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.
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.
1 Thess 5:2-5 For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. (3) For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh 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.
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.
2 Cor 4:3-4 But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: (4) In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.
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.)
2 Cor 11:2 For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy: for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ.
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:
Joh 14:1-3 Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. (2) In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. (3) And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.
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.
2 Cor 5:20 Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God.
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.
Dan 9:27 And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.
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:
1 Thess 4:16-17 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: (17) Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.
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.
1 Co 15:51-52 Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, (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. Act 1:9-11 And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight. (10) And while they looked stedfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel; (11) Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven. 1 Th 4:14-17 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. (15) For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. (16) For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: (17) Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.
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:
Zec 14:1-5 Behold, the day of the LORD cometh, and thy spoil shall be divided in the midst of thee. (2) For I will gather all nations against Jerusalem to battle; and the city shall be taken, and the houses rifled, and the women ravished; and half of the city shall go forth into captivity, and the residue of the people shall not be cut off from the city. (3) Then shall the LORD go forth, and fight against those nations, as when he fought in the day of battle. (4) And his feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east, and the mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst thereof toward the east and toward the west, and there shall be a very great valley; and half of the mountain shall remove toward the north, and half of it toward the south. (5) And ye shall flee to the valley of the mountains; for the valley of the mountains shall reach unto Azal: yea, ye shall flee, like as ye fled from before the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah: and the LORD my God shall come, and all the saints with thee.
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:
Rev 1:7 Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen.
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:
Heb 12:1 Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,
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.
2 Pe 1:21 For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.
The Apostle James tells us that we CAN know and we CAN ask for wisdom from the One who provides it liberally!
Jas 1:5 If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.
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.”
1 Cor 15:50-55 Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption. (51) Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, (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. (53) For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. (54) So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. (55) O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?
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.
Song of Solomon 2:10-13 My beloved spake, and said unto me, Rise up, my love, my fair one, and come away. (11) For, lo, the winter is past, the rain is over and gone; (12) The flowers appear on the earth; the time of the singing of birds is come, and the voice of the turtle is heard in our land; (13) The fig tree putteth forth her green figs, and the vines with the tender grape give a good smell. Arise, my love, my fair one, and come away. Zep 2:2-3 Before the decree bring forth, before the day pass as the chaff, before the fierce anger of the LORD come upon you, before the day of the LORD’S anger come upon you. (3) Seek ye the LORD, all ye meek of the earth, which have wrought his judgment; seek righteousness, seek meekness: it may be ye shall be hid in the day of the LORD’S anger. Isa 26:19-21 Thy dead men shall live, together with my dead body shall they arise. Awake and sing, ye that dwell in dust: for thy dew is as the dew of herbs, and the earth shall cast out the dead. (20) Come, my people, enter thou into thy chambers, and shut thy doors about thee: hide thyself as it were for a little moment, until the indignation be overpast. (21) For, behold, the LORD cometh out of his place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity: the earth also shall disclose her blood, and shall no more cover her slain. Isa 64:4-5 For since the beginning of the world men have not heard, nor perceived by the ear, neither hath the eye seen, O God, beside thee, what he hath prepared for him that waiteth for him. (5) Thou meetest him that rejoiceth and worketh righteousness, those that remember thee in thy ways: behold, thou art wroth; for we have sinned: in those is continuance, and we shall be saved.
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.
Mar 13:32 But of that day and that hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father.
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:
Dan 9:27 And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.
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.”
Dan 7:13-14 I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him. (14) And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed.
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.
Zec 12:10 And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn. Zec 14:4 And his feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east, and the mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst thereof toward the east and toward the west, and there shall be a very great valley; and half of the mountain shall remove toward the north, and half of it toward the south.
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.
Jude 1:14-15 And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints, (15) To execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against 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.
Rev 19:6-8 And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunderings, saying, Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth. (7) Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready. (8) And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints.
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!
1 Pe 5:8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: Rom 12:21 Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.
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.
Jas 1:5 If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.
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.
1 Pe 5:8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:
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?
1 Th 5:3-5 For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh 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.
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”:
1 Th 4:16-17 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: (17) Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.
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.
Act 8:39 And when they were come up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught away Philip, that the eunuch saw him no more: and he went on his way rejoicing.
Either definition you pick from the Greek definition, Christians will be removed quickly: in the twinkling of an eye!
1 Co 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.
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!
2 Ti 4:3-4 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; (4) And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.
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:
2Th 2:2-3 That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand. (3) Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;
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!
2 Ti 3:5 Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.
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!
Joh 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
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.
Act 4:12 Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.
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?
2 Ti 2:15 Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
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:
Joh 17:17 Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.
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.
2 Ti 4:4 And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.
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:
2 Ti 3:13 But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived.
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,
Dan 12:4 But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end: many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased.
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!
Rev 11:8-9 And their dead bodies shall lie in the street of the great city, which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified. (9) And they of the people and kindreds and tongues and nations shall see their dead bodies three days and an half, and shall not suffer their dead bodies to be put in graves.
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!
2 Pe 3:3-9 Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, (4) And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation. (5) For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water: (6) Whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished: (7) But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men. (8) But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. (9) The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.
Bon jour and good morning! Are you ready for a new day? I’m thankful to be alive in a time such as this, are you? We get to see what new story or event will occur that will excite us about that “any moment” coming of the Lord and the Rapture of His Church!
Today’s verses are extremely appropriate for today, don’t you think? Today, people ridicule everything. Just try spending but a few minutes on social media and you’ll understand why I say this! Due to social media’s anonymity, people think they have the freedom to castigate and belittle others without fear of repercussions. Noah Webster’s 1828 Dictionary defines them as:
SCOFF’ER, n. One who scoffs; one that mocks, derides or reproaches in the language of contempt; a scorner.
As we see the end times’ events that are upon us, we can just imagine what will happen as it relates to the topic of Christ’s coming.
The world has seen the makings of a one-world religion already. The ecumenical movement is alive and well and compromise between religions has been in the makings for some time. Because of this, the conservative evangelicals are being scoffed at and division is becoming more prevalent. In Muslim countries, Christians are the most persecuted people in the world at the moment. Then the divisions have set in, sadly even amongst Christians, families and friends. The pandemic is one of these and it has produced a division between the vaxed and unvaxed. It has produced a division between those who believe churches should stay opened and those who don’t. There’s division amongst believers! If this can happen now, can you imagine how it will be in a few years? I’d be interested in reading my post for today in five years and see how much worse it has gotten. On one of my posts about salvation and the Lord on Facebook, I was vehemently ostracized by a relative. She interpreted it as me being boastful and self-righteous. She accused me of thinking I was better than her. She claims to be religious and goes to church but her religion has misguided her. She is convinced that she MIGHT go to Heaven because of the church she belongs to. Wow! But her fight is not with me but with God and His Word. Today’s verse says that she is “willingly ignorant.” The world does scorn the faithful and they will do so much more as the end comes nearer.
Peter’s prophecy was written over 2,000 years ago, reader. The scoffers he references that will be in the last days began in the 1800’s and has gotten worse. We had Darwin and his “Origin of the Species” published in 1859. People began to say that Noah’s flood never happened. We can thank Charles Lyell’s book “Principles of Geology”! He stated that the geological strata were laid down gradually over millions of years. Of course, before then, scientists and the whole world knew about Noah’s flood and believed it. Then creationism was being questioned and the “Big Bang” theory came about, hanks to Georges Lemaître, a Belgian cosmologist and Catholic priest. His theory was supported by scientists like Stephen Hawking and Carl Sagan. It is still considered a “theory,” yet the world has accepted this as fact! Can you see that we have scoffers? Furthermore, if we get right down to it, we can say that even the church is scoffing. Why? Supposed “Christians” are living together and not married. Supposed “Christians” are homosexuals. Supposed “Christians” believe there are more than two sexes! Friend, if it feels as though our world is falling apart and its moral values have gone out the window, it is because they have!
Just ask those in your own circle who claim to be “Christians” if they read their Bible. If they do not, they are “willingly ignorant“! You cannot go to church once, twice or even three times a week and expect to grow spiritually. What if you only had the opportunity to eat at the same time that you were reading your Bible? Would you get enough to eat? Would you die of starvation? Would you be anorexic? Think on this.
Be prepared, Christian! 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!
Mat 24:7-8 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places. (8) All these are the beginning of sorrows.
The dawn is breaking and it’s time to wake up, dear reader! Wipe the sleep from your eyes, get that cup of your favorite morning beverage and let’s get going. I thought I would share some facts which are an indication to the end times.
I subscribe to an app that alerts me any time there is an earthquake that is greater than a 5.0 on the Richter Scale. Why you may ask? A message covering the Rapture and the end times is what drew me to the Lord! I’ve been excited about any topic dealing with the end times ever since! So let’s proceed.
Jesus’ message above mentioned that increased earthquakes would be indicative that we were in the end times. He mentioned that all these things listed in verse 7 are the “beginning of sorrows.” The New Testament was originally written in Greek and they can have several words for one word that we use in the English language. For example, the word “sorrows” in verse 8 according to the Greek is:
ōdin o-deen’ Akin to G3601; a pang or throe, especially of childbirth: – pain, sorrow, travail.
Strong’s Concordance
That Greek word tells us that when we see these increased famines, pestilences and earthquakes, it will be like having birth pains. Review the chart above. We can truly see these “birth pains” in today’s picture of earthquakes from the year 2000 through 2020 with a rating above a 5.0 rating on the Richter Scale. You can also see from 2004 to 2011, earthquakes rose significantly. Beginning in 2012, they decreased but they were still higher than the years prior 2011. This is exactly like labor pains. The pains get stronger and closer together.
The USGS states that there were three major earthquakes (greater than 6.0) in 1900. One hundred years later, in 2000, USGS recorded 160. This is more than 150 major quakes than in 1900. Between 1900 to 1918, USGS recorded 147 major quakes. This is 13 less jolts than the 160 recorded in 2000. Between 2000 to 2018, the USGS has already recorded 2,911 major quakes so far. This is an incredible 2,764 more tremors than between 1900 to 1918. And you can’t even load the map on the USGS website! Between 1900 to 1918, the yearly average number of major quakes was 12. Since 2000, this number has risen to 243/year.
This is just one of the three items mentioned in today’s Bible verse. I’m sure if we were to research the other two, we would find similar results. The fact that these three events will increase in frequency and intensity reveals to us that we are in fact in the end times. There’s no need to be scared for the born-again believer. It’s an exciting time for us to be alive actually. It means that we won’t die a physical death but be raptured! Do you realize how wonderful that is for the believer???? Imagine not dying!
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!
