It looks like you're using an Ad Blocker.
Please white-list or disable AboveTopSecret.com in your ad-blocking tool.
Thank you.
Some features of ATS will be disabled while you continue to use an ad-blocker.
Originally posted by Snsoc
The word “rapture” does not appear in the Bible. The concept comes from 1 Thessalonians, Chapter 4, verse 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.”
The Greek word for “caught up” is harpazo, and it literally means “snatch.” (I can see why Christians invented the word “rapture.” If we went around saying we were “waiting for the Snatch,” we would be mocked endlessly.)
Another important word in that passage is “meet.” The Greek word is “apantesis.” It means to go out and meet and come back with.
Every time this is used in the Bible, it talks about a group of people who travel out a short distance to greet someone and then all of them immediately go back to the place where the group came from.
Here’s another important passage:
1 Corinthians 15: 50-52:
“Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor does corruption inherit incorruption. Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed— in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.”
The Greek word for “last” is eschatos. Last in time sequence, and last in a series.
Those who claim that the Church will be raptured before the Tribulation say it will occur at the last trumpet, which they say is before the Anti-Christ’s 7-year reign, but then, they go on to say that there will be seven more trumpets after that. (Seven of the 21 judgments in Revelations are accompanied by the angelic blowing of a trumpet.) Those seven trumpets are in a series. So the last one is when the Snatch happens. Problem is, the seven trumpet judgments happen in the middle of the Book of Revelation. Revelation is always treated as a completely sequential series of events, and here is the Rapture happening in the middle or perhaps the end of the Tribulation.
Another important word in that last passage is “mystery.” The Greek word is “mysterion,” meaning hidden or secret thing. Guess where else it is used? In Revelations 10:7, when the 7th trumpet is blown. The last trumpet.
“But in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he shall begin to sound, the mystery of God should be finished, as he hath declared to his servants the prophets”.
The mystery of God is finished. And the rapture is called a mystery. So the rapture finishes at the time of the 7th trumpet. Not years before.
edit on 16-2-2013 by Snsoc because: (no reason given)
Originally posted by AQuestion
reply to post by GRS1234
Dear GRS1234,
I will not respond to what you have said in your last post; but, look at my profile and prior threads and posts before you make assumptions about me because I am not your mommy, daddy or ex pastor, I am me and ask my questions. If you do not know me than do not assume I believe what you were taught and treat me as an individual. You do not have to claim to be a christian to be a hypocrite and bigot, non-believers manage to do that also. Take your time and read my stuff, then talk to me as another person and not a supposed belief, treat me fairly, disagree with me; but, have the decency to respond to me and not your bigotry. By the way, I am not unknown to the non-believers on this site, I have a history and they will even see if you are being responsive or fair and they have skipped this thread too.
Originally posted by GRS1234
i see your being hypothetical well im not your portraying a literal view which i do not like because it is a control tool by the fake church and simply how can you even answer your question when you got lies from the church and mass media so simply put no you wouldnt know and if you did you will be called a lunatic just like every other end time crier out there "hypothetically speaking", im sorry for not being much use. but i did not hijack your thread simply stated my opinion on the matter and the person i quoted simply put out facts idk what your agenda is but i got a bad vibe from the get go im sorry if its me again here is my two cents on the matter and futhermore you shouldnt become defensive because some one is wary of the subject as was i and this is textbook reason for me being wary also i was wrong on my entry so i guess it all worked outedit on 16-2-2013 by GRS1234 because: (no reason given)
Originally posted by AQuestion
Originally posted by cody599
reply to post by AQuestion
No I believe I already addressed that in my previous reply if the rapture had happened we are in hell and hell isn' supposed to be this much fun. Forgive me but now I have to go to my bench and create a rather lovely pair of doors
Dear cody599,
Enjoy making your doors. I have worked with wood. As for your your doctrine that there is no earth and only heaven and hell, I strongly disagree. There is life and free will where we get to decide which we choose.
. I don't believe in heaven or hell it was purely figurative. I'm afraid you misunderstood meI meant that if the rapture had happened we missed it ergo no we didn't notice it. If the rapture is yet to come what would I expect ? Apocoliptic war between good and evil, luckily I know my soul is good from the time I died for a short while.So nothing to worry about here. Back to the doors.
[/quote
My lead Pastor says he is a pantheist, he says it all pans out in the end. I love his answer.
Originally posted by AQuestion
reply to post by cody599
Dear cody599,
. I don't believe in heaven or hell it was purely figurative. I'm afraid you misunderstood meI meant that if the rapture had happened we missed it ergo no we didn't notice it. If the rapture is yet to come what would I expect ? Apocoliptic war between good and evil, luckily I know my soul is good from the time I died for a short while.So nothing to worry about here. Back to the doors.
My lead Pastor says he is a pantheist, he says it all pans out in the end. I love his answer.
For Non-Christians, how would you know if the Rapture happened? Can you tell who is a Christian and who calls themselves christians and are not, do you lump us all together? Do you care who really is a follower of Jesus's principles and who is not, can you separate the hypocrites from the spiritual vermin? If you cannot then you would miss it too.
Stepping outside the box is uncomfortable at first but peace comes with truth