Myth of the Pre-Tribulational Rapture

[The_Cub]

.
THE MYTH OF THE PRE-TRIBULATIONAL RAPTURE

“…whosoever perverts the sayings of the Lord for his own desires,
and says that there is neither resurrection nor judgment, such a one
is the first-born of Satan…Let us, therefore, leave the
foolishness and the false-teaching of the crowd and turn back to the
word which was delivered to us in the beginning…” (St. Polycarp
in his Letter to the Philippians 7:1-2 [A.D. 135]).

It is worthy of note that St. Polycarp is not only an Apostolic
Father of the Church, but was a student of St. John and other
Apostles. In contemporary terms St. Polycarp is called an
EYEWITNESS. Moreover, it was St. John who wrote “There are also many
other things that Jesus did, but if these were to be described
individually, I do not think the whole world would contain the books
that would be written.” (Cf. John 21:25).

About 150 or so years ago, the concept of a Pre-Tribulational Rapture
was conceived by certain Protestants. The concept holds that
immediately before the Great Tribulation discussed in St. John’s
Revelation, the good people of the world will be taken up body and
soul into Heaven by God, and thereby be spared any subsequent
persecution or hardships. This notion has been condemned as false by
the Magisterium of the Roman Catholic Church based upon Holy
Scripture and the teachings of the Apostolic Fathers and Doctors of
the Church.

At the web site address below is a writing entitled: THE MYTH OF
THE PRE-TRIBULATIONAL RAPTURE. This writing analyzes the pertinent
verses of Holy Scripture and the writings of the Apostolic Fathers
and Doctors of the Church to demonstrate that such Pre-Tribulational
Rapture is a myth. The writing delineates the manner in which the
Great Tribulation can be avoided, but it will not involve any Pre-
Trib Rapture body and soul into Heaven.

Please visit the web sites below, study the writing, and share it
with as many people as possible.

All honor and gory to our most loving and merciful Heavenly Father,
His Son our Savior, and their Holy Spirit.

THE MYTH OF THE PRE-TRIBULATIONAL RAPTURE

call2holiness.org/era-of-peace.html

May God bless you and your families,
Cubster

 

[The_Cub]

sorry, bad link…and no edit button…try:

call2holiness.org/mythofrapture/MythofRaptureHTML.htm

 

[bkniceley]

ok… ill just state a few things… Look at the bible back to the old testament. U remember Lot who was spared from the destruction of soddom and gomorah because he was righteous in god’s eyes. And look at noah who was also spared from the flood. God has saved many of his believers from his wrath. Why dont u think he will in the future when the antichrist comes? He didnt save us in order for us to suffer his wrath u see… so it would be kinda foolish for him to leave us during the tribulation. If u look at 1 thessalonians: “For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever.” If this isnt referring to a rapture then what else would it be? I dont know just a thought

 

[The_Cub]

BK,

You did not read the referenced writing. It explains it very clearly therein. I could not reproduce it here due to space limitations if I wanted to.

After you have read it…then read the writing listed in the Recommended Reading section entitled: “To the Refuges on Wings of Eagles”.

Please seek the truth, and read it. Do not risk being left behind waiting on the myth of the rapture to occur.

God bless you and your family,

cubster

 

[awalt]

I have never seen anything in CCC or other credible Catholic experts that say the Rapture will happen. There is a good discussion of the theories on this site:

 

[Conster74]

OK…

He didn’t zap Noah and his family into heaven before flooding the world. He instructed him to build an ark.

He didn’t beam up the Israelites out of Egypt. He sent Moses and he parted the Red Sea and he guided the Hebrews through the desert for 40 years.

He didn’t beam up David when he faced Goliath. He let David nail that sucker in the forehead.

He didn’t rapture Jesus Christ out of the Garden of Gethsemane. He sent an angel to strengthen him.

He didn’t beam up St. Stephen as the crowd was stoning him. He didn’t miraculously rescue Joan of Arc from being barbecued. Didn’t save St. Maximilian Kolbe from the Nazi’s.

What he did was HE PROVIDED FOR HIS CHILDREN THE MATERIALS AND STRENGTH THEY NEEDED TO GET THROUGH THE TRIALS AND TRIBULATIONS. If he didn’t save his son from being crucified what makes you think you’re so special that he’s going to beam you up when Antichrist takes over???

TRUST HIM. EVEN IF HE SHOULD KILL ME I WILL TRUST IN HIM. Patience fortitude forbearance trust in his Mercy. The next time you think this life is unfair consider whether it was fair for Jesus who was Innocence Himself to die in your place as a guilty sinner. HE WILL DELIVER YOU! Just not as you might expect.

 

[alyssa]

Why would God take all the believers away? Who would be left to teach those who convert in the last days?

 

[gladtobe]

Actually Paul does refer to a rapture of believers in I Thess chapter 4:13-17. Here he speaks up of a “catching up” of believers into the air or clouds and to be with Jesus at his bodily return. The term rapture simply means a catching up.

                     Secondly the early fathers believed the woman of Revelation chapter 12 was a picture of the church. And that she would undergo persecution in the end time. Irenaeus and that Hippolytus father also wrote of this. Also the Catholic study bible(NAB) quotes the woman of chapter 12 as the church as well.

                     That is all we really know. It is doubtful that the church will be raptured before any tribulation, for look at all the martyrs who died in the early church persecution. God never promised a freedom from suffering at the hands of evil men, but only to escape the judgment of HIS wrath upon the earth.

 

[catsrus]

Great post **Conster74. **I couldn’t have said it nearly as well. And amusing to boot!

These fundies and their identical to each other “arguements”…:yawn:

 

[SusanG]

bkniceley:

ok… ill just state a few things… Look at the bible back to the old testament. U remember Lot who was spared from the destruction of soddom and gomorah because he was righteous in god’s eyes. And look at noah who was also spared from the flood. God has saved many of his believers from his wrath. Why dont u think he will in the future when the antichrist comes? He didnt save us in order for us to suffer his wrath u see… so it would be kinda foolish for him to leave us during the tribulation. If u look at 1 thessalonians: “For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever.” If this isnt referring to a rapture then what else would it be? I dont know just a thought

ahem. Small FYI. The quote you use is lovely. However, it does not support the rapturist stance, which is that the rapture will occur silently and in secret. Re-read the verse and focus on the following…“with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God.” Sounds a little noisy and not at all subtle.

There is no neat package in which to wrap this one. Good try though.

Blessings,

Susan

 

[SusanG]

bkniceley:

ok… ill just state a few things… Look at the bible back to the old testament. U remember Lot who was spared from the destruction of soddom and gomorah because he was righteous in god’s eyes. And look at noah who was also spared from the flood. God has saved many of his believers from his wrath. Why dont u think he will in the future when the antichrist comes? He didnt save us in order for us to suffer his wrath u see… so it would be kinda foolish for him to leave us during the tribulation. If u look at 1 thessalonians: “For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever.” If this isnt referring to a rapture then what else would it be? I dont know just a thought

 

[Coptic]

If u look at 1 thessalonians: “For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever.”

I do not understand how this concept of Rapture is so popular. The verse above is the only “proof” that anyone has of it. Furthermore, it is a relatively new concept that did not exist until 150 years ago. I trust that if there is any validity to this statement, then the early Christian Church and Apostles would have been teaching this concept from day one.

God Bless,
Elizabeth

 

[MaggieOH]

I agree that the Rapture as it is taught by the Dispensationalists is another of those doctrines of men. It did not exist as a doctrine prior to the nineteenth century. It was popularized in the USA by Schofield who was neither a theologian or a preacher.

I believe that there are many Scriptural reasons to dismiss the teaching that Christians will be “caught up” and taken away before there is a Tribulation. I think that we need to take time to read precisely what Scripture says about the suffering that we will encounter.

Maggie

 

[Lorarose]

Before Jesus was crucified, he made a triumphant entry into Jerusalem on a donkey.
Many people ran outside of the city to greet him and escort him back to the city.
This was a common way people treated those of royalty or those who demanded great respect.

This is the same idea concerning Jesus’s second coming.
It will not be a secret silent “rapture”, but rather what is described is people being “caught up” as Jesus is coming back down.
They meet Him - then everyone comes back with Him.

 

[Little_Mary]

bkniceley:

ok… ill just state a few things… Look at the bible back to the old testament. U remember Lot who was spared from the destruction of soddom and gomorah because he was righteous in god’s eyes. And look at noah who was also spared from the flood. God has saved many of his believers from his wrath. Why dont u think he will in the future when the antichrist comes? He didnt save us in order for us to suffer his wrath u see… so it would be kinda foolish for him to leave us during the tribulation. If u look at 1 thessalonians: “For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever.” If this isnt referring to a rapture then what else would it be? I dont know just a thought

Noah and Lot were the good guys and they were left behind!! The “bad” guys were taken away.

1 thessalonians refers to His second and final coming. There will be no 3rd and 4th etc. comings.

If you go to Tim LaHaye’s website he tries very hard to substantiate this belief; however, he uses a lot of "it seems to me"'s and “it just makes sense that”'s in his argument.

**everyone, please go to www.biblechristiansociety.com and order the tape or CD on The Rapture. It is brilliant. **

Thank you. :tiphat:

 

[Ozzie]

The Cub:

.Please visit the web sites below, study the writing, and share it with as many people as possible.

Hey Cubster, tell me, which Pre-Trib. (scholarly) books have you read/studied that thoroughly explain their position? Would you give me a list of authors (honestly)?

 

[Ozzie]

MaggieOH:

I agree that the Rapture as it is taught by the Dispensationalists is another of those doctrines of men. It did not exist as a doctrine prior to the nineteenth century. It was popularized in the USA by Schofield who was neither a theologian or a preacher.

I believe that there are many Scriptural reasons to dismiss the teaching that Christians will be “caught up” and taken away before there is a Tribulation. I think that we need to take time to read precisely what Scripture says about the suffering that we will encounter.Maggie

And which Dispensational scholars have you actually read/studied to be able to assertively make the statement that it’s just a “doctrine of men?”

 

[Scott_Lafrance]

:clapping:

Conster74:

OK…

He didn’t zap Noah and his family into heaven before flooding the world. He instructed him to build an ark.

He didn’t beam up the Israelites out of Egypt. He sent Moses and he parted the Red Sea and he guided the Hebrews through the desert for 40 years.

He didn’t beam up David when he faced Goliath. He let David nail that sucker in the forehead.

He didn’t rapture Jesus Christ out of the Garden of Gethsemane. He sent an angel to strengthen him.

He didn’t beam up St. Stephen as the crowd was stoning him. He didn’t miraculously rescue Joan of Arc from being barbecued. Didn’t save St. Maximilian Kolbe from the Nazi’s.

What he did was HE PROVIDED FOR HIS CHILDREN THE MATERIALS AND STRENGTH THEY NEEDED TO GET THROUGH THE TRIALS AND TRIBULATIONS. If he didn’t save his son from being crucified what makes you think you’re so special that he’s going to beam you up when Antichrist takes over???

TRUST HIM. EVEN IF HE SHOULD KILL ME I WILL TRUST IN HIM. Patience fortitude forbearance trust in his Mercy. The next time you think this life is unfair consider whether it was fair for Jesus who was Innocence Himself to die in your place as a guilty sinner. HE WILL DELIVER YOU! Just not as you might expect.

 

[Scott_Lafrance]

Ozzie:

And which Dispensational scholars have you actually read/studied to be able to assertively make the statement that it’s just a “doctrine of men?”

John Nelson Darby’s Synopsis to the Books of the Bible

 

[Ozzie]

Lorarose:

Before Jesus was crucified, he made a triumphant entry into Jerusalem on a donkey.
Many people ran outside of the city to greet him and escort him back to the city.
This was a common way people treated those of royalty or those who demanded great respect.

This is the same idea concerning Jesus’s second coming.
It will not be a secret silent “rapture”, but rather what is described is people being “caught up” as Jesus is coming back down.
They meet Him - then everyone comes back with Him.

And yet, if you read 1 Thess. 4:14-18 it says nothing about coming back with Him at that time, does it? The Rapture is not about people meeting their King, but the Bridegroom coming for His bride to whom He was betrothed. At a later date He presents His bride to His friends.

The main argument of the article the Cubster linked is that ALL MUST DIE. But God’s inerrant, written Word states a “mystery.” That being that “we shall not all sleep (i.e., die), but we shall all be changed” (1 Cor. 15:51). Paul here is speaking of true believers who make up the Church.

What Dispensational books have you read/studied?