Left Behind - will there be a "Rapture"?

[spiritman]

I did a search for this topic, and did find a few interesting threads about it, but from what I could find, none of them were polls which could gauge how many people believed in the Rapture or not. The basic question - Is the Bible clear on the definite Rapture occuring, or is the complete lack of early historical writings, particularly from some of the greatest minds in Christian history, evidence that there are other interpretations of these verses???

For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. - 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17.

The Rapture is a very common belief among many Christians today. But has it always been so?

It may come as a surprise to many Christians, but the doctrine of the Rapture is not mentioned in any Christian writings, of which we have knowledge, until after the year 1830 A.D. Whether the early writers were Greek or Latin, Armenian or Coptic, Syrian or Ethiopian, English or German, orthodox or heretic, no one mentioned a syllable about it - Further reading

There exists at least one 18th century and two 19th century Pre-Tribulation references, in a book published in 1788, in the writings of a Catholic priest Emmanuel Lacunza [9] in 1812, and by John Nelson Darby himself in 1827.[10] However, both the book published in 1788 and the writings of Lacunza have opposing views regarding their interpretations, as well.

The rise in belief in the "Pre-Tribulation" rapture is sometimes attributed to a 15-year old Scottish-Irish girl named Margaret McDonald (a follower of Edward Irving), who in 1830 had a vision that was later[11] published in 1861.

The popularization of the term is associated with teaching of John Nelson Darby, prominent among the Plymouth Brethren, and the rise of premillennialism and dispensationalism in English-speaking churches at the end of the 19th century - Further reading

The words Bible, and Trinity aren't in the scripture either, but I read one, and I believe in the Trinity, because the description is there. Same with the rapture, the word is not in the Bible but 2nd thess 4:13-17 describe the rapture. also here is a verse from the Old testament that descibes the rapture:

Isaiah 26:19-21 NASB

19 Your dead will live; Their corpses will rise. You who lie in the dust, awake and shout for joy, For your dew is as the dew of the dawn , And the earth will give birth to the departed spirits.

20 Come, my people, enter into your rooms And close your doors behind you; Hide for a little while Until indignation runs its course.

21 For behold, the Lord is about to come out from His place To punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity; And the earth will reveal her bloodshed And will no longer cover her slain.

Isaiah 26:19-21 (NASB)

As you can plainly see here in verse 19 God is describing the raising of the Dead as in 2 thess 4:13-17. during the rapture the bride of Christ will meet Christ in the air, and stay with Him for a period of 7 years, which is what verse 20 in Isaiah 26:19-21 is refering to. verse 21 here is describing the Tribulation period.

You can't argue with the orginal Greek manuscripts, the word for caught up is Harpazo, caught up, snatched away. sorry but you have to take the Bible at what it says. Not what others say it says. I don't mean to sound brash brother but Your study sources contradict the scriptures therefore they are inaccurate.

Spiritman

Why the assumption that Isaiah is speaking about the end of the world? Most Old Testament prophecy was fulfilled within decades of pronouncement, not millenia. This is a major problem with the whole concept of pre-trib theology - much of the Old Testament scripture that is pointed to as proof of the rapture/tribulation scheme actually has nothing to do with the end of the world. We don't get to make something up out of whole cloth and then go back and find scripture to support it - that's called eisogesis, to read into the scripture. At best it is sloppy scholarship, at worst, it is irresponsible.

my precious brother in Christ; Read Isaiah 26:19-21; And please tell me where in scripture, does the events listed, ever happen? There are plenty of Old testament Saints for example Daniel, Isaiah, Ezekiel, etc... etc.. who were given visions of the end times.

[jesusiskingofkings]

Scriptures plainly show that Jesus will return and take His saints out of this world before the tribulation. He will later return with them and the armies of Heaven to put down all rebellion and all sin.

The rapture is a distinct event in itself and takes place at least seven years before the second coming of christ. The rapture takes place before the tribulation, and the second coming after the tribulation. The rapture is the time when Christ comes FOR the saints (1 Thess. 4:13-17), and the second coming is when He comes back to the Earth WITH them (Zech. 14:1-5; Jude 14; Rev. 19:11-21). At the rapture, Christ takes the saints to heaven (1 Thess. 3:13; 4:16; Col. 3:4), and at the second coming He Leaves Heaven with them (Rev. 19 11-21). At the rapture Christ does not come to Earth (1 thess.4:16) but at the second coming He does (Zech.14:14; Matt. 24:29-31). Since Christ does not come to earth at the rapture, it cannot be called the second coming of Christ.

Praise God for ever more! Haz.

Mat 24:29 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:

Mat 24:30 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.

Mat 24:31 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.

Mar 13:23 But take ye heed: behold, I have foretold you all things.

Mar 13:24 But in those days, after that tribulation, the sun shall be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light,

Mar 13:25 And the stars of heaven shall fall, and the powers that are in heaven shall be shaken.

Mar 13:26 And then shall they see the Son of man coming in the clouds with great power and glory.

Mar 13:27 And then shall he send his angels, and shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from the uttermost part of the earth to the uttermost part of heaven.

Luk 21:25 And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring;

Luk 21:26 Men's hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken.

Luk 21:27 And then shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.

Luk 21:28 And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh.

[Massorite]

2 Thessalonians 2:1ff "Now we request you, brethren, with regard to the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and our gathering together to Him, that you may not be quickly shaken from your composure or be disturbed either by a spirit or a message or a letter as if from us, to the effect that the day of the Lord has come. Let no one in any way decieve you, for it will not come unless the apostacy comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction, who opposes and exalts himself above every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, displaying himself as being God."

To me it is so clear, I am unable to wrap my brain around why it is not. Could someone please explain to me how it is that Paul clearly said our gathering to Jesus will not come until the apostacy is revealed, yet you are unable to believe it?

It took many years for the false pre-trib concept to be drilled into millions of believers and the concept won't easily go away.

[spiritman]

You can't argue with the orginal Greek manuscripts, the word for caught up is Harpazo, caught up, snatched away. sorry but you have to take the Bible at what it says. Not what others say it says. I don't mean to sound brash brother but Your study sources contradict the scriptures therefore they are inaccurate.

Spiritman

Not to sound brash either, but then why is it that not a single Christian writer for 1700 years after Jesus ever mentioned it? Why was it not until 1830 that even the concept of being "taken up" into heaven came about. That by necessity doesn't mean that there isn't a Rapture, but you do have to somehow explain why some of the greatest theological minds in Christianity never mentioned the concept in any of their writings. For me, the logical conclusion is that the early Church fathers had other implications of 1 Thessalonians 4. Otherwise it would have been mentioned.

For the record, I haven't actually given any interpretation on these passages, so I'm not taking what others say about "it" (the Rapture). I'm simply looking at the history of the concept and wondering why it was only in the 19th Century that it ever became Church doctrine. Before that time, if you'd mentioned being caught up in the clouds, it's very possible they would have looked at you like you were a little perculiar. At the very least, we have to find a reason why God would keep the Rapture a secret from the early Christians and reveal it only after the 19th Century.

Greetings precious brother in Christ; you asked: why is it that not a single Christian writer for 1700 years after Jesus ever mentioned the rapture? Why was it not until 1830 that even the concept of being "taken up" into heaven came about. That by necessity doesn't mean that there isn't a Rapture, but you do have to somehow explain why some of the greatest theological minds in Christianity never mentioned the concept in any of their writings. For me, the logical conclusion is that the early Church fathers had other implications of 1 Thessalonians 4. Otherwise it would have been mentioned.

My response: There other writters who claim the rapture before this time period His name is Paul, and He wrote the book of 1st Thessalonians, it's time period is from 51 or 52 A.D. long before the above mentioned dates. As far as Christian writers go discussing or not discusing anything; the Bible is the first measuring stick that has to be used, not commentaries or other such writtings. If other extra Biblical material, such as commentaries or any other material contradict the scriptures then they are to be disguarded, (the Bible is always right). if you can come up with another definiton that fits the context in 1Thess 4:13-17 for Harpazo, then I'll listen, but in most cases when dealing with someone that is taken up to the third heaven or tranported in a supernatural manner, this word Harpazo, and the definition; (to catch up, snatch away, pluck up with sudden force is used).

2 Cor 12:2-4 (NASB)for example the following scriptures: 2corinthinans 12:2-4 reads: I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago

[spiritman]

Scriptures plainly show that Jesus will return and take His saints out of this world before the tribulation. He will later return with them and the armies of Heaven to put down all rebellion and all sin.

The rapture is a distinct event in itself and takes place at least seven years before the second coming of christ. The rapture takes place before the tribulation, and the second coming after the tribulation. The rapture is the time when Christ comes FOR the saints (1 Thess. 4:13-17), and the second coming is when He comes back to the Earth WITH them (Zech. 14:1-5; Jude 14; Rev. 19:11-21). At the rapture, Christ takes the saints to heaven (1 Thess. 3:13; 4:16; Col. 3:4), and at the second coming He Leaves Heaven with them (Rev. 19 11-21). At the rapture Christ does not come to Earth (1 thess.4:16) but at the second coming He does (Zech.14:14; Matt. 24:29-31). Since Christ does not come to earth at the rapture, it cannot be called the second coming of Christ.

Praise God for ever more! Haz.

Mat 24:29 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:

Mat 24:30 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.

Mat 24:31 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.

Mar 13:23 But take ye heed: behold, I have foretold you all things.

Mar 13:24 But in those days, after that tribulation, the sun shall be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light,

Mar 13:25 And the stars of heaven shall fall, and the powers that are in heaven shall be shaken.

Mar 13:26 And then shall they see the Son of man coming in the clouds with great power and glory.

Mar 13:27 And then shall he send his angels, and shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from the uttermost part of the earth to the uttermost part of heaven.

Luk 21:25 And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring;

Luk 21:26 Men's hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken.

Luk 21:27 And then shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.

Luk 21:28 And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh.

Good thing you aren't getting the second coming mixed up with the rapture? They are two seperate events.

[Xan]

Scriptures plainly show that Jesus will return and take His saints out of this world before the tribulation. He will later return with them and the armies of Heaven to put down all rebellion and all sin.

The rapture is a distinct event in itself and takes place at least seven years before the second coming of christ. The rapture takes place before the tribulation, and the second coming after the tribulation. The rapture is the time when Christ comes FOR the saints (1 Thess. 4:13-17), and the second coming is when He comes back to the Earth WITH them (Zech. 14:1-5; Jude 14; Rev. 19:11-21). At the rapture, Christ takes the saints to heaven (1 Thess. 3:13; 4:16; Col. 3:4), and at the second coming He Leaves Heaven with them (Rev. 19 11-21). At the rapture Christ does not come to Earth (1 thess.4:16) but at the second coming He does (Zech.14:14; Matt. 24:29-31). Since Christ does not come to earth at the rapture, it cannot be called the second coming of Christ.

Praise God for ever more! Haz.

Mat 24:29 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:

Mat 24:30 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.

Mat 24:31 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.

Mar 13:23 But take ye heed: behold, I have foretold you all things.

Mar 13:24 But in those days, after that tribulation, the sun shall be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light,

Mar 13:25 And the stars of heaven shall fall, and the powers that are in heaven shall be shaken.

Mar 13:26 And then shall they see the Son of man coming in the clouds with great power and glory.

Mar 13:27 And then shall he send his angels, and shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from the uttermost part of the earth to the uttermost part of heaven.

Luk 21:25 And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring;

Luk 21:26 Men's hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken.

Luk 21:27 And then shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.

Luk 21:28 And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh.

Good thing you aren't getting the second coming mixed up with the rapture? They are two seperate events.

Not according to 2 Thessalonians 2:1.

[spiritman]

Scriptures plainly show that Jesus will return and take His saints out of this world before the tribulation. He will later return with them and the armies of Heaven to put down all rebellion and all sin.

The rapture is a distinct event in itself and takes place at least seven years before the second coming of christ. The rapture takes place before the tribulation, and the second coming after the tribulation. The rapture is the time when Christ comes FOR the saints (1 Thess. 4:13-17), and the second coming is when He comes back to the Earth WITH them (Zech. 14:1-5; Jude 14; Rev. 19:11-21). At the rapture, Christ takes the saints to heaven (1 Thess. 3:13; 4:16; Col. 3:4), and at the second coming He Leaves Heaven with them (Rev. 19 11-21). At the rapture Christ does not come to Earth (1 thess.4:16) but at the second coming He does (Zech.14:14; Matt. 24:29-31). Since Christ does not come to earth at the rapture, it cannot be called the second coming of Christ.

Praise God for ever more! Haz.

Mat 24:29 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:

Mat 24:30 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.

Mat 24:31 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.

Mar 13:23 But take ye heed: behold, I have foretold you all things.

Mar 13:24 But in those days, after that tribulation, the sun shall be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light,

Mar 13:25 And the stars of heaven shall fall, and the powers that are in heaven shall be shaken.

Mar 13:26 And then shall they see the Son of man coming in the clouds with great power and glory.

Mar 13:27 And then shall he send his angels, and shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from the uttermost part of the earth to the uttermost part of heaven.

Luk 21:25 And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring;

Luk 21:26 Men's hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken.

Luk 21:27 And then shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.

Luk 21:28 And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh.

Good thing you aren't getting the second coming mixed up with the rapture? They are two seperate events.

Not according to 2 Thessalonians 2:1.

if you read in context my brother you will that this chapter and verse is refering to the time of the great falling away of the church, and the man of sin being revealed, and the rapture of the church. See post 43 I already covered this topic there.

[Xan]

Scriptures plainly show that Jesus will return and take His saints out of this world before the tribulation. He will later return with them and the armies of Heaven to put down all rebellion and all sin.

The rapture is a distinct event in itself and takes place at least seven years before the second coming of christ. The rapture takes place before the tribulation, and the second coming after the tribulation. The rapture is the time when Christ comes FOR the saints (1 Thess. 4:13-17), and the second coming is when He comes back to the Earth WITH them (Zech. 14:1-5; Jude 14; Rev. 19:11-21). At the rapture, Christ takes the saints to heaven (1 Thess. 3:13; 4:16; Col. 3:4), and at the second coming He Leaves Heaven with them (Rev. 19 11-21). At the rapture Christ does not come to Earth (1 thess.4:16) but at the second coming He does (Zech.14:14; Matt. 24:29-31). Since Christ does not come to earth at the rapture, it cannot be called the second coming of Christ.

Praise God for ever more! Haz.

Mat 24:29 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:

Mat 24:30 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.

Mat 24:31 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.

Mar 13:23 But take ye heed: behold, I have foretold you all things.

Mar 13:24 But in those days, after that tribulation, the sun shall be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light,

Mar 13:25 And the stars of heaven shall fall, and the powers that are in heaven shall be shaken.

Mar 13:26 And then shall they see the Son of man coming in the clouds with great power and glory.

Mar 13:27 And then shall he send his angels, and shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from the uttermost part of the earth to the uttermost part of heaven.

Luk 21:25 And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring;

Luk 21:26 Men's hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken.

Luk 21:27 And then shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.

Luk 21:28 And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh.

Good thing you aren't getting the second coming mixed up with the rapture? They are two seperate events.

Not according to 2 Thessalonians 2:1.

if you read in context my brother you will that this chapter and verse is refering to the time of the great falling away of the church, and the man of sin being revealed, and the rapture of the church. See post 43 I already covered this topic there.

I read it, but it does not adequately explain this:

2 Thessalonians 2:1ff "Now we request you, brethren, with regard to the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and our gathering together to Him, that you may not be quickly shaken from your composure or be disturbed either by a spirit or a message or a letter as if from us, to the effect that the day of the Lord has come. Let no one in any way decieve you, for it will not come unless the apostacy comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction, who opposes and exalts himself above every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, displaying himself as being God."

To me it is so clear, I am unable to wrap my brain around why it is not. Could someone please explain to me how it is that Paul clearly said our gathering to Jesus will not come until the apostacy is revealed, yet you are unable to believe it? Verse 1 mentions the coming of the Lord and our gathering to Him as one event, this is later shown when Paul says, "for IT (as in one event) will not come unless the apostacy comes first..."

[spiritman]

Also concering Mark 13; the disciples are asking Jesus three questions not just one question lets go back to verse 1; but lets use Matthew 24 instead of Mark, there is more detail on this in Mathew 24:1 reads: 1 And Jesus went out, and departed from the temple: and his disciples came to him for to shew him the buildings of the temple.

2 And Jesus said unto them, See ye not all these things? verily I say unto you, There shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down. Refering to 70 A.D when Titus burned down the temple.

3 And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?

Questions in verse three from the disciples to Jesus:

1. when will these things be

2. what will be the sign of your coming back (Rapture)

3. what will be the sign of the end of the world. (2nd coming)

So you can't take matthew 24 or mark 13 to describe one event, there are several events going on here.

31 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. compare with 1Corinthains 15:51-52: which reads: 51 Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, 52 In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. As we can see in both Matthew 24:31; and 1Corinthians 15:51-52 Trumpets are used here, this is a Rapture verse.

32 Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When his branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh:

33 So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors.

34 Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled.

35 Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.

36 But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only. ( the rapture is imminent) there are no verses that tell us when the rapture will take place. such as here in verse 36; this is a Rapture verse.

29 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:

30 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.

verse 29-30 of matthew 24; Jesus is speaking about the Tribulation, and after the Tribulation He will return for the second coming, after the 7 years are up.

Note How do we know that verse 36 is a rapture verse and not a 2nd coming verse, because Daniel 12:11-12, gives us an Ideal of the time of the 2nd coming of Christ. Daniel 12:11-12 reads: 11 “From the time the daily sacrifice is stopped and the sacrilegious object that causes desecration is set up to be worshiped, there will be 1,290 days.

12 And blessed are those who wait and remain until the end of the 1,335 days! Dan 12:11-12 (NLT)

verse 13, The Lord tells Daniel :13 “As for you, go your way until the end. You will rest, and then at the end of the days, you will rise again to receive the inheritance set aside for you.” So in the context of verse 13; verse 11 and 12 of Daniel 12 are speaking of the end of time. Dan 12:13 (NLT)

Blessings Spiritman

Blessings

Bob

[spiritman]

I did a search for this topic, and did find a few interesting threads about it, but from what I could find, none of them were polls which could gauge how many people believed in the Rapture or not. The basic question - Is the Bible clear on the definite Rapture occuring, or is the complete lack of early historical writings, particularly from some of the greatest minds in Christian history, evidence that there are other interpretations of these verses???

For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. - 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17.

The Rapture is a very common belief among many Christians today. But has it always been so?

It may come as a surprise to many Christians, but the doctrine of the Rapture is not mentioned in any Christian writings, of which we have knowledge, until after the year 1830 A.D. Whether the early writers were Greek or Latin, Armenian or Coptic, Syrian or Ethiopian, English or German, orthodox or heretic, no one mentioned a syllable about it - Further reading

There exists at least one 18th century and two 19th century Pre-Tribulation references, in a book published in 1788, in the writings of a Catholic priest Emmanuel Lacunza [9] in 1812, and by John Nelson Darby himself in 1827.[10] However, both the book published in 1788 and the writings of Lacunza have opposing views regarding their interpretations, as well.

The rise in belief in the "Pre-Tribulation" rapture is sometimes attributed to a 15-year old Scottish-Irish girl named Margaret McDonald (a follower of Edward Irving), who in 1830 had a vision that was later[11] published in 1861.

The popularization of the term is associated with teaching of John Nelson Darby, prominent among the Plymouth Brethren, and the rise of premillennialism and dispensationalism in English-speaking churches at the end of the 19th century - Further reading

The words Bible, and Trinity aren't in the scripture either, but I read one, and I believe in the Trinity, because the description is there. Same with the rapture, the word is not in the Bible but 2nd thess 4:13-17 describe the rapture. also here is a verse from the Old testament that descibes the rapture:

Isaiah 26:19-21 NASB

19 Your dead will live; Their corpses will rise. You who lie in the dust, awake and shout for joy, For your dew is as the dew of the dawn , And the earth will give birth to the departed spirits.

20 Come, my people, enter into your rooms And close your doors behind you; Hide for a little while Until indignation runs its course.

21 For behold, the Lord is about to come out from His place To punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity; And the earth will reveal her bloodshed And will no longer cover her slain.

Isaiah 26:19-21 (NASB)

As you can plainly see here in verse 19 God is describing the raising of the Dead as in 2 thess 4:13-17. during the rapture the bride of Christ will meet Christ in the air, and stay with Him for a period of 7 years, which is what verse 20 in Isaiah 26:19-21 is refering to. verse 21 here is describing the Tribulation period.

You can't argue with the orginal Greek manuscripts, the word for caught up is Harpazo, caught up, snatched away. sorry but you have to take the Bible at what it says. Not what others say it says. I don't mean to sound brash brother but Your study sources contradict the scriptures therefore they are inaccurate.

Spiritman

Why the assumption that Isaiah is speaking about the end of the world? Most Old Testament prophecy was fulfilled within decades of pronouncement, not millenia. This is a major problem with the whole concept of pre-trib theology - much of the Old Testament scripture that is pointed to as proof of the rapture/tribulation scheme actually has nothing to do with the end of the world. We don't get to make something up out of whole cloth and then go back and find scripture to support it - that's called eisogesis, to read into the scripture. At best it is sloppy scholarship, at worst, it is irresponsible.

my precious brother in Christ; Read Isaiah 26:19-21; And please tell me where in scripture, does the events listed, ever happen? There are plenty of Old testament Saints for example Daniel, Isaiah, Ezekiel, etc... etc.. who were given visions of the end times.

Isaiah 26 is a song of rejoicing. It is the third in a series of four sermons. It breaks down into four stanzas. vv. 1-9 is praise to the Lord as Israel's defender, vv 10-14 speaks of the doom of persistent wrongdoers, vv 15-19 is the answer to Israel's prayer for deliverance and vv 20- 27:1 is an appeal for the the hearer to take refuge in God alone. Taken in context, 26:20-27:1 are the moral of the story told in the previous verses. It's not a prediction and it certainly is not a promise. It is poetry. Isaiah is warning of the coming judgment on the nation of Israel from Babylon. From Isaiah's point of view, it was an event yet to happen. From our point of view, it has already been fulfilled. Isaiah wrote some 750 years before John and Paul were born and it stretches credulity to the breaking point to propose a linkage between this passage, 2 Thess. 4:13-17 and Revelation 19:7-9. Isaiah had no knowledge of John or Paul. Therefore, it is invalid to suggest that Isaiah was referring to John or Paul or both.

You must be joking, what are you reading? some commentary? What are your sources? If there is no rapture, then the original greek word in 1thess 4:13-17 caught up (harpazo) is a contradiction in the scriptures, that would make either your intepretation inaccurate , or the scriptures contradict themselves , I'll put my money on the scriptures. thank you very much.

I've done all I can here. I'm finished, it's your blessing your knocking yourself out of. no skin off my nose.