As much as our government has been infiltrated by the enemy, so has the church. Maybe even moreso.
This is a dangerous doctrine. IT IS NOT FROM SCRIPTURE.
I do realize some big lofty names in the bible scholar community are big time rapturists. Moody - for example. But I've been on a quest for a week or so to find anyone of them making solid arguments with actual scriptural foundation to support the dubious claims of the rapture doctrine - and they just simply cannot support it in the scripture.
If you want me to explain further I'll be happy to. But what you should do is go to the bible and find where it makes any claim that Christians will be removed from earth BEFORE or in the middle of the tribulations described in prophecy.
The oft cited verses in Mathew are literally right after Jesus warns you not to be deceived and explains how not to be deceived by knowing the signs of the season of His return. In Luke he even says that "two men will be lying in one bed, one will be taken the other left behind." I don't know why there are two dudes in one bed but I want the rapturist to question why someone sleeping in bed would be raptured (I notice many claiming that you must be alert and watching at the special time).
In Thesolonians 4: Paul clearly teaches that the dead in Christ will be resurrected before the beloved verse about we who are alive at the time going to meet Jesus in the air. I don't have a problem with that - just don't misunderstand that the dead in Christ go "FIRST".
In Rev 20 - Jesus gives us more clarity and explains that in the "First resurrection" people who refused the mark of the beast unto death would rise in that "First resurrection" too.
The rapture doctrine is dangerous for our generation. We appear to be appointed for this time, please do not be deceived.
I love the KJV and the NKJV. But I think you can still find certain items that can be debated about. For example I think the word Easter is used instead of Passover in one or both of them.
Well the passage states that "then were the days of unleavened bread" and Passover is what starts those 7 days. The 14th day of the first month is Passover but the feast of unleavened bread begins on the 15th day and the passage says that it was "the days of unleavened bread" meaning it was days 15 through 21 when Herod killed James so it was already AFTER Passover. Then Herod says "intending after Easter to bring him forth to the people." Since it was already the days of unleavened bread it HAD to be after Passover already and Easter would be more specific since Passover was already over. There's also the possibility of a difference between the "Jews Passover" and the "Christian's Passover(Easter)" as the Book of John specifically references the "Jews Passover" indicating a difference between what the Jews celebrated and what the early Christians celebrated. There's also the possibility that neither of those options matter because perhaps Herod had the secular holiday in mind since he was a secular man and Herod was referencing the Easter of the pagans. POINT being in all of this is you need to trust your Bible and believe it. If you can doubt your Bible then the Devil can get at you...after all isn't that the first attack the Devil used on mankind? He asked the woman "yay hath God said?" ...as in "did God really say that", "did God really mean that?". Doubting God's word is one of the first things the Devil did. You don't have to understand everything, we just have to believe it :) cheers brother!
I think we agree. I'm just applying that concern to doctrine that the devil seeds into the field. Some of it has taken root.
I think the times ahead will really test faith. And some of us boast a little in our faith. We say we're forgiven and yet we carry guilt. Jesus wasn't very impressed with anyone's faith except for a few who simply believed in Him.
Some think of the rapture as an escape from any test of their faith. I'm just cautioning people, hold fast to Jesus. Things are going to get bumpy.
Yes I definitely see that. That's why it's such a narrow road. Ditches on both sides and staying balanced in all things is a constant fight. And I do believe things will get very rough regardless of when we go out of here. We have had it so good we forget even our brothers and sister who have gone before us have been slaughtered for centuries.