Can you please explain the rapture to me? What is it? Where can I get concise info about it? I know it's in

Question

Revelation. But where can I find the symbolism explained?

Answer 1

“Another parable put He forth unto them, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field: But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way. But when the blade was sprung up, and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also. So the servants of the householder came and said unto him, ‘Sir, didst not thou sow good seed in thy field? From whence then hath it tares?’ He said unto them, ‘An enemy hath done this.’ The servants said unto him, ‘Wilt thou then that we go and gather them up?’ But he said, ‘Nay; lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them. Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn.’’” (Matthew 13:24 – 29 KJV)

Now that is an interesting story, and it can be a little confusing; fortunately, because the disciples found this story a little confusing they also and asked Jesus to explain if further. Because our God is not a God of confusion (1 Corinthians 14:33), Jesus explained what this parable meant.

“Then Jesus sent the multitude away, and went into the house: and his disciples came unto him, saying, ‘Declare unto us the parable of the tares of the field.’ He answered and said unto them, ‘He that soweth the good seed is the Son of man; The field is the world; the good seed are the children of the kingdom; but the tares are the children of the wicked one; The enemy that sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are the angels. As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of this world. The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity; And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth. Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.’” (Matthew 13:36 – 42 KJV)

A closer study of this parable would seem to completely disprove the theory of a secret rapture of the church. Let’s take a look at what Jesus had to say about the time of the end through this parable. There are two groups on the earth represented by the wheat (the good or the church) and the tares (the evil). The workers of the field (probably representing angels) are troubled by the tares that the evil one (the devil) has planted. They ask the farmer (Jesus) if they should gather the weeds now and purify the field (the world). The farmer (Jesus) said that it should not happen that way because some of the wheat may come up with the tares. He then declares, “Let both grow together until the harvest (the end of the world): and in the time of harvest (the end of the world) I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn.” I find it hard to be a proponent of a secret rapture for the church when Jesus said that both the good and the evil will grow together until the harvest (the end of the world). How can the church be raptured, leaving the evil on the earth, when Jesus said they will be together until the very end?

There is another issue raised by this parable. Many well intentioned Christians use the story in Matthew 24:40 & 41 and Luke 17:34 – 36 as key proof of a secret rapture for the church, but if we examine this story about the end times with the earlier story Jesus told about the end times in Matthew 13, we get a completely different picture from what most Christians interpret this story to mean. Let’s look at what Jesus said in these verses.

“Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left. Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left. Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.” (Matthew 24:40 – 42 KJV)

“I tell you, in that night there shall be two men in one bed; the one shall be taken, and the other shall be left. Two women shall be grinding together; the one shall be taken, and the other left. Two men shall be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left.” (Luke 17:34 – 36 KJV)

Now I do not think that I am wrong in thinking that most Christians interpret these stories to mean that the man taken from the field, the woman that is taken while grinding, and the man taken in his sleep are the ones that belong to the group that is the church and are ruptured. This does not seem to be a plausible explanation however. Jesus gives an order for things to happen back in Matthew 13. “Gather ye together first the tares (the evil), and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat (the good or the church) into my barn.” Jesus clearly says that the evil will be gathered first. If we take this understanding and apply it to Matthew 24 and Luke 17, we get a very different understanding. The ones that are taken are not in the group we want to be in. The ones who are taken are the tares (the evil) that are being gathered to be burned, but the ones that are left are the wheat (the good) that are saved.

There is another metaphor that many well intentioned Christians use to support a secret rapture for the church; I feel that this too is an invalid interpretation of a story.

“But know this, that if the goodman of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken up. Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.” (Matthew 24:43 & 44 KJV)

“And this know, that if the goodman of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched, and not have suffered his house to be broken through. Be ye therefore ready also: for the Son of man cometh at an hour when ye think not.” (Luke 12:39 & 40 KJV)

“For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night.” (1 Thessalonians 5:2 KJV)

“But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.” (2 Peter 3:10 KJV)

“Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame.” (Revelation 16:15 KJV)

Here again, most Christians would attempt to say that this metaphor of a thief in the night is depicting a secret rapture for the church. I believe that most Christians have misinterpreted this too. First, Jesus explains what this metaphor means. He says that the meaning is not that the second coming is a secret but we do not know when it will occur. If we knew what day the Lord was to come, we would get ready the day before it, but since we do not know the day or the hour (Matthew 24:36), we must be ever ready! Just examine what Peter had to say of this metaphor in 2 Peter 3:10; he says that when the Lord comes as a thief,” the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, the elements shall melt with fervent heat, and the earth and the works that are therine shall be burned up.” Now I am not sure how all that could be kept a secret from anyone or how people would be able to live on the earth when it has passed away, burned up, and all the elements in it have melted.

Answer 2

Fiction, Read 2 Peter 3.

2Pe 3:9 The Lord is not slow to keep his promise. He is not slow in the way some people understand it. He is patient with you. He doesn’t want anyone to be destroyed. Instead, he wants all people to turn away from their sins.
2Pe 3:10 But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar. Fire will destroy everything in them. God will judge the earth and everything in it.
2Pe 3:11 So everything will be destroyed. And what kind of people should you be? You should lead holy and godly lives.

He says, "EVERYTHING WILL BE DESTROYED." In clear language rather than the symbolic language elsewhere. The Bible indicates that there will be ONE JUDGMENT, but those who preach rapture have 2, one where the Christians are taken, and another at the end of time. THIS IS NOT SCRIPTURAL! The Bible does not speak of "second chances" but of a judgment coming SUDDENLY.

As for newsgirl's FALSE CLAIMS, Jesus lived and died under the law. NO ONE BECAME A CHRISTIAN DURING HIS LIFETIME, yet he did TEACH OF A COMING KINGDOM - one which would come during many of his hearers' lifetimes. Since your original premise is blatantly false, nothing derived from it has any weight.

Answer 3

Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption.

Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,

In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.

1 Corinthians 15:50-52
13But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.

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

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.
1 Thessalonians 4:13-15

Answer 4

the rapture and it's explicit doctrine are not in the Bible
the whole teaching flies in the face of what Peter wrote in his books.
He stated in no uncertain terms that the examples of Noah's day, and of Sodom and Gommorah, were a 'pattern showing what is to come'. As such the pattern established by God is this, that God will destroy the wicked without removing the righteous from the earth.
As this is clearly stated in the 2nd book of Peter, there is absolutely no way that the scripture the Rapturians quote from
Thessalonians is the correct understanding.
The verse there about being caught up in the 'air', is directed at those with a heavenly calling. As Jesus said in revelation, and to his disciples they are of one fold(heavenbound by the new covenant, called the little flock) and the sheep of the other fold, are earthbound, also called 'other sheep'.

This is entirely in harmony with God's stated purpose for humans as regards the earth. He said 'the heavens is the throne of God, but the earth, he has given to the sons of man.
At Genesis, his stated purpose for man was, to fill the earth and subdue it. If the rebellion of Adam and Eve by means of Satan's deception has somehow upset that plan, then, God is not almighty as so he claims. Sorry this seems rambling, but when one makes a claim of some teaching, there is a chain of logic that either supports it or diproves it!

({:-[/]

Answer 5

You will not find it explained in the Scriptures. This is a theory that is both widely believed and widely disbelieved. I have studied it inside out and have come to the conclusion that whether it is true or not that I must be ready to face the tribulation anyway. If God does rapture us out before then, then great I will have not had to face a terrible time on Earth. But I cannot put my trust in something that is not specifically spelled out by Christ, if anything what He spells out is that when He returns it will be as the lightening is from the East unto the West and every eye will see Him.

Answer 6

GreenGrasshopper,
Did you see my posts earlier?

I've been taught that it will be on the Feast of the Trumpets. That is the way God does things. Another translation of "Feasts" is "Set Times." Jesus being laid in a tomb just before Passover began was the fulfillment of the Passover. The Siprit being poured out was the fulfillment of Pentecost. The Feast of the Trumpets is about to happen in Jerusalem this Saturday (the Sabbath) and there are a few things lining up this year to the Set Time of Trumpets.

Check it out:
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=Agrfw7EAZSqrxSiRmzc7z4nsy6IX?qid=20060919185126AA0jO0g

Answer 7

BrotherMicheal is mostly quoting Paul not Jesus. Jesus never mentioned the Rapture.

Most Christian's should be referred to as "Paulinists" because most "Christian" beliefs are based on the letters written by Paul rather than the direct teachings of Jesus.

The teachings of Christ recorded in The Gospels DID NOT ask followers to stop being Jews. Christ did not tell people to turn their backs on their faith, rather he taught them how to be better Jews, how to be more faithful to the True God, and how to pray to God directly without having to have a priest pray for them. Christianity and specifically Catholics have ignored and twisted those basic teachings into a polytheism that worships Mary, Jesus, The Holy Spirit, and God. Christ taught his followers that they should go forth and spread the word with just the clothes on their back, that God would provide for them. Yet, Christianity is a multi-billion dollar business with some preachers making super-star salaries. Christ taught “Every man (giveth) according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver.2 Corinthians 9:7 (King James Version) Christianity teaches “tithing” , or the giving of 10% of your earnings to your church even though the concept of tithing is never mentioned in the Bible.

There are so many discrepancies I could go on all day but my point is that Christ never wanted or expected to create a new religion that would supplant the Jewish religion he followed faithfully.

IF, There is a Rapture, then it will be Paul leading the way not Jesus.

Answer 8

In brief, the rapture precedes judgement day. All living people who are worthy of heaven will be called to God, some say bodily, some say in the spirit. I would suggest that you read the passages yourself, and use your own judgement for meaning. There is a great danger in trusting some one elses interpretation on such important things, they might have an agenda.

Answer 9

It actually comes from 1 Thessalonians 4:15-17

Answer 10

Besides a preacher,the best place to go to get all the info you are looking for is at a "Bible Book Store" go to one and someone that works there should be able to find you a great book that will explain it so you will understand it better..Yes the revalation does talk about it but the book of Revalations is the hardest book in the Bible to understand..But go there and there you should find something that will explain all you want to know..Good Luck..And it's NOT FICTION it is true and one day it will happen..Sooner than we think..