The Rapture...When?
Because the question seems to be more on the minds of believers nowadays and because there are so many erroneous and dangerously misleading teachings prevalent today that are lulling the church into a false sense of security and complacency...the record needs to be set strait!
Because erroneous and sometimes deceptive teachings about the Rapture of the church were prevalent even in Paul's day, he also felt the need to address a heresy that was being propagated by the false teachers of his day...the imminent return of Jesus Christ to catch away His church!
I know there are many good, faithful, well-meaning teachers and preachers who love the Lord with all their heart out there who really believe and teach what I am refuting BUT...there is NO SUCH THING as an 'imminent' (any moment) Rapture of the Church and that there are at least 4 prophecies yet to be fulfilled before Jesus returns for His church and in the next 5 studies and I'll show you why...
First, get out your Bible and read very carefully the verses captioned IN CONTEXT beginning in verse 1...Now, here's why I say this doctrine is not true and is in ERROR (and please look at the references).
To understand the context, read verses 1 and 2... "Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our GATHERING TOGETHER UNTO HIM (Undeniably the Rapture), That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that THE DAY OF CHRIST (the Day of the Lord), is AT HAND" (or could happen at any moment). False teachers had been teaching that the Day of Christ (Day of the Lord) which will closely follow the Rapture, was upon them, causing unnecessary consternation and division in the church. Paul refutes their claims by explaining and teaching them AND us in the next two verses why it was not so...
He said that those living at the time of the end should not be DECEIVED into looking for the The Day of the Lord's wrath and Rapture until at least FOUR separate and distinct events occurred!Two of those events are mentioned specifically in the focal passage, one is alluded to and the other is not mentioned.
First – There must first be an agreement brokered by the Antichrist and signed between Israel and her Arab neighbors that will possibly involve Israel transferring land to the Palestinians in return for enlarged Temple Mount privileges which will allow Israel to rebuild their Temple and reinstate their sacrificial system according to At any rate, the Temple WILL BE REBUILT AND THE TEMPLE SACRIFICES WILL BE REINSTATED FOR THE FIRST TIME IN OVER 2,000 YEARS!
Secondly - At the beginning of the peace accord the Gog/Magog war of Ezekiel 38-39 must occur. (Ezekiel 38:8, 11)
Thirdly - There must first come the apostacy or 'falling away’…A time of unprecedented defection from the faith of the gospel…a time when men will be ‘lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God’ (2 Timothy 3:4)…a time when men will ‘worship and serve the created thing more than the Creator who is blessed forever.’ (Romans 1:25)…a time when men will be ‘lovers of their own selves…unthankful and unholy’ (2 Timothy 3:2), no longer caring for the things of God. I believe this occuring as I write and will increase exponentially in the next few years according to recent data found here... https://forerunnersofamerica.com/watchmans-cry/no-longer-a-christian-nation/?fbclid=IwAR38wqlSLTTikl_gtdkZOyW5xU6JLzIyK87zGYL0wdZGJWb_HY6AZFdCKv8
Lastly– The Antichrist (‘man of sin, the son of perdition’) must reveal himself in his true nature by cancelling the 7-year covenant (treaty) he negotiated between Israel and its Arab neighbors (Daniel 9:27), and after seating himself in the Temple in Jerusalem at the midpoint of the 7-year treaty (Daniel 9:27; 2 Thessalonians 2:3-4; 8-12), proclaming himself 'that he IS God’ will demand worship AS God by the world! (Matthew 24:15-21, Revelation 13:14-15)
This 'abomination that causes desolation' Jesus referred to in Matthew 24:15 will occur exactly 42 - 30 day months, 1260 days or 3 1/2 years after the 7 year peace alliance is signed according to Revelation 13 (entire chapter). This will signal the midpoint of the Tribulation period (Daniel's 70th Week - 9:27) AND the beginning of what Jesus referred to when He used the term "GREAT tribulation" in Matthew 24:21...an event AT LEAST 3 1/2 YEARS AWAY!
Until AT LEAST these four events occur, Jesus CANNOT and WILL NOT return to catch away His church!
There will be some who will say “That’s just your interpretation.” …Plain statements of Scripture DO NOT NEED INTERPRETATION…They speak for themselves authoritatively, truthfully and without contradiction! When a person uses the word ‘interpretation’ to explain away plain statements of Scripture, they become a bungler of the Word rather than an expositor of the Word!
There are many sychronized verses that bear out what I've said and I’ve told you the TRUTH about the Rapture but I can’t make you believe it…Only the Spirit of God (Spirit of Truth – John 16:13) can do that.
Love you all!