A lot of folks have a hard time believing the Church is just going to "fly away".
So what if I tell you the Bible records two raptures that have already taken place?
You may be thinking, What? Well, here it is.
Genesis 5:24 Enoch walked with God: and he was not; for God took him.
And Hebrews 11:5 adds, By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and was not found, because God had translated him: for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God.
"Translate" in the Greek text means to "transport, transfer or change"
Enoch was snatched or raptured away.
Enoch was very special in the eye's of the Lord. The books written by Enoch are very interesting reading. It's a shame they didn't make the cut into our Bible.
Enoch actually got to travel up through the heavens and meet the Lord face to face. The Lord told him everything. Revealing secrets that not even the angels knew. It includes all of creation, what happened with angels going bad, where they are right now, and on and on. A must read!
The second time it occurs to Elijah in 2Kings 2:11 And it came to pass, as they still went on, and talked, that, behold, there appeared a chariot of fire, and parted them both asunder, and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven.
A chariot of fire whirling? In the Hebrew text a chariot is "any means of transportation" and fire , as used there, is "illuminated or glowing" and of course whirlwind is "spinning motion" So what we have here is Elijah being escorted away in a glowing, spinning craft.
Do you believe in Ufo's and Angels?
These two left earth headed heavenward without seeing death. Enoch and Elijah were raptured. These are the two witnesses that return to earth during tribulation. They come in the flesh and are later killed. Revelation 11:3-12. (Elijah known as Elias.)
Elijah = "my God is Jehovah"
1) a prophet born at Thisbe, the unflinching champion of the theocracy in the reigns of the idolatrous kings Ahab and Ahaziah. He was taken up to heaven without dying, whence the Jews expect he will return just before the advent of the Messiah, whom he will prepare the minds of the Israelites to receive.
The word "rapture" isn't found in any Biblical text. It's a word given to describe the event. "To snatch away".Before Jesus left earth he gave us a promise... John 14:1-3 LET not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my fathers house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go to prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.
So there should be no doubt that He will come for the believers.
John 11:25-26 I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die.
Jesus is speaking of the dead and the living.
So what is this "resurrection" he mentions?
The raising of the dead right?
All Catholic and Protestant denominations believe in the resurrection. It's the whole basis, without it you've got nothing.
Jesus said," he that believeth and dead, yet shall he live"- a resurrection.
Ok then, so what about "whosoever is alive and believeth shall never die"? The rapture. Just like with Enoch and Elijah. Snatched away without death.
There was a witness to Elijah's translation, Elisha. After Elijah was gone, Elisha picked up Elijah's mantle or robe, that he had been wearing at the time of his translation. So he left without his clothes. So shall it also be at the time of the rapture. Believers will be snatched right out of their clothes in the twinkling of an eye and given new robes of white to wear.
1Corinthians 15:50-55 Now this I say brethren, that flesh and blood can not inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption. Behold I show you a mystery; We shall not all sleep (die), but we shall be changed. In a moment, in a twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we (the living) shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?
And also in 1Thessalonians 4:13-18 But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep(dead), that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. For this I say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep(dead). For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout and 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 with the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words.
The Lord comes with a shout. "Come up hither" Revelation 4:1, also mentioned Revelation 11:12.
And with the trumpets of God. See The Feast of Trumpets - Rosh Hashanah to make sense of that.
There you have it. It's the Word of God. We will be snatched away!
Be sure to watch for the Lord's coming. You receive a special crown for watching! See The Watchful Servant.
