The word "rapture" does not occur in the Bible. The concept of the Rapture, though, is clearly taught in Scripture. The Rapture of the church is the event in which God removes all believers from the earth in order to make way for His righteous judgment to be poured out on the earth during the Tribulation period. The Rapture is described primarily in 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 and 1 Corinthians 15:50-54. 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 describes the Rapture as God resurrecting all believers who have died, giving them glorified bodies, and then departing the earth with those believers who were still alive, who have also been given glorified bodies. "For the Lord Himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever" (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17).
1 Corinthians 15:50-54 focuses on the instantaneous nature of the Rapture and on the glorified bodies we will receive. "Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed - in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed" (1 Corinthians 15:51-52). The Rapture is the glorious event we should all be longing for. We will finally be free from sin. We will be in God's presence forever. There is far too much debate over the meaning and scope of the Rapture. This is not God’s intent. Rather, in regards to the Rapture, God wants us to “encourage each other with these words.”
Recommended Resource: The Rapture: Who Will Face the Tribulation by Tim LaHaye.
2007-07-22 15:50:10
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answer #1
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answered by Freedom 7
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Several hundred years ago, the book of Revelation was added to the Bible. It had been around from the beginning, but was not well known. Shortly after, people began to reinterpret prophecy. The rapture is a reletively knew concept, that comes from the book of Revelation being applied to the rest of the Bible.
There are three major views; pre, mid, and post millenialism. Folks argue alot about whether the rapture will occure before, during, or after the period of tribulation.
I think it has more to do with our internal, spiritual struggles. The devil in all of us, so to speak...
2007-07-22 10:35:48
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answer #2
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answered by Anonymous
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Its when Jesus comes back to rapture up people who are saved and walking upright according to the word of God.After the rapture there will be 7 years of tribulation like never before.And there will be an antichrist who says he is Jesus and he will do miracles to make people think he is Jesus but he is not Jesus.Read the Book a Revelation I reccomend you getting the NIV version,Message Bible,or the Bible Experience for better understanding.I understand the bible more now that i have listened to the Bible Experience(a cd collection of the new testement of the Bible that actors and actresses have acted out) I hope I helped
2007-07-22 15:34:57
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answer #3
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answered by ☺♥Justus♥☺ 3
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The rapture is when Jesus is going to come down to earth again and take all his followers with him back to heaven. All that did not follow will be left behind but will get a second chance only it will be hard because the world is turning more and more evil by the second.
2007-07-22 10:29:27
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answer #4
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answered by latrice7437 2
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The rapture will ensue on the "end of the international"...whilst Christ will seem in the heavens. he will finally come back to take all believers in Christ as much as Heaven. people who've already kicked the bucket and have been believers will upward thrust first and circulate to heaven, then those individuals that are nevertheless alive and are believers will circulate next. people who're not believers would be left in the international and go through God's punishment.
2016-12-14 16:09:39
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answer #5
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answered by ? 4
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It is best explained by these two passages of Scripture:
13Brothers, we do not want you to be ignorant about those who fall asleep, or to grieve like the rest of men, who have no hope. 14We believe that Jesus died and rose again and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him. 15According to the Lord's own word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left till the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 17After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. 18Therefore encourage each other with these words.
I Thessalonians 4:13-18
50I declare to you, brothers, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. 51Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed— 52in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. 53For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality. 54When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: "Death has been swallowed up in victory."
55"Where, O death, is your victory?
Where, O death, is your sting?" 56The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. 57But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
I Corinthians 15:50-57
Bottom line is, Jesus is coming back to get His own.
2007-07-22 10:29:58
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answer #6
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answered by Anonymous
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The rapture is a theory in the bible which supposely predicts the fall of man through a series of events such as war, sickness and so on in the future. And that only those who are saved will be spared.
2007-07-22 10:38:22
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answer #7
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answered by Skinnydragon 2
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the entire doctrine of the 'rapture' is relatively young.
It originated in the mid1800's, and is based entirely on the poorly translated verse in Thessalonians by means of the KJV.
The whole concept flies in the face of the book of Revelations, as it suggests that God fearing Christians have to be removed from the planet earth for God to execute his 'day of judgment'.
As the rest of the Bible shows, never before has God had to remove his followers to execute judgment.
In Egypt? His Angel killed the firstborn while everyone else wss there.
In Jericho? Same thing.
When the Assyrians sieged Jerusalem? Same deal.
While the rapture is wildly popular amonst some 'Christians' it is totally without contextual support.
Here is an excerpt from the reasoning book:
Rapture
Definition: The belief that faithful Christians will be bodily caught up from the earth, suddenly taken out of the world, to be united with the Lord “in the air.” The word “rapture” is understood by some persons, but not by all, to be the meaning of 1 Thessalonians 4:17. The word “rapture” does not occur in the inspired Scriptures.
When the apostle Paul said that Christians would be “caught up” to be with the Lord, what subject was being discussed?
1 Thess. 4:13-18, RS: “We would not have you ignorant, brethren, concerning those who are asleep [“those who sleep in death,” NE; “those who have died,” TEV, JB], that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep. For this we declare to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, shall not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the archangel’s call, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first; then we who are alive, who are left, shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air; and so we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another with these words.” (Evidently some members of the Christian congregation in Thessalonica had died. Paul encouraged the survivors to comfort one another with the resurrection hope. He reminded them that Jesus was resurrected after his death; so, too, at the coming of the Lord, those faithful Christians among them who had died would be raised to be with Christ.)
Who are the ones that will be ‘caught up in the clouds,’ as stated at 1 Thessalonians 4:17?
Verse 15 explains that they are faithful ones “who are left until the coming of the Lord,” that is, they are still living at the time of Christ’s coming. Will they ever die? According to Romans 6:3-5 and 1 Corinthians 15:35, 36, 44 (quoted on pages 314, 315), they must die before they can gain heavenly life. But there is no need for them to remain in the death state awaiting Christ’s return. They will instantly be “caught up,” “in the twinkling of an eye,” to be with the Lord.—1 Cor. 15:51, 52, RS; also Revelation 14:13.
2007-07-22 10:32:52
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answer #8
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answered by Tim 47 7
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rapture=they believe that they will be taken to heaven before (or during) the "end times" that they will be spared the agony of the end times. that they will just disappear and reappear in paradise as a reward for their faithfulness
at least that is what I was taught as a child the rapture meant
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rapture
2007-07-22 10:31:37
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answer #9
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answered by rwl_is_taken 5
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It is a false teaching based on new testament scripture given by another post here. It does not base itself on the Old Testament Torah and the prophets, who CLEARLY call for a second exodus, a return to the promised land of the 10 tribes of Israel, and about those who will COME OUT OF BABYLON, as given in Jeremiah 16, 23, and 31. The 'rapture', BIBLICALLY SPEAKING, is the end-time gathering of believers back into the land, to begin Yahshua's rule on earth.
'No longer will we say HE who gathered us out of Egypt, INSTEAD we will say 'HE who gathered us from the north countries, and all the countries, back to our own land'
SEE ALSO RIGHTEOUS BRANCH.
2007-07-22 10:36:05
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answer #10
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answered by witnessnbr1 4
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