This is a question that no one wants to embrace, because if it’s true the implications are difficult to deal with.  Men will often conjure within their minds and thus say things from purely their own emotions:

“Well surely Jesus cannot be God; for God cannot die”!

“ well surely God would not send men to hell for He is Love”!

“ well surely the god of the Old Testament could not be the God of the New Testament for that god killed babies and animals wiping out entire villages”!

“Well surely Jesus (God) would not allow His bride to suffer…!”

I suggest to you that all of these are statements projected as fact; but which are lacking in Scriptures support. They are not questions they are statements of a perceived conclusion based on misunderstanding, yet when presented as fact, but only made by man; then upon which is attempted the construct of a system of Theology; that yields a real problem. That is how false prophesy arises. We don’t like to call out brothers on any sin. But James told us in the very last verses in his letter that where truth is involved we need to do it. For it is of life and death importance.

James 5:19 My brethren, if any among you strays from the truth and one turns him back, 20 let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins. (NASB1995)

Paul makes a similar statement to Timothy:

1 Timothy 4:16 Pay close attention to yourself and to your teaching; persevere in these things, for as you do this you will ensure salvation both for yourself and for those who hear you. (NASB1995)

I know that very few today in the Church even believe or willingly discuss these verses. They’re too controversial, but it seems that practicing them is crucial to the salvation of many calling themselves Christians today.

Now it is not wrong to ask questions of God, and to seek Him for His answers.  Our seeking is for an answer to any Doctrinal question that must be provided in Scripture from God’s word to our question. Doctrine is truth. And most all false prophecy will ignore other verses in scripture that might disagree with their belief. For their belief will most always tickle the ear of the hearer.  But for the student learning a false narrative, it brings only more questions and more assumptions and more speculations. And the ignoring of certain scriptures that will cause any thinking that they are not right.

And definitely all false prophecy will benefit the deceiver, and not you the hearer. It will twist the word that brings any question to bare upon their teaching; confusing the word, as well as the hearer. 

So we ask as Jesus told us to do; and we seek as Jesus told us. Our seeking beginning with prayer (the asking) with searching the Scriptures (that is seeking), and with seeing Scriptures puzzles assembled bringing clarity to others, but ending with consistency in the (Finding) of answers that Jesus told you that you would find. 

So we go back to consider the arguments using only the Scriptures. 

Concerning the Rapture we are told that:

Concerning the Coming of Christ it is said that:

So let us begin with number 8 under the Second Coming.  Yes as stated the second coming affects all of humanity, including the elect body of Christ which is Raptured at that time.  Our Dispensational teacher say otherwise as you have read. So Read this:

1 Thessalonians 4:14  For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.  15  For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. (KJV)

This is Paul introducing (supposedly) a new teaching called (the Rapture).  Jesus Second Coming had been clearly taught to the Apostles. They then were to teach what they were taught to their disciples or followers: to those who had received salvations message.  

The resurrection for Israel had been a debated subject.  The Sadducees didn’t believe in it. Jesus had clarified the truth concerning the resurrection to the Sadducees.  He said: (There will be a resurrection and you must be worthy to achieve it.  God is the God of the living not of the dead.)  He had told us these things:

Luke 20:34  Jesus said to them, “The sons of this age marry and are given in marriage,  35  but those who are considered worthy to attain to that age and the resurrection from the dead, neither marry nor are given in marriage;  36  for they cannot even die anymore, because they are like angels, and are sons of God, being sons of the resurrection. (NASB1995)

Jesus made clear here that when this age of mortal mankind ends that there will be the resurrection (changing us —  this mortal must put on immortality) into sons of God, and this teaching was in the presence of His disciples.  They as well as Paul knew about the Resurrection, as well as the gleaning of earths elect (the rapture).  This list given us from our Dispensational “teacher”who calls this a “metamorphous” in #16, also is saying that there is no such metamorphous at the second coming  – Are these men blind men?  You be the judge. They glean and serve up tares from among the wheat. See number 16 in below list:

These Dispensationalists tell us: there is no change into the likeness of Christ at His Coming, and they knew nothing about the Rapture until Paul taught them in these passages and in – 1 Thes. 4 & 1 Cor. 15.  So if this that they believe is true, why did Paul not tell them that this Rapture is going to happen “before” this already known about Resurrection, of which Jesus taught to the Disciples in His own teaching moment with the Pharisees. 

Paul would have said (if this is all new) when speaking or writing concerning it: “We apostles have been teaching some of you that there is a coming resurrection, but there is a Rapture coming before what we had previously taught you?  Would he not do this if this were a totally new revelation? But since Jesus had already told us of it, now Paul was giving insight into the mystery of what Jesus had told us, with details not yet revealed. 

We must ask these questions, because the Dispensationalists in order to be correct on the Raptures timing must make the case that Paul and or other of the Apostles, in  fact, did teach: (that the rapture was going to occur before this resurrection of which Jesus had already made known to be coming, and over which apparently some believers were still confused, or had not yet heard).  (Possibly they were still confused by the Sadducees teachings).  What Paul said was based on the need that he recognized.  He saw there was confusion about all of this.  He likely was getting questions: “ok some say the dead are all going to rise (we want to hear about that, because we’ve got dead loved ones), but when are they going to rise? And what about us who are not dead?”

Paul pointed them and us back to the only known revealed resurrection that Jesus had clarified.  Paul did not say that there would be another separate resurrection for the Church and then later one for the Jews, who he also taught in Ephesians were now one new man (Jew and Gentile).  He had not nor would he anywhere explain that Israel would be resurrected after they would be saved during the Tribulation as a separate event for them, and neither had Jesus done so.  That is all speculation.  But if you say that they did, where did they say this?  Instead Paul said that the Rapture would follow the only Resurrection that had been made known heretofore or hear after in Scripture. 

#9, Joy vs Fear or Joy for believers when Jesus Raptures us in His coming and fear for the world without Him when He comes?  Both can and will occur simultaneously at the Second coming. That is self evident. It in no wise requires two separate comings to accomplish. Enough said on this point. If that is not clear then there is some deception blinding the hearer. 

#10. The Rapture must precede Antichrist:

Mark 13:27  “And then He will send forth the angels, and will gather together His elect from the four winds, from the farthest end of the earth to the farthest end of heaven. (NASB1995)

2 Thessalonians 2:3  Let no one in any way deceive you, for [it will not come] unless the apostasy comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction, [The Antichrist] (NASB1995)

The “It” in this verse is speaking of the same “day of the Lord” about which Paul told us in his first letter in the first few verses of chapter 5, is the day on which we would be Raptured after the Resurrection, and not before it. 

1 Thessalonians 5:2  For you yourselves know full well that the day of the Lord will come just like a thief in the night. (NASB1995)

Here he was still talking about the events of the Rapture which would follow the resurrection (not precede it). All of this he had just told us about in Chapter 4:13-5:1. Now he lets us know that it would all come together with the Lord’s second coming On the day of the Lord. Twist what is said in these verses if you like, but Scripture advises against doing such. 

#11.  “No mention of Satan at the Rapture”.  This could be true only if one can prove from Scripture that the gathering from earth that Jesus taught in Mark 13 is not the Rapture of which Paul also speaks.  Prove that as Scriptures fact, and  then you can claim no Satan, but scripture interprets Scripture.  I think Scripture is right though every man be a liar. 

This is exactly what Paul described but Paul described it in much more detail in both 1 Thessalonians 4 and in 1 Corinthians 15. The truth about which Christ spoke was of resurrection and rapture at His coming.  What Paul wrote concerning that event was much more detailed.  Scripture explains Scripture.  It does not bring confusion. State your questions in the comments.

We will begin with #12 in our next post.