False Doctrine of the "Secret Rapture".

[reddogs]

Many Churches are picking up the false Doctrine of the "Secret Rapture", and give the people the idea that if you are a real Christian you will be caught up in the secret rapture to be with Christ. To arrive at this the Scripture has to be twisted and taken out of context.
Here are some of the texts that have been quoted as referring to the rapture:-

1. The Church will meet Christ in the air - 1 Thessalonians 4:17
2. The Church will be taken to heaven - 1 Thessalonians 4:17 and John 14:3
3. Christ will come for His saints - 2 Thessalonians 2:1
4. The rapture is a mystery - 1 Corinthians 15:51
5. The righteous will be removed - 1 Thessalonians 4:17

The verse, 1 Thessalonians 4:17 used in 1, 2, and 5 has been twisted to make it seem to say the things they claim. Let us look at this verse in context with the verses around it.
1 Thessalonians 4:13 "But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope."
Verse 14 "For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him."
Verse 15 "For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep."
Verse 16 "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:"
Verse 17 "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."
Verse 18 "Wherefore comfort one another with these words."
Verses 13 - 15 says sorrow not for those that are asleep or dead, Jesus died and rose again and so conquered death. When He comes again these people He will raise from the grave as verse 16 explains and then in verse 17 we which are alive and remain will be caught up with those that have been raised from the grave to be ever with the Lord Jesus Christ. This quote can fit nowhere else but the second coming of Jesus - verse 15.


John 14:3 used in number 2 tells us that after Jesus arose, He told His disciples that He was going to prepare a place for them, referring also to all the righteous, and that he was coming again to receive all the righteous unto Himself. It is refering to the time when Christ comes at His 2nd coming.
John 14:1 "Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me."
Verse 2 "In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you."
Verse 3 "And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also."


2 Thessalonians 2:1 used in number 3 is correct but let us put the correct interpretation to it. Read verses 1, 2, and 3 and the reader will see that verse 1 tells us that Christ is coming again to gather His people to Himself; verse 2 tells us not to be troubled but hold firm; verse 3 tells us not to be deceived for that day shall not come until the man of sin -"The Pope" - is revealed; and verse 4 gives us a description of what the man of sin is like.
2 Thessalonians 2:1 "Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him,"
Verse 2 "That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand."
Verse 3 "Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;"
Verse 4 "Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God."

1 Corinthians 15:51 used in number 4 is taken completely out of context. By reading verse 52 also we find that we shall not all sleep, but those that are alive when Christ comes the second time at the end of the seven last plagues, shall be changed in the twinkling of an eye and the dead shall be raised incorruptible. This is the very same meaning as in 1 Thessalonians 13:18 which is talking about the second coming.
1 Corinthians 15:50 "Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption."
Verse 51 "Behold, I show you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,"
Verse 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 incorruptible, and we shall be changed."
Verse 53 "For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality."


So don't be deceived by the false doctrine of the Secret Rapture.The Second Coming will be seen by everyone so its kind of hard to have a "Secret Rapture" with everyone watching. So how will Christ return and how will the Second Coming unfold, well lets start at how he ascended:

And when He had spoken these things, while they beheld, He was taken up; and a cloud received Him out of their sight. And while they were looking steadfastly toward Heaven as He went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel; which also said, 'Ye men of Galilee; why stand ye gazing up into Heaven? This same Jesus which is taken up from you into Heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen Him go into Heaven'. Acts 1:9-l l.


Jesus was taken up into heaven by a cloud, and He will return in the clouds. The clouds refer to the angels of God that surround Him. Jesus Himself promised that He would return with the clouds (the angels).

And then shall appear the sign 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. Matthew 24:30

...the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from Heaven with His mighty angels. 2 Thessalonians 1:7

When the Son of man shall come in His glory and all the holy angels with Him, then shall He sit upon the throne of His glory. Matthew 25:31

...when He shall come in His own glory, and in His Father's and of the holy angels. Luke 9:26

Jesus return in the clouds will be visible to everyone on earth and will be any kind of secret, or only seen or experience by a select few. Christ also warned against false comings of Christ that would not be universally visible.

Behold He cometh with clouds, and every eye shall see Him... Revelation 1:7

Wherefore, if they shall say unto you, Behold he is in the desert; go not forth: behold, he is in the secret chambers, believe it not. For as the lightning cometh out of the east and shineth even unto the west, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. Matthew 24:26,27

...they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of Heaven with power and great glory. Matthew 24:30

Jesus return in the clouds will great a audible sound so that everyone on earth know of his coming, not just a select few.

And he shall send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet and they shall gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of Heaven to the other. Matthew 24:31

The Lord Himself shall descend from Heaven with a shout and the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God... I Thessalonians 4:16

Jesus will return in the clouds while everyone sees and hears his Second Coming and the faithful, those that had died and those alive will be picked up and meet him in mid-air in the cloud of his angels. The redeemed (elect) will be gathered together by angels and taken up into the air to meet the Lord in the sky, the verses make clear it is not a secret rapture.

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. 1 Thessalonians 4:16,17

And He will send his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other. Matthew 24:31 NIV

At the second coming, Christ calls forth the dead and sends forth His angels to gather the elect, and together they meet Him in the air. Christ Himself does not come down to the earth - His feet do not touch the earth. His command to His angels is:

Gather my saints together unto me, those that have made a covenant with me by sacrifice. Psalm 50:5


The living righteous are changed in moments at the last trumpet. We cannot go to heaven with pain, sickness, disease, we will be transformed in a instance, all these things will be taken away. Our bodies will be changed into the likeness of His, incorruptible, and changed to immortal.

Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. So when this corruptible has put on incorruption, and this mortal has put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written: 'Death is swallowed up in victory.' 1 Corinthians 15: 51-54 NKJV


For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body that it may be fashioned like unto His glorious body... Philippians 3:20, 21 NKJV

Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He shall appear, we shall be like Him . . and every man that hath this hope in Him, purifieth himself, even as He is pure. 1 John 3:2,3 NKJV

He will swallow up death in victory, and the Lord God will wipe away tears from off all faces; and the rebuke of His people shall He take away from off all the earth; for the Lord has spoken it. And it shall be said in that day: 'Lo, this is our God; we have waited for Him, and He will save us. This is the Lord; we have waited for Him; we will be glad and rejoice in His salvation.' Isaiah 25:8,9

 

[reddogs]

Here is a excellant explanation from the book Truth Matters by Dr. Walter Veith:

"....the doctrine of the secret rapture which proposes that the people of God will be secretly taken to heaven while the unconverted remain on the earth to receive what is tantamount to a second chance. The second chance doctrine is a doctrine of false hope which does not encourage people to change their lives and make right with God.

Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; and let him return unto the Lord, and He will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon. Isaiah 55:7

But if a wicked man turns from all his sins which he has committed, keeps all My statues, and does what is lawful and right, he shall surely live; he shall not die. None of the transgressions which he has committed shall be remembered against him; because of the righteousness which he has done, he shall live. 'Do I have any pleasure at all that the wicked should die?' says the Lord, 'and not that he should turn from his ways and live?' Ezekial 18:21-23 NKJV

God's justice cannot be compromised. Salvation is conditional to obedience. We will be held accountable for our deeds.

For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father, with his angels, and then he shall reward every man according to his works. Matthew 16:27

God is just. He will pay back trouble to those who trouble you, and give relief to you who are troubled, and to us as well. This will happen when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven in blazing fire with His powerful angels. 2 Thessalonians 1:6,7 NIV

According to these texts, relief for the righteous and recompense for the wicked take place at the same time - at the return of Christ. Dispensationalists separate these events by a period of seven years. First the rapture, then the destruction of antichrist at the second coming. During this supposed period, the Jewish people will have gone through the tribulation and will have come to accept Christ.

The glory of Christ's second coming leaves no hint of secrecy. The events occurring at the second coming are all described as occurring at the same time. The return of Christ is the blessed hope of the people of God: Jesus is to be revealed. (1 Corinthians 1:7; 1 Peter 1:7,13; 4:13) Dispensationalists do not believe in Spiritual Israel (the church) but believe that the promises are for literal Israel. They thus separate the Church from Israel, but the Bible makes no such distinction.

Peace and mercy to all who follow this rule, even to the Israel of God. Galatians 6:16 NKJV...."

The texts often quoted for the rapture are:

"...For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and did not know until the flood came and took them all away, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. Then two men will be in the field: one will be taken and the other left. Two women will be grinding at the mill: one will be taken and the other left. Watch therefore, for you do not know what hour your lord is coming. Matthew 24:38-42 NKJV

These texts do not prove a secret rapture. They merely point out that at the return of Christ, some will be saved and others will be lost. Finally, the dispensationalist view that "antichrist" will arise after the secret rapture is also not in line with the teaching of Scripture regarding the man of sin. (See The Man Behind the Mask) The Bible clearly teaches that this power will arise from the church, not after the church.

Little children, it is the last hour; and as you have heard that the Antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come, by which we know that it is the last hour. They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us; but they went out that they might be made manifest, that none of them were of us. 1 John 2:18,19 NKJV...."

 

[OntheDL]

Here is a excellant explanation from the book Truth Matters by Dr. Walter Veith:

"....the doctrine of the secret rapture which proposes that the people of God will be secretly taken to heaven while the unconverted remain on the earth to receive what is tantamount to a second chance. The second chance doctrine is a doctrine of false hope which does not encourage people to change their lives and make right with God.

Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; and let him return unto the Lord, and He will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon. Isaiah 55:7

But if a wicked man turns from all his sins which he has committed, keeps all My statues, and does what is lawful and right, he shall surely live; he shall not die. None of the transgressions which he has committed shall be remembered against him; because of the righteousness which he has done, he shall live. 'Do I have any pleasure at all that the wicked should die?' says the Lord, 'and not that he should turn from his ways and live?' Ezekial 18:21-23 NKJV

God's justice cannot be compromised. Salvation is conditional to obedience. We will be held accountable for our deeds.

For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father, with his angels, and then he shall reward every man according to his works. Matthew 16:27

God is just. He will pay back trouble to those who trouble you, and give relief to you who are troubled, and to us as well. This will happen when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven in blazing fire with His powerful angels. 2 Thessalonians 1:6,7 NIV

According to these texts, relief for the righteous and recompense for the wicked take place at the same time - at the return of Christ. Dispensationalists separate these events by a period of seven years. First the rapture, then the destruction of antichrist at the second coming. During this supposed period, the Jewish people will have gone through the tribulation and will have come to accept Christ.

The glory of Christ's second coming leaves no hint of secrecy. The events occurring at the second coming are all described as occurring at the same time. The return of Christ is the blessed hope of the people of God: Jesus is to be revealed. (1 Corinthians 1:7; 1 Peter 1:7,13; 4:13) Dispensationalists do not believe in Spiritual Israel (the church) but believe that the promises are for literal Israel. They thus separate the Church from Israel, but the Bible makes no such distinction.

Peace and mercy to all who follow this rule, even to the Israel of God. Galatians 6:16 NKJV...."

The texts often quoted for the rapture are:

"...For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and did not know until the flood came and took them all away, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. Then two men will be in the field: one will be taken and the other left. Two women will be grinding at the mill: one will be taken and the other left. Watch therefore, for you do not know what hour your lord is coming. Matthew 24:38-42 NKJV

These texts do not prove a secret rapture. They merely point out that at the return of Christ, some will be saved and others will be lost. Finally, the dispensationalist view that "antichrist" will arise after the secret rapture is also not in line with the teaching of Scripture regarding the man of sin. (See The Man Behind the Mask) The Bible clearly teaches that this power will arise from the church, not after the church.

Little children, it is the last hour; and as you have heard that the Antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come, by which we know that it is the last hour. They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us; but they went out that they might be made manifest, that none of them were of us. 1 John 2:18,19 NKJV...."

Dr. Walter Veith has some very good insight. Have you seen his 'Total Onslaught' series?

 

[reddogs]

I was lent the "Total Onslaught" on DVD by a German Adventist couple, and now begining to understand Gods truth as I begin to put all the prophecies together and see how they fit. I am making sure everyone that wants it in my church gets a copy of Dr. Walter Veith 'Total Onslaught' series, starting with the pastor on down.....

 

[Strongcuppajoe]

I think I might have heard of that DVD I might want to check it out..
A great book on this subject is End Time Delusions by Steve Wohlberg it really opened my eyes to the truth behind or rather what the Bible really says about the "rapture". How can it be a secret when I Cor. does not at all describe the events of Christs return as a secret. I do not know of too many trumpets that are quite...