Actually, no one but God the Father knows the answer to the question: 'When will the rapture happen?' After the disciples asked it. Jesus answered them by telling them that only His father knew the time, but that there would be signs that would let people know it was approaching.
People even in Jesus' day were expecting Him to come back and 'catch them up' into the clouds to be with Him. There have been many times when people believed the end of the world was near; at the end of the eighteenth century many people dressed in white and spent New Year's Eve on rooftops in hopes of being taken up to heaven.
Since this is a purely Christian belief concerning the end of the world, the second coming of Jesus, and the beginning of His thousand-year reign, the Bible is our best guide to these events. Prophecies in the holy book are found in both the Old and the New Testament; prophecy is said to be known to be true when foretold events 'come to pass'. This means that Christians must rely on faith that Jesus will return to end all pain, suffering, and wickedness.
There are many different opinions about this world-changing event, even among believers. Some Christians don't give credence to a rapture of the Church. Some ministers think that the end is near, while others don't focus on coming events. There are those who believe they will escape the tribulation, and others who are stockpiling food and other supplies against the impending judgement. The study of the end times is called 'eschatology'.
The idea of the removal of believers before the tribulation starts dates from about 1830, when a popular preacher of the day began to expound this theory. Supposedly it was based on a prophetic vision of a teen-age girl. However, there are differing accounts of the vision and when the preacher began to take this view. The earliest Christian teachers did not deal with this event, as far as scholars know.
The biggest-selling series of books ever are the fictional stories of people 'left behind' after a pretribulation rapture. The main characters are people who come to faith in Jesus after the event and fight against those who follow the antichrist. There are movies made from the series and a companion series written for young adults.
There are many books, sermons, and sites on the internet that cover this subject. Although believers should seek to understand the Bible and the plan of God, they should remember that God tells them to 'occupy until He comes'; in other words, live life fully according to God's instructions and trust Him to handle the things people cannot control.
Knowing that Jesus is returning to set up His kingdom on earth and that believers both alive and dead will be with Him before the battle of Armageddon is a comfort to many. People hope to see it happen in their lifetime; however, no one knows when the Lord will return to call His people to Himself.
People even in Jesus' day were expecting Him to come back and 'catch them up' into the clouds to be with Him. There have been many times when people believed the end of the world was near; at the end of the eighteenth century many people dressed in white and spent New Year's Eve on rooftops in hopes of being taken up to heaven.
Since this is a purely Christian belief concerning the end of the world, the second coming of Jesus, and the beginning of His thousand-year reign, the Bible is our best guide to these events. Prophecies in the holy book are found in both the Old and the New Testament; prophecy is said to be known to be true when foretold events 'come to pass'. This means that Christians must rely on faith that Jesus will return to end all pain, suffering, and wickedness.
There are many different opinions about this world-changing event, even among believers. Some Christians don't give credence to a rapture of the Church. Some ministers think that the end is near, while others don't focus on coming events. There are those who believe they will escape the tribulation, and others who are stockpiling food and other supplies against the impending judgement. The study of the end times is called 'eschatology'.
The idea of the removal of believers before the tribulation starts dates from about 1830, when a popular preacher of the day began to expound this theory. Supposedly it was based on a prophetic vision of a teen-age girl. However, there are differing accounts of the vision and when the preacher began to take this view. The earliest Christian teachers did not deal with this event, as far as scholars know.
The biggest-selling series of books ever are the fictional stories of people 'left behind' after a pretribulation rapture. The main characters are people who come to faith in Jesus after the event and fight against those who follow the antichrist. There are movies made from the series and a companion series written for young adults.
There are many books, sermons, and sites on the internet that cover this subject. Although believers should seek to understand the Bible and the plan of God, they should remember that God tells them to 'occupy until He comes'; in other words, live life fully according to God's instructions and trust Him to handle the things people cannot control.
Knowing that Jesus is returning to set up His kingdom on earth and that believers both alive and dead will be with Him before the battle of Armageddon is a comfort to many. People hope to see it happen in their lifetime; however, no one knows when the Lord will return to call His people to Himself.
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