The Rapture

[michaeldaniels]

The “Catching Away” or “Rapture” is intellectually one of the most feeble and outlandish arguments that I have ever encountered in studying scripture and tradition…it is an invented idea that didn’t come into existence until very recently…and furthermore, it doesn’t matter…I really get tired of listening to people predict the end of the world or the rapture, etc…“Not even the Angels in heaven” know when it is going to take place, so what makes us believe in our finite minds we can figure it out…what avarice!!! The rapture does not matter…you want to know why. Try to live your life each day like it is your last…always stay in a state of grace and it doesn’t matter if you fall down your steps leaving your house today and die, because you will enjoy eternal salvation with Christ in heaven…it doesn’t matter if you die 5 years from now from a heart attack, because if you are in state of grace, you will enjoy eternal salvation with Christ in heaven…it doesn’t matter if you believe you will magically eject from your car while driving and be “caught up” into heaven with Jesus during the Rapture…or even stay here until the end of the age of man…the end result is the same. If you do the Will of God, according to your conscience (informed) and are in a state of grace when your time on this earth is up, you will enjoy the rewards of Heaven…PERIOD. Therefore, it really is all a moot point. The rapture is for those afraid to suffer for their Faith…looking to take the easy/cowards way out…personally, I am not. I welcome the tribulation because that means Christ is not far from coming to destroy The Devil…we should welcome the suffering, because it unites us with Christ and with all the Martyrs…“We also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us.” (Romans 5:3-5)

onenow1;6102577:

It is really sad that there are those who call the Catching away …The Rapture Trap or fictional.Clearly those who make this statement don’t realize that this is spoken of in the scriptures.

In regards to the scripture you posted above,you do realize before the cross,the spirit of man went down into the heart of the earth(Luke 16:19-31 See story of The Rich Man and Lazarus)
Jesus went down into the heart of the earth and he now holds the keys of Death and Hell(See Revelation 1:18)
When Jesus went down into the heart of the earth,he preached to those imprisoned there by death and hell(See 1 Peter 3:18-19)
And this friend is why those were seen coming out of their tombs and walking the streets of Jerusalem.(See Matt.27:53)
The spirit of a child of God no longer goes down into the heart of the Earth but goes up into the third Heavens(See 2 Cor 12:2 )
and this place is called Paradise (See Luke 23:43 )

So all the above scripture you posted,yes these events indeed did happen but not as to what your referring as the end time events but rather the scripture posted above is about when Jesus conquered death and he now holds the keys of Death and Hell which is what the above scripture you posted is really about and these verses have nothing to do with The Catching Away spoken of by Paul in 1 Thess 4.
The Catching Away is an event still to come

 

[CentralFLJames]

God in Ezekiel 36 prophesizes that the whole house of Israel will be brought back into the land of Israel in unbelief so he can cleanse them. …

The land is a important part of the prophecy that should not be overlooked.

…
Both the land and hardened Israel will be fully restored through Jesus Christ.

The remnant of Jews, who you speak of in your last sentence, are in the Church now.

What we don’t know though is if the UN actions that establish Israel and their violation of the terms of the UN provisions that were intended to give some voice to the Palestinians in the governance of the nation are of God. The modern secular state of Israel could just as quickly disintegrate AGAIN and lead to a re-dispersal of the Jews to the four corners of the world – again living like gypsies. I am open to the notion but I am not convinced that this re-gathering into the land of Israel is “the real thing”. I think we are many centuries still distant from the 2nd comming and fully expect a massive “minor chastisement” centuries before Christ comes again. The world has not repented from its grave errors (abortion, exploitation of women and children as sex/pleasure objects, massive corporate and government corruption, escalating persecution of the church, blatant hedonism and materialism, the rise of paganism/hedonism, criminals turned lose on the streets etc). In fact they are advancing rapidly. Metaphorically the crab-grass is taking over the entire lawn before we have cultivated other parts of the world.

To have the necessary prerequisites for the 2nd comming the entire world must first be preached and substantially gain the benefits of Christianity before it then falls away. After that falling away - the finale’ begins as man sinks deeper into his errors and sets in motion the events for antichrist to present himself as the world’s savior. We have yet to really penetrate the Muslim countries with the Christian message – Africa still has a lot to gain.

I really think the fundamentalist and evangelical “Christians” are setting the world up for a physchology of “rapture” and escapism. Their error will cause a lot of suffering and despair as it propagates into foreign policy and popular sentiments but does not play out. It’s really a kind of “Jim Jones” purple Kool-Aid sort of mentality that an only lead to massive hysteria and then let down when people re-learn that God works in His time and NOT in the times of individual human life expectations. Everyone wants to think they were born in the most important times on the planet. But ‘to God a day is a thousand years and a thousand years as a day’. There is no rapture bus to whisk away God’s people away from tribulation.

The lessons of the two thieves on the cross teach us an important lesson here. I follow St. Augustine’s teachings in his suma theologica :
Article 11. Whether it was fitting for Christ to be crucified with thieves?:

newadvent.org/summa/4046.htm#article7*

As to God’s ordinance, Christ was crucified with thieves, because, as Jerome says on Matthew 27:33: “As Christ became accursed of the cross for us, so for our salvation He was crucified as a guilty one among the guilty.” Secondly, as Pope Leo observes (Serm. iv de Passione): “Two thieves were crucified, one on His right hand and one on His left, to set forth by the very appearance of the gibbet that separation of all men which shall be made in His hour of judgment.” And Augustine on John 7:36: “The very cross, if thou mark it well, was a judgment-seat: for the judge being set in the midst, the one who believed was delivered, the other who mocked Him was condemned. Already He has signified what He shall do to the quick and the dead; some He will set on His right, others on His left hand.” Thirdly, according to Hilary (Comm. xxxiii in Matth.): **“Two thieves are set, one upon His right and one upon His left, to show that all **mankind is called to the sacrament of His Passion. But because of the cleavage between believers and unbelievers, the multitude is divided into right and left, those on the right being saved by the justification of faith.” Fourthly, because, as Bede says on Mark 15:27: “The thieves crucified with our Lord denote those who, believing in and confessing Christ, either endure the conflict of martyrdom or keep the institutes of stricter observance. But those who do the like for the sake of everlasting glory are denoted by the faith of the thief on the right; while others who do so for the sake of human applause copy the mind and behavior of the one on the left.”

Bottom Line:

Like the two thieves crucified with Christ. ALL MANKIND IS CALLED TO SUFFER WITH CHRIST - BOTH THE CONDEMNED ON HIS LEFT (the goats) and THE REDEEMED BELIEVERS ON HIS RIGHT (the sheep). NO ONE ESCAPES THE JUDGEMENT AND THE SUFFERINGS. What separates the two is CHRIST in the middle and the promise of to those on the right side of the cross “today you will be with me in paradise”.

What we are here to choose is shall we suffer joyfully for Christ and His Glory or suffer for ourselves for naught and be cursed. It’s no brainer - if we all must suffer either side of Christ anyway – then to suffer for naught is supremely FOOLISH. The wise person spends his passion for eternal treasure and love not on mocking Christ by doubting or second guessing Him.

The pre-trib Rapture people are trying to deny the fullness of Christ’s passion on the cross and remove themselves from the thieves cross. ALL of humanity STOLE the forbidden fruit! WE ARE ALL THIEVES!

Don’t drink the Purple Kool-Aid!

James

 

[ryanoneil]

Now that we MIGHT get the thread back on subject of the Catching Away I would like to know if Catholics think that The Nation of Israel becoming a state again in 1948 was a fulfillment in the prophecies leading up to the Catching Away.The regathering of God’s people,The Gentiles being grafted in and the falling way,which is occurring now,even in the non-Catholic Churches.
Dare I say,setting the stage for our Lord and Savior’s return?
Plain English,Could that day(catching away) according to scripture be at hand?Now we know that no one knows the day or hour and that’s a fact.However in Matthew 24 Jesus told us that when we see certain things then we know the time is at hand.Problem is there has always been wars and rumors of wars and earth quakes and various pestilence all through mankind’s history,so discerning the times with our given history can be difficult
Appreciate any replies to this.Of course I realize that there may not be too many that study prophecy and this subject to one who does not study the prophecies,this can get a little rough in understandingThank You

Some read this as meaning,"When these things start taking place,the generation in which these things begin in will be the generation that will see the end.
Some believe that Jesus was not meaning the generation that was right there with him,no some believe he meant the generation in which these things start taking place.
Like Israel becoming a nation,some think this was a fulfillment in prophecies,hence the beginning of signs.
I will admit this is a part of scripture that I am still searching through.

Jesus words have two shades of meaning: At the literal-historical level, Jesus forewarns the disciples that Jerusalem and the Temple will be destroyed. The Holy City was about to reject Jesus as the Messiah and erect itself as a barrier to God’s New Covenant. The Temple, as architectural symbol of the Old Covanant (a miniature replica of the world and universe fashioned by God), had to be eliminated to make way for the Church, the new Temple of God. The prophecy was fulfilled when Roman troops marched on Jerusalem, and destroyed the city and Temple.

On a spiritual level, the Temple’s devastation foreshadowed the destruction of the universe itself to make way for the eternal dwelling of heaven. This will coincide with Jesus’ Second Coming and the General Judgment of all nations. This spiritual level is much larger than a building and city because it speaks to all creation. Christ’s word’s have been fulfilled in the intial sense in the first century, and in his words are the spiritual thruths that point to His Second coming and the end of the visible world.

If you want to make parallels to rapture to the first literal-historical sense in Mt 24:31, Christ makes an allusion to Is 27:13 and Zec 9:14 which depicts the restoration of Israel as they are saved from their exile among pagan nations. Gathering his faithful into the Church, God rescues the righteous from the collapsing Old Covenant and the Gentiles from paganism.

**And he will send out his angels with a trumpet blast, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other. (Mt 24:31)

On that day, A great trumpet shall blow, and the lost in the land of Assyria and the outcasts in the land of Egypt Shall come and worship the LORD on the holy mountain, in Jerusalem. (Is 27:13)

The LORD shall appear over them, and his arrow shall shoot forth as lightning; The LORD God shall sound the trumpet, and come in a storm from the south. The LORD of hosts shall be a shield over them, they shall overcome sling stones and trample them underfoot; They shall drink blood like wine, till they are filled with it like libation bowls, like the corners of the altar. And the LORD, their God, shall save them on that day, his people, like a flock. For they are the jewels in a crown raised aloft over his land. (Zech 9:14-16)**

Go back to Mt 23:37 and you see Jesus wanting to protect and gather his faithful but he knows most in the Holy City will reject him.

"Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how many times I yearned to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her young under her wings, but you were unwilling! Behold, your house will be abandoned, desolate. (Mt 23:37-38)

So Jesus comands his faithful to resist the temptation of defend the city and that they should escape Jerusalem before its judgment.

"When you see the desolating abomination spoken of through Daniel the prophet standing in the holy place (let the reader understand), then those in Judea must flee to the mountains, a person on the housetop must not go down to get things out of his house, a person in the field must not return to get his cloak. (Mt 24:15-18)

And the Christians living in the city fled to Pella, east of the Jordan. This is described in Rev 12 when the church escaped right before the war (which lasted 3 1/2 years).

**The woman herself fled into the desert where she had a place prepared by God, that there she might be taken care of for twelve hundred and sixty days. (Rev 12:6)

But the woman was given the two wings of the great eagle, so that she could fly to her place in the desert, where, far from the serpent, she was taken care of for a year, two years, and a half-year. (Revv 12:14)**

Read these OT text that portray God as a winged bird protecting Israel for the same language. It is the remnant who are safe while the unfaithful majority are swept away in desolation.

Deut 32:10-11 usccb.org/nab/bible/deuteronomy/deuteronomy32.htm

Also Psalm 91:4. usccb.org/nab/bible/psalms/psalm91.htm

Are you seeing the connections? Do you notice Jesus telling them the Temple isn’t safe like in Psalm 91?

 

[onenow1]

Louemma;6102711:

Leslie, the Rapture and popularly portrayed in books and movies like the “Left Behind” Series is a false teaching of Protestantism.

Jesus will return ONE TIME (not two), and those who are alive at that time will be caught up to be with him. However, there will not be a period in which some have been raptured while everyone else is left behind to live out the period of tribulation before Christ’s final return. This is pure fiction.

It indeed is false teaching but more then that, it is veiled fortune telling,plain and simple.

Flying back to N.J. 2yrs ago while waiting, a gentleman asked the lady sitting across from me, what book she was reading, to my surprise she said a religious book.
It was one of the left behind books, don’t recall which one at the moment, anyway this is the nature of much left behind literature, it tries gives a false sense of security and works sometime.

Peace,onenow1

 

[Louemma]

God in Ezekiel 36 prophesizes that the whole house of Israel will be brought back into the land of Israel in unbelief so he can cleanse them. They are to understand that none of them should think they deserve this, but God will do it for the sake of His holy name, which the people profaned among the nations. Before this the land of Israel was prophesized to, so that the land will respond to the people of Israel coming back to live. Today, we can see that the land is flourishing with the Jew living on it. We also know that the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy (Revelation 19:10) , so the peoples ingathering and cleansing is in no way fulfilled at the moment. We also see Jerusalem the main obstacle for the nations desire for peace in the middle east.

Some find it hard to look at the modern nation of Israel and link it to end-times prophecy. But the current regathering of people to the land of Israel in unbelief, later to be fully cleansed(by Jesus Christ), can easily be recognized to prophecy.

The land is a important part of the prophecy that should not be overlooked.

**Jeremiah 16:14-15
“However, the days are coming,” declares the LORD, "when men will no longer say, ‘As surely as the LORD lives, who brought the Israelites up out of Egypt,’ but they will say, ‘As surely as the LORD lives, who brought the Israelites up out of the land of the north and out of all the countries where he had banished them.’ For I will restore them to the land I gave their forefathers.

Jeremiah 23:7-8
“So then, the days are coming,” declares the LORD, “when people will no longer say, ‘As surely as the LORD lives, who brought the Israelites up out of Egypt,’ but they will say, ‘As surely as the LORD lives, who brought the descendants of Israel up out of the land of the north and out of all the countries where he had banished them.’ Then they will live in their own land.”**

Both the land and hardened Israel will be fully restored through Jesus Christ.

The remnant of Jews, who you speak of in your last sentence, are in the Church now.

I agree.

 

[jrgiancola]

Paul states that after the full complement of Gentiles have been converted, a remnant of the Jews will also be converted. I’m not aware that the full complement of Gentiles has been as yet incorporated into the church.

As for the rapture, does this not imply that Christ will come two more times? Once at the Rapture, and then after armageddon. I’m not aware of any teaching that speaks of a “third coming of Christ.”

Joe Giancola

 

[Louemma]

Louemma;6102711:

Leslie, the Rapture and popularly portrayed in books and movies like the “Left Behind” Series is a false teaching of Protestantism.

Jesus will return ONE TIME (not two), and those who are alive at that time will be caught up to be with him. However, there will not be a period in which some have been raptured while everyone else is left behind to live out the period of tribulation before Christ’s final return. This is pure fiction.

I am Louemma
The scripture plainly teaches on the Second Coming.He’s already been here once and he will return a second time.Let me remind you that The Rapture is another word for The Catching Away.Now you say the Catching Away is fictional then you tell me what did Paul mean when he said"The dead in Christ shall rise first and those who are alive and remain will be CAUGHT UP to meet the Lord in the air"
Clearly the problem here is everyone who claims this Rapture is a false teaching don’t know what Paul meant in the scriptures or else you would have the understanding that the Catching is still to come and this teaching is clearly in the scriptures.Unless one don’t believe this part of God’s word.If you do believe God’s word is true then for us who know the Bible as the infallible word of God, know the Catching Away is an event that is still yet to occur and we trust the word to know that if the Bible says we will be caught up,then you bet your rosary beads,we will be caught up:thumbsup:

 

[onenow1]

I agree.

In his letter to the Ephesians Paul is even more explicit about the Gentiles’ spiritual inclusion when he states that “you Gentiles in the flesh . . . were [once] separated from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel . . . But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near . . . So then you are no longer strangers and sojourners, but you are fellow citizens with the saints” (2:11–13, 19).

The Idea of land I think is absurd for 2000yrs now who decides the lines of Jewish peoples,mixed marrigages etc.etc. of course this is only my opinion,

Peace,onenow1

 

[Louemma]

What does it mean to meet Jesus in the air?

We Catholics can meet and receive Jesus daily in the Eucharist. This is a mystery.
In a sense, he made sure he never left.

I sometimes think that non-Catholics kind of gloss over this. Also, how many dimensions are we incorporating and drawing from? There are more than 4.

If we have no “awareness” or are severely hampered spiritually, then imaging the rapture would naturally run into some problems. If it is that easy to describe just using scripture, then all the arguing or discussion would be easier to swallow. But it remains elusive.

I think Central Florida James has a pretty strong handle on it. Most all his posts are level headed and insightful. And they still leave room for even more discovery.

We Christians can meet and receive Jesus daily.This is referred by some as a close personal relationship with the Lord.
If the Lord came back tomorrow(example only) and if you believe the word of God then what Paul spoke of in 1 Thess 4 will take place.
The dead in Christ will rise first and those who are alive and remain will be caught up together to meet the Lord in the air.
If the second coming happens in your life time then I suppose you will find out first hand what Paul was telling us on meeting the Lord in the air
Then you won’t have to wonder what it means to meet the Lord in the air…or you could find out now and read about from your Bible 1 Thess.4
btw/ Rapture is only another word for Caught Up

 

[Louemma]

In his letter to the Ephesians Paul is even more explicit about the Gentiles’ spiritual inclusion when he states that “you Gentiles in the flesh . . . were [once] separated from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel . . . But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near . . . So then you are no longer strangers and sojourners, but you are fellow citizens with the saints” (2:11–13, 19).

The Idea of land I think is absurd for 2000yrs now who decides the lines of Jewish peoples,mixed marrigages etc.etc. of course this is only my opinion,

Peace,onenow1

Did God not make a covenant with Abraham?Plus it’s been alot longer then 2000yrs.
Do you believe God broke his promise to Abraham or do you think God stands good for his word?

 

[sauce]

From the Latin verb: rapiemur.

Union with Christ is the Big Idea here.

I heard a while back from a Christian minister who has a Prophetic ministry that the Rapture had to do with “living the prophetic life.”

I wouldn’t dismiss the idea.

 

[Louemma]

Paul states that after the full complement of Gentiles have been converted, a remnant of the Jews will also be converted. I’m not aware that the full complement of Gentiles has been as yet incorporated into the church.

As for the rapture, does this not imply that Christ will come two more times? Once at the Rapture, and then after armageddon. I’m not aware of any teaching that speaks of a “third coming of Christ.”

Joe Giancola

There are alot of different teachings on The Rapture.One needs to be careful and stick with the word of God.However much I wished the teachings on a pretrib Rapture(The Left Behind Movies,example of pretrib) however I wished that to be,one must carefully study out the word of God.
I believe by studying the word of God that the Catching Away occurs at the Second coming but I am convinced that the Parable of the(Matthew 22:2-14) The Wedding Feast) and(See Matthew 25:1-13) The Parable of the 10 brides maid are a key into the prophecies.
The ones who take part in the First Resurrection will rule and reign with Christ(See Revelation 20)

I am researching to see if there is a period of time between the Catching up and the 1000 year reign(See Revelation 19)
If the Bride of Christ is the Church,then we are a part of the Bride and if we are a part of the Bride then we can not be guest at our own wedding supper.
Some believe the Catching Away is for the Bride Of Christ and the Guest are who?That is where I’m at in my studies

 

[michaeldaniels]

So you, personally, know definitively what Paul meant…am I to assume you are his personal apologist?

Clearly the problem here is everyone who claims this Rapture is a false teaching don’t know what Paul meant in the scriptures or else you would have the understanding that the Catching is still to come and this teaching is clearly in the scriptures.:

 

[CentralFLJames]

…
Meanwhile, there have been many, many, many Jews who have gractiously accepted paid airline tickets(yes, some by Christians) to come to the land of Israel because of persecution in the nations they were dispersed in. It is just too bad some see this kind act of charity as rushing prophecy or rushing dispersed Jews to their deaths, which by the way, is the one of the most absurd accusations I have ever heard.

I heard this Jewish perspective from a Jew living in Jerusalem on a talk or religious show a few years back. He said it was nice to see so many Jews from around the world returning to Israel. But when pressed by the interviewer to comment on how this was being made possible by the many US Evangelicals collecting money to pay for their airline and moving expenses he shook his head. He said something to the effect of:
‘we appreciate the help in repatriating or brothers and kindred but we don’t really feel at all comfortable with them bringing us all back just so they can then have Jews all in the magic place they are supposed to be and slaughtered with blood flowing in the streets of Jerusalem to meet their interpretation of the prophetic formula for their Jesus’ return and their hope for a rapture escape to heaven. That tainted motive makes us feel used and takes away some of the obligatory gratuity we might otherwise feel we are indebted to them for their help.’

Just wanted to clear it up that this was not my idea/accusation but rather it’s the Jews themselves that have said this.

James

 

[Louemma]

It is the same image of the throne room from earlier after everyone gets their marks. The beast is Nero Ceasar. He claimed to be God and he demanded emperor worship. Those who worshiped him got the mark (which is spiritual by the way, not physical). They worshiped a false God in order to not be persecuted but they gave up eternal life. Those who would not worship the beast recieved God’s mark (not physical) which marked them for death. Even though died physically they gained eternal life for remaining faithful to the true God.

The larger time frame of Revelation is from the acension of Jesus until the Old Covenant age ended with the destruction of the Temple in 70 A.D. This is the one generation of covenantal transition mentioned in (Mt 24:34). The shorter time frame is the years leading up to and including the Jewish-Roman war.

Alot of people do believe that the beast spoken of in Revelation is Nero.
However Nero never issued a mark.Never beheaded people who refused the mark of the beast in their hand or forehead.
The False prophet will cause people to worship the beast.Some might believe that Rome was the False Prophet,however Rome did not ever cause an image of Nero to live and speak nor did Rome heal a fatal wound of Nero causing him to come back to life.
The two witnesses are killed by the beast and lay for three days dead,for all the nations to see.
Nero could not have possibly killed two men that layed dead for three days and came back to life.Even if this would have been possible,there is no way all the nations of the world could at that point in time seen two men lay dead in the streets of Jerusalem.
However one thinks Nero fits the Man of Lawlessness according to (See 2 Thess 2)
That day will not come until the restrainer is taken out of the way and then the Man of Lawlessness will be revealed.
Nero don’t fit the prophecies.The Mark could not be spiritual because the Mark is the number of Man

 

[ryanoneil]

There are alot of different teachings on The Rapture.One needs to be careful and stick with the word of God.However much I wished the teachings on a pretrib Rapture(The Left Behind Movies,example of pretrib) however I wished that to be,one must carefully study out the word of God.
I believe by studying the word of God that the Catching Away occurs at the Second coming but I am convinced that the Parable of the(Matthew 22:2-14) The Wedding Feast) and(See Matthew 25:1-13) The Parable of the 10 brides maid are a key into the prophecies.
The ones who take part in the First Resurrection will rule and reign with Christ(See Revelation 20)

I am researching to see if there is a period of time between the Catching up and the 1000 year reign(See Revelation 19)
If the Bride of Christ is the Church,then we are a part of the Bride and if we are a part of the Bride then we can not be guest at our own wedding supper.
Some believe the Catching Away is for the Bride Of Christ and the Guest are who?That is where I’m at in my studies

The parable of the Marriage Feast in Matthew is an allegory of salvation history that culminates in Jesus. The king is God who prepares a heavenly banquet for his son (21:2). The servants are OT prophets called to summon Israel (21:3). Because some of the invited guests ignored the prophets and others killed them (21:6; 23:37), God would destroy their city, Jerusalem (21:7), and send others servants as apostles (21:8) to invite Gentiles, bad and good (21:10), to the celebration. Those lacking proper attire are cast into the darkness of eternal punishment (21:14). The parable highlights God’s impartial treatment of all who are called - Jews and Gentiles. He rewards and punishes on the basis of one’s acceptance or rejection of his call.

The Marriage Feast fulfillment takes shape at two levels: the present liturgical one is the Holy Echarist banquet of sacramental food and drink, and the second is ultimate communion with Christ that takes place in heaven with the unending union of God and his saints.

The parable of the Ten Maidens emphasizes the need for watchfulness The story line centers on the Jewish marital custom following the period of betrothal. The groom whould lead a precession to bring his new wife to their home, and they would celebrate a week-long banquet with family and friends. Here the bridegroom (25:6; 9:15) arrives to begin the joyous procession and take his wife to the marriage feast. Unprepared and without oil, the foolish maidens are excluded from the celebration while the wise participate fully. awaiting the bridegroom signifies our uncertain life span- no one knows the hour of our death and judgment. The lamp is Christian faith, while the oil represents good works. Souls must prepare for their personal encounter with Christ by loving God and neighbor, since those lacking good works will be shut out of heaven’s banquet.

Another aspect is being spiritually prepaired. The moment Jesus would bring judgment on Jerusalem was unknown and the time of his Second Coming as Judge is also unknown. Rev 1-19 is describing the judgment on Jerusalem. The second half of chapter 20 describes Jesus’ Second Coming as Judge.

 

[Louemma]

So you, personally, know definitively what Paul meant…am I to assume you are his personal apologist?

I don’t need your sarcasmYou read it because considering the scripture,it is very clear what Paul meant and to make a statement such as yours is belittling your own intelligence.

 

[Louemma]

The parable of the Marriage Feast in Matthew is an allegory of salvation history that culminates in Jesus. The king is God who prepares a heavenly banquet for his son (21:2). The servants are OT prophets called to summon Israel (21:3). Because some of the invited guests ignored the prophets and others killed them (21:6; 23:37), God would destroy their city, Jerusalem (21:7), and send others servants as apostles (21:8) to invite Gentiles, bad and good (21:10), to the celebration. Those lacking proper attire are cast into the darkness of eternal punishment (21:14). The parable highlights God’s impartial treatment of all who are called - Jews and Gentiles. He rewards and punishes on the basis of one’s acceptance or rejection of his call.

The Marriage Feast fulfillment takes shape at two levels: the present liturgical one is the Holy Echarist banquet of sacramental food and drink, and the second is ultimate communion with Christ that takes place in heaven with the unending union of God and his saints.

The parable of the Ten Maidens emphasizes the need for watchfulness The story line centers on the Jewish marital custom following the period of betrothal. The groom whould lead a precession to bring his new wife to their home, and they would celebrate a week-long banquet with family and friends. Here the bridegroom (25:6; 9:15) arrives to begin the joyous procession and take his wife to the marriage feast. Unprepared and without oil, the foolish maidens are excluded from the celebration while the wise participate fully. awaiting the bridegroom signifies our uncertain life span- no one knows the hour of our death and judgment. The lamp is Christian faith, while the oil represents good works. Souls must prepare for their personal encounter with Christ by loving God and neighbor, since those lacking good works will be shut out of heaven’s banquet.

Another aspect is being spiritually prepaired. The moment Jesus would bring judgment on Jerusalem was unknown and the time of his Second Coming as Judge is also unknown. Rev 1-19 is describing the judgment on Jerusalem. The second half of chapter 20 describes Jesus’ Second Coming as Judge.

Thank You for this information.However I do not agree the day of the Lord was 70 AD.Most that believes this also believe that when a child of God goes to heaven they receive a glorified body then.Do you also believe this?

 

[Louemma]

Randy Carson;6102784:

It indeed is false teaching but more then that, it is veiled fortune telling,plain and simple.

Flying back to N.J. 2yrs ago while waiting, a gentleman asked the lady sitting across from me, what book she was reading, to my surprise she said a religious book.
It was one of the left behind books, don’t recall which one at the moment, anyway this is the nature of much left behind literature, it tries gives a false sense of security and works sometime.

Peace,onenow1

1 Thessalonians 4:14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again,even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.
1 Thessalonians 4:15 For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord,that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep.
1 Thessalonians 4:16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout,with the voice of the archangel,and the trump of God,and the dead in Christ shall rise first;
1 Thessalonians 4:17 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.

So for those of you who call the Catching Away a false teaching…Here it is in scripture
To call the catching away fortune telling,we know that fortune telling is of the devil…
Friend you border line blasphemy when you call the things of God,things of the Devil.

 

[ryanoneil]

Alot of people do believe that the beast spoken of in Revelation is Nero.
However Nero never issued a mark.Never beheaded people who refused the mark of the beast in their hand or forehead.
The False prophet will cause people to worship the beast.Some might believe that Rome was the False Prophet,however Rome did not ever cause an image of Nero to live and speak nor did Rome heal a fatal wound of Nero causing him to come back to life.
The two witnesses are killed by the beast and lay for three days dead,for all the nations to see.
Nero could not have possibly killed two men that layed dead for three days and came back to life.Even if this would have been possible,there is no way all the nations of the world could at that point in time seen two men lay dead in the streets of Jerusalem.
However one thinks Nero fits the Man of Lawlessness according to (See 2 Thess 2)
That day will not come until the restrainer is taken out of the way and then the Man of Lawlessness will be revealed.
Nero don’t fit the prophecies.

Yes Nero issued a mark, but realize the sea beast is also Rome. Scripture says nothing about it being physical because it is spiritual. Nero and Rome most certainly killed those who didn’t submit to emperor worship. Why do you think the Sanhedrin and the Temple Jews offered sacrifice in the Temple to Nero? It was so they could survive. Rome is not the false prophet. The Sanhedrin was the false prophet and land beast who led many of their own people to be slaughtered. And when they stopped sacrifice to Nero (because there was more threat from the zealots if they continued) the beast turned on the harlot and devoured her.

The fatal wound was to the dynasty of the Ceasars which became extinct, but Rome survived the internal fighting for power. The death and resurrection of the prophets is not literal either. The last of the Old Testament prophets died after Christ’s generation but they were reborn and they live in heaven, and they live on in the New Testament Church. All the nations of the earth (Rome was the known world) could not miss the destruction of Jerusalem. Some day you will realize that everything the Lord said has been initially fulfilled as a prefigurement of His Second Coming.