Christians only please - why believe in the "Rapture"?

Question

The word "Rapture" never appears in the Bible. No one single verse of Scripture supports it. You have to string together two or more unrelated verses to even justify the concept. Will I go to Hell for denying that as a doctrinal belief, even if I affirm the remaining tenants of Christianity?

Answer 1

In Revelation it says there is a multitude that no man could number.

There are many Christian Churches that do not follow the rapture doctrine.

I see it the same way as many other issues - no caffeine, etc. Doctrine beyond "Did Christ pay the ultimate price for you and give you a gift you could not earn" is superfluous minutea.

Answer 2

You will not go to hell for just denying the rapture. The Bible never talks about a rapture, it is just a false doctrine. There is no verse in the Bible that states Christ's coming will be secret. The Bible is however very clear that Christ will come in all His glory and every eye will see Him. All the lost will die and the saved will be caught up in the clouds. Christ will not come a second time for those who were not saved and give them a second chance. The devil especially enjoys this second chance idea because he knows that people will not have a second chance and therefore it will be too late when Jesus comes.

Why would Jesus say "Lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world" (Matthew 28:20) if He intended to come seven years before the end to take them out of the world. The promise wouldn't make any sense. The verse clearly says that humans will be on earth util the end of the world.

I recommend reading the short online book called "The Secret Rapture" which explains this topic in much more detail. -- http://www.amazingfacts.org/FreeStuff/OnlineLibrary/tabid/106/ctl/ViewMedia/mid/447/IID/82/LNG/en/7/The-Secret-Rapture/SC/R/3/Rapture/Default.aspx

How near is Christ's Second Coming? -- http://www.amazingfacts.org/FreeStuff/BibleStudies/StudyGuides/tabid/105/ctl/ViewMedia/mid/453/IID/2-8/LNG/en/7/The-Ultimate-Deliverance/SC/R/3/Rapture/Default.aspx

Answer 3

Just so you know where I'm comin' from, I am what the media calls an "Evangelical Christian". I attend an independent Christian church of about 800 in a small town.

Yes, 'rapture' is not in the Bible. Neither is 'air conditioning' but show me a church without one.

There are some passages in Daniel and Thessalonians about Jesus' return, but men have squabbled over their meaning since they were first written.

I believe that Jesus will return to earth at the end. How, when, in what form, for how long? I say "who cares?".
I am only concerned with wether or not I am ready when it happens and wether I helped others prepare. I pray that I am not found lacking when the time comes.
I also believe that those who use these conceptual differences as a means of division amongst believers, will have to answer to Him for it.
How and when He returns does not affect my salvation. Don't let it be a stumbling block for yours either.

Answer 4

That's probably the modern term for something mentioned in revelation. After all, not everybody talks the way the way they did when they translated the bible. The world duffelbag doesn't appear in the bible either, but maybe they had something similar (they just called it something else in ancient hebrew or aramaic).

I don't know if christianity is true or not, but this argument is way too weak to disprove it. Try again.

Answer 5

Rapture Doctrine
A Stumbling Block for Christians

Before 1830 you can find no mention of the Rapture Doctrine. That alone ought to send up a red flag. In fact, the word "rapture" is not in the Bible. So, where did this false doctrine come from?

In 1830 Margaret MacDonald had an evil revelation on her sick bed, supposedly from God, in which she was shown what would become "The Rapture Of The Church", among other names.

And, from The Incredible Cover-up by Dave Macpherson, Appendix A, you'll read:

"I felt this needed to be revealed, and that there was great darkness and error about it; but suddenly what it was burst upon me with a glorious light." - Margaret MacDonald (Spring of 1830)

MacDonald's revelation would have probably died with her; however, two preachers grabbed it, cleaned it up, and presented it to Christendom. Today, you'll hear many pastors promoting that false doctrine from pulpits.

Ezekiel 13:19-20:
19 And will ye pollute me among my people for handfuls of barley and for pieces of bread, to slay the souls that should not die, and to save the souls alive that should not live, by your lying to my people that hear your lies?

20 Wherefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I am against your pillows, wherewith ye there hunt the souls to make them fly, and I will tear them from your arms, and will let the souls go, even the souls that ye hunt to make them fly,

The "fly away doctrine" or "rapture doctrine". As you can see, God's agains those who teach His children to fly to save their souls.

Why would you need the Gospel Armor if you're going to fly away like little butterflies?

Answer 6

there is an entire class of words that some conservative evangelical communities use to chop up themselves from different Christians. they're the Bible-believing, Spirit-crammed, actual Christians who worship God in Spirit and in certainty and have a private courting with Jesus as their Lord and Savior. those different each physique is Sunday Christians, liberals in ineffective church homes with candles and stained glass domicile windows who belong to denominations and have self assurance as a replace of courting. "those individuals" are often Catholics, sure, as properly because of the fact the older Protestant denominations (Lutherans, Episcopalians, Presbyterians, Methodists). it may additionally incorporate in spite of rival sect the pastor is fulminating against on the 2nd (5-element Calvinists, hyper-Pentecostals, cessationists) and it would incorporate the Orthodox in the event that they ever concept approximately them. the sorrowful element is, this thinking is embedded in the subculture, and countless in any different case non-judgmental human beings think of in those categories because of the fact they're taught to, or merely use this way of language without pondering its implications. they don't comprehend how somewhat divisive this language is while used against fellow Christians.

Answer 7

The Rapture is not a 'tenat of Christianity. It is a belief of some christian churches, not all by any means.
It comes from an interpetation of verses that other denomanations don't accept. (the interpetation, not the verses :) )
Why are there so many churches? Why do ppl like so many different foods? Or music?
The human brain is capable of amazing individuality. isn't it great?

Answer 8

Call it whatever you will. I believe it shall happen exactly as stated in the following Scriptures:

"Brothers, 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. We believe that Jesus died and rose again and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him. According 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. 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. Therefore encourage each other with these words."

I Thessalonians 4:13-18

"I declare to you, brothers, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. 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. For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality. When 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."
"Where, O death, is your victory?
Where, O death, is your sting?"The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ."
I Corinthians 15:50-57

Some call the above described event the Rapture.
I simply call it the Word of God.

Answer 9

The Rapture is NOT a standard CHRISTIAN BELIEF it is a belief of more FUNDAMENTALIST Christians such as Jehova Witness and Born Again Christians.

THEY believe strongly in the Rapture, where as the Catholic Church and even Methodist and Baptist or Lutherans do not believe in any rapture yet ALL are Christians.

Does that make any sense?

It will fall down eventually into what you decide is the truth and not true! No one can choose that for you!

Answer 10

The majority of Christians do not believe in the "Rapture" idea. Those verses have been understood by the Church as referring to the Resurrection event.