Fact or Fiction

[Dennis1209]

Matthew 7:14 Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.

There is a lot of excitement and talk about the nearness of the Rapture of the church (yeah, I am one of them). Watching and listening to many reputable scholars and pastors on YouTube, most agree on a particular number.

Anyone who has tried realizes it is difficult to contact them with a question or explain something further.

Most of them surmise that 10% of the earth’s population will be Raptured when it occurs. How do you suppose they came up with that percentage? I am not disputing that number, but I am trying to figure out how it was arrived at biblically.

Does anyone agree with that number, and if so, how was that determined?

Whatever the number, it is sufficient for the world to notice, leading to a follow-up question.

Jesus warned about deception four times in Matthew chapter 24 alone for emphasis. If we are as close to being snatched away as I suspect, we should have formulated an idea of how it will be presented and believed based on what we are witnessing today.

Would it not take something extraordinary to be accepted and believed?

 

[Vine Abider]

26 minutes ago, Dennis1209 said:

Matthew 7:14 Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.

There is a lot of excitement and talk about the nearness of the Rapture of the church (yeah, I am one of them). Watching and listening to many reputable scholars and pastors on YouTube, most agree on a particular number.

Anyone who has tried realizes it is difficult to contact them with a question or explain something further.

Most of them surmise that 10% of the earth’s population will be Raptured when it occurs. How do you suppose they came up with that percentage? I am not disputing that number, but I am trying to figure out how it was arrived at biblically.

Does anyone agree with that number, and if so, how was that determined?

Whatever the number, it is sufficient for the world to notice, leading to a follow-up question.

Jesus warned about deception four times in Matthew chapter 24 alone for emphasis. If we are as close to being snatched away as I suspect, we should have formulated an idea of how it will be presented and believed based on what we are witnessing today.

Would it not take something extraordinary to be accepted and believed?

 

I have two main thoughts along these lines:

1. We have no idea what lie the enemy will cook up to explain all this.  Some believe there may be an ET explanation - that raptured ones were taken for some reason (perhaps to save mankind by removing these "evil Christians?).

2. In my consideration of the rapture over the years, I cannot say for sure that there is only one rapture.  If this is the case, there may be a "first fruit" rapture of early ripened ones before the great trib, followed by at least one general harvest (of those who ripen slower).  Therefore, if that happened it would, at least at first, be a smaller number to explain.

[Know Jah]

I have always questions thoughts on the rapture. I ponder on Jesus  words at Luke17:20,21 when asked about his coming. He stated it would not be with striking observableness. Now if a group of Christians are caught up in the air surely that would be striking.

[Who me]

1 hour ago, Dennis1209 said:

There is a lot of excitement and talk about the nearness of the Rapture of the church (yeah, I am one of them). Watching and listening to many reputable scholars and pastors on YouTube, most agree on a particular number

 

Only among those following these preachers.

Fact.  Jesus is coming again.

Fact. No one knows when.

Fact. Those on line preachers are 100% wrong, because no one knows when.

Fact. We are to live expecting Jesus's  return.

 

[Starise]

Lots of twists and turns in this here road, and just as many "evangelists" with various views on the subject of the rapture.

Several of the views hinge on the "holding back". Who is doing the holding. In this I think assuptions are made based more on opinion than on fact. The other key thought on this is the safety of the Christian, and again many asumptions are made based on a view that Christians will be safe, yet the extended thoughts on this lead to ideas that I think color outside of the lines.

I can't see a specific percentage of the population in the bible, so any comments in that direction are purely speculation and mostly propped on the idea that we are in the smaller group which would be accurate, yet I don't believe this negates a harvest in the end times because that statement was about all history. In my thinking, extreme events will necessitate a re examination by those involved.

One other factor concerning the end time. Martyred saints directly eliminated from the earth by the evil ones and placed in that time frame.

To me it seems a poor return on investment to only gather 10% of all men and I think that is a conservative and dismal projection. It could be said, God only wanted the best, so He culled the herd, and we have precident for it in the flood, yet if the point was to save men, then men surely will be saved.

Said 2000 years ago- "Behold I come quickly". A day with the Lord is as 1000 years. The birth pangs. We have them. I see events unfolding, yet noone knows for sure exactly what this will look like in great detail.

I believe when we are removed it's likely too late for those left . We are removed before the bad stuff happens, but I don't think we are immune from prior hardships that led up to it. The removing immediately preceeds judgement. That's WHY I think we are removed at that time. Because after that it's going to be very very bad for those left, and what happens next is for the express purpose of purging them all. This in no way says to me we will miss everything that led up to it, so I'm not pre trib because I see the end of that process as the culmination before God moves quickly.

[Dennis1209]

We are told no one knows the day or the hour, but we are commanded to “watch therefore.” What are we commanded to watch for? A convergence of everything prophetic for the terminal generation, approaching the Day of the Lord.

No other generation has seen so many prophetic fulfillments since May of 1948: the players, alignments, and reasons unfolding for the rest of the prophecy for our time. Never seen are the alignments of the top five belligerent nations that will invade Israel in the Gog-Magog invasion, four of which are Muslim—the reasons why Damascus, Syria, and Elam will be destroyed.

The coming of a one-world religion and new world order is now actively forming. The tiny sliver of land Israel has become a cup of trembling and a burdensome stone. I could go on and on.

The whole seven-year Tribulation (Daniel’s 70^th week) is the time of God’s wrath. We see this by:

Revelation 5:5 And one of the elders saith unto me, Weep not: behold, the Lion of the tribe of Juda, the Root of David, hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof.

The worst time ever, or ever will be, is the last 3.5 years (the time of Jacob’s trouble), the Great Tribulation. So, the whole seven years is God’s wrath, unfolding in severity and frequency.

1 Thessalonians 5:9 For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ,

Who is the us being referred to? Is there a division in us not mentioned or implied, as far as being saved FROM not through the Tribulation? I read it: we escape this wrath by our Salvation in the Lord Jesus Christ. By this thinking, we are removed from His wrath before it comes.

Yes, there are several Resurrections and Raptures. But I maintain there will be only one for the bride of Christ, the church-age Christians, only one wedding and wedding feast.

[Marilyn C]

8 hours ago, Dennis1209 said:

Matthew 7:14 Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.

There is a lot of excitement and talk about the nearness of the Rapture of the church (yeah, I am one of them). Watching and listening to many reputable scholars and pastors on YouTube, most agree on a particular number.

Anyone who has tried realizes it is difficult to contact them with a question or explain something further.

Most of them surmise that 10% of the earth’s population will be Raptured when it occurs. How do you suppose they came up with that percentage? I am not disputing that number, but I am trying to figure out how it was arrived at biblically.

Does anyone agree with that number, and if so, how was that determined?

Whatever the number, it is sufficient for the world to notice, leading to a follow-up question.

Jesus warned about deception four times in Matthew chapter 24 alone for emphasis. If we are as close to being snatched away as I suspect, we should have formulated an idea of how it will be presented and believed based on what we are witnessing today.

Would it not take something extraordinary to be accepted and believed?

 

Hi Dennis,

I do like your subject. Now a few thoughts. Matt. 7 : 14 was said to the Jews concerning the kingdom rule of their Messiah in the millennium. 

As to the catching away, -

1. `twinkling of an eye.` (1 Cor. 15: 52) We are changed that quick that no one will see.

2. We will have the same body as the Lord`s that is able to go through dimensions. Remember that the Lord came into the room where the disciples were without going through the door. So no visual there.

3. We will becoming together all the more as we see the day approaching, (Heb. 10: 25) so no one will be just going about life as usual. The Holy Spirit will be stirring in our hearts that the Lord is at the door.

4. Immediately after we go the Russian Federation & others will be coming over the Golan heights with the greatest army that there ever was or will be. (Joel 2: 2) The world wont know we have gone for the war will bring great fear and fill every screen.

5. Many thousands of people go missing every week across the world - evicted/homeless, kidnapped. holidays, moving, etc.

How many people would know you had gone? If it was reported it would only add to the missing numbers. Nothing unusual there. There is no central station that is recording specific people that are missing across the world.

6. The next Sunday the organizational public meeting will go on as usual. Most people will be there. No drama there.

7. The world will go on without us and no one, except close family will really know or even care. Life will become so hard with all the judgments upon them that just living daily will be the need. 

Marilyn.

 

[jeremiah1five]

I have come to the conclusion there will be no rapture of Gentile believers but that they will go through the Time of Jacob's Trouble along with Israel.

[Sower]

On 12/6/2023 at 8:53 AM, Dennis1209 said:

and few there be that find it.

How can they find the way  unless someone shows them the way....

I have come to the conclusion there will be so much for us to do till we get get our houses in order.
And all the more as the day approaches.  Share the word and gather your sheaves while there's still time.
It's gonna happen when it's gonna happen. My infallible prediction.
 

                            “He who goes out weeping, bearing the seed for sowing,
                                     shall come home with shouts of joy,
                             bringing his sheaves with him” (Psalm 126:6).

Thanks Dennis...

[TrueFollowerOfChrist]

In my humble opinion, I believe that 10% being raptured is very optimistic. I honestly believe the number will be much lower than that. However even if it was only 1%, with the current population of the world, that would be over 80 million people. Such a thing is definitely going to be noticed and will cause tremendous tragedies worldwide. In fact it's possible that the actual day of the rapture will be the most traumatic and deadly day in the history of our planet. As to the timing of it I believe that it absolutely must occur within the next 30 or 40 years. Obviously we will have no immediate warning right before it, as Jesus said they would come like a thief in the night meaning instantly and without warning. The rapture is a controversial subject not because it's not biblical, but because false teachers in the last couple hundred years have sown lots of doubt into the church regarding the subject. Fortunately scripture is our authority and not preachers. Since the rapture is very biblical we should not have any doubt about it occurring.