The Rapture

The scripture in John 14 tells us the rapture will not occur until Jesus comes back. Notice His words "I am coming again and will receive you home to myself." Notice that the rapture to these many abodes will happen at the beginning of the 2nd coming of Christ. This scripture is our basis for believing that Christ is preparing new "abodes" where He will take us during the rapture. 

Please understand that the 2^nd coming of Christ consists of two events:

FIRST He raptures us (the saints) to paradise. This is where Christ is. Then He destroys the evil people left on this earth.

SECOND He returns with us  (the saints) to fight in the Battle of Armageddon. After Christ wins, He stays for the millennium.

In the 1^st step, Christ takes us to the new abodes, but first He needs to cast the devil out of heaven. The preparation that Christ was referring to had to do with casting  the devil and his angels out of heaven before He could take us there.  The battle between Michael and Satan began soon after Christ ascended to heaven.  See Woman with 12 Stars. 

2 Peter 3:13  But according to His promise we are looking for new heavens and a new earth, in which righteousness dwells.

John 14:27-28  …do not let your hearts be troubled nor let them shrink for fear.  You heard that I said to you, I am going away and I am coming to you

The coming of Christ to rapture / rescue His followers is similar to the days of Noah and the days of Lot.

Luke 17:26-31  ….just as it occurred in the days of Noah, so it will be also in the days of the Son of man. They were eating, they were drinking, they were marrying, they were being given in marriage, until that day when Noah entered into the ark and the flood arrived and DESTROYED THEM ALL. Likewise just as it occurred in the days of Lot., they were eating, they were drinking, they were buying, they were selling, they were planting, …but on the day that Lot came out of Sodom it rained fire and sulfur from heaven and DESTROYED THEM ALL. The same way it will be on that day when the son of man is to be revealed. On that day let the person that is on the house top but whose valuable things [jewels] are in the house not come down to pick these up

Matthew 24:41-42  Two shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left. Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord does come 

These Words Imply the Following:

1. It will occur without previous notice to the bulk of humanity.

2. Not everyone will be raptured from the same family.

3. The ones taken will be in physical form, not spiritual form.

4. They will have a very short time to leave.

5. People will be taken to a place of refuge that is referred to as the new abodes God is preparing.  

6. They will continue to have children in the new place (spirits do not reproduce).

7. The ones left behind will suffer DESTRUCTION similar to what happened in the days of Noah.

Christ also refers to this time with these words: Re 3:3  I will come upon you as a thief.  See our new file - Thief in the Night.

Matthew 24:43-44  But know this, that if the owner of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be dug through. Therefore be ye also ready for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.
 
Not only does a thief come at a time when he is not expected, he comes to rob.  What is Christ robbing?   He will be robbing or abducting part of humanity, and He will be taking them somewhere else.

Do we have evidence of this sort of thing happening before in the history of man?

The Bible gives us 3 examples:

First Example

Hebrews 11:5  By faith Enoch was taken up so that he would not see death; AND HE WAS NOT FOUND BECAUSE GOD TOOK HIM UP;  for he obtained the witness that before his being taken up he was pleasing to God.

So, Enoch was taken  to another place away from Earth. 

Second Example Elijah was taken to heaven in a whirlwind as seen by the prophet Elisha. 2Kings 2:11  And it came to pass, as they still went on, and talked, that, behold, there appeared a chariot of fire, and horses of fire, and parted them both asunder; and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven.  Elijah was seen leaving in physical human form; he did not suddenly "disappear" as some people think the rapture will be.

Third Example

Paul tells us of a man he knew who was taken to paradise.

2Co 12:2-4  I knew a man in Christ above fourteen years ago, (whether in the body, I cannot tell; or whether out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth;) such an one caught up to the THIRD heaven. And I knew such a man, (whether in the body, or out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth;) How that he was caught up into PARADISE, and heard unspeakable words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter.

From the above quote, we understand that PARADISE is referred to by "the THIRD heaven."  Which are the other heavens?

1^st heaven is the sky where birds fly and there are clouds.

Daniel 5:21  ...his body was wet with the dew of heaven...

2^nd heaven is outer space, also referred to as the outermost parts of heaven.

Deuteronomy 30:4   If any of you shall be driven out to the outmost parts of heaven, from there will the LORD your God gather you, and from there will he bring you.

3^rd heaven is other planets and galaxies. Paul's friend was taken to the THIRD heaven which Paul calls PARADISE.

God lives in a higher realm called the heaven of heavens.  For more on this topic, read Heaven.

Deuteronomy 10:14   Behold, the heaven and the heaven of heavens [is] the LORD'S thy God, the earth [also], with all that therein [is].

1 Kings 8:27  But will God indeed dwell on the earth? behold, the heaven and heaven of heavens cannot contain you; how much less this house that I have built?

In the same way that God took Enoch, Elijah, and Paul's friend to paradise, Jesus will also take us to paradise, when He returns to Earth for the rapture. 

God will not leave us on Earth to be destroyed.  He will rapture us, much like He rescued Israel from Egypt.  See Second Exodus.

We will be taken in human form, not in spirit form.  Please do not confuse the rapture with the resurrection. The First Resurrection does not occur till after the Seven Trumpets and seven bowls of wrath have been fulfilled, as explained in the Revelation Timeline.

At the end of the Bowls of Wrath, the Battle of Armageddon occurs, and Christ returns to earth with His saints to establish His Millennial kingdom.

We believe the word of God and are waiting for Christ's return to rapture His people.

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