#8 NO IMMINENT RAPTURE??

Following: http://hotspuds.blogspot.com.au/2014/02/sabbaths-and-sundays.html

If you happen to find yourself at a Seventh Day Adventist seminar you will probably hear scorn heaped on the idea of an ‘imminent rapture’ when Christ returns, in fact, you may even be told that the word ‘rapture’ is not in the Bible.

What is ‘rapture’ anyway?                                                  
‘Rapture’ is to seize, snatch, catch away – like an eagle does.  Here it is in Latin as rapiemur in 1 Thessalonians 4:17 from the Vulgate Bible – once the only Bible available for 1000 years.

As for being secret, let’s check that out by starting with the Adventist Fundamental Belief 25.  Second Coming of Christ: “…The Saviour’s coming will be literal, personal, visible, and worldwide…”                           

Visible, hey?  Well, how do we know Christ is even coming back for us?                   
He said He would!

“…if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself…”           John 14:3

Then, when He did go…

“…this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven. Then returned they unto Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet…” Acts 1:11-12

... very public and very visible, UNTIL……“a cloud received him out of their sight”.  
The Mount of Olives is where Jesus Christ will one day stand…

“Then shall the Lord go forth, and fight against those nations, as when he fought in the day of battle. 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…” Zechariah 14:3-4

Okay, Christ comes back to fight…but what happens to Christians?                       
It’s thanks to the apostle Paul that Christianity came to Gentiles and spread even to Europe.
Notice the distinction he makes:

“Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him…” 2 Thessalonians 2:1

His coming back to Earth is described here…

            “Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him…” Revelation 1:7

Visible? You betcha!  Whereas the gathering together to Him is not so visible:



No rocket pack required!

“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 4:16-17

…and this is how quick it will be:

“Behold, I show 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…” 1 Corinthians 15:51-52

Wow!!...that’s quick!  So when Christ comes to Earth?...                                                            
The gathering to Him must have occurred first and here’s why…                            
WE COME TOO!!...and here’s the proof:

“…at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all his saints.”                          
1 Thessalonians 3:13                (also Zech 14:5, Jude 14, Col 3:4)

What about a coming tribulation? Won’t we have to endure that?                
NO!!...and again, here’s the proof:

“…to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come.”  1 Thessalonians 1:10                   
(Also Romans 5:9  Luke 21:36  Revelation 3:10  1 Thessalonians 5:1-11)

So, secret rapture??  True or false?                                                       
A rapture?...absolutely!...the hope of Christians for nearly 2000 years! 
Secret?  Well you could hardly remove millions from Earth secretly.   
Quick?  Blink and you miss it!                                               
Mysterious?  Sure thing. The real Church is a musterion (from Greek) - a mystery - only for those initiated. (also Ephesians 3:1-9, Romans 16:25-26, Colossians 1:24-28) 
Imminent?....ahhh!....maybe today?                                              

So don’t let any misguided Adventist destroy your hope of our Lord Jesus Christ coming for us today - delivering us from the wrath to come.

NEXT: Is it really ‘curtains’ for Israel?
http://hotspuds.blogspot.com.au/2014/04/is-it-really-curtains-for-israel.html

 Acknowledgements:                                                                                      sdanet.org/atissue/doctrines/gc28                                                                      
photocredit: perthroyalshow.com.au