rapture – La Vista Church of Christ

Are the unsaved left behind?

Jeffrey Hamilton — Thu, 26 Mar 2026 22:25:25 +0000

Question:

Are the people who are not saved left here on earth when the event in I Thessalonians 4:17 occurs? Will they be burned up according to II Peter 3?

Can you help with this? Thank you.

Answer:

"But we do not want you to be uninformed, brethren, about those who are asleep, so that you will not grieve as do the rest who have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus. For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another with these words" (I Thessalonians 4:13-18).

To understand a passage, we must first understand why it was written. There were Christians in Thessalonica who worried that brethren who died would not make it to heaven since they would not be alive when Christ returned. There was a very strong Greek belief that once a person dies, he cannot return to life. This is why the Greek philosophers scoffed when Paul mentioned the resurrection of Jesus (Acts 17:32). It appears the Thessalonians accepted that Jesus arose, but they didn't realize that it meant they would rise as well. Therefore, in this context, Paul focuses on what happens to Christians after they die. What happens to the wicked is not under discussion.

It is an easy mistake to assume that if the wicked are not mentioned, they must not rise; however, we have to avoid assumptions. Our assumptions are not inspired and can easily be wrong. Jesus stated, "Do not marvel at this; for an hour is coming, in which all who are in the tombs will hear His voice, and will come forth; those who did the good deeds to a resurrection of life, those who committed the evil deeds to a resurrection of judgment" (John 5:28-29). There is a single moment ("an hour") when all will rise -- both the good and the evil. The good will continue on to life, and the wicked will face punishment. "But when the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, then He will sit on His glorious throne. All the nations will be gathered before Him; and He will separate them from one another, as the shepherd separates the sheep from the goats ... These will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life" (Matthew 25:31-32, 46). God doesn't discuss multiple resurrections. At Jesus' coming, there will be a single resurrection, and, in the Judgment, the good and the bad will be separated for different destinies. "So just as the tares are gathered up and burned with fire, so shall it be at the end of the age. The Son of Man will send forth His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all stumbling blocks, and those who commit lawlessness, and will throw them into the furnace of fire; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Then the righteous will shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears, let him hear" (Matthew 13:40-43).

"For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad" (II Corinthians 5:10).

How do you identify the true church?

Jeffrey Hamilton — Wed, 24 Dec 2025 19:22:31 +0000

Question:

Dear Sir,

Thank you for your response to various questions. I have learned so much from the La Vista Church of Christ's website, and I want to let you know. I really want to join a true church of Christ.

I have two questions:

How do you identify a true church?
Is Christ coming back? Or does the rapture happen when we die?

I wait urgently for your insightful response.

Answer:

The answer to your first question is simple, but it requires effort. You need to check the things a church teaches and practices against what God has said. You need to be like the Bereans, "for they received the word with great eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see whether these things were so" (Acts 17:11).

See:

One attribute of God is that He cannot lie (Titus 1:2). He always keeps His word. "And inasmuch as it is appointed for men to die once and after this comes judgment, so Christ also, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time for salvation without reference to sin, to those who eagerly await Him" (Hebrews 9:28). So, yes, Christ is coming back. However, he is not coming back to set up a kingdom in this world. He is returning to bring the world to an end. "The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance. But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, in which the heavens will pass away with a roar and the elements will be destroyed with intense heat, and the earth and its works will be burned up" (II Peter 3:9-10).

Because of this, the idea of a rapture is incorrect. See "What Is the Rapture?"

Response:

Dear Sir,

Thank you so much for your reply. It contains so much that I am taking my time to read and understand it all.

God bless you richly.

Can you explain two verses used by someone who believes in the rapture?

Jeffrey Hamilton — Wed, 01 Oct 2025 20:35:34 +0000

Question:

Hello Sir,

I have recently been talking with a nice lady who believes in the rapture. I asked her if she would tell me why she believes in it. She said I Thessalonians 5:9 and Revelation 3:10. Could you explain those to me? I was a bit perplexed about what to say in response to the Revelation 3:10 comment.

Thank you so much for your time and insight.

Answer:

When someone gives a passage to support their belief, the best thing to do is open a Bible and read the passage in its immediate context.

"For those who sleep do their sleeping at night, and those who get drunk get drunk at night. But since we are of the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet, the hope of salvation. For God has not destined us for wrath, but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us, so that whether we are awake or asleep, we will live together with Him" (I Thessalonians 5:7-10).

This discussion addresses the resurrection, but it doesn't prove that there will be a separate resurrection for the wicked and the righteous. It fits well with Jesus' statement that everyone will be resurrected together. "Do not marvel at this; for an hour is coming, in which all who are in the tombs will hear His voice, and will come forth; those who did the good deeds to a resurrection of life, those who committed the evil deeds to a resurrection of judgment" (John 5:28-29).

"And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write: He who is holy, who is true, who has the key of David, who opens and no one will shut, and who shuts and no one opens, says this: 'I know your deeds. Behold, I have put before you an open door which no one can shut, because you have a little power, and have kept My word, and have not denied My name. Behold, I will cause those of the synagogue of Satan, who say that they are Jews and are not, but lie--I will make them come and bow down at your feet, and make them know that I have loved you. Because you have kept the word of My perseverance, I also will keep you from the hour of testing, that hour which is about to come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth. I am coming quickly; hold fast what you have, so that no one will take your crown'" (Revelation 3:7-11).

Again, this passage doesn't prove a rapture. It doesn't even speak of a resurrection. Perhaps premillennialists would use Revelation 3:10 to talk about what they call the "tribulation," but notice that it is taken out of context. This letter is addressed to a church in Philadelphia, located in the Roman province of Asia. The persecution had been taking place against Christians by the Jews in this town. Things are about to get worse, but Jesus said he would protect the members of this congregation. A persecution that would consume the entire world (the Roman Empire) is about to begin soon. Notice that Jesus said he is coming quickly. The beginning of Revelation states it is about things that would happen soon to those it was written. "The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show to His bond-servants, the things which must soon take place; and He sent and communicated it by His angel to His bond-servant John, who testified to the word of God and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, even to all that he saw. Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of the prophecy, and heed the things which are written in it; for the time is near" (Revelation 1:1-3).

Thus, we find that the nice lady takes verses out of their context and applies them in illogical ways to fit a preconceived narrative.

Response:

Thank you so much for this information.

I find your site so useful; it has helped me tremendously.

Get Right or Get Left

Jeffrey Hamilton — Fri, 15 Aug 2025 19:06:12 +0000

by David Gibson

The bumper sticker said, “Get Right or Get Left.” It had a Scripture reference to a verse which says, “Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord” (I Thessalonians 4:17 NASB).

According to this theory

The premillennial view of the Rapture is that Christ will first come only for His own. The righteous dead will be raised, and they, along with the righteous living, will be caught up to meet Christ in the air.

The Latin translation of “caught up” in this passage is rapiemur, and it is from this word that the term "rapture" comes.

Many believe that when Christ comes, those who are unprepared will be left wondering what happened to all those who suddenly vanished into thin air! In other words, the bumper sticker means: Get right with God, or you will miss the Rapture and be left here on earth.

According to the Scriptures

“Get Right or Get Left” is clever, but is it scriptural? Indeed, Jesus is coming to claim His own, but on that same occasion, He will deal with the unrighteous. All the dead will be raised on the same day (John 5:28-29; 6:39-40; 12:48; Acts 24:15). The text referred to on the bumper sticker focuses only on the righteous at His coming. In other passages, Paul discusses the end of the wicked (I Thessalonians 5:1-10; II Thessalonians 1:6-10).

The Rapture has captured the interest of millions through dramatic novels and movies. Let’s make sure what we believe about His coming is really what His word actually says.

And above all, be ready!

The Rapture

Jeffrey Hamilton — Thu, 05 Jun 2025 20:30:15 +0000

by Mark Bass

In the last twenty to twenty-five years, we have heard a great deal about the rapture. In the de-nominational world, book after book has been printed dealing with this mysterious subject. Denominational preachers spend a lot of their pulpit time addressing this topic. Granted, such topics make for interesting sermons and books, but what does the Bible say on the subject? That should be our concern.

As I recall, I was in the ninth or tenth grade when a friend in school asked me if we (the church of Christ) believed in the rapture. I did not know what she was talking about, so I asked her to explain. She didn't know much more than I did about it, because she said it meant that Jesus would come back to earth at the end of time. In my ignorance, I asked her if she meant like the judgment, and she said "yes." I was too ignorant to understand the difference. Since that time, I have come to a better understanding of what the rapture is all about. But what are we talking about when we speak of the rapture?

Briefly speaking, the rapture theory says that one of these days (real soon), Christ is going to come silently and invisibly and will raise the righteous dead, and all the righteous living will mysteriously disappear (be raptured). Supposedly, they will disappear into thin air. The wicked dead will remain in the grave, and the wicked living will remain on earth. According to premillennialists, this will occur at the beginning of the seven-year tribulation.

This theory is based on I Thessalonians 4:16-17 (A most unlikely context to prove such a theory). In this text Paul says, "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."

In verse 17, notice the words "caught up." Rapture theorists say that the saints will be raptured or caught up at the return of Christ. How? It will be silent, invisible, and mysterious. Whoever came up with this idea had not read these verses carefully. In verse 16, Paul affirms that the Lord "himself" shall appear (that's a personal, visible appearance of Christ). Notice also that he shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet of God. That does not sound like Christ is going to come silently. As brother Wayne Jackson said, "That's the noisiest verse in the Bible!"

Notice also II Peter 3:10, where Peter is talking about the same day - the day the Lord will come again. Among other things, he says that "the heavens shall pass away with a great noise." Does that sound like a "silent" return of our Lord?

Furthermore, when Paul wrote Second Thessalonians (which was to correct some of the false ideas that brethren had gotten from his first letter), he said in II Thessalonians 1:7 (talking about the return of Christ), "And to you who are troubled, rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels." Notice, Paul says the Lord will be "revealed." He will not come back invisibly, but He will be "revealed" - He will be seen. I Thessalonians 4:16 affirms that the "Lord himself shall descend." That sounds like a visible, personal appearance.

As you can see, the whole rapture concept is entirely false. The Bible never speaks of Christ returning to this old earth. It speaks of our meeting him in the air when he returns for judgment (I Thessalonians 4:17).

It's disheartening that many people have such a limited understanding of what the Bible clearly teaches on the subject of the end of time. As Christians, we need to study so that we can teach the truth on this subject. It doesn't take a lot of study to learn how to deal with these errors. The doctrine of premillennialism is much like a row of dominoes standing on end - when one falls, they all fall. Once you topple a couple of the dominoes of premillennialism, the others will soon follow.

Remember - the truth has nothing to fear! Remember - the truth has nothing to fear!

Will the Tribulation Come After the Rapture?

Jeffrey Hamilton — Wed, 09 Oct 2024 21:14:04 +0000

by Terry Wane Benton

Be careful not to assume that what you hear about the tribulation and the rapture is grounded in sound biblical exegesis. Reading into the Scriptures and twisting the Scriptures can mean destruction to you and others (II Peter 3:16). So, make sure you are not following someone blindly into the ditch. What often happens is that texts have been mishandled and forced into a doctrine far removed from the original context.

The modern teaching of the “tribulation” and “the rapture” are classic examples of biblical abuse and distortion. Add hype, fear, and imagination; the combination means the error can spread like cancer.

The “tribulation” was before the fall of Jerusalem in AD 70, and Jesus described it in Matthew 24:3-35. That context is about the temple in Jerusalem being destroyed in that very generation. The tribulation was the hard times leading to that destruction in AD.66-70. To take it out of that generation, that event, and that context and apply it to things happening now is a misuse of the Scriptures. There is no prophecy about a period of tribulation that marks out anything in our day. But, despite the context of Jesus’ words in Matthew 24, people today are looking at wars, earthquakes, and tribulations and applying those scriptures to modern events.

Incidentally, this misuse was done in every unsettling period. Misguided religious preachers looked at the events of WWI, WWII, the Gulf War, etc., and told people in those days that we were in “the great tribulation” or that we were about to enter it, and every time, they were wrong. They misused scripture that applied to the first-century destruction of Jerusalem and deceived themselves and others about modern events being foretold.

There is no “rapture” except being “caught up” when Jesus comes for His people at the end (I Thessalonians 4:13-18). There is no schedule of events to let you know when the final day of the Lord will catch His people away. The text says it will be at some unexpected time, “like a thief in the night.” (I Thessalonians 5:1-ff). So, in answer to the question, the tribulation Jesus spoke of in Matthew 24 already happened by AD 70, and the “caught up” of I Thessalonians 4:13-18 will have no precursor signs to warn us.

The doctrine of the rapture is false. It says there will be a secret snatching away of some while events go onward on the earth. This text says the coming will be heard and seen and lends no credence to the idea of raptured folk coming back here after seven years. When Jesus comes and takes His people home, we will “ever be with the Lord,” and the earth will be burned up (II Peter 3:7-12). There is no snatching away and then coming back here. So, don’t get caught up in the hype of misused scriptures.

The Lord will return and deliver those in His kingdom to the Father in heaven. No signs allow you to wait to get ready at the last moment. Get ready now because there will be no second chances. You must be wise with your time now. Either you know Jesus is worth getting ready for now, or death will catch you unprepared, or the coming of the Lord will catch you on the wrong side, the rejected side, which will not be good for you and those you influenced to be like-minded. Today is the accepted time to prepare to be on the winning team of the wise disciples of Jesus Christ.

Will There be a Rapture?

Jeffrey Hamilton — Sun, 10 Sep 2023 23:34:32 +0000

https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Will-There-Be-a-Rapture.mp3

Text: I Thessalonians 4:13-18

I. People have always been fascinated with the second coming of Christ

A. That fascination increased greatly as the 21^st century approached.

B. A very popular series, called “Left Behind” by Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins claims to tell the events of Christ’s return in fictional form. The books were written from 1995 to 2007.

C. The series claims to be based on the book of Revelation, though it pulls concepts from the Gospels and other places.

D. Since the key to this fanciful series is the idea of a rapture, we will use the Scriptures to judge its truthfulness - I John 4:1

II. Defining premillennialism

A. Example:

That is about to change as we enter "the time of the end." As soon as the church is raptured (see chapter 9), God will again begin to visibly intervene in the affairs of mankind. Russia and her allies will go down to destroy the nation of Israel but will themselves be destroyed supernaturally by God (Ezekiel 38-39; see chapter 8). No one knows for sure whether that precedes or follows the Rapture; a case can be made either way. One thing is apparent: Russia's attack and the Rapture are the number one and two end-time events. They are followed by the rise of Antichrist (see chapter 21), the day of God's wrath (see chapters 12-14), the two witnesses (see chapter 22), the 144,000 Jewish evangelists (see chapter 24), and many other acts of divine intervention during the Tribulation. There will be so many signs that atheism will not be widespread during that period; amazingly, it will be supplanted by open and blatant rebellion against God.

The Tribulation will be followed by the majestic intervention of God in the glorious return of Christ to the earth (see chapter 15) to set up His thousand-year kingdom (see chapter 16), followed by heaven or eternity (see chapter 19).

The "time of the end" as Daniel called it, or "the last days" as the apostles referred to it, is that short period of seven to ten or more years of enormous change for this world as almighty God brings this age to an end by His supernatural intervention. God's people need to study the prophetic Scriptures so they can both be prepared themselves and can help others prepare for His coming.

The good news is that this world will not end in chaos as the secularists predict. The Bible says Christ will come to solve the world's problems by introducing the greatest period in world history, the millennial kingdom of Jesus Christ. And while we are not certain it will occur in our lifetime, we have more reason to believe it might than any generation in the history of the church. [“Are We Living in the End Times?”]

B. Points vary between different advocates, but basically it has the following events at the end of time:

C. Rapture (great joy)

1. The sudden removal of the faithful from the world.

D. Tribulation

1. Those left behind (hence the name of the series) will suffer seven years of tribulation.

2. A small portion of those left will turn to God, becoming the targets of the tribulation and the soldiers in the final years of war

E. Anti-Christ

1. A world ruler will arise who represents everything Christ was against.

F. Armageddon

1. The final battle between good and evil, where Satan’s forces are finally defeated.

G. Thousand Year Reign

1. Christ then returns with the faithful to establish a utopian rule on earth for 1,000 years.

H. At the end of the reign, the faithful enter heaven for eternity.

I. The order of these events are basically those in the Left Behind series, but there are many conflicting proposals in the denominational world.

1. Some have the seven years of tribulation after the millennial reign

J. Proof texts

1. The rapture is to signal the beginning of the end times.

2. The rapture is to be a silent, sudden removal of the saints

a. Based on Matthew 24:40-41 - Only some gathered

b. I Thessalonians 4:15-17 - caught up in the air (sudden departure)

3. Followed by a period of tribulation

a. Matthew 24:21-22 - A great tribulation that will not last long

4. The rise of the anti-Christ

a. Matthew 24:24 - False Christs and false prophets will arise

III. Refuting

A. Even though the claim is that the doctrine is based on Revelation, most of the points come from the Gospels.

B. Their time frame is wrong - Matthew 24:34

1. Jesus said it would happen to the generation to whom he was speaking.

2. “No one knows for certain when Christ will return or whether we are really living in the end times. We believe, however, that Christians living today have more reason to believe that Christ could come in our generation than those of any generation before us. For example, all prophecy scholars agree that the generation that saw Israel restored to her land in 1948 could well be the "generation [that] certainly will not pass away until all these things have happened" (Matthew 24:32-34, NIV ). In other words, before that strategic generation passes from the scene, time, as we know it, will come to an end.” [“End Time Resources: End Time Study”, Left Behind Series, Tyndale House, 2001]

3. The premillennialists claim the generation started with those who saw the restoration of Israel in 1948. Hence, the strong interest because that generation is dying off.

4. The fault is that they are ignoring to whom Jesus was speaking. This was not a conversation about distant events, but something that Jesus’s audience would experience.

C. Their participants are wrong.

1. Almost all premillennialists have the United States, the old Soviet Union (Russia), China, or some nation in the Middle East waging war.

2. Jesus said the vultures would gather around the corpse - Matthew 24:28, Luke 17:34-37

3. The corpse referred to was the spiritual dead Jewish nation.

4. The vultures (or literally eagles in the text) is a reference to the Roman armies which used the eagle as its emblem.

5. Hence, this is a reference to the destruction of Israel by the Romans, which occurred in A.D. 70.

6. Since the United States also uses the eagle for its emblem, the modern-day prophets have reapplied the statements to the U.S.

D. Their event is wrong

1. They claim that the rapture will be a quiet event, yet read I Thessalonians 4:13-18 again. Verse 16 is anything but a secret departure.

2. At the sound of the last trumpet - I Corinthians 15:52

3. Matthew 24:1-35 is talking about the destruction of Jerusalem and it was not done quietly - Matthew 24:27

E. The duration is wrong

1. When Christ returns, we will always be with the Lord - I Thessalonians 4:17

2. Not seven years as these people claim

F. They have two comings

1. The first to take the righteous

2. The second seven years later to destroy the wicked

3. Yet the Bible speaks of one return where the righteous are gathered and the wicked are slain - II Thessalonians 2:8

4. In reality these people have two, or possibly three, resurrections: at the beginning of the tribulation, at the end of the tribulation, and at the end of the 1,000 year reign.

a. The Bible speaks of one resurrection of all - John 5:28-29

5. There is no rapture of only the righteous in the Scriptures

G. Much of the confusion is created by blending events dealing with the destruction of Jerusalem with the second coming. Further confusion is added by dividing the single second coming events into multiple events.

IV. Premillennialism is based on a fundamental misunderstanding of the kingdom of Christ

A. Readings of Old Testament prophecy is interpreted as being unfulfilled

1. Isaiah 2:2-4 - They emphasize that it will happen in Jerusalem

2. Isaiah 11:1-10 - Emphasis on the wicked’s destruction and a reign of peace

3. Daniel 2:44 - A kingdom which cannot be destroyed

B. Yet, these prophecies were fulfilled

1. John 18:36 - Jesus said his kingdom was not of this world

2. Luke 17:20-21 - When asked when the kingdom would come, Jesus said it was not seen in outward signs, but be found within themselves.

3. Mark 1:15 - The time for the kingdom was close to the time of Christ

4. Mark 9:1 - It would be established within that generation

5. After receiving the Holy Spirit, Peter announce that it was from Jesus whom God had made both Lord and Christ - Acts 2:33-36.

a. We are so used to the term Lord that we forget it means a ruler or king.

b. God made Jesus King as well as the Christ.

6. Colossians 1:13 - Speaking of the church, Paul said we were transferred into Christ’s Kingdom when we were rescued from our sins.

C. When Jesus comes again, he will step down from the throne - I Corinthians 15:23-26

1. He is currently reigning until death is destroyed

2. Death will be destroyed at the resurrection of all the dead - I Corinthians 15:52-54

V. Premillennialism is a false system of doctrine designed to give people a false hope.

A. Notice that even after the return of Jesus, they teach there is time to turn from sin.

B. The Bible says Jesus can come at any time.

C. When he does come, we must be prepared - II Peter 3:10-14

There Will Be a Rapture

Jeffrey Hamilton — Thu, 10 Aug 2023 18:42:49 +0000

by Terry Wane Benton

If we consider that the words "caught up" in I Thessalonians 4:17 are translated as "rapture" in Latin, then there is going to be a "caught up" (rapture) moment. So, the word is there in Latin, and since the verse says we will be "caught up together with them in the clouds," then it will happen, and I believe in that kind of rapture.

However, many denominations have distorted this verse and taught that there will be a secret rapture, a snatching away of the saints from the earth, while sinners go through a seven-year tribulation period on earth, and people won't know what happened to those Christians. That doctrine is not taught in the Bible. In this text, there is nothing secret about it. "The Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel and with the trumpet of God" (I Thessalonians 4:16).

These are all attention-getters, not secretive at all. So, being "caught up" (rapture) will have everyone's full attention. The dead in Christ will rise first and the living saints will be caught up together with them. It won't be for mere seven years. The text says the saints will "meet the Lord in the air. And thus we will always be with the Lord." Now this text is telling what will happen to the righteous. Other texts show that the unrighteous, those who neglect so great salvation (Hebrews 2:1-4) will be judged (John 12:48; Acts 17:30-31) and sentenced to the lake of fire prepared for the devil and his angels (Matthew 25:33ff).

There will be one resurrection of the just and the unjust (Acts 24:15). A (singular) resurrection of the just and unjust. Not one resurrection of the just, then seven years of tribulation on earth, then another long period on earth, and then another resurrection. There is one last day of mortal life on Earth. When Jesus comes, He will pour out vengeance on the ungodly (II Thessalonians 1:7-9) and reward the faithful.

I hope you are planning on the heavenly reward and are preparing for the Day of the Lord so that you can be among those who are "caught up" together to meet the Lord in the air, and live forever in immortal bliss with the Lord Jesus Christ. That will be most glorious for the people of God, but a day of great misery for the unprepared. Use your time wisely to prepare!

When will the rapture, seven years of distress, the war led by Jesus, and his 1,000-year reign occur?

Jeffrey Hamilton — Fri, 09 Feb 2018 02:31:00 +0000

Question:

The four events that I am interested in are:

the rapture will occur,
Seven years of great distress on earth will happen
a big war will then take place when Jesus personally comes back to earth,
Jesus reigns on earth for 1000 years.

Now what I wanted to know is: Will they occur before we meet the Lord?

Answer:

Do you have any scripture to point to that would suggest that Jesus intends to even set foot on the earth again? Anything that would suggest that he would stay for 1000 years? That Jesus intends to fight a physical war? Or that there is even going to be a rapture? All these concepts are found in books written by man, but it is actually hard to find anything like them in scripture.

According to I Thessalonians 4:16-17, "For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord."

That passage alone says that when Jesus comes, the dead in Christ rise, and all in Christ who are still alive will meet the Lord in the air; basically, saying that Jesus will not even set foot on the earth. Then all the righteous, both living and dead, will be with the Lord. If they are going up and they are with the Lord, that implies that the Lord is not only not setting foot on the earth, but he won't stay here. He and his people are leaving.

According to I Corinthians 15:52, "In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed." According to Paul then, it will happen so fast that it is comparable to the twinkling of the eye. All of this happens on the last trumpet. The dead will rise and this is not a slow resurrection that lasts even days, much less centuries. Tying the two passages above together, we have Jesus coming, a trumpet sound, the dead rising -- and it all happens in less than a second.

II Peter 3:10-12 says, "But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed. Since all these things are thus to be dissolved, what sort of people ought you to be in lives of holiness and godliness, waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be set on fire and dissolved, and the heavenly bodies will melt as they burn!"

That does not say that there is an intervening 1007 years. When he comes, he takes his people and everything: the earth, the sky -- everything is completely destroyed. There is a raising of the dead, but there is no rapture where some people are left to live and fight for 1000 years. There are no years of tribulation. There is only the day of judgment.

So getting back to what Peter said in II Peter 3:11, "Since all these things are thus to be dissolved, what sort of people ought you to be in lives of holiness and godliness?" It is a great question to ponder.

Your rapture article is highly inaccurate

Jeffrey Hamilton — Wed, 04 Oct 2017 02:17:00 +0000

Question:

I find your rapture article highly inaccurate as you throw verses together that clearly have no harmony with the calling up of God's people. How else does a world order be ushered in without millions going missing? If there is no rapture there is no changing of the bodies. Christ isn't physically on the earth and Christ gave no number as to how many times he would return. That article is misleading and false I'm sorry bro, not to be rude.

Answer:

This is a classic example of someone who rejects the teachings found in the Bible because they do not meet what he has already decided must be true.

Notice first of all that no scriptural evidence is given to support his claims; yet, he dismisses the Scriptures cited as being thrown together. This doesn't give anyone a reason to consider his viewpoint. Compare the article on premillennialism by David Tant.

Regarding the number of times Jesus will return to the earth: "so Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many. To those who eagerly wait for Him He will appear a second time, apart from sin, for salvation" (Hebrews 9:28).