Rapture?

phipps

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Thought Questions about Jesus' second coming.

Isn’t the great tribulation yet to come?


It is true that a terrible tribulation will cover the earth just before Jesus returns to deliver His people. Daniel described it as “a time of trouble, such as never was” (Daniel 12:1).

Since the Lord is coming “as a thief in the night,” how can anyone know anything about it?

The answer is found in 1 Thessalonians 5:2-4: “You yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night. For when they say, ‘Peace and safety!’ then sudden destruction comes upon them, as labor pains upon a pregnant woman. And they shall not escape. But you, brethren, are not in darkness, so that this Day should overtake you as a thief.” The emphasis of this passage is on the suddenness of the day of the Lord. It comes as a thief only for those who are unprepared, not for those who are prepared—those called “brethren.”

But wasn’t Jesus speaking of a secret rapture when He said in Luke 17:36, “One will be taken and the other left”?

No. There is no indication that the event is secret. Jesus was describing Noah’s flood and the destruction of Sodom. (Luke 17:26-37.) He told how God spared Noah and Lot and destroyed the wicked. He said specifically that the flood and fire “destroyed them all” (verses 27, 29). Plainly, in each case, a few were taken to safety and the rest were destroyed. Then He added, “Even so will it be in the day when the Son of Man is revealed” (verse 30). To illustrate, Jesus continued, “Two men will be in the field: the one will be taken and the other left” (verse 36). There is nothing secret about His return. “Every eye will see Him” (Revelation 1:7). At His second coming, Christ publicly and openly takes the righteous up into the clouds (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17), while His holy presence slays the wicked (Isaiah 11:4; 2 Thessalonians 2:8). That’s why Luke 17:37 speaks of the bodies of the wicked and mentions the eagles (or vultures) gathered around them. (Revelation 19:17-18.) The wicked who are left behind at Christ’s coming are left dead.

Why don’t we hear more preaching and teaching today regarding Christ’s second coming?

The devil is responsible. He well knows that the second coming is the “blessed hope” (Titus 2:13) of the Christian, and that once understood, it changes the lives of men and women and leads them to take a personal, active part in spreading that good news to others. This infuriates Satan, so he influences those who have “a form of godliness” (2 Timothy 3:5) to scoff, saying, “Where is the promise of His coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning” (2 Peter 3:3-4). Those who deny or make light of Christ’s second advent as a literal, soon coming event are fulfilling Bible prophecy—and doing the devil a service.
 
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A Freeman

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Nov 11, 2019
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We have very detailed descriptions in Scripture of "the signs of the times" during the final generation leading up to Judgment Day.

There seems to be a lot of unnecessary confusion about Christ's Second Coming, even though we have dozens of Scriptural marks not only telling us the exact date of His Arrival, but also what country the body He will use will be born (what tribe it is from), and even what major, unprecedented geopolitical event will coincide with the birth of that body. We're even given clues about what His New Name will be (Rev. 2:17, 3:12, 19:12, Mal. 4).

Sadly, various denominations/sects/cults have made up their own unscriptural doctrines, like the "pre-trib rapture", or that we allegedly cannot know when Christ will return -- because the day and the hour of JUDGMENT is known only to Father -- even though Christ's Disciples asked Him what it would be like during the end-times and Christ then told them what they (His Disciples) would personally see when He returned and spoke to them not in parables, but plainly about Father (God).

The reason Christ's Second Coming, in a new body (from Joseph-Ephraim - Gen. 49:10, 22-24) with a new name, is described as being "like a thief in the night" is because the world is now VERY dark, and people are therefore not looking for Christ, despite all of the obvious signs that we are rapidly approaching Judgment Day.

It will only be after Christ completes His Mission, and sheds the body He is currently using to publish the Gospel to all nations and gather the "Elect" that everyone will see Him "coming in the "Clouds" of heaven with power and great glory" as His True SPIRITUAL self, free again from human limitations. And it should be noted that it clearly states in both Matt. 24:30 and Rev. 1:7 that ALL of the tribes and kindred of the Earth shall MOURN and WAIL.

Matthew 24:30 (with parenthetical notes)
24:27 For as the lightening cometh out of the East, and shineth even unto the West; so shall also the coming of the Son of Man be (Mal. 4:2, John 3:19-21, John 8:3).
24:28 For wheresoever the carcase is (when the Spirit-Being Christ sheds the body He is currently using), there will the eagles (the heavenly host, His Army of angels/spirit-Beings - Rev. 12:7) be gathered together.
24:29 Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the "sun" (Ps. 89:34-36) be darkened, and the "moon" shall not give her light, and the "stars" shall fall from heaven, and the "powers of the heavens" shall be shaken:
24:30 And then shall appear the Sign ("Star") of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall ALL the tribes of the Earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of Man coming in the "Clouds" of heaven with power and great glory.

Revelation 1:7 Behold, he cometh with "Clouds"; and every eye shall see him, and they [also] which pierced him: and all kindreds of the Earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen.

It says ALL will mourn and wail, AFTER the great tribulation/oppression, which precludes any "pre-trib" rapture. Further, the reason that everyone will mourn and wail is because at that moment they will realize that they slept through and/or ignored Christ's Second Coming, and thus it is too late for them to do anything to change their fate.

Why can't these FACTS be discussed NOW, while there is still time? Because Satan has lulled almost everyone to (spiritual) sleep.
 
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