Understanding the Rapture

This page presents biblical insights into

Understanding the Rapture

for those

who are interested.

We also have other end time pages such as

Mark of the Beast 

and Matthew 25 .

And many pages about the Millennium.

Introduction:

This page gives a view that is compatible

with the Pre-tribulation Stance and the Pre-wrath Stance.

To those who are Post-Tribulation Rapture:

Although we at Inspirational-prayers
do not believe in the Post-tribulation position,
we realize that the topic of rapture is not
a vital Christian doctrine.
AND, we do not know for sure that our position is correct.

On this page, we will promote our view for purposes of consideration.

We will not entertain or accept debate about endtimes on this site.

And yes,

we are very aware of the reasons post-trib people

do not believe in the rapture.

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We extend a hand of friendship to all who are Post-trib or otherwise. May we all enjoy being together in heaven -

no matter how or when Jesus comes back to get us.

The idea of writing this page was inspired

because the Lord tells us

to watch

for the signs of the return of Christ.

Most Christians are not aware

that the Lord tells them to watch. 

Watching also implies

staying close to God.

Meeting the Lord

One day all of us will meet the Lord face to face.

We will either meet him through death or perhaps if we are still living, we will meet Jesus when he comes back to the earth to get us.

Jesus promised us that he is coming back
to the earth one day. 

But many people do not believe that
Jesus is actually coming back one day.

2 Peter 3:3-4 addresses this subject.

Peter says,

“That scoffers will come in the last days, walking according to their own lusts, and saying, ‘Where is the promise of His coming? For since the fathers feel asleep all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation.”

         Then in verse 9, we are told why Jesus is waiting to come back. It says:

“The Lord is not slack concerning His promise

as some count slackness

but is longsuffering toward us

not willing that any should perish

but that all should come to repentance.”

The Return of Jesus

1 Thessalonians 4:16 describes

what the coming of the Lord is going to be like.

“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 shall we always be with the Lord.”

1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 NKJV

So Jesus appears in

the clouds, there is a shout,

there is a trumpet blast,

and the spirits of the dead Christians

who are in heaven

will come back and reunite with their body.

The dead in Christ reunite with their body that was in the grave.  Wow!

God recreates their bodies  even if it is just dust in their coffins  or ashes that have been sprinkled somewhere.

God finds the parts of their body still on earth and recreates their bodies – and they rise up to meet with Jesus in the air.  Supernatural stuff talked about here! And the Christians who are alive will rise up to meet Jesus in the air.

My favorite rapture song sung

by one of the best voices that God ever made.

Some Christians think that 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 is talking about Jesus coming at the end of the  7 year tribulation where the antichrist tries to rule the world. People who believe that are called Post Trib. But some people, like me, disagree with the Post Tribulation theory.

I believe the Bible tells us

that Jesus comes back twice.

Once in the air when he raptures the church and takes them to

heaven

and then later at the end of the 7 year tribulation –

where Jesus comes to defeat the devil.

 As I have studied the two theories, I have come to the conclusion that Jesus comes back twice (once in the air at the rapture and once at the end of the tribulation at the second coming where his feet touch the earth.)

So I believe in the rapture of the church.

      End times is a difficult subject.

It is not totally clear in the Bible.

~

Below:

Explaining the Rapture

For those who are interested.

I could tell you lots of reasons

why I believe in the rapture,

but many of them are easy to find

if you do a simple search online.

So I’ll highlight

Three reasons I think are important.

To begin, I present Matthew 24 starting in verse 37.

“But as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of

Man be. 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 24:37 -42 NKJV

1

First point

I have never heard anyone share this point.

At the end of the tribulation,

Christians and non-Christians

will NOT be standing next to each other.

It would mean capture and death

for a Christian to be

working next to an unbeliever. 

The above Scripture verses indicate that Christians will be working with non-Christians when Jesus comes back. Then Jesus will come back and take the Christians with him and leave the non-Christians on earth.

These verses cannot be about Jesus coming at the

end of the 7 year tribulation, because Christians

would not dare get near non-Christians at the end

of the tribulation.

You see, during the tribulation, the antichrist forces everyone to take the mark of the beast. The mark is placed on either the right hand or the forehead. Without the mark, you cannot buy or sell. If you take that mark, the Bible tells us that you are forever doomed to hell with no way of escape.

During the tribulation, anyone who doesn’t want to take the mark will have to hide, because if you are caught without the mark, you will be captured. Then you will be given a choice of taking the mark of the beast or being killed.

Therefore at the end of the tribulation, people who do not have the mark of the beast, will be hiding because they are afraid of being killed. So Christians would not be anywhere near non-Christians.

So Matthew 24:37 is talking about the rapture not Jesus coming at the end of the tribulation.

 

2

Second point:

Those verses describe life as normal and usual: eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage.

That is not a description

of the end of the tribulation.

The time at the end of the tribulation is a time when nothing is going to be normal.

Everything is going to be horrific.

Not only has the antichrist made life unbearable but even the earth itself will look as though it is going crazy. There will be huge earthquakes, big upheavals, giant  sinkholes, polluted water, crazy weather, and massive meteors hitting the earth. The earth will be so messed up that Revelation 6:14 tells us that every mountain and every island is going to be moved from its position.

The 7 year tribulation is a time when Satan will come to the earth with great wrath. At some point, he will even possess the antichrist and attempt to rule the world.

The Wrath of the Devil

As Revelation 12:12 tells us,

“Woe to the inhabitants of the earth and the sea! For the devil has come down

to you, having great wrath, because he knows that he has a short time.”

The Wrath of the Lamb of God

The tribulation is not just a time of the wrath of the devil.  There are many places in the Bible that tell us that the tribulation is a time when the wrath of God will come upon the earth and upon the people in it.

When Jesus comes back in the tribulation, he will be coming to bring judgment on the earth because of those who refuse to submit to God.

Jesus is called the Lamb of God.

Revelation chapter 6 tells us about some of the awful  things people will experience on the earth and about the wrath of Jesus coming on the earth.

Verse 13 begins with large heavenly bodies hitting the earth, and it causes the whole surface of the earth to move.

“And the stars of heaven fell to the earth, as a fig tree drops its late figs when it

is shaken by a mighty wind. Then the sky receded as a scroll when it is rolled

up and every mountain and island was moved out of its place.

   And the kings of the earth, the great men, the rich men, the commanders, the

mighty men, every slave and every free man, hid themselves in the caves and in

the rocks of the mountains.    

   And said to the mountains and rocks, ‘Fall on us and hide us from the face of

Him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb.

For the day of His wrath has come, and who is able to stand.”

Revelation 6:13-17 NKJV

3

Third Point...

The above verses tell us to watch.

Many people do not notice that over and over

the Bible teaches every generation to watch for the signs

that the return of Jesus is near.

~
We cannot know the day or the hour, but

Jesus says we can know when the time is near if we watch.

Note that Luke 12:37-42 and

Matthew 25:13 are also "watch" verses.

And...

In Revelation chapter 6, we see the wrath of Jesus coming on

the earth. His anger toward sin will be released on earth.

But the Bible tells us

that God does not want Christians to experience

the wrath of God.

That is why they are raptured before this happens.

“For God did not appoint us to wrath,

but to obtain salvation through

our Lord Jesus Christ.”

1 Thessalonians 5:9 NKJV

Most people have not thought about how horrible the tribulation will be.

Jesus attempts to explain it to us in Matthew chapter 24 as he is talking about the tribulation.

“For then there will be great tribulation,

such as has not been since

the beginning of the world until this time, no,

nor ever shall be.”

Matthew 24:21 NKJV

If you miss the rapture and live during the tribulation, you can still get saved if you refuse to take the mark of the beast. But it is going to be the worst time to live of any time - ever!

 

God does not want anyone to live in the tribulation.

God is calling each of us to get right with him

and stay right with him.

Jesus is NOT coming back
like a thief
to 
everyone!

2 Peter says that

Jesus will come back like a thief.

YET...

Other verses

clarify

that

Jesus is coming back like a thief  

ONLY

to those who are not ready and watching.

1 Thessalonians and Revelation 3:3 

give us more information about the return of Jesus.
~

They explain that

Jesus is only coming back as a THIEF

to those

who ARE  NOT  living in the light of Jesus.

     In 1 Thessalonians chapter 5, Paul is talking about Jesus coming back. 
     In verse three, Paul says,

"For when they say, “Peace and safety!” then sudden destruction

comes upon them, as labor pains upon a pregnant woman. And

they shall not escape. But you, brethren, are not in

darkness, so that this Day should overtake you as a

thief. You are all sons of light and sons of the day. We

are not of the night nor of darkness. Therefore let us not sleep, as 

others do, but let us watch and be sober.

For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk are

drunk at night. But let us who are of the day be sober, putting on 

the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet the hope of

salvation. For God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain

salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.

1 Thessalonians 5:3-9 NKJV

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Note:

The Greek word "darkness" in the above Scripture

refers to sin.

Those who are living in sin and not fighting against sin in their life - will be deceived. 

The Bible tells us to live for Jesus as best you can. 

Christians

dedicate themselves to Jesus.

A

nd then wise Christians

continually re-dedicate themselves to Jesus

to protect themselves from lukewarmness

and from falling away.

Revelation 3:3 also talks

about the unexpected way Jesus is coming

to those who aren’t living in His light.

“Remember therefore how you have received and heard;

hold fast and repent.

Therefore  if you will   NOT   watch, 
   

I will come upon you as a thief, and you will not know

what hour I will come upon you.” 

Revelation 3:3 NKJV

(Also see Luke 21:34)

The 10 Virgins

In Matthew chapter 25,

Jesus tells a story about the end times.

It is about 10 virgins.

Below I give you my thoughts on the story.

Note:

I have a page on this story - click here

Five were wise and ready to meet their bridegroom Jesus.

And five were foolish.

The wise ones had the light of Jesus

while the foolish ones had lamps that were going out. 

The point of this story is that the rapture is for those

who are full of the light of Jesus.

The next section explains what that means.

 

The Light of Jesus

Here are verses that talk about the light of Jesus.

In John 12:46 Jesus says,

“I have come as a light into the world

that whoever believes in Me

should not abide in darkness.”

John 12:46 NKJV

~

 “Unto the upright there arises light in the darkness.”

Psalm 112:4 NKJV

~

 “The path of the just is like the shining sun, that shines ever

brighter unto the perfect day. ”

Proverbs 4:18 NKJV

~

“Then Jesus spoke to them again saying,

‘I am the light of the world.

He who follows me  SHALL  NOT walk in darkness,

but have the light of life. ”

John 8:12 NKJV

~

If we say that we have fellowship with Him,

walk in darkness,

we lie and do not practice the truth.

1 John 1:6 NKJV

 “The light of the righteous rejoices,

but the lamp of the wicked will be put out.”

Proverbs 13:9 NKJV

Notice that the lamp of the foolish virgins was going out.

The foolish virgins were not living in the light of Jesus

which means they were not following Jesus.

You may want to do a study on the light of God by using Bible Gateway - an online website.

The words "light" and "lamp" will help you find the right verses.

To begin your study, I suggest: Isaiah 2:5, Psalm 97:11, Romans 13:11, Psalm 37:6, John 3:19-21, and John 12:35.

Also note Jeremiah 25:8 says,

"Therefore thus says the Lord of hosts: Because you have not heard and obeyed My words......" Then verse 10 says,  "Moreover I will take from them the voice of mirth and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the bride, the sound of the millstones and the light of the lamp."

___

The Philadelphia Church

In Revelation chapter 3,

the Bible talks about the Philadelphia church, and

says that all those in the Philadelphia church will be raptured.

~

It says in Revelation 3:8 that those

in the Philadelphia church will be raptured

because they have kept God's word (they were obedient to God)

and they have not denied the name of Jesus.

Then in verse 10, it says:

“Because you have kept my command to persevere, I also will keep

you from the hour of trial which shall come upon the whole world,

to test those who dwell on the earth.”

Revelation 3:10 NKJV

I encourage you to always be ready to meet God.

If you have not accepted Jesus as your Savior and are not living in His

light, please visit our Prayer for Salvation page.

__

Works and Rewards

We are saved by faith and not by works.

Yet we do get rewarded for our work here on earth.

~

We all want the Lord to say to us,

“Well done thy good and faithful servant.”

Matthew 25:21-23 NKJV

 

We do not know when Jesus will come back, but by studying the end-time prophecies, we realize that many end-time prophecies are being fulfilled right now.

We actually see the Bible being fulfilled in our day.      

Current News about Signs in the Sky

Luke 21:25

-

September 23, 2017

I believe that

The Revelation 12 sign occurred.

I do not think

The Book of Revelation

is in

chronological order.

The Lord tells us there will be signs in the sky.

Are you looking up?

See our Mark of the Beast page.

Jump to the top of Understanding the Rapture.