Are you excited about the rapture?

[AdHoc]

2 hours ago, SpiritSong said:

Thank you.

Besides 1st Thessalonians 4:13-18, you can see the rapture in a number of places. One is the ten Virgins of Matthew 25. Look at the sequence.

1 Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom.

5 While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept.

6 And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him. ...

In verse 1 the Virgins "went forth". They had just been given lamps. But the Bridegroom DELAYED so they all died (v.5). In verse 6 there was a shout, just like 1st Thessalonians 4. The Bridegroom is COMING. The Virgins must go out to meet Him. They already have their lamps this time and trim them. The "going forth" of verse 1 is not the "go to meet Him" of verse 6. One "going" was at the start of their Christian life, the second "going to meet him" was after they woke from their sleep. The Lord is coming from above. The only way to "meet Him" is by the Virgins RISING in resurrection and RISING in Rapture.

Sadly, the Judgment Seat did not go so well for five of the ten.

[other one]

1 hour ago, Neighbor said:

What rapture?

It shouldn't matter.

We will be resurrected  and those alive will be changed in a moment.....    we shouldn't loose the good thoughts and beat each other up fighting over when.   It spoils the good word of it's happening and shows the ugliness that Christians are capable of..

[SpiritSong]

13 hours ago, Big Boy Johnson said:

Yep, it's gonna be great!

We can look for the catching away of the church sometime after the anti-christ has been revealed (2 Thessalonians 2:1-3), and since the world continues to move in that direction it should be too far off.

So, once the world goes bonkers over some new political guy on the scene and they make him the one world leader... then we'll know the rapture is really REALLY getting close.

Although we don't know the exact day, we should know the season.

While we don't know the day or hour, I am looking forward to being taken up to be with the Lord Jesus. It will be literally awesome! With lots of Revelation prophecy already come to pass, I think it's just a matter of time.

[SpiritSong]

11 hours ago, AdHoc said:

A healthy sentiment - scary.

The Greek word used quite a few times in the New Testament is "harpazo". It means, "to snatch by force" or "pluck". The word gives movement but not direction. So when 1st Thessalonians 4:17 say we will be "caught up" it is not quite correct. It is correctly rendered in Philip's case in Acts 8:39 - "caught AWAY". But, if the Lord is present in the clouds, and you are caught away to meet Him, the context says "up" is correct.

The word "rapture" is not found in the Bible. But so also is the word "Bible" not found. So don't mind the students who use this argument to annul the rapture. There is a rapture all right, just as there is a Bible. 1st Thessalonians 4:13-18 says what it says:

13 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. 14 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. 18 Wherefore comfort one another with these words.

The reason Paul wrote this, as you will note, is that the Thessalonian saints were sad (v.13). Paul had only been with the Thessalonians for three weeks. He had taught them that when Christ came back to earth, He would bring all te saints with Him. Enoch said this and Jude wrote it down (Jud.14). But three weeks is too little to cover every truth, so Pal had not told them how dead men got to be in the sky, seeing as dead men are in Hades (the soul) and their graves (the body). The Thessalonian saints were sad because some of their brothers and sisters in the Church had died. Now only LIVING men are raptured - like Enoch, Elijah, Jesus and the Two Witnesses of Revelation 11. So the Thessalonians "sorrowed" because they thought their relations would not be among those who Christ brought with Him.

Paul explains how the dead will not suffer any disadvantage. The living will not "pre-vent" the dead. They will RISE first to the surface of the earth, then TOGETHER (v.17) with the LIVING, they will be "caught away" to meet the Lord in the air. In this manner will the dead be with the Lord when He comes. Paul ends the words with "comfort those who were sorrowing" with these words.

However, your feeling of "scary" is warranted. You get caught away, but the next thing that happens is you come before the Judgement seat of Christ. Are you ready for that? There is an example of "THAT DAY" in Matthew 7:21-23.

I always thought we as the bride (who has neither spot not wrinkle) get caught up to attend the marriage supper of the Lamb. Do not the great white throne judgement happen after the anti-christ has been defeated?

Either way, I will also be excited for the marriage supper, won't you? 👍

Edited September 27, 2023 by SpiritSong

[Justin Adams]

To answer the op. There is NOT a separate 'rapture'. But at the end of our time here, then the second coming of the Lord. None of that pre-trib Darby stuff. ONE SECOND COMING.

[Starise]

I see the 'rapture' as part of a packaged event where several other things happen in close succession. The rapture is our point of change from either dead, or alive to what we will be. A change has already happened within us, so we are already a part of the new kingdom here on earth in the here and now. Those further changes will be coming. The scouters before the main event.

[Neighbor]

Hi all, To the question am I excited about "the" rapture of the church body of Jesus?  No.

Do I fear it? No.

I am still excited each day to know, to ponder over , and to marvel at the fact  that  the Holy Spirit turned me about from my own eternally fatal denial of God, and to  by the Holy Spirit's doing my seeing that Jesus is God and that I have been granted eternal life with my Lord Jesus. By that I am enraptured already! 

[Ray12614]

I am excited about the rapture (catching away) as I see the light getting lighter and the darkness getting darker.

BUT . . . more than that, I am getting my personal affairs in order regarding serving Jesus in a more dedicated way, resisting sin in my life, obeying the Bible scriptures regarding how I should behave in a dark and evil world. Treating my brothers and sisters right, being quick to forgive wrongs done to me and loving unconditionally. I am more intentional about how to be pleasing to my Master (you know . . . the things that nobody sees but Him).

Regarding the rapture . . . .  Me personally?  I lean towards Pre wrath rapture (when ever that happens) because we are not appointed to wrath. And God has a long history of delivering His people from wicked men, and surprising people by doing the supernatural. I think that all sides of the rapture issue will be surprised when this biblically sound doctrine happens. So lets keep our lights trimmed and ready for Jesus' return.

BUT make no mistake about it biblically this event MUST happen . . . . and I am determined to make it to the end and be found faithful serving as best I know how trusting in my Master who loves me and gave Himself for me.

Grace and Peace  . . . . 

[Rick-Parker]

7 hours ago, Slibhin said:

How sad so many think so little of thier lives or others that they wish them to end.

That's because you have nothing to look forward to.

[AnOrangeCat]

On 9/26/2023 at 2:20 PM, SpiritSong said:

As we know the end is very near, what are your feelings about the rapture? Are you excited? Are you afraid? Do you feel prepared? 

I used to be afraid because of the scary time surrounding the event, and also, I was afraid of God, that I wasn't worthy of being with Him. But praise God for his grace! It's not by works but by faith that we are His!

I actually fall into the same boat. I grew up in a very rapture focused home, felt unworthy, and that I wasn't really in good standing with God. From my early teenage years and beyond I'd periodically get very fearful that I'd missed the event if the people I regarded as mature Christians in the household weren't around.

I've grown spiritually since then and feel that my fear of the event was somewhat misplaced. Certainly my relationship with God wasn't super strong back then, but I know now that God doesn't expect us to be perfect, especially when we're too young to fully understand things.

I feel prepared now, having a better relationship with God. It took a years long trial by fire but I came to realize that He cares about me and has done a lot to protect and guide me. I think my feelings on it are on the bittersweet side. As I grow older I better understand that our treasures should be in Heaven, and I look forward to seeing familiar faces and seeing what God has in store there. At the same time I feel some regret over what I see as an awful lot of wasted life and not focusing on what's truly important.