Does the Catholic Church Believe their will be a Rapture?

[Keith_W_OR_USA]

When I was young teenager I attended a Pentecostal Church and they believed in the soon to be rapture of Christian believers by God and/or Jesus. 30 Years later there still has been no rapture. I am curious if the Catholic Church has any belief or support for this rapture scenario? Also what does the Church believe about the Book of Revelation?

 

[Fidelis]

Here is what the Church teaches about the “Last Things”:

When each of us dies, our souls are immediately judged by God. This is called the Particular Judgment. At this point we begin our eternal destiny. If we are going to hell, our souls go directly there. If we are deemed worthy of heaven, our souls will go directly to heaven, or if we are going to heaven but are in need of purification, we may go to Purgatory first for a while (everyone in Purgatory will eventually go to heaven). Whatever our fate, our souls will stay there (heaven or hell) until the end of time, at which time the Second Coming will occur.

At the Second Coming at the end of time, those Christians still alive and who are in a state of sanctifying grace will be taken to heaven (what some Protestants think of as of the rapture). Then will occur the General Judgment. At that time the souls of the living and the dead will be reunited with their bodies and brought together in God’s presence and judged before all. Those who have already been judged in the Particular Judgment will be brought from wherever their souls were -heaven, hell or Purgatory-- and have their judgment confirmed before all, so that both the justice and mercy of God will be manifest to all. No one will then have any doubt about the fairness of God’s judgment on those they thought would be in heaven but are not, or those they thought would not be in heaven but are.

After this, time and Purgatory will be no more and all will enter with their souls and bodies into their eternal destiny, either hell or heaven.

This is an extremely bare-bones sketch, so if you want to get the details, see the five articles I linked below:

rosary-center.org/ll57n1.htm
rosary-center.org/ll57n2.htm
rosary-center.org/ll57n3.htm
rosary-center.org/ll57n4.htm
rosary-center.org/ll49n6.htm

Continued on the next post…

 

[Fidelis]

In addition, you have to learn to recognize erroneous teachings about the End Times popularized by fundamentalists. In other words, toss out the “Left Behind” and “Late, Great Planet Earth” baloney. Here are some resources to help you develop some discernment in these areas:

catholic.com/library/rapture.asp
catholic.com/thisrock/2000/0011fea2.asp
catholic.com/library/false_profit.asp
catholic.com/thisrock/2002/0211fea3.asp
catholic.com/thisrock/2000/0001fea1.asp
catholic.com/thisrock/1995/9510ntg.asp
catholic.com/thisrock/2002/0209fea5.asp
catholic.com/thisrock/1998/9812chap.asp
catholic.com/thisrock/2003/0304bt.asp
catholic.com/thisrock/1997/9705chap.asp
catholic.com/thisrock/1994/9409fea4.asp
catholic.com/thisrock/1994/9410fea2.asp
catholic.com/thisrock/2000/0009bite.asp

Concluded on my next post…

 

[fermat]

No, the Catholic church does not support rapture theology. The notion of a rapture where people are taken up somewhat attributable to a misunderstanding of 1 Thessalonians 4:17:

Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. Thus we shall always be with the Lord.

The idea is that the saved will be taken, leaving the unsaved on earth. The primary problem is that this is contrary to what Christ tells us:
[BIBLEDRB]Luke 17:26-37[/BIBLEDRB]

If we look to Lot and Noah, who exactly was taken and who was left? In both cases, the bad guys were taken and the good guys were left. After the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, Lot and his family were left. After the flood, Noah and his family were left.

When Paul talks about meeting Jesus in the air, he is referring to the practice of going outside the city to welcome some and bringing them in. When heads of state are visiting, the custom is to have the president go to the airport to meet them and escort them in, just as we will go up to greet Christ and escort him in.

Here is an article that explores the question a bit more.

 

[lizaanne]

This says it all in 40 minutes: The Rapture

Short answer, NO. Watch the video for the details.

~Liza

 

[Fidelis]

(Continued from my previous posts above)

Finally, here are some resources to help you develop a well-balanced Catholic understanding of the Book of Revelation, biblical prophecy, and eschatology. I don’t know if all the links below are still active, but all these resources are easily available. All of these are HIGHLY recommended:

The Navarre Bible Commentary on the Book of Revelation
The Navarre Bible Commentary on the Major Prophets
The Navarre Bible Commentary on the Minor Prophets
amazon.com/gp/search/ref=br_ss_hs/102-2381711-9848916?platform=gurupa&url=index%3Dblended&keywords=navarre+bible

The End: The Book of Revelation, tape/CD series and Study Guide by Dr. Scott Hahn.
saintjoe.com/more-info.php?product=177&Title=The-End

Will Catholics Be “Left Behind”? by Carl Olsen
ignatius.com/ViewProduct.aspx?SID=1&Product_ID=260&AFID=12&

The Rapture Trap: A Catholic Response to “End Times” Fever, by Paul Thigpen
amazon.com/Rapture-Trap-Catholic-Response-Times/dp/0965922820

The Lamb’s Supper, by Dr. Scott Hahn.
amazon.com/gp/product/0385496591/sr=8-1/qid=1148926012/ref=pd_bbs_1/102-2381711-9848916?%5Fencoding=UTF8

Rapture: The End Times Fiction that Leaves Truth Behind, by David Curie
amazon.com/Rapture-End-Times-Error-Leaves-Behind/dp/1928832725/ref=sr_1_1/105-8298365-5498833?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1188139548&sr=1-1

Revelation Revealed, tapes/CD series by Michael Barber
saintjoe.com/more-info.php?product=245&Title=Revelation-Revealed

Coming Soon, a book on this same topic by Michael Barber
amazon.com/Coming-Soon-Unlocking-Revelation-Applying/dp/193101826X

Introduction To Prophecy, CD set by Steve Wood
familylifecenter.net/cart/product_detail.cfm?Id=613

I’m done. Hope that helps!

 

[Little_One0307]

Hi,

I posted the below when someone asked what Catholics believe Revelation teaches. I have found this to be a good commentary on the Book of Revelation.

---

Check out Scot Hahn’s book The Lamb’s Supper. It presents Revelation and how it relates to the Mass. In fact its entire premise is that Revelation is talking of the Mass. He quotes a lot of Church Fathers in setting forth his premise. It is a unique perspective on Revelation. In the book he says why he feels it may not be addressing end times.

The Church Fathers wrote a lot on Revelation. I would also suggest getting a good Catholic Bible commentary.

Interpretations of Revelation usually follow one of five approaches that seek to explain the book by placing it within a particular frame of refernece.

1. The CRITICAL view held by many scholars today situates the book within the cultural and historical context of its original readers. They tend to see in Revelation a reflection of the struggle between Church and State at the end of the first century.
2. The PRETERIST view likewise maintains that much of the book concerns events within in lifetime of its original readers. Scholars of this persuasion often assert that Revelation describes both the beginning of the New Covenant, sealed by the dying and rising of Christ, and the dramatic end of the Old Covenant.
3. The HISTORICIST view claims that Revelation offers a panorama of the Church’s life as she marches through history The successive visions of the book are said to correspond to successive stages of the Church’s pilgrimage in the world, and its symbols are taken to represent important figures and instituations that determine that history on a grand scale.
4. The IDEALIST view asserts that Revelation uses signs and symbols to dramatize the never-ending struggles of the spiritual life. Its visions of war between good and evil, angels and demons, ect. are said to represent the conflict that rages in every Christain’s life. Though some would allow that Revelation refers to concrete events in the author’s day, these are thought to typify the spiritual struggles between the Church and the world more generally.
5. The FUTURIST view, which seems to hold the greatest fascination in the popular mind, interprets the book s as a preview of the end of history, the return of Christ, the Last Judgment, and the final demise of evil. Advocates thus claim Revelation, either in whole or in part remains a book of prophecy for the Church today, for many visions and promises still await their fufillment in the days ahead.

In the final analysis, all these perspectives have something to offer and draw attention to important aspects of Revelation. What is needed is an INTGRATIVE view that recognizes the presence of multiple themes and perspectives that complement one another and add richness and depthy to the book.

Taken from the Introduction given to the book of Revelation from the Ignatius Catholic Study Bible New Testament, Second Ed.

And to your third question. We Catholics always go with what the Church teaches. That is what the Magesterium does when things such as Revelation is unclear. Thank God for the Magesterium. Sacred Tradition and the Magesterium carry weight as the Sacred Scriptures.

Hope this helps.

Little One0307

 

[patrick457]

When I was young teenager I attended a Pentecostal Church and they believed in the soon to be rapture of Christian believers by God and/or Jesus. 30 Years later there still has been no rapture. I am curious if the Catholic Church has any belief or support for this rapture scenario? Also what does the Church believe about the Book of Revelation?

http://christian-brotherhood.org/jw_armagadon.jpg

As for the Rapture, I slightly disagree with other posters here (just my personal idea, note). Yes, in one sense there will be a ‘rapture’ of some sort in that we will all (here I think that “we who are alive” refers not just to believers as Rapturists interpret it, but to, well, everyone living at the time) be “taken up” to meet the Lord in the air, like commoners in ancient times going out into the city gate and greeting an arriving king (cf. 1 Thessalonians 4:17), but I agree with the others in that unlike in Left Behind and other works of a similar tone, it’s not something that will happen before the tribulation, and it is not certainly a way of taking the believers out of said tribulation, leaving the unsaved to suffer all the bad stuff. This ‘rapture’ (of sorts) IMHO will happen AFTER, not BEFORE or DURING, the tribulation - which all the faithful (the Church) here on earth living at that time will experience. To put it in simple words: Jesus comes back after the period of final trial, we meet Christ the King, then the final judgment occurs.

675 Before Christ’s second coming the Church must pass through a final trial that will shake the faith of many believers. The persecution that accompanies her pilgrimage on earth will unveil the “mystery of iniquity” in the form of a religious deception offering men an apparent solution to their problems at the price of apostasy from the truth. The supreme religious deception is that of the Antichrist, a pseudo-messianism by which man glorifies himself in place of God and of his Messiah come in the flesh.

676 The Antichrist’s deception already begins to take shape in the world every time the claim is made to realize within history that messianic hope which can only be realized beyond history through the eschatological judgment. The Church has rejected even modified forms of this falsification of the kingdom to come under the name of millenarianism, especially the “intrinsically perverse” political form of a secular messianism.

677 The Church will enter the glory of the kingdom only through this final Passover, when she will follow her Lord in his death and Resurrection. The kingdom will be fulfilled, then, not by a historic triumph of the Church through a progressive ascendancy, but only by God’s victory over the final unleashing of evil, which will cause his Bride to come down from heaven. God’s triumph over the revolt of evil will take the form of the Last Judgment after the final cosmic upheaval of this passing world.

• Catechism of the Catholic Church

Of course, I’m open to correction here.

 

[doulos33]

A new book called Unveiling the Apocalypse: Prophecy in Catholic Tradition by Emmett O’Regan touches upon Catholic doctrine concerning the Second Coming. It basically asserts that the Church follows the amillennial position forwarded by St. Augustine - there will be no rapture or future millennial reign of Christ on earth. It attempts to distinguish between the Second Coming and the Last Judgment however, and claims that the event of the Second Coming is foretold to coincide with the “eschatological earthquake” and a huge “mountain on fire” being thrown into the sea (which the author links to the volcano Cumbre Vieja, which scienticist believe could fall into the atlantic ocean during its next eruption causing a “mega-tsunami” that will wipe out the East Coast of America. He argues that this is connected with the downfall of “Babylon” (the last world empire) and culminates with rise of the Antichrist in europe and the battle of Armageddon.

 

[byeveryword]

Not familiar with the Catholic church’s teaching on the ‘rapture’ or translation of the body of Christ who are alive when our Lord Jesus Christ returns.

However, the Greek word ‘harpazo’, (1 Thess. 4:17) meaning to seize, catch up, or rapture is used in the Septuagint when speaking of the ‘translation’ of Enoch (Wisdom 4:10-11). Philip was ‘caught up’ by the Spirit when he was commissioned to tell the good news to the Ethiopian. (Acts 8:39) .The apostle Paul was ‘caught up’ to the third heaven (2 Corinth.12:2). And depending on one’s interpretation of Rev.12:5, either the body of Christ will be, or Christ himself was ‘caught up’ to heaven.

Tertullian quotes 1 Thess. 4:17 at least a half a dozen times in his writings and refers to the catching up of the church who are alive when the Lord returns. Origen quotes this passage twice when writing about the resurrection of the church. Methodius quotes this scripture in one of his writings when describing the resurrection of the church.

Recently, I watched a Catholic dvd on the translation of the house of Mary and Jesus from Nazareth to Loretto, Italy in the 13th century. It is a fascinating account of trying to explain how this house ended up in Loretto, Italy. Tradition and certain scientific experts believe that it was literally ‘translated’ or picked up by angels of God and moved. For myself, it is a demonstration of what God will do with His church when our Lord Jesus Christ returns.

Justin Martyr, Irenaeus and Tertullian all believed in the future millenial reign of 1,000 years. I do not ascribe to the details of any non-Catholic teaching, I only know that it is scriptural, and that it is professed by certain early church fathers.

 

[mariafidelis]

Here is what the Church teaches about the “Last Things”:

When each of us dies, our souls are immediately judged by God. This is called the Particular Judgment. At this point we begin our eternal destiny. If we are going to hell, our souls go directly there. If we are deemed worthy of heaven, our souls will go directly to heaven, or if we are going to heaven but are in need of purification, we may go to Purgatory first for a while (everyone in Purgatory will eventually go to heaven). Whatever our fate, our souls will stay there (heaven or hell) until the end of time, at which time the Second Coming will occur.

At the Second Coming at the end of time, those Christians still alive and who are in a state of sanctifying grace will be taken to heaven (what some Protestants think of as of the rapture). Then will occur the General Judgment. At that time the souls of the living and the dead will be reunited with their bodies and brought together in God’s presence and judged before all. Those who have already been judged in the Particular Judgment will be brought from wherever their souls were -heaven, hell or Purgatory-- and have their judgment confirmed before all, so that both the justice and mercy of God will be manifest to all. No one will then have any doubt about the fairness of God’s judgment on those they thought would be in heaven but are not, or those they thought would not be in heaven but are.

After this, time and Purgatory will be no more and all will enter with their souls and bodies into their eternal destiny, either hell or heaven.

This is an extremely bare-bones sketch, so if you want to get the details, see the five articles I linked below:

rosary-center.org/ll57n1.htm
rosary-center.org/ll57n2.htm
rosary-center.org/ll57n3.htm
rosary-center.org/ll57n4.htm
rosary-center.org/ll49n6.htm

Continued on the next post…

Sorry I couldn’t figure out how to quote just one sentence. I was wondering at the final judgment if you are on earth and alive at that time you would get judged on the spot basically. Well, what if you are not perfect and then would need purgatory but the purgatory has been done away with. Wouldn’t that mean then there would be no hope unless you are perfect or does God just send everybody to Heaven that would be going to purgatory and it’s like having a out of jail free card? I have always wondered this question and I hope you might have some insight on it.

 

[Ignatius]

When I was young teenager I attended a Pentecostal Church and they believed in the soon to be rapture of Christian believers by God and/or Jesus. 30 Years later there still has been no rapture. I am curious if the Catholic Church has any belief or support for this rapture scenario? Also what does the Church believe about the Book of Revelation?

The Catholic Church teaches, as it has for 2000 years, the Parousia which is what The Bible says will happen at the end of time. As to the book of Revelation, yes, it is the Catholic Church through which the Holy Spirit revealed which books are the God breathed Scriptures of the New Testament. This was declared in A.D. 382 by Pope Damasus I. In fact the Codex Vaticanus is one of the oldest extant manuscripts of the Bible.

 

[roselily]

Not familiar with the Catholic church’s teaching on the ‘rapture’ or translation of the body of Christ who are alive when our Lord Jesus Christ returns.

However, the Greek word ‘harpazo’, (1 Thess. 4:17) meaning to seize, catch up, or rapture is used in the Septuagint when speaking of the ‘translation’ of Enoch (Wisdom 4:10-11). Philip was ‘caught up’ by the Spirit when he was commissioned to tell the good news to the Ethiopian. (Acts 8:39) .The apostle Paul was ‘caught up’ to the third heaven (2 Corinth.12:2). And depending on one’s interpretation of Rev.12:5, either the body of Christ will be, or Christ himself was ‘caught up’ to heaven.

Tertullian quotes 1 Thess. 4:17 at least a half a dozen times in his writings and refers to the catching up of the church who are alive when the Lord returns. Origen quotes this passage twice when writing about the resurrection of the church. Methodius quotes this scripture in one of his writings when describing the resurrection of the church.

Recently, I watched a Catholic dvd on the translation of the house of Mary and Jesus from Nazareth to Loretto, Italy in the 13th century. It is a fascinating account of trying to explain how this house ended up in Loretto, Italy. Tradition and certain scientific experts believe that it was literally ‘translated’ or picked up by angels of God and moved. For myself, it is a demonstration of what God will do with His church when our Lord Jesus Christ returns.

Justin Martyr, Irenaeus and Tertullian all believed in the future millenial reign of 1,000 years. I do not ascribe to the details of any non-Catholic teaching, I only know that it is scriptural, and that it is professed by certain early church fathers.

I knew, but I remembered in The Second Letter of Paul to the Corinthians-Paull’s Visions and Revelations, not that Paul was caught up to the third heaven, but that he know a person in Christ who was caught up to the third heaven fourteen years ago; namely, that I thought there were Paul’s friend was caught up to the third heaven.

2Corinthians 12 2
I know a person in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven—whether in the body or out of the body I do not know; God knows.3And I know that such a person—whether in the body or out of the body I do not know; God knows—4was caught up into Paradise and heard things that are not to be told, that no mortal is permitted to repeat.5On behalf of such a one I will boast, but on my own behalf I will not boast, except of my weaknesses.

 

[byeveryword]

I knew, but I remembered in The Second Letter of Paul to the Corinthians-Paull’s Visions and Revelations, not that Paul was caught up to the third heaven, but that he know a person in Christ who was caught up to the third heaven fourteen years ago; namely, that I thought there were Paul’s friend was caught up to the third heaven.

2Corinthians 12 2
I know a person in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven—whether in the body or out of the body I do not know; God knows.3And I know that such a person—whether in the body or out of the body I do not know; God knows—4was caught up into Paradise and heard things that are not to be told, that no mortal is permitted to repeat.5On behalf of such a one I will boast, but on my own behalf I will not boast, except of my weaknesses.

Yes, from this scripture in 2 Corinth.12:2-9 the apostle Paul speaks about knowing such a man. Yet later on, Paul says,…".to keep me from becoming conceited because of these surpassingly great revelations, there was given me a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me."

So, it is thought that the apostle Paul is the one who “was caught up to Paradise, where he heard inexpressible things”. But you may be correct in thinking it was some other person.

 

[roselily]

Yes, from this scripture in 2 Corinth.12:2-9 the apostle Paul speaks about knowing such a man. Yet later on, Paul says,…".to keep me from becoming conceited because of these surpassingly great revelations, there was given me a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me."

So, it is thought that the apostle Paul is the one who “was caught up to Paradise, where he heard inexpressible things”. But you may be correct in thinking it was some other person.

Yes! I know! Paul had suffered greatly also! in Paull’s Visions and Revelations, he continue wrote:

“6But if I wish to boast, I will not be a fool, for I will be speaking the truth. But I refrain from it, so that no one may think better of me than what is seen in me or heard from me,7even considering the exceptional character of the revelations. Therefore, to keep me from being too elated, a thorn was given to me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to torment me, to keep me from being too elated.8Three times I appealed to the Lord about this, that it would leave me,9but he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for power is made perfect in weakness.’ So, I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me.10Therefore I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities for the sake of Christ; for whenever I am weak, then I am strong.”

I do not understand,

I do not know many things, I never will till the whole is revealed, for like power is made perfect in weakness. like Rapture, It has like a child, the family will be moving, the child asked why we should be moving, and the child be told because some reasons, so the child believe and judged it was because that, but the child willl not know the true reason, so it is better not judge, because that we will never know the whole truth till the whole is revealed.

What should I consider well? for I am praying for our Lord Jesus Christ coming soon-and then I will know.

 

[stevekehl]

The idea is that the saved will be taken, leaving the unsaved on earth. The primary problem is that this is contrary to what Christ tells us:
[BIBLEDRB]Luke 17:26-37[/BIBLEDRB]

If we look to Lot and Noah, who exactly was taken and who was left? In both cases, the bad guys were taken and the good guys were left. After the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, Lot and his family were left. After the flood, Noah and his family were left.

Incorrect. Noah and Lot were taken away from those who were destroyed. They weren’t left behind they were removed from the destruction.

When Paul talks about meeting Jesus in the air, he is referring to the practice of going outside the city to welcome some and bringing them in. When heads of state are visiting, the custom is to have the president go to the airport to meet them and escort them in, just as we will go up to greet Christ and escort him in.

OT prophecy say Jesus will return to earth at the Mount of Olives
Zecheriah 14:3 Then shall the LORD go forth, and fight against those nations, as when he fought in the day of battle. 4 And his feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east, and the mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst thereof toward the east and toward the west, and there shall be a very great valley; and half of the mountain shall remove toward the north, and half of it toward the south.

It will be kind of crowded on the Mount with every Christian that ever lived escorting Jesus back to earth.

 

[byeveryword]

Roselily,

Some of us who think we know something, know nothing yet as we ought to know, but they who love God, are known of Him. (1 Corinth.8:2-3).

Many of the most wonderful saints of the Catholic church are they who suffered in weakness. The scripture is true:“God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble”. Weakness and suffering keeps God’s holy ones humble in order to abide in His grace and in His power.

As far as the rapture, or catching up, and the reason for it is concerned; I will only leave you with this quotation from Irenaeus who says he received it from a presbyter.

“And as the presbyters say, Then those who are deemed worthy of an abode in heaven shall go there, others shall enjoy the delights of paradise, and others shall possess the splendour of the city; for everywhere the Savior shall be seen according as they who see Him shall be worthy. They say, moreover, that there is this distinction between the habitation of those who produce a hundred-fold, and that of those who produce sixty-fold, and that of those who produce thirty-fold: for the first will be taken up into the heavens, the second will dwell in paradise, the last will inhabit the city; and that it was on this account the Lord declared, “In my Father’s house are many mansions”…The presbyters, the disciples of the apostles, affirm that this is the gradation and arrangement of those who are saved, and that they advance through steps of this nature; also that they ascend through the Spirit to the Son, and through the Son to the Father, and that in due time the Son will yield up His work to the Father…” Irenaeus Book V, Chap. xxxvi.

So, I am with you, who can really know? “It does not yet appear what we shall be, but we know that when He shall appear, we shall be like Him, because we shall see Him as He is, and everyone who has this hope in them, purifies themselves, even as He is pure.”
(1 John 3:2-3).

 

[miguel]

676 The Antichrist’s deception already begins to take shape in the world every time the claim is made to realize within history that messianic hope which can only be realized beyond history through the eschatological judgment. The Church has rejected even modified forms of this falsification of the kingdom to come under the name of millenarianism, especially the “intrinsically perverse” political form of a secular messianism.

I think the Church warns us here in the first sentence about ideologies that promise heaven on earth, or utopia…communism, naziism being recent examples. My take on the 2nd sentence is a warning with application to those who look for a literal 1000 year reign of Christ to follow his 2nd coming. This scenario also has the devil restrained during that 1000 year reign but then is allowed to wreak havoc at the end of the 1000 years. I think folks who believe this open themselves to being deceived into following the Antichrist when he appears in history…mistaking the Antichrist for Christ. I think a good way to avoid that deception is to realize the 2nd coming will be a spectacular event witnessed by all the living.

 

[byeveryword]

I think the Church warns us here in the first sentence about ideologies that promise heaven on earth, or utopia…communism, naziism being recent examples. My take on the 2nd sentence is a warning with application to those who look for a literal 1000 year reign of Christ to follow his 2nd coming. This scenario also has the devil restrained during that 1000 year reign but then is allowed to wreak havoc at the end of the 1000 years. I think folks who believe this open themselves to being deceived into following the Antichrist when he appears in history…mistaking the Antichrist for Christ. I think a good way to avoid that deception is to realize the 2nd coming will be a spectacular event witnessed by all the living.

The trouble with your argument is that some of very earliest patristic fathers wrote about the literal millennial reign. Such as Justin Martyr, Ireneaus and Tertullian.

Those who open themselves up to a deception such as Hitler are those who are not following the teachings of Jesus Christ.

“If anyone would be my disciple, let him take up his cross daily and follow me. For whosoever would save his life, will lose it, but whosoever will lose his life for my sake and for the sake of the gospel will save it. For what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world, but loses his own soul”

 

[roselily]

Roselily,

Some of us who think we know something, know nothing yet as we ought to know, but they who love God, are known of Him. (1 Corinth.8:2-3).

Many of the most wonderful saints of the Catholic church are they who suffered in weakness. The scripture is true:“God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble”. Weakness and suffering keeps God’s holy ones humble in order to abide in His grace and in His power.

As far as the rapture, or catching up, and the reason for it is concerned; I will only leave you with this quotation from Irenaeus who says he received it from a presbyter.

“And as the presbyters say, Then those who are deemed worthy of an abode in heaven shall go there, others shall enjoy the delights of paradise, and others shall possess the splendour of the city; for everywhere the Savior shall be seen according as they who see Him shall be worthy. They say, moreover, that there is this distinction between the habitation of those who produce a hundred-fold, and that of those who produce sixty-fold, and that of those who produce thirty-fold: for the first will be taken up into the heavens, the second will dwell in paradise, the last will inhabit the city; and that it was on this account the Lord declared, “In my Father’s house are many mansions”…The presbyters, the disciples of the apostles, affirm that this is the gradation and arrangement of those who are saved, and that they advance through steps of this nature; also that they ascend through the Spirit to the Son, and through the Son to the Father, and that in due time the Son will yield up His work to the Father…” Irenaeus Book V, Chap. xxxvi.

So, I am with you, who can really know? “It does not yet appear what we shall be, but we know that when He shall appear, we shall be like Him, because we shall see Him as He is, and everyone who has this hope in them, purifies themselves, even as He is pure.”
(1 John 3:2-3).

Thank God! praise His Holy name our Father in Heaven.

Thank you, byeveryword, your writings very beautiful and well.

Our Lord says He will come soon.