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[Gary] Are you a Christian who believes that Jesus is going to save you from a time of horrendous global trouble? Are you waiting for Him to whisk you away into heaven in what is called the Rapture?
You imagine pilotless airplanes plummeting to earth… empty cars crashing into each other… and those “left behind” anxiously searching for their loved ones who disappeared. Preachers, books and movies teach this! But, is it even biblical?How devastated would you be when you and other Christians aren't raptured? That could undermine your entire faith and belief in God. So, we need to ask: What does the Bible actually teach about the rapture?You know, the Bible does teach of a future time when supernatural trumpets will announce God's intervention in human history. Do you expect to hear the blast of a trumpet and immediately rise to meet Jesus in the clouds?Well, today we'll explore four biblical passages to see if the Bible can actually answer the question, “Is the Rapture Real?”[Announcer] Join our host Gary Petty, and his guests, as they help you understand your future on Beyond Today ![Gary] Many Christians believe that we are fast approaching a time of massive war, disease epidemics and natural calamities. Now, some Christians believe that they will be saved from these worldwide calamities by what is called the “Rapture.” The rapture is the teaching that Christ comes to take away Christians into the clouds before the prophetic time of the Great Tribulation.The book of Revelation tells of a time when seven angels will blast seven trumpets, each one heralding great events during the time leading to the return of Jesus Christ as King of Kings.A careful study of these seven trumpets shows that the pre-Tribulation rapture teaching is based on a misunderstanding of these prophecies. There are few who are Christian who believe in the rapture. About this time, I know what you're saying: “I know this guy is wrong. I mean the rapture is mentioned in the Bible by the apostle Paul in 1 Thessalonians.”Well, we're going to explore that passage, along with three other biblical passages that concern the return of Jesus Christ, and what the Bible actually teaches.Now if you are waiting for the return of Jesus Christ, then what we're discussing today is very important in helping you understand God's plan of salvation. Don't be devastated when you and other Christians aren't raptured. Don't let an unbiblical teaching undermine your entire faith and belief in God.Okay. So let's begin by turning to 1 Thessalonians 4. And here the apostle Paul writes to the first century church in Thessalonica. He wrote:“But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep…” Now, in the Bible you're going to find both in the Old Testament and in the New Testament, especially in the writings of Jesus and Paul, where what we have is death described as sleep. So he is talking about people who have died.He says: “…lest you sorrow as others who have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep 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”—Okay, those who are alive at Christ's coming—” will by no means precede”—or have some kind of benefit over—“those who are asleep”—or dead. “For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God.”And listen to this next statement, because we are going to come back to it: “And the dead in Christ will rise first. 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 thus we shall always be with the Lord” (1 Thessalonians 4:13-17 13 But I would not have you to be ignorant, brothers, concerning them which are asleep, that you sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. 14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. 15 For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain to the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. 16 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: 17 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. ×).What we have done is we have put together an illustration to help us go through the four scriptures that we are talking about today, to help us look at some very simple facts that are stated in these passages and help us understand what the Bible actually teaches about the rapture. So let's look first at 1 Thessalonians. Now we're going to look at a number of facts in this passage.First, the time period. It actually doesn't tell us. It just says that these things are going to happen.Where is Christ in this passage? Now think about what we just read. It's rather obvious. It says He's in the clouds, okay. But this is very important.Then, who is gathered? The dead and then the living saints. So this is who He gathers, at this time, in the clouds.But this is very important. Who is raised first? Well, it's obvious. He says, the dead are raised first. So the dead are raised first—remember that phrase, because we are going to come back to it.And then, what will be heard? The voice of an angel and a trumpet.So here is what we have. Christ comes in the clouds. He gathers the dead and the living. Those who are raised first are the dead. And it happens at the sound of an archangel and a trumpet.This is the predominant passage used to support the “Rapture” teaching. Now to really understand this passage, we must compare it with three other New Testament passages that describe these same events.So, let's look at what Jesus taught about His second coming and the gathering of the saints in what is called the Olivet Prophecy. A lot of people will tell you that the rapture and the second coming of Jesus Christ are two separate events. But, we're going to show you that this is an error in this teaching. The elect will be saved, but maybe not in the way many of you have been taught.Now here's what Jesus says in Matthew 24: “Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other” (Matthew 24:29-31 29 Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken: 30 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. 31 And 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. ×).Well let's look at our chart again, and let's look at the differences and similarities between these two passages.Matthew. What is the time period in which Jesus describes here about His coming? It is after the Tribulation. So in 1 Thessalonians we don't have an exact mention of the time period but we do here in Matthew. So it's after the Tribulation.Where is Jesus? Well, He is in the clouds.Who does He come to gather? The elect. The elect are the saints. They are Christians. They are those who are His, who are Jesus Christ's.And what's very important here and also in understanding, is that He comes at the sound of a trumpet.So there are very important similarities between these two passages. We don't know if there is a similarity here between 1 Thessalonians and Matthew because this doesn't tell a time.We know that Jesus here is distinctly talking of a time after the Tribulation. Both coming in the cloud.Who is gathered? The dead and living saints—the elect.Who is raised first? 1 Thessalonians says, the dead. But in the Matthew, it doesn't, it doesn't say.What will be heard? The voice of an archangel and a trumpet, and a trumpet. So we see there are similarities here but there are some gaps between these two. There are things that are mentioned in one and not in the other. We have to solve that problem.We can see that there are remarkable similarities between what Jesus taught in the prophecy, here in the Olivet Prophecy and what Paul wrote in 1 Thessalonians.So here is the question: Are Jesus and Paul talking about two different events or are they describing the same event? We're going to answer that question in today's program. But first, I'm going to talk to you about our free offer. To provide you with much more information on this important subject, we have prepared a new free Bible study aid, The Rapture Versus the Bible . This study aid goes into much greater detail on this often misunderstood subject and it includes, by the way, the scriptural comparison chart which I have been explaining on today's program .You can receive a free copy of this dynamic study aid by calling: 1-888-886-8632. That's 1-888-886-8632. Now, we have only a limited number of copies of The Rapture Versus the Bible available in print. Once we run out, it will only be available on our website . However, if you call right now, we will be pleased to send you this unique, free study aid directly to your home. You really need this vital free publication to help you better understand the biblical truth on today's subject.So, please call: 1-888-886-8632 or visit BeyondToday.tv , to request your free study aid.So what does the Bible really teach about the rapture?Well the answer to that question doesn't have to be overwhelming. Today, we're looking at four, biblical, prophetic passages that describe the return of Jesus Christ.Now we've looked at one passage in 1 Thessalonians where Paul wrote that those who are alive at Christ's second coming won't “precede,” or '”have an advantage” over those who have died in the faith. Because—and he plainly says this—the dead in Christ will rise first.We've also looked at Jesus' teaching in the Olivet Prophecy where He talked about gathering His followers from the “four winds,” or from all areas of the globe, but this is said to be done after the Tribulation.Now, are these two passages describing the same events or two different events?We have two more passages to explore that will help us put together the pieces of this puzzle.If you have ever wondered about the rapture teaching, or if you have been sort of taking this for granted, you need to continue to follow along as we explore what the Bible actually teaches.So, let's go and look at our third passage, which was also written by the apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians 15. This is what he writes:“Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor does corruption inherit incorruption. Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep…”—You see this same reference before, this sleep means death—”…but we shall all be changed—in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality” (1 Corinthians 15:50-53 50 Now this I say, brothers, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither does corruption inherit incorruption. 51 Behold, I show you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, 52 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. 53 For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. ×).