What is the truth about the Rapture?

What is the Rapture?

When does it happen?

Is it a secret and invisible Rapture, or is a public and visible one?

A lot of questions, and probable also a lot of answers, however, it is the truth that we want to establish here.

As I understand it there are two schools of thought, pre-tribulation and post tribulation. SDA’s believe in Post trib (correct me if I’m wrong) and other Christians believe in pre-trib.

Now I don’t have all the texts right now to support the pre-trib idea, but I can tell you what they believe to the best of my knowledge.

1. Saved Christians will be removed from earth secretly before the tribulation

2. The saved from Literal Israel will be sealed during the tribulation to protect them from harm.

3. The saved Jews will then witness to their own people about Yeshua as the messiah, this is also when Moses and Elijah appear and also witness to Israel.

4. Many Jews are saved and many are also martyred for their faith

5. At the end of the tribulation Jesus returns with the pre-raptured group and sets up a camp on this earth that last for the 1,000 years.

6. After this time, the lost attack the camp and are killed for the last time.

7. The new earth is created and the city comes down

8. The remnant of Israel minster directly to Jesus in the city and the saved nations live outside the city.



Now that is my version of what they believe and there is scripture to support some of it, specifically the remnant being from literal Israel, Moses & Elijah coming back, the camp on this earth for the 1,000 years, and the remnant living inside the new Jerusalem.

But the pre-trib rapture piece I’m still not convinced.

Lobo,

First, I want to focus on this part of your post:

quote:

---

Lobo posted:
As I understand it there are two schools of thought, pre-tribulation and post tribulation. SDA’s believe in Post trib (correct me if I’m wrong) and other Christians believe in pre-trib.

---

What do you mean by "other Christians believe in pre-trib"?

Do you mean that ALL OTHER Christians believe in pre-trib?

No, sorry for the confusion. I meant some Christians. Actually I don’t know the denominations by name that believer this, but I do know they are the authors behind the “Left Behind” books.

So I didn’t mean that SDA are on one side and everyone else is on the other.

I think it’s like speaking in tongues, some focus on it and some don’t, but it certainly is not polarizing in that there are only two camps.

Never had a discussion using the word 'post-trib'. Only the Second Coming of The Lord, and 1,000 years, never heard an SDA even use the term 'post-trib' as part of the vernacular in discussing the Second Coming of Jesus Christ.
I have heard plenty of pseudo-pentecostals\charismatic,non-denominationalist, jesse duplanis tbn types that do though

God Bless,
Will

I know Will, it’s just a term the those who believe in the pre-tribulation rapture use for those who believe the saved are raptured after the tribulation. You see, everyone who believes in the saved going to heaven after Jesus comes believe in the rapture, it just depend on when you believe that occurs.

So we all believe that we will be taken to heaven (raptured), the question is when? That is where you get into pre and post or even mid to some.

Then there is the question of how. Some people say that it will be a secret and silent, perhaps sneaky, event, while most SDA believe it to be a noisy magnificient event that noone anywhere will be able to miss.

/Thomas

Well I can't find the word 'rapture' in the Bible. Let alone the concept since the Bible does not use such a word, and what really amazed me is that the very definition has nothing to do with meeting the Lord in the air!

quote:

---

Definition
Main Entry: 1rap·ture
Pronunciation: 'rap-ch&r
Function: noun
Etymology: Latin raptus
Date: 1629
1 a : a state or experience of being carried away by overwhelming emotion b : a mystical experience in which the spirit is exalted to a knowledge of divine things
2 : an expression or manifestation of ecstasy or passion
synonym see ECSTASY
- rap·tur·ous /'rap-ch&-r&s, 'rap-shr&s/ adjective
- rap·tur·ous·ly adverb
- rap·tur·ous·ness noun

---

So this really gives it a new twist on things now that we know what the dictionary has for 'Rapture'.


What does the Bible use for the word 'Carried away' which by the way is completely opposite of the application used to define rapture in which leads many to think its an emotional state?

quote:

---

ἁρπάζω
harpazō
har-pad'-zo

to seize (in various applications): - catch (away, up), pluck, pull, take (by force).

---

The next step is to look up it's (the rapture)origin i.e. who,what,when,where,why etc etc...

God Bless,
Will

Actually Lobo (FYI)I had heard someone mention that the word for Carried away meant Rapture, and that the word was 'Rapturios' or something along those lines, so I looked it up and could not find it.
You are absolutely right Lobo I have never heard of the word Investigative Judgment being used in the Bible, but the concept is their much like the Trinity. I cannot find the word in the Bible, but the concept is there as well, but I have never seen nor read that Christ will come in secret. He actually said His coming would not be a secret.

God Bless,
Will