The Rapture: Our Destiny, or a Drunken Scot's Practical Joke?

[JennyD]

Some say that all True Christians™ will be "caught up in the air" to meet Jesus, as stated in 1 Thessalonians 4:

14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.

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.

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:

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.

They say this will happen at such a time that we avoid the Tribulation.

Others say that Matthew 24 indicates that even we True Christians™ must suffer the Tribulation:

23 Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or there; believe it not.

24 For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.

25 Behold, I have told you before.

26 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.

27 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.

28 For wheresoever the carcase is, there will the eagles be gathered together.

29 Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken:

30 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.

Finally, some like our God-mocking visitor "Orthodox" claim that a drunken Scot made up the Rapture, apparently as some sort of practical joke.

The idea of the Rapture and the Christians being taken up to avoid the persecution in the end times was invented by a Scottish minister in 1807 and is inconsistent with Matthew Chapter 24.

I'm all twisted up on this one. Does the Rapture come before, during, or after the Tribulation? Or did some skirt-wearing lush just make it up 200 years ago?

What does the Bible really say about the Rapture?

[Brother Lazarus]

Re: The Rapture: Our Destiny, or a Drunken Scot's Practical Joke

Some say that all True Christians™ will be "caught up in the air" to meet Jesus, as stated in 1 Thessalonians 4:

14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.

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.


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:


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.

They say this will happen at such a time that we are freed from the Tribulation.


Others say that Matthew 24 indicates that even we True Christians™ must suffer the Tribulation:

23 Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or there; believe it not.


24 For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.

25 Behold, I have told you before.


26 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.

27 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.


28 For wheresoever the carcase is, there will the eagles be gathered together.


29 Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken:


30 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.

Finally, some like our God-mocking visitor "Orthodox" claim that a drunken Scot made up the Rapture, apparently as some sort of practical joke.

I'm all twisted up on this one. Does the Rapture come before, during, or after the Tribulation? Or did some skirt-wearing lush just make it up 200 years ago?

Excellent Biblical research Sister Jenny. God does not lie. God states that there IS a Rapture in 1 Thessalonians. God also states in Matthew 24 that True Christians will experience the Tribulations. It is apparent that God wants True Christians to see what he is about to do, thus graciously confirming True Christian beliefs. I don't see any incongruity. God is clearly stating that the Rapture will occur sometime after the beginning of the Tribulations.

Yours in Christ
Brother Lazarus