Millions of Evangelical Christians incredible the possibility of being "raptured" in 1988 because Christ said, "This generation shall not pass till all these things be fulfilled." Matthew 24:34. He had been talking about the fig tree and many believe it represented Israel being replanted in the Holy Land in 1948. The Bible shows 40 years for the generation in the wilderness (Hebrews 3:9,10) so 1988 was the time(?) With the passing of an additional one 20 years, and the sale of millions of books (admittedly fictional) in the "Left Behind" series and millions who have seen movies based on the book, it's time to revisit this issue.
1. When Christ said, "One shall be taken, and the other left" (Matthew 24:39-40), Luke has more details. The disciples asked, "Where, Lord? And He said unto them, Wherever the body is, there will the eagles be gathered." (Luke 17:37).This helps us see that those who are taken are not raptured to heaven; they come to be supper for vultures, Revelation 19:17,18.
Earthquake & Tsunami In Japan
2. The rapture is contrary to God's way of dealing throughout history. History supports that "we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom." Acts 14:22. Our belief that it won't happen to us is based on a few texts that can be explained to mean something else. Everyone in history lived through trouble and died, except for Enoch and Elijah (below).
3. Christ said, "As it was in the days of Noah" (Luke 17:26). Noah wasn't raptured; he came through the storm. Enoch was raptured before Noah was even born, so his being taken to heaven had nothing to do with avoiding the Flood or tribulation.
4. Elijah was raptured, but Christ never said the end would be like Elijah for us. Elijah was raptured only after he confronted the false worship of Baal. Our confrontation will be with Antichrist when the United Nations says Everyone must be marked or implanted with a chip. But it will contain false worship. Revelation 13:17; 14:9,10 is the Bible's strongest warning.
5. "As it was in the days of Lot," Luke 17:28. Lot wasn't raptured, he was told to flee, and Christ told us to flee because of great tribulation, Matthew 24:15-21; Mark 13:14-20.
6. "Broad is the way, that leads to destruction." Matthew 7:13. Millions of unmistakably fictional rapture books like "Left Behind" suggest a broad following that does not fit well with the Bible's teaching.
7. Christ said to understand Daniel who faced a series of life and death situations; no rapture in Daniel.
8. "By their fruits ye shall know them" Matthew 7:20.One corollary of rapture teaching is a lack of Bible study in Revelation, thinking "we won't be around." But Revelation is the only book that Christ promises a blessing for reading and "keeping those things that are written therein." Revelation 1:3. Revelation uses symbols and imagery that we can decode from other parts of Scripture if we study and come to be familiar with the Bible.
9. Rather than rapturing "lukewarm...miserable" Christians (Rev 3:17), we should expect"the Lord, whom [we] seek, shall suddenly come to his temple...But who may abide the day of his coming...for he is like a refiner's fire," Malachi 3:1,2. If we are particular through trials, we will be ready to meet Christ when He comes in the sky, "Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up" 1 Thessalonians 4:16,17.
10. An earthquake brought an end to that last church that was lukewarm and miserable as shown in Young's Analytical Concordance and many encyclopedias. An earthquake appears to launch the Old Testament apocalyptic "day of the Lord" in passages like Joel 2:10,11 and Zephaniah 1:7,10. We are living in a time of unprecedented calamity, and it would be well for to anticipate a "wake up" call as Paul said-" the day of the Lord comes as a thief in the night. For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction comes." 1Thessalonians 5:2,3. Like the five blind men examining the elephant, each with a distinct report, let's keep learning and comparing what we see in Scripture. God says He won't do anyone without revealing it, Amos 3:7. But few understand the next verse. It says, "The lion has roared, who will not fear?" Christ is the Lion of Judah in Revelation 5:5 and the Bible says, "the Lord also shall roar...and the heavens and earth shall shake," Joel 3:16. A growing amount of Evangelical Christians are rethinking the pretrib rapture idea.
Bible Prophecy, End Times - Apocalypse Begins With an Earthquake, Not Rapture
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