The Rapture

[Shiloh62]

Isn't it true that when Jesus comes to earth the first time for The Rapture, He isn't going to set foot down on the earth, but we will meet him up in the air? And isn't it possible that this could be accomplished by a spacecraft? In fact, isn't this just about the only plausible situation where this event could take place? Is a "Beam me up Scotty" idea too far-fetched? The thought occured to me after reading the first chapter of Ezekiel;it sure sounds like Ezekiel is describing spacecraft there, or what we refer to as UFO's. If in fact He did come for us in a spacecraft, would you go, or not believe? Shiloh62

[OneLight]

1 Thessalonians 4:16-18 (New King James Version)

16 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. 18 Therefore comfort one another with these words.

Don't sound like UFO's to me. Have you read about the cult called Heavens Gate?

[ColleenLovesMischief]

1Co 15:51 Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed;

1Co 15:52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.

The last trumpet is in revelation last time I looked. After the tribulation, and before judgement.

Rev 20:1 Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, having the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand.

Rev 20:2 He laid hold of the dragon, that serpent of old, who is the Devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years;

Rev 20:3 and he cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal on him, so that he should deceive the nations no more till the thousand years were finished. But after these things he must be released for a little while.

Rev 20:4 And I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was committed to them. Then I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their witness to Jesus and for the word of God, who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received his mark on their foreheads or on their hands. And they lived and reigned with Christ for a thousand years.

Rev 20:5 But the rest of the dead did not live again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection.

Rev 20:6 Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection. Over such the second death has no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with Him a thousand years.

Rev 20:7 Now when the thousand years have expired, Satan will be released from his prison

Rev 20:8 and will go out to deceive the nations which are in the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle, whose number is as the sand of the sea.

Rev 20:9 They went up on the breadth of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city. And fire came down from God out of heaven and devoured them.

Rev 20:10 The devil, who deceived them, was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone where the beast and the false prophet are. And they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.

Rev 20:11 Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. And there was found no place for them.

Rev 20:12 And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books.

Rev 20:13 The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works.

Rev 20:14 Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.

Rev 20:15 And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.

But that is my opinion. No spaceship...meet Him in the air and come back for a thousand years. With Him.

[EricH]

Moved from General Discussion to Eschatology

[Trusting Jesus]

No, there won't be any spacecraft! I think you have watched too much Star Trek

Remember that God is more powerful than anything the human mind can grasp. He spoke and there was light. He spoke this world and all the universe into existance. How? Well, very simply, He is God. This same God will rapture His church very soon. How? Well, very simply, He is God. There are things that just have to be accepted. If we try to fit God into man's understanding, it won't work. That's how we get so many wrong theologies and cults get started. The Bible is truth.....God's word. He told us what we need to know.

<>< ><>

Nathele

[Shiloh62]

Thank you guys for setting me straight. I don't know unless I ask. I guess its our limited human knowledge that causes us to ponder possibilities. Shiloh62

[mizzdy]

No, there won't be any spacecraft! I think you have watched too much Star Trek

In my best Capt. Kirk voice, Why does God need a space craft! Sorry just couldn't help myself!

[Bold Believer]

You'll never know if you don't ask.

Let's look for a second at the verses commonly used to describe the rapture.

I Thess 4 tells us that we will be changed in the twinkling of an eye from mortal (this body) to immortal (a resurrected body). I Cor 15 pretty much tells us the same thing. So then the context of the rapture is the resurrection of the Believer's body. Does Scripture tell us when this happens? Yes. Straight from the mouth of Jesus.

Jhn 6:39 This is the will of the Father who sent Me, that of all He has given Me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up at the last day.

Jhn 6:40 And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have everlasting life; and I will raise him up at the last day."

Jhn 6:44 No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up at the last day.

Jhn 6:54 Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day.

Jhn 12:48 He who rejects Me, and does not receive My words, has that which judges him--the word that I have spoken will judge him in the last day.

Now, if the words of Jesus are not enough, how about Martha?

Jhn 11:24 Martha said to Him, "I know that he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day."

As you will notice, there is a very recurrent theme there. I've emboldened and underlined it.

Jesus said the resurrection would occur at the last day. Martha (and other Jews) apparently believed it would be on the last day as well. Jesus never tells her any different. Perhaps we should consider listening to them?

[arrowfromgod]

No, there won't be any spacecraft! I think you have watched too much Star Trek

In my best Capt. Kirk voice, Why does God need a space craft! Sorry just couldn't help myself!

knew that was coming

[hayahtowb]

Hi Shiloh, good thread topic.

Isn't it true that when Jesus comes to earth the first time for The Rapture, He isn't going to set foot down on the earth, but we will meet him up in the air? And isn't it possible that this could be accomplished by a spacecraft? In fact, isn't this just about the only plausible situation where this event could take place? Is a "Beam me up Scotty" idea too far-fetched? The thought occured to me after reading the first chapter of Ezekiel;it sure sounds like Ezekiel is describing spacecraft there, or what we refer to as UFO's. If in fact He did come for us in a spacecraft, would you go, or not believe? Shiloh62

I don't see a rapture in scripture, in fact, we read in Ezekiel 13.18-21 quite the oppsite. The whole chapter is talking about bad prophets/teachers. Remember what God told Adam: "...: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return." Genesis 3.19 Also we find agreement with this in Ecclesiastes 11.6-7 that when we die, the flesh body goes to the earth, and the breath of life body goes back to God. These are only a few places in scripture that disagree with a rapture, but there are others as well.