I wanted to start a thread to ask a few simple questions about the rapture theory. What ive found in scripture is no wheres near what i hear from the Rapturist. Ive found that when we are changed in the twinkling of an eye, we are not going to heaven but are going to the kingdom, the thousand year period of rest, right here on this earth. The changing {rapture} takes place on the Day of the Lord, after the tribulation period. When the "rapture" takes place is there even 1 scripture that says we are taken to heaven. Ive looked. Cant find a one.
Hello Wall,
The word of God does indeed proclaim that when Jesus appears to gather His church, that He will be taking His church back to heaven.
In order to come to a conclusion on any given Biblical topic or the meaning of a prophecy, we need to consider all of the related scriptures. Regarding our being taken to heaven, Jesus said the following:
"Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe in Me as well.
In My Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that
I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you,
I will come back and welcome you into My presence, so that you also may be where I am.
In the scripture above, Jesus said that in His Father's house were many rooms and that He was going there to prepare a place for His disciples and all believers. First we need to identify where the Father's house is, because Jesus said that He was going there to prepare places for us. Regarding this, we know that the Father's house can only be referring to heaven, because Jesus said that He was going to return there:
"I will remain in the world no longer, " - John 17:11
"“
I am coming to you (the Father) now, but I say these things
while I am still in the world, so that they may have the full measure of my joy within them." - John 17:13
Since Jesus stated that He was coming to the Father and would remain in the world no longer, then the only conclusion is that He was going back to heaven, which is also supported by the scripture which says that Jesus ascended to the right hand of the Father where He makes intercession for all believers. Regarding this, Jesus also said the following in response to Peter's question:
"Simon Peter asked him, "Lord, where are you going?" Jesus replied, "Where I am going, you cannot follow now,
but you will follow later."
Once again, since we know that Jesus was going back to the Father's house in heaven and the disciples and all believers were to follow later, then our destination in relation to John 14:1-3, would have to be the Father's house to those places that Jesus went to prepare for us, which can only be referring to heaven.
In addition to all of this, Rev.19:6-8 shows the church, His bride as already being in heaven during the time of wrath taking place on the earth:
"Hallelujah!
For our Lord God Almighty reigns. Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory!
For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and his bride has made herself ready.
Fine linen, bright and clean, was given her to wear.”
Then in Rev.19:14, we see the bride/church following the Lord our of heaven riding on white horses and wearing the same fine linen that she will have previously received at the wedding of the Lamb.
"The armies of heaven were following him, riding on white horses and dressed in fine linen, white and clean."
In relation to the above, we have an excerpt from Rev.17:14 referring to Jesus return to the earth to end the age with His church coming with Him:
"They (the beast and ten kings) will wage war against the Lamb, but the Lamb will triumph over them because he is Lord of lords and King of kings—
and with him will be his called, chosen and faithful followers.”
There are many more proofs demonstrating that when the Lord appears to gather the church, that it is to the Father's house in heaven that Jesus will be taking believers back to, but I believe that what I have provided here is sufficient to get the point across.
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