I am going to throw some verses in here without telling you what I think it means. I'd rather you share what YOU think it means. You don't need to hear me tell you what it means, God can speak to you himself. It is in his Word. I'll just ask some questions what you think God is telling you.
*"Martha saith unto him, I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day." John 11:24
*"And this is the Father's will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day." John 6:39
*"And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day. John 6:40
*"No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day. " John 6:44
*"Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day." John 6:54
The Bible mentions the "last day" multiple times. What is the last day? What does it mean that he will raise us up at the last day?
Labels: Rapture?
Check out Daniel 12:1,
"And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people: and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book."
And if the holy spirit is taken out, then how are those who are in the tribulation saved?
And didn't Jesus say he would be with us until the end of the world? Matthew 28:20.
In reference to your post the fellower blogger, I believe those left in the tribulation will be saved by the 144,000 sealed believers that will left here to ride out their time. Once the Holy Spirit is removed, any non believers left will be deceived by the Anti Christ and Satan. God has given them plenty of time and once the spirit is gone, there is no hope left remaining for them. They will believe the lies of the enemy.
Love and Hugs ~ Kat
And what about the children who haven't trusted Christ? and the babies in the wombs? Where do they go in the rapture?
Regarding who can be saved after the rapture, in Thessalonians we read that there will be some who cannot be saved - "those who had pleasure in unrighteousness" and "received not the love of the truth" (2 Thess 2:10-12) - ie those that directly reject God will not get another chance, it clearly says they are "damned". However, in Revelations 7 we read of the angels sealing certain Jews "servants of our God", the 144000 who are a testimony for God for their service to Him. Those who are not damned (as discussed above) have the opportunity to gain salvation during the tribulation (there will be two witnesses who preach during the tribulation), and it says that that there is a "great multitude... which came out of the great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb" (Rev 7:9,14) - those who are saved in that time because they refuse to take the mark of the beast. At the end of the tribulation, those who have been martyred and believed in God will be resurrected.
Yes, Jesus is with us until the end of the world - we are raptured to be with Him and we stay with Him forever from that point on, even to the end of the world. He is with us now as well, in the form of the Holy Spirit. We are never separated from God once we are saved because the only thing that can separate us from Him is the gulf fixed by sin. The blood of Jesus Christ is the bridge across the gulf that is never taken away.
Regarding Daniel 12:1, this is a description of the Great Tribulation. The people who are delivered in that time are those who are faithful to God even in the midst of the tribulation (as discussed above). You will notice that in the Old Testament, there are many occasions when the angels like Michael are involved in coming to earth on missions from God, and even in the early part of the New Testament - however, after the birth of the Lord, after the angels heralded His birth, I believe there is no mention of angels being here on the earth. After His birth He was here Himself, and after Pentecost His Spirit is here, so I would guess there is no need for those angels to bear messages for Him in these times as they did in days of Old. As mentioned earlier, the dispensation of grace is VERY different from all other dispensations, and this is yet another way it is different. You will notice that the Christian is raptured before there is any more evidence of angels on the earth, like here in Daniel 12:1 when the angel Michael is mentioned in the Great Tribulation - that "time of trouble, such as never was". It all fits together so perfectly when you really look into it and piece the pieces together! I am always in awe of God for the way He has designed it all to be so perfect!
*My apologies for such a long comment at such a late hour... Once I start studying into something I can easily lose track of time, as you will notice!*
Please follow this closely, because I can solidly refute your claim that the Holy Spirit is the withholding influence of 2 Thessalonians.
Chapter 2 is addressing the man of sin, what everyone likes to call "The Antichrist" in capitals. That's never in the Bible either. (John says there are many antichrists.) Anyway, verse 2 says that "the day of Christ is at hand." So we know Paul is addressing the Second Coming of Jesus here. He's telling us to stand fast, to not be shaken, to rest in Christ, because he knows the time will be tough. Notice how he doesn't specify any groups here, like Jew or Gentile. He's talking to believers in Christ. If it were Jews he would somehow refer to them. He just says brethren.
He then says to not let anyone deceive us, "for that day shall not come (the Second Coming) except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition."
So Paul quite clearly establishes that Jesus Christ will NOT come for anyone until the man of sin is revealed. This is also echoed in Matthew 24 as well as two of the other gospels, in Jesus' own words. The abomination of desolation appears first, then "immediately after the tribulation," after the sun is darkened, the stars fall and all that, THEN Jesus comes from the clouds.
Now, I know what you're probably thinking. He's talking about the Jews here! Incorrect. The elect is the ONE body of Christ, said all over the New Testament. Gentiles are grafted into the vine, there is no separation after Christ died. Elect is a singular word, there is one body of Christ (His Bride, the believers), and that's it. I've researched every instance of the word "elect" in the Bible. Pretty straightforward. Jesus did not speak in secrets, unless they were parables that he explained to his disciples later.
So let's move on.
"[7] For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way.
[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:"
So whoever this is referring to is taken away, then the Wicked is revealed. We agree on that part. However, let me ask you this:
If Paul warns that Jesus Christ will not come back (and take anyone) until the man of sin is revealed, and the Holy Spirit will NEVER leave us (John 14:16), how can the withholder be the Holy Spirit?
The answer is that it's impossible.
I hope this can encourage you to look again at your take on the rapture, and dispensations and all that. I don't believe the Bible teaches these things, and I think this loophole in 2 Thes may begin to raise some important questions for you.
Thanks for reading!
"If Paul warns that Jesus Christ will not come back (and take anyone) until the man of sin is revealed, and the Holy Spirit will NEVER leave us (John 14:16), how can the withholder be the Holy Spirit?"
If the Holy Spirit leaves before the man of sin is revealed.. well, then he must've left without us because we don't go anywhere until AFTER the man of sin is revealed.
And the Bible says many will rightly call him the Antichrist. We will know him when he comes.
That wouldn't happen if the believers who were familiar with the Bible and those who knew what to look for, were gone.
Firstly, Tranquility... I found it interesting that you would go so far as to point out my capitalisation of "great tribulation" (which I put there for emphasis rather than because it is capitalised in the Bible), and then to notice in your response that you capitalised "second coming". Are those words capitalised in the Bible?? Anyone can nit-pick. I really don't think there's any reason or need for that kind of criticism - but I'm sorry the way I write bothers you.
The second coming of Christ is a completely different thing from the rapture - one is done privately and only believers will see Christ when the rapture occurs. The other is public when Christ returns to earth - it has to be, He will be coming to reign.
Regarding Sisterlisa's comment, I found the "ummmm" rather mocking and don't appreciate it. If you don't agree with what someone writes, so be it, please don't make someone feel like you are mocking them. If that was not your intention, then I'm sorry, I guess a comment can be misunderstood. I certainly never said there was more than one gospel, but rather that at different times the gospel has a different emphasis - I'm sorry you misunderstood.
Miss Charlene, I enjoy the challenges presented in your blogs. Thank you for allowing us to write responses and have discussions. :)
I'm sad that you didn't address my rationale about 2 Thessalonians. I would really like to see how you could explain a rapture theory from those passages after my study.
As for the thief in the night, and the coming suddenly things, this comes AFTER Jesus returns in the clouds, as Mark 13 and other Gospels directly indicate. Jesus told us to "Watch."
Mark 13:
[35] Watch ye therefore: for ye know not when the master of the house cometh, at even, or at midnight, or at the cockcrowing, or in the morning:
[36] Lest coming suddenly he find you sleeping.
[37] And what I say unto you I say unto all, Watch.
Jesus says this after He lists all the birth pangs and signs to watch for, before the abomination of desolation appears, and before the sun and moon are darkened and all that. Once we see those things (along with a few other signs), Jesus will appear in the clouds and his angels will gather the elect from the four winds. THIS is when we see one taken and one left behind. At the last trump/the last day/the day of the Lord.
Pardon me, but I thought Annon was saying there were different gospels. My misunderstanding.
I still didn't see the answers to my questions above. Especially where you find the souls being reunited with their bodies.
I actually agree with your friend, Martha. Boy, we actually can get so caught up on the details of the last days...how everything will happen. The truth is, no one can claim they know exactly- we go around and around... We rest and trust in a good God who does know and has it all "figured out."
But, one thing is for sure- I don't think Jesus was as concerned about the details of how He returns as how we live while we wait......living a life of LOVE- especially for my brothers and sisters in Christ.
I love the words of the Newsboys, "Lord, I don't know where all this is going or HOW IT ALL WORKS OUT. Leave me the peace that passes all understanding..the peace beyond all doubt." (Lord, I Don't Know)
Bless you, sweet sister! BTW- the poem above was absolutely beautiful. Thanks for sharing it.
Thanks, too for sharing about homeschooling.