Rapture

[JohnR7]

Christ does not marry a building.

Actually He marries a tabernacle. The letter b represents a tent at the time the Bible was written. Today people may live in high rise apartments but the letter still means the same, or even b can represent an office building where people work. Solomon built the first temple. David was not worthy and he continued to use the Tabernacle that they used in the wilderness.

Peter tells us we are living stones: "As you come to Him, the living stone, rejected by men but chosen and precious in God’s sight, you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. For it stands in Scripture: “See, I lay in Zion a stone, a chosen and precious cornerstone; and the one who believes in Him will never be put to shame.” (Peter2:4,5,6) When Solomon built his temple there was no sound of a hammer or chisel. Because the stores were formed in the quarry. "In building the temple, only blocks dressed at the quarry were used, and no hammer, chisel or any other iron tool was heard at the temple site while it was being built." (1Kings 6:7)

So the letter b represents a dwelling. Today there are lots of dwelling places all over the world. The idea is that God wants to dwell with man. "God's dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them." (Rev21:3) This is the very first letter in the Bible. This shows us God's desire to become a part of His Creation and to dwell with us. The Be stands for "Ben" this means the Son of God. The Son of God was given as a grain offering to reconcile heaven and earth so they could become united as one. This is why Jesus teaches us to pray: "Thy Kingdom come, Thy Will be done, on Earth as it is in Heaven". (Lords prayer)

 

[watcher2013]

I was taught that the rapture is not a resurrection. When a believer dies they are raptured out of here but they leave their body behind. So they tell us we have a spiritual body in Heaven but we do not have a physical body. For me what good is a resurrected body if we do not have a new earth. The new heaven and the new earth is after the 1,000 reign of Christ.

There does seem to have been a resurrection of the 500 after Jesus made his sacrifice at calvary. "The tombs broke open, and the bodies of many saints who had fallen asleep were raised. After Jesus’ resurrection, when they had come out of the tombs, they entered the holy city and appeared to many people". (Matthew 27:52,53) What happened to these 500?

At the day of Christ coming/rapture
The believers who died will be resurrected...those who are alive their body will change from corruptible to incorruptible.

As for those who were resurrected at time of christ death and resurrection, the bible is not clear. We can assume the ff.
1. If their resurrected bodies are glorified...then the angels carried them where enoch is.
2. If their bodies were not glorified...then they die like what happened to lazarus...his body were already stinks but he was resurrected..and mot likely died after sometime.

During christ reign on earth..like christ the bodies of believers are glorified.

 

[massorite]

We are told that: "Christ loved the church and gave Himself up for her to sanctify her, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to Himself as a glorious church, without stain or wrinkle or any such blemish, but holy and blameless" (Ephesians 5:26,27)

If Jesus is coming for His Bride - then are we not told that the Bride will be living free from sin. She will be without spot - blemish or wrinkle.

I believe the church age began on the day of Pentecost in the year 29 ad. So that means that 2029 would be the 2,000 year anniversary or birthday of the church. We know that Jesus began His ministry in the year 26 at a wedding with the new wine. So is it possible that God could begin a work in His church to wash and cleanse her, so three years later He can present the Bride to His Son?

Does anyone believe that the Church is in a condition that Jesus would want her in the condition that she is currently in?

The church is not in a very good position at all to be ready when Christ returns and it is getting worse by the year.
However on an individual bases some are ready and some are not.
That is the purpose fro the Great Tribulation. A period of Great Tribulation will separate the lukewarm from the hot. There are those whom we sit next to every Sunday in church who will turn against us in a heart beat when put under great fear and pressure because their faith is shallow and their commitment to Christ is superficial at best, but they have convinced them selves that they are true believers and loyal to Christ and their brothers and sisters in Christ. A good example of such a betrayal would be during WW2 when families and friends turned each other to save their own neck and like wise scripture speaks of the same kind of betrayal.
Mar 13:11 But when they shall lead you, and deliver you up, take no thought beforehand what ye shall speak, neither do ye premeditate: but whatsoever shall be given you in that hour, that speak ye: for it is not ye that speak, but the Holy Ghost.
Mar 13:12 Now the brother shall betray the brother to death, and the father the son; and children shall rise up against their parents, and shall cause them to be put to death.
Mar 13:13 And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake: but he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.
Without a period of tribulation the wheat can not be separated from the Tare's.
Those left standing in Christ with all faithfulness and love will be that church that is without blemish or wrinkle and covered with the blood of Christ. That will be the perfect church Christ returns for.

 

[Nehemiah6]

Does anyone believe that the Church is in a condition that Jesus would want her in the condition that she is currently in?

1. Firstly, you need to be clear as to what the Church is. The Church is NOT Christendom.

2. Secondly, you need to be clear that even the best of Christians are NOT sinlessly perfect.

3. Thirdly, you need to be clear that at the Rapture all the living saints will be supernaturally perfected, transformed, and glorified (1 John 3:1-3 and many other passages). Thus Ephesians 5:25,26 will be fulfilled by the power of God.

 

[massorite]

1. Firstly, you need to be clear as to what the Church is. The Church is NOT Christendom.

2. Secondly, you need to be clear that even the best of Christians are NOT sinlessly perfect.

3. Thirdly, you need to be clear that at the Rapture all the living saints will be supernaturally perfected, transformed, and glorified (1 John 3:1-3 and many other passages). Thus Ephesians 5:25,26 will be fulfilled by the power of God.

Actually we are already perfected through the shed blood of Christ. Since our sins are constantly being thrown into the lake of forgetfulness each time we ask for forgiveness when God looks upon us He only see's us through the shed blood of Christ. Therefore He see's us as perfected. Our only job is to endure to the end.

 

[p_rehbein]

We are told that: "Christ loved the church and gave Himself up for her to sanctify her, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to Himself as a glorious church, without stain or wrinkle or any such blemish, but holy and blameless" (Ephesians 5:26,27)

If Jesus is coming for His Bride - then are we not told that the Bride will be living free from sin. She will be without spot - blemish or wrinkle.

I believe the church age began on the day of Pentecost in the year 29 ad. So that means that 2029 would be the 2,000 year anniversary or birthday of the church. We know that Jesus began His ministry in the year 26 at a wedding with the new wine. So is it possible that God could begin a work in His church to wash and cleanse her, so three years later He can present the Bride to His Son?

Does anyone believe that the Church is in a condition that Jesus would want her in the condition that she is currently in?

Is this a "back door" way of predicting the End of Time? If so, then you may also want to remember that Jesus said NO MAN knows the time................

 

[JohnR7]

NO MAN knows the time................

"No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father." (Matthew24:36) The event Jesus was talking about took place in 70 AD. I am talking about the end of one age and the beginning of another. In your mind you associated this with the "second coming" of Jesus but I did not mention that or predict when that is going to happen. I do not even know if the "second coming" is symbolic or literal. I esp wonder when towns are destroyed. Look at Nashville that just suffered a lot of destruction. I tend to believe the rapture is a secret rapture. So the world would have to be in a massive war for that may people to be killed to cover something like that up. Like the events in Jerusalem when the city and the temple was destroyed. It is easy to look back. It is not so easy to look forward to know how things are going to play themselves out.

 

[JohnR7]

Actually we are already perfected through the shed blood of Christ.

Jesus said: "It is finished". (John19:30) Even though I had not been born yet and He had not begun to do a finished work in me. Perfected means to produce fruit. This is when the harvest takes place. When we are mature.

 

[JohnR7]

Is this a "back door" way of predicting the End of Time?

Actually we do know that this event will take place at the battle of armageddon. Jesus will return when Jerusalem is on the brink of destruction. He will not allow Jerusalem to be destroyed a second time like it was in 70 AD. Sense that literal event has already taken place.

 

[JohnR7]

He see's us as perfected.

He sees us the way He created us to be. According to David in Psalm 139:16 - He writes the book of our life at conception before we are born. My daughter never even made it to the womb, yet God had already written the book of her life. The angels read that book and they help her to become the person God created her to be. Even though there is no sin in Heaven and that is not a consideration there.

God encourages us to follow His plan and His book for our life. The angels keep track and they write the books that God will look at when He judges us. "And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne. And there were open books, and one of them was the book of life. And the dead were judged according to their deeds, as recorded in the books." (Rev 20:12)

"If anyone builds on this foundation using gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, or straw, his workmanship will be evident, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will prove the quality of each man’s work. If what he has built survives, he will receive a reward. If it is burned up, he will suffer loss. He himself will be saved, but only as if through the flames. (1cor 3:13,14,15)

 

[JohnR7]

some are ready and some are not.

I do not plan to go into the tribulation period. I will be 77 and my work will be done. For those that do plan to be here I suggest they get a vacation home off of the grid so they have a place to go with the cities are being destroyed and the grids start to go down. People need to be ready now. For example I needed some P95 masks for some work I am doing. I looked around in the garage and found what I needed. Good I was prepared because the government just bought up the available supply and they are not available for purchase. I have a few boxes of surgical masks I got for less then $10 that are selling for almost $100 right now. So we do have to be prepared for these things. I stocked up on what I was going to need and so I do not have to pay the 30% tariff that they are charging on that stuff now.