Many books have been written concerning the rapture and it is a billion dollar business. Is the rapture theory Biblical? or is it a mystical Harry Potter like fairy tale? What is Armageddon? Most of the rapture books have little to do with the Second Coming of Christ or the truth relating to the events surrounding the Second Advent of Christ.
Books by Tim Lahaye, John Hagee, Pat Robinson, Jack van Impe, Tim Lahaye, Benny Hinn, Jerry Jenkins,Thomas Ice, Hal Lindsey, Kenneth Copeland, Rod Parsley, Arno Froese, Joseph Chambers, Dan Bohler, Joel Rosenberg, Kenneth Hagin, Rex Humbard, Dave Hunt, Derek Prince, Ernest Angley, John Ankerberg, Chuck Smith, Van Kampen, Grant Jeffrey, Oral Roberts, John Walvoord, Randall Price, Clarennce Larkin, and most of the Armageddon and Last days eventsbooks are used to promote an anti-reformation, anti-protestant and Anti-Christ doctrine. The rapture theory is from the pits of hell, created by Luciferians, and promoted by agents of the prince of darkness.
What is the difference between the Rapture and the Second coming?
The Second Coming of Christ is mention or alluded to more than 1800 times. The Bible writers wrote about the Second Advent of Christ more than any other subject
The Second coming of Christ is often confused with the Rapture… The word rapture does not appear in the Bible but some people have often used the Greek word harpazo – caught up. Rapture comes from the Latin word rapio meaning to steal, rob, plunder, ravage, pilliage, take by force, kidnape. I is the root word for RAPE. Rapio is the opposite of Harpazo. When Christ come He isn't going to steal you or rape you. It is the devil that want to steal you, snatch you from Christ and rape you.
Harpazo – caught up and second coming is the same event. Let me repeat…SAME EVENT…1Thess.4:16 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, 17 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. (GK. Arpaghsomeqa, harpazO v_ 2Fut Pas Ind 1 Pl SHALL-BE-BEING-SNATCHED) The Bible is clear.. When Jesus returns… He will return the same way as He left. Act 1: 9 And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight.
Vs.10 And while they looked stedfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel:
Vs.11 Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.
Jesus was taken or caught up in a cloud… The Greek word for caught up in Acts 1:11 is analambanO, – one being taken up.
When Jesus returns, He will come in a cloud – Rev.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.
Christ return will be not be secret, nor quiet, nor will only a select group see Him… The dead or those who fell asleep in Jesus will be resurrected,
And the righteous living will be caught up with the resurrected saints to meet the Lord in the air.
1 Cor.15: 51 Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,
52. In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.
53. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.
What happens to the wicked when Christ returns?
Rev.6:15 and the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains;
16 And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb: 2 Thess. 2:8 And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming:
The Bible is clear… the wicked living will see Christ Second Coming, they will try to hide, and be destroy with the brightness of the Second Coming.
What happens to the wicked dead when Christ returns? Jn.5:28Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice,29 And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation.
There are two resurrections. One of life and the other is of damnation (death) The is a period of 1000 yrs that separate the first and second resurrection.
Rev.20:5-6 But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection.
6 Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years
How long will the righteous be in heaven and what will they be doing?
Rev. 21:4 And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.
What happens at the end of the Millennium?
Rev.21: 2 And I John saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.
Rev.20:7 And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison,
8. And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog, and Magog, to gather them together to battle: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea.
9. And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them.
2 Peter 3:7 But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.
8. But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.
9. The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.
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.
Rev.21:8 But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.
Rev.16:15-17 Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame.
16. And he gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon.
17. And the seventh angel poured out his vial into the air; and there came a great voice out of the temple of heaven, from the throne, saying, It is done.
Armageddon is the place where the Lord will destroy the wicked once and for all. The whole earth will be cleansed with fire, and thannew again.
Rev.21:1 And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. 3And I heard a great voice
it will be made out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.
4. And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.
5. And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful.
Jesus will bring the Temple or the Tabernacle with Him at the end of the 1000 years.
In summary, the events that will take place at the Second Coming of Christ are:
The Dead in Christ will be resurrected;
The Righteous Living will is caught up;
The wicked living will be destroy with the brightness of the Second Coming;
Satan will be bound on earth with no one to tempt for 1000 years; (bound by a chain of circumstance – out of business)
The Righteous will live and reign with Christ for a 1000 years in heaven;
At the end of the thousand years,
The wicked will be part of the second resurrection, Satan will convince them to take over the New Jerusalem which they will see as the city come down from heaven;
Fire will destroy Satan, the wicked, and sin. The effects of the fire will be everlasting. Sin and sinners will be forever eradicated from the earth.
The earth will be cleansed and made new;
The Tabernacle of God (Jesus is the Tabernacle) will live with man.
The Righteous will live on the earth with Christ forever.
The Second coming is not the secret rapture, no secret snatch, no second chance, no third earthly Jerusalem temple, no red heifer, no seven year tribulation, no anti-Christ making a new covenant with Israel, no two plans for salvation (one for Jews and the other for non Jews), no eternal torment (the effects of the fire is eternal).
Yes beloved, in the beginning God took chaos and made cosmos… soon He will reverse His creation and take cosmos and make chaos, He will destroy this old sinful world with fire and than He will take chaos and make cosmos…
Rev. 21:4 and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away..vs.5 Behold I make all things new.
This is the New World Order… not as man envision it but as God see it.