2007-11-20 13:04:08 · 8 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
The "Rapture" refers to a passage in First Thessalonians, chapter 4, which talks about Christians being "caught up" in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. Many Christians believe, and the "Left Behind" books promote, that this being "caught up" to meet the Lord will occur before the Great Tribulation which is headed our way in the near future. Christians will simply vanish, meet Jesus somewhere in the air, and then return with Him to Heaven to await the end of time
But notice, in verse 17, Paul says that "...we who are alive, who are left," shall be caught up. Remember that...those who are "left" get caught up to meet the Lord.
The "Left Behind" books get their name from a passage in Luke 17 and a similar passage in Matthew 24 which talk about the coming of the Lord being like the days of Noah and the days of Lot. Matthew 24 puts it this way: "As were the days of Noah, so will be the coming of the Son of man...they ate, they drank, they married and they did not know until the flood came and swept them all away, so will be the coming of the Son of man. Then two men will be in the field, one is taken and one is left. Two women grinding at the mill, one is taken one is left."
"See," Rapture enthusiasts say, "One is taken, one is left...the Rapture! Jesus takes the Christians and leaves behind non-Christians!" Two problems with that interpretation: First, Jesus' coming is being compared to the days of Noah and the days of Lot. After the flood, who was left? Noah and his family...the good guys...the bad guys were taken! After Sodom and Gomorrah went up in smoke, who was left? Lot and his daughters...the good guys...the bad guys were taken! Second, remember 1 Thessalonians? It says that those who are "left" get to meet Jesus in the air. The good guys are left behind to meet Jesus.
In other words, you want to be left behind so that you can get caught up in the clouds to meet Jesus in the air and accompany Him back to earth at His 2nd and final coming. There will be no Rapture like the one the Left Behind books talk about...that view is not scriptural.
2007-11-20 13:33:06 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 0⤋
Phil 2;12 working out our salvation with fear and trembling.
Mt 24:44 Be prepared, Jesus is coming at the unexpected hour
Mt 25:13 stay awake, you know neither the day nor the hour.
Mk 13:35-37 watch, unknown when the Lord of the House coming
Lk 12:46 Master will come at unexpected day and hour
1 Thes 5:2-3 Day of the Lord will come like a thief in night
2 Pet 3:9-10 Day of the Lord will come like a thief
Rev 3;3 if not watchful, will come like a thief
Mt 24:36 no one but the Father alone knows the day or hour.
2007-11-20 13:10:43 · answer #2 · answered by Lives7 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Pastor Billy says: the Catholic understanding on rapture is the second and final coming of Jesus Christ, besides this there is no other.
Interesting thing about the etymological beginnings of the word is.... it comes from the Latin rapio (rapere, raptus). Funny that our Protestant dispensationalists have accepted this word for their own terminology because as I recall they've decided to reject altogether these Latin versions of the bible for what is claimed to be more authentic in their own newly revised versions of Greek and Hebrew.
2007-11-20 13:47:54 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 5⤊ 1⤋
Catholics rarely think about the Rapture. If they do, it would just be considered another heretical Protestant belief.
2007-11-20 13:35:42 · answer #4 · answered by Ranto 7 · 5⤊ 0⤋
As a catholic there is no answer to religiously insane interpretations of the rapture.
2007-11-20 13:12:27 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 6⤊ 1⤋
the rapture is a modern belief (as indeed is protestantism).
if jesus had intended to rapture anybody he would have mentioned it during his ministry on earth.
2007-11-20 13:08:57 · answer #6 · answered by synopsis 7 · 7⤊ 1⤋
Mother Mary was the first to have been "caught up" when she was assumed into heaven.
2007-11-21 08:39:40 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
How about this: "The Bible says it. God would never tell us to 'comfort one another' with a lie. Therefore, I must believe it."
2007-11-20 13:15:55 · answer #8 · answered by DoneWithThisPlace 7 · 2⤊ 1⤋