I tell you, in that night there shall be two men in one bed; the one shall be taken, and the other shall be left. Two women shall be grinding together; the one shall be taken, and the other left. Two men shall be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left.
The
Great
and
Terrible
day of
the
Lord
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? And Jesus answered
and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you.
Matthew 24:3-4
When the disciples asked Jesus about the end of the world, the first thing the
Master did was to warn them that it was their responsibility to know the truth.
The popular scenario goes something like this: Jesus sneaks up on the world as a thief in an invisible state, then He waves His hand a few times and BAM! All over the world, people vanish. Except for their clothes and things in their hands, they simply disappear. But only those who have said the magic words "I accept Jesus as my personal Lord & savior" will disappear -- everyone else will simply see piles of clothes all over the place. Cars will crash (in case of rapture this car will be unmanned) and chaos will reign -- lately, a new twist has been added to the fantasy, all the children will vanish as well, and the pope too, surprise, surprise, surprise.
Now, most theologians and studied laymen agree: the above scenario is not in the Bible. Nowhere in the pages of scripture are any of the above details given (the word "rapture" is derived completely from non-canonical sources, mostly from the Latin Vulgate, employing the word raptor, a bird of prey, a vicious bird that swoops down to snatch its victim in fierce talons -- this fact in and of itself should make you suspicious -- the TRUE word to look up in your Strong's dictionary is "Parousia," which means "revealing" or "appearing" the opposite of the invisible scenario). And worse, the verses employed to create the fantasy must be twisted severely to arrive at such a conclusion.
PAROUSIA
[puh ROO sih ah]-- a transliteration of a Greek word that refers to the
SECOND COMING, or the return of the Lord Jesus Christ at the end
of this age to set up His kingdom, judge His enemies, and reward the
faithful. The Greek word literally means, "a being alongside," hence
"appearance" or "presence." Christians are "looking for the blessed
hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ"
<Titus 2:13>. This blessed hope of the Parousia, or Second Coming,
sustains believers in a godless age.
(from Nelson's Illustrated Bible Dictionary)
Jesus IS coming back, and the saints of God WILL meet Him in the air, and they will never be separated from Him again. Before they are caught up into the sky, the "dead in Christ" will be raised up first. Then those who remain -- the Remnant -- shall be changed in the twinkling of an eye, to be REAL, to be ALIVE, quickened. But will this all be a secret?
The Bible, very clearly, paints a completely different picture, one that is the antithesis to SECRECY. When Jesus comes the second time (Parousia) He will come to the blare of trumpets, with the world-ringing shout of the archangel, incredible heavenly fanfare, with the sky rolling up like a scroll, islands disappearing beneath waves, mountains flattening, and the wicked screaming in terror at sight of the holy face of God Almighty (absolutely nobody will be left scratching their heads as to what is happening, or what has just happened) -- His righteousness will be brighter than the sun, and unless a person has the mirror image of that righteousness upon their forehead and within their hand, they will be killed by that righteous brightness (first they will run screaming, begging the mountains and rocks to fall on them and crush them).
An interesting fact to take note: Tim LaHaye, fantasy-writer, even admits to the non-Biblical notion of a Secret Rapture: "One objection to the pre-Tribulation Rapture is that no one passage of Scripture teaches the two aspects of His Second Coming separated by the Tribulation. This is true. But then, no one passage teaches a post-trib or mid-trib Rapture, either." (No Fear of the Storm) That pretty much takes care of it. THERE IS NO RAPTURE. At least, it is not mentioned in the Bible (it has made Tim LaHaye rich, however, so in one sense it DOES exist). It is nowhere to be found in the Bible -- do you believe Tim LaHaye? The Rapture Kingpin admits it himself, it is "new revelation," of the last 100 or so years. Everyone admits that it is a "new revelation" -- but is it a revelation from God, or from another source completely?
Now if it is not in the Bible, yet people are expecting it to happen? What gives? Let's say that I claim to be a prophet, and swear that God has revealed to me that the Statue of Liberty's nose is going to be raptured, on Christmas Eve. You laugh at such a prophecy, don't you? It is absurd! Why even make up such a thing? But then, let's say that on Christmas morning you turn on the TV set and discover that the Statue of Liberty is actually found to be missing her nose!
Does this make me a prophet? Did God rapture the nose?
Hint: the Bible says nothing about a Rapture, and yet false prophets are trumpeting it far and wide, and yet the Bible DOES say that in the Last Days that the devil will be deceiving the whole world, even if possible the Elect of God, working with ALL POWER in lying signs and wonders. So if the Statue of Liberty's nose disappears, it doesn't mean it is God that stole the nose -- so in the same vein, it could be possible that a Secret Rapture WILL happen, and yet it will not be the work of God, but that of lying signs and wonders to deceive even the Elect (would you lose your faith if a false prophecy came to pass? just look how many people have shaken in their faith because of a silly novel, "The Da Vinci Code")! It is possible. It isn't spelled out in the Bible anymore than Tim LaHaye's incredible money-making fantasy novels are mentioned in scripture. Here is a small portion of Corrie ten Boom's letter of warning to both Christians AND the false teachers:
There are some among us teaching there will be
no tribulation, that the Christians will be able to
escape all this. These are the false teachers that
Jesus was warning us to expect in the latter days.
Most of them have little knowledge of what is
already going on across the world. I have been in
countries where the saints are already suffering
terrible persecution. In China, the Christians were
told, "Don't worry, before the tribulation comes
you will be translated - raptured." Then came a
terrible persecution.
- Corrie ten Boom
Please, study scripture -- for YOURSELF -- it is your responsibility, you will find that scripture clearly depicts that graves will burst open and the righteous dead will rise up into the sky, alive, blinking death from their eyes, their eyes SEEING for the first time since their death, brains functioning again, thoughts recording new memories for the first time since their eyes closed in the sleep of death, bodies changed finally into the perfect image of God. And only then will angels (clouds of them) descend from the sky to catch up the righteous who will only then also be changed into His likeness, never to be sick again, never to be plagued by evil, for eternity. In THIS scenario, the whole world will be aware and understand completely what is happening -- there will be absolutely NO secrecy (only the WHEN of it is hidden) -- the righteous will look up into the sky with smiles of delight while the wicked look up with contorted grimaces of terror and horror.
The Bible makes it more than clear that death will take the wicked, and THEN, those that are "left behind" will be SAVED.
That thou mayest walk in the way of good men,
and keep the paths of the righteous. For the
upright shall dwell in the land, and the perfect
shall remain in it. But the wicked shall be cut
off from the earth, and the transgressors shall
be rooted out of it.
Proverbs 2:20-22
Behold, the day of the LORD cometh, cruel both
with wrath and fierce anger, to lay the land
desolate: and He shall destroy the sinners
thereof out of it.
Isaiah 13:9
Ask yourself, why do the "teachers" and popular fantasy writers contradict the Bible with their unBiblical fantasies? Is is because they don't know the truth? Or, really, do they know the absolute truth, and wish you to believe something entirely different? In other words, they know the truth, they hold it in their right hand, but they are holding out their left hand to you with something very, very different, and they are smiling. The righteous remain, and the sinners are removed, and yet the "teachers" claim exactly the opposite, that the righteous will be removed while the sinners remain. Amazing, absolutely amazing. And if you do not find this fact amazing, ask yourself: why don't I?
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: 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. 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.
Matthew 24:29-31
Behold, He cometh with clouds; and every
eye shall see him, and they also which pierced
him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail
because of him. Even so, Amen. I am Alpha
and Omega, the beginning and the ending,
saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and
which is to come, the Almighty.
Revelation 1:7-8
Have you been programmed to reject the Truth, and accept a lie?
As therefore the tares are gathered and
burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end
of this world. The Son of man shall send forth
His angels, and they shall gather out of His
kingdom all things that offend, and them
which do iniquity; And shall cast them into a
furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and
gnashing of teeth. Then shall the righteous
shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their
Father. Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.
Matthew 13:40-43 (Matthew 16:27, 24:30-31, Mark 8:38)
The Bible declares, without question, overwhelmingly, that when Jesus comes again it will be in the company of billions of visible angels, companies of angels so thick that they appear to be clouds that fill the sky -- and like the most awesome lightning show of all history, EVERY EYE WILL SEE JESUS WHEN HE COMES FOR THE SECOND TIME! Physically, not through TV cameras, every eye will look up and see Jesus, from a round world! (Luke 9:26)
Howl ye; for the day of the LORD is at hand;
it shall come as a destruction from the
Almighty. Therefore shall all hands be faint,
and every man's heart shall melt: And they
shall be afraid: pangs and sorrows shall take
hold of them; they shall be in pain as a
woman that travaileth: they shall be amazed
one at another; their faces shall be as flames.
Behold, the day of the LORD cometh, cruel
both with wrath and fierce anger, to lay the
land desolate: and he shall destroy the sinners
thereof out of it. For the stars of heaven and
the constellations thereof shall not give their
light: the sun shall be darkened in his going
forth, and the moon shall not cause her light
to shine. And I will punish the world for their
evil, and the wicked for their iniquity; and I
will cause the arrogancy of the proud to cease,
and will lay low the haughtiness of the terrible.
Isaiah 13:6-11
Vastly different scenarios -- a secret rapture, not found in the Bible, and a visible Second Advent of Christ, SHOUTED from one end of the Bible to the other -- vastly different, wouldn't you agree? And the first isn't in the Bible (nothing like it is remotely to be found), whereas the second IS in the Bible (and it is trumpeted throughout the entire Bible). Yet the first fantasy is hugely popular, while the true Biblical doctrine is sneered at and reviled. A very wise ancient proverb says "If you are going to tell the truth to someone, you better have cleats on your shoes for a very fast getaway!" (Note: this is a humorous paraphrase to modernize the ancient proverb, please read on for the proper ancient maxim) People do not want to hear the truth, but popular fantasy novel theology. The first fable is devoured by Christians in popular fantasy books, while the second Biblical scenario is derided, scoffed, and declared a delusion originating in the "Kingdom of the Cults." Christians are prompted to battle the fictional "Harry Potter," a story that in no way resembles actual witchcraft and is in fact positive fiction, while the true danger is blossoming like deadly weeds in the Valentine heart of Christianity itself, purporting itself to be Biblical truth (and in many cases it IS true witchcraft).
Jim Bakker, former false teacher who ran the circus-oriented Gospel show PTL (Praise the Lord) Club, had to go through a prison term of hard time before he allowed God to open his eyes. As did Jim Bakker, we must study the Bible and find what God's Word teaches, without the interference of man's traditions and opinions, man-made rules, laws and regulations -- Jesus gave these man-made laws and traditions which attempt to modify God's holy law absolutely no honor, always going with God's Law over man's laws.
Study the Bible, as did Jim Bakker in prison, and discover his amazing and shocking truth:
Funny thing, TRUTH: people respond to it in unexpected ways. An ancient proverb declares: "If you're going to tell the truth to someone, you better have a very fast car warmed up and ready for a quick getaway!" (Note again: this is a humorous paraphrase of the original ancient proverb which reads "A man better have one foot in the stirrup when he tells someone the Truth.")
When Jesus came here to Earth for the first time, the majority of those who should have known better didn't recognize Him -- only a tiny minority knew Him, and even they were rather blockheaded about the whole drama. The "religious experts" of the day were expecting a Roman-killing warrior, a Samson on holy steroids -- yet what they got was a gentle man of peace Who wouldn't even lift a hand to defend Himself. They desired and eagerly awaited a powerful wielder of death, and yet received a man who brought life to the dead. They wanted an anarchist rebel -- what they got instead was a man Who said "give to the government what belongs to them." They taught a Zeus who flings lightning bolts, and Jesus calmed the storm.
See the similarity, the deadly significance? People today are being taught to expect something completely different than what's actually coming in the skies. The religious "experts" of today are saying: "Just wait for something that no one can see!" while the Lord Himself said to "Watch!" When Jesus disappeared, slowly, in the sight of all those watching, ascending into the skies -- angels appeared and told His followers that He was coming back the same way He left them! (Acts 1:10-11)
Have you been taught ridiculous falsehoods, and other Goober Gospel treats? Should you believe a lie, regardless of its popularity? Or should you cling to the truth, despite the derision heaped upon it?
The Bible says that if you give yourself over to a lie, that if you do not desperately love truth, God will allow you to suffer delusion (2 Thessalonians 2:11-12). Please look up this verse and read it for yourself! Love the truth! Even if you have been taught something completely different, please, for your own sake. The delusions will be so overwhelmingly strong, that even the studied righteous are in danger of being tricked, the very elect (if that were possible, Matthew 24:24, Mark 13:22)! Jesus said: "Don't be tricked!"
This is NOT God deluding or deceiving or lying to trick you, but God, who allows you a free choice in your eternal destiny, He will not force you to accept Him or love truth -- and if you do not love the truth you will suffer the eternal consequendes of that lack of love for the truth. You WILL be deceived, God will allow it, as much as it hurts Him. It is His will that not a single person be deceived or lost, but God loves you so much He allows you to choose even against your best interests.
The Bible says that Satan deceives the entire world (Revelation 12:9) -- but that doesn't mean that you should willingly go along with the mob. When Jesus came here to Earth the first time, it was the mob mentality that pushed Him up onto a cross to die (Jesus would have died for us, regardless, but it didn't have to be the torturous death of a criminal). Would you have been in that first mob, chanting "Crucify Him! Crucify Him!" or would you have been in the much smaller group, the weeping ones, the ones who saw something special in Him, who cherished His truth regardless of the popular opinion? Read carefully this prophetic (and poetic!) passage from Psalms:
The LORD reigneth; let the earth rejoice; let the
multitude of isles be glad thereof. Clouds and
darkness are round about Him: righteousness
and judgment are the habitation of his throne.
A fire goeth before Him, and burneth up His
enemies round about. His lightnings
enlightened the world: the earth saw, and
trembled. The hills melted like wax at the
presence of the LORD, at the presence of the
Lord of the whole earth. The heavens declare
His righteousness, and all the people see His
glory. Confounded be all they that serve
graven images, that boast themselves of idols:
worship him, all ye gods. Zion heard, and was
glad; and the daughters of Judah rejoiced
because of Thy judgments, O LORD. For thou,
LORD, art high above all the earth: Thou art
exalted far above all gods. Ye that love the
LORD, hate evil: He preserveth the souls of
His saints; He delivereth them out of the hand
of the wicked. Light is sown for the righteous,
and gladness for the upright in heart. Rejoice
in the LORD, ye righteous; and give thanks at
the remembrance of His holiness.
Psalm 97 (compare to Matthew 13:40-43, 2 Thes. 2:8)
No skipping about through the Bible, yanking out phrases to add to other disenfranchised passages, to arrive at some bizarre mystery interpretation that people with itchy ears yearn to hear. Jesus Himself quoted the very poetic Psalms to prophetically prove His Messiahship. The Lord comes visibly in the clouds, a visible sight to the physical eye, and His righteousness, flashing like piercing lightning, goes like a wave before Him, destroying the wicked. The heavens are in attendance with Him, and all those that have the mark of the beast (choosing evil in their mind, doing evil with their hand) are confounded as they look up and see Him coming. This is no invisible occurence. It is a beacon of brightness seen around the world! This will not be an invisible event which the wicked do not see -- oh yes, they will see it! 2 Thessalonians 2:8 declares that the wicked will be destroyed by the brightness of His coming!
Compare Psalm 97 to Matthew 24:27:
For as the lightning cometh out of the east,
and shineth even unto the west; so shall also
the coming of the Son of man be.
It is clear, through the tiniest of studies, that the popular "Secret Rapture" scenarios are just not true. Exciting lies that make the heart beat faster, that make you feel special, that give you the feeling that you are better blessed and more loved than your doubting neighbor, that you know something THEY don't know, because you have this SPECIAL revelation, while other cling to what is revealed in the Bible -- still, these lies are still only that: LIES. But please, read what the Bible has to say about the Return of the Lord, the Second Coming of Jesus the Christ:
For as the lightning, that lighteneth out of the
one part under heaven, shineth unto the other
part under heaven; so shall also the Son of
man be in His day.
Luke 17:24
Bow thy heavens, O LORD, and come down:
touch the mountains, and they shall smoke.
Cast forth lightning, and scatter them: shoot
out thine arrows, and destroy them.
Psalms 144:5-6
And the LORD shall be seen over them,
and His arrow shall go forth as the lightning:
and the Lord GOD shall blow the trumpet,
and shall go with whirlwinds of the south.
Zechariah 9:14
And then shall that Wicked be revealed,
whom the Lord shall consume with the
spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with
the brightness of his coming:
2 Thessalonians 2:8
Read in context, these verses should clarify one of the most famous New Testament passages that is constantly twisted, tweaked, turned and tar-and-feathered:
For this we say unto you by the word of the
Lord, that we which are alive and remain
unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent
them which are asleep. For the Lord himself
shall descend from heaven with a shout, with
the voice of the archangel, and with the trump
of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:
Then we which are alive and remain shall be
caught up together with them in the clouds,
to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we
ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort
one another with these words.
1 Thessalonians 4:15-18
When Jesus comes at the Resurrection (His Second Advent) He shall descend from heaven, Himself, with an incredible shout, with the trumpeting voice of the Archangel, the trumpet of God will be blown, and all this terrific commotion will wake the dead -- but only those who have died in Christ will wake, who shall rise to meet Jesus FIRST before any living person, and only then, after this great spectacle of the graves bursting open, will the righteous living rise into the air. Did you catch this? AFTER all this commotion, with the Lord Himself descending upon the earth, ONLY AFTER shall we are alive and remain shall be caught up with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air! That is definitely NOT what is being taught. 1 Thessalonians 4:15-18 completely nails the last nail in the "rapture coffin." There is absolutely no Biblical "Secret Rapture."
Think about that. This 1 Thessalonians verse contradicts ALL the secret rapture scenarios. Before any living person is changed into God's perfect likeness, all the dead will rise first, and compare this FACT to 1 Corinthians 15:51-55, it is incontestable, there is absolutely NO argument to be made for a secret rapture -- the dead will ONLY be raised AFTER the "last trumpet."
Drop down, ye heavens, from above, and
let the skies pour down righteousness: let
the earth open, and let them bring forth
salvation, and let righteousness spring up
together; I the LORD have created it.
Isaiah 45:8
Thy dead men shall live, together with my
dead body shall they arise. Awake and
sing, ye that dwell in dust: for thy dew is
as the dew of herbs, and the earth shall
cast out the dead.
Isaiah 26:19
Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not
all sleep, but we shall all be changed, 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. For this corruptible
must put on incorruption, and this mortal
must put on immortality. So when this
corruptible shall have put on incorruption,
and this mortal shall have put on immortality,
then shall be brought to pass the saying
that is written, Death is swallowed up in
victory.
1 Corinthians 15:51-54
The Bible agrees with the Bible, agrees with the Bible, agrees with the Bible; these verses of Scripture are all in harmony, one with the other. All of them say that before the living are CHANGED, made into His likeness, that the dead will be raised FIRST. We will be changed AFTER the last Trumpet is blown, AFTER the shout of God Himself. And ONLY THEN will death be dead, death will have lost its sting, its victory (take note, it has not lost its sting as yet, only AFTER the last Trumpet is blown, when we are all changed and caught up in the air to meet the Lord). There is absolutely nothing secret or hidden about any of this. Scripture agrees with Scripture, and ALL SCRIPTURE:
PAROUSIA