According to the belief that many hold, there will be a time in the near future when they will be caught away in the rapture. Their flesh will disappear, and family and friends will be left wondering what happened to them. By being one of the chosen, they will escape the great tribulation period that will immediately follow. How does this thinking line up with God’s word?
Their body of flesh will vanish and be changed into a glorified body, in the twinkling of an eye? God’s word says, “All go unto one place; all are of the dust, and all turn to dust again.” (Ecclesiastes 3:20) Before fleshly bodies can turn to dust, they must first die. “Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned.” (Romans 5:12) Notice the word, “all.”
The prophet Job, a perfect man in God’s sight, clearly understood this truth. “All flesh shall perish together, and man shall turn again unto dust.” (Job 34:15)
When will the righteous be caught away? At death? “For he must reign,” (in you) “till he hath put all enemies under his feet.” (1 Corinthians 15:25) “Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it.” (Ecclesiastes 12:7)
Those that wait for a physical catching away to heaven, or rapture, must answer an important question. When will you stand before the judgment seat of Christ? After you get to heaven? With the possibility of being cast out again?
“For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ.” (2 Corinthians 5:10) When will the raptured appear? They have already gained eternal life, according to their doctrine. The rapture hopefuls believe they will escape the great tribulation that will descend upon mankind. Does this view agree with the words of Jesus? He said, “When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place.” (Matthew 24:15) “For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.” (Matthew 24:21) Never before has there been a time like this, and there never will be again. Not a date on the calendar, but when you see it and understand what Jesus is saying to you.
The inhabitants of the earth have always suffered pain, misery, and heartache. Terrible hardships from brutal wars disrupt lives and place heavy burdens and great sorrow upon the people. Then consider the hundreds of millions that have died from one of many diseases in the world. What about starvation? Only God knows how many helpless children have died from hunger since the world began, and how many starving adults could do nothing about it.
Add to these things floods, droughts, earthquakes, tornadoes, hurricanes, and the threat of terrorist attacks, and we get a picture of a time of tribulation. And let us not forget the evil that comes from the heart of man. It spawns lust, greed, lies, fornication, incest, murder, hate, rape, torture, and any other ungodly thing that can be imagined. All these things will increase as the world drifts further from God with each passing day.
But this is not the great tribulation that Jesus spoke of, because he said it had never been before and never will be again. The great tribulation that comes when you see that “the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet ” is something hidden, that can only be seen when the “eyes of your understanding” (Ephesians 1:18) are opened. But the world is in such spiritual darkness, and their eyes are blinded to the truth, that they cannot see. The prophet Joel and others foretold our day. “A day of darkness and of gloominess, a day of clouds and of thick darkness.” Not unlike the plague of darkness that was sent upon the Egyptians for their refusal to obey the voice of God. As Moses wrote, “even darkness which may be felt.” Theirs was a natural darkness over the land. Today, it’s a smothering spiritual darkness “which may be felt.” No light of truth reaching the hearts and minds of disobedient people. The beginning of great tribulation on the soul.
God’s servant Amos wrote of a famine in our day. Not a famine for bread and water, “but of hearing the words of the LORD.” (8:11) “They shall run to and fro to seek the word of the LORD, and shall not find it.” The truth of God’s word will satisfy the hungry soul, but if you do not understand what you read or hear, you have not been fed. Great tribulation.
Then we see all the divided churches that take the name of Christ, calling him Lord. They have different names and different doctrines, and try to excuse it by saying, “but we all serve the same Lord.” This line of thought is in direct opposition to God’s word. Your Bible asks this question, “Is Christ divided?” The apostle Paul makes the answer very clear. “Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.” (1 Corinthians 1:10) If all churches that call themselves “Christian” were in God’s will, they would all teach the same doctrine. Christ is not divided, truth never changes. Just to say, “we believe in the same God,” does not excuse manmade division. The Bible says, “the devils also believe, and tremble.” (James 2:19) Great tribulation in the religious world.
Then, there is a great multitude of religious people who feel safe and secure in “the church of their choice.” Jesus said, “many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.” (Matthew 7:22) Why did Jesus say he never knew them?
Because, “this people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me. But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.” (Matthew 15:8-9) The sad thing is, those that do this are deceived and don’t know it. Jesus said, “and if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch.” (Matthew 15:14) Great tribulation upon the soul of man.
These things are just part of the tribulation period that Jesus spoke of. A thousand more unseen demons lurk in the spiritual darkness with the sole purpose of dragging down the deceived with them. They even do their evil work by using preachers who seem to be ministers of righteousness. (2 Corinthians 11:15) When in truth, they are ministers of Satan, “teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.” And the congregations don’t know the difference. Can you see this time of great trouble that our Lord told us about?
Will the few that are known of the Lord still be here during this time? Listen to your Bible. “Immediately after the tribulation of those days” (Matthew 24:29) many great and dreadful things take place, including the coming of the son of man. And only then “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.” (Matthew 24:31)
With a great sound of a trumpet? The apostle John gave us the answer. “I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day, and heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet.” (Revelation 1:10) The great voice that John heard was the gospel of Jesus Christ and the words of the prophets. Isaiah also said the same. “Cry aloud, spare not, lift up thy voice like a trumpet, and shew my people their transgression, and the house of Jacob their sins.” (Isaiah 58:1) The voice that John heard is the word of God. The same voice that still sounds today, warning people to flee the wrath to come.
God shall send his angels to gather together his elect. Angels are ministering spirits. (Hebrews 1:14) And they bring to the elect of God, “Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.” (John 14:17) And when the spirit of truth comes to you it will be as Jeremiah said, “and I will give them one heart, and one way.” (32:39) And as Paul said, “that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.” (1 Corinthians 1:10) Gathered together by the word of God. No longer carried about by “every wind of doctrine.” (Ephesians 4:14)
He will gather his elect together, “from one end of heaven to the other.” From the first to the last. From the garden of Eden, even till the end of time. “How long O Lord?” “Be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life.” (Revelation 2:10) As the word says, death is the last enemy that Satan can bring against us. But those that look for “the rapture” think they are worthy to escape death. This doctrine is totally manmade; it’s born from the lack of understanding.
The scripture that so many preachers and teachers use as a guide for this belief is found in, 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17. They do as Peter said concerning the writing of Paul, “they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction.” (2 Peter 3:16)
If you want to learn how the “rapture” idea got its start, go to your computer and bring up the name Margaret MacDonald, John Darby, and Plymouth Brethren. It all started from the dream of a teenage girl.
Remember the words of Jesus, “take heed that no man deceive you.” For it is written again and again in your Bible and recorded in heaven, “all flesh” yours and mine, “shall perish together, and man shall turn again unto dust.” Who among us can change these words?
