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Question: Can you tell me about the rapture and why you believe it?Answer: The rapture is a time that will take place when Jesus comes back for His Bride, the True Church which are the true believers in Jesus Christ.
Many talk about it and make jokes about it, but there will come a time when the dead who truly believed in Jesus Christ being the Son of God, servants of the Lord, will rise up out of their grave and the living saints, who are the true followers, who are not dead, will rise to meet our Savior, Jesus Christ, the Son of God in the sky and will be carried away as if a Bride on her wedding day. It will be a joyous occasion, the rapture of the church.
The word rapture, is not found in the Bible. So I looked it up in Webster's Dictionary, and it states:
(a) A state or experience of being carried away by overwhelming emotion.
(b) A mystical experience in which the spirit is exalted to knowledge of divine things.There are many scriptures that talk about the rapture even though the word rapture isn't used. One scripture that stands out and proclaims the happening of the rapture is 1 Thessalonians 4:16,17. This is called the second coming of Christ. Jesus himself told of His second coming in Matthew 24:30,31.
From the very beginning, God's eternal plan was in His Incarnate Son, Jesus Christ. All through scriptures, Old and New, it spoke of God's eternal purpose for His only Begotten Son who was going to come and take the sins of this world away, thus making a way for God's creation (people) to be with Him eternally (Deuteronomy18:15).
Jesus told of His mission to this sin sick world and how these sins destroyed our soul and spirit which carried us to our death in hell. He told us about hell and it's torments. He also told us how he has conquered death when He died on the cross, rose from the dead and ascended into Heaven. He said He would go away to prepare a place for us, but would come again to receive us. He gave us a promise and a hope for an eternity in Heaven with Him and our Heavenly Father. Mark 16:16 and Revelation 20:15 tell the destiny of all men.
Fleming H. Revell wrote:
The Divine purpose in the present age since Israel's rejection of the King, hence, The Kingdom, God revealed a mystery "which in other ages was not known" (Ephesians 2), namely, to take out from among the Gentile nations "a people for His name" (Acts 15:14), not to replace God's Kingdom program for Israel, but, in view of their rejection, to suspend the fulfillment until the Divine purpose for this present age has consummated (1 Thessalonians.4:13-17) "after this," The King declares, "I will return and build again (restore) the Tabernacle (House Dynasty)..."(Acts 15:16).A good book for you to read is The Revelation of Jesus Christ by John F. Walvoord.
The book of Revelation gives the child of God enlightenment enough, even if it is not understood in it's entirety. Though it it is able to declare his hope by salvation given through grace by Jesus Christ. The warring at the end, Revelation 22:7,12,13,16 speaks clearly of the solemn testimony of Christ. He is coming back for the true and Holy church, His bride. Not a false church that lives like the world and the father of it and proclaims Jesus as only a title and a second thought. No, it says in His Word, He is coming back for a church without spot or wrinkle, the church must be a Holy church because He is Holy. Oh, what joy and peace to know that one day, dead or alive, we will be carried away by the power of the Almighty God who created us and Loved us enough to shed His Holy Blood for sinful man.
You asked, "Why do I think it is real?"
I believe the Bible was written by holy and godly men who where inspired by God. I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of the Living God, the only true God, who was born of a virgin, suffered and died for my sins when I deserved to go to hell. He took my place. I believe He rose from the grave on the third day to overcome the death I should have gone through, if it wasn't for my Savior, Jesus Christ. But He didn't stop at that, He ascended into Heaven to my Heavenly Father to intercede for me when the devil tried to accuse me. When the trials come in my life, He is the one who helps me through it all. If I sin, I only need to ask for forgiveness and He speaks to my Father and tells Him I am one of His; I'm covered by His blood. He is closer than a brother, more loving than a wife or a husband and He will never leave me.
I trust Him and what He says because He has given me new life full of hope for my eternity when I leave this sin infested world. No man will escape the death of the body, but through Jesus Christ I will escape the death of hell.
How about you? Are you ready for that day when Jesus comes back? If not you need to get ready, Jesus said, "Surely I come quickly." He could come this very moment, are you ready? You can be ready only through salvation by His grace.
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