture noted above written by the Apostle Paul; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18:
1)
Paul mentions the "trumpet of God"
In
vs 16 Paul distinguishes between the voice of the archangel and the
trumpet call of God at the rapture. This is important because the
“last trumpet,” in 1 Corinthians 15:52, and 1 Thessalonians 4:16
are, to my understanding, one in the same.
2)
That it is "the dead in Christ will rise first" who will
rise. Note: IN CHRIST is critical. It does not say all the dead will
rise. The rest of the dead will not rise until after the final 1,000
years noted in the resurrection in Revelation 20:5
"The
rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were
ended. This is the first resurrection." This means that some who
were dead were already raised. This would have happened at the
rapture.
"19 Your dead shall live; together with my dead body they shall arise.
Awake and sing, you who dwell in dust; for your dew is like the dew
of herbs, and the earth shall cast out the dead. 20 Come, my people,
enter your chambers, and shut your doors behind you; hide yourself,
as it were, for a little moment, until the indignation is past. 21
For behold, the LORD comes out of His place to punish the inhabitants
of the earth for their iniquity; the earth will also disclose her
blood, and will no more cover her slain."
~ Isaiah 26:19-21 ~
This
is one of many scriptural proofs that the rapture has to happen
before the tribulation. This clearly speaks of:
the
dead rising
the
calling out of God's people
a
safe place
the
indignation of God being poured out
The
Day of the LORD brings a final end to evil and wickedness to those
who have refused Him every step of the way and it is done in one Day.
He gives opportunity after opportunity after opportunity, but they
refuse. Do we know people like this? Yes we do. Pray for them.
This
day is coming and when it comes it will be DONE, there is no
negotiating, it is final, it is finished!
He
has shown Himself through the generations.
It
cannot be any clearer. I pray you are ready!
Harpazo
translates to: seize ~ carry off by force ~ seize on ~ claim for oneself ~ snatch out or away ~ to
catch up
The
rapture of the church is a promise from the God of the universe to
remove
- His Bride (Believers who have made themselves ready and have been keeping watch) will be removed from the earth before He pours out His judgments on the earth upon the wicked, unbelieving and those who did not prepare themselves according to His word. NOTE: Verse 16 says "in Christ" This is a separate removal than that found in Revelation 20:11-15 which is the Great White Throne Judgement where the rest of mankind will be judged. Those who missed the Rapture and later turned their lives completely over to the LORD will have to endure the Tribulation or will die physically in that time. Revelation 20 addresses these lives.
- The Rapture will happen in a time Scripture refers to as the end-times, before the time of tribulation, The Great Tribulation and the Day of the LORD, The Wrath of God.
The rapture can happen at any time.
50
Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the
kingdom of God; nor does corruption inherit incorruption. 51 Behold,
I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be
changed— 52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last
trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised
incorruptible, and we shall be changed. 53 For this corruptible must
put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. 54 So
when this corruptible has put on incorruption, and this mortal has
put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying
that is
written: “Death is swallowed up in victory.”
55
“O Death, where is your sting?
O
Hades, where is your victory?”
56
The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law. 57 But
thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus
Christ. 58 Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable,
always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is
not in vain in the Lord.
The Tribulation and the Great Tribulation will occur in in a seven year period just prior to the return of Jesus Christ. It has been anticipated for thousands of years and we are here at this point in history. How do we know? The LORD Jesus Christ told us what to look for as signs of His return. Those signs are here and we await with great expectation. God has revealed Himself through His creation, His word, and through the Prophets.
His Word teaches us many, many amazing things that have
happened and will happen. One of those is His coming to earth.
The
prophets told of :
- His first coming
- The rapture(s) ~ it may be that there are two more raptures in the 7-year Tribulation (as noted in the timeline above). We do know there is at least one. Scripture does reveal different groups:
- Those who followed closely and are ready
- Those who followed half-heartedly and are not so ready,
- Those who did not follow at first but then turned to follow
- Those who refuse to repent and continue cling to evil.
- His second coming and the Day of the LORD
The Lord is not slack concerning his
promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to
us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come
to repentance. ~ 2 Peter 3:9
This Scripture and others revealed His heart, His mercy and His patience. The Tribulation is 'Last Call'. The POINT of the Tribulation is to give a final chance for whoever is left of mankind to come to Him, repent and be saved.
He said He would come and He did, about 2,000 years
ago. We now await the rapture where He calls believers out of the
earth. His first coming was to restore our relationship back to Himself. To do this He came to earth and took on human flesh to pay
the price for sin.
He:
- was beaten
- was crucified on a cross
- buried in a tomb rose to life on the third day:
~ proving He is God with power over death
- taught His followers for 40 days
- ascended into heaven
- sent His Holy Spirit to those who received Him as LORD
- continues even to today to impart His Holy Spirit to those who received Him as LORD
Jesus Christ fulfilled over 100 prophecies
written in the Scripture. There are many more that He is fulfilling
now and will fulfill when He comes.