What is the Rapture Theory?
December 7th 2011 15:24
There is so much talk about this rapture theory. But what is it? In the early 1800's is was hatched from the imagination of a sick woman name Margaret McDonald. Some people do not want to believe what history says and dispute that she was the origin, but nevertheless, it is documented as such. Now the rapture theory has also been synonymously called the “fly-away” doctrine. Why?
The core of the rapture belief is that Christ's second coming is when He returns BEFORE the anti-Christ, and those “who believe that Christ lived, died and resurrected” will "fly away" from the earth into the air to meet Him; only those who fly away would be “saved” and have eternal life. Then He will take them to heaven while God pours out His wrath on all those who are “left behind.” Generally, these are the same people who believe in the “once saved, always saved” mentality. Meaning that you can keep on sinning and living outside the will of God, you never have to do good works or study to show yourself approved, etc. as long as you “believe” you will go to heaven no matter what.
The “Left Behind” movies are based on the concept of the rapture. Where the “Christians” all vanish (fly-away to the clouds) and all that is left behind is their clothing. But, flesh can not enter heaven- so this is again, against scripture. However, it is a widely embraced deception. Some of those who investigated the ramblings of Margaret McDonald at the time it had occurred, believed it to be very demonic in nature. The feeling and sense that was felt by true followers of Christ, sent to investigate, felt as though there was a demonic force present. In addition to the fact that this idea goes against Christ's teachings, that was likely the case. Satan has to put forth as many deceptions as he can in order to try and fool God's elect.
Let's look into scripture and learn what GOD says about this? In fact, let's look at the prophecy that foretold this doctrine and how it would be widely embraced among God's people and how He felt about these false “divinations”. (Ezekiel 13)
“17Likewise, thou son of man, set thy face against the daughters of thy people, which prophesy out of their own heart; and prophesy thou against them,
18And say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Woe to the women that sew pillows to all armholes, and make kerchiefs upon the head of every stature to hunt souls! Will ye hunt the souls of my people, and will ye save the souls alive that come unto you?
19And will ye pollute me among my people for handfuls of barley and for pieces of bread, to slay the souls that should not die, and to save the souls alive that should not live, by your lying to my people that hear your lies?
20Wherefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I am against your pillows, wherewith ye there hunt the souls to make them fly, and I will tear them from your arms, and will let the souls go, even the souls that ye hunt to make them fly.
21Your kerchiefs also will I tear, and deliver my people out of your hand, and they shall be no more in your hand to be hunted; and ye shall know that I am the LORD.
22Because with lies ye have made the heart of the righteous sad, whom I have not made sad; and strengthened the hands of the wicked, that he should not return from his wicked way, by promising him life:
23Therefore ye shall see no more vanity, nor divine divinations: for I will deliver my people out of your hand: and ye shall know that I am the LORD.”
Now, if you do not believe that prophecy, how about this. John 3:16 “For God so love the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believes upon Him shall not perish but have eternal life.” “Believes upon”, means to take His word, to believe what He[ has preached. So, let's see what Jesus said would happen. Remembering first that Jesus said “Behold I have told you ALL things.” Did He say some, part or selected things? No. He said ALL. So if He didn't say there would be a “rapture” why would you believe it? You do not believe upon His word that He told you all things?
Here is what Jesus said:
Matthew 24:21-22 “For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened.” *The elect are God's children, us, Christians. It is because we will be here that the time has been shortened. He did that for us during this coming time.
Mark13:19-23 “For in those days shall be affliction, such as was not from the beginning of the creation which God created unto this time, neither shall be. And except that the Lord had shortened those days, no flesh should be saved: but for the elect's sake, whom he hath chosen, he hath shortened the days. And then if any man shall say to you, Lo, here is Christ; or, lo, he is there; believe him not: For false Christs and false prophets shall rise, and shall shew signs and wonders, to seduce, if it were possible, even the elect. But take ye heed: behold, I have foretold you all things.” *So, the question is, do we take Jesus at His word? If He told us all things and we see that indeed we are to be here, and He told us of no rapture, why then would we believe it or teach it? He explains that people will think He is coming back first, but explains in depth that it is not the case. He also told us that He tells us ALL things beforehand- no where does He say anything about a rapture or that we will be gone, in fact He says the opposite- we will be here.
“But in those days, after that tribulation, the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars of heaven will fall, and the powers in the heavens will be shaken. Then they will see the Son of Man coming in the clouds with great power and glory. And then He will send His angels, and gather together His elect from the four winds, from the farthest part of earth to the farthest part of heaven.”
Matthew 24:29-30 “Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.” --You see, He is making the point repeatedly clear that He will NOT come until after the tribulation when Satan comes and if person says otherwise he/she is a liar.
This is a tricky one but not if we read it thoroughly: 1 Corinthians 15:52- “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.” *How many trumpets are there? Answer: 7. Satan comes at the 6th (along with the tribulation), Jesus comes at the 7th. Now this verse states the last trumpet which is after Satan. This also shows us He will not return until after the tribulation.
Bottom line, is that it comes back to John 3:16- do YOU believe upon Christ, or do you believe the ramblings of those who contradict the word of God? If there was a "rapture" He would have preached it. Instead He preached that there would be a great deception and described exactly what would really happen. Who do you believe?
_
Margaret McDonald
The core of the rapture belief is that Christ's second coming is when He returns BEFORE the anti-Christ, and those “who believe that Christ lived, died and resurrected” will "fly away" from the earth into the air to meet Him; only those who fly away would be “saved” and have eternal life. Then He will take them to heaven while God pours out His wrath on all those who are “left behind.” Generally, these are the same people who believe in the “once saved, always saved” mentality. Meaning that you can keep on sinning and living outside the will of God, you never have to do good works or study to show yourself approved, etc. as long as you “believe” you will go to heaven no matter what.
The “Left Behind” movies are based on the concept of the rapture. Where the “Christians” all vanish (fly-away to the clouds) and all that is left behind is their clothing. But, flesh can not enter heaven- so this is again, against scripture. However, it is a widely embraced deception. Some of those who investigated the ramblings of Margaret McDonald at the time it had occurred, believed it to be very demonic in nature. The feeling and sense that was felt by true followers of Christ, sent to investigate, felt as though there was a demonic force present. In addition to the fact that this idea goes against Christ's teachings, that was likely the case. Satan has to put forth as many deceptions as he can in order to try and fool God's elect.
Let's look into scripture and learn what GOD says about this? In fact, let's look at the prophecy that foretold this doctrine and how it would be widely embraced among God's people and how He felt about these false “divinations”. (Ezekiel 13)
“17Likewise, thou son of man, set thy face against the daughters of thy people, which prophesy out of their own heart; and prophesy thou against them,
18And say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Woe to the women that sew pillows to all armholes, and make kerchiefs upon the head of every stature to hunt souls! Will ye hunt the souls of my people, and will ye save the souls alive that come unto you?
19And will ye pollute me among my people for handfuls of barley and for pieces of bread, to slay the souls that should not die, and to save the souls alive that should not live, by your lying to my people that hear your lies?
20Wherefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I am against your pillows, wherewith ye there hunt the souls to make them fly, and I will tear them from your arms, and will let the souls go, even the souls that ye hunt to make them fly.
21Your kerchiefs also will I tear, and deliver my people out of your hand, and they shall be no more in your hand to be hunted; and ye shall know that I am the LORD.
22Because with lies ye have made the heart of the righteous sad, whom I have not made sad; and strengthened the hands of the wicked, that he should not return from his wicked way, by promising him life:
23Therefore ye shall see no more vanity, nor divine divinations: for I will deliver my people out of your hand: and ye shall know that I am the LORD.”
Now, if you do not believe that prophecy, how about this. John 3:16 “For God so love the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believes upon Him shall not perish but have eternal life.” “Believes upon”, means to take His word, to believe what He[ has preached. So, let's see what Jesus said would happen. Remembering first that Jesus said “Behold I have told you ALL things.” Did He say some, part or selected things? No. He said ALL. So if He didn't say there would be a “rapture” why would you believe it? You do not believe upon His word that He told you all things?
Here is what Jesus said:
Matthew 24:21-22 “For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened.” *The elect are God's children, us, Christians. It is because we will be here that the time has been shortened. He did that for us during this coming time.
Mark13:19-23 “For in those days shall be affliction, such as was not from the beginning of the creation which God created unto this time, neither shall be. And except that the Lord had shortened those days, no flesh should be saved: but for the elect's sake, whom he hath chosen, he hath shortened the days. And then if any man shall say to you, Lo, here is Christ; or, lo, he is there; believe him not: For false Christs and false prophets shall rise, and shall shew signs and wonders, to seduce, if it were possible, even the elect. But take ye heed: behold, I have foretold you all things.” *So, the question is, do we take Jesus at His word? If He told us all things and we see that indeed we are to be here, and He told us of no rapture, why then would we believe it or teach it? He explains that people will think He is coming back first, but explains in depth that it is not the case. He also told us that He tells us ALL things beforehand- no where does He say anything about a rapture or that we will be gone, in fact He says the opposite- we will be here.
“But in those days, after that tribulation, the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars of heaven will fall, and the powers in the heavens will be shaken. Then they will see the Son of Man coming in the clouds with great power and glory. And then He will send His angels, and gather together His elect from the four winds, from the farthest part of earth to the farthest part of heaven.”
Matthew 24:29-30 “Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.” --You see, He is making the point repeatedly clear that He will NOT come until after the tribulation when Satan comes and if person says otherwise he/she is a liar.
This is a tricky one but not if we read it thoroughly: 1 Corinthians 15:52- “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.” *How many trumpets are there? Answer: 7. Satan comes at the 6th (along with the tribulation), Jesus comes at the 7th. Now this verse states the last trumpet which is after Satan. This also shows us He will not return until after the tribulation.
Bottom line, is that it comes back to John 3:16- do YOU believe upon Christ, or do you believe the ramblings of those who contradict the word of God? If there was a "rapture" He would have preached it. Instead He preached that there would be a great deception and described exactly what would really happen. Who do you believe?
_
Margaret McDonald
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