FreeGrace2 said:
The 10 virgins have NOTHING to do with a rapture. It's a parable. And one that is being "spiritualized" in order to try to defend a pretrib rapture.
Please address my post about 2 Thess 2:1-3. That's the key to the whole thing.
NO, it literally IS THE RAPTURE. REMEMBER THE FIRST VERSE?
Matthew 25:1 (HCSB)
1 “Then the kingdom of heaven will be like 10 virgins . . .
Like I said, it has NOTHING to do with a rapture.
So, since you disagree, please explain how "will be like" is a reference to the rapture?
While you're at it, remember that parables were given to those with ears that aren't hearing. People who weren't interested in what Jesus was saying.
Even Jesus' own disciples didn't understand any of them. Jesus had to explain all of them to His disciples.
So trying to use a parable to illustrate any doctrine is doomed to failure. They weren't meant to be understood.
And, not only that, but the parable of the 10 virgins has to be highly spiritualized to make it a rapture teaching.
When someone spiritualizes any verse or passage, they are able to say whatever they want to say about the verse/passage, and it can't be proven or refuted.
If Jesus resurrects/raptures believers and THEN takes them back up to heaven (the big U-turn), there would be a verse that plainly says so.
But, there isn't any such verse. So there's no big U-turn.
Plus, 2 Thess 2:1-3 places the "gathering" or rapture at the 'coming of the Lord', a phrase for the Second Advent.