Rapture awareness
'Raptured' at the last trumpThe word 'rapture' isn't found in scripture, but the event it refers to is described in 1 Corinthians 15:51-52 and other places:
'Behold, I shew 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 trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.' Other trumpets?Knowing that the rapture occurs 'at the last trump', it follows that any other trumpet that will sound, must do so before this last trump. And there are other trumpets.
In the book of the Revelation of Jesus Christ to his servant John, it reads: 'seven angels which had the seven trumpets prepared themselves to sound.' These seven trumpets must sound prior to the last trumpet. Otherwise, the last trumpet is not the last trumpet. These seven trumpets are sounded during the tribulation. And there is also a trumpet in Matthew, which is sounded:
'Immediately after the tribulation of those days' (Matthew 24:29). It follows that this trumpet will sound after the seven trumpets, when they have sounded during the tribulation. Second coming of Jesus ChristThe trumpet in Matthew 24:29 will sound after the seven trumpets have sounded in the tribulation:
'And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet' Two perspectives on the same eventOne for the believer:
'For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: 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.' (1 Thessalonians 4:16-18) And one for the unbeliever: 'the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power' (2 Thessalonians 1:7-11) When? when he shall come to be glorified in his saints, and to be admired in all them that believe. Challenge to any person who believes in the pre-tribulation raptureThere are two things that you cannot ever answer, from the scriptures alone:
Live radio broadcast on 'the rapture'More The Bible Podcasts at Blog Talk Radio with Pastor Martin Richling on BlogTalkRadio 'Is the church going through the tribulation?'
Listen to the positive answer by pastor Martin Richling, from the scriptures alone: |