Literal Rapture
I believe our catching up into the clouds to meet Jesus in the air as he is descending at the 2nd coming (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17) will be as literal as Jesus' ascension into a cloud (Acts 1:9), for Jesus must come back from heaven (Acts 3:20-21) just as literally as he left (Acts 1:9-11). He literally went from the Mount of Olives to the clouds to heaven. He will literally return from heaven to the clouds to the Mount of Olives: "Then shall the LORD go forth, and fight against those nations, as when he fought in the day of battle. And his feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives" (Zechariah 14:3-4).
Just as Jesus was resurrected into a literal resurrection body: "Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side: and be not faithless, but believing" (John 20:27); "Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself: handle me, and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have. And when he had thus spoken, he shewed them his hands and his feet. And while they yet believed not for joy, and wondered, he said unto them, Have ye here any meat? And they gave him a piece of a broiled fish, and of an honeycomb. And he took it, and did eat before them" (Luke 24:39-43).
So our hope is for the literal resurrection of our own bodies: "Even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body. For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for? But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it" (Romans 8:23-25).
When he comes, Jesus will "change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body" (Philippians 3:21), for "if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you" (Romans 8:11), "for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we 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?" (1 Corinthians 15:52-55).
Jesus' 2nd coming (Revelation 19) will be immediately after the tribulation (Matthew 24:29-31), will be seen by every eye (Revelation 1:7), will bring the resurrection and rapture of the entire church (1 Corinthians 15:23, 1 Thessalonians 4:15-17), and will destroy the Antichrist (2 Thessalonians 2:8) and all of his armies (Revelation 19:11-21).
I believe that the angels in Acts 1:11 meant that Jesus will descend from heaven just as physically as he ascended from the Mount of Olives, for at the 2nd coming he must descend from heaven (1 Thessalonians 4:16) and set his feet again on the Mount of Olives (Zechariah 14:4).
Revelation 19 shows that it is Christ who will fight against those nations: "and in righteousness he doth judge and make war" (Revelation 19:11); "The glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ" (Titus 2:13); "I and my Father are one" (John 10:30).
When was Zechariah 14 fulfilled?
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Will Everyone See Jesus Literally?
Some say there's no way every eye could literally see Jesus coming because the earth is a sphere. But every eye shall indeed see him at his 2nd coming (Revelation 1:7). He could easily circle the earth. The purpose of the rapture is to catch up the saints from all around the globe into the clouds and to gather them all together to be with Christ (1 Thessalonians 4:17, 2 Thessalonians 2:1, Matthew 24:31).
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Will The Kingdom Come With Observation?
Some point out that Jesus said the kingdom doesn't come with observation, but is within. But in Luke 17:20-21, Jesus was replying to the Pharisees, who expected Christ to conquer the world physically at his 1st coming. He was trying to get them to realize that they had to be conquered on the inside first -- as he had told them previously: all they cared about was externals (Luke 11:39).
Notice that right after Luke 17:20-21, Jesus goes on to explain to his disciples that he had to die first, but that after that he would be revealed to destroy all his enemies (Luke 17:22-30). This is confirmed in other passages, which also foretell the day when the kingdom would come with observation (Revelation 1:7, Matthew 24:30).
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Literal Clouds
I believe that just as the Greek word "nephele" is used to refer to a literal water-vapor cloud in Luke 12:54, and to picture literal water-vapor clouds in Jude 1:12, so it refers to literal water-vapor clouds in 1 Thessalonians 4:17, Matthew 24:30 and Revelation 1:7.
In Hebrews 12:1, "cloud" is the Greek word nephos, the only time that word is used in the Bible.
I believe the purpose of the rapture is to gather the resurrected dead and the transformed living (1 Corinthians 15:51-52, 1 Thessalonians 4:15-17) all together in the sky with Jesus so that we can be judged (Psalms 50:4-5, Mark 13:27) and married (Revelation 19:7) in the clouds, before Armageddon.
Can't a plane be flying in the clouds without flying through a cloud?
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Literal Air
I believe that just as the Greek word "aer" is used to refer to the literal air which is above the surface of the earth in Acts 22:23, 1 Corinthians 9:26, 1 Corinthians 14:9, and Revelation 9:2, so it refers to the literal air which is above the surface of the earth in 1 Thessalonians 4:17.
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No Driverless Cars
I believe by the time the end of the tribulation arrives, any of us Christians still alive will be in hiding.
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Revelation Literal?
I believe Revelation 6-18 describes a future succession of literal events and personages in both the physical and spiritual realm using some symbols just as Daniel described a past and verifiable succession of literal historical empires and personages using some symbols.
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Literal Resurrection?
See Preterism.html
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Individual Salvation?
Some say the rapture is merely a symbolic reference to the one-by-one salvation of different individuals over thousands of years. But note that the Bible doesn't say our "catching up" (rapture) happens at the moment of the salvation of this or that individual, but will happen at "the coming of the Lord," when "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" (1 Thessalonians 4:15-16), that is, the 2nd coming and the resurrection of all the dead in Christ must happen before "we which are alive and remain shall be caught up (raptured) together with them in the clouds" (1 Thessalonians 4:17). Likewise, our changing into immortal bodies at the rapture doesn't happen at the moment of the salvation of this or that individual, but "we shall all be changed, 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" (1 Corinthians 15:51-52).
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Baptism?
Note that though we have been raised spiritually by baptism (Romans 6:4), neither the resurrection (2 Timothy 2:18; Revelation 20:4-6) nor the 2nd coming (Hebrews 9:28; Revelation 19:11-21) have happened yet. And at the same time that the resurrection happens, all those who are still alive and in Christ will be changed in the twinkling of an eye into immortal bodies (1 Corinthians 15:51-53). This hasn't happened yet either.
I don't believe that we are baptized into Jesus' 2nd coming (Hebrews 9:28; Revelation 19:11-21), but into his death and burial at his 1st coming:
"Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection: Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. For he that is dead is freed from sin" (Romans 6:3-7).
I don't believe that the receiving of the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Christ (Romans 8:9; 2 Corinthians 3:17), is automatically done when we first believe or when we are water baptized, or that the receiving of the Spirit is the 2nd coming of Jesus (Hebrews 9:28; Revelation 19:11-21), but that the receiving of the Spirit is usually subsequent to our belief and water baptism:
"Have ye received the Holy Ghost since ye believed?" (Acts 19:2).
Paul wouldn't have asked this if believers automatically receive the Spirit.
Paul asked them because the Spirit is usually received through the laying on of hands and subsequent to water baptism:
"[They] prayed for them, that they might receive the Holy Ghost: (For as yet he was fallen upon none of them: only they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.) Then laid they their hands on them, and they received the Holy Ghost" (Acts 8:15-17).
"They were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Ghost came on them; and they spake with tongues, and prophesied" (Acts 19:5-6).
"Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God" (John 3:5).
"If any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his" (Romans 8:9).
"Have ye received the Holy Ghost since ye believed?" (Acts 19:2).
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The Transfiguration
See Preterism.html -- Matthew 16:28 Section.
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Death?
Some say the rapture is merely a symbolic reference to the one-by-one death of different individuals over thousands of years. But note that the Bible doesn't say our "catching up" (rapture) happens at the moment of the death of this or that individual, but will happen at "the coming of the Lord," when "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" (1 Thessalonians 4:15-16), that is, the 2nd coming and the resurrection of all the dead in Christ must happen before "we which are alive and remain shall be caught up (raptured) together with them in the clouds" (1 Thessalonians 4:17). Likewise, our changing into immortal bodies at the rapture doesn't happen at the moment of the death of this or that individual, but "we shall all be changed, 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" (1 Corinthians 15:51-52).
Some believe Stephen saw Christ's return at his death. But why do they believe Stephen was seeing Christ's return, as opposed to seeing Christ standing by the Father's throne in heaven? (Acts 7:55)
Some say Stephen saw what we will see at the rapture. But I don't believe we will see Christ standing by the Father's throne in heaven, but will see Christ descending from heaven with a shout (1 Thessalonians 4:16).
Some say Stephen entering heaven at his death was his rapture. When their bodies die, I believe it says the spirits of believers currently go into heaven to be with the Lord (Acts 7:59, 2 Corinthians 5:6-8, Philippians 1:21-24, Luke 23:43, Luke 23:46), but at the rapture the body will resurrected or changed into immortality (1 Corinthians 15:51-52) and will be caught up (raptured) into the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air (1 Thessalonians 4:17). Note that no verse says the rapture takes us any higher than the clouds.
Some say our death is the resurrection. But how can the death of the body and the resurrection of the body be the same event? And what of those who won't die before the 2nd coming? (1 Corinthians 15:51-52)