The Not So Secret Rapture
I know no one knows the day nor the hour the Rapture is coming but , what Jesus tells us is that every eye will see every nation and every people of every tongue shall see Jesus in the clouds. How does that sound like it is going to happen secretly? Also Jesus tells us every one will mourn horribly in Matthew 24: Also we are told the angels gather his elect at that time. If this is fact, and well we know Jesus did not lie to us, and prepared us for all things to come, then we have to know! If the rapture has already occurred by this time the time of every eye seeing Jesus coming on the clouds with great glory, then the question remains who are those elect the angels are gathering? There is not two raptures.
So let’s take a look then at how specific Jesus is about the rapture, or the Harpazzo,the taking away of his elect. Matthew 24:27 For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. This to me is no secret. It says to me every eye will see and know. Those who were once believers in Christ will see it and then we have verse 29 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: I think the whole world will notice the heavens shaken and the stars falling out of the sky. Then verse 30 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. Why is everyone mourning? Because they knew at one time or have been told and did not believe, that Jesus is truly the messiah. But there will be many who have given up the hope. Why would believers give up their hope, you might ask? Because so many people think, we are to suffer nothing, (it is estimated 40% of Christians believe we are to suffer nothing and that Jesus will come and take us away from any tribulation.) Because of this, many will have turned away. Thus making it possible for the abomination of desolation possible. The very antichrist setting himself up as god in the temple. For the antichrist to be revealed. If Christians have believed a lie for much of their Christian life, that being that they will be taken out of tribulation before it begins. Say they face serious persecution, don’t you agree they will turn away thinking they have been duped by God? By the very word of God? But it is not God who is deceiving, God will just have allowed their itching ears to be tickled by what they want to hear. Really who wants to hear they will suffer sorrow unmatched, pain undreamed of ? I know I personally for a little while, did not want to believe I would go through very tough times indeed. But do not give up hope, God is our protection. He will protect us, pour the words forth from our mouths when the time comes. Those days are going to be miraculous days for us who will not give up believing and holding on to our Lords promises.
Let’s go on though. We know that this is the rapture because it is also written in 1Corinthians 15:52, 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. See the same thing as Matt 31 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. “The last trumpet”. 1st Thess 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:
17 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. This is no secret happening. Also Rev 14:12-16. Too much to write in this paragraph but 12 says here is the patience of the saints here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus. And He reaps. If saints are already in heaven, then who prey tell are these saints who were patient? Matthew 24:13 But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved. What is being endured if not tribulation?
In Daniel Chptr 12 Let’s look at the whole of it,1 And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people: and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book. This is speaking of the not so secret rapture:
2 And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.
3 And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever. That brightness is us having our incorruption put on as well as our immortality.
4 But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end: many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased.
5 Then I Daniel looked, and, behold, there stood other two, the one on this side of the bank of the river, and the other on that side of the bank of the river.
6 And one said to the man clothed in linen, which was upon the waters of the river, How long shall it be to the end of these wonders?
7 And I heard the man clothed in linen, which was upon the waters of the river, when he held up his right hand and his left hand unto heaven, and sware by him that liveth for ever that it shall be for a time, times, and an half; and when he shall have accomplished to scatter the power of the holy people, all these things shall be finished.
8 And I heard, but I understood not: then said I, O my Lord, what shall be the end of these things?
9And he said, Go thy way, Daniel: for the words are closed up and sealed till the time of the end.
10 Many shall be purified, and made white, and tried; WAIT!! tried? We are to be tried, we are his who are purified right? If we are purified how does one get purified? Just like silver or Gold they go through a refinery, they are tried again and again until they are pure silver or pure gold. But the wicked shall do wickedly: and none of the wicked shall understand; but the wise shall understand.
11 And from the time that the daily sacrifice shall be taken away, and the abomination that maketh desolate set up, there shall be a thousand two hundred and ninety days.
12 Blessed is he that waiteth, and cometh to the thousand three hundred and five and thirty days. Again your attention to the previous verse, “this struck me between the eyes” this is good stuff and gives us an idea of just how long after abomination of desolation we will have to wait till the Lord comes for us. 45 days more than the three and a half years.
13 But go thou thy way till the end be: for thou shalt rest, and stand in thy lot at the end of the days.
At that time there will have been many Christians who have turned away saying thats it, he is never coming. Those who have believed for all their Christian lives that the rapture would take place before the tribulation will have believed themselves fools for thinking Jesus was ever coming back for us. Matt 24:44 Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh. These verses make one understand that the great apostasy will have occurred. 45 Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his Lord hath made ruler over his household, to give them meat in due season?
46 Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing.
47 Verily I say unto you, That he shall make him ruler over all his goods.
48 But and if that evil servant shall say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming;
49 And shall begin to smite his fellowservants, and to eat and drink with the drunken;
50 The lord of that servant shall come in a day when he looketh not for him, and in an hour that he is not aware of,
51 And shall cut him asunder, and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
Revelation 1:7 “Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen.”There is no scripture that says the second coming of Christ to gather His saints will be a secret. All these verses show it will be a very loud and very visible event that every eye shall see. There is nothing secret about any part of His coming. The world will know exactly what has happened. The antichrist will not be able to convince a world who has just witnessed such a thing as millions upon millions of graves having been opened and bodies removed. As well as millions upon millions of alive people being bodily removed will not be a secret. Some even proclaim the anitchrist will make the world believe it was UFO’s that have done this. How can people be totally deceived as to have witnessed this occurrence, and then believe such a huge lie as it was aliens from another planet. He is powerful no doubt, is satan. But he cannot make us do or believe anything. He can cajole and talk us into things. But he cannot for one minute MAKE US do anything.
I do not personally believe there is any such thing as UFO’s I do believe it is government’s of the world doing secret stuff we have no clue about. We surely have some much higher technology in this world than the average lay person knows about. The devil is crafty and smart there is no doubt about that. He has weapons and plans of which we have no clue about. The devil has been busy for almost 6000 years. He is a very tough adversary. He is and has been busy even at the time of the apostles preachings and teachings Look at what Paul said in 2 Thessalonian’s 2:6-12 7For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way. Yes it says he who letteth will let until he be taken, moved out of the way. Being moved out of the way does not describe removing, it means, if a tree falls in the road you what? Move it out of the way. Push it aside. I believe the great delusion is already being spread far and wide, and that being the deception that Christians will not go through tribulation.
Because we know not the hour which Jesus will return. He will come unexpectedly when you least expect it, as does a thief. It would be no good for the thief if you knew when he was coming as you would be ready for him and he could not rob you. In the same way we need to be ready and living a righteous life now and not just when we think Jesus is coming or we will be “caught naked and our shame seen.” Those who love and obey Jesus will be ready for His return. This is the meaning of the phrase “to come as a thief” that is used several times in the Bible to warn us so we will not be left behind.
In Closing let me just say Coming as a thief is unexpected, NOT a secret! Be ready. Pray and ask God to never let you turn away. Ask your Father in heaven to make you aware of what His word says. To give you His knowledge, His understanding of what His word means. I know there are many many thelogians, pastors, and preachers, in this day and age that believe it is a pretribulation rapture. I hope they are very strong even unto the end of the tribulation. Until the time of God’s wrath to be poured out on the earth. God’s wrath is not Tribulation. There is a clear distinction. Daniel 7:25 And he shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time. Not secret and definitely not pretribulation rapture. I just want anyone,everyone, who reads this to be ready for all eventualities. Things are moving along rather quickly now a days, and just going to speed up as we go along. Don’t give up your hope nor faith, no matter what you may go through.
Love to all in Jesus name,Tammy