We are told that Children will be raptured up to be with Jesus. I am wondering what the cut off age is for that. For me this is difficult to understand. If a bunch of people were to disappear you would think that this would be enough evidence to show people the Bible was true. Also the idea that children would disappear or parents would disappear and leave children behind. This does not seem like something God would do. One theory I had was the rapture would take place during a world wide atomic war. There would be so much death and confusion so that people would not know what was going on. People that talk about a rapture never seem to discuss some of the practical implications of this sort of a theory.
Awesome topic to talk about, here’s my 2 cents worth.
Matthew 19:14 KJV - "But Jesus said, Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me: for of such is the kingdom of heaven."
The children wont be left behind. As far as age? We can only speculate. I don’t believe there will be a certain cut off age. If a teen has reached a point in their life where they were presented with the gospel and rejected it then they would suffer the consequence. Jeremiah 17:10 KJV - "I the LORD search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings." God knows our hearts and knows what we have need of before we ask. I’m sure he wont have any trouble sorting the chaff from the wheat.
The Greek word from this term “rapture” appears in 1 Thes. 4:17, translated “caught up.” The Latin translation of this verse used the word rapturo in the Septuagint. The Greek word it translates is harpazo, which means to snatch or take away. Elsewhere it is used to describe how the Spirit caught up Philip near Gaza and brought him to Caesarea , Act 8:39. and to describe Paul’s experience of being caught up into the third heaven, 2Cor. 12:2-4. Thus there can be no doubt that the word is used in 1Thes. 4:17 indicates the actual removal of people from earth to heaven.
We are the bride of Christ. In a Jewish marriage the wife would be betrothed to the husband. The husband would then go and build a house for them to live in and raise a family. Sometimes this would be just adding on to his parents house. The bride had to wait and didn’t know how long it would take for the groom to get all the material and supplies and build a house. When the groom was finished he would send a messenger or servants ahead of him on his way to retrieve his bride. The wedding ceremony and feast would then take place and the groom would take his bride and consecrate the marriage. We are waiting on the Groom to come for us. Jesus said “ my Father’s house has many mansions and I go prepare one for you”. If Jesus lets his bride go through the tribulation it would be the same as letting your wife get beaten up and then it would be a very short reception after the wedding. Jesus is coming back twice, once for his bride and the second time after the tribulation with his bride. While all the plagues are being poured out, John hears a great commotion. It is those who were caught up rejoicing and praising God. We are celebrating the wedding in Heaven while the unbelieving are facing the wrath of God on earth.
Revelation 19:1 KJV - "And after these things I heard a great voice of much people in heaven, saying, Alleluia; Salvation, and glory, and honour, and power, unto the Lord our God:"
Revelation 19:6 KJV - "And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunderings, saying, Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth."
Revelation 19:7 KJV - "Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready."
Revelation 19:8 KJV - "And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints."
Revelation 19:9 KJV - "And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God."
So when will the Harpazo occur? From the signs of the times, I have to say at any time. Many times throughout the Bible we are told to watch.
Matthew 24:42 KJV - "Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come."
Matthew 24:43 KJV - "But know this, that if the goodman of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken up."
Matthew 24:44 KJV - "Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh."
I believe that verse 43 is a hint that we may know the the time, or close to it, if we watch. The word “watch” defined. (Strong’s Definitions Legend)
γρηγορεύω grēgoreúō,gray-gor-yoo'-o; from
G1453; to keep awake, i.e. watch (literally or figuratively):—be vigilant, wake, (be) watch(-ful).
Thayers Lexicon, Metaphorically, to watchi. e. give strict attention to, be cautious, active: — to take heed lest through remissness and indolence some destructive calamity suddenly overtake one,
Matthew 24:42;
Matthew 25:13;
Mark 13:35, [
Mark 13:37];
Luke 12:36 KJV - "And ye yourselves like unto men that wait for their lord, when he will return from the wedding; that when he cometh and knocketh, they may open unto him immediately."
Jesus is asking the crowd, are you going to be like those servants who are waiting on their Lord after the wedding has already taken place?. These are those waiting for the Lord’s second coming Afterthe marriage of the Lamb has taken place. However, for those who are watching and praying then there is an escape plan.
Luke 21:36 KJV - "Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man."
The escape plan is the rapture of the church, the bride taken to be with the groom. The bride will be aware of the day the groom is coming because she is watching.
1 Thessalonians 5:1 KJV - "But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you."
1 Thessalonians 5:2 KJV - "For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night."
1 Thessalonians 5:3 KJV - "For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape."
1 Thessalonians 5:4 KJV - "But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief."
1 Thessalonians 5:6 KJV - "Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober."
1 Thessalonians 5:9 KJV - "For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ,"
We are not appointed to the wrath of the tribulation.
Revelation 3:3 KJV - "Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard, and hold fast, and repent. If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee."
So if we are watching? He won’t come upon us as a thief and we will know the hour.
Rev. 3:10 - Because thou has kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth.
I think that the rapture will be blamed on alien abduction. The world is fascinated with aliens now more than ever. They just had the Area 51 raid that turned into alien stock in Las Vegas. The Pope said that they expect contact very soon. He also said he would baptize the aliens but a cardinal stated that we might be the ones needing baptized by them. The Vatican has a giant state of the art telescope they named Lucifer located on Mt Graham in Arizona. The Air force has released videos of UFO’s that are being shown on the news. The government doesn’t seem to be hiding the fact that there is something else out there anymore. They are preparing the public for the introduction.
The strong delusion, I believe, is that these so called aliens are the fallen angels. When Jesus takes the bride, the missing people will be blamed on alien abduction. Christ will be dubbed the “Bad Aliens” who took away the people. Satan and his “Good” aliens will show up to “help” us out. This is why the entire world will want to destroy Jesus when he comes back the 2nd time after the tribulation. They will be deceived into thinking that good is evil.
Isaiah 5:20 KJV - "Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!"
Jesus said the end would be like the days of Noah. Gen. Ch. 6, the fallen angels mated with human women producing hybrid giants. God told Satan he was going to create an enmity between the seed of the woman and his seed. Satan sent his gang down to screw up the DNA and blood of humankind. But Noah was found to be “perfect in his generations”. Noah’s bloodline had not been contaminated so his family was spared from the flood. These hybrids were called the Nephilim. This is where Goliath came from. They have found giant skeletons all over the world but the Smithsonian Institute has tried to keep the truth from us. In ancient mythology there are many hybrids of mankind and animals depicted. Some have said the fallen angels were responsible for this also. They created these powerful creatures that demanded to be worshiped as gods. They say that the UFO abductions that have been reported in modern times are responsible for the creation of Bigfoot and other hybrids. Missing 411 is an interesting show to watch about the hundreds of people who go missing each year in our national forests.
