Hi Masmpg, as I said you if you follow this thread you find different meanigs about it. Our bibleschool teacher said: that it makes no sense to discuss and coming in disharmony about eschatology questions, because it is difficult to clear them 100%
"First off the problem with believing that the "church" will be raptured then will come another coming of Jesus for the rest of the righteous is the fact that those who believe this teaching will wait for the first, or pretrib rapture before they accept Jesus. Far too many Christians are being deceived by this teaching and when Jesus comes for ALL His people they will be lost because they were hoping for a second chance. If you look through all the bible stories about disasters there were NO second chances. During the flood Noah was not "raptured" to heaven. He went through the tribulation of the flood, but God kept Him safe. Jesus said as it was in the days of Noah, and Sodom and Gomorrah, these people were protected through the tribulation not taken out of it. Those who wait for the second second coming after the pre trib rapture will be lost because Jesus is only coming one time for the righteous and one time for the wicked."
I must confess, i never heared and i am also never taught, that somebody has a second chance in the Great tribulation time.
According what I believe is that there is no church (body of christ) in this time. You have time for to decide for Jesus Christ, till the rapture, then its to late! It may be that you find nominell christians and churches like RCC and some liberal protestant churches, but no chrstians which belongs to Jesus Christ after rapture on earth. So this is for me no argument to defend pre trib.
"Second when you read about where the "one was taken, the other left" in Matthew 24:40 & 41 and Luke 17 we need to know where they were taken to and the bible states clearly where those who are taken are taken to. In Luke:17:34-37 we find where Jesus said they will be TAKEN to: "I tell you, in that night there shall be two men in one bed; the one shall be taken, and the other shall be left. Two women shall be grinding together; the one shall be taken, and the other left. Two men shall be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left. And they answered and said unto him, Where, Lord? And he said unto them, Wheresoever the body is, thither will the eagles be gathered together." Lets find out what happens when eagles are gathered together in Matthew:24:28: "For wheresoever the carcase is, there will the eagles be gathered together." to be "taken" is not a good thing. Those who are taken are taken to a bad place I would rather be left."
Well this time I see not for christians, but for those who live in the Great tribulation! In revelation 14,6+7 we find an angel who preaches the gospel to ll people which are living in this time!
And I saw another angel fly in midheaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and tribe, and tongue, and people, 7 Saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment has come: and worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters.
From all the context this works togehter with Matth. 24,14
And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.
If you are a bornagain christian i would say you will not enter in this Tribulation time, but it can be that you will have to die in persecution. Like many brothers and sisters today in certain places of our world.
"Third, you mention "Because you can find scripture for to defend the position I believe, too." Please share where the pre trib rapture is found in the bible."
Please follow the post from Bro. Ahwatukee! He did a good job to work it out, so i have nothing to add.
From all positions about rapture (pre/mid/post) pre trib for me is the best supportet and most logical position, if i take the word of god literally and see that God has two seperate ways with the body of christ (the believers in Jesus Christ from pentecost till the rapture) and his choosen folk of Israel.
PS: I got a second chance! The first time when i heared about Jesus Christ and that i need him for salvation I rejectet him.
"First off the problem with believing that the "church" will be raptured then will come another coming of Jesus for the rest of the righteous is the fact that those who believe this teaching will wait for the first, or pretrib rapture before they accept Jesus. Far too many Christians are being deceived by this teaching and when Jesus comes for ALL His people they will be lost because they were hoping for a second chance. If you look through all the bible stories about disasters there were NO second chances. During the flood Noah was not "raptured" to heaven. He went through the tribulation of the flood, but God kept Him safe. Jesus said as it was in the days of Noah, and Sodom and Gomorrah, these people were protected through the tribulation not taken out of it. Those who wait for the second second coming after the pre trib rapture will be lost because Jesus is only coming one time for the righteous and one time for the wicked."
I must confess, i never heared and i am also never taught, that somebody has a second chance in the Great tribulation time.
According what I believe is that there is no church (body of christ) in this time. You have time for to decide for Jesus Christ, till the rapture, then its to late! It may be that you find nominell christians and churches like RCC and some liberal protestant churches, but no chrstians which belongs to Jesus Christ after rapture on earth. So this is for me no argument to defend pre trib.
"Second when you read about where the "one was taken, the other left" in Matthew 24:40 & 41 and Luke 17 we need to know where they were taken to and the bible states clearly where those who are taken are taken to. In Luke:17:34-37 we find where Jesus said they will be TAKEN to: "I tell you, in that night there shall be two men in one bed; the one shall be taken, and the other shall be left. Two women shall be grinding together; the one shall be taken, and the other left. Two men shall be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left. And they answered and said unto him, Where, Lord? And he said unto them, Wheresoever the body is, thither will the eagles be gathered together." Lets find out what happens when eagles are gathered together in Matthew:24:28: "For wheresoever the carcase is, there will the eagles be gathered together." to be "taken" is not a good thing. Those who are taken are taken to a bad place I would rather be left."
Well this time I see not for christians, but for those who live in the Great tribulation! In revelation 14,6+7 we find an angel who preaches the gospel to ll people which are living in this time!
And I saw another angel fly in midheaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and tribe, and tongue, and people, 7 Saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment has come: and worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters.
From all the context this works togehter with Matth. 24,14
And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.
If you are a bornagain christian i would say you will not enter in this Tribulation time, but it can be that you will have to die in persecution. Like many brothers and sisters today in certain places of our world.
"Third, you mention "Because you can find scripture for to defend the position I believe, too." Please share where the pre trib rapture is found in the bible."
Please follow the post from Bro. Ahwatukee! He did a good job to work it out, so i have nothing to add.
From all positions about rapture (pre/mid/post) pre trib for me is the best supportet and most logical position, if i take the word of god literally and see that God has two seperate ways with the body of christ (the believers in Jesus Christ from pentecost till the rapture) and his choosen folk of Israel.
PS: I got a second chance! The first time when i heared about Jesus Christ and that i need him for salvation I rejectet him.
Hi wolfwint,
There are two issues here that need to be addressed:
The first one pertains to who Jesus was addressing during His first advent. Mt.15:24 and 10:5-6 make it abundantly clear, He was addressing Israel EXCLUSIVELY. The Church DID NOT exist then, because the Holy Spirit had not yet arrived, as recorded in Jn.7:39, until at Pentecost, ten days after Jesus ascended into heaven, recorded in Acts 1:9 and in 2:1-3. As such, none of it pertains to the Church The only verses alluding to activities of the Church pertain to BELIEVING Israelites, such as Mt.24:31; Lk.21:36 and in Jn.14:2-3, 28.
Who and what are the 144,000 Israelites?
According to the Bible, Jesus, Paul and John revealed, those of us who belong to His Church, will be CAUGHT UP [Raptured] to Him in the clouds of the sky, before the antichrist is revealed, as recorded in 2 Thes.2:3 and 7-8. Who triggers the seven year tribulation/70th Week of Daniel, God decreed Israel to go through in Dan.9:27.[In connection with the Church = Jn.14:1-4 and 28; 1 Thes.4:14-18 and 2 Thes.2:1-8]. In connection with Israel = Jer.30:7 and Dan.9:27, where the person who 'confirms a covenant/treaty/agreement with Israel is the antichrist, and all three of the "he's" in that vs, triggers the 70th and final 'Week,'/seven year tribulation/Day of the Lord. Seen also in 2 Thes.2:3-4 and 7- 8].
Jesus said He has two sheep folds, Israel, whom He was addressing, and the "other one He must also bring," the Church, according to Jn.10:16. He prophecied that they will become one fold with one Shepherd [After He establishes His kingdom on earth, in Rev.20:6]. He also said many who are first will be last [Israel] and many who are last will be first [The Church] in Mt.19:30. This will be fulfilled after the first resurrection of all the tribulation martyrs/saints, in Rev.20:4, and then reign with Christ for 1,000 years, in Rev.6.
The Church will be CAUGHT UP to be with Jesus, before the tribulation begins, according to Jn .14:2-3, 28; 1 Thes.4:16-17 and 2 Thes.2:1-8] and that Israel will go through the tribulation [Dan.9:27]. When Israel finally recognizes Jesus as their Messiah, according to Zech.12:10, at His second coming, they will then come into the same sheep fold with the Church and the two will become one fold, with Jesus being the one Shepherd, when He establishes His Millennial kingdom here on earth according to Rev.20:6.
When the Church is Caught Up to be with the Lord in heaven, the antichrist is revealed and the tribulation begins, according to 2 Thes.2:3-4, 7-8; Dan.9:27 and Rev.6:2].
The overview of the tribulation, begins with the first rider of the four, on the white horse, who is the antichrist, in the first of seven seals. After the six seals, before the seventh seal that contains the seven trumpet judgements begins, in Rev.7, God will send 144,000 consisting of 12,000 Israelites from each of twelve of their tribes, that He "redeems from the earth" according to Rev.14:3. Sealing them, and they become converted believers in Jesus Christ who will take the place of the Raptured Church, to preach the Eternal Gospel in their absence, to all those left on the earth, according to Rev.7:1-8. Whom God will send here from heaven [as He will His two witnesses of Rev.11].
They were the righteous ones in OT Sheol when Jesus preached the gospel to them, according to 1 Pet.3:18-20. Then when He ascended into heaven, in Acts 1:9, He took all the righteous ones who came from OT Sheol with Him, as seen in Eph.4:7-10, fulfilling the prophecy in Ps.68:18. [During OT times, the spirits of the righteous dead went to Sheol, as did the wicked, because it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sin, according to Heb.10:3-4, Lk.16:19-23 and in Ps.49:14-15, until Jesus shed His blood and died on the cross, amplified by Paul in Rom.3:25-26.
The efforts of their work as evangelists is then revealed in the parenthetic [preview] view of the Great Multitude seen in heaven, recorded in Rev.7:9-17, who represents all of those who will be saved during the tribulation, and who are also the martyrs who participate in the first resurrection of Rev.20:4. They are the tribulation saints and are the non-believers who will be left behind, when the Church is raptured, and do not belong to the Church. The Church age ENDS when it is caught up to be with the Lord, in 1 Thes.4:17. The 144,000 will bring them to the Lord. They do not belong to the Church or they would be raptured with the Church before the tribulation begins.
When their ministry is finished, the 144,000 will be translated, and return to heaven, in Rev.14:1-5. When that happens, the earth will once again be without anyone to preach the Eternal Gospel. So God will commission an angel to do so in Rev.14:6-7.
Therefore, the 144,000 are all converted Israelites who take the place of the Raptured Church to preach the Gospel to all those who will be left behind when Jesus comes to take His Church with Him to our Father in heaven, as previously address above, documented in Jn.14:2-4 and 28; 1Thes.4:13-17 and 2 Thes.2:1-8.
Quasar92
Last edited: