Hi Christina.., I wrote an article in 2013 which covers this subject quite extensively. You can read it here, if you will.

Colossians 2vs8

Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of man, after the rudiments of the world and not after Christ.

Take note of the words: “…and not after Christ”

Rapture, Rapture, Rapture, Rapture

This philosophy is not after Christ but man.

What did really Christ say????? Did he say people will be RAPTURED? Or he was going to come and receive believers unto himself???

John 14vs3

And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where i am there ye may be also.

Christ is the one coming to receive people unto himself not people raptured to heaven/anywhere. (This is the truth).

That is why after he made this statement in John 14vs3, in Matthew 25vs31-32, he then explained what is going to happen on the very day he comes in his glory;

He says in verse 32 of Matthew 25 “And before him shall be gathered All nations: and he shall separate them one from another as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats:

This is the truth as far as Jesus is concerned. Where will people be raptured to when it is Christ Jesus who is to come and receive people unto himself?????????

I know that this philosophy have been taught by so many people, some of which are deemed God’s generals by people of today but its better to stand by the truth than to follow falsehoods of a person who will one day be buried six feet to the ground.

Its same to the issue of the tribulation period.

Again people mis-quoted the Lord in Matthew 24vs21-22 and they didn’t notice that he spoke those words when it was still the old testament era and before the new testament was operational.

Is this true that when Jesus was alive before the cross it was still the old testament era? Let the Bible answer

Hebrews 9vs16-17
For where a testament is, there must also of necessity be the death of the testator.
For a testament is of force after men are dead: otherwise it is of no strength at all while the testator liveth.

What this means is that a testament is launched by the death of its testator meaning to say Jesus’ death necessitated the establishment of the New Testament which was to be operational by the coming of Holy Spirit after Jesus was ascended to heaven.

Meaning to say the tribulations that the Lord was alluding to were to happen after the church was launched or the New Testament was launched. Remember the church was not yet there when he was still alive which is why he said in Matthew 16vs18 “…..I will build my church”. (The words”I will” , are future tense, meaning he meant after the cross after the price was paid at Calvary). So the tribulations were to happen in the advent of the preaching of the word of God.

Matthew 13vs21 “Yet hath he not root in himself, but dureth for a while: for when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, by and by he is offended”

In Matthew 13vs21, Jesus told us clearly that tribulations come because of the word.

I don’t know how we read the Bible, but what I can say is that it’s not about not reading but it’s about following what has been delivered yet its diverse from the truth.

Lets see Paul’s tribulations

1st Corinthians 11vs24-27

Of the Jews five times received I forty stripes save one.
Thrice was I beated with rods, once was I stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day I have been in the deep;
In journeyings often, in perils of water, in perils of robbers, in perils by mine own countrymen, in perils by the heathen, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren;
In weariness and painfulness, in watchings often, in cold and nakedness.

Note: otherwise one should tell me if these were not tribulations which Jesus talked about that they are going to be encountered because of the word!!!!!!

Its easy to talk about something which you have not yet understood my friends, otherwise if God will grant you grace to understand his word, you will approach it with reverence and fear, there are people who have already suffered beyond measure because of the word of God, people like Paul, Steven and others. This tribulation period is already happening in the New Testament era as the word of God is being proclaimed.

Acts 12vs1-2

Now about that time Herod the king stretched forth his hands to vex certain of the church.
And he killed James the brother of John with the sword.

Revelation 6vs9-10

And when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the alter the souls of them that were slain because of the word of God and for the testimony which they held:

Acts 7vs59

And they stoned Stephen, calling upon God, and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.

The list is endless, I can not finish to prove to you that again the tribulation period is in the New Testament era before Christ come. This tribulation comes as a result of proclaiming the testimony of Christ.

Matthew 24vs9 “Then shall they deliver you to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name’s sake.

This is the tribulations that the Lord was talking about, already some have gone through them, most of the early Apostles died painful deaths because of this tribulation or persecution as a result of the word of God which they proclaimed. I don’t know about those that talk about tribulation period as in some years to come where are they taking this from yet we have some of our brethren who have gone through this tribulation some years ago and we are even witnessing it in our days.

All this is because of falsehoods peddled by the anti Christ in order to shift people’s focus from the truth of the gospel, receive the truth my brothers and sisters and be saved.

I believe this will assist someone, don’t approach the word of God with a carnal mind, it’s highly spiritual to those that are spiritual. Otherwise we need Holy Spirit to assist in giving us understanding to this word. This is why people upto today they say Jesus is coming to this world for the second time yet in actual fact he is coming for the third time, this is because they missed the atonement day which he went to heaven and came back again on earth, yet its in black and white in scripture.

I think you did not get my contribution altogether. Diligence is needed when articulating on the things to do with the word of God. One does not need to defend a doctrine which they have embraced for a long time but be careful to stand by what the word says. I respect the platform as you are admins but as far as the word is concerned it’s a good thing to stand by the truth and also to have a learning heart. I said a lot of things before and I think you misunderstood the context altogether in your bid to give a response. To avoid populating things let me try to be constructive and let me at this point answer on the issue of rapture only and maybe with time tackle other issues. (You misunderstood the issue of the first-resurrection altogether otherwise if you understood it you would have known that if indeed Adam was the reason why humanity where subjected into the first death : which is sin, Christ as the last Adam was going to be the means by which humanity where to attain the first resurrection which is salvation, vindication and justification through the blood of Jesus Christ: being born again. I know it very much that Jesus is the resurrection but you must understand contexts through which issues are articulated)

Let me repeat again what i said maybe in simplicity.

I will quote again the scripture which I quoted to show that i don’t deviate from what I said. I said that there is nothing like rapture according to Matthew 25vs31-33 which reads as follows:

“When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory:
And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats:
And he shall set the sheep on his right hand but the goats on the left.

Then I need you to answer me on the following:

At what point are people going to be snatched away, taken away by force, spoiled, or seized upon or raptured when in actual fact the position of scripture is that everyone is going to be gathered before Jesus at once on the day he comes on his last coming both the good and the evil?????????????????

I am asking this in relation to your definition of rapture which I have quoted you saying as below:

(This word was taken from the Greek verb harpazo, meaning, “to seize upon, spoil, snatch away, or take to oneself by force,” especially used of rapture.)

This is why I said those that spread this philosophy of Rapture they did not understand Luke 17vs33-37 which says”two man shall be in one bed; the one shall be taken and the other shall be left.

When I explained this i said the two men in one bed is the two-hood of a person: spirit and flesh, one taken is the spirit and the one left is the body/flesh/mortal: that is what Paul was explaining when he said in the twinkling of an eye, meaning it will not be recognisable how this human body will be done away with: but the rapture zealots took Luke 17vs33-37 literally and thought two men in one bed is Spencer and Bruce, Bruce being taken and Spencer being left in wonder as to what had happened to Bruce as he is nolonger on the bed yet a few minutes he was there. (I pray you be enlightened in this)!

When I said the word is not even there in the Bible i knew what I was saying because as far as I know the truth, no one shall be snatched, seized upon or to be taken by force, actually what is going to happen is that when Jesus is going to appear on that Day he comes to judge the world, ALL NATIONS SHALL BE GATHERED BEFORE HIM AT ONCE. Of cause i cannot force you to believe this as it is God who convicts but this is the truth. There is no rapture to happen but what is actually going to happen is that since flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doeth corruption inherit incorruption, on the Day of the Lord, and in the twinkling of an eye, mortality shall quickly be converted into immortality. This is 1st Corinthians 15vs50-54 for you. This has nothing to do with rapture but Apostle Paul was given it by Holy Spirit to clarify on the mystery of how the issue of mortality and immortality is going to be addressed since Jesus is going to come at a time when others will be alive and yet no flesh and blood can inherit the kingdom of God/heaven but spirits only.

You must be careful on these issues, that’s why 2nd Timothy 2vs15 emphasize on the issue of studying the word so that people may be workmans who will not be ashamed. When you said a thousand years happens to God and not to man you made a fatal mistake of supposing that the word of God is spirit to him but carnal to humanity: you may say you didn’t say so, but that’s what you said (yet the very word of God is spiritual according to John 6vs63 in its entirety), i hope i might have some time to share some doctrinal issues of the word of God that is if you are willing.

Rapture is philosophy my brothers or sisters and not the doctrine of Christ.

The doctrine of Christ is that when Jesus Christ comes in his glory on the day he is going to come, ALL NATIONS SHALL BE GATHERED BEFORE HIM so that he will separate the good from the tares or sheep from goats and not RAPTURED before him/by him/to him.

Rapture i repeat, its not a doctrine of Christ, but man’s philosophy.

Hi Marthina. I can only say “Praise be to God.” Thank you for your comment. Keep your eyes fixed on Jesus Christ.

Hi Mpofu. Thank you for your comment. Its length alone tells that you have put a lot of work into it, which I can appreciate as an avid contender for the faith, including the Rapture. I am familiar with most of your arguments because all the anti-Rapture folk uses the same old arguments over and over and over again. I don’t know how old you are, but perhaps you will appreciate the phenomena that used to occur when an old vinal record had a damaged groove. The needle usually got stuck and played a part of a tune over and over and over, until someone gently nudged it on.

Unfortunately, most of your arguments are incorrect. For instance, your contention that the word “rapture” never appears in the Bible is partly true but completely unacceptable because it is not a good argument. The word “trinity” never once appears in the Bible. Are you going to reject the unique unity in the godhead consisting of God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit?

Indeed, the word “Rapture” does not appear in the text of the Bible. However, it comes from the Latin word “rapere,” meaning “rapid” (lightning-quick, as in the twinkling of an eye), and the Latin word “rapiemur,” meaning, “we shall be caught up.” This word was taken from the Greek verb harpazo, meaning, “to seize upon, spoil, snatch away, or take to oneself by force,” especially used of rapture.

Another overly emphasized verse the anti-Rapturists love to use is 2 Peter 3:8, “But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years and a thousand years as one day.” Note carefully, “with God” and not “with man.” With man, a thousand years is not one day and conversely, one day is not a thousand years. If mankind had the ability to see and experience a thousand years as one day and vice versa, we would have to attribute godly characteristics to humankind. At any rate, the context in this passage is not the rapture, let alone the Second Coming of Christ. And that, I assume, you will regard as blasphemy just as I do. The context is God’s magnanimous longsuffering toward mankind, not wanting anyone to perish and, therefore, is postponing Christ’s return. (verse 9).

As for your arguments about the “first resurrection,” you are wrong again. Is not Jesus Christ’s resurrection the First Resurrection? If you do agree, you cannot possibly believe that the redemption of a lost sinner is the first resurrection. By the way, there is no such thing as a concurrent resurrection of both believers and unbelievers. Revelation 20: 5 clearly says the unbelievers will be resurrected after the thousand years. Here’s a question for you. What did the angel Gabriel mean when he said to Mary, “And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God. And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS. He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: And he shall reign over the house of Jacob forever; and of his kingdom, there shall be no end.” (Luke 1:30-33).

And, please do not spiritualize it. If you do, you will have to spiritualize Christ’s virgin birth as well.

I have read your article and would like to assist in shedding more light on this parable of the ten virgins which the Lord gave in Matthew 25vs1-13.

The parable of the 10 virgins points to what is going to happen on the day of judgement.

It is unfortunate because there are people or theologians who have spread a very disturbing doctrine which is not even in the scriptures: The doctrine of Rapture> The word Rapture itself is not even there in original Hebrew or Greek manuscripts or to put it simple on the first English bible translations which was interpreted word for word from original Hebrew and Greek (The king James version).

They read scriptures such as Luke 17vs31-37 and Matthew 24vs17, 40-41 and take them literally yet the word of God is spiritual and must therefore be understood spiritually.

It is folly to suppose that there will be a time when others are going to be raptured to heaven and others left when we have clear cut scriptures like Matthew 25vs31-32 which tells us clearly that the day JESUS CHRIST is going to come here on earth on his last coming on earth, ALL NATIONS SHALL BE GATHERED BEFORE HIM.

Matthew 25vs 31-32 “When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory:
And before him shall be gathered ALL nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats.

Before going further, let me just assist a brother or a sister to expound on one scripture which false preachers quote to assert the doctrine of Rapture on;

Matthew 24vs17 “Let him which is on the housetop not come down to take anything out of his house:

Jesus Christ the LORD of glory is the one who said these words in Matthew 24vs17. (The question is: When Jesus spoke, were his words carnal/literal or they were spiritual?)

John 6vs63 “It is the spirit that quickeneth ;the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that i speak unto you, they are spirit and they are life.

In Matthew 24vs17, what house was Jesus referring to? Was he referring to brick and mortar kind of house or was he referring to something?

Hebrews 3vs6 “But Christ as a son over his own house; whose house are we, if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end.
1st Corinthians 6vs19 “What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit which is in you, which ye have of God, and you are not your own?
2nd Corinthians 5vs1 “For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.

I cant exhaust scriptures to prove that in New Testament when ever you hear about the word house it refers to a body and in other scriptures they use the word temple.

So what did Jesus mean when he said “Let him which is on the housetop not come down to take anything out of his house in Matthew 24vs17?

Answer:

The issue is on carnality (living according to the desires of flesh) vs spirituality (living a life inspired by Holy Spirit and in accordance to God’s word)

Romans 8vs6 & 8 “For to carnally minded is death: but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.

Having seen that the house is the body, what are the the things that Jesus is saying he that is on top of the house must never come down to take??

Answer:

Romans 7vs23 “But i see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.

Which are these members referred to in Romans 7vs23?

Colossians 3vs5-6 “Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry:
For which things’ sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of dis-obedience.

So to be on top of the house is a statement which refers to one being spiritual and not walking according to the flesh: One who is born of God, living by the dictates of the word of God, with the imputed righteousness of Christ in them which empowers them to overcome the desires of the flesh.

Galatians 5vs16 “This i say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.

When the word says “Walk in the Spirit” it means one must live by the word of GOD (this is to be on top of the house- the staff which the LORD said one must never go back and take in the house are works of the flesh which one must not go back in them as they are dead in the old man of sin and now being a new creation in Christ) being empowered by the grace of GOD to live a righteous life through the faith of Jesus Christ and not through the works of the law.

This is the state which believers are to be found in on the last coming of the LORD JESUS CHRIST. (Found in a state without spot or blemish as washed by the word of God)

Revelation 19vs 8 “And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints

CONCLUSION

So i hope one is helped here, Those who preach the doctrine of Rapture are swaying people and making Christ a liar but God forbid, let all men be liars and only GOD be true. According to JESUS CHRIST our LORD in Matthew 25 vs 31-32, the very day he comes, ALL nations shall be gathered before him at once and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats;

About the millennium reign of Christ, this is not an issue to cry home about because the word of God needs HOLY SPIRIT to understand it and not a human mind. If one thinks the 1000 years are absolute, they must explain 2nd Peter 3vs8 which says “But beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a 1000years and a 1000 years as one day.

People must be careful about scriptures.

In Revelations 20vs1-15, a clue was given as to when the 1000years shall take place and like i have said, one must be careful with these scriptures.
A clue was given in Revelation 20vs5 when John the revelator as inspired by HOLY SPIRIT said “……This is the first resurrection”.

Meaning to say the 1000years are to happen during the era of the first resurrection.

Dont ever read the book of revelation literally without seeking due guidence from HOLY SPIRIT lest you tread on a very slippery slop of error.

I will not expound much on this i want to quickly rush to the issue of the 10 virgins, but let me give someone who wants to learn a clue as to when is this 1000years, and if i find time next time will discuss at length.

First resurrection

When the bible talks about the first resurrection it means it is the first time people are resurrected from the dead. At what point is this?

Romans 5vs12 “Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin and so death passed upon all men, for ALL have sinned.
Romans 3vs23 “For ALL have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.
Ephesians 2vs1 “And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins.

So we see that everyone when they are born they are born dead spiritually because of sin which was instigated by Adam the first man.

At what point then did people experience the first resurrection as we see evidently that ALL HUMANITY ARE BORN DEAD so that we can ascertain this 1000year people and not continue as a people that are tossed to and from by every wind of doctrine which seeks to lead many astray from the truth?

John 3vs3 “Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily i say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.

Born again of what?

1st Peter 1vs23 “Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.

At what point was this word published?

Acts 1vs8 “But you shall receive power, after that the Holy Spirit is come upon you: and you shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem and in all Judaea and in Samaria and unto the uttermost part of the earth.

Acts2vs36-41 “Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus, whom you have crucified both Lord and Christ.
Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles,Men and brethren, what shall we do?
Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptised every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

In verse 41 of Acts 2, we see that about 3000 souls were added unto the Apostles on the day of Pentecost. THIS IS WERE THE FIRST RESURRECTION was encountered. The first believers to be preached the word of salvation; meaning to saying a thousand years is encountered during the NEW TESTAMENT ERA where people hear the gospel of grace and truth and get born again unto life and resurrect from death which was ushered to all humanity through Adam.

Meaning to say the 1000 years of the reign of Christ is the New Testament Era where Christ is reigning over his church which he purchased with his own blood. That is why Colossians 1vs13 says “God has delivered us from the power of darkness, and has translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son”

There is no kingdom without a king, meaning Christ is actually reigning now during this New Testament Era of grace as a king which is why Hebrews 7vs22 says “By so much was Jesus made a surety of a better testament. That is why in Matthew 26vs27-28 he took the cup and gave thanks, and gave it to them saying Drink ye all of it; For this is my blood of the new testament which is shed for many for the remission of sins.