The Rapture

There is a lie being preached and taught in many churches around the world.  The book stores are filled with books perpetuating this lie and nothing to contradict it.  The lie is the idea that Jesus is coming to "rapture" believers before "The Day of the Lord." When I first became involved with a PLC (party-line church), I had read of the idea of the rapture in several books by popular main street Christian teachers.  I had heard the idea taught on a variety of television and radio shows. While I didn't fully agree with the conclusions drawn from the scriptures sited, I hadn't studied it, and could not answer to the concept. After being involved for a short time with a PLC that taught the rapture, I began to realize that this doctrine is of the devil.  It teaches that the Christian can gain a crown without a cross.  It allows people to hide from the realities of the time because they believe they will be gone before those times come unto us.  It makes null the words of our Saviour because His words don't have any relationship with the believer, because the believer is gone!  It is a lie! I could spend a great deal of time on the Biblical heresy of this doctrine, but I will make just a few points.

In John 11 Jesus is on His way to Bethany at the request of Martha and Mary (the brother of Lazarus).  When Jesus gets there Lazarus has been dead for 4 days.  Martha is upset with Jesus and tells Him that if He had been there Lazarus would not be dead.  Jesus replies that Lazarus will rise.  Martha answers back "I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day." John 11:24

Martha was talking to Jesus.  How many last days are there? One!  The resurrection of the believer is at the last day.  I'm only giving one scripture reference here for now, more will be added later.  But the scripture teaches us that there is one resurrection of the believer, one last day.

Now the proponents of the rapture will use the following verses to support their idea, but it doesn't.

"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." 1st Thessalonians 4:16-17

"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." 1st Corinthians 15:52

When the dead in Christ rise as described in Thessalonians, is that not a (the) resurrection?  When the dead are raised incorruptible as described in Corinthians, is that not a (the) resurrection?  When does "the Lord himself" return (the last trump)?

Now go read Matthew 24.  Read the whole chapter.  I'll start at verse 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:  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. 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."  Matt 24:29-31

There is no pre-tribulation rapture!!!  It's a lie!  Don't take my word for it, don't take their word for it, "Seek and ye shall find!"