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It appears that modern Christianity is always looking for a way to escape reality as the English word rapture comes from a Latin word, rapio, which means to seize in relationship to an ecstasy of spirit or an overwhelming feeling of great excitement that moves us from one state of mind to another. It has nothing to do with beam me up, Scotty, caught up in the air is merely a catchphrase that made its way into religion. But this doctrine of the rapture was meant to enable believers (undergoing persecution) to fix their eyes on their ultimate glory in Christ; not give them a false escapism mentality.
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Originally Posted by Jerwade
Ecstasy - an emotional or religious frenzy or trance-like state, one involving an experience of mystic self-transcendence.
Ecstasy seems to not be what we are to strive for though
1Pe 4:6**For for this cause was the gospel preached also to them that are dead, that they might be judged according to men in the flesh, but live according to God in the spirit.
1Pe 4:7**But the end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer.
1Pe 4:8**And above all things have fervent charity among yourselves: for charity shall cover the multitude of sins.
1Pe 4:9**Use hospitality one to another without grudging.
1Pe 4:10**As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.
1Pe 4:11**If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God; if any man minister, let him do it as of the ability which God giveth: that God in all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom be praise and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.
G4993***(Strong)
σωφρονέω
sōphroneō
so-fron-eh'-o
From G4998; to be of sound mind, that is, sane, (figuratively) moderate: - be in right mind, be sober (minded), soberly.
Gal 5:22**But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
Gal 5:23**Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.
Gal 5:24**And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.
Gal 5:25**If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.
Gal 5:26**Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another.
G4748***(Strong)
στοιχέω
stoicheō
stoy-kheh'-o
From a derivative of στείχω steichō̄ (to range in regular line); to march in (military) rank (keep step), that is, (figuratively) to conform to virtue and piety: - walk (orderly).
I am not debating or criticising your use of the word ecstasy Jerwade, sorry if you took it that way .......just following the meaning of the word ecstasy, and developing on that
I am not debating or criticising your use of the word ecstasy Jerwade, sorry if you took it that way .......just following the meaning of the word ecstasy, and developing on that
Or saying you should strive
Then, try that of a rapturous love, not predicated on performance.
For instance, in 2 Corinthians 12:4 Paul says that he was caught up - ἁρπάζω/harpazó- into paradise.
In John 6:15 Jesus perceived that the crowd wanted to take him by force - ἁρπάζω/harpazó - to make him king.
In Acts 23:10 fearing that Paul would be torn apart by the hostile crowd, the Roman commander ordered troops to take Paul away from them by force - ἁρπάζω/harpazó - and bring him into the barracks.
In Matthew 12:29 Jesus asks 'how can anyone enter a strong man’s house and carry off - ἁρπάζω/harpazó - his possessions unless he first ties up the strong man? Then he can plunder his house.'
At the rapture of the church the church will be caught up, snatched away forcibly into the air and then into heaven where during the Tribulation that will be going on on earth, the church - the bride of Christ will have been made ready for the marriage of the Lamb according to Revelation 19:7-8.
The entire church is the bride of Christ and the entire church will be in heaven undergoing the judgment seat of Christ during the Tribulation and will have been made ready for the marriage of the Lamb.
With the advent of the printing press in the15th century, and the resulting explosion of Bibles accessible in the common language from Protestant sources, it became readily apparent to those who could now study the prophecies of Daniel and Revelation in particular, that Bible prophecy identified by symbols a persecuting apostate entity generally known as antichrist. The following table shows the common elements from several places in scripture that aid in identifying this antichrist power:
The book of revelation says that the antichrist will make war with the Saints of God. That cannot happen if there’s a “pretribulation” rapture.
Furthermore, the book of revelations also describes a great multitude of people greater than any man can count, coming out from within the great tribulation having wash the robes in the blood of Jesus Christ. That also cannot happen if there is a “pretribulation”.
With the advent of the printing press in the15th century, and the resulting explosion of Bibles accessible in the common language from Protestant sources, it became readily apparent to those who could now study the prophecies of Daniel and Revelation in particular, that Bible prophecy identified by symbols a persecuting apostate entity generally known as antichrist. The following table shows the common elements from several places in scripture that aid in identifying this antichrist power:
The book of revelation says that the antichrist will make war with the Saints of God. That cannot happen if there’s a “pretribulation” rapture.
You wrongly assume that the word 'saint' applies only to the New Testament church. But there were Old Testament 'saints' - the Hebrew words qadosh and qadash convey the meaning, and there will be Tribulational saints as well which will not be a part of the present church-age. Your argument that this precludes the pretribulational rapture is invalid.
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Furthermore, the book of revelations also describes a great multitude of people greater than any man can count, coming out from within the great tribulation having wash the robes in the blood of Jesus Christ. That also cannot happen if there is a “pretribulation”.
This too is an invalid argument. You are referring to Revelation 7:9 which is referring to Tribulational martyrs, believers who are killed during the Tribulation. They are believers but they are not a part of the church which will have been raptured before the Tribulation begins.
The person in the video is mistaken. That the church will be raptured, taken off the earth before the Tribulation is evident, for one thing, since in 1 Thessalonians chapters 4 and 5 Paul places the rapture of the church before the Day of the Lord which in context refers to the Tribulation.
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