What is the Rapture?

[John D. Brey]

In this case, religions capture peoples' minds and people are powerless to think objectively about it.
Rapture = Religious + capture of minds
(The photograph you inserted is illustrative)

Is the mind like a tabula rasa? If so, it has to act on something, something has to capture its attention.



John

 

[IndigoChild5559]

The 'rapture' reminds me of a series of books, 'the left behind'.

The Left Behind series was garbage. A real embarrassment to Christian writers. When you stop to consider the great ones, like CS Lewis and JRR Tolkien, it becomes seriously sad that today's Christians can't produce quality literature anymore.

 

[pearl]

Best book on the subject is called "Revelation: The Four Views" by Steve Gregg. It goes passage by passage giving what each of the four approaches' interpretation is.

Is this what you are referring to?

"Revelation: The Four Views" by Steve Gregg - Search Videos

www.bing.com

 

[IndigoChild5559]

Is this what you are referring to?

"Revelation: The Four Views" by Steve Gregg - Search Videos

www.bing.com

That's the one This lecture, btw, only covers a very small part of the text. The best thing about the text is that it goes passage by passage.

 

[Aupmanyav]

Is the mind like a tabula rasa? If so, it has to act on something, something has to capture its attention.

Yes. 'From where did my brother come?' - 'The crane brought him'. A child will not understand how it happened.
We are fed wrong information in childhood. "Where has grandpa gone?' - 'He has gone to God'.

 

[InChrist]

The "rapture" is a Christian doctrine first theorized in the 1800s. Rather than the traditional Christian belief that Jesus would only come back a second time at the resurrection, it postulates a three time thing, where before the resurrection he comes back and removes all Christian believers from the earth. There is debate among rapture believers whether this will happen before, during, or after the tribulation. And of course it should be mentioned that the only people who believe in the rapture are those who take a Futurist approach to revelation, which is currently very trendy among evangelicals, replacing historicism, which held sway among protestants for hundreds of years. Adherents to rapture theory basically take a shlew of verses that have been traditionally understood to describe the second coming and resurrection, and reinterpret them as an earlier coming.

The Rapture teaching is throughout the scriptures. It wasn’t developed in the 1800’s…


“One of the issues being promoted by a rising belief system of theology is that a pre-tribulation Rapture of the church is not Bible truth. It is claimed that such doctrine is a fabrication of one John Nelson Darby of Ireland (1800-1882).”

John Darby Did Not Invent the Rapture :: By Gene Lawley

One of the issues being promoted by a rising belief system of theology is that a pre-tribulation Rapture of the church is not Bible truth. It is claimed

www.raptureready.com

 

[IndigoChild5559]

The Rapture teaching is throughout the scriptures. It wasn’t developed in the 1800’s…


“One of the issues being promoted by a rising belief system of theology is that a pre-tribulation Rapture of the church is not Bible truth. It is claimed that such doctrine is a fabrication of one John Nelson Darby of Ireland (1800-1882).”

John Darby Did Not Invent the Rapture :: By Gene Lawley

One of the issues being promoted by a rising belief system of theology is that a pre-tribulation Rapture of the church is not Bible truth. It is claimed

www.raptureready.com

You can bury your head in the sand if you like, but the objective reality is that no Christian believed in the Rapture before teh 1800s. I'm moving on. If you want to have the last word, that's fine.

 

[Hermit Philosopher]

That's at least an interesting hypothesis . . . and is probably technically possible. One problem is the Bible implies that those Raptured are removed from the earth to meet the Lord in the clouds leaving the world behind to undergo the Tribulation period after which they return to the earth with the Lord.



John

I don’t see that “problem”.
If anything, it makes sense: in trance, their consciousness would instantly no longer be in “the world”; their physical bodies left behind, as in human death.

Humbly,
Hermit

 

[John D. Brey]

You can bury your head in the sand if you like, but the objective reality is that no Christian believed in the Rapture before teh 1800s. I'm moving on. If you want to have the last word, that's fine.

. . . That's like saying no Christian believed in salvation through faith alone, in Christ alone, until Martin Luther. Until Gutenberg, most people couldn't even read what the Bible actually said (and historians claim literacy in the Western world began with Luther making everyone learn to read so they could read the Bible for themselves). It's when we actually read the Bible, rather than relying on tradition, that we see that the traditions are often guarding errant interpretations that further the traditions goals.

Btw, I now have the Steve Gregg book you recommended. It's very informative and filled with great information.

For my own part, I agree with what he calls the "futurist" position, as laid out by Hal Lindsey, and Dallas Theological Seminary. Gregg implies, as you seem to believe as well, that the futurist position (Premillennial Dispensationalism), is something new and novel. I couldn't disagree more. In my view it's taught clearly and undeniably in the Bible such that the other positions, say Preterism, are misinterpretations and mistranslations of the original Biblical text.



John

 

[IndigoChild5559]

\
Btw, I now have the Steve Gregg book you recommended. It's very informative and filled with great information.

Enjoy!

 

[Fool]

For the sake of non-bible-thumper types, the "Rapture" is an event that takes place at the end of the current epoch of human civilization that's the bookend (the Rapture is) to Noah's flood at the other end (the distant past) of the current historical time-frame. In the biblical books of Daniel (the Tanakh) and Revelation (the NT) numerous events in the final years of the current civilization are noted that we can now see are not as strange and mystical as they originally seemed before the advent of the most recent scientific age.

For instance, the book of Revelation says the ruler of the unified European common market of the time will cause everyone to include a particular number or marker in their hand or forehead without which their normal ability to purchase goods and services will cease. No more Amazon. No more non-cash purchases whatsoever. Furthermore, the same text claims some kind of artificial intelligence will be used to monitor not only the purchases of every person included in the marketplace, but every single thing they do, watch, say; information which will then be put into a powerful algorithm (AI augmented super quantum computer) that will determine that some, if not many, of those so monitored, must be eliminated for the good of the beastly golden age. The text is not shy about stating that they will be eliminated and that presumably the elimination is fairly clean and easy as though it's affected through the chip placed in their hand or forehead.

For bible-thumper-types that's pretty much all common knowledge. And the relationship between what only one-hundred years ago seemed like mystical events with no knowable, actual, significance, versus the clear analogues in modern science and current events, is easily digested.

Which leads to the question posed in this thread. What's the modern, scientific, event, that's described in the Bible, and which has come to be named the "Rapture"? What kind of event, what actual technology, could account for millions of people suddenly and instantaneously (in the blink of an eye) disappearing without a trace? In the Biblical concept of the Rapture, the people aren't incinerated or eliminated by some unknown technology possessed by the same leaders who eliminate those who refuse to be vaccinated with a number in their hand or forehead since the Rapture occurs just prior to the finishing touches being put on the leadership of the completed European union.

In the Bible, the Rapture is a worldwide event that sets off tectonic shifts in politics, economics, society in general, seemingly implying that the intelligentsia of the world knows something about what caused the Rapture, and what it entails for the world, such that the leaders of the world who don't take part in the Rapture unite in an attempt to fix whatever caused the Rapture, or prepare for the return of those who weren't left behind?

But what, in a non-mystical sense, i.e., what, with what we're now learning about physics, reality, technology, is the Rapture?



John

a vision by the self and movement into the fourth dimension of unconditional love.


rapt (adj.)
rapt | Search Online Etymology Dictionary
late 14c., "carried away in an ecstatic trance," from Latin raptus, past participle of rapere "seize, carry off" (see rape (v.)). A figurative sense, the notion is of being "carried up into Heaven" (bodily or in a dream), as in a saint's vision.
The Latin literal sense of "carried away" also was in English from 1550s. Essentially an alternative past participle of rape, in 15c.-17c. the word also sometimes could mean "raped." The sense of "engrossed" is recorded from c. 1500.
As a Latin past-participle adjective, in English it spawned unthinking the back-formed verb rap "to affect with rapture," which was common c. 1600-1750. Before that, there was a verb rapt "seize or grasp, seize and carry off; ravish" (1570s), also "enrapture, transport as with ecstasy" (1590s). There also was a noun rapt in 15c. meaning both "rapture" and "rape."


rhythm is a dancer

 

[John D. Brey]

rhythm is a dancer

MC Hammer has rhythm ---and dances. I bet he can give this Rhythm fella you know a run for his/her (or both or neither) money.

John

 

[Fool]

MC Hammer has rhythm ---and dances. I bet he can give this Rhythm fella you know a run for his/her (or both or neither) money.

John

everything vibrates some higher, some lower. each is a distortion across that infinite spectrum of love/light.

genesis 1:3

being that wave/particle

MOVE


I'll dance, dance, dance
With my hands, hands, hands
Above my head, head, head
Like Jesus said
I'm gonna dance, dance, dance
With my hands, hands, hands above my head
Hands together, forgive him before he's dead, because
I won't cry for you
I won't crucify the things you do
I won't cry for you
See, when you're gone, I'll still be Bloody Mary - lady gaga

 

[Fool]

The Left Behind series was garbage. A real embarrassment to Christian writers. When you stop to consider the great ones, like CS Lewis and JRR Tolkien, it becomes seriously sad that today's Christians can't produce quality literature anymore.

many are called but few are chosen by the name

psalms 118:26

 

[John D. Brey]

everything vibrates some higher, some lower. each is a distortion across that infinite spectrum of love/light.

genesis 1:3

being that wave/particle

MOVE


I'll dance, dance, dance
With my hands, hands, hands
Above my head, head, head
Like Jesus said
I'm gonna dance, dance, dance
With my hands, hands, hands above my head
Hands together, forgive him before he's dead, because
I won't cry for you
I won't crucify the things you do
I won't cry for you
See, when you're gone, I'll still be Bloody Mary - lady gaga

. . . And to think I had the audacity to question your avatar.



John

 

[Fool]

. . . And to think I had the audacity to question your avatar.



John

lo mismo

john 1:1-5

save a little for me

 

[paarsurrey]

What is the Rapture?

I understand the Christianity end times terminology has been well explained at the site <Glossary Of Terms | Apocalypse! FRONTLINE | PBS > under the title “

” and it is much appreciated, please:

Antichrist​				The figure who acts as Satan's lead agent on earth during the end times. Most Christian scenarios predict the Antichrist -- a sort of evil twin of Jesus in many ways -- will forge a one-world government through promises of peace. When Jesus returns, he will expose the Antichrist as an impostor, defeat him in the battle of Armageddon, and reign with the Christian martyrs for a thousand years on earth.
Apocalyptic​	Referring to the belief that the end of the world as we know it is approaching, usually through a sudden, catataclysmic transformation. Comes from the Greek word apokalypsis meaning "the lifting of a veil," or a revelation. Also the name given to a specific genre of prophetic literature, of which the book of Revelation is best known. Western apocalyptic traditions tend to be dualistic, in that they view this end as the final outcome of an ongoing battle between good and evil forces, usually represented by God and Satan.
Armageddon​	The geographic location given in the book of Revelation (16:16) for the climactic battle between Christ and Antichrist, with Christ's victory ushering in his thousand-year reign on earth. Named after the hill near the town of Megiddo in Palestine, which due to its strategic location overlooking major military and trade routes was the site of many ancient battles.
Chiliasm​	The belief that the righteous will enjoy their rewards here on earth. In Christianity, this has meant belief in the millennium, Christ's thousand-year reign on earth. From the Greek chilioi meaning "thousand."
Daniel​	The book of Daniel, the most famous of the Jewish apocalypses, and the source of many of the ideas and symbols in Revelation. Likely written in the 2nd century B.C. as a response to the desecration of the Temple by Antiochus IV of Syria, although the author is cast back to the time of the Exile and "predicts" events back to the present. In Daniel, one sees many of the elements of the apocalyptic world view coming together for the first time in a single work. In it, God's chosen rise up and overthrow their oppressors, thus inheriting "the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven."
Dispensationalism​	A theological system which breaks history down into discrete epochs, called dispensations, in each of which God has offered humans a different means of salvation. First developed in the mid-19th century by English theologian John Nelson Darby, dispensationalism found its most popular expression in the "Scofield Reference Bible" of the early 20th century. See premillennialism, below.
Eschatology​	The study of "last things," or the end of human history. Although specific interpretations vary widely, most Christian eschatologies center on the belief that the just will be rewarded when God triumphs over Satan in the last days.
Messianism​	The belief that a chosen individual holds the key to a higher truth which will lead to salvation for his followers. Extreme forms of apocalyptic belief have tended to manifest themselves through messianic figures, from Montanus in the 2nd century to David Koresh in 1993. Messiahs tend to be highly charismatic individuals prone to megalomania and violence.
Millennial​	Referring to a period of 1000 years, such as the end of the second Christian millennium in the year 2000. In religious terms, anything referring to the expected thousand-year reign of Christ on earth after the events of the last days have brought an end to this world. Such a radical transformation could come at any time, although expectations tend to increase at round markers such as the year 2000. Related to chiliasm, above.
Millenarian​	Referring to more extreme millennial expectations, in which belief in an imminent apocalyptic transformation tends to spur the faithful into action, often of a violent nature.
Postmillennialism​	The belief that Christ will return only after humans have established a millennial kingdom on earth through their own efforts. In extreme forms, postmillennial beliefs have given rise to violent theocracies, such as that of Thomas Muntzer in 16th century Germany. But a more typical example is the milder postmillennialism of most New England Puritans, who believed they were building just such a righteous society, a "city on a hill." This type of apocalyptic expectation has gone hand-in-hand with social reform movements, and has contributed to the notion of divinely ordained progress which has played an important role in American history.
Premillennialism​	The belief that God's millennial kingdom will not come until Christ returns to save a sinful humanity and defeat the forces of Satan. Specific interpretations vary as to the exact timing of the Second Coming -- at the beginning, middle, or end of the Tribulation period. But in general, premillennialists tend to be highly pessimistic about the present state of the world, yet anxiously await a perfect world in the near future. By placing the fate of mankind squarely in God's hands, premillennialism has tended to discourage social action, concentrating instead on conversion and preparation for final judgment.
Rapture​	The belief that true believers in Christ will be taken bodily into heaven just prior to or during the Tribulation period, and thus be spared the horrible fate awaiting those left behind on earth. The rapture is an integral part of the premillennial dispensationalist systems which have dominated Christian prophecy belief in the second half of the 20th century, as it proposes faith in Christ as the only route to salvation.
Revelation​	The book of Revelation, also known as "The Revelation to John" and "St. John's Apocalypse," is the primary source of inspiration for Christian prophecy believers. The last book and only apocalypse in the New Testament, it was likely written in the last decade of the first century, during a period of great turmoil after the destruction of the second Jewish Temple by the Romans in 70 A.D. Biblical scholars are skeptical of the historical claim that the Apostle John was its author. Millions of Christians have taken the events so vividly described in Revelation as a blueprint for what will happen in the last days as God brings an end to this world. But beyond that, many ideas and symbols from Revelation have found a place in the wider culture, including: the Mark of the Beast, represented by the number "666;" the seven seals; the four horsemen of the Apocalypse; the Whore of Babylon; and the battle of Armageddon.
Tribulation​	A period of upheaval, usually seven years in length, during which Satan will exert control over the earth through the antichrist. All but a small remnant of Christian faithful -- perhaps numbering 144,000 -- will die as a result of wars, plagues, and famine. The Tribulation will end with Christ's defeat of the antichrist at Armageddon, ushering God's millennial kingdom on earth.

Glossary Of Terms | Apocalypse! FRONTLINE | PBS

www.pbs.org

Right?

Regards

 

[Madmogwai]

The concept of the rapture is a theological belief held by certain Christian denominations, particularly those within the evangelical and dispensationalist traditions. It refers to an event in which believers in Jesus Christ, both living and deceased, will be caught up or "raptured" into the presence of God. This event is believed to occur prior to a period of tribulation, characterized by significant global turmoil and suffering.

The idea of the rapture is primarily derived from biblical passages, specifically from Paul's letters to the Thessalonians (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 and 1 Corinthians 15:51-52). These texts describe a future event in which believers will be transformed into imperishable bodies and taken up to be with Christ.

Different interpretations exist regarding the timing of the rapture within the eschatological timeline. Pre-tribulationists believe that the rapture will occur before the tribulation period, allowing believers to escape the suffering and chaos of that time. Post-tribulationists, on the other hand, maintain that the rapture will take place after the tribulation, with believers being protected through it.

While the concept of the rapture is not universally accepted among Christians, it holds significant importance for those who adhere to it. It offers hope and assurance of eternal life for believers, emphasizing the promise of salvation and the ultimate deliverance from the hardships of the world.

It is important to note that the concept of the rapture is a matter of religious belief and interpretation. As with any theological topic, different individuals and groups may hold varying perspectives and understandings based on their specific religious traditions and teachings

 

[John D. Brey]

The concept of the rapture is a theological belief held by certain Christian denominations, particularly those within the evangelical and dispensationalist traditions. It refers to an event in which believers in Jesus Christ, both living and deceased, will be caught up or "raptured" into the presence of God. This event is believed to occur prior to a period of tribulation, characterized by significant global turmoil and suffering.

The idea of the rapture is primarily derived from biblical passages, specifically from Paul's letters to the Thessalonians (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 and 1 Corinthians 15:51-52). These texts describe a future event in which believers will be transformed into imperishable bodies and taken up to be with Christ.

Different interpretations exist regarding the timing of the rapture within the eschatological timeline. Pre-tribulationists believe that the rapture will occur before the tribulation period, allowing believers to escape the suffering and chaos of that time. Post-tribulationists, on the other hand, maintain that the rapture will take place after the tribulation, with believers being protected through it.

While the concept of the rapture is not universally accepted among Christians, it holds significant importance for those who adhere to it. It offers hope and assurance of eternal life for believers, emphasizing the promise of salvation and the ultimate deliverance from the hardships of the world.

It is important to note that the concept of the rapture is a matter of religious belief and interpretation. As with any theological topic, different individuals and groups may hold varying perspectives and understandings based on their specific religious traditions and teachings

Chuck Missler argues that the Rapture is biblical through and through:

John

 

[Madmogwai]

Chuck Missler argues that the Rapture is biblical through and through:

John

Chuck Missler presents a compelling argument regarding the biblical foundation of the Rapture. Through meticulous examination of various biblical texts, he asserts that the concept of the Rapture can be found throughout the entirety of the Bible. In this analysis, a professional tone will be employed to discuss the key points presented by Missler.

One of Missler's central arguments is based on the interpretation of 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17, which states, "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." Missler emphasizes that the phrase "caught up" in this passage implies a sudden snatch or seizing away, which aligns with the concept of the Rapture.

Furthermore, Missler highlights the similarities between the Rapture and the account of Enoch in Genesis 5:24, which states, "Enoch walked faithfully with God; then he was no more because God took him away." He argues that Enoch's sudden removal from Earth mirrors the idea of believers being taken away in the Rapture, further supporting the biblical basis for this event.

Additionally, Missler draws attention to the parable of the ten virgins in Matthew 25:1-13. In this parable, Jesus tells the story of ten virgins waiting for the bridegroom. Five of them are prepared with enough oil for their lamps, while the other five are unprepared. When the bridegroom finally arrives, the unprepared ones are left behind. Missler interprets this parable as a representation of the Rapture, where the prepared virgins symbolize believers who are taken away, while the unprepared ones represent those left behind.

Missler's comprehensive analysis extends to other biblical passages as well, including Luke 17:34-36, which speaks of people being taken and others left behind, and 1 Corinthians 15:51-52, which describes the transformation of believers at the last trumpet. By examining these verses and more, Missler establishes a strong biblical foundation for the concept of the Rapture.

In conclusion, Chuck Missler presents a well-reasoned argument supporting the biblical legitimacy of the Rapture. Through careful analysis of numerous biblical texts, he highlights the presence of this event throughout the scriptures. Whether one agrees or disagrees with Missler's interpretation, his scholarly examination of the topic offers valuable insights into the biblical basis of the Rapture