If the rapture happened today,would those who are left behind still have a chance to be saved?

Question

i hear some preachers teach that when the rapture comes, those who have heard the gospel and are left behind can not be saved because God will send them a strong delusionthat they should believe a lie. but others say they can be saved. please serious answers only.

Answer 1

No because they would be dead.

The Bible says that the rapture happens at the end of the world.

“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

To answer this question, you have to first accept that the idea of the rapture is a fact...and despite participating in several group studies of revelation, I'm not convinced that God is going to remove all the believers from the earth at some specific point in time. I'm not saying that it isn't true, I'm just saything that, unlike other promises he made, this one isn't explicitly defined. I've seen studies that point to scriptures that support the idea of the rapture but I've also seen studies that point to scriptures that refute the idea of the rapture.

For myself, I prefer to focus on the idea of being ready if OR when it happens. I can say that I don't think the rapture would change the nature of God. God's desire is that everyone would come to him so I would like to think that he would give those still living the chance to repent. However, he didn't give that chance to all the non-believers on earth at the time of the flood...he saved Noah and his family but the rest were doomed! Perhaps it depends on when the rapture occurs...pre-tribulation (if all the believers are gone, who's left to persecute if not those that come to him after the rapture)...mid-tribulation (who refuses to take the mark if all the believers are gone), or post-tribulation (would make a good point in time to be the "last chance"...the offer of salvation has to end somewhere to allow for the final judgment!).

Answer 3

No rapture .

The Orthodox, Reformed, and Roman Catholic churches have no tradition of such a teaching and reject the doctrine, in part because they cannot find any reference to it among any of the early Church fathers and because they interpret prophetic scriptures in an amillennialist fashion, as being more symbolic than literal.



Mt 10:7-15

Jesus tells us never to give up on people, but to recognize that sometimes, no matter what we say or do, certain folks just aren't ready yet to move forward or to hear the Good News.
In that circumstance, Jesus tells us not to badger, get angry, or condemn. Just move on.
Shake the dust from your feet and move on. Hold those folks always in prayer, and hope for the future, but let them be.

It's hard to do, but in the long run, the best gift we have for such folks is our silent, respectful caring and hoping. So when that moment comes, don't judge, just commend them into God's hands and let go!

Answer 4

You need to rethink the rapture theory....Every eye will see the Lord when he returns...Christians are not going to be taken away in some secret rapture...you will join him in the air but not in a secret take a way..please study up on this and don't believe it just because some one tells you it is so. See the link I am leaving for you.

There is not going to be a chance to be saved once he returns..now is the time to get saved. Today....not later...you may not have a later.

"We then, as workers together with Him also plead with you not to receive the grace of God in vain. For He says: 'In an acceptable time I have heard you, and in the day of salvation I have helped you.' Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation" (2 Corinthians 6:1,2).

Answer 5

First off the rapture is not part of the bible it was made up by a man in britain in about 1700s. Those who are left behind according to the man will be saved because God will destroy the anti christ and those who stayed will be taken up to heaven, except for the worst of the worst. Besides if your christian wouldnt you think that everyone can be saved at some point and no one is beyond redemption?

Answer 6

Can people repent and be saved after the rapture?

Yes. Millions will repent and come to Christ for salvation during the time following the rapture of the church.

We know this because John, who was given a vision of that era, saw millions of people wearing dazzlingly white robes stand before the throne of God. There were so many that they couldn’t be counted by a man. A heavenly “elder” asked John who these people were. John didn’t know, but knew that the one asking did know. The conversation went like this, according to John, who recorded it in Revelation 7: 14:

“And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.”

So, obviously, people can repent and be saved after the rapture occurs. However, the issue becomes somewhat more problematic when we ask whether those who, during this present era, the Church Age, have heard the Gospel, understood that Jesus is the only way to salvation, yet refused God’s grace gift for redemption, will have another chance during the tribulation. God himself will send those people who have rejected His Son “strong delusion.” The Scripture says:

“And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.” (2 Thess. 2: 11-12).

While many believe that this means people who had a chance to be saved before the Rapture, but rejected Christ, won’t have any hope of salvation after the rapture, the 2 Thessalonians 2 account doesn’t actually say that this will be the case. These words indicate that all who reject God’s call to salvation and choose to stay in their sin will be given over to Satan and his man of the tribulation hour, Antichrist. They will fall for his lies, and be damned forever. They will be damned, without hope of redemption, when they take Antichrist’s mark. (See Revelation Chapter 13.)

Antichrist’s lies will be powerful and alluring, much like Lucifer’s lies were almost irresistible to Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. One’s chances for coming to a belief in Jesus Christ for salvation will be greatly hindered during the tribulation. Today is the day of salvation!

Answer 7

No.Because the 2nd Coming-including the Rapture- will take place after the 666 Mark and martyring of Christians by beheading takes place.

Answer 8

No. The Bibles techings are clear about the fact that when God return's for the "marriage supper of the lamb" (his church) it will then end the era of decision. It will be too late for those who refused to live for God.
Once the rapture occurs the dead in Christ will arise and then those who are clothed with white linen (his name) will then join the heavens as well.

Answer 9

Yes, those that stand true to Christ and ask Him into their hearts after the rapture will be saved also. However, they will have to resist the Antichrist and live like Christians. It will be very very difficult. Today, it is so easy to be able to stand up for Christ, even though a lot of us don't. :( So, why take the chance and try and be a Christian in a very very hostile environment, when you can become saved today and live for Christ along with millions of others. Thanks and have a great day!

Answer 10

Yes they can still be saved. But two things will happen. Number one, they will have to go through the tribulation period and number two, they cannot take the mark of the beast. The mark of the beast will be a number in the forehead or hand, without which no one will be able to buy or sell.

It will be a horrible way to get to heaven. That is why it's wiser now to choose Christ.