If there are any theologians, Bible students, pastors, etc on YA?

Question

I know that as Christians we will be resurrected when the rapture occurs and receive our new bodies, but my question is, What happens before the rapture? Are we conscious, or do we just sleep until Jesus comes for us?

Answer 1

Pastor Billy says: contrary to the thinking of several on here including the asker, there is no rapture as per the Protestant dispensationalist point of view. The word rapture is of Latin origin not Greek, the word in Greek which represents to be caught up is not rapture, as I've stated rapture is a Latin word of the Greek. Since Western Christians used Latin and are traditional known as Roman Catholic it's save to assume the Protestant version of rapture (once again a Latin word) is not found in the bible.

The verses of 1Thes are discribing the last day and Christ's second coming it states "and those left [behind] will be caught up to meet Jesus"

The idea of dispensationalism is that the bad people will be left behind put when taking bible scripture in context you being to see those left behind will meet Jesus Christ on the last day. Just like in the days of Noah and Lot the good are left behind and the bad taken first so shall it be in the endtimes.

Tim LaHaye and his books of fantasy should not be taken as matter of fact because they are pure fiction and he knows it.

The book of Revelations tells us those saints and martyrs and elders alright with God are worshipping him before the altar and are praying holy holy holy so to answer your question those who die before the last day and await the general judgement are not asleep.

Answer 2

New Testament teachings
According to the New Testament, Jesus argued with the Sadducees over the doctrine of the resurrection (Strong's G386). These passages are Mark 12:18-27, Matthew 22:23-33, Luke 20:27–40. See also Mark 12. The Gospel of John also contains teachings about the resurrection of the dead (5:25-29, 6:39-59).

The Sign of Jonah (Matthew 12:38-42, 16:1-4, Luke 11:29-32, cf. Mark 8:11-13) may be about the resurrection of the dead at the Last judgement. For example, from the Scholars Version translation of Matthew 12:38-42: "...At judgment time, the citizens of Ninevah will come back to life along with this generation ... At judgment time, the queen of the south will be brought back to life along with this generation ..."

The resurrection of the righteous is mentioned at Luke 14:14.

There is much discussion among Christian's on whether the soul +/or the spirit goes directly to Heaven upon death. The healing of Jairus's (a ruler of the synagogue) daughter in Luke 8:40-55 sheds some light that is often ignored: "Stop wailing," Jesus said. "She is not dead but asleep." They laughed at him, knowing that she was dead. But he took her by the hand and said, "My child, get up!" Her spirit returned, and at once she stood up. Luke 8:52-55

The resurrection at the last day is mentioned at John 11:24-25.

In Acts of the Apostles, the Apostles and Paul of Tarsus argued in support of the doctrine: 4:2, 17:32, 23:6-8, 24:15, 24:21.

In 1 Corinthians 15:13 Paul argues: "If there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised."

2 Timothy 2:18 warns of some: "who have wandered away from the truth. They say that the resurrection has already taken place, and they destroy the faith of some."

Additional cites are Romans 8:11; 1 Corinthians 6:14; 15:12-13; 2 Corinthians 4:14; 2 Corinthians 5:1-2; Philippians 3:21; 1 Thessalonians 4:12-16; 2 Timothy 2:11; Hebrews

Answer 3

Christians that died since the corss and ressurection go directly to be with Chirst. Sin was judged at the cross and the blood shed for atonement so there is now no intermediate stage. The Bible says, "to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord."

Edit: Yes, the rapture is a Biblical doctrine and the word rapture is in 1 Thess 4, translated as "caught up" into english. The doctrine is taught clearly in 1 Thessalonians, I Cor 15, John 14, and a nuber ofother places.

Answer 4

As Bobby Jim and oldguy63 eloquently said, to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord. There will be a later resurrection of the earthly bodies, but that occurs after the Second Coming.

Now, I would like to address those who say that the "rapture" is not mentioned in the Bible. They are in error. I Thessalonians 4:17 says that we will be "caught up." The Greek word is "harpazo." The Latin word that was translated from the Greek is "rapere" (or variants such as rapiemur), which means to seize violently. Further, the rapture is clearly described in several other passages, 1 Corinthians 15:51-57, II Corinthians 12:2-4, and John 14:1-3 for starters.

Jesus comes back for His church, His "bride" in I Thessalonians 4:17. He meets them "in the air." He later returns to the earth, setting foot on the Mount of Olives, where an earthquake will occur. "And his feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east, and the mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst thereof toward the east and toward the west, and there shall be a very great valley; and half of the mountain shall remove toward the north, and half of it toward the south." (Zechariah 14:4)

He will then begin to rule and reign over the earth, along with the saints that followed Him from heaven. "Enoch, in the seventh generation from Adam, prophesied about these people when he said, "Look! The Lord has come with countless thousands of his holy ones. He will execute judgment on all people and convict everyone of all the ungodly things that they have done in such an ungodly way, including all the harsh things that these ungodly sinners have said about him." (Jude 1:14-15)

Now, back to the etymology of the word "rapture." Allow me to quote I Thessalonians 4:17 from the Latin Vulgate so that you can see it:

"deinde nos qui vivimus qui relinquimur simul "rapiemur" c u m illis in nubibus obviam Domino in aera et sic semper c u m Domino erimus"

And in the Greek:

"ἔπειτα ἡμεῖς οἱ ζῶντες οἱ περιλειπόμενοι ἅμα σὺν αὐτοῖς "ἁρπαγησόμεθα" ἐν νεφέλαις εἰς ἀπάντησιν τοῦ κυρίου εἰς ἀέρα· καὶ οὕτως πάντοτε σὺν κυρίῳ ἐσόμεθα."

Further, those who say it was discovered either by Darby or a 15 year old girl in the 1800's are also in error. Ephraem the Syrian, (who lived from A.D. 306 to 373) was a major theologian of the early Byzantine Eastern Church. He taught rather clearly about a pre-Tribulation rapture of the church, and Christ setting up a millennial Kingdom on the earth after His second coming.

So, regardless that some say how the concept was discovered in recent history, the fact remains that the word (and the concept of a) rapture is Scriptural. Rapture first, Second Coming later.

Answer 5

I've been a Pastor since 1974 will I do?

Jesus told us a story about two real people, Lazarus and a rich man in Luke chapter 16:19-31.

There you see that Lazarus, Abraham and the rich man were awake and conscience and they remembered what had occured when they were living.

This conclusively proves that we are awake after we die and that those who teach soul sleep are wrong.

And by the way that story in Luke 16 is NOT a parable.

The Apostle Paul also taught that to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord.

Paul did not say we take a long nap.

Pastor Art

Answer 6

At death the soul/spirit of a born again or saved Christian is separated from our physical body (which returns to dust) and ascends to an intermediate state in the presence of Our Lord. When He resurrects us and gives us our new bodies our soul/spirit will be reunited with that body and we shall live with Him for eternity. The souls/spirits of those who are not born again will linger in discomfort until they are reunited with their bodies and cast into the lake of fire.

Because our soul/spirit is a part of our humanity and in fact is our conciseness during that time it longs to be reunited with the physical, however, being in the presence of God overcomes any discomfort from the separation.

Soul Sleep refers to the idea that when we die, our souls cease to exist or at least "fall asleep" and become totally inert, until the end of the world and our resurrection. Various religions have different understandings about exactly how soul sleep works, but in practical terms it would mean that the dead are not conscious in any way and hence that there are no saints in heaven interceding on our behalf, etc. And there are many Bible verses that disprove this concept.

Answer 7

The whole study of the word / concept "rapture" is very interesting. There are various ideas about it's validity.
Anyway, to answer your question according to the popular belief, it happens like this...

Jesus IS coming back, we just don't know when. If you are in Christ, that is, a Born Again child of God, you could be doing anything. Working, bathing, reading Yahoo Answers, anything. And suddenly He returns.

If you are His, no matter what you are doing whether asleep or awake, He will take you out of this world. You will rise to meet Him in the air according to 1 Thes.4:16 and following. You will be changed in an instant in the twinkling of an eye according to 1 Cor. 15:51,52.

You don't yet know what you will be like, but you will be like Him for you will see Him as he is, according to 1Jn.3:2.

This is what happens at the Rapture for believers who are still alive. Those who have already died prior to His return, their bodies will rise to meet Him in the air in an instant of a split second just before you do. Read all of 1 Thes. chapter 4 it'll do you good.

But for those who are not in Christ when He comes, I do pity you. You will wish to God you had not scoffed at or mocked this answer.

Right now, it is not to late.
One minute from now... who knows?

Answer 8

The Bible says it is acquired that man will die and then the judgment. Read the story about the rich man and the poor man. Both died the poor man was taken to heaven and as he rested in Abraham's breast the rich man looked through a gulf and could see the poor man, he asked the man to get him some water even on the tip of his finger and give it to him. When he was refused then he asked to send someone to his brothers to tell them not to come to this place. Abraham's reply was if they do not believe the prophets and Mose's than way would they believe one that came back from the dead. Some things in the word of God may sound contradictory,yet it is true to the letter. We die and then the judgment. All so called Christians will not be called up.

Answer 9

The after death is dependent on your theological belief. There is the pre-millennial, post-millennial,and amillennial view. there is the Rapture/no rapture view. and many combination in between. there is the sleep-in-christ belief and the nothing until the one resurrection theory. Most rapture preachers say that your spirit goes to be with God at death and some say you are in the grave at rest in jesus till his return/ They use 11thes. for their proof..
I would suggest you research it for yourself. Then you can compare notes on other belief in the Christian religion.

Answer 10

This is just my understanding.

Those that have died their spirits are in the presence of God not their physical bodies they get those as they come back with the Lord. If we have endured the great tribulation we get caught up and the bodies we have currently are supernaturally transformed into our glorified bodies. We will be shown as priests and kings what we are to do during the Lords reign.