The last time we were together, we looked at the subject of the rapture of the church. Many believe in a pre-tribulation rapture event. Given today’s climate, I imagine many believers believe the rapture is right around the corner. It could happen today, tonight, or next week. No one knows the day or the hour. At best, we can pay attention, keep looking up, and continue to draw closer to the Lord each day.
Yet, some do not believe in the rapture. They have their reasons, and it’s their choice. I personally know a few who are of the mind that believers go through the tribulation period and, in fact, are going through it now.
Let’s look at a few of the arguments for and against a rapture event.
1.The word rapture is not in the Bible.
I touched on this in my last blog, ‘The Rapture Of The Church – End Times Events.’
1 Thessalonians 4:16-17, “16 For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord.”
The word “caught up” in Greek is harpazo, which means to catch (away, up), pluck, pull, snatch up, take (by force).
While the word rapture is not in the English Bible, we cannot discount the original language. The New Testament text was written mainly in Greek. I think the better question is, when will the church be caught up, not if the church will be caught up.
2. We are already in the millennium period.
Uh oh, I hope not. Some believe we are already going through the thousand-year millennium period, and there will be no future 1000 year millennial period. I understand that some of those same people believe this world has to be good and in right standing for Jesus to come back.
I am looking around, and I don’t see the world heading in a good and righteous direction. From everything I see, it’s going in the other direction. It’s getting worse. So, what am I missing?
When watching the news, I see more crime, murder, lawlessness, hatred, and denial of God’s existence in the U.S. than I have ever known in my life. And if I go by what the Bible says, the days grow darker and more evil, not brighter and better. And if the days are getting darker, then how are we supposed to get this world in tip-top shape so Jesus will return? At this rate, Jesus will never return if we follow that line of thinking.
It seems that getting the world into the perfect condition for Jesus to return depends on the human race to do an awful lot to make that happen. It would be like working our own strength and relying on our abilities rather than on the Lord’s.
3. We can predict the date of the rapture.
There have been many proclaimed rapture events going back more than 30 years. I remember when thousands thought something catastrophic would happen when the world calendar flipped from 1999 to 2000. I also remember driving past billboards in my town proclaiming the end of the world in 2012. Yet, each day came and went, and here we are halfway through 2021.
Jesus himself tells us no man knows the day or the hour. Check out Matthew 24:36, “But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.”
There are certainly interesting calculations, and one can get caught up in the excitement of those hypotheses.
In 2020, there were at least three popular Youtubers who were predicting the rapture at any moment. When 2020 came and went, their presence on YouTube seemed to disappear. What happened?
Jesus tells us in Matthew 24:42, “Therefore, keep watch because you do not know on what day the Lord will come.”
Many have stopped watching the news. I get that. Certainly, many news organizations have swayed over the years and fallen into political traps and can’t seem to find their way out. Many have gone the way of untruths and distorted facts. Sad, but true. There are still a few good, reliable news outlets out there. You may have to look overseas to get factual news on what’s happening in the US, but they are out there.
I watch a lot of overseas news for information on what is happening in other countries. After all, many of those countries are in the Bible and are tied to Bible prophecy.
If we stop paying attention to the times, we may find ourselves surprised when Jesus does come back. Will we be ready for his appearance? Will we have oil in our lamps?
Those questions lead me to my next segment, the ten virgins. I hope you will join me.
I don’t know when the rapture will occur. All I know is I need to be ready and watching. I hope you will do the same.
Blessings!
The Teaching Lady
The Rapture Of The Church – End Times Events
Recent Comments