The Second Coming Is The Rapture Day

[Kosherboy]

The teaching of the Rapture has always puzzled me. It is believed by the modern day church, that just prior to the "Tribulation" spoken of in the scriptures, Jesus will take his followers out of the world, and that Christians will not be in the world to go through this great time of trouble that the world is destined to impose on the true followers of Jesus Christ. Let us take a look at some of the verses of scripture that deal with the last days and the "Tribulation"...
Matthew 24:27-31 For as the lightning comes out of the east, and shines even into the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. For where ever the carcass is, there will the eagles be gathered together. 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.
In the last verse of this section, Jesus says.. "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." (In scripture, the term "four winds" some believe to describe the heavenly, but in the three uses in the New Testament, it is used to describe all over heaven and earth), and "from one end of heaven to the other" seems to depict some people who are no longer in the world. This is supported by the corresponding verses in Mark 13:27 And then shall he send his angels, and shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from the uttermost part of the earth to the uttermost part of heaven. This is what Paul also describes...
1 Thessalonians 4:16 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. Wherefore comfort one another with these words. it is also referred to here...
2 Thessalonians 2:1-2 Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him, that ye be not soon shaken in mind...
So there is definitely a day when we will be "gathered together unto him". In Jesus' description, it happens "Immediately after the tribulation of those days", this in itself would lend credence to the belief that it will occur after the tribulation, because it is in fact at the coming of the Lord. In the second set of verses above, the two are spoken together in the same thought: Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him, the coming of our Lord being mentioned first seems to indicate that a. he comes, and b. we are gathered together unto him. but let's continue...
After describing the things that would be taking place in the world at the time of the end, (Mathew 24: 4-26) Jesus gives specific details surrounding his coming, and the end of the world. The rest of New Testament scripture supports, (of course) Jesus' account of the end of time. There is NO contradiction between the words of Jesus, the teaching of Paul in Thessalonians, and the Revelation, so we must use the words of Jesus, and the rest of New Testament scripture to qualify the proper interpretation of Paul's words. We will also seek some guidance from the book of Revelation to qualify our interpretation of Paul's words in Thessalonians.
In the book of Revelation, this appears to be the order of events at the opening of the seals, which is a series of events unfolding at the end of the age leading into, and during the tribulation. There are items that should be cited in the discussion concerning the end of the world and the rapture. We will discuss the seals individually in another article, but let's stay focused on the departure of the Believers, and the teaching of the Rapture for this article.
Revelation 6:9-11 And when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held: And they cried with a loud voice saying, How long O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth? And white robes were given unto every one of them; and it was said unto them that they should rest yet for a little season, until their fellow servants also and their brethren, that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled.
After the opening of the 5th seal, the souls of them who were martyred for the faith, (we would assume since the departure of Jesus, at the beginning of the Church up through the tribulation) are "under the alter", asking when they will be avenged, but they are told to wait a bit longer, until the rest of those who would be killed as they were was finished. Then, the 6th seal is opened...
Revelation 6: 12-17 And I beheld when he had opened the sixth seal, and, lo, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood; And the stars of heaven fell unto the earth, even as a fig tree casts her untimely figs, when she is shaken of a mighty wind. And the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places. And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains; And said to the mountains and rocks, fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sits on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb: For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?
After the opening of the 6th seal, are the events Jesus described in Mathew 24, as the events surrounding his coming. These events in Rev. 6 are identified as those events, albeit with a slightly different color, by the last verse: Rev. 6:16 Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sits on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb: For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?

[Snooky]

Amen! If we cannot believe these scriptures, Paul, John, and even Jesus were all false teachers and setting forth false doctrines of deception. If this be true, we cannot believe and trust in the scriptures as the bulk of its contents are anti-christ in purpose and designed to lead the simple minded into destruction without God or hope of eternal life in glory.