My spirit has been grieved over understanding the 'rapture' and listening to those who debate over it; when it will happen, and who it will happen to.
Upon listening to my pastor reassure a whole congreration that they had nothing to worry about, since they would all miss the coming tribulation, I prayed to God for some insight.
Now, I am no bible scholar and I am not seeking an argument here with this post. I only ask those who seek to understand the truth, to consider what I am going to write. What seems to be so complicated and uncertain, has been made simple and clear.
(when) is the rapture?
There is only one part of Revelation that speaks of such an event, and it is found in chapter 11, AFTER the two witnesses are killed by the 'beast'.
It says: And after three days and a half, the spirit of life from God entered into them, and they stood upon their feet; and great fear fell upon them which saw them.
And they heard a great voice from heaven saying unto them, Come up hither. And they ASCENDED UP TO HEAVEN IN A CLOUD; and their enemies beheld them.
The book of Thess 1 writes a passage similiar:
For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the TRUMP of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:
Then we which are ALIVE AND REMAIN shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.
Corin. 1, 15:52
In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at THE LAST TRUMP; for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptable, and we shall be changed.
When is the last trumpet sounded? After the sixth angel loosed the four angels which are bound in the river Euphrates; after a third part of men were slain, after the seven thunders uttered their voices, and it is declared that time is no longer.
Back to the two witnesses; who are they? They are the two candlesticks which are before the God of the earth. The SAME two candlesticks spoken of the the beginning of Revelation; the two churches (not buildings, or historical places but CHRISTIANS) who are found worthy, spotless, and clean by God himself.
Very important to understand this.
((Because)) these two witnesses, after their testimony, are KILLED, but they are GIVEN LIFE after three and a half days. They are GIVEN LIFE. So after they martyr themselves for God, they are ressurected, and raptured.
This is a large group of people who are slain; that is why their bodies are not buried, and the world rejoices over their death.
Here is the rapture.
I know this will be rejected, because christians don't want to believe that death comes first, then the rapture; but it is laid out for us to see, and we need to mentally and spiritually be prepared. That is why the disciples spoke of the coming tribulation; because it was so great, like the world has never seen.
That is why we are told to comfort one another with the words spoken in Thess: why would we comfort one another if we were going to be removed.
There is more I would like to post with this, but cannot now.
Wildfire
Upon listening to my pastor reassure a whole congreration that they had nothing to worry about, since they would all miss the coming tribulation, I prayed to God for some insight.
Now, I am no bible scholar and I am not seeking an argument here with this post. I only ask those who seek to understand the truth, to consider what I am going to write. What seems to be so complicated and uncertain, has been made simple and clear.
(when) is the rapture?
There is only one part of Revelation that speaks of such an event, and it is found in chapter 11, AFTER the two witnesses are killed by the 'beast'.
It says: And after three days and a half, the spirit of life from God entered into them, and they stood upon their feet; and great fear fell upon them which saw them.
And they heard a great voice from heaven saying unto them, Come up hither. And they ASCENDED UP TO HEAVEN IN A CLOUD; and their enemies beheld them.
The book of Thess 1 writes a passage similiar:
For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the TRUMP of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:
Then we which are ALIVE AND REMAIN shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.
Corin. 1, 15:52
In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at THE LAST TRUMP; for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptable, and we shall be changed.
When is the last trumpet sounded? After the sixth angel loosed the four angels which are bound in the river Euphrates; after a third part of men were slain, after the seven thunders uttered their voices, and it is declared that time is no longer.
Back to the two witnesses; who are they? They are the two candlesticks which are before the God of the earth. The SAME two candlesticks spoken of the the beginning of Revelation; the two churches (not buildings, or historical places but CHRISTIANS) who are found worthy, spotless, and clean by God himself.
Very important to understand this.
((Because)) these two witnesses, after their testimony, are KILLED, but they are GIVEN LIFE after three and a half days. They are GIVEN LIFE. So after they martyr themselves for God, they are ressurected, and raptured.
This is a large group of people who are slain; that is why their bodies are not buried, and the world rejoices over their death.
Here is the rapture.
I know this will be rejected, because christians don't want to believe that death comes first, then the rapture; but it is laid out for us to see, and we need to mentally and spiritually be prepared. That is why the disciples spoke of the coming tribulation; because it was so great, like the world has never seen.
That is why we are told to comfort one another with the words spoken in Thess: why would we comfort one another if we were going to be removed.
There is more I would like to post with this, but cannot now.
Wildfire