Bible Prophecy and The Last Days

 There are 3 different Rapture scenarios taught in churches these days. 4 if you believe there is no Rapture. The funny thing is, there will be raptures takinbg place during the atribulation period. But the big Rapture that most think about, will be tkaing place prior to this Tribulation.

 There are several Pre-Wrath type Raptures that have been foreshadowed in scripture, Elijah, Enoch, Noah who was saved before the Great Flood, Paul, John, and Jesus also was transformed right before being taken into heaven. So why disbelieve somehting that has biblical precedence? The 3 theories on Rapture are shown as:

Pre-Tribulation Rapture, or snatching up of those who are called by Christs' name will be taken out of the Earth before the Tribulation begins for 7 years.

Mid-Tribulation Rapture: Those same people will be taken at the 3.5 year period DURING the Tribulation.

Post-Tribulation Rapture: Those same people will have to endure the Tribulation with the rest of the world.

But Paul tells us here:

Hebrews 11:5 By faith Enoch was taken up so that he did not see death, and he was not to be found because God took him up. For before his removal he had been commended as having pleased God.

We also know elijah was taken up alive, Jesus was transfigured on the mount, Paul said he had been taken to the 3rd Heaven, and Johnw as Raptured in Revelation.

In my studies, I see many things that fully support the Pre-Tribulation Rapture. For one, we have a set precedence of God saving His people from imminent peril. The best example is Noah. The people had been warned; they scoffed and disbelieved that warning. And when the torrent came, they were drowned.

Jesus rose from the grave, and scripture tells us that the dead also rose AFTER he did, and witnessed to the Jews in Jerusalem for 40 days. Those who did not believe lost the hope of their Messiah redeeming them as a nation at that time. A little over 30 years later, their temple was burned to the ground and until 1948 they have not had a home in Jerusalem. A prophecy Jesus Himself mentioned.

In Revelation, it is easy to see how God sectioned off the book to give us a solid look at what was, what is, and what is yet to come. The first 3 chapters he addresses the Church. In chapter 4, we see John being literally taken up from the Earth alive, and straight up to heaven in a Rapture. Then we see those who have been redeemed by Jesus thanking Him for their redemption.

Revelation 4:1 After these things I looked, and there was a door standing open in heaven! And the first voice I had heard speaking to me like a trumpet said: “Come up here so that I can show you what must happen after these things.”

4:2 Immediately I was in the Spirit, and a throne was standing in heaven with someone seated on it!

Follow the book to chapter 6 where we see the advent and rise of the Antichrist and the BEGINNING of the Tribulation.

6:1 I looked on when the Lamb opened one of the seven seals, and I heard one of the four living creatures saying with a thunderous voice, “Come!”

 6:2 So I looked, and here came a white horse! The one who rode it had a bow, and he was given a crown, and as a conqueror he rode out to conquer.

6:3 Then when the Lamb opened the second seal, I heard the second living creature saying, “Come!”

6:4 And another horse, fiery red, came out, and the one who rode it was granted permission to take peace from the earth, so that people would butcher one another, and he was given a huge sword.

6:5 Then when the Lamb opened the third seal I heard the third living creature saying, “Come!” So I looked, and here came a black horse! The one who rode it had a balance scale in his hand.

6:6 Then I heard something like a voice from among the four living creatures saying, “A quart of wheat will cost a day’s pay and three quarts of barley will cost a day’s pay. But do not damage the olive oil and the wine!”

The rest of revelation shows the horrifying Tribulation and the direct results that our actions and disobedience to God have bought to us.

So showing forth the book of Revelation, we see that the Apostle Paul was correct when he wrote:

1 Thessalonians 5:9 For God hath not appointed us unto wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ.

We HAVE and WILL continue to be warned. The Bible is very specific, and the picture that revelation show us is that there WILL be a Rapture, THEN a Tribulation. The Church is never mentioned again in Revelation until AFTER the Tribulation is chronicled and over with. So use your own logic on this. Because it also in perfect harmony with what Paul said:

4:13 Now we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers and sisters, about those who are asleep, so that you will not grieve like the rest who have no hope.

4:14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, so also we believe that God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep as Christians.

 4:15 For we tell you this by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will surely not go ahead of those who have fallen asleep.

4:16 For the Lord himself will come down from heaven with a shout of command, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first.

4:17 Then we who are alive, who are left, will be suddenly caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will always be with the Lord.

 4:18 Therefore encourage one another with these words.

Caught up, snatched, seized...just as John was caught up in Revelation 4:2. And how he witnessed the Tribulation from Heaven. So will we.  So feel free to browse through this site and use the page link at the top to go through the various teachings. Once you have a rudimentary understanding, I highly suggest going to the links I have here and doing more studying. For those who are already wanting the meat of the matter, link as well!

Shalom.