Tuesday, August 23, 2011

LAST DAY RAPTURE, ALSO KNOWN AS THE DAY OF THE LORD!!

Notice how easily that the last day rapture and the day of the Lord go hand in hand in the following versus. Pay special attention to the highlighted areas!

1st Thessalonians 4:16-17 and 5:1-2 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: 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. But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you. For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night.

This passage deals with the timing of the rapture. As you can see, it will occur at the day of the Lord. Now that brings up a question, when is the day of the Lord?

Joel 2:30-31 And I will show wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke. The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and the terrible day of the LORD come.

Isaiah 13:9-10 Behold, the day of the LORD cometh, cruel both with wrath and fierce anger, to lay the land desolate: and he shall destroy the sinners thereof out of it. For the stars of heaven and the constellations thereof shall not give their light: the sun shall be darkened in his going forth, and the moon shall not cause her light to shine


I have highlighted the celestial events because our Lord uses these same events to describe the timing of his coming in Matthew 24:29-31: Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken: And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.

The bible is our best source for truth. It clearly shows that the day of the Lord will come immediately after the tribulation.

Question: Paul is clear in speaking to the Thessalonians, the rapture will not occur until the day of the Lord. How can the day of the Lord come before the tribulation when Jesus said immediately after ?

Monday, August 22, 2011

JESUS SAID "AT THE LAST DAY"

When it comes to the timing of the rapture, no one has more authority than the Lord Jesus Christ.

Take a look at the following scripture and pay close attention to the highlighted sections. If there are any questions or comments, leave them at the bottom and I will do the best I can to answer them.
1st Thessalonians 4:13-17 But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. 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. 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: 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.

These verses are about the timing of the rapture. Paul makes it very clear that we will not be caught up (rapture) until the dead in Christ rise first.

When do the dead in Christ rise ? Jesus tells us in the gospel of John 6:39-44
And this is the Father's will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day. And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day. The Jews then murmured at him, because he said, I am the bread which came down from heaven. And they said, Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? how is it then that he saith, I came down from heaven? Jesus therefore answered and said unto them, Murmur not among yourselves.No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day.

Jesus also tells us in John 6:53-54
Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you. Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day.

4 times our Lord says that the dead in Christ will be raised at the last day.

Even Martha knows that the dead in Christ will rise at the last day!
John 11:23-24 Jesus saith unto her, Thy brother shall rise again. Martha saith unto him, I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day.

Jesus is the best source of truth. He taught everyone that the dead in Christ will rise on the last day.

Question: The last day occurs after the tribulation, how can there be a pre-trib rapture when there are so many days afterwards?