Reg, this is one of my favorite questions to answer. However, it's late and I'm tired so I'm going to give you the "quick" answer for now, okay? I apologize, I promise to get more in depth, if you wish, later.
Yes, Adventists believe in a rapture. HOWEVER, rapture simply means to be "caught up". We absolutely know and believe that the righteous will be caught up in the air to meet Christ before the millenial reign with Him. We do not, however, believe it will be secret in any way or that anyone is "left behind" for a 7 year tribulation. In fact, the entire idea of a 7 year tribulation is easily proven false with scripture.
The Bible describes Christ's second coming as the loudest event in the history of the world!! Nothing
secret about it at all.
2 Peter 3:10 - But the day of the Lord will come as athief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a
great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.
"Thief in the night" simply means that nobody knows when He's coming, it will be a surprise as to when, but trust me that we'll all know when He does!!!!
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:
Nobody is left behind...the righteous go to meet Christ and the wicked are slain...dead. They are resurrected 1,000 years after the resurrection of the righteous.
Revelation 20:5 - But the rest of the dead
lived not again until the thousand years were
finished. This is the first resurrection.
We believe in a tribulation, but one that we will be here for. God protects His people through tribulations, not from them. (Noah wasn't taken away
from the tribulation of the flood, but he was protected
through it, etc.) That's why we're to pray that we do not receive the plagues in the end. God will protect us.
There's an excellent verse in Isaiah (like I said, it's late so I won't be able to look up all the scripture for now) that says we see Christ coming while we are present for the tribulation. I'm paraphrasing but it says something like "There is our God, we have been waiting for Him and He will save us."
Reg, as to the last part of your question about being able to be Adventist if you disagree with our beliefs on hell....I don't know how to answer that. I would like to talk to you about our beliefs in regard to the subject of hell unless you have shut your mind off to the whole idea already????
I've done some extensive research into the parable of Lazarus and the Rich Man etc and I'd love to share that with you if you're interested at all.
The Bible says hell rains down from heaven after Judgment Day and it destroys the earth we inhabit today...it burns away and the earth is made new. An earth without sin. We all know this planet hasn't been destroyed YET, right?
It's up to you but I'd love to discuss the subject of hellfire with you another time!
2 Peter 2:9 - The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to
RESERVE the unjust unto (until) the day of judgment to be punished:
God bless!!!!
~Lainie
If you want to read an essay my husband wrote and posted on this forum about this subject,
click here. And
here.
