Rapture and Resurrection?
Emails & Questions
Raptured to Heaven, or Not?Q: Dan it's hard for me to envision the Latter Days. The Scriptures you shared are Truth, and I know that but still have difficulty realizing a physical world during the reign of YaHshua. Shamefully I think it all stems from believing that we all are raptured to Heaven on the Day our Savior comes back.
A: You are certainly not alone in this. A couple of decades ago it would have seemed that this false doctrine of a Rapture, would be stomped out, as it once was back in the early 18th century, but as time as progressed and the Christian Church and congregations have evolved, becoming more and more a reflection of modern society, this Doctrine, popularized by the Left Behind series of books, has found root in nearly all branches of the Christian religion. Of course, this false doctrine had a lot of help from the pagan doctrine about Heaven and Hell, which has been accepted as truth for centuries, even though, it too is a lie. If you want to hear more about the Heaven and Hell false doctrine, exposed as a false doctrine go to this link -- eternal life in Hell, or Heaven
It would seem to me, that it is a natural drive for a believer to want to be with their Savior. Right now He is in Heaven, so, naturally, our desire would be to be with Him. Someone has taken advantage of this desire and told those innocents that that is where they too are going. But, what if He is going to come Here, not just a flash down and back up, but in a much more permanant way? Then, shouldn't we too, look forward to being with Him?
(Zecharyah 14:4) And His feet shall stand in that day upon the Mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east, and the mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst thereof toward the east and toward the west, and there shall be a very great valley; and half of the mountain shall remove toward the north, and half of it toward the south.
"...in that day..." is marked as the day He brings all of the nations to Jerusalem for the final show down -- Well, not a show down exactly, not really, because the nations and all the power that can be raised by mankind will not have a chance against the Creator of all things -- verse 14. But, the fact is, He will be standing on this Earth and those called to Him will be where He is. This account in Zecharyah is clear, He is standing on the Mount of Olives and His holy ones with Him. This is right after the Resurrection. The Resurrection is mentioned 41 times in the New Testament, while the word, Rapture is not mentioned one time -- it has to be conjured up from another, single Greek word, rapozio, and is only mentioned once, meaning to take up, or like the teachers of this doctrine like to say, "Snatched up". Those teaching this doctrine about men and women going to Heaven and about not dying, appeals to the physical ear, to the flesh, ignoring that it is a certainty that we all must die once. Even those gathered up, by His Angels, at His return, will have dropped dead to the flesh or in the flesh before they are quickened and taken to where He will be --
(Mat 24:31) And He shall send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other. KJV (Note: The word for "heaven" in this verse is "sky" -- G3772 - ouranos: 1. the vaulted expanse of the sky with all things visible in it )
This verse is a good example, too, about how a single word can be altered to change a thought or an idea. There is a Heaven where our Heavenly Father lives and then there is a heaven we call the sky, creating the bubble that we live in. In our earthly heaven, the clouds drift and the winds blow. Putting his verse and the previous verse, one from the New Testament and the other from the Old Testament we should have no problem connecting the dots -- He is coming to Earth and is going to be standing on the Mount of Olives and with Him all of His Holy ones, whom His angels have gathered from around the world. That would seem to settle the error about being taken away, but, it does not. If a person is blind, then they are blind and will not see but are the Teachers blind? That is the question and for those who may be recovering their sight, it is studies like this that it is hoped with aid those in seeing better and believing in the Word as opposed to men.
We have 41 references and mentionings of the RESURRECTION and this is nearly forgotten, for a word conjured up from the Greek. They, meaning those teachers preaching a false hope of physical safety, taking certain parts from the Resurrection Doctrine and twisting it into the false Escape Doctrine, called the Rapture. The Resurrection Doctrine, is called, one of the basic, or elemental Doctrines of the Faith -- it is something every new believer should come to understand, from the beginning, but what has happened? No, that is not what happens, as a false narrative is presented, a narrative that is kin to the "... surely you will not die..." lie that Satan first introduced in the Garden. This is related to that doctrine, saying the exact same thing, that you will not have to die, getting a free ride to the Heaven of Heavens to chill out while the Earth is turned upside down --
(Jer 23:17) They keep saying to those who despise Me, 'YaHWeH says: You will have peace.' And to all who follow the stubbornness of their hearts they say, 'No harm will come to you.'
But you say, I do not despise Him -- but you do, when you believe the "lie", following the stubbornness of your own heart. Don't you see? This is not just about Israel failing, it is about humaity reflected back at us all. They are the mirror, we are the image. Remember, in this Covenant we have entered, covered by His sacrifice for us, are neither Jew or Greek, but one and what applies to the one, applies to the other -- Gal 3:28.
Luk 17:34-35 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.
the Rapture teachers like to quote these verses, "... one taken and one left...", as a real Rapture event and taught by our Lord and Savior, YaHshua. They, however, knowingly or unknowingly, neglect what this teaching really means or is saying. Their assumption is that the one taken is honored by being raptured up to meet the Lord and be whisk off back to Heaven,m out of harms way. What has not been considered is a very similar and more detailed account about this very same thing.
Mat 13:24 YaHshua told them another parable: "The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field.
Mat 13:25 But while everyone was sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and went away.
Mat 13:26 When the wheat sprouted and formed heads, then the weeds also appeared.
Mat 13:27 The owner's servants came to him and said, 'Sir, didn't you sow good seed in your field? Where then did the weeds come from?'
Mat 13:28 'An enemy did this,' he replied. The servants asked him, 'Do you want us to go and pull them up?'
Mat 13:29 'No,' he answered, 'because while you are pulling the weeds, you may root up the wheat with them.
Mat 13:30 Let both grow together until the harvest. At that time I will tell the harvesters: First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles to be burned; then gather the wheat and bring it into my barn.' " NIV
Who is it that is "gathered" first? It is the weeds and they are cast into the fire. One taken and the other left, in this parable teaching is just the reverse of what it taught or being taught among the Christian Churches today. Now go back to the parable about two being together and one taken and the other left. See, how the teaching changes?
There is this field of workers, the field, we are told is the Earth, we find a example in other places as well, but in this case, those who are taken are bundled up and thrown into the fire, while it is those who are Left Behind are the actual survivors left in the field. Also, Revelation 6:11, is an account that it is Believers that are to be killed at the hands of man, or the Beast, as many as were previously killed for confessing Him and only Him as the Son of the Living God -- and this must happen BEFORE, He will return, which is at or around the time of the Great Quake happening as the signs in the Heavens are witnessed, at the opening of the 6th Seal. This event, called the Wrath of the Lamb, follows immdeiately after the Abomination that Causes Desolation. The Rapture doctrine allows for none of this.
PROHECY, Prophecy and Prophecy -- prophecy has gone wild over the internet. From every loon to cartoon character, one pronouncement after another and it never stops, 24/7 -- Hum, that reminds me -- Revelation 14:11 -- "...no rest day or night, for those who worship the beast...". No rest day or night? That sounds like 24 hours, 7 days aweek. How is it that these prophecy nerds and nerdesses are serving the Beast? By spreading his lies, serving the one who is spreading a prophecy tale and fictional accounts about what is to come. By mixing the true word with their fantasies, just as Satan has done from the beginning. And by their Dreams. But, that would take a much larger examination -- Jerimiah (Yerimyah) said :
Jer 23:25 I have heard what the prophets say who prophesy lies in my name. They say, 'I had a dream! I had a dream!'
Jer 23:26 How long will this continue in the hearts of these lying prophets, who prophesy the delusions of their own minds?
But, Peter says --
Act 2:15 These men are not drunk, as you suppose. It's only nine in the morning!
Act 2:16 No, this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel:
Act 2:17 'In the last days, God says, I will pour out My Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams