The word rapture comes from the Latin, rapare, which means to "take away" or "snatch out." The Rapture is a vital link in the Premillennial theory. The Rapture doctrine teaches that Christ will come again to silently and secretly remove from the earth all of the saints, both resurrected and living. This is followed by a tribulation on earth that will last for seven years during which time the Lord will pour out His wrath upon all those who have rejected Him. At the end of the tribulation, the Lord will return to the earth again with ten thousand saints and a great battle will be fought. The Lord will then usher in His Kingdom on earth, which shall last for 1,000 years. Afterwards, God will execute final judgment on all who remain, followed by heaven and hell. Specific beliefs vary between religious groups but that is the basic theory.
When compared to the word of God, we find undeniable discrepancies with the theory of Rapture as taught in the doctrine of Premillennialism. If I entitled this article, "What The Bible Says About The Rapture", it would be blank. The word Rapture isn’t found anywhere in the Bible.
Premillennialism uses 1 Thessalonians 4: 16-17 to support the Rapture theory. "For the Lord Himself shall descend from Heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first; Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord." However, 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 and many other scriptures contradict the theory.
When Christ comes, it will not be a secret and it will not be silent. 1 Thessalonians 4:16 states, "For the Lord Himself shall descend from Heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God." In addition, 1 Corinthians 15:52 states, "for the trumpet shall sound and the dead will be raised."
According to the Bible, there will not be a tribulation on earth. 2 Peter 3:7-10 tells us that, at the end of time, the earth will be destroyed and God’s judgment will occur in the "last days", John 12:48. 1 Corinthians 15:23-26 states that "at His coming, then cometh the end…" 1 Thessalonians 4:17 states that when Christ comes, "So shall we ever be with the Lord."
The theory of a "tribulation" is based upon an erroneous interpretation of Matthew 24. In Matthew 24, Jesus described a perilous time for His disciples, "not one stone will be left upon another, which will not be torn down". In verse three, the disciples asked Jesus when this would occur. Jesus describes the tribulation in more detail with, "wars and rumors of wars", "famines and earthquakes". In verse 34 Jesus says, "this generation will not pass away until all these things take place" and all that is described in Matthew 24 came to pass with the fall of Jerusalem in A.D. 70.
Premillennialism teaches that a second resurrection will take place at the end of the "tribulation". All who remain from the time of Adam will be raised at the second resurrection to receive their just desserts. However, John 5:28-29 describes both wicked and righteous being raised at the same time. 2 Thessalonians 1:7-9 states blessing and punishment both occur at his coming.
Finally, the idea of a "1000 year" reign of Christ on earth is a misinterpretation of Revelation 20:1-7. The context of Revelation 20:1-7 is a highly figurative context within a very symbolic book. The "1000 year" reign viewed in Revelation 20 is not an "earthly" reign of the Lord. It is a spiritual reign with victorious saints (Revelation 20:4). This was a prophetic indication that Christianity would be triumphant over its enemies. The 1,000 years is a symbol of the completeness of that victory. The number 1,000 is used more than 20 times in the book of Revelation, but not in a literal sense.
In the next article, we will address in more detail the "1000 year" reign and other contradictions of Premillennialism with plain and simple Bible passages.
When compared to the word of God, we find undeniable discrepancies with the theory of Rapture as taught in the doctrine of Premillennialism. If I entitled this article, "What The Bible Says About The Rapture", it would be blank. The word Rapture isn’t found anywhere in the Bible.
Premillennialism uses 1 Thessalonians 4: 16-17 to support the Rapture theory. "For the Lord Himself shall descend from Heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first; Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord." However, 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 and many other scriptures contradict the theory.
When Christ comes, it will not be a secret and it will not be silent. 1 Thessalonians 4:16 states, "For the Lord Himself shall descend from Heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God." In addition, 1 Corinthians 15:52 states, "for the trumpet shall sound and the dead will be raised."
According to the Bible, there will not be a tribulation on earth. 2 Peter 3:7-10 tells us that, at the end of time, the earth will be destroyed and God’s judgment will occur in the "last days", John 12:48. 1 Corinthians 15:23-26 states that "at His coming, then cometh the end…" 1 Thessalonians 4:17 states that when Christ comes, "So shall we ever be with the Lord."
The theory of a "tribulation" is based upon an erroneous interpretation of Matthew 24. In Matthew 24, Jesus described a perilous time for His disciples, "not one stone will be left upon another, which will not be torn down". In verse three, the disciples asked Jesus when this would occur. Jesus describes the tribulation in more detail with, "wars and rumors of wars", "famines and earthquakes". In verse 34 Jesus says, "this generation will not pass away until all these things take place" and all that is described in Matthew 24 came to pass with the fall of Jerusalem in A.D. 70.
Premillennialism teaches that a second resurrection will take place at the end of the "tribulation". All who remain from the time of Adam will be raised at the second resurrection to receive their just desserts. However, John 5:28-29 describes both wicked and righteous being raised at the same time. 2 Thessalonians 1:7-9 states blessing and punishment both occur at his coming.
Finally, the idea of a "1000 year" reign of Christ on earth is a misinterpretation of Revelation 20:1-7. The context of Revelation 20:1-7 is a highly figurative context within a very symbolic book. The "1000 year" reign viewed in Revelation 20 is not an "earthly" reign of the Lord. It is a spiritual reign with victorious saints (Revelation 20:4). This was a prophetic indication that Christianity would be triumphant over its enemies. The 1,000 years is a symbol of the completeness of that victory. The number 1,000 is used more than 20 times in the book of Revelation, but not in a literal sense.
In the next article, we will address in more detail the "1000 year" reign and other contradictions of Premillennialism with plain and simple Bible passages.
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