The Rapture of the church as the ultimate testimony of the Gospel and Christians to the unbelieving world.

[R. Hartono]

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1 Thessalonians 4%3A16-18&version=KJV 

The appearance of Lord Jesus to raise the death saints and gather them to the cloud with the living saints is the ultimate testimony of the truth of our Bible.

Saints be taken by angels to the cloud is their ultimate testimony of the Bible to their neighbourhood, family, friends and society.

While the foolish virgins will be left behind and scream "Lord Loord, take us in". "I know you not". Why oh why.

Maranatha.

[AdHoc]

On 9/28/2023 at 3:39 AM, R. Hartono said:

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1 Thessalonians 4%3A16-18&version=KJV 

The appearance of Lord Jesus to raise the death saints and gather them to the cloud with the living saints is the ultimate testimony of the truth of our Bible.

Saints be taken by angels to the cloud is their ultimate testimony of the Bible to their neighbourhood, family, friends and society.

While the foolish virgins will be left behind and scream "Lord Loord, take us in". "I know you not". Why oh why.

Maranatha.

No doubt the rapture will be a remarkable event. But there are some things to consider. They are not crucial doctrines, but just considerations.

For the Church the Lord comes as a thief. A thief comes in secret, stealthy and unannounced. He steal the precious things and departs stealthily. Nobody will know that He has come.

I do not know what percentage of the world's population are Christians, but let's say it is 1%. The world will be in turmoil and men crying for peace. One in one hundred is not a lot. In a small business maybe nobody will be missing. In a big business one in a hundred will hardly be missed. Christians are hated by the "neighborhood". Nobody will ask after those missing. 

God is reported by his Word that He is not a God of disorder. He has the ability to take His people without causing chaos on earth.

The Jews do not believe in the New Testament, and the Nations do not believe nor read the New Testament. The rapture is not taught in the Old Testament. People cannot be convinced of something they have never heard of before. The Bible itself is not designed to be embraced by facts. It is to be BELIEVED. Will the Nations suddenly believe something that we Christians fight about on this Forum every day?

The five foolish Virgins wake together with the wise. But they themselves recognize that they have oil in their lamps but not in their vessels. They do this before the Bridegroom comes because while they are away seeking to buy oil the Groom comes. They return with the correct amount of oil but are refused entry to the wedding feast based, not on the oil quantity, but because they had had no relationship with the Lord. The Greek word for "know" is "oida". It means "to know by having seen something often", or,"to know by perception". It doesn't mean that Jesus did not know them intellectually. It does not make them not Virgins. They had it in their hearts to meet the Groom BOTH before and after their death (their slumber) and after waking from death. Their Lamps were burning just like the wise Virgins. Scripture calls them Virgins even after they had not supplied themselves with extra oil. Scripture calls them Virgins even after they are refused entry to the wedding feast. They are called "foolish" for two reasons. (i) The had not spent time in the presence of the Lord so He did not KNOW them by sight, and (ii) not having spent time in the presence of the Lord they did not know that extra oil WAS NOT FOR FREE.

Christians are the only people called Virgins in the new Testament (2nd Cor.11:2). These Virgins must ALL be Christians since only Christians are raised from their sleep together (the rest of the dead must wait another 1,000 years). These Virgins must ALL be Christians because ALL had Lamps burning with oil (the spirit of man is the Lamp of the Lord - Prov.20:27). The foolish Virgins suffer a terrible blow - they miss the wedding feast. But they do not lose their status as Virgins.

[WilliamL]

20 hours ago, AdHoc said:

For the Church the Lord comes as a thief. ... Nobody will know that He has come.

On the contrary, it comes to the world as a thief, not the Church:

1 Thes. 5:2 For you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night. ... 4 But you, brethren, are not in darkness, so that this Day should overtake you as a thief. 5 You are all sons of light and sons of the day. We are not of the night nor of darkness.

[AdHoc]

3 hours ago, WilliamL said:

On the contrary, it comes to the world as a thief, not the Church:

1 Thes. 5:2 For you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night. ... 4 But you, brethren, are not in darkness, so that this Day should overtake you as a thief. 5 You are all sons of light and sons of the day. We are not of the night nor of darkness.

I'm afraid you have missed the grammar. This does not speak of the Lord. The subject is "the DAY of the Lord"

Let's look at one of two scriptures showing the our Lord Jesus as a Thief;

39 ... so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. 40 Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left. 41 Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left. 42 Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come. 43 But know this, that if the goodman of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken up. 44 Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh. 45 Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his lord hath made ruler over his household, to give them meat in due season? (Matt.24:39–45)

- The Lord speaks a parable. Chapter 13 says that this is so that the Nations don't understand but the Church does (13:39).
- Then the Lord speaks of the fate of the Nations "taken" (airoo - Gk) in judgment suddenly
- Two is the number of witness. they are the Lord's people who are alive. To reach 12, the number of God's people, you must add the ten who have fallen asleep - the Virgins
- The LIVING have duties in the field - "the world" (Matt.13) and they have duties with (spiritual food - v.45)
- One shall be "taken" (paralambano - Gk. - as an intimate acquaintance)
- The other left in the field and the mill
- The "left" are Christians for it is "YOUR LORD" (v.42)
- "Therefore" makes the rest a conclusion of what went before
- "YE" - our Lord was addressing disciples
- The "House" is Church then
- The context is the "coming of the Son of man" (v.39) Who is "YOUR LORD" (v.42) and He is called a "Thief" (v.43).
- "WHO THEN" (v.45) makes another conclusion of what went before and the Lord is "HIS LORD"
- "His Lord" then leaves no doubt about the house - "HIS (the Lord's) Household"

The discourse is then about the Lord Who comes stealthily like a Thief, takes the ripe Christian (for the end of the age is a harvest) and leaves the un-ripe (spiritually) Christian to join the Nations in the Tribulation. The Household is broken up. That is why the Church is never mentioned again after Laodicea. The remedy - WATCH!

See also Luke 12:36-40. The "Son of man" is the Thief.

[WilliamL]

1 hour ago, AdHoc said:

I'm afraid you have missed the grammar. This does not speak of the Lord. The subject is "the DAY of the Lord"

And I'm afraid you've missed the context, since it refers back to the Parousia of the Lord in the previous chapter, 1 Thes. 4:14-17, when He comes for His Church. That coming begins the Day of the Lord/Day of His Wrath.

Matthew 24:39ff. speaks of a later coming to His "servants" = Israel, not His "virgins" = the Church. 

All explained in detail in two blogs beginning here:

https://www.worthychristianforums.com/blogs/entry/2776-virgins-and-stewards-part-1-questions/