Prepare for rapture.

[ProphetofGod7]

The time is coming for us to prepare for the rapture of the Church. Jesus Himself told us to prepare for His coming:
“Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.”
‭‭Matthew‬ ‭24:44‬ ‭KJV‬‬

I have received a prophecy from God concerning the rapture. He has told me to go and teach what He has revealed to me. So here is the message I have pre-typed for informing fellow believers :

So first of all, a while ago I was praying to God about something related to death. I have this Bible app that gives random verses everyday and i looked at the random verse for an answer. The verse said something about how those who believe in God shall not die, but live eternally. I know what the verse actually means, but its like it spoke to me that i would be raptured. I remembered Mark 11:24 and kept faith that this was of God. But there's more. My second prayer was later. I had been wondering whether or not i should tell this prophesy to others. I wondered this because it seems that God tells you some things that He may not want you to tell others, as my mother had Him audibly speak to her and she never told anyone what He said, and she said she never will. So I prayed about it and went into the same Bible app. I was just on the internet before i did this, but for some reason it wouldn't connect. I believe this was God telling me that the answer would not come from that day's verse. I had actually forgot what i had prayed for a while, and I also believe that was God because I have no idea how else i could just simply forget. So days later i remembered, prayed again, and looked into the app and it was a verse about how we should teach others. However, there was even one more prayer. So the next day or the day after that, I had prayed to God saying something along the lines of "Lord, there may be some that won't believe that you spoke to me through an app. So please let today's verse speak of keeping faith and they will know for sure." So i looked into the Bible app, and sure enough, it spoke of keeping faith in the first sentence. So I learned that the rapture will happen in my lifetime. Dont know when, but at some point i will be raptured.

The question is: How should we prepare for this?
We should prepare by doing the will of the Father, as well as doing good works for Him.

 

[MrJim]

You might want to take this to the Eschatology section of CF...and there are many of us Christians that aren't Dispensationalists

 

[Fireinfolding]

Yeah, all the prophets of God go there and disagree amongst one another over there

 

[JackRT]

I do not believe that it is intellectually, emotionally or even spiritually healthy to live our lives in constant expectation of the end times. We should live our lives optimistically with a view to making this world a better place not just today or tomorrow but into the far distant future.

 

[ScottA]

The time is coming for us to prepare for the rapture of the Church. Jesus Himself told us to prepare for His coming:
“Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.”
‭‭Matthew‬ ‭24:44‬ ‭KJV‬‬

I have received a prophecy from God concerning the rapture. He has told me to go and teach what He has revealed to me. So here is the message I have pre-typed for informing fellow believers :

So first of all, a while ago I was praying to God about something related to death. I have this Bible app that gives random verses everyday and i looked at the random verse for an answer. The verse said something about how those who believe in God shall not die, but live eternally. I know what the verse actually means, but its like it spoke to me that i would be raptured. I remembered Mark 11:24 and kept faith that this was of God. But there's more. My second prayer was later. I had been wondering whether or not i should tell this prophesy to others. I wondered this because it seems that God tells you some things that He may not want you to tell others, as my mother had Him audibly speak to her and she never told anyone what He said, and she said she never will. So I prayed about it and went into the same Bible app. I was just on the internet before i did this, but for some reason it wouldn't connect. I believe this was God telling me that the answer would not come from that day's verse. I had actually forgot what i had prayed for a while, and I also believe that was God because I have no idea how else i could just simply forget. So days later i remembered, prayed again, and looked into the app and it was a verse about how we should teach others. However, there was even one more prayer. So the next day or the day after that, I had prayed to God saying something along the lines of "Lord, there may be some that won't believe that you spoke to me through an app. So please let today's verse speak of keeping faith and they will know for sure." So i looked into the Bible app, and sure enough, it spoke of keeping faith in the first sentence. So I learned that the rapture will happen in my lifetime. Dont know when, but at some point i will be raptured.

The question is: How should we prepare for this?
We should prepare by doing the will of the Father, as well as doing good works for Him.

The Rapture is a BIG subject of mystery that spans the ages since Christ. Good Christians take up sides as if each is correct, and time seemingly marches on...in spite of the fact that Christ said, "Behold, I come quickly."

So, was Jesus wrong? Is one version of interpretation correct, while every other is wrong? But why such a long and drawn out time frame?

When Jesus was telling his disciples he would come quickly, the night before he went to the cross, he repeatedly instructed them to "Stay awake", but they could not.

Paul then, explained that "blindness had come upon Israel in part, until the fullness of the gentiles had come." ...We...are the fullness of the gentiles...and yet blindness takes care of the complete truth of the mystery of Christ coming "quickly" for Israel...but what about us, what has held us in blindness that we should all be arguing about it all these many gentile generations? "Sleep." We...the disciples of Christ have been held in slumber...until the fullness of [us] the gentiles has come.

BUT...seriously? Is one version of a rapture doctrine EVER going to qualify as "quickly" without making Jesus a deceiver? No. And if you were not asleep...Paul gave the answer:

"20 But now Christ is risen from the dead, and has become the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. 21 For since by man came death, by Man also came the resurrection of the dead. 22 For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive. 23 But each one in his own order:" 1 Corinthians 15

...That Christ would rapture each in their own order (in their own time). They would leave the world, each as they came into the world in their own order, just as it was with Adam and every generation to follow...so, it would also be with coming alive (being raptured) with Christ coming "quickly"...to each in their own life and time.

 

[JackRT]

The Rapture is a BIG subject of mystery that spans the ages since Christ. Good Christians take up sides as if each is correct, and time seemingly marches on...in spite of the fact that Christ said, "Behold, I come quickly."

So, was Jesus wrong? Is one version of interpretation correct, while every other is wrong? But why such a long and drawn out time frame?

When Jesus was telling his disciples he would come quickly, the night before he went to the cross, he repeatedly instructed them to "Stay awake", but they could not.

Paul then, explained that "blindness had come upon Israel in part, until the fullness of the gentiles had come." ...We...are the fullness of the gentiles...and yet blindness takes care of the complete truth of the mystery of Christ coming "quickly" for Israel...but what about us, what has held us in blindness that we should all be arguing about it all these many gentile generations? "Sleep." We...the disciples of Christ have been held in slumber...until the fullness of [us] the gentiles has come.

BUT...seriously? Is one version of a rapture doctrine EVER going to qualify as "quickly" without making Jesus a deceiver? No. And if you were not asleep...Paul gave the answer:

"20 But now Christ is risen from the dead, and has become the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. 21 For since by man came death, by Man also came the resurrection of the dead. 22 For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive. 23 But each one in his own order:" 1 Corinthians 15

...That Christ would rapture each in their own order (in their own time). They would leave the world, each as they came into the world in their own order, just as it was with Adam and every generation to follow...so, it would also be with coming alive (being raptured) with Christ coming "quickly"...to each in their own life and time.

Thank you. That is the first version of "rapture" theology that makes any sort of sense whatsoever.

 

[Locutus]

Not for religious reasons. And not even in preparation. We do it because we don't want to be entirely dependent upon an array of corporations and infrastructure, and because we want to spend as little money as possible.It seems bizarre to me that so few actually live this way.

 

[AlexDTX]

The time is coming for us to prepare for the rapture of the Church. Jesus Himself told us to prepare for His coming:
“Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.”
‭‭Matthew‬ ‭24:44‬ ‭KJV‬‬
....
The question is: How should we prepare for this?
We should prepare by doing the will of the Father, as well as doing good works for Him.

This is a good question, and one that needs to be in the Christian Prepper section. There are several points I want to address.

First, the timing of the Rapture is irrelevant to the Lord's commandment. What I mean is it is irrelevant if it comes pre-trib or post-trib. Every generation is commanded to be ready, and so far, all have died without the rapture. We are to live as though the kingdom and the glory are here now. We are to live as though we are to give an account of our lives to Christ now. Whether we live or die we are to do so unto the Lord. So this warning from the Lord, to me, is one of persistent discipleship, not the Rapture.

Second, this is a Christian Preppers forum. There are multitude of resources on prepping that do not matter if you are Christian or not. Questions about generators, food storage, organic farming, greenhouses, guns, etc can be found all over the internet. So why repeat the same here? Instead, these things should be addressed from a Christian perspective here. Why prep at all? What about the Lord's story of the rich man who tore down his barns to make bigger barns, yet he was called a fool because his life was required of the Lord that day. I am using this story to point to one end of the spectrum. The other end is the variety of directives to work so we can save to help others.

This forum, then, needs to stand in the middle so we find the lines of our part and God's part.

BTW, PoG7, be careful of how you think you hear God. What you described in the middle of your post, I erased because it sounds more superstitious than a mature hearing of God.

 

[SavedByGrace3]

Used to be a rapture theorist in my early Christian walk but then read the Bible.
I prep for the coming judgment of the USA because she has forsaken God and is delving into abominations and blasphemy at a national level.

 

[AlexDTX]

Used to be a rapture theorist in my early Christian walk but then read the Bible.
I prep for the coming judgment of the USA because she has forsaken God and is delving into abominations and blasphemy at a national level.

Food for thought. Andrew Wommack believes that all judgement was placed upon Christ. He bases this upon these verses:

31 Now is the judgment of this world: now shall the prince of this world be cast out. 32And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to me.33 This he said, signifying what death he should die. (John 12:31-33)​

"Men" in the Greek text is not there which is why it is italicized. The context is judgement. Wommack believes that Jesus is saying that on the cross all judgement of God would be upon him. Therefore in his opinion God no longer judges nations or people. This is the gospel. God is reconciled to all mankind, but it only benefits those who believe it and receive it.

 

[SavedByGrace3]

Food for thought. Andrew Wommack believes that all judgement was placed upon Christ. He bases this upon these verses:

31 Now is the judgment of this world: now shall the prince of this world be cast out. 32And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to me.33 This he said, signifying what death he should die. (John 12:31-33)​

"Men" in the Greek text is not there which is why it is italicized. The context is judgement. Wommack believes that Jesus is saying that on the cross all judgement of God would be upon him. Therefore in his opinion God no longer judges nations or people. This is the gospel. God is reconciled to all mankind, but it only benefits those who believe it and receive it.

Thanks for the reply Alex.
Yes, I have heard that stated before.
I see to many instances of judgement in the Acts, the letters, and Revelation to discount the concept of people reaping what they sow. Look at 1 Corin 5 as an example - this brother was about to be delivered over to satan for the destruction of the flesh. That would not be pleasant I suspect. Ananias and Sapphira is another example. Really spread throughout the letters. Thanks for the food!

 

[AlexDTX]

Thanks for the reply Alex.
Yes, I have heard that stated before.
I see to many instances of judgement in the Acts, the letters, and Revelation to discount the concept of people reaping what they sow. Look at 1 Corin 5 as an example - this brother was about to be delivered over to satan for the destruction of the flesh. That would not be pleasant I suspect. Ananias and Sapphira is another example. Really spread throughout the letters. Thanks for the food!

Here is another thought on judgement, this one is my own. I have been thinking for many months now on Jesus telling the Pharisees that Moses allowed divorce because of the hardness of their hearts. Before his crucifixion Jesus and the apostles were all still under the law which is why Jesus fulfilled the law. The reconciliation between God and mankind did not occur until his resurrection. Then the New Covenant and Testament began. The believers with the new birth were then circumcised in their hearts. The writers of the New Testament had a realization of the true character of God because of this circumcision of heart. Nevertheless, hardness of heart continued, and continues today. The sensitivity to God and his heart is directly related to how deep the discipleship and love for Jesus impacts each individual.

So now when I read the Bible I consider how hardness of heart affects the writing of the writers. I believe in the doctrine of the confluence of Scriptures which means that while the entire Bible is the inspired Word of God, it is expressed by the personalities of the writers. So in the matter of judgement, it is still worded in some Old Testament perspective, in my opinion.

Of course, the other factor to consider is the active involvement of God with all people. But that involvement is not for judgement but for reconciliation. To bring everyone to the realization of the gift of grace extended to all. In Revelations, Jesus said he gave Jezebel space to repent, but when the space ended what does that mean? Her death? I don't know.

The word "judgement" also carries certain connotations of punishment. But judgement is merely an assessment of a situation and decision on a course of action. So in that sense I would say God still makes judgements on all people, but his judgement is on how to bring them to Him if at all possible.

Just some more food for thought. Completely off the topic of preparing for the Rapture.

 

[AGTG]

Food for thought. Andrew Wommack believes that all judgement was placed upon Christ. He bases this upon these verses:

31 Now is the judgment of this world: now shall the prince of this world be cast out. 32And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to me.33 This he said, signifying what death he should die. (John 12:31-33)​

"Men" in the Greek text is not there which is why it is italicized. The context is judgement. Wommack believes that Jesus is saying that on the cross all judgement of God would be upon him. Therefore in his opinion God no longer judges nations or people. This is the gospel. God is reconciled to all mankind, but it only benefits those who believe it and receive it.

I like Andrew Wommack, but don't agree with some of his ideas. For example, this idea he presents then presumes that God has taken His hands off of the world the last 2,000 years?

That idea flies in the face of all the scriptures which declare His sovereignty, which are numerous.

Consider the Book of Daniel. I believe there is a lot of insight in how God handles nations within there. It's also the clearest declaration that God is indeed sovereign over the nations, and God does not change.

 

[civilwarbuff]

You might want to take this to the Eschatology section of CF...and there are many of us Christians that aren't Dispensationalists

I don't know about that location. Here seems good, it is a prepper question.

The question is: How should we prepare for this?

 

[MrJim]

I don't know about that location. Here seems good, it is a prepper question.

It's only a "prepper question" if one is a dispensationalist. Rapture teachings are only about 200 years old..relatively new in the history of the Church.

 

[MWood]

The "Rapture teachings" are so obvious in the scriptures. It is not found in the OT, or the FGs. The "Teaching" is found in the Epistles of Paul. You know the scriptures. Study them.

 

[MrJim]

The "Rapture teachings" are so obvious in the scriptures. It is not found in the OT, or the FGs. The "Teaching" is found in the Epistles of Paul. You know the scriptures. Study them.

FGs ?

 

[MWood]

FGs ?

Four Gospels.

 

[MrJim]

Four Gospels.

Ah..

Since the Fathers and over a thousand years of church history have no record of the teaching of dispensational "rapturism" as currently taught by (primarily) American Evangelicals I'll pass. I used to believe it when I first become a Christian 'cause I was told that it was the truth but as I continued my studies I learned that it is new teaching....if you want to argue it ya might want to check the bazillion threads here at CF...check the "General Theology" and "Baptist" and "Eschatology" forums...but for me that dead horse doesn't need a beating around here.

If you simply want to reference the Second Coming then hey I'll say AMEN!

 

[FreeinChrist]

Folks, any of us could die at any time. We don't know when it will happen

The best preparation for the rapture, or your own death, is to be right with God every single day.