GoBeDo

After prayerful study we have found that nowhere in the Scriptures does it say that the Rapture will precede the Tribulation. This doctrine eliminates any urgency to study Revelation and satan has many believing this deception that they are completely safe from the Tribulation. Many will receive him as the Christ when the rapture has not occurred when he comes. Many believe they have nothing to prepare for.

The Lord will surely come for His Church but not secretly. "Behold, He is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see Him, even those who pierced Him; and all the tribes of the earth will mourn over Him. Revelation 1:7 That doesn't sound like the return of Christ is secret. Everyone will see Christ when He returns in His glory. Have we as God's people been deceived into believing this deception? Has it kept us from the importance of the book of Revelation, the revealing of Jesus and what He is going to do. Have we missed the special blessing promised? Revelation 1:3 "Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of the prophecy, and heed the things which are written in it: for the time is near." Sounds urgent doesn't it?

Where did the secret rapture doctrine come from? The early church fathers did not teach this. They believed that Christ would return after the Tribulation. This theory began around 1830 when a young woman by the name of Margaret McDonald from Glasgow, Scotland had some "visions" of a select group of Christians being caught up in the air before the days of the Antichrist. Within a short time her prophetic outlook was mirrored in the September, 1830 issue of the Morning Watch. The early Brethren assembly at Plymouth, England adopted this view along with John Darby, Macintosh and Scofield. It was a common practice during this time for date setting of Christ's return. This theory is taught even today.

The Bible does not teach that Christians escape tribulation. Notice in Genesis 19:1-29, Lot and his family were not raptured. Both Lot and Noah received prior notice of judgment and were moved to a place of safety. Daniel in the lion's den was not raptured but, protected. The same for the 3 Hebrew children in the fiery furnace. They were not raptured from tribulation but protected.

Many will die for their faith during the "Great Tribulation". "Then they will deliver you to tribulation, and will kill you, and you will be hated by all nations on account of My name." (Matthew 24:9) The saints will endure the tribulation. "And unless those days had been cut short, no life would have been saved; but for the sake of the elect those days shall be cut short. (Matthew 25:23) The saints, His people are the very reason He shortens the time of the Tribulation.

"For the coming of the Son of Man will be just like the days of Noah. For as in those days which were before the flood they were eating and drinking , they were marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and they did not understand until the flood came and took them all away; so shall the coming of the Son of Man be." (Matthew 24:37-39) Noah preached for 120 years of the coming flood and no one listened. God does not send His judgments without warning.

I Thessalonians 5 :4 & 5 exclaims, "But you brethren, are not in darkness, that the day should overtake you like a thief; for you are all sons of light and sons of day. We are not of night nor of darkness." God's people will not be caught unaware of His coming.

1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 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 shall rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and thus we shall always be with the Lord. And in 1 Corinthians 15:51-52 Behold, I tell you a mystery; we shall not all sleep, but we will all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. With the pre- trib rapture theory, only the righteous living are taken in this secret rapture. Why are the dead in Christ left behind. These verses clearly say the righteous dead are first. They have priority over the righteous living that are still on the earth. The last trumpet is sounded at the 2^nd coming of Christ.

John 6:38-40 "For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me. And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that of all that He has given Me I lose nothing, but raise it up on the last day. For this is the will of My Father, that everyone who beholds the Son and believes in Him, may have eternal life; and I myself will raise him up on the last day." When is the last day, it is the "Second Coming." There is no mention of anyone being gathered or taken before the last day. Why is the Bible silent? Could it be that there is no secret rapture of the church before the Second coming.

2 Thessalonians 2 : 3 & 4 Paul writes: "Let no one in any way deceive you, for it will not come unless the apostasy comes first, and the man of lawlessness (Satan) is revealed, the son of destruction, who opposes and exalts himself above every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, displaying himself as being God." In these verses we see that the man of lawlessness must appear first. Satan does not arrive on the scene until the 5^th trumpet when he claims to be God. He is the "angel king" of the Abyss. (Revelation 9:1-12)

Revelation 3:10 'Because you have kept the word of My perseverance, I also will keep you from the hour of testing, that hour which is about to come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell upon the earth.' Many Christians believe this verse to say that the church will not go through the tribulation, that they will escape the hour of trial. This verse does not say that Christians will be taken to heaven to escape the Tribulation. This verse is pointing out that believers will be sustained beginning from the hour of trial until the return of the Lord. Jesus has promised that He will be with us until the end of the age. (Matthew 28:20)

Some say the "Church " is not mentioned in the Revelation after chapter three. The woman in Revelation 12 represents the bride of Christ and the saints are mentioned 13 times in the KJV and 12 times in the NIV.

Here are some of the texts used to teach the secret rapture.

Matthew 24: 40 "then shall two be in the field the one shall be taken and the other left."

41: "Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken and the other left."

Luke 17:34 " I tell you, in that night there shall be two men in one bed; the one shall be taken and the other shall be left.

35: "Two women shall be grinding together; the one shall be taken, and the other left."

36: "Two men shall be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left."

Notice where they are taken in the next verse. Luke 17:37 The disciples asked; "And they answered and said unto him, where Lord? And He said unto them, Wheresoever the body is, there also will the vultures be gathered."

In Matthew 24:28 "Where ever the corpse is, there the vultures will gather." Christ is pointing out where the dead are. Is this truly where you want to go?

You and I that have accepted Jesus Christ as our Lord & Savior are the Church. If the Church is raptured before the Tribulation why was this message not included in the Revelation. In Matthew 24:24 "For false Christ's and false prophets will arise and will show great signs and wonders, so as to mislead, if possible, even the elect. Be prayerful in the study of this great importance of the rapture. False teachings regarding the 2^nd Coming of Christ is a dangerous deception. Christians will go through the Tribulation. Each Christian will be fully tested. Be prepared so that you will not be deceived !

COME QUICKLY LORD JESUS

This is by all means not a complete study. Check out in the Bible where all the instances speaking of the Second Comig and take the sum of all the parts. Check out in history where your beliefs came from. You many be surprised!

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