B
BradC
Guest
Except these Jews were believing Jews and fathers of the church. If there was supposed to be a SECRET rapture of the church BEFORE the Tribulation, don't you think Jesus would have told these early Christians and church leaders, Jewish or not? Oops, so much for the validity of that statement.
Except that the concept of the church was already introduced to the disciples back in Matthew 16 & 18. Peter was one of the four disciples who asked Jesus about the end times and the sign of his coming.
Mark 13:
[SUP]3[/SUP]Now as He sat on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple, Peter, James, John, and Andrew asked Him privately, [SUP]4 [/SUP]“Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign when all these things will be fulfilled?”
Matthew 16:
[SUP]18 [/SUP]And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.
Matthew 18:
[SUP]17 [/SUP]And if he refuses to hear them, tell it to the church. But if he refuses even to hear the church, let him be to you like a heathen and a tax collector.
Since Jesus clearly announced He was building his church on the ROCK, PETER back in Chapter 16, BEFORE Peter asked the Lord in Matthew 24. "...And what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?” again, don't you think it would be a little disingenuous for the Lord to NOT have come clean about this Rapture of the Church? After all, a Rapture of the church prior to the Tribulation would be one heck of a sign of the pending Tribulation, don't you think?
There is NO RAPTURE BEFORE THE TRIBULATION. It is clearly a lie. If I were Satan and I wanted people to believe in me as the Messiah instead of the real Messiah, what would I do? I know, teach dispensationalism and a Pre-Trib Rapture. That way when there is no rapture and the really bad stuff starts the church will be discredited and I get to be the first "Christ" on the scene.
Sorry if I am coming across a little arrogantly, it is just that I was fed this Pre-Trib Rapture lie for 30 years before I finally realized it was just another Santa Claus except this one has many horrible consequences for millions of lives and souls.
I have believed these things for the past 40 years and my conviction has never changed, but rather, I have become fully persuaded in these things as the doctrine of Christ. When Christ mentioned to the disciples about building the church they knew nothing of this mystery. Peter was used first to bring this mystery through the Holy Spirit not only to the Jews gathered at Pentecost but also to the Gentiles gathered at the house of Cornelius. Paul was given a massive amount of doctrine and revelation that pertained to this mystery of Christ and the church and concerning the body of Christ. The Jews in unbelief rejected his teaching the same way they rejected Christ but Paul edified believers in all of the churches throughout Asia Minor. We should make no mistake about this mystery. The disciples before the crucifixion were only concerned about who this man was and how he would restore the kingdom to israel. They knew nothing of this great mystery that was going to be revealed to them as the pillar and ground of the truth. After Pentecost had come the disciples way of thinking was changed forever and only one apostle was specifically called to bring this mystery to the Gentiles. He got lots of heat from others but stayed the course and he was the one that spoke of Israel and their temporary and partial blindness UNTIL the time of the Gentiles has come in. I don't know how you look at that but I see a day of restoration for the house of Israel and the house of Judah with no ifs, ands or buts but a promise to be fulfilled when the time comes.
