Left Behind A Fraud? Or A Moment To Test Our Own Theology

Many people have created an idea that there is no pre-trib rapture. That it was simply made up. Well, even though there is evidence that the early church believed in a pre-trib rapture, i'm not going to try to defend the particular point of when the theory came into existence. There are those that say that it is an impossibility because no one that hears the gospel now will accept it after the rapture if they are left behind. While there will certainly be those that will accept it from that point, though probably few...It is not necessarily that those who have heard the gospel and didn't believe....will believe after the rapture. While that might be true for some of them, most of them will have hardened hearts, and "hate" God. It is much more likely that the "two" witnesses, and the 144,000 will preach the gospel of the kingdom(not the gospel of the grace of God)...and the angel that preaches the "everlasting gospel" will be the great influencers during the tribulation. It will be through them as a tool from God that will convert many to become saved, and understand that their path is either to suffer the tribulation without the mark of the beast, and become martyrs, or to somehow survive the tribulation and enter the millenial reign of christ...for having not accepted the mark.

For those that do not believe in the pre-trib rapture i have a question. When the bible is talking about how the dead in christ rise first, and those who are living(and in Christ) are raised up to the sky to meet them in the air...it is at that point that we are "changed" correct.

"50 Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor does corruption inherit incorruption. 51 Behold, I tell 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 trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. 53 For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. "-1 Corinthians 15:50-53"

15 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 by no means precede those who are asleep. 16 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 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. 18 Therefore comfort one another with these words."-1 Thessalonians 4:15-18

" 17 “ For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth; And the former shall not be remembered or come to mind. 18 But be glad and rejoice forever in what I create; For behold, I create Jerusalem as a rejoicing, And her people a joy. 19 I will rejoice in Jerusalem, And joy in My people; The voice of weeping shall no longer be heard in her, Nor the voice of crying. 20 “ No more shall an infant from there live but a few days, Nor an old man who has not fulfilled his days; For the child shall die one hundred years old, But the sinner being one hundred years old shall be accursed. 21 They shall build houses and inhabit them;They shall plant vineyards and eat their fruit. 22 They shall not build and another inhabit; They shall not plant and another eat; For as the days of a tree, so shall be the days of My people, And My elect shall long enjoy the work of their hands. 23 They shall not labor in vain, Nor bring forth children for trouble; For they shall be the descendants of the blessed of the LORD, And their offspring with them. 24 “ It shall come to pass That before they call, I will answer; And while they are still speaking, I will hear. 25 The wolf and the lamb shall feed together, The lion shall eat straw like the ox, And dust shall be the serpent’s food. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all My holy mountain,” Says the LORD."-Isaiah 65:17-25

Now think about this. Obviously there will be children born...but having been "changed" and become immortal we who are of Christ will have no need for procreation, and Jesus even said himself that we will be like the angels of heaven in that regard. Who is it that is having these children during the millenial reign of Christ? Since we have been caught up in the air to meet him. It will doubtlessly be those who did not accept the mark of the beast, and survived the tribulation. This in itself is enough to dissuade the theory that the rapture does not occur at least "sometime" before the end of the tribulation. Either pre-trib or mid-trib...most likely pre-trib. It is absolutely a matter of "rightly dividing" the word of God...to make ALL of the pieces fit. Do not pursuade yourself to think anything of a passage in the bible. It is what it is...and many things were hidden, and yet are hidden...because if we knew them then there wouldn't be much reason for spreading the gospel. The doctrine of imminency is as true now as it was when the early church believed in it. Yet, had they known that revelation foretells the entirety of the church age, they would have had no reason to be pressed into being "ready" for his return.

That brings us to another point...did you even know that Jesus Christ WILL come again at all? He said it himself in John chapter 14. One of my favorite chapters of the bible.

"1 “Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. 2 In My Father’s house are many mansions;[a] if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.[b] 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also. 4 And where I go you know, and the way you know.”5 Thomas said to Him, “Lord, we do not know where You are going, and how can we know the way?” 6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me."-John 14:1-6

It is a FACT that Jesus will come again to this earth to take those of us who are His to be with Him. Here is another question. Why would He go away to prepare a place for us, if all we are going to do is rise at the end of the tribulation and live here on earth anyways? Many people do not either believe or understand the duality of heaven. There is a paradise in the sky that is for us who are believers, but the earth will also be a paradise. Where we will be will depend on what our personal role is. That's right, if you thought you were getting a long vacation...you were sorta wrong. There is work in heaven. But we won't get tired while working, and it will be a joy to do the work of our Father.

Lastly, I believe personally in a pre-tribulation rapture viewpoint. I believe that this lines up with what the bible says, and makes the most sense regarding what will happen. This is not some theory that was created a short time ago. The early church fathers believed it as well. However, if for some reason i am wrong, i will not lose faith if the rapture does not occur. I am secure in my faith and ready to face the tribulation. It is not a matter of salvation...the only thing in regard to that is that we trust in the Lord Jesus Christ to save us from our sins. So let's not make this a contentious issue. If you disagree, say why...but people that disagree on this point are not evil, or trying to create problems for other believers. We have a common faith in Jesus Christ, that is our hill to die on.