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Dr. Gleason - Religion & Faith
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Education & Background / Family / Hobbies / Religion
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The Rapture - Eternal Truth or Fabricated Fiction?
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I don't doubt the reality or possibility of a rapture, but rather refute
the viewpoint of the modern dispensationalists that anticipate a rapture
of Christians prior to a period of tribulation and 1000 yr. reign. of
Christ.
Explanation:
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The first point that I would like to make is that regarding the scripture verses 1 Thesalonians 4: 13-18. Some Christians often use this as an indication of the Rapture, but I must remind you that the goal of Paul was to reassure the Christians of the resurrection of the dead. He was not so interested in trying to predict the exact nature of the end of the world. It should be clear also that the dead will rise first. So, if a Rapture were to occur, it should start with the resurrection of the dead and would in no way be any secret.
1 Thesalonians 4: 13-18
“We do not want you to be unaware, brothers, about those who have fallen asleep, so that you may not grieve like the rest, who have no hope.
For if we believe that Jesus died and rose, so too will God, through Jesus, bring with him those who have fallen asleep.
Indeed, we tell you this, on the word of the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will surely not precede those who have fallen asleep.
For the Lord himself, with a word of command, with the voice of an archangel and with the trumpet of God, will come down from heaven, and the dead in Christ will rise first.
Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. Thus we shall always be with the Lord.
Therefore, console one another with these words.”
The second point I would like to make is regarding John 6:52-54.
It is clear that Jesus stated that those to be resurrected will do so on “the last day”.
The “last day” throughout the New Testament is considered to be the end of the world. Therefore, it is not consistent with what Jesus said for the righteous dead to be resurrected before 7 yrs of tribulation and a thousand year reign, as claimed by
dispensationalist Christians.
John 6: 52-54
“The Jews quarreled among themselves, saying, "How can this man give us (his) flesh to eat?"
Jesus said to them, "Amen, amen, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you do not have life within you.
Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him on the last day.”
The third point I would like to make is regarding the coming of the Son of Man as seen below in Mathew 24: 37-42 (New King James Version) & Luke 17:26-36.
Notice below that the unrighteous are “taken away” by the flood. Noah and his family are left behind to repopulate the Earth. Jesus stated that it will be the same when he returns for the second coming. Those that believe in the Rapture claim that the
Christian church will be taken away and the unrighteous will be “left behind”. This is not consistent with what Jesus said.
Mathew 24: 37-42 (New King James Version)
“But as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and
did not know until the flood came and took them all away, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. Then two men will be in the field: one will be taken and the other left. Two women will be grinding at the mill: one will be taken and the other left.”
Luke 17:26-36
“As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be in the days of the Son of Man;
they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage up to the day that Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all.
Similarly, as it was in the days of Lot: they were eating, drinking, buying, selling, planting, building;
on the day when Lot left Sodom, fire and brimstone rained from the sky to destroy them all.
So it will be on the day the Son of Man is revealed.
On that day, a person who is on the housetop and whose belongings are in the house must not go down to get them, and likewise a person in the field must not return to what was left behind.
Remember the wife of Lot.
Whoever seeks to preserve his life will lose it, but whoever loses it will save it.
I tell you, on that night there will be two people in one bed; one will be taken, the other left.
And there will be two women grinding meal together; one will be taken, the other left."
My fourth point is regarding the history of this “dispensationalism” that involves this rapture, 7 yr. tribulation, and 1000 yr. reign. This kind of thinking in regard to the end of the world was unheard of until the 1830’s. Mr. C. I. Scofield placed these ideas in the footnotes of his Scofield Reference Bible, which was widely distributed in England and America in the 1800’s. Until then, for nearly 2000 yrs. Christianity carried forward the traditions and Bible without ever mentioning or dreaming of such ideas.
In closing, my final point is related to the nature of these incorrect interpretations of the Book of Revelation and other scriptures. In reading on this subject, I have discovered that there are a variety of opinions about these end times events.
Apparently, there are “pre-tribulationalists” as well as “mid-tribulationalists”. How can there be different interpretations if there is only one Biblical truth?
I propose to you that many of these ideas were dreamed up by individuals that over-estimated their ability & authority to interpret scriptures. 2 Peter 1:20-21 cautions about this
matter: “Know this first of all, that there is no prophecy of scripture that is a matter of personal interpretation.”
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Much more could be said regarding this subject area, but remains beyond
the scope of this commentary.
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