V
vern_humphrey
Guest
Be alert for a followup series to “The Left Behind.” It will be called "The Right Buttock."http://forums.catholic-questions.org/images/icons/icon10.gif
- Status
L
larryo
Guest
The Nicene Creed sums it up pretty well. “He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead.” The *Rapture *doctrine (?) is a relatively modern invention that has no basis in Scripture. The *Catholic Encyclopedia *states that the “rapture” referred to in 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 is the gathering up of the saved at the Second Coming of Christ. There are only two “comings” of Jesus. The Second Coming will bring the end of the world and the Final Judgment. The sheep will go to heaven and the goats will go to hell.
U
UnworthySoul
Guest
I personally like the bumper sticker that says, “In case of Rapture, can I have your car?”
Bad theology, this Rapture stuff. I’ll stick with the Magisterium.
H
Healer101
Guest
Rapture Trap???
Sadly enough, a mistaken and rather novel idea about Christ’s return, rooted in fundamentalist Protestant teaching, is making the rounds of our culture these days. It claims that Jesus is coming back, not once more, but twice. One of those times, this teaching asserts, He will come secretly to snatch away true believers from their troubles on earth just before the “great tribulation”. This event has been dubbed the “rapture” (or “secret rapture”), from a Latin verb that means, “caught up” or “snatched.” Many unsuspecting Christians have gotten caught up in the “rapture trap.” This is to help get free of this unbiblical idea. We will use Sacred Scripture, the God-given teaching authority of the Church, and common sense.
We will start by looking at Sacred Scripture regarding what is said about the “end times” and what our Lord was concerned about.
One of our Lord’s stated concerns in His warnings to His followers is that they might be tricked into thinking He has come when in fact He has not. Plenty of deceivers will claim that He has arrived.
Matthew 24: 23 Then if any one says to you, ‘Lo, here is the Christ!’ or ‘There he is!’ do not believe it. 24 For false Christs and false prophets will arise and show great signs and wonders, so as to lead astray, if possible, even the elect. 25 Lo, I have told you beforehand. 26 So, if they say to you, ‘Lo, he is in the wilderness,’ do not go out; if they say, ‘Lo, he is in the inner rooms,’ do not believe it.
Then how will people know that He has truly returned to the earth? The answer is simple:
Matthew 24: 27 For as the lightning comes from the east and shines as far as the west, so will be the coming of the Son of man.
The event will be universally recognized, visible, arresting, and unmistakable. There is nothing secret about lightning!
Our Lord says more about His arrival:
Matthew24: 30 then will appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven, 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; 31 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.
What exactly is “the sign of the Son of Man in heaven”? Jesus does not say. But it is obviously a public event that prompts a worldwide reaction and is directly linked to history’s climax, a climax that is clearly visible and recognizable to all: “the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.” Add to this earth shaking visual display the sound of a “loud trumpet call”commanding the angels, and you have a reentry of Christ to the world’s stage that is anything but secret or invisible.
Then read Matthew 26:63-64 where Jesus was asked by the high priest whether He was the Christ and Jesus reply to the question:
Con’t
Sadly enough, a mistaken and rather novel idea about Christ’s return, rooted in fundamentalist Protestant teaching, is making the rounds of our culture these days. It claims that Jesus is coming back, not once more, but twice. One of those times, this teaching asserts, He will come secretly to snatch away true believers from their troubles on earth just before the “great tribulation”. This event has been dubbed the “rapture” (or “secret rapture”), from a Latin verb that means, “caught up” or “snatched.” Many unsuspecting Christians have gotten caught up in the “rapture trap.” This is to help get free of this unbiblical idea. We will use Sacred Scripture, the God-given teaching authority of the Church, and common sense.
We will start by looking at Sacred Scripture regarding what is said about the “end times” and what our Lord was concerned about.
One of our Lord’s stated concerns in His warnings to His followers is that they might be tricked into thinking He has come when in fact He has not. Plenty of deceivers will claim that He has arrived.
Matthew 24: 23 Then if any one says to you, ‘Lo, here is the Christ!’ or ‘There he is!’ do not believe it. 24 For false Christs and false prophets will arise and show great signs and wonders, so as to lead astray, if possible, even the elect. 25 Lo, I have told you beforehand. 26 So, if they say to you, ‘Lo, he is in the wilderness,’ do not go out; if they say, ‘Lo, he is in the inner rooms,’ do not believe it.
Then how will people know that He has truly returned to the earth? The answer is simple:
Matthew 24: 27 For as the lightning comes from the east and shines as far as the west, so will be the coming of the Son of man.
The event will be universally recognized, visible, arresting, and unmistakable. There is nothing secret about lightning!
Our Lord says more about His arrival:
Matthew24: 30 then will appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven, 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; 31 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.
What exactly is “the sign of the Son of Man in heaven”? Jesus does not say. But it is obviously a public event that prompts a worldwide reaction and is directly linked to history’s climax, a climax that is clearly visible and recognizable to all: “the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.” Add to this earth shaking visual display the sound of a “loud trumpet call”commanding the angels, and you have a reentry of Christ to the world’s stage that is anything but secret or invisible.
Then read Matthew 26:63-64 where Jesus was asked by the high priest whether He was the Christ and Jesus reply to the question:
Con’t
H
Healer101
Guest
63 But Jesus was silent. And the high priest said to him, “I adjure you by the living God, tell us if you are the Christ, the Son of God.” 64* Jesus said to him, “You have said so. But I tell you, hereafter you will see the Son of man seated at the right hand of Power, and coming on the clouds of heaven.”
Note especially the words that appear in both of Jesus’ declarations: “the Son of Man…coming on the clouds of Heaven.”
Jesus’ Jewish listeners would have recognized immediately that He was connecting Himself to certain ancient prophecies uttered by the prophet Daniel. When Jesus called Himself the “Son of Man” on these occasions, He was identifying Himself as the heavenly figure who appears prominently in Daniel’s apocalyptic visions as a judge and ruler.
Daniel 7: 13 I saw in the night visions, and behold, with the clouds of heaven there came one like a son of man*, and he came to the Ancient of Days and was presented before him. 14 And to him was given dominion and glory and kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him; his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom one that shall not be destroyed.
Whether we read the prophecy from Daniel of the one from Christ, we find that the Judge comes to render judgment “coming on the clouds of heaven.” And when we examine passages about the Second Advent from other books of the Bible as well, we find similar language, echoing Jesus’ references not only to a decent with the clouds for judgment, but also to glory and power, to the sound of a heavenly “trumpet”, and to the angels who accompany His coming. All this points to an arrival that simply could not be kept a secret.
St. Luke tells us that on the day of our Lord’s ascension into heaven, the Apostles were still asking about His plans. While standing there after Jesus’ ascended we see two angels appear to the Apostles.
Acts 1: 7 He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has fixed by his own authority. 8 But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria and to the end of the earth.” 9 And when he had said this, as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight.10 And while they were gazing into heaven as he went, behold, two men stood by them in white robes, 11 and said,“Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.”
How would Jesus return to the earth? Coming with the clouds of heaven.
A primary reason for Christ’s return to earth is the last judgment of the human race. As St. Peter said:
Acts 10:42 And he commanded us to preach to the people, and to testify that he is the one ordained by God to be judge of the living and the dead.
And Jesus Himself, after teaching about His second coming, proceeded to tell His disciples the parable of the sheep and the goats to warn about the judgment that would follow soon after.
Con’t
Note especially the words that appear in both of Jesus’ declarations: “the Son of Man…coming on the clouds of Heaven.”
Jesus’ Jewish listeners would have recognized immediately that He was connecting Himself to certain ancient prophecies uttered by the prophet Daniel. When Jesus called Himself the “Son of Man” on these occasions, He was identifying Himself as the heavenly figure who appears prominently in Daniel’s apocalyptic visions as a judge and ruler.
Daniel 7: 13 I saw in the night visions, and behold, with the clouds of heaven there came one like a son of man*, and he came to the Ancient of Days and was presented before him. 14 And to him was given dominion and glory and kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him; his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom one that shall not be destroyed.
Whether we read the prophecy from Daniel of the one from Christ, we find that the Judge comes to render judgment “coming on the clouds of heaven.” And when we examine passages about the Second Advent from other books of the Bible as well, we find similar language, echoing Jesus’ references not only to a decent with the clouds for judgment, but also to glory and power, to the sound of a heavenly “trumpet”, and to the angels who accompany His coming. All this points to an arrival that simply could not be kept a secret.
St. Luke tells us that on the day of our Lord’s ascension into heaven, the Apostles were still asking about His plans. While standing there after Jesus’ ascended we see two angels appear to the Apostles.
Acts 1: 7 He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has fixed by his own authority. 8 But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria and to the end of the earth.” 9 And when he had said this, as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight.10 And while they were gazing into heaven as he went, behold, two men stood by them in white robes, 11 and said,“Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.”
How would Jesus return to the earth? Coming with the clouds of heaven.
A primary reason for Christ’s return to earth is the last judgment of the human race. As St. Peter said:
Acts 10:42 And he commanded us to preach to the people, and to testify that he is the one ordained by God to be judge of the living and the dead.
And Jesus Himself, after teaching about His second coming, proceeded to tell His disciples the parable of the sheep and the goats to warn about the judgment that would follow soon after.
Con’t
H
Healer101
Guest
Matthew 25: 31 -46. For Matthew 25:31 says "When the Son of man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. "
For the judgment of the dead to take place, however, the dead must first be raised. That resurrection is also the work of Christ.
John 5: 26 For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life in himself, 27 and has given him authority to execute judgment, because he is the Son of man. 28 Do not marvel at this; for the hour is coming when all who are in the tombs will hear his voice 29 and come forth, those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of judgment.
With these three closely related actions of Christ in mind-advent, resurrection, and judgment-we can now examine the New Testament epistles to see shat they might add to our picture of the Lord’s coming.
The Christians at Corinth seem to have had some questions and even doubts about the resurrection of the dead. In explaining the nature of the resurrected body the Apostle Paul described how the change would take place:
1 Cor. 15: 20 But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep. 21 For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. 22 For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive. 23 But each in his own order: Christ the first fruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ. 24 Then comes the end, when he delivers the kingdom to God the Father after destroying every rule and every authority and power.
Here is the trio of closely connected events we have already noted: Christ’s coming, the resurrection of the dead, and the judgment.
St. Paul then went on to argue for the feasibility of a bodily resurrection and then continued his description of the close of the age:
Con’t
For the judgment of the dead to take place, however, the dead must first be raised. That resurrection is also the work of Christ.
John 5: 26 For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life in himself, 27 and has given him authority to execute judgment, because he is the Son of man. 28 Do not marvel at this; for the hour is coming when all who are in the tombs will hear his voice 29 and come forth, those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of judgment.
With these three closely related actions of Christ in mind-advent, resurrection, and judgment-we can now examine the New Testament epistles to see shat they might add to our picture of the Lord’s coming.
The Christians at Corinth seem to have had some questions and even doubts about the resurrection of the dead. In explaining the nature of the resurrected body the Apostle Paul described how the change would take place:
1 Cor. 15: 20 But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep. 21 For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. 22 For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive. 23 But each in his own order: Christ the first fruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ. 24 Then comes the end, when he delivers the kingdom to God the Father after destroying every rule and every authority and power.
Here is the trio of closely connected events we have already noted: Christ’s coming, the resurrection of the dead, and the judgment.
St. Paul then went on to argue for the feasibility of a bodily resurrection and then continued his description of the close of the age:
Con’t
H
Healer101
Guest
1 Cor. 15: 51 Lo! I tell 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 trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed.
We have heard about that trumpet already. Recall the words of Jesus:
Matthew24: 30 then will appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven, 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; 31 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.
St. Paul is clearly describing the same event Jesus described. The Son appears in clouds of brilliant glory, the trumpet sounds, and the angels do His bidding to gather His people for resurrection and judgment.
The Christians at Thessalonica, like those at Corinth, had some bothersome questions about the resurrection of the dead. Would those believers who had already died have to wait longer to meet Christ than those who were still alive at His return? And what about the people who were telling them that the Judgment Day had somehow already taken place? With regard to the first question, Paul insisted that the saints- those who had died in friendship with God and whose souls were in heaven at the time of the Second Coming- would actually accompany Christ on His return to earth.
1 Thes. 3: 13 so that he may establish your hearts unblamable in holiness before our God and Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his saints.
This statement echoes Jesus’ words about the angels gathering the elect from the four winds to be with Him when He returns:
Matthew 24: 31 … and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.
The Apostle Paul returns to the theme of the saints accompanying Christ:
1 Thessalonians 4: 14 For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep… we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, shall not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16 For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the archangel’s call, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first; 17 then we who are alive, who are left, shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air; and so we shall always be with the Lord.
St. Paul gives enough details here to make it clear that he is talking, not about a secret rapture, but about the same event we have already heard described by Jesus to His disciples and by the same Apostle when he wrote to the Corinthians. Once again, we find Christ’s decent from heaven, clouds, angels, the trumpet, and resurrection.
In 2 Thessalonians we read about the Antichrist but we also read about our Lord’s appearance from heaven in bright glory with the angels and saints to judge the wicked:
Con’t
We have heard about that trumpet already. Recall the words of Jesus:
Matthew24: 30 then will appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven, 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; 31 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.
St. Paul is clearly describing the same event Jesus described. The Son appears in clouds of brilliant glory, the trumpet sounds, and the angels do His bidding to gather His people for resurrection and judgment.
The Christians at Thessalonica, like those at Corinth, had some bothersome questions about the resurrection of the dead. Would those believers who had already died have to wait longer to meet Christ than those who were still alive at His return? And what about the people who were telling them that the Judgment Day had somehow already taken place? With regard to the first question, Paul insisted that the saints- those who had died in friendship with God and whose souls were in heaven at the time of the Second Coming- would actually accompany Christ on His return to earth.
1 Thes. 3: 13 so that he may establish your hearts unblamable in holiness before our God and Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his saints.
This statement echoes Jesus’ words about the angels gathering the elect from the four winds to be with Him when He returns:
Matthew 24: 31 … and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.
The Apostle Paul returns to the theme of the saints accompanying Christ:
1 Thessalonians 4: 14 For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep… we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, shall not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16 For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the archangel’s call, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first; 17 then we who are alive, who are left, shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air; and so we shall always be with the Lord.
St. Paul gives enough details here to make it clear that he is talking, not about a secret rapture, but about the same event we have already heard described by Jesus to His disciples and by the same Apostle when he wrote to the Corinthians. Once again, we find Christ’s decent from heaven, clouds, angels, the trumpet, and resurrection.
In 2 Thessalonians we read about the Antichrist but we also read about our Lord’s appearance from heaven in bright glory with the angels and saints to judge the wicked:
Con’t
H
Healer101
Guest
2 Thessalonians 1: 7 and to grant rest with us to you who are afflicted, when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with his mighty angels in flaming fire, 8 inflicting vengeance upon those who do not know God and upon those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus…. 10 when he comes on that day to be glorified in his saints, and to be marveled at in all who have believed,because our testimony to you was believed.
Three critical points should be noted here: First, these descriptions of Christ’s coming share enough common elements to indicate that they all refer to the same sequence of events. This sequence includes our Lord’s glorious advent, the resurrection of the dead, and the judgment of the world. Second, the references to the trumpet, the blazing light, the glory of the saints, the judgment or conquest of evil, and the fact that people will “marvel”, all show that this is no secret or hidden event.
Third, the text in 2 Thessalonians shows that this sequence takes place after the horrors of the Antichrist’s deception and attacks on the Church:
2 Thessalonians 2: 3 Let no one deceive you in any way; for that day will not come, unless the rebellion comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of perdition, 4 who opposes and exalts himself against every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, proclaiming himself to be God. 5 Do you not remember that when I was still with you I told you this? … 8 And then the lawless one will be revealed, and the Lord Jesus will slay him with the breath of his mouth and destroy him by his appearing and his coming.
One detail included in St. Paul’s comments may raise a question. When Jesus and the saints come down from heaven, he insists, the faithful Christians who are still alive on the earth:
1 Thessalonians4: 17 then we who are alive, who are left, shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air;and so we shall always be with the Lord.
What is the significance of that meeting?
First we should note that this statement parallels Jesus’ words about sending out the angels to:
Mark 13: 26 And then they will see the Son of man coming in clouds with great power and glory. 27 And then he will send out the angels, and gather his elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of heaven. (See also Matthew 24: 31)
In addition, St. Paul’s remarks o the same subject in 2 Thessalonians are prefaced with a slightly different description of this meeting:
2 Thessalonians 2: 1Now concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our assembling to meet him…3 Let no one deceive you in any way; for that day will not come, unless the rebellion comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of perdition, 4 who opposes and exalts himself against every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, proclaiming himself to be God… 6 And you know what is restraining him now so that he may be revealed in his time. 7 For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only he who now restrains it will do so until he is out of the way. *8 *And then the lawless one will be revealed, and the Lord Jesus will slay him with the breath of his mouth and destroy him by his appearing and his coming.
Con’t
Three critical points should be noted here: First, these descriptions of Christ’s coming share enough common elements to indicate that they all refer to the same sequence of events. This sequence includes our Lord’s glorious advent, the resurrection of the dead, and the judgment of the world. Second, the references to the trumpet, the blazing light, the glory of the saints, the judgment or conquest of evil, and the fact that people will “marvel”, all show that this is no secret or hidden event.
Third, the text in 2 Thessalonians shows that this sequence takes place after the horrors of the Antichrist’s deception and attacks on the Church:
2 Thessalonians 2: 3 Let no one deceive you in any way; for that day will not come, unless the rebellion comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of perdition, 4 who opposes and exalts himself against every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, proclaiming himself to be God. 5 Do you not remember that when I was still with you I told you this? … 8 And then the lawless one will be revealed, and the Lord Jesus will slay him with the breath of his mouth and destroy him by his appearing and his coming.
One detail included in St. Paul’s comments may raise a question. When Jesus and the saints come down from heaven, he insists, the faithful Christians who are still alive on the earth:
1 Thessalonians4: 17 then we who are alive, who are left, shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air;and so we shall always be with the Lord.
What is the significance of that meeting?
First we should note that this statement parallels Jesus’ words about sending out the angels to:
Mark 13: 26 And then they will see the Son of man coming in clouds with great power and glory. 27 And then he will send out the angels, and gather his elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of heaven. (See also Matthew 24: 31)
In addition, St. Paul’s remarks o the same subject in 2 Thessalonians are prefaced with a slightly different description of this meeting:
2 Thessalonians 2: 1Now concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our assembling to meet him…3 Let no one deceive you in any way; for that day will not come, unless the rebellion comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of perdition, 4 who opposes and exalts himself against every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, proclaiming himself to be God… 6 And you know what is restraining him now so that he may be revealed in his time. 7 For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only he who now restrains it will do so until he is out of the way. *8 *And then the lawless one will be revealed, and the Lord Jesus will slay him with the breath of his mouth and destroy him by his appearing and his coming.
Con’t
H
Healer101
Guest
St. Paul is writing about the glorious public return of the Lord. The question that arises is this: What is the purpose of the faithful on earth being “caught up” in the glory of their descending Lord to meet Him as He arrives in triumph?
The answer is simple when we recognize an ancient custom common in St. Paul’s culture. State dignitaries and victorious military leaders of his time often made grand public visits to a city. Such and appearance was called a parousia, which can mean presence or appearance; the same Greek term that St. Paul and other biblical writers often use to write about Christ’s glorious arrival at the close of the age (see 1 Cor. 15: 23; 2 Thes. 2: 8; 2 Peter 3: 4; 1 John 2: 28).
When the illustrious visitor approached a city with his entourage, he was often met by the citizens who wanted to go out to welcome him and then accompany him back into the city. It was a way for people to honor such a person’s arrival and to take part in the celebration of his coming. This, in fact was the custom that led to Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem on the day we remember as Passion or Palm Sunday (see Matthew 21: 1-17).
When we find that the Greek word translated here as “meet” or “meeting” *apantesis, *is the same term that was used for the gathering of citizens to meet the approaching celebrity, the passage makes perfect sense. Those who are still alive on earth when Jesus returns, gathered together from the ends of the earth by the angels, will have a great privilege: They will be caught up in His clouds of glory to meet the approaching “King of Kings and Lord of lords” 1 Timothy 6: 15 to join the saints whose souls have already experienced the rewards of living with Him in heaven. Then they will accompany Him as He enters the world in triumph.
The answer is simple when we recognize an ancient custom common in St. Paul’s culture. State dignitaries and victorious military leaders of his time often made grand public visits to a city. Such and appearance was called a parousia, which can mean presence or appearance; the same Greek term that St. Paul and other biblical writers often use to write about Christ’s glorious arrival at the close of the age (see 1 Cor. 15: 23; 2 Thes. 2: 8; 2 Peter 3: 4; 1 John 2: 28).
When the illustrious visitor approached a city with his entourage, he was often met by the citizens who wanted to go out to welcome him and then accompany him back into the city. It was a way for people to honor such a person’s arrival and to take part in the celebration of his coming. This, in fact was the custom that led to Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem on the day we remember as Passion or Palm Sunday (see Matthew 21: 1-17).
When we find that the Greek word translated here as “meet” or “meeting” *apantesis, *is the same term that was used for the gathering of citizens to meet the approaching celebrity, the passage makes perfect sense. Those who are still alive on earth when Jesus returns, gathered together from the ends of the earth by the angels, will have a great privilege: They will be caught up in His clouds of glory to meet the approaching “King of Kings and Lord of lords” 1 Timothy 6: 15 to join the saints whose souls have already experienced the rewards of living with Him in heaven. Then they will accompany Him as He enters the world in triumph.
H
Healer101
Guest
St. Paul is writing about the glorious public return of the Lord. The question that arises is this: What is the purpose of the faithful on earth being “caught up” in the glory of their descending Lord to meet Him as He arrives in triumph?
The answer is simple when we recognize an ancient custom common in St. Paul’s culture. State dignitaries and victorious military leaders of his time often made grand public visits to a city. Such and appearance was called a parousia, which can mean presence or appearance; the same Greek term that St. Paul and other biblical writers often use to write about Christ’s glorious arrival at the close of the age (see 1 Cor. 15: 23; 2 Thes. 2: 8; 2 Peter 3: 4; 1 John 2: 28).
When the illustrious visitor approached a city with his entourage, he was often met by the citizens who wanted to go out to welcome him and then accompany him back into the city. It was a way for people to honor such a person’s arrival and to take part in the celebration of his coming. This, in fact was the custom that led to Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem on the day we remember as Passion or Palm Sunday (see Matthew 21: 1-17).
When we find that the Greek word translated here as “meet” or “meeting” *apantesis, *is the same term that was used for the gathering of citizens to meet the approaching celebrity, the passage makes perfect sense. Those who are still alive on earth when Jesus returns, gathered together from the ends of the earth by the angels, will have a great privilege: They will be caught up in His clouds of glory to meet the approaching “King of Kings and Lord of lords” 1 Timothy 6: 15 to join the saints whose souls have already experienced the rewards of living with Him in heaven. Then they will accompany Him as He enters the world in triumph.
The answer is simple when we recognize an ancient custom common in St. Paul’s culture. State dignitaries and victorious military leaders of his time often made grand public visits to a city. Such and appearance was called a parousia, which can mean presence or appearance; the same Greek term that St. Paul and other biblical writers often use to write about Christ’s glorious arrival at the close of the age (see 1 Cor. 15: 23; 2 Thes. 2: 8; 2 Peter 3: 4; 1 John 2: 28).
When the illustrious visitor approached a city with his entourage, he was often met by the citizens who wanted to go out to welcome him and then accompany him back into the city. It was a way for people to honor such a person’s arrival and to take part in the celebration of his coming. This, in fact was the custom that led to Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem on the day we remember as Passion or Palm Sunday (see Matthew 21: 1-17).
When we find that the Greek word translated here as “meet” or “meeting” *apantesis, *is the same term that was used for the gathering of citizens to meet the approaching celebrity, the passage makes perfect sense. Those who are still alive on earth when Jesus returns, gathered together from the ends of the earth by the angels, will have a great privilege: They will be caught up in His clouds of glory to meet the approaching “King of Kings and Lord of lords” 1 Timothy 6: 15 to join the saints whose souls have already experienced the rewards of living with Him in heaven. Then they will accompany Him as He enters the world in triumph.
V
Vonier
Guest
The Rapture teaching is, as has been mentioned a time or two in this thread, a very recent addition to Protestant teaching. It finds its origins in a couple of “visionary” English ladies and a Plymouth Brethren preacher by the name of J.N.Darby. This pre-Millennial teaching found its way into a very popular study Bible in the early 20th century and spread like the proverbial wildfire in certain Protestant circles. Most who ascribe so wholeheartedly to it today have no idea where it came from, assuming its origins are completely Scriptural I am sure.
It’s become part of a thoroughly bastardized duo of doctrines that fit parts of 20th and 21st century American Christianity perfectly. Along with “Once Saved, Always Saved” (a simplistic version of Calvinistic soteriology) the Rapture is the get-out-of-jail free card that suits the diluted Christianity many consider the real deal.
I’m saved no matter what I do and Jesus is going to come get me before I have to endure any suffering in the End Times. Couple that with the Health and Wealth Gospel and you’ve got an instant crowd.
You can see how it plays to an audience, what does Paul say, “eager to have itching ears scratched?”
The fact that none of it is Scriptural is almost impossible to demonstrate, I’ve tried in many a Protestant Sunday School class.
It’s become part of a thoroughly bastardized duo of doctrines that fit parts of 20th and 21st century American Christianity perfectly. Along with “Once Saved, Always Saved” (a simplistic version of Calvinistic soteriology) the Rapture is the get-out-of-jail free card that suits the diluted Christianity many consider the real deal.
I’m saved no matter what I do and Jesus is going to come get me before I have to endure any suffering in the End Times. Couple that with the Health and Wealth Gospel and you’ve got an instant crowd.
You can see how it plays to an audience, what does Paul say, “eager to have itching ears scratched?”
The fact that none of it is Scriptural is almost impossible to demonstrate, I’ve tried in many a Protestant Sunday School class.
M
Milliardo
Guest
Interesting discussion on the Rapture here: isbushantichrist.blogspot.com/2005/03/tracing-rapture-heresy.html Any take on the claim that the Rapture was first made by a Jesuit priest named Emmanuel Lacunza in 1812? The author of the discussion though points out that “Lacunza, a Catholic Priest, published his book under the assumed name of Rabbi Ben Ezra, a converted Jew, in order to avoid exposure. That’s because the Catholic Church never taught the notion of a secret rapture, and still doesn’t. The church hierarchy in Rome promptly placed his heretical book on the Index of Forbidden Books in 1824, where it remains today.”
B
bluezone7
Guest
As person raised as a non-denominational evangelical I know first hand the danger of this false doctrine. There is no secret rapture! The rapture is not part of Catholic doctrine or even part of Anglican, Orthodox, Lutheran, and even some Evangelical doctrines. Jesus will come at the end of time very overtly to raise up the living and the dead. We the living, the angels, the saints, and even Jesus Christ do not know when that moment will come, only God the Father. So concentrate and work on getting into heaven and staying out of hell … for yourself and others!
M
Maccabees
Guest
I often joked I wish the rapture was true imagine all the fundies taken away from us catholics. WE can finally practice our faith without getting harassed constantly. I noticed all the cars with the rapture stickers tend to be on junky cars so I wouldn’t want any of those cars. I would like the mercedes that the fundie pastors tend to drive though.I personally like the bumper sticker that says, “In case of Rapture, can I have your car?”
Bad theology, this Rapture stuff. I’ll stick with the Magisterium.
J
John_17_3
Guest
There is no doubt that there will be a rapture, the only question is when does it occur? Before the Great Tribulation, during it or at Christ’s Second Comming!
:yup:
:yup:
Z
Zooey
Guest
Funny, I thought it came across as a criticism of , if anyone, the Eastern Orthodox…
Actually, “Nicolae” (the antichrist of the books) is anything but Catholic.He is a “New Age” kind of a guru, with a little
Count Dracula thrown in for :bigyikes: effect.
Z
Zooey
Guest
If the rapture happens before the tribulation period,I often joked I wish the rapture was true imagine all the fundies taken away from us catholics. WE can finally practice our faith without getting harassed constantly. I noticed all the cars with the rapture stickers tend to be on junky cars so I wouldn’t want any of those cars. I would like the mercedes that the fundie pastors tend to drive though.
you 
Catholic believers will be :yup: coming with us protestant believers!!:yup:
G
Genesis315
Guest
John 17 3:
How come no one believed in the rapture until the 1800s (maybe the 1700s if you stretch it)? Also, what are the scriptural references?
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