Rapture of the ChurchBible Truth for the End Times

Let's start by finding out where the rapture theory came from, because you will find that the word 'rapture' is nowhere in the Bible. So if it didn't come from God's Word, then where did it come from? Believe it or not, it was an invention by the Jesuits. The order of the Jesuits were started by the Roman Catholic Church to counteract the great reformation which exposed the Roman Catholic Church as antichrist. The Jesuit priests were charged with inventing 'new' futurist interpretations of Bible prophecy, to take the focus off them as to who the antichrist is.

So many people have been exposed to these teachings by the Jesuits and have gone off track from the truth of God's Word. Satan is doing his best to take as many people from God's kingdom and one way he is doing it is by covering up the truth with fables and lies. Friend, here at End Times Bible Prophecy, you can be sure that you are getting the truth straight from the Word of God in the bible. We will not teach something just because it sounds nice, like the rapture of the church before the tribulation, no, if the Word of God says that we will not be raptured and we will go through the tribulation (which it does), then that is what we will teach. It might be uncomfortable, but it is the TRUTH!

I don't believe the Bible even hints at a secret rapture of the church, but quite the opposite, it teaches that the next coming of Christ will be glorious, bright like lightening, loud and thunderous. Do these words sound like a secret rapture? What does the Bible teach us regarding Jesus' return being a secret? ... Matthew 24:26 ...'Wherefore if they shall say unto you, Behold, he is in the desert; go not forth: behold, he is in the secret chambers; believe it not.'

Believe it not!!

Do not believe that Jesus will return in secret, but believe Jesus' own words ... Matthew 24:27 ...'For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.' ... Jesus could not be any clearer, every eye will see Him return ... Revelation 1:7 ...'Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen.'

One of the most popular verses that the people who teach this secret rapture theory hold on to are the verses that say Jesus will return 'as a thief in the night'. If you have been taught that Jesus will return as a thief for the church, then you need to read on and find out the amazing truth about these verses.

1 Thessalonians 5:2 ...'For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night.'

2 Peter 3:10 ...'But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night.'

You will notice that I have stopped when it says 'thief in the night'. That is because those who hold to the rapture teaching stop there also. But the reason they stop right there is because the next line in 2 Peter EXPOSES the teaching as false ... 2 Peter 3:10 ...'But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.' ... Did you see the amazing Bible truth there about the secret rapture theory? The day of the Lord will come as a thief, IN WHICH THE HEAVENS SHALL PASS AWAY WITH GREAT NOISE. The words 'in which' means that these two events happen at the same time. Jesus returns as a thief and at the same time the heavens pass away with great noise and the elements melt with great heat. This one verse exposes the secret rapture theory to be false. So who could Jesus be coming 'as a thief' for?

When Jesus returns as a 'thief' the heavens will pass away with great noise and melt with great heat

1 Thessalonians 5:3-4 ...'For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape. But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief.' ... This is a pretty straight forward Bible verse which gives us the truth about who Jesus comes as a thief for. Notice that it says 'that day should not overtake YOU (the church) as a thief'. So if Jesus doesn't come as a thief for the saved (the church), then who does He return as a thief for? The lost!! Take good note of the following verses which clear this issue up nicely.

Matthew 24:43 ...'But know this, that if the goodman of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken up.' ... Notice Jesus says that the goodman couldn't know the hour that the thief would come, but he could have known what 'watch', ie. the season or when it was near, so that he could keep guard. This is the same with Jesus' second coming. We don't know the day or hour, but we can know when it is near, and then we can be watching and waiting for His return. Do you see what we are saying here? If you don't know when the second coming is near, you are not going to be watching and waiting, and Jesus will return unexpectedly like a thief and break up your 'house' and you will be lost. But if you know from studying Bible prophecy the season of Jesus' return, then you will be watching and waiting, and His return will not appear as a thief, because you will be ready. This is confirmed in the two following verses:

Revelation 3:3 ...'Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard, and hold fast, and repent. If therefore thou shalt NOT watch, I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee.' ... If you don't watch, then Jesus will come as a thief to you, but if you do watch, by studying and praying and waiting for Him, then He will not come as a thief to you ... Revelation 16:15 .....'Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame.'

What does the thief come to do? ... John 10:10 ...'The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.' ... The thief comes to kill and destroy. So when Jesus said He was coming as a thief, it was a warning to those who are not watching and waiting and living for Him every day, because they will be destroyed when He returns. How can Jesus return as a thief for those who are studying and understanding the truth about Bible prophecy and they are watching and waiting for Him? It's not possible. The secret rapture theory is nothing other than a false teaching to make you feel comfortable, and to deceive you into thinking you will not go through the great tribulation. Friend, if you believe that you will be raptured away before the great tribulation starts, and then you find yourself right in the middle of the tribulation, you may find that you haven't the strength or enough oil (Holy Spirit) to withstand it and you may fall away from God. This is what satan wants. The tribulation is going to be extremely tough and if you're not prepared for it, then it will be easy for you to fall away. Just look at the five foolish virgins; they professed to be followers of Christ, but they did not have enough oil, and they didn't make sure they were ready and prepared to go and meet the Bridegroom. Those who believe in the secret rapture, when they are faced with the tribulation, will find themselves in the same position.

The left behind teaching is another Jesuit teaching that has flooded the church. The 'left behind' novels are based on this false teaching and so many Christians hold to this as truth. Friend, this is nothing other than a lie from satan to cover up the truth. Let's look at the Bible verses used for this teaching.

Matthew 24:37-42 ...'But as the days of Noah were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, and knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left. Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left. Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.'

We have already learned that Jesus doesn't come as a thief to the church, but to the lost. So many Christians believe that it is the church who is taken first and the lost are left behind. Actually, the 'left behind' novels teach that those who are left, will get another chance at salvation. Friend, this is a teaching straight from satan himself. A judgment is happening in heaven right now, and once that judgment is finished, that's it! there's no second chances. As in the parable of the ten virgins, once the door is closed, it will not be opened again. Did you notice with the above verse in Matthew 24 that it was the wicked who were TAKEN at the flood. And Jesus says ...

Matthew 13:30 ...'Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn.'

The tares are the lost, and who are taken first? The tares (lost). Just as in Noah's day, the wicked shall be TAKEN first and destroyed and the church of God (like Noah and his family) will be left behind ALIVE and saved. Are you getting the amazing truth of this? The wicked are taken first and killed and the saved are left behind alive to meet Jesus. But the wicked are not actually taken away, they are just destroyed by the brightness and glory of Christ Jesus when He returns in the clouds with all His angels.

Matthew 13:24-30 ...'Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field: But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way. But when the blade was sprung up, and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also. So the servants of the householder came and said unto him, Sir, didst not thou sow good seed in thy field? from whence then hath it tares? He said unto them, An enemy hath done this. The servants said unto him, Wilt thou then that we go and gather them up? But he said, Nay; lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them. Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn.'

We had a quick look at the wheat and the tares above, but when you see the context of this parable, you will see that without a shadow of a doubt, the secret rapture theory is completely false. Did you see the few words above that show the secret rapture cannot be true? Those words say 'Let both grow together until the harvest'. So the wheat (church of God) and the tares (the lost) grow TOGETHER until the harvest. One group is not taken before the harvest. So when is the harvest? ... Matthew 13:38-40 ...'The field is the world; the good seed are the children of the kingdom; but the tares are the children of the wicked one; The enemy that sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are the angels. As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of this world.' ... The harvest is at the end of the world (the second coming of Christ). This shows the secret rapture theory to be false.

So we know that the end of the world is at the second coming of Christ Jesus. Now Jesus gave us a promise that He would be with us until the end of the world ... Matthew 28:20 ...'Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.' ... Why would Jesus say that He would be with us until the end of the world, if His church was going to be raptured away to be with Him BEFORE the end of the world? Makes no sense does it? This is because there will be no secret rapture before the tribulation or before the second coming of Jesus. The church of God continues on earth with the wicked UNTIL the second coming. Then and only then will the separation take place.

Now the word 'rapture' is based on a Bible verse in 1 Thessalonians 4:15-17 ...'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. 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.' ... Notice the words 'caught up'? These are the words that the rapture is based on. But if you read these verses in context, they actually expose the secret rapture theory as false. Notice that it says the Lord shall descend with a SHOUT, and with the TRUMP OF GOD. Nothing secret there.

Matthew 24:27 ...'For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.'

Matthew 25:31 ...'When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory.'

2 Thessalonians 1:7-8 ...'And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, in flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.'

Revelation 1:7 ...'Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen.'

Are you getting the picture?

Friend, the secret rapture theory is nothing other than an attempt by satan to obscure the truth. His aim is to cover over the truth with lies to deceive us. But if we just come to the Word of God in prayer and with an honest, humble, open heart, then God will lead us to His truth. We are living in a time where we need the truth more than ever. Jesus will return soon, and we need to be watching and waiting for Him. We need to be ready for tribulation and persecution. We need to be ready to give our lives for our Saviour Christ Jesus. Are you willing to give your life for Jesus? Please don't let that day overtake you as a thief. Get ready! Get ready!

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