When does the rapture occur?

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Jan 19, 2013
11,909
141
0
#1
In examining the Scriptures to see what is stated regarding the time of the rapture, I cannot find any verse which specifically locates it before a tribulation.
If anyone knows of a verse which specifically locates it then, I would appreciate learning of it.

However, I have found Scriptures, apart from unfulfilled prophecy, that do instruct about the rapture.
But because of the dismal track record of God's people in their private interpretion of symbolic unfulfilled prophecy--that Messiah would set up an earthly kingdom comes to mind--I will not be including unfulfilled prophecies in what I have found.

There is also another reason I do not include symbolic unfulfilled prophecies here, whose private interpretations cannot be certain, and that is: whatever these symbolic unfulfilled prophecies may mean, they will not disagree with what is clear and certain in the Word of God.

So following the principle of examining what is clear and certain in the Word of God, apart from what is not certain in symbolic unfulfilled prophecy, this is what I find regarding the time of the rapture.

In Ac 3:21, Peter says that Jesus must "remain in heaven until the time comes for God to restore everything" (Ro 8:19-23), which is the new heavens and new earth, the home of righteousness he tells us about in 2Pe 3:10-13, at the end of time, where there is no death (Rev 21:1-4).
(1) Since Jesus must remain in heaven, there can be no appearing prior to his coming to restore all things at the end of time, which therefore specifically locates the rapture at the end of time.

In Heb 9:27-28 the author states that there will be no appearing prior to his coming to judge the world, because Christ appears but twice, once to atone and once to judge.
Heb states that just as men die once and then face judgment, so Christ appears once to die and once to judge, and not in between.
(2) Since Jesus appears only twice, there can be only one more appearing to come, the only one in which the rapture can occur, and therefore specifically locating the rapture at the end of time.

In 2Th 1:6-10, Paul locates Jesus' coming to relieve the saints (rapture) from persecution (v.7) with Jesus' coming to judge the world (vv. 8-10). There Paul is comforting the Thessalonians in their suffering (v.4) with the fact that God will punish those who persecute them (vv. 5-6), and that God will punish the persecutors when Jesus comes to relieve the saints (rapture) from that persecution (v.7), which is his coming in judgment (v.8).
(3) Again, the rapture is specifically located with Jesus coming to judge the world at the end of time.

However, there is an interesting situation in this passage. Note where Paul locates himself when Jesus comes in judgment (vv. 7-10).
He does not see himself coming from heaven with Jesus in that coming, as he would be if he had been raptured prior to a tribulation, but sees himself on earth waiting to be relieved with others when Jesus comes in judgment:

"He. . .will give relief to you who are troubled, and to us as well. This will happen when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven in blazing fire with his powerful angels. He will punish those who do not know God, and do not obey the gospel (Mk 1:15; Ac 17:30) of our Lord Jesus Christ. They will be punished with everlasing destruction, and shut out from the presence of the Lord and from the majesty of his power on the day he comes to be glorified in his holy people (segullah) and to be marveled at among all those who have believed."

What is interesting is that Paul seemed to believe Jesus would come in final judgment during Paul's lifetime. Jesus said he would come "soon," and it seems the NT writers thought "soon" was "sooner" than God had planned-- Ro 13:11-12; 1Co 7:26-27, 29; Php 4:5; 1Ti 6:13-14; Heb 10:25-27; Jas 5:8-9; 1Pe 4:7; 1Jn 2:18; 1Co 15:52 ("we"); 1Th 4:15, 17 ("we").

But I digress. So if Paul saw himself on earth waiting for Jesus to come in judgment, that means he did not teach a rapture of the saints prior to Jesus' return in judgment, but rather at Jesus' return at the end of time. And what Paul teaches is most significant because he is the only NT writer who informs us of the rapture, although

In Lk 17:29-37, Jesus makes reference to it in the context of judgment (Mt 24:37-41). However, regarding any actual instruction,
(4) we are instructed about the rapture only by Paul.

In 1Th 2:1-8, Paul teaches there will be no rapture (v.1) until the apostasy occurs and the man of lawlessness is revealed (v.3).
At that coming of Jesus and rapture (v.1), Jesus will destroy the man of lawlessness (v.8), which is the end of time, as he said previously in 1Th 1:6-10.
(5) So what I find is that the only writer who informs us of the rapture does not locate the rapture prior to Jesus coming to judge the world, but specifically locates it at Jesus' coming to judge the world at the end of time. And then in:

In 1Pe 1:5, 13, along with Ac 3:21, there is an interesting juxtaposition. In the latter, Peter says there will be no appearing of Jesus prior to his coming to restore all things at the end of time (presented above), and in the former he says that our coming salvation (of Ro 8:18-23; Heb 9:28; Php 3:20-21; 1Jn 3:2-3; 1Co 15:52) will be given to us when Jesus is revealed at the end of time (cf Lk 17:24-37).
(6) So although Peter's nomenclaure is not exactly the same, he is referring to exactly the same event--final judgment at the end of time.

And then by extension, there is in the Word of God another connection of the rapture to the final restoration at the end of time:

In Ro 8:19-21, the revealing of the sons of God (the resurrection--1Jn 3:1-2), is located with the liberation of creation from decay; i.e., the new heavens and new earth (2Pe 3:13), where there is no death (Rev 21:1-4). But this liberation from decay can occur only after the ravages of a tribulation.
So, since the saints' resurrection and creation's liberation from decay, in the new heavens and new earth at the end of time, occur together (Ro 8:19-21),
and since the saint's resurrection and the rapture occur together (1Th 4:16-17), then
by extension and the law of logic: "two events (rapt, lib) occuring at the same time as a third event (resur), therefore occur at the same time as each other (rapt=lib)," means rapture = saints' resurrection = liberation at the end of time, which means that
(7) all three events occur together at the end of time, again specifically locating the rapture at the end of time.

So upon examination of the clear and certain Word of God, what I find is that
  • Christ comes again only once (Heb 9:27-28)
  • at the restoration of all things (Ac 3:21), which is the liberation of all creation (Ro 8:19-23), at the end of time,
  • which restoration can only occur after the ravages of a tribulation,
  • which restoration after tribulation occurs at the resurrection (Ro 8:19-23), which locates the saints' resurrection after tribulation,
  • which resurrection after tribulation occurs with the rapture (1Th 4:16-17), and with the restoration/liberation of all things
    (Ac 3:21; Ro 8:19-23) at the end of time,
so that the saints' resurrection, the rapture and the restoration/liberation all occur together, at the end of time.

Now if Paul had presented us with one easy lesson on the rapture, this puzzle-piecing to see the Biblical relationships among the various events wouldn't be necessary. But then if wishes were horses, beggars would ride.

Conclusion:
The clear and certain Word of God specifically locates the rapture after the tribulation, and with the restoration of all things at the end of time.

And again, keeping in mind that, although we can't say private interpretations are certain for unfulfilled symbolic prophecies, we can say that whatever the meanings of any symbolic unfulfilled prophecies, those meanings will not disagree with what is certain and clear in the Word of God.
 
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Blain

The Word Weaver
Aug 28, 2012
19,212
2,547
113
#2
Actually i do not think the rapture is jesus coming back for us but rather us coming back to him. I think the rapture and the second coming are two different events.
 
Jan 19, 2013
11,909
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#3
Actually i do not think the rapture is jesus coming back for us but rather us coming back to him.
I think the rapture and the second coming are two different events.
Scriptures? . .that are in agreement with the Scripture posted in the OP.
 

Blain

The Word Weaver
Aug 28, 2012
19,212
2,547
113
#4
I am just saying what i saw and felt that's all. Of course not that this is really such an important thing, it will happen just as god plans it regardless of what we think about it. His thoughts are not our thoughts, but hey as long as i can go home i don't really care how it happens LOL
 
Jan 19, 2013
11,909
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#5
Well as far as scripture goes i haven't a clue, i go on what i feel from him.
You might want to consider a more authoritative source; i.e., Jesus' revelation (Heb 1:1-2). which is the NT given through the apostles.
 
T

Trax

Guest
#6
1Th 5:9 For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ,
Gen 18:32 And he said, Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak yet but this once: Peradventure
ten shall be found there. And he said, I will not destroy it for ten's sake.

Those verses don't fit into your outline. They got to fit.
 
P

Professor

Guest
#7
I am curious about Revelations 6 and 7.
It is not until after the sixth seal has been opened that there appears "a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb..." (Revelations 7:9).


In examining the Scriptures to see what is stated regarding the time of the rapture, I cannot find any verse which specifically locates it before a tribulation.
If anyone knows of a verse which specifically locates it then, I would appreciate learning of it.

However, I have found Scriptures, apart from unfulfilled prophecy, that do instruct about the rapture.
But because of the dismal track record of God's people in their private interpretion of symbolic unfulfilled prophecy--that Messiah would set up an earthly kingdom comes to mind--I will not be including unfulfilled prophecies in what I have found.

There is also another reason I do not include symbolic unfulfilled prophecies here, whose private interpretations cannot be certain, and that is: whatever these symbolic unfulfilled prophecies may mean, they will not disagree with what is clear and certain in the Word of God.

So following the principle of examining what is clear and certain in the Word of God, apart from what is not certain in symbolic unfulfilled prophecy, this is what I find regarding the time of the rapture.

In Ac 3:21, Peter says that Jesus must "remain in heaven until the time comes for God to restore everything" (Ro 8:19-23), which is the new heavens and new earth, the home of righteousness he tells us about in 2Pe 3:10-13, at the end of time, where there is no death (Rev 21:1-4).
(1) Since Jesus must remain in heaven, there can be no appearing prior to his coming to restore all things at the end of time, which therefore specifically locates the rapture at the end of time.

In Heb 9:27-28 the author states that there will be no appearing prior to his coming to judge the world, because Christ appears but twice, once to atone and once to judge.
Heb states that just as men die once and then face judgment, so Christ appears once to die and once to judge, and not in between.
(2) Since Jesus appears only twice, there can be only one more appearing to come, the only one in which the rapture can occur, and therefore specifically locating the rapture at the end of time.

In 2Th 1:6-10, Paul locates Jesus' coming to relieve the saints (rapture) from persecution (v.7) with Jesus' coming to judge the world (vv. 8-10). There Paul is comforting the Thessalonians in their suffering (v.4) with the fact that God will punish those who persecute them (vv. 5-6), and that God will punish the persecutors when Jesus comes to relieve the saints (rapture) from that persecution (v.7), which is his coming in judgment (v.8).
(3) Again, the rapture is specifically located with Jesus coming to judge the world at the end of time.

However, there is an interesting situation in this passage. Note where Paul locates himself when Jesus comes in judgment (vv. 7-10).
He does not see himself coming from heaven with Jesus in that coming, as he would be if he had been raptured prior to a tribulation, but sees himself on earth waiting to be relieved with others when Jesus comes in judgment:

"He. . .will give relief to you who are troubled, and to us as well. This will happen when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven in blazing fire with his powerful angels. He will punish those who do not know God, and do not obey the gospel (Mk 1:15; Ac 17:30) of our Lord Jesus Christ. They will be punished with everlasing destruction, and shut out from the presence of the Lord and from the majesty of his power on the day he comes to be glorified in his holy people (segullah) and to be marveled at among all those who have believed."

What is interesting is that Paul seemed to believe Jesus would come in final judgment during Paul's lifetime. Jesus said he would come "soon," and it seems the NT writers thought "soon" was "sooner" than God had planned-- Ro 13:11-12; 1Co 7:26-27, 29; Php 4:5; 1Ti 6:13-14; Heb 10:25-27; Jas 5:8-9; 1Pe 4:7; 1Jn 2:18; 1Co 15:52 ("we"); 1Th 4:15, 17 ("we").

But I digress. So if Paul saw himself on earth waiting for Jesus to come in judgment, that means he did not teach a rapture of the saints prior to Jesus' return in judgment, but rather at Jesus' return at the end of time. And what Paul teaches is most significant because he is the only NT writer who informs us of the rapture, although

In Lk 17:29-37, Jesus makes reference to it in the context of judgment (Mt 24:37-41). However, regarding any actual instruction,
(4) we are instructed about the rapture only by Paul.

In 1Th 2:1-8, Paul teaches there will be no rapture (v.1) until the apostasy occurs and the man of lawlessness is revealed (v.3).
At that coming of Jesus and rapture (v.1), Jesus will destroy the man of lawlessness (v.8), which is the end of time, as he said previously in 1Th 1:6-10.
(5) So what I find is that the only writer who informs us of the rapture does not locate the rapture prior to Jesus coming to judge the world, but specifically locates it at Jesus' coming to judge the world at the end of time. And then in:

In 1Pe 1:5, 13, along with Ac 3:21, there is an interesting juxtaposition. In the latter, Peter says there will be no appearing of Jesus prior to his coming to restore all things at the end of time (presented above), and in the former he says that our coming salvation (of Ro 8:18-23; Heb 9:28; Php 3:20-21; 1Jn 3:2-3; 1Co 15:52) will be given to us when Jesus is revealed at the end of time (cf Lk 17:24-37).
(6) So although Peter's nomenclaure is not exactly the same, he is referring to exactly the same event--final judgment at the end of time.

And then by extension, there is in the Word of God another connection of the rapture to the final restoration at the end of time:

In Ro 8:19-21, the revealing of the sons of God (the resurrection--1Jn 3:1-2), is located with the liberation of creation from decay; i.e., the new heavens and new earth (2Pe 3:13), where there is no death (Rev 21:1-4). But this liberation from decay can occur only after the ravages of a tribulation.
So, since the saints' resurrection and creation's liberation from decay, in the new heavens and new earth at the end of time, occur together (Ro 8:19-21),
and since the saint's resurrection and the rapture occur together (1Th 4:16-17), then
by extension and the law of logic: "two events (rapt, lib) occuring at the same time as a third event (resur), therefore occur at the same time as each other (rapt=lib)," means rapture = saints' resurrection = liberation at the end of time, which means that
(7) all three events occur together at the end of time, again specifically locating the rapture at the end of time.

So upon examination of the clear and certain Word of God, what I find is that
  • Christ comes again only once (Heb 9:27-28)
  • at the restoration of all things (Ac 3:21), which is the liberation of all creation (Ro 8:19-23), at the end of time,
  • which restoration can only occur after the ravages of a tribulation,
  • which restoration after tribulation occurs at the resurrection (Ro 8:19-23), which locates the saints' resurrection after tribulation,
  • which resurrection after tribulation occurs with the rapture (1Th 4:16-17), and with the restoration/liberation of all things
    (Ac 3:21; Ro 8:19-23) at the end of time,
so that the saints' resurrection, the rapture and the restoration/liberation all occur together, at the end of time.

Now if Paul had presented us with one easy lesson on the rapture, this puzzle-piecing to see the Biblical relationships among the various events wouldn't be necessary. But then if wishes were horses, beggars would ride.

Conclusion:
The clear and certain Word of God specifically locates the rapture after the tribulation, and with the restoration of all things at the end of time.

And again, keeping in mind that, although we can't say private interpretations are certain for unfulfilled symbolic prophecies, we can say that whatever the meanings of any symbolic unfulfilled prophecies, those meanings will not disagree with what is certain and clear in the Word of God.
 
Jan 19, 2013
11,909
141
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#8
Is the Church in the Tribulation?

In all of God's wrath and judgments on the world and in its tribulations, God has never removed his Church (people of God) from the sphere of the danger, but has always protected her in (kept her from) the danger:

1) Noah in the flood (Ge 7:7),
2) Lot in the plain (Ge 19:17-18, 21, 25), not in the mountains,
3) Israel in the plagues (Ex 8:22, 9:4, 26, 10:22-23, 11:7, 12:13),
4) Elijah in the famine (1Kgs 17:1-7),
5) youths in the fiery furnace (Da 3),
6) Daniel in the lions' den (Da 6),
7) woman on the earth (Rev 12:14-16), who is a symbol of God's people, the Church (male child is the seed of the woman--Ge 3:15, which is the body of Christ).

And just as God has protected his Church in past judgments and tribulations, so he will protect his Church in future judgments and tribulations (2Pe 2:5-9; Rev 3:10, 9:4, 12:6, 14; cf Eccl 1:9, 3:15). The removal of the Church from the earth before the great tribulation is a notion of man without any specific Biblical basis.

The Bible teaches that the Church will be kept from undergoing wrath (1Th 1:10, 5:9; Ro 5:9; Rev 9:3-4) and will be kept spiritually through tribulation (Lk 21:12-18; Jn 16:33; 1Pe 1:5; Jas 1:12, 5:10-11), to which the believer is destined (1Th 3:3; Jn 15:20; Mk 10:30; Ac 5:40, 14:22; 2Ti 3:12; 1Pe 4:12; Ph 1:29) for the purifying and strengthening of his faith (Jas 1:2-4; 1Pe 1:6-7). Believers in the past and present have not been exempt from the tribulations of their times, and neither will the believers of the future.

Much misunderstanding of prophecy comes from seeing the visions of Revelation as a successive chronology, which then causes duplication of events and things which are the same (e.g., Rev 11:18-19, 14:17-20, 16:12-21, 19:11-21, 20:7-10).
The structure of the visions in the book of Daniel is the key to the structure of the visions in Revelation.

The visions in Daniel were the sum of prophecy revealed by the Son of Man (Da 10:4-9)
from the book of God's eternal decrees (Da 10:21, 12:1)
regarding the OT church (Da 2:28, 8:26, 10:14) and its end (Da 8:19).

And the visions in Revelation are the sum of prophecy revealed by the Son of Man (Rev 1:12-18)
from the book of God's eternal decrees (Rev 5:1-5, 6:1, 10:1-4, 8-10, 20:12)
regarding the NT church (Rev 1:19, 10:11) and its earthly end (Rev 10:7, 11:18, 16:17, 21:6).

The visions in Daniel, which is the structure for the visions in Revelation, are not a successive chronology, but are four progressive parallelisms (chp 2; 7; 8; 10-12) interpreted by Daniel, which progressively reveal more details of the same events and persons each time (as are the eight visions in Zec 1-6).

Likewise with the visions in Revelation. Rather than a successive chronology, they are seven progressive parallelisms (chp 1-3; 4-7; 8-11; 12-14; 15-16; 17-19; 20-22), each revealing more detail of the same events and things.

And as the numbers and time frame regarding the OT church in Da 9:24-27 are not literal, so the numbers and time frame regarding the NT church in Revelation are not literal.
It is seeing Revelation as a literal successive chronology that is the basis for much private (not Scriptural interpretation as in Daniel) uncertain interpretation of prophetic riddles today that is contradictory to the clear, unequivocal and certain word of God (2Th 12:6-10, 2:1-8).
 
Jan 19, 2013
11,909
141
0
#9
1Th 5:9 For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ,
Gen 18:32 And he said, Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak yet but this once: Peradventure
ten shall be found there. And he said, I will not destroy it for ten's sake.

Those verses don't fit into your outline. They got to fit.
See post #8, here.
 
Jan 19, 2013
11,909
141
0
#10
I am curious about Revelations 6 and 7.
It is not until after the sixth seal has been opened that there appears "a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb..." (Revelations 7:9).
Addressed in post #8, here.
 
T

Trax

Guest
#11
It don't fit Elin. Noah was not kept under water. Noah didn't have to swim it.
Lot didn't stay in Sodom. Lot was dragged out of that city. The angels said they couldn't do anything
while he remained there. It don't fit. We are not appointed unto wrath. That is clear and
it contradicts what you said.
Isa 24:6 Therefore hath the curse devoured the earth, and they that dwell therein are desolate:
therefore the inhabitants of the earth are burned, and few men left. (Well, your basis is
the Lord is going to put His bride through that.)


Now, make it fit. What you claim in post #8, doesn't fit.
 
N

nathan3

Guest
#12
The word rapture is not written in the manuscripts. It does say however that Christ is returning here after', the tribulation of Antichrist/falsechrist etc. ( Matthew 24: 29-30 )

The Bible teaches Christ, The Messiah , Savior of the world, will returning here to this earth ( Zechariah 14:4 ). etc.

1st thess. 4 is also after', the tribulation...But this is the tribulation of the Antichrist here: taught by Paul also >( 2nd thess 2: )

Also the subject is in verse 13. ( also the word ''air" in Greek, is breath of life, spiritual body. Its how it reads in the Greek. because its also Paul's subject. Same as 1 Cor 15, at the end. etc etc etc.

Rapture; is just not there, its not written. It's kinda , really, sad ,that this is so prevalent .
 
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RickyZ

Senior Member
Sep 20, 2012
9,635
787
113
#13
In Ac 3:21, Peter says that Jesus must "remain in heaven until the time comes for God to restore everything" (Ro 8:19-23), which is the new heavens and new earth, the home of righteousness he tells us about in 2Pe 3:10-13, at the end of time, where there is no death (Rev 21:1-4).
(1) Since Jesus must remain in heaven, there can be no appearing prior to his coming to restore all things at the end of time, which therefore specifically locates the rapture at the end of time.

In Heb 9:27-28 the author states that there will be no appearing prior to his coming to judge the world, because Christ appears but twice, once to atone and once to judge.
Heb states that just as men die once and then face judgment, so Christ appears once to die and once to judge, and not in between.
(2) Since Jesus appears only twice, there can be only one more appearing to come, the only one in which the rapture can occur, and therefore specifically locating the rapture at the end of time.

In 2Th 1:6-10, Paul locates Jesus' coming to relieve the saints (rapture) from persecution (v.7) with Jesus' coming to judge the world (vv. 8-10). There Paul is comforting the Thessalonians in their suffering (v.4) with the fact that God will punish those who persecute them (vv. 5-6), and that God will punish the persecutors when Jesus comes to relieve the saints (rapture) from that persecution (v.7), which is his coming in judgment (v.8).
(3) Again, the rapture is specifically located with Jesus coming to judge the world at the end of time.
You confuse the end of the age (the church age) with the end of time. They are not one and the same. At the end of the age, Jesus returns to gather His people and rule over earth for 1000 years. One thing you have to consider in deciphering prophecy is 'what's the point?' The original intent of God was for man to exercise authority over creation. Since man gave that away and didn't get to fulfill that intent, the point of Jesus' 1000 year reign on earth is to fulfill Gods intent of man having rule over this creation. It isn't until the end of that rule that this creation is destroyed and we inherit a new one. That event signals the end of time.

Now, there are some who will not be part of that millenial rule (those from His body who are taken to be the Bride of Christ). Perhaps some here have been told by God that they are to be part of that group, and they mistakenly take their not being part of it to be an understanding that NONE of us will be part of it because it doesn't happen. That's just not true.

http://christianchat.com/blogs/rickyz/251-7-1-who-bride-christ.html

http://christianchat.com/blogs/rickyz/252-7-2-who-bride-christ.html

http://christianchat.com/blogs/rickyz/250-6-what-will-millennium-like.html
 

RickyZ

Senior Member
Sep 20, 2012
9,635
787
113
#14
One telling factor is that those who do not believe in a millenial rule of Christ often insist that reference is to Jesus' symbolic ruling of our here and now. Have you looked at our here and now? The world is steeped in evil and decay here and now. I know my Lord does not rule over evil and decay. Again, the intent is to restore the garden we were evicted from to this world. And He does that by physically establishing His rule over this world.
 
A

Anonimous

Guest
#15
One telling factor is that those who do not believe in a millenial rule of Christ often insist that reference is to Jesus' symbolic ruling of our here and now. Have you looked at our here and now? The world is steeped in evil and decay here and now. I know my Lord does not rule over evil and decay. Again, the intent is to restore the garden we were evicted from to this world. And He does that by physically establishing His rule over this world.
Have you ever noticed how everything has to be "symbolic" or "metaphorical" or "spiritualized?" Some thing ARE literal. Jesus' return will be a literal, physical return to set up His kingdom. If anyone thinks THIS MESS is His kingdom...then they should go out and take a walk or ride around the country. I'm surprised that one had ventured the idea that sin is also "symbolic".
 
A

Abiding

Guest
#16
It don't fit Elin. Noah was not kept under water. Noah didn't have to swim it.
Lot didn't stay in Sodom. Lot was dragged out of that city. The angels said they couldn't do anything
while he remained there. It don't fit. We are not appointed unto wrath. That is clear and
it contradicts what you said.
Isa 24:6 Therefore hath the curse devoured the earth, and they that dwell therein are desolate:
therefore the inhabitants of the earth are burned, and few men left. (Well, your basis is
the Lord is going to put His bride through that.)


Now, make it fit. What you claim in post #8, doesn't fit.
Things fit quite well. Just not the way youd like it. You just showed how God delivered
folks while they stayed on earth then you took the position He cant in the future.
 
A

Abiding

Guest
#17
I pretty much like 1 Cor 15 for my eschatalogical base
and parallel it with the Words of Jesus in the gospels.:cool:
 
A

Anonimous

Guest
#18
I just sorta let that up to God. He seems to be pretty good at accomplishing His will and plans at just the right time. I've seen an example of where He consults us and asks, "How will that work for you? Not good? Well, get back with me when it's a good time."

It is probably better to let God handles things...

(II Peter 3:9) Peter said, " The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some men count slackness; but is long suffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentence."

Not everyone will come to repentence...that just won't happen...we know that...Could it be that in His infinite wisdom that He knows full well the very name of the last to repent and He is just waiting for that one person? Just that one! Do you see His great patience?

(II Peter 3:11) Peter also says, " Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in all coversation (conduct) and godliness..."

Don't get me wrong on this. I pray everyday for His return. Sometimes I even think my very spirit groans for it. Then I remember the people who may be trying to decide right now if they will trust Him. I know there WILL come an appointed time when He will say, "enough is enough..."

I think Peter also says in that verse that since we do know what the world will be going through...that we should consider ourselves. Are we living the way we are meant to be living as a believer?
 
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Abiding

Guest
#19
Saying man is not appointed to wrath from God is a long ways from saying you wont be persecuted or put to death.
Remember this was written also to folks who read or heard this taught and then became human candles or lion toys.
 
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Anonimous

Guest
#20
Here's an idea. Let's just let God handle it.