Are we in the last of the last days?

[Major1]

That's true.


2 Peter 3:8 also states that 1000 years in heaven is the same as one day on earth.
Both are true.
The teaching is that God is timeLESS. There is no such thing as "shortly" to God. God doesn't have near or far, long or short.
You are Binding God to time, in opposite of what scripture teaches about Him being outside, unbound by time.



And what keeps you from applying that same view to the 1000 years/day?
Why do you hyper literalize that part of the passage but hyperbolize/spiritualize the other?
Where is the scriptural instruction to apply polar opposite meanings to different parts of the same passage.



Well, if i'm quite right about the Church being an entity that lasts throughout ALL ages, without end, how can there be an end to the Church age?

You get a star......"*" !

 

[keras]

Matthew 24:36-44 declares, ..........
“No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father…Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come…So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect Him.”

You think the unknowable event soon to happen is a rapture.
Scripture says it is the terrible Day of the Lord's vengeance and wrath, that will come upon everyone the whole world over. Luke 21:35, 2 Peter 4:12, Isaiah 47:9-11
There is no escape from this test of our faith to come, we must pass through it in order to go on to receive the blessings promised by God to His people. We are His witnesses on earth, John 15:27, that is our task and going to heaven while we are still alive simply isn't an option.

 

[keras]

2 Peter 3:8 also states that 1000 years in heaven is the same as one day on earth.

This is an unequivocal statement by two witnesses; Peter and Psalms 90:4. Why the determined denial of it?
This formula can be seen in Genesis at the Creation and what does Hosea 6:2 mean if not that?

Well, if i'm quite right about the Church being an entity that lasts throughout ALL ages, without end, how can there be an end to the Church age?

The 2000 year age we are currently near the end of, is the 'time of the Gentiles' where every person can come to God thru Jesus and we have the Holy Spirit as our guide.
To come, after all that is prophesied in the end times has happened: Jesus will visibly Return and will reign as King on the earth for 1000 years.

 

[Major1]

You think the unknowable event soon to happen is a rapture.
Scripture says it is the terrible Day of the Lord's vengeance and wrath, that will come upon everyone the whole world over. Luke 21:35, 2 Peter 4:12, Isaiah 47:9-11
There is no escape from this test of our faith to come, we must pass through it in order to go on to receive the blessings promised by God to His people. We are His witnesses on earth, John 15:27, that is our task and going to heaven while we are still alive simply isn't an option.

May God speak to your heart and May you be sure that if the Lord came, you’d be ready.

 

[BeachBabe87]

In the last days but not last of the last days, but we are close. It needs to be normal for most people to live till 120 years according to the Bible. Give it another generation.

 

[Psalm3704]

Huh?
The Prophecy That Is Shaping History:
President Reagan’s view of Ezekiel’s prophecy was not limited, however, to shaping America’s relations with Russia; it also influenced his relationship with other nations. He believed, for example, that the Arab nations of the Middle East would participate in the End Time invasion of Israel. On this basis he also correctly predicted the fall of Ethiopia26 into the orbit of Communism.
Moreover, the same prophecy may have shaped the President’s relations with Libya—a nation he saw (in Ezekiel 38:5, under the name “Put”) allied with Ezekiel’s Rosh against Israel. In April, 1986, American and British aircraft attacked Benghazi and Tripoli (almost killing Libyan President Ghadafi) in retaliation for the deaths of several American military personnel killed in the bombing of a discotheque in Germany by Libyan terrorists. Following the Reagan era, the 1988 presidential candidacy of the well known evangelist and philanthropist, Pat Robertson, further typified the impact of Ezekiel’s prophecy on American foreign policy. In contrast to academic “conventional wisdom,” Robertson clearly warned of the danger of the Soviet (and, more recently, the Russian) threat, and spoke strongly of his unwavering support for Israel. Robertson remains convinced that Ezekiel 38-39 will be fulfilled by the invasion of Israel by Russia. [After taking Syria]
Apparently represented by the nations of “Paras, Cush and Put” (Ezekiel 38:5). J. Simons, Geographical and Topographical Texts of the Old Testament (Leiden: E. J. Brill, 1959), ad loc. Ezekiel lists three nations, and the list follows the same pattern as “Rosh [no AND] Meshech AND Tubal,” above: “Paras, [no AND] Cush, AND Put” 38:5.. Ezekiel 27 substantiates the fact that these names were real nations whose identity could be traced far into the future—that is, toward the fulfillment of Ezekiel’s prophecy. This list, which portrays commercial activity in the 6th century BCE, includes five of the names on the war list in Ezekiel 38 (Paras, Put, Meshech, Tubal, and Beth Togarmah). In this context, these nations are quite real and identifiable. Furthermore, their fascination with trade and materialism seems unchanged in the Gog passage eleven chapters later. These recurring “types” do not preclude a prime fulfillment by an ultimate expression when the time comes. The same biblical interpretive principle is applicable to Gog and Magog. Even today,
the final expression of Gog and Magog is still future and anticipated “in the latter years” (38:8) and “in the last days” (38:16). Today, the nations occupying the territories of Ezekiel’s prophecy
(Paras, Cush, and Put) are, respectively, Iran,57 Sudan, and Libya—precisely the “peripheral” nations that commentators insisted could not be associated. [We also know what has happened in Libya, Syria, TODAY] On the other hand, in the early 1980s, after the Islamic/socialist revolutions in Libya (Ezekiel’s Put), Iran (Paras), and Sudan (the biblicalCush)—and the rising tide of Islamic fundamentalism that swept over all the Middle East—cooperation and coordination between the Islamic regimes in Libya, Iran, and Sudan was not at all problematic. Significantly, these three Arab nations are on record as being the most vociferously anti-Zionist of the Arab world. They also represent the most aggressive Islamic states in their training and export of terrorism worldwide. Iran (Ezekiel’s Paras/Persia) underwent an Islamic revolution at the end of the 1970s that reoriented the country against the West—whom Arabs call “the Crusaders”—and against Israel. Libya (Ezekiel’s Put) follows the radical Islamic agenda of its leader, Mu‛ammar Qadhafi, and represents a major player within Islamic extremism.83 These days, the Islamic government of (northern) Sudan (Ezekiel’s Cush) is waging a brutal war against the Christian and animist Sudanese in the southern part of the country, killing them by the tens and hundreds of thousands a year, selling prisoners into slavery, and compelling young girls to marry Muslim men, thereby forcing their conversion and genital mutilation. So we now see a remarkable and
intimate association of three radical Islamic states which are committed to one goal: the annihilation of Israel, and are the very countries Ezekiel said would ultimately strive mightily toward this purpose (cf. Psalm 83:1-8a). This picture conforms well with the tone of a number of other biblical prophecies that portray Israel standing alone against the onslaught of “all nations. [Including the USA] For example, Russia has recently entered into agreements
with Iran, Sudan, and Libya to supply military arms. These nations, now occupying the areas of Ezekiel’s nations of Paras, Cush, and Put, appear to represent the other three directions (east, south, and west, respectively) of Gog’s universal invasion.
People who think they will go up are disillusioned.
Revelation 3:12 The one who is victorious I will make a pillar in the temple of my God. Never again will they leave it. I will write on them the name of my God and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which is coming down out of heaven from my God; and I will also write on them my new name.
21:2 I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband.
Matthew 16:28 “Truly I tell you, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom.”
24:3 As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately. “Tell us,” they said, “when will this happen, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?”
37 As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man.
Mark 11:10 “Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David!” “Hosanna in the highest heaven!”
2 Thessalonians 2:8 And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming:
James 5:8 Be ye also patient; stablish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh. No tell me, How about Ezekiel?

Here, add this link to the bottom of your page the next time you copy and paste.

The Prophecy That Is Shaping History: New Research on Ezekiel’s Vision of the End

https://www.hopefaithprayer.com/books/The-Prophecy-that-is-Shaping-History-Ruthven.pdf​

.

 

[he-man]

Here, add this link to the bottom of your page the next time you copy and paste. The Prophecy That Is Shaping History: New Research on Ezekiel’s Vision of the End

https://www.hopefaithprayer.com/books/The-Prophecy-that-is-Shaping-History-Ruthven.pdf​

Thanks, but I use the actual book:

People who think they will go up are disillusioned.
Revelation 3:12 The one who is victorious I will make a pillar in the temple of my God. Never again will they leave it. I will write on them the name of my God and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which is coming down out of heaven from my God; and I will also write on them my new name.
21:2 I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband.
Matthew 16:28 “Truly I tell you, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom.”
24:3 As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately. “Tell us,” they said, “when will this happen, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?”
37 As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man.
Mark 11:10 “Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David!” “Hosanna in the highest heaven!”
2 Thessalonians 2:8 And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming:
James 5:8 Be ye also patient; stablish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh.

 

[he-man]

A little advice. First of all, when you copy and paste as much as you do, you really need to post the source for all of us to be able to see and investigate who is actually saying these words. As far as we know, what you are copy and pasting is coming from an atheist web site.
[/QUOTE] Thanks but I use the actual book!

 

[he-man]

That fact alone is way the Rapture is Bible doctrine. The Rapture can happen now at anytime. That makes it UNKNOWABLE!

People who think they will go up are disillusioned and will miss the boat!
Matthew 6:10 Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven.
1 Corinthians 15:23 But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ's at his coming. 24 Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power. 25 For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet.
Revelation 11:15 And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever. Revelation 3:12 The one who is victorious I will make a pillar in the temple of my God. Never again will they leave it. I will write on them the name of my God and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which is coming down out of heaven from my God; and I will also write on them my new name.
21:2 I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband.
Matthew 16:28 “Truly I tell you, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom.”
24:3 As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately. “Tell us,” they said, “when will this happen, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?”
37 As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man.
Mark 11:10 “Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David!” “Hosanna in the highest heaven!”
Luke 23:42 And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom. 2 Thessalonians 2:8 And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming:
James 5:8 Be ye also patient; stablish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh.
Luke 13:29 And they shall come from the east, and from the west, and from the north, and from the south, and shall sit down in the kingdom of God.
Acts 1:6 When they therefore were come together, they asked of him, saying, Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel?
Revelation 5:10 And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth.

 

[Psalm3704]

Thanks, but I use the actual book: View attachment 188129​

People who think they will go up are disillusioned.

This will come as a shocker to you but Ezekiel 38 and 39 isn't about the rapture of the church.

Revelation 3:12 The one who is victorious I will make a pillar in the temple of my God. Never again will they leave it. I will write on them the name of my God and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which is coming down out of heaven from my God; and I will also write on them my new name.
21:2 I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband.
Matthew 16:28 “Truly I tell you, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom.”
24:3 As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately. “Tell us,” they said, “when will this happen, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?”
37 As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man.
Mark 11:10 “Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David!” “Hosanna in the highest heaven!”
2 Thessalonians 2:8 And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming:
James 5:8 Be ye also patient; stablish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh.

Neither are all these other scriptures you copied and pasted.

Do you know where in the bible the rapture is found? If you need help, it's not written in the book of Ezekiel or anywhere in your book: The Prophecy That Is Shaping History: New Research on Ezekiel’s Vision of the End

By Jon Mark Ruthven, PhD

https://www.hopefaithprayer.com/books/The-Prophecy-that-is-Shaping-History-Ruthven.pdf

And I didn't need to buy the book. I just googled it free.









.

 

[Major1]

Thanks, but I use the actual book: View attachment 188129​

People who think they will go up are disillusioned.
Revelation 3:12 The one who is victorious I will make a pillar in the temple of my God. Never again will they leave it. I will write on them the name of my God and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which is coming down out of heaven from my God; and I will also write on them my new name.
21:2 I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband.
Matthew 16:28 “Truly I tell you, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom.”
24:3 As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately. “Tell us,” they said, “when will this happen, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?”
37 As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man.
Mark 11:10 “Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David!” “Hosanna in the highest heaven!”
2 Thessalonians 2:8 And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming:
James 5:8 Be ye also patient; stablish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh.

That is good to know. It is also true that not ONE SINGLE verse you posted refers to the Rapture.

I will give you one that does in 1 Thess. 4:15-17 says........
"For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep. For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. "

 

[Major1]

This will come as a shocker to you but Ezekiel 38 and 39 isn't about the rapture of the church.




Neither are all these other scriptures you copied and pasted.

Do you know where in the bible the rapture is found? If you need help, it's not written in the book of Ezekiel or anywhere in your book: The Prophecy That Is Shaping History: New Research on Ezekiel’s Vision of the End

By Jon Mark Ruthven, PhD

https://www.hopefaithprayer.com/books/The-Prophecy-that-is-Shaping-History-Ruthven.pdf

And I didn't need to buy the book. I just googled it free.









.

AGREED!

 

[Major1]

A little advice. First of all, when you copy and paste as much as you do, you really need to post the source for all of us to be able to see and investigate who is actually saying these words. As far as we know, what you are copy and pasting is coming from an atheist web site.

Thanks but I use the actual book! View attachment 188131[/QUOTE]

Really!

 

[Major1]

In the last days but not last of the last days, but we are close. It needs to be normal for most people to live till 120 years according to the Bible. Give it another generation.

God said to Abraham that after 400 years He would deliver Israel, "...in the fourth generation". A generation in the Bible is normally 40 years. However, here a generation is 100 years (4 * 100 = 400 years). This is understood by virtue of the fact that Abraham had his promised child when he was exactly 100 years old (Gen. 21:5); it is evident, therefore, that the age of a man when his first child is born is the raw definition of a generation.

Nevertheless, notice that the full number (400 years) is exactly ten-times that of a regular generation of 40 years. Both 100 years and 40 years are a generation in the Bible. However, the average of these two, 70 years, is on occasion also found in the bible, (Psalm 90:10). But "70 years" is a generation according to the average age of a man at his death, rather then when his first child is born (as with the example of Abraham).

40 + 100 = 140 years. 140 ÷ 2 = 70-years as a generation.

(Significantly, king David died at age 70, and reigned 40 years.)

 

[he-man]

That is good to know. It is also true that not ONE SINGLE verse you posted refers to the Rapture. I will give you one that does in 1 Thess. 4:15-17

You are not correct, the Bible does not teach any rapture but does teach Psalm 37:10 For yet a little while, and the wicked shall not be: yea, thou shalt diligently consider his place, and it shall not be.
11 But the meek shall inherit the earth; and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace.
Matthew 5:5 Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.
2 Thessalonians 2:1 Now, brethren, concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him, we ask you, (2) not to be soon shaken in mind or troubled, either by spirit or by word or by letter, as if from us, as though the day of Christ had come. (3) Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition,
The Rapture
A Popular but False Doctrine. The rapture, this doctrine that essentially teaches Christ will come back twice, first coming only into the atmosphere to snatch believers away to heaven for several years; then actually returning to set foot on the earth, often called "the blessed hope," is sadly more hoax than hope, even though the man who started it had no intention of deceiving anyone. You need to know what the Bible actually says!
A premillennialist believes that Christ returns before the Millennium to set up His Kingdom as described in Revelation 20:4
John Nelson Darby believed, rightly, that Jesus Christ would return to earth to establish and rule over the Kingdom of God. Darby was a premillennialist. But in his zeal for countering error, he added another—the rapture theory.
If the rapture were truly a biblical doctrine, it would mesh with all other scriptural references to Christ’s coming. But it does not stand up to that test, as we will see.
Then Scofield picks it up and adopted the [rapture doctrine], even though no Christian had heard of it in the previous 1800 years of Church history” (“Catholic Answers,” http://www.catholic.com/library/Rapture.asp).
In fact, “the day of the Lord” and “the day of Christ” both refer to Christ’s return to the earth throughout the Bible—that is, to the time when He will step foot on earth. So also do the phrases, “the day of the Lord Jesus Christ” and “the Lord’s Day.” They all speak of His actual descent and setting His feet on this earth (Zechariah 14:1-4)
Some rapturists today cite Acts 8:39 , saying it uses the same Greek word that is translated “caught up” in 1 Thessalonians 4:17. They say that the fact the Spirit of God “caught [Philip] away” shows that 1 Thessalonians 4:17 means that the saints are caught away to heaven. Yet the Spirit did not transport Philip to heaven, but rather from one place on the earth to another.
[No man including David, has ascended to heaven but he who came down from heaven]
Acts 2:34 For David is not ascended into the heavens: but he saith himself, The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand,
The implication is that the word “appearance” conveys something secretive and sudden; that is, the rapture. Therefore, “blessed hope” becomes a sort of shorthand for the rapture in literature and films on the doctrine. A few other New Testament references that mention “the appearing of Christ” are also often cited, as if these scriptures strengthen their case.
But all of these are simply referring to Christ’s coming, either the first time as a perfect sacrifice for sin, or the second time, as an invincible King.
1 Thessalonians 4:17 The Greek verb for “caught up” is ἁρπαγησόμεθα; harpagesometha. Does it convey the sense of an abduction here? No, “[it] combines the ideas of force and suddenness seen in the irresistible power of God” (Leon Morris, Tyndale New Testament Commentaries, Revised Edition, 1984, p. 94).
726 harpázō – properly, seize by force; snatch up, suddenly and decisively – like someone seizing bounty (spoil, a prize); to take by an open display of force (i.e. not covertly or secretly).
Paul wrote that they should not grieve over this: “For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus [believers who had died]” (verse 14).
These verses refer only to the doctrine of the second coming, at which time Jesus sets foot on the earth.
“The leading topic of Paul’s preaching at Thessalonica having been the coming kingdom (Acts 17:7
some perverted it into a cause for fear in respect to friends lately deceased, as if these would be excluded from the glory which those found alive alone should share. This error Paul here corrects.”
Verse 15 amplifies the point: “We who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep.” The Commentary on the Whole Bible by Jamieson, Fausset and Brown
Paul’s reason for using such a strong word as harpagesometha was to reassure people that, at Christ’s return, God would reunite believers who remain alive with believers who had died. The dead won’t be behind in any way!
Rapture
"For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the 4 corners of the earth to meet the Lord in the four corners on the earth. And thus we shall always be with the Lord" (1 Thessalonians 4:17).
Luke 17:37 And they answered and said unto him, Where, Lord? And he said unto them, Wheresoever the body is, thither will the eagles be gathered together.

 

[he-man]

This will come as a shocker to you but Ezekiel 38 and 39 isn't about the rapture of the church.

You are correct, the Bible does not teach any rapture but does teach Psalm 37:10 For yet a little while, and the wicked shall not be: yea, thou shalt diligently consider his place, and it shall not be.
11 But the meek shall inherit the earth; and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace.
Matthew 5:5 Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.
2 Thessalonians 2:1 Now, brethren, concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him, we ask you, (2) not to be soon shaken in mind or troubled, either by spirit or by word or by letter, as if from us, as though the day of Christ had come. (3) Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition,
The Rapture
A Popular but False Doctrine. The rapture, this doctrine that essentially teaches Christ will come back twice, first coming only into the atmosphere to snatch believers away to heaven for several years; then actually returning to set foot on the earth, often called "the blessed hope," is sadly more hoax than hope, even though the man who started it had no intention of deceiving anyone. You need to know what the Bible actually says!
A premillennialist believes that Christ returns before the Millennium to set up His Kingdom as described in Revelation 20:4
John Nelson Darby believed, rightly, that Jesus Christ would return to earth to establish and rule over the Kingdom of God. Darby was a premillennialist. But in his zeal for countering error, he added another—the rapture theory.
If the rapture were truly a biblical doctrine, it would mesh with all other scriptural references to Christ’s coming. But it does not stand up to that test, as we will see.
Then Scofield picks it up and adopted the [rapture doctrine], even though no Christian had heard of it in the previous 1800 years of Church history” (“Catholic Answers,” http://www.catholic.com/library/Rapture.asp).
In fact, “the day of the Lord” and “the day of Christ” both refer to Christ’s return to the earth throughout the Bible—that is, to the time when He will step foot on earth. So also do the phrases, “the day of the Lord Jesus Christ” and “the Lord’s Day.” They all speak of His actual descent and setting His feet on this earth (Zechariah 14:1-4)
Some rapturists today cite Acts 8:39 , saying it uses the same Greek word that is translated “caught up” in 1 Thessalonians 4:17. They say that the fact the Spirit of God “caught [Philip] away” shows that 1 Thessalonians 4:17 means that the saints are caught away to heaven. Yet the Spirit did not transport Philip to heaven, but rather from one place on the earth to another.
[No man including David, has ascended to heaven but he who came down from heaven]
Acts 2:34 For David is not ascended into the heavens: but he saith himself, The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand,
The implication is that the word “appearance” conveys something secretive and sudden; that is, the rapture. Therefore, “blessed hope” becomes a sort of shorthand for the rapture in literature and films on the doctrine. A few other New Testament references that mention “the appearing of Christ” are also often cited, as if these scriptures strengthen their case.
But all of these are simply referring to Christ’s coming, either the first time as a perfect sacrifice for sin, or the second time, as an invincible King.
1 Thessalonians 4:17 The Greek verb for “caught up” is ἁρπαγησόμεθα; harpagesometha. Does it convey the sense of an abduction here? No, “[it] combines the ideas of force and suddenness seen in the irresistible power of God” (Leon Morris, Tyndale New Testament Commentaries, Revised Edition, 1984, p. 94).
726 harpázō – properly, seize by force; snatch up, suddenly and decisively – like someone seizing bounty (spoil, a prize); to take by an open display of force (i.e. not covertly or secretly).
Paul wrote that they should not grieve over this: “For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus [believers who had died]” (verse 14).
These verses refer only to the doctrine of the second coming, at which time Jesus sets foot on the earth.
“The leading topic of Paul’s preaching at Thessalonica having been the coming kingdom (Acts 17:7
some perverted it into a cause for fear in respect to friends lately deceased, as if these would be excluded from the glory which those found alive alone should share. This error Paul here corrects.”
Verse 15 amplifies the point: “We who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep.” The Commentary on the Whole Bible by Jamieson, Fausset and Brown
Paul’s reason for using such a strong word as harpagesometha was to reassure people that, at Christ’s return, God would reunite believers who remain alive with believers who had died. The dead won’t be behind in any way!
Rapture
"For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the 4 corners of the earth to meet the Lord in the four corners on the earth. And thus we shall always be with the Lord" (1 Thessalonians 4:17).
Luke 17:37 And they answered and said unto him, Where, Lord? And he said unto them, Wheresoever the body is, thither will the eagles be gathered together.

 

[Major1]

You are not correct, the Bible does not teach any rapture but does teach Psalm 37:10 For yet a little while, and the wicked shall not be: yea, thou shalt diligently consider his place, and it shall not be.
11 But the meek shall inherit the earth; and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace.
Matthew 5:5 Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.
2 Thessalonians 2:1 Now, brethren, concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him, we ask you, (2) not to be soon shaken in mind or troubled, either by spirit or by word or by letter, as if from us, as though the day of Christ had come. (3) Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition,
The Rapture
A Popular but False Doctrine. The rapture, this doctrine that essentially teaches Christ will come back twice, first coming only into the atmosphere to snatch believers away to heaven for several years; then actually returning to set foot on the earth, often called "the blessed hope," is sadly more hoax than hope, even though the man who started it had no intention of deceiving anyone. You need to know what the Bible actually says!
A premillennialist believes that Christ returns before the Millennium to set up His Kingdom as described in Revelation 20:4
John Nelson Darby believed, rightly, that Jesus Christ would return to earth to establish and rule over the Kingdom of God. Darby was a premillennialist. But in his zeal for countering error, he added another—the rapture theory.
If the rapture were truly a biblical doctrine, it would mesh with all other scriptural references to Christ’s coming. But it does not stand up to that test, as we will see.
Then Scofield picks it up and adopted the [rapture doctrine], even though no Christian had heard of it in the previous 1800 years of Church history” (“Catholic Answers,” http://www.catholic.com/library/Rapture.asp).
In fact, “the day of the Lord” and “the day of Christ” both refer to Christ’s return to the earth throughout the Bible—that is, to the time when He will step foot on earth. So also do the phrases, “the day of the Lord Jesus Christ” and “the Lord’s Day.” They all speak of His actual descent and setting His feet on this earth (Zechariah 14:1-4)
Some rapturists today cite Acts 8:39 , saying it uses the same Greek word that is translated “caught up” in 1 Thessalonians 4:17. They say that the fact the Spirit of God “caught [Philip] away” shows that 1 Thessalonians 4:17 means that the saints are caught away to heaven. Yet the Spirit did not transport Philip to heaven, but rather from one place on the earth to another.
[No man including David, has ascended to heaven but he who came down from heaven]
Acts 2:34 For David is not ascended into the heavens: but he saith himself, The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand,
The implication is that the word “appearance” conveys something secretive and sudden; that is, the rapture. Therefore, “blessed hope” becomes a sort of shorthand for the rapture in literature and films on the doctrine. A few other New Testament references that mention “the appearing of Christ” are also often cited, as if these scriptures strengthen their case.
But all of these are simply referring to Christ’s coming, either the first time as a perfect sacrifice for sin, or the second time, as an invincible King.
1 Thessalonians 4:17 The Greek verb for “caught up” is ἁρπαγησόμεθα; harpagesometha. Does it convey the sense of an abduction here? No, “[it] combines the ideas of force and suddenness seen in the irresistible power of God” (Leon Morris, Tyndale New Testament Commentaries, Revised Edition, 1984, p. 94).
726 harpázō – properly, seize by force; snatch up, suddenly and decisively – like someone seizing bounty (spoil, a prize); to take by an open display of force (i.e. not covertly or secretly).
Paul wrote that they should not grieve over this: “For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus [believers who had died]” (verse 14).
These verses refer only to the doctrine of the second coming, at which time Jesus sets foot on the earth.
“The leading topic of Paul’s preaching at Thessalonica having been the coming kingdom (Acts 17:7
some perverted it into a cause for fear in respect to friends lately deceased, as if these would be excluded from the glory which those found alive alone should share. This error Paul here corrects.”
Verse 15 amplifies the point: “We who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep.” The Commentary on the Whole Bible by Jamieson, Fausset and Brown
Paul’s reason for using such a strong word as harpagesometha was to reassure people that, at Christ’s return, God would reunite believers who remain alive with believers who had died. The dead won’t be behind in any way!
Rapture
"For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the 4 corners of the earth to meet the Lord in the four corners on the earth. And thus we shall always be with the Lord" (1 Thessalonians 4:17).
Luke 17:37 And they answered and said unto him, Where, Lord? And he said unto them, Wheresoever the body is, thither will the eagles be gathered together.

And here is the web site from which you copied and pasted your inputs..........
The Rapture: A Popular but False Doctrine

Now we are getting somewhere.

You see folks, the web site our friend uses to copy and paste from is an element of the "United Church of God".

Now what makes that so unique is that it is and has been the official website of the HERBERT ARMSTRONG ministry, but they just changed the name.

You my friend are in involved in a CULT and this web site is allowing you to teach falsehoods propagated by Mr. Armstrong. I have felt that for some time since reading your copied and pasting words.

Just some of Mr. Armstrong's Doctrinal Errors, which you have also propagated are:
1. The ten lost tribes are migrated to the Countries of Britain and the United States.
2. Britain=Ephraim
3. Israel is to be distinguished from the Jews.
4. England is the throne of David. This is where Christ will sit and rule.
5. The use of the Hebrew language in relation to British-Israelism to show the House of Israel is the covenant people: the Hebrew word for "covenant" is "Beriyth". The Hebrew word for "man" is "ish". Together they mean "men of the covenant". The original Hebrew language has no vowels and they don't pronounce their "h's". If you keep the "I" to preserve the "y" sound, you take the Hebrew final form and use the Anglo pronunciation-"Beriyth" becomes Brith. Brit + ish = British, or covenant man. Also, the ten tribes are descended from Isaac and are therefore Isaac's sons. Armstrong puts this into shorter form "ssac's son's" or SAXONS.

That is just a few of his falsehoods which are absolute heresy. YOU have been seduced by his false teaching and you are in a CULT! It is just that simple.

 

[keras]

And here is the web site from which you copied and pasted your inputs..........
The Rapture: A Popular but False Doctrine

Using that to discount everything he-man said, is just a cop-out.
Armstrong couldn't have known all the truths of prophecy, as he lived too early for that, only a few of those alive now can.
But Armstrong had an amazing ministry and brought many to the faith. That you and I should be such a blessing to the world!
Saying that what he said is absolute heresy, without proper rebuttal, is typical rudeness of a rapture pusher.

 

[Major1]

Using that to discount everything he-man said, is just a cop-out.
Armstrong couldn't have known all the truths of prophecy, as he lived too early for that, only a few of those alive now can.
But Armstrong had an amazing ministry and brought many to the faith. That you and I should be such a blessing to the world!
Saying that what he said is absolute heresy, without proper rebuttal, is typical rudeness of a rapture pusher.

When does posting the truth become a cop out???

Wait, I know this one.

When the stuff he copies and pastes come from a proven web site that has been denounced as a CULT because it places a burden of truth upon what you say because you have the same agenda he has. That means you have the same problem by association doesn't it?????

You see my friend, when we run with ducks, and quack like ducks and swim like ducks, sooner or later someone is going to call you a duck. That is all that I did.

He-Man can respond any time he chooses to me. I will be more that happy to speak to him.

I can assure you that I did not say one single word that was not the truth and all anyone has to do is do a search and find out.

 

[keras]

3. Israel is to be distinguished from the Jews.

This conflicts with Romans 9:6-8, Galatians 3:26-29, Ephesians 2:11-18 and many other verses that say the Jewish nation are no longer the Israel of God. Happy with that?