Rapture - Do We Really Need a Rocket Scientist?
Scripture Teaches: There are 2 resurrections, not 3.
1) A resurrection of the believers.
2) A separate resurrection of the unbelievers one thousand years later.
Early Christian scholars all held to this understanding of the second coming.
Webster says complex is something that is "hard to separate, analyze or solve." The brand new technology of AI says that complicated is "something difficult to understand or deal with."
Unfortunately, rapture teaching has become complicated and complex and it was never designed to be that way.
Jesus said there will be two resurrections: "Do not be amazed at this; for a time is coming when all who are in the tombs will hear His voice and will come out: those who did good deeds to a resurrection of life, those who committed bad deeds to a resurrection of judgment." John 5:28-29 NASB
I Thess 4:16-17 and Rev. 20:4 clarifies the first of those resurrections, a resurrection of the righteous dead: "For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who remain, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord." AND
"Then I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was given to them. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony of Jesus and because of the word of God, and those who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received the mark on their foreheads and on their hands; and they came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years" NASB
The second of these resurrections is described in Rev. 20:5 "...the rest of the dead did not come back to life until the thousand years had ended." NLT
Why then, do modern teachers introduce complication and complexity by saying there will be 3 resurrections???
Their mental acrobatics look like this:
First Resurrection: They say before the prophesied time of severe trouble, Jesus will quietly and secretly raise all the righteous dead and gather those still living. Yet the passage above that they use speaks of a shout, a trumpet, and lots of noise, and he will raise all the believing dead and gather the living saints in a "first" rapture.
Second Resurrection: They say that after the time of severe trouble, there will be a 2nd resurrection of righteous dead and a 2nd rapture?! of the righteous living. “Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. Then will appear in heaven the sign of the Son of Man, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And he will send out his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other." Matt 24:29-31
That is also very noisy and visible, dead are raised, living are raptured (again).
Third Resurrection: the unrighteous dead. "The rest of the dead did not come back to life until the thousand years had ended." Rev. 20: 4-5
SO. These teachers give us two raptures and three resurrections?!
But scripture tells us of only the first resurrection (with rapture) and the second resurrection:
1) the saints who have died (with the living saints taken up).
2) the unrighteous dead are raised a thousand years later. Rev. 20:4-5 ... And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their testimony about Jesus and for proclaiming the word of God. They had not worshiped the beast or his statue, nor accepted his mark on their foreheads or their hands. They all came to life again, and they reigned with Christ for a thousand years. This is the first resurrection. (The rest of the dead did not come back to life until the thousand years had ended.) NLT
Think of it as a mathematical formula
First, the values:
dCrf = dead in Christ rise first (IThess 4:16-17)
cu = caught up
fr = first resurrection (Rev. 20:4-5)
mb = martyred by the beast
H = harpazo (rapture)
Therefore, the rapture formula is as follows:
(dCrf+cu) = (fr+mb) = H
which translates into:
(I Thess 4:16-17 = Rev. 20:4-5) = H
It's zo zimple, you don't need me!
CONCLUSION:
Scripture proves that the "The dead in Christ rise first" is the SAME event as the "first resurrection" which includes those who were killed by the antichrist, THEN the rapture happens.
Author's Note: There is direct scripture for only 1 rapture. There is no direct scripture for 2 raptures.
(There IS a speculation that Revelation 3:7-10 possibly could indirectly refer to a secret rapture. More likely it is affirming that Jesus will supernaturally protect these committed believers during the tribulation. One of several references to this promise of protection is Isaiah 26:20-21.)
Paul had to correct a similar misconception concerning the rapture. It’s in II Thessalonians chapter 2. Paul says, “Concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and our being gathered up to meet Him, don’t be deceived by anyone! The rapture hasn’t happened yet, and it WON'T happen until 2, (that’s TWO) things happen first: (1) a falling away, and (2) the man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition.”
Paul says TWO things have to happen first before the rapture. 1) a falling away (apparently from the faith they once had) and 2) the antichrist is revealed. Okay, got it! Two things have to happen before the rapture.
Why are we even bothering to address the TIMING of the rapture??
BECAAAUSE... If someone places his hope in being evacuated before any trouble occurs, he will feel betrayed by spiritual leaders, and even by God Himself, when he is required to suffer for his faith.
Also, (I have actually heard people say this)
"We have always been taught that we will be raptured before the antichrist comes...
therefore, any requirement before a rapture to take a mark of some kind in your hand or forehead could NOT be the mark of the beast, so it's okay to take a mark, even in your hand or forehead. Besides, we will need to buy food!" 😬 🤞
DO-YOU-SEE-HOW-DANGEROUS-THIS-TEACHING-IS?!
SO, WHAT ARE WE TO DO? It looks like we may have to suffer for Jesus (just like our brothers and sisters in most of the world are doing right now!) So, get strong in Jesus right now! Turn off useless TV shows! Take charge of the kids’ electronic devices and have family Bible reading time and discussion!
That’s what Christians did ever since the Bible was made available to people in the major European languages in the 1500’s. We have neglected this family bible reading and discussion in the past 3 generations, and now the world is going to hell! Be intimate in prayer and love Him so much that you will NEVER deny Him, you will NEVER take a mark for any reason, nor will you EVER turn Judas and betray ANYONE for their faith!
“And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and the word of their testimony, and they loved not their lives unto the death.” (Revelation 12:11)
For more on this subject, read "Indiana Jones Found The Missing Link!"
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