1 Cor. 15:52 In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.
How excited are you about the Lord’s return for His Church – His Bride? Oh dear reader, I pray with all my heart that this blog has excited you and solidified why you hold to the Pre-Tribulation Rapture! I have to admit that this series has stirred the embers in my heart and started a fire within me to share this blessing for the Church! If you do not know Jesus Christ as your Saviour, I pray that you will find His peace here and now. I am amazed that there are churches out there that don’t even hear about the Rapture or the end times. It saddens me because we are to encourage one another with this knowledge that we will soon be with Christ!
The last post was about the “when” of the Rapture and this is a continuation of that post, although this post deals more on why we hold to that timing. The entire Bible revolves around God’s chosen people, Israel. I heard a message from a Jewish believer and evangelist, Amir Tsarfati, recently and he said that Jesus was a Jew (like we needed to be reminded, LOL), the Apostles were all Jews, AND none of them quoted the New Testament! I never thought of it that way before. Although there is no where in the Old Testament that speaks specifically about the Rapture, we can know the times of Christ’s return because of the prophecies. Jesus expounded on those prophecies during His time here.
The first of these prophecies that had to come to past to usher in the “end times” was:
The Old Testament prophets spoke about a time when Israel would finally become a nation. That prophecy was fulfilled in our time, reader! In 1867, Mark Twain visited Zion (Israel) and had this to say about the land in his publication Innocents Abroad:
“….. A desolate country whose soil is rich enough, but is given over wholly to weeds… a silent mournful expanse…. a desolation…. we never saw a human being on the whole route…. hardly a tree or shrub anywhere. Even the olive tree and the cactus, those fast friends of a worthless soil, had almost deserted the country.”
God had a job to do to prepare the land for the return of the Jews so they could inhabit that land. One can Google pictures of that land during any time period from Twain’s visit to 1948 (even today) and you see a miraculous change from desolation to a lush, vibrant land. This is most certainly fulfillment of Bible prophecy, friend.
This is no big thing for God since He created everything in six days! May 1948 was a day of great joy for the Jews. They came from all over the world to inhabit their land, which God had prepared for them. Israel was known as the “fig tree” according to Jesus. He taught us to learn from the parable of the Fig Tree:
So what does this have to do with knowing we are close to Christ’s return? Jesus said in the very next verse. He said that the generation who would see that blessed event would not pass away before His return!
Friend, we are that generation! Rejoice! We can take this to the bank because Jesus said that Heaven and earth shall pass away, but His words shall NOT pass away. That means you can believe His promise! From May 1948, anyone who was born would have the opportunity to witness His return, if death didn’t come first.
I want to give you one more golden nugget for you to get excited about and that can be found in:
According to Strong’s Concordance, the word “from” in this verse is “ek” in Greek. Ek means “out of.” Therefore, Jesus will keep the Church “out of” the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world! I have this note in my Bible: “Encourage one another – there is hope, not doom and gloom”! This verse cannot be referring to the Church when John was speaking of the church at Philadelphia because during that time no judgment since the Great Flood had come upon the entire earth to try them; and neither to date. We’ve seen flooding, pestilence, earthquakes, etc., but not a severe judgment (as in Noah’s day) upon the entire earth.
If you never learned about the Rapture and the Second Coming of the Lord Jesus Christ, I pray that these devotionals have been a blessing to you. Friend, it is no coincidence that God has placed you here for such a time as this so that you may be saved. Please click here and the link will open up in a separate tab to You Can Be Born Again and Know It!
Good morning, dear reader! What a beautiful picture!!! Doesn’t this picture fill you with expectation? What is your expectation for today? The Rapture of Christ’s Bride, the Church, could happen today! What a wonderful expectation it is indeed! It gives you something to look forward to! There is nothing on God’s prophetic clock that has to happen before the Church is raptured forever to be with the Lord! Some people keep saying the Rapture will happen in the middle of the Tribulation or at the end. So let’s take a look at what God’s Word says, not what “people” think! God’s Word is final, after all.
Because we are expecting the Rapture to occur at any time, this indicates that Jesus’ return is imminent. How do we know this? Let’s open the Bible and read for ourselves:
Oh but Kate, that’s only one verse! Dear reader, encourage yourself and learn of God 😊
What do you see as the criteria here? I see two things: no one knows when and He will come suddenly when you least expect Him to. The other Rapture views cannot answer to this. Why? Their beliefs are tied to actual dates. Once the antichrist signs the peace treaty with Israel, one only needs to count the days: 1,260 for mid-Tribulation and 2,520 for post-Tribulation. What did Jesus say above? He said no one knows the day or the hour. Their belief makes Jesus a liar. How can one trust anything in the Bible if this one point isn’t true?
Why do you think there are different viewpoints? When a believer holds to the pre-Tribulation Rapture, he is busy working to lead as many people to Christ before it is too late for them. If the Rapture would not occur until mid or post-Tribulation, the believers would be focusing on the antichrist, the judgments and how to survive; they wouldn’t be as diligent to lead others to Christ. Instead, the Church is eagerly awaiting her Groom, the Lord Jesus! Comfort yourselves, Church!
1 Thessalonians 5:1-11But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you. (2) For yourselves knowperfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. (3) For when they shall say, Peace and safety; thensudden destructioncometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape. (4) But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief. (5) Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness. (6) Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober. (7) For they that sleep sleep in the night; and they that be drunken are drunken in the night. (8) But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation. (9) For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ, (10) Who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him. (11) Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also ye do.
Paul spent time with the Thessalonians and taught them all about the Rapture. He said, “For yourselves know PERFECTLY that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night! If you were to know the day, as mid and post-Tribulation believers do, you wouldn’t be expecting a thief but the Lord Himself on a specific day! However, when believers don’t know the day, as pre-Tribulation believers, we are comforting each other and encouraging one another that it could be any day now! We’re not appointed unto wrath whether we are awake or asleep so why would those who are awake go through the Tribulation??? What would those comforting words be if the Church would go through the Tribulation? Paul didn’t write this for nothing! For God hath not appointed us to wrath! Noah Webster defines “wrath” as:
WRATH, n. [L.]Violent anger; vehement exasperation; indignation; The effects of anger. The just punishment of an offense or crime.
Friend, the Book of Revelation is filled with the wrath of God toward the disobedient world so why should the Church be subjected to that wrath when we are promised that God’s wrath is not upon the saved:
Those who enter the Tribulation are those who were willfully disobedient and did not accept Jesus Christ as their Saviour! The unsaved who have been disobedient to God’s Word are the ones who will receive His wrath. Granted, there will be some who will get saved during the Tribulation; however, they will have to experience the judgments and possibly death.
We are not to experience this horrible time that is to come upon the whole disobedient earth. Luk 21:35-36 For as a snare shall it come on all them that dwell on the face of the whole earth. (36) Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man. Friend, why would Jesus talk about an escape for the worthy if we were to go through the Tribulation?
If you never learned about the Rapture and the Second Coming of the Lord Jesus Christ, I pray that these devotionals have been a blessing to you. Friend, it is no coincidence that God has placed you here for such a time as this so that you may be saved. Please click here and the link will open up in a separate tab to You Can Be Born Again and Know It!
Good morning, Reader!! It’s rise and shine time 😀 Let’s start the day with a wonderful thought! What if the Rapture were to happen first thing in the morning? Can you imagine the sun’s rays coming up with a beautiful pink and red hew across the sky? Oh what a glorious day that will be! I pray that as you are reading this, that you will be one of the blessed participants of the Rapture!!!
As we continue on the topic of who will be participating in these events, today’s post is about the event of the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. Just who will participate in this event? Let’s look at Scripture.
Paul tells us that Jesus Christ will be coming with all His saints. Remember the last post, we saw that at the Rapture, Jesus is coming for the saints.
As we read about the Second Coming in Revelation, we see that the army that accompanies Jesus is dressed in fine linen, white and clean. Some say these are angels but angels do not need to be cleaned from sin. In fact, the “angels desire to look into” in the following verses:
So as you can see, the army is not comprised of angels but of the Church, whose garments have been made clean by the blood of the Lamb!
If you are not convinced that this is the Church, a few verses gives us the answer:
Therefore, we see that the Church is called Christ’s wife and we come back with Christ to earth to fight the enemy at the Battle of Armageddon. Praise the Lord!
If you never learned about the Rapture and the Second Coming of the Lord Jesus Christ, I pray that these devotionals have been a blessing to you. Friend, it is no coincidence that God has placed you here for such a time as this so that you may be saved. Please click here and the link will open up in a separate tab to You Can Be Born Again and Know It!
Good morning! Depending on where you’re located, the sun has risen and I love how it brings everything to life. It’s just like reading the Bible: the more you read it, the more God reveals His word to you. God is a very good Father! He doesn’t want His children to be in the dark. His Word lays out the details He wants us to know regarding future events so we are not in the dark.
The unsaved (those who don’t want to hear about Jesus Christ) are those who walk in darkness. They are blinded by the god of this world, Satan.
Let’s take a look at WHO Jesus will come for at the glorious Rapture? He comes to claim the Church for His Bride. (We will cover the WHO at the Second Coming on the next post.)
The Church is the Bride of Christ. As in the traditional Jewish wedding, a marriage contract was made between the groom and bride (Jesus signed the marriage contract with His blood to all believers). Then the groom would go to his father’s house and prepare a place where he could bring his future espoused wife. Jesus said:
IF the Rapture were to happen at the end of the Tribulation, why would Jesus go to prepare a place for His bride in Heaven so He could receive her to Himself? No one goes to Heaven after the Second Coming. The Second Coming introduces the millennial Kingdom on earth, not in Heaven. Why would He prepare a place for us if we’re not going to be going there? If you are a believer in Jesus Christ, you will be raptured.
The church is depicted as ambassadors for Christ. Anytime a war is about to begin, that country’s ambassadors are called home. It will be the same with the Church before God’s judgment on the entire earth. He will call His ambassadors home at the Rapture and then the Day of the Lord will begin with the antichrist signing a peace treaty with Israel. The judgments will end with the Battle of Armageddon and Christ’s Second Coming.
If you never learned about the Rapture and the Second Coming of the Lord Jesus Christ, I pray that these devotionals have been a blessing to you. Friend, it is no coincidence that God has placed you here for such a time as this so that you may be saved. Please click here and the link will open up in a separate tab to You Can Be Born Again and Know It!
Good morning! Grab your cup of favorite morning beverage and let’s see what the Word of God has to teach us today! As we continue our study on the differences between the Rapture and the Second Coming of our Lord, we will look into where these two events will take place. Some believe that they occur at the same time but let’s compare that with the Bible.
First, let’s see what Scripture says about where the Rapture will occur. The Bible says:
As we’ve covered previously, the words “caught up” in the Greek is “harpazo,” which means to catch away.
ἁρπάζω harpazō har-pad’-zo From a derivative of G138; to seize (in various applications): – catch (away, up), pluck, pull, take (by force).
Strong’s Concordance
The English New Testament was translated from the Greek so we see exactly what was meant. I also find it interesting that Strong’s states that it is from a derivative of G138 which means:
αἱρέομαι aihreomai hahee-reh’-om-ahee Probably akin to G142; to take for oneself, that is, to prefer.
The Lord Jesus Christ will take for Himself the Bride by meeting the Church in the air! The word rapture itself comes from the Latin’s translation of harpazo, which is rapturo. Now you see where we get the English word rapture. 🙂 Only the Church will take part in this event.
Remember, the unbelieving world will not see this happening because it happens so quickly: in the twinkling of an eye! Notice that the Lord Himself descends (no mention of others coming with Him as in other verses referring to the Second Coming). Also, note that He comes with the “trump OF GOD;” this trump is not the same as the seven trumpets of Revelation 8. The seven angels will have those trumpets; and those trumpets bring judgment, not joy! The Messiah will sound His own trumpet and He alone will descend with a shout! Again, this is not what happens at the Second Coming.
Now, let’s talk about the Second Coming of Jesus Christ and where it will occur. The Bible states:
The Old Testament prophet, Zechariah, states that the Lord will be coming to the earth and will stand on the Mount of Olives. This is a physical coming to earth! It’s not in the air. Not only that, when Christ comes back to earth at the end of the Tribulation, the Bible says that every eye will see Him! The Scriptures say:
I can almost hear the skeptic saying that this verse says that Christ is coming in the clouds in this verse. However, the Scriptures say that He is coming with clouds, not coming in the clouds. These are not the puffy clouds in the air: we can see in Hebrews 12:1 that this use of the word cloud at times can refer to people:
Do you see the difference between Christ coming at the Rapture “in the clouds and in the air” and at His Second Coming “to the earth and standing on the Mount of Olives”? The Rapture is a time of joy for the Church. The Second Coming brings an end to seven years of judgment upon the entire earth. Christ and the Church defeat the devil’s armies, and the counterfeit “trinity” is bound for 1,000 years. Christ’s Second Coming ushers in the Millennium!
If you are a student of the Bible, you know more than the smartest people on earth who misguide people; world leaders, other Christians who have been misled and many others. Bible prophecy is a blessing and is contained in almost a third of the Bible. Bible prophecy has nothing to say about other nations at the center of its prophecies. Only Israel is at the center of prophecy. This is why people are so misguided. They try to fit the war with Russia and Ukraine as an indication we are in the Tribulation. We are merely in the birth pangs – reread Matthew 24. This war may very well be a stepping stone so do not be deceived.
Friend, it is no coincidence that God has placed you here for such a time as this so that you may be saved if you are not already. Please click here and the link will open up in a separate tab to You Can Be Born Again and Know It!
Rise and shine, dear reader! Isn’t today’s picture beautiful? The photographer has captured exactly what is on my heart this morning. Seeing the rays of sun reminds me of what believers will see at the Rapture when we are caught up to be with the Lord forever! I see the fog, on the other hand, as hiding this blessed event from the rest of the world. Just as you can’t see beyond the fog, the world won’t be able to witness the Rapture; that event will be seen by the Church only. Who knows what leaders will say is responsible for this disappearance! But as my friend Bruce once said, the unbelieving world needs to be warned about what will happen so they can recognize what is happening.
So let’s dive into this topic so the Holy Spirit can teach us that there is a difference between the Rapture and Christ’s Second Coming. The Bible is clear on both points but it is up to you to study the matter out for yourself and not read after whomever agrees with your point of view. The Holy Spirit wrote the Bible so why not get it from the Source Himself? I don’t want you to form an opinion based on what I write here. I want you to dig into your Bible and let the Holy Spirit of God teach you.
The Apostle James tells us that we CAN know and we CAN ask for wisdom from the One who provides it liberally!
So let’s ask the Lord for wisdom as we read the Scriptures and allow His Holy Spirit to reveal truth to us. What do the Scriptures say about the differences between the Rapture and Christ’s Second Coming? This will go on for a couple of weeks or so. I will attempt to keep the posts under 5-15 minutes of reading time.
What does the Old Testament and New Testament say on the subject of the Rapture? The New Testament says that the Rapture is a “mystery.”
If you do a search for the word “mystery” throughout the Bible (I use the King James Version), you will find that the word only appears in the New Testament. A mystery was not revealed in the Old Testament. At times, a mystery was referred to but not revealed; as we see in Old Testament prophecy. I read a quote that explains it more clearly:
The New Testament is in the Old concealed; the Old is in the New revealed.
Attributed to St. Augustine (early 400’s AD)
Christians today can see some truths in the Old Testament Scriptures hiding in plain sight because Christ’s birth, death and resurrection have already occurred. It seems obvious to believers, but not so to the Jews. Israel didn’t have these truths revealed to them – it was concealed from them because, to them, their Messiah has yet to come. They missed His first coming and are looking to His second comingI hope that makes sense to you.
The Apostle Paul tells us that he’s about to explain to us a “mystery.” Paul was a Jew from the sect called Pharisees. He knew the Old Testament inside and out. After Paul became a Christian, he discovered that the Christians were not trying to eliminate the Old Testament but instead, they were embracing it as the preface to Messiah’s coming. After Paul received the knowledge of the Scriptures according to Christ, he taught his followers how Jesus fulfilled the prophecies of His first coming. We must remember that the New Testament Scriptures were not yet in written form at that time. Jesus and the Apostles all quoted from the Old Testament. The Rapture was not taught in the Old Testament because Israel was not going to take part in it. They were disobedient and rebelled against God’s word and God paused Israel’s judgment to give the Gentiles a chance to be saved! Praise Him!! We have Israel to thank for the salvation that came to the Gentile world!
The following verses have blessed me as I read them with the Rapture in mind. At the time they were written, the reader had no idea that the verses would be speaking of the Rapture in the Old Testament. But as we believers look back at Christ’s first coming and look forward to the rapture of His Bride, the verses below have more meaning! Some may argue that they refer to the Rapture event, but that’s OK.
If you are born-again and a believer in the Pre-Tribulation Rapture, don’t these verses excite you? This event is to occur at a time that no one knows, not even Christ Himself. If you are not certain whether or not you believe in the Pre-Tribulation Rapture, remember that it is all about timing. Jesus said that NO ONE knows the hour of His return. That means the Rapture is imminent – to occur at anytime. If the Rapture were to occur in the middle or end of the Tribulation, then man WOULD know the day because the Tribulation lasts seven years.
Friend, we know the exact date of the Messiah’s return to earth at the Second Coming! The first day of the seven year Tribulation begins when the antichrist signs a peace treaty with Israel. That starts the prophetic clock for the seven year Tribulation:
Daniel’s 70th week of God’s judgments on Israel for their rebellion against Him begins with a peace treaty with the antichrist. The 70th week is comprised of seven years of 360 days each. The Jewish calendar consists of 360 days per year, not 365 like the West’s. The Tribulation will last a total of 2,520 days from the signing of that peace treaty. Therefore, if you believe in the post Tribulation Rapture, you would have an exact date. If you believe in the mid Tribulation Rapture, that would be 1,260 days after the signing of the peace treaty. Again, you have a date. Jesus is God and if the Rapture were to occur in the middle or at the end of the Tribulation, He would know the date! But the pre-Tribulation Rapture belief fits perfectly.
Israel will be enthralled with the antichrist. They will be deceived by him and will be fooled to think that he is their Messiah.
For those of you who believe that Christians will go through the Tribulation or that we are currently in the Tribulation, you have set a date. That means that you must know more than the Lord because He does not know the hour He is coming for His Bride. Mark 13:32 says otherwise “But of that day and that hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father.”
The Second Coming of Jesus will be to reign as the King of Kings. He will come to Jerusalem and will stand on the Mount of Olives. He will be seen by the entire earth! His coming for the Church happens in the clouds, not on earth.
When the Lord returns at the end of the Tribulation, He will be coming with His church, the saints, who met Him in the air, in the clouds seven years earlier! The Church, Christ’s Bride, will return with Him because she is never more to be separated from Him.
The ten thousands of his saints cannot be angels. Angels do not need salvation and, therefore, cannot be saints. These saints refer to those who accepted Jesus Christ as their Saviour and Messiah.
If you never learned about the Rapture and the Second Coming of the Lord Jesus Christ, I pray that these devotionals have been a blessing to you. Friend, it is no coincidence that God has placed you here for such a time as this so that you may be saved. Please click here and the link will open up in a separate tab to You Can Be Born Again and Know It!
Good morning, dear reader! Are you ready for a new day? Don’t let your thoughts stray far from the blessed event of the Rapture. Stay diligent and aware of the signs. God gave us the tools to find Him, receive His salvation, and to get to know Him. Not only that, the Bible is His gift to mankind so that we can draw near to Him and also learn of what is to come. He does not leave us in the dark. We are children of light! So get your mind ready and let’s proceed.
Many think that the Bible is all about good but it is so much more than that. God warns us of the evil that surrounds us but He doesn’t stop there. He provides us with Scriptures that teach us how to stay away from this evil.
Here is an article about an event that happened in mid February! It’s truly frightening but we know that the evil deeds of Satan are alive and well and they are leading the world head first into the end times. You don’t see this advertised on television or in the online news. The devil is crafty and does things in the background so that Christians won’t be up in arms! This article is about an event that the satanic temple in Scottsdale, Arizona was promoting.
The SatanCon event is open also to the public, hoping to entice inquiring minds to open up to the products and activities in the SatanCon Marketplace. Visitors can also participate in the late-night “Impurity Ball” satanic ritual. No doubt there will be many people attending for the sake of spectacle and intrigue, and who may find that their curiosity comes at a price with the demonic activity summoned at an event such as this.
This “Impurity Ball” featuring a raucous night of music, ritual, and debauchery mocking the gross and weird “Purity Balls” of evangelical origin in what will be a display of bodily autonomy, personal growth, and the joys of sinning with abandon.
Did you read anything having to do with this on social media? I had to actual do a DuckDuckGo search on topics such as these in order to find what I was looking for. This is very disturbing in light of what is going on right under our noses, Christian; in our own beloved Country!
If you are not born again, you do not have the light of Christ living within you in order to discern these types of evil. This is what this organization is hoping for! One might think that this is an isolated incident, but it is not. This satanic religion is working hard to recruit our youth and anyone else who does not have wisdom from above!
The Satanic Temple, subject of the critically-acclaimed documentary, Hail Satan?, and the academic analysis of modern Satanism, Speak of the Devil, confronts religious discrimination to secure the separation of church and state and defend the Constitutional rights of its members. In response to Oklahoma and Arkansas placing a Ten Commandments statue on Capitol grounds, TST offered its bronze Baphomet statue to stand alongside the Christian monuments. TST hosts the “After School Satan” club to counter the Evangelical “Good News Clubs” in public schools across the country to promote a plurality of religious viewpoints. The mission of The Satanic Temple is to encourage benevolence and empathy, reject tyrannical authority, advocate practical common sense, oppose injustice, and undertake noble pursuits for the individual will.
We can truly see by these news articles why the devil is referred to as a roaring lion who walks around looking for someone to devour! It doesn’t say that he is simply a lion. We know that a lion is large and strong. But the three verbs in 1 Peter 5:8 show us that he roars, he walks about, and he devours. Is it any wonder that Peter is warning us to be alert and vigilant? The devil wants nothing more than to distract believers and make them scared so they produce nothing for Christ. He cannot cause us to lose our salvation because that is secure. However, he can make our lives miserable if we let him.
So in closing, remember, Christian, Phil 4:13 says, “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.” Christ tarries because He wants all to be saved. His tarrying the rapture of the Church is an indication that the last soul as yet to be won. But once it is, BAM! We’re outta here!!! \o/
Friend, it is no coincidence that God has placed you here for such a time as this so that you may be saved. Please click here and the link will open up in a separate tab to You Can Be Born Again and Know It! If you have received Christ as your Saviour as a result of this blog, please reach out to me. I would love to share a discipleship study that will help you to grow in your new found faith. To God be the glory, amen?
Rise and shine 🙂 Are you ready to dive into today’s topic? So what’s next on God’s prophetic calendar? The Rapture is the next major event according to God’s Word. Notice who is spoken of in the verses above? The Apostle Paul describes two groups: “they/them” and “ye”! Those referenced as “they/them” will say “Peace and safety” meaning that they are not looking for judgment from God – they think everything is OK. However, Paul says “they shall not escape.” Escape what? They shall not escape the Tribulation.
Then Paul changes to the ones he’s speaking to. He tells the Thessalonians that “But ye brethren” are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief! Wow! Paul starts the very next sentence with the word “But”! Then he continues to say that the brethren (those who are in Christ, born again) are NOT in darkness that that day (what day – the Tribulation) should overtake them. He had taught them about the Rapture and he is reminding them of that teaching.
Born again believers world wide are looking for this next prophetic event on God’s calendar!!! As a reminder, the word “rapture” is not found in the Bible, but neither is the word “bible”! The terminology used in 1 Thessalonians 4:17 is “caught up”:
As you recall from my previous posts, the New Testament was written in Greek and translated into English. The Greek word for “caught up” is:
ἁρπάζω harpazō har-pad’-zo From a derivative of G138; to seize (in various applications): – catch (away, up), pluck, pull, take (by force).
Strong’s Concordance
Either way you look at this term as it relates to 1 Thessalonians 4:17, you see that “caught up” indicates that there will be some kind of removal of believers that will be done and those believers will meet Christ “in the air” and we’ll be with Him forever. Who will be caught up?
the dead in Christ will rise first
and thenwe which are alive
How will they be “caught up” according to the Greek word “harpazo’s” definition? They:
will be caught away
will be caught up
will be plucked
will be pulled
will be taken by force” from this earth into the air!
This same Greek word was used in Acts 8:30 when Philip was caught away by the Spirit of the Lord after he led the Ethiopian eunuch to salvation and afterward baptized him.
Either definition you pick from the Greek definition, Christians will be removed quickly: in the twinkling of an eye!
Only two types of Christians will be raptured, reader! Those who are already dead and those who are alive at the time the Rapture occurs. The picture at the top of this post is a wonderful depiction of the blessed event! Notice that there were two in the grave, two in bed, and two in the field working. Only one of each category was caught up and the others stayed on earth. Paul says that sudden destruction will come upon those people who remain on earth after the Rapture. These people may have already heard the gospel preached and decided they loved their sin more than living for the Lord. How sad is that?
Praise the Lord! \o/ Does this topic excite you, reader? It surely does me! But to the one who is not born again, it is a different story. Friend, it is no coincidence that God has placed you here for such a time as this so that you may be saved. Please click here and the link will open up in a separate tab to You Can Be Born Again and Know It!
Good morning! With my cup of coffee in hand, I’m ready to keep writing about my favorite topic 😀 Have you been enjoying this series? I’d love to hear from you – give me your thoughts thus far! As I first read these verses (above) when I was first saved in 1980, I could not “see” this happening in the Church yet. Now, 42 years later, I see it so clearly! This is why Paul was reminding the Thessalonians that they were not in the end times yet because a great falling away had not occurred yet:
Current events are proof to us that we are in the end times. When we look at the church today in comparison to early American days, we see that people have been drawn away from the Scriptures. The Scriptures can change the heart and draw the unsaved to salvation in Christ. We see people who are more interested in listening to a motivational speaker than hearing and learning the Scriptures. This is the “falling away” which is also called apostasy. It simply means they have turned away from the original foundation of the Scriptures. They prefer to hear messages that make them feel good. They appear religious because they are “attending church” – having a “form of godliness”! Dear Reader, does this sound like you? Please, I beg of you, keep reading!
Those who “profess” Christ but are not born again fit perfectly in this passage. One of the most famous preachers of today and is known to pastor the largest church in our country, says he’s not there to preach the negative but to preach the positive. What does the Bible say about preaching of this kind? Jesus preached on the negatives and made it clear that one must be born again (John 3:3, 3:7). He pointed out sin to the woman at the well. He preached about Hell. Reader, the whole Gospel must be preached, not just the feel good stuff. It would be like only eating bacon and eggs three times a day. You would not have a balanced diet and you would become malnourished, lacking vitamins and proper nutrition. The long-term effects of such a diet would lead to clogged arteries and death. It’s not any different from hearing only the positives. This will make you spiritually malnourished and will lead to spiritual death and eternity in Hell.
Friend, if you sit in a church service long enough and truly listen to what is being preached, you can tell if what you’re hearing is appealing to your flesh or pricking your heart. The single most important truth of Scripture is that God loves you and wants you to be saved. The truth of 2 Timothy 4:4 is just that: Jesus is the way, the TRUTH, and the life!
No one can enter Heaven except by Him. The Gospel message on how to be saved is the core of Christianity. After salvation, the Bible becomes the best self-help book there is! It teaches you all about God, His plan and His character (Old Testament), His wonderful salvation (New Testament), how to live our lives (i.e., the Book of James for example), etc. However, the Bible will mean nothing to the reader without salvation.
I heard a lot of people talking about salvation when I was first saved in 1980. Now, not so much. 😢 Fortunately, the church I attend is blessed to have a Pastor that believes in preaching about it. When you look through YouTube, you hear many preachers who don’t.
There has never been more “other ways to get to heaven” than today. Friend, that path is only through Jesus Christ and Him only. Some churches have added to this doctrine and claim there are a bunch of things you have to do or you have to have another book to go along with the Bible. Jesus made it quite clear what needed to be done in one Book and that is His Holy Word alone. If we see these signs of the end times, does it not stand to reason that the Rapture is at the door? It seemed “at the door” when I was first saved; all the more now. Now I see clearly that in 1980, the total apostasy had yet to arrive. It surely has arrived now.
Let’s get back on topic of 2 Timothy 4:3-4. In the world today, there are many religions. According to reference.com, it is mind boggling how many there are:
The precise number of religions in the world is not known, but available estimates show the number to be about 4,300, according to Adherents.com.
Wow! Remember what verse 4 says, reader! If these religions are not preaching Christ as the only way to Heaven, they are preaching fables to their congregation and adding to this great falling away. Unfortunately, many fables are preached in “Christian” congregations as well. That is why it is so important for us to be familiar with our Bibles so that we can easily spot errors quickly. The Lord God would not lie to us nor would he have many roads to Heaven. If He did, what would have been the point of Christ coming to earth to die for our sins?
This tells us to study ourselves approved unto God, not to be approved by men! Study what? The answer is the word of truth! Jesus tells us what “the word of truth” is as He’s praying to His Father in Heaven:
God’s Word, the Bible, is truth. If the Bible is truth, then all other books or man-made doctrines are not! Is it any wonder why in these end times there is a great falling away? This great apostasy has been around for a while but it is a lot more noticeable now! Those who are part of the apostasy have turned away their ears from the Truth (God’s Holy Word) and they only listen to what makes them feel good.
The hearts of man today don’t want revival because of the times we live in. The times are evil and the hearts of men are primed for these end times and the Tribulation. They will follow the one world religion because they cannot discern what is truth. Hopefully this pricks the searching heart today and one person will want to be saved. If you are this person, don’t give in to the fables of this world.
You may say that this has been going on for a long time and things are no different today. However, the Bible says that apostasy will increase more and more. Paul warned of this:
Be honest, is this you? Are you part of the apostasy of the end times? It’s not too late to change that. Friend, it is no coincidence that God has placed you here for such a time as this so that you may be saved. Please click here and the link will open up in a separate tab to You Can Be Born Again and Know It!
It’s another beautiful morning both outside and inside! Good morning! All of the posts in this series have been revolving around the Rapture and some end time news. But how do we know we are in the end times? Like any other teaching, we Christians must back everything with the Scriptures, like good Bereans, amen?
The Bible’s Old Testament Prophets (major prophets and minor prophets) can be found from Isaiah to Malachi. One of the major prophets, Daniel, reveals a lot about these end times. For example,
Do you see and understand that, reader? Daniel was told in verse four of this prophecy that in the “time of the end: many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased.” Before the 1900’s, man traveled pretty much the same way as in Old Testament times. Then cars, bullet trains, and planes just kept getting better and better. We can see how “many run to and fro.” You might say that I am stretching it here but just think about Daniel for a moment. He never saw a car, train or plane: yet he was trying to describe his vision. He finished writing this book around 530 BC so to him, it must have appeared as though “many shall run to and fro.”
Secondly, Daniel 12:4 states that “knowledge shall be increased.” Wow! Homes began having their own version of a computer in the late 1980’s. I know this because I lived in one of those homes where my computer had a 10MB hard drive!!!! I thought that was wonderful, LOL! According to IBM in 2009, “In the next couple of years, information will double every 11 hours.” Today, there are thumb drives that are 2 terabytes (TB)!!! (10 MB = 0.00001 TB). Today’s laptops are millions of times more powerful than the original UNIVAC computer built in 1951! I think we can safely say that knowledge has increased since Daniel’s time.
To further “blow your minds,” let’s just think about cell phones! Do you remember the first ones? That’s why I put a graphic of one of the first cell phones above. The only thing this cell phone could do is make a call. Nothing else! Now cell phones can go on the internet while you are talking on its speaker and sending an email, all at the same time!
Can you see now how the two witnesses’ death in Revelations will be seen all over the world? Friend, we are most certainly in the end times. If the Thessalonians thought they were in the end times, how much more are we in those end times today?
The Bible is clear as to what events lead into the end times, as we see in Daniel. And since we are in those end times, then we can look up and see that the Rapture is not only imminent but if we are still alive, WE will be the ones to experience it! Praise the Lord!! \o/
Does this excite you, reader? It surely does me! But to the one who is not saved, it is a different story. Friend, it is no coincidence that God has placed you here for such a time as this so that you may be saved. Please click here and the link will open up in a separate tab to You Can Be Born Again and Know It!