Rapture.
I don’t think this word is anywhere in the Bible, but it has come to have meaning to Christians who believe in a time when Jesus will return to collect His church in the air.
This was a constant topic in our youth groups when I was growing up. Nowadays, it doesn’t seem to be such a constant topic. I was rather intigued to find this Australian site, PottersHouse.com with these bold and dramatic mini movies. Do you believe in the rapture as shown here?
I personally don’t believe in the rapture but it is a complex topic. 
I’d love to know then how you regard this verse?
1 Thessalonians 4:17
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.
I’ll get back to ya on this.
My apologies, I have to clarify one thing. I think this web site is advocating a secret rapture considered to occur before a time of “tribulation”. Is this what your understanding is? It appears the Watch and Pray video is advocating this quite clearly.
Nothing secret about it, it’s right there in the Good Book.
Been taught a pre-trib rapture my entire life.
As for Potters House, I don’t know anything about that organization except I was impressed with those movies.
Especially the first two.
I don’t mean secret in the way you are suggesting by your reply. I don’t find the pre-trib rapture in the “Good Book” as you call it. It really is an exegesis issue. I was just asking a clarifying question to know how to respond to your question as to what I thought about the passage. AT first I said I don’t believe in a rapture but realized I need to qualify that by staying I don’t believe in a pre-trib rapture.
I think a “rapture” (from the Latin word rapere, ‘take away or ’snatch out’.) is part of a complex eschatological event- i.e. second coming, general resurrection, and judgment. The teaching on the pre-trip rapture is relatively new and never heard of for 18 centuries since the birth of the Church. It started with a Scottish lassie by the name of Margaret Macdonald who had a private revelation that a group of Christians would be caught up to meet Christ in the air before the days of Antichrist. A Mr. John Darby (of the Brethren and who visited her home and affected by her teachings) altered it a bit (from a group of Christians to all Christians) and the teaching became wide spread and incorporated into his dispensational view of Scripture and prophecy. It was later taught by Scofield and was espoused in the Scofiled reference Bible and it continues today in dispensational circles.
Being raised a pastors kid, and attending a bible college, the rapture has alwasy been a part of my life. I don’t like to think about it, it hurts my heart to think of those left behind. I know there are many many views on the when. or the before or after the tribulation. I just know that when we are caught up, no one will be saying “I told you this is the way it would happen!” The important part is to live every day as if it were “the day” and love as many people as we can to bring them into the fold.
I think saying that the teaching of the rapture is relatively new, is quite a broad statement, and you say it with such authority, Beth Ellen!
How can you, were you there?
I wasn’t, I wasn’t in 1st century either, but it has been reported that two early Church fathers from the first century, Clement and Polycarp, made statements that may appear to be a reference to the rapture.
But we have the Bible and it does talk of a meeting in the air different from that of Jesus returning for a 2nd coming.
1 Corinthians 15:51-53: “Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, 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. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.”
Mark 13:26-27: “And then shall they see the Son of man coming in the clouds with great power and glory. 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.”
Matthew 24:43 But know this, that if the goodman of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken up.
Luke 12:39 And this know, that if the goodman of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched, and not have suffered his house to be broken through.
1 Thessalonians 5:2 For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night.
1 Thessalonians 5:3 For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape.
1 Thessalonians 5:4 But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief.
2 Peter 3:10 But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.
Revelation 3:3 Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard, and hold fast, and repent. If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee.
Finally, this last verse in Rev. 16:15 is spoken during at a description of Armageddon. This is a beautiful reminder that Jesus is coming prior to the time when he comes to kill and destroy. Remember John 10:10.
John 10:10 The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.
I know there are different interpretations out there of all of these verses.
I think the main thing we can learn from any of these verses is to be “Be ready.” - Rapture, Second Coming, whatever you want to call it, we are to be living for Him and being ready.
Barb, no, I am speaking about *pre-trib rapture teaching* and not rapture in general. So, of course there would be historical precedence in the early Church for such things to come up as they read and studied the Scriptures. No qualms there. That was not an issue for me but you seem to misunderstand me. Please keep in mind the difference between rapture and pre-trib rapture. Those are different issues.
No, I wasn’t there, please don’t try to make me look presumptuous. And please don’t spoil the well by saying I am trying to speak with “such authority”. Now others might think I am a “know it all”. 
That is ad hominem coloring of my character. And frankly you sound a bit authoritarian yourself if we want to play that game. (wink wink) I have sufficient resources about the beginnings of “pre-trib rapture” teachings.
You asked your readers if they agreed with the rapture as depicted in the videos, I said I didn’t and attempted give a little background on the beginnings of “pre-trib” viewpoint and then stated I thought it was a complex eschatological event included with the 2nd coming, the resurrection of the dead and final judgement.
Now, I do believe that it isn’t relative to believe on and not the other. I can’t go into the reasons here but I think it has a huge impact on what one thinks their purpose is on this earth.
Take care.
Nope, no authoritaian here at all, I didn’t mean to insult,I think my question was valid however.
All in all, I’d say let the Bible explain the Bible. It matters little to me when it (the idea of pretrib rapture) was popularized.
Jesus did say, “Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh” (Matthew 24:44). The only time frame I can think of when we believers would not be expecting Jesus to return would have to be before the tribulation.
The Bible teaches that the major purpose of the Tribulation Period (i.e., the seven-year, 70th week of Daniel) is primarily a time of preparation for Israel’s restoration (Deut. 4:29-30; Jer. 30:4-11). While the church is told that she will experience tribulation in general during this present age (John 16:33), she is never mentioned in Old or New Testaments as participating in Israel’s time of trouble which includes the Great Tribulation, the Day of the Lord, and the Wrath of God. Pretribulationalism gives the best answer to the biblical fact that the church is never mentioned as participating in Tribulational events, while Israel is found throughout.
Since the most likely interpretation of the “restrainer of evil” in 2 Thessalonians 2 refers to the indwelling ministry of the Holy Spirit Who is at work through the Body of Christ during the current Church Age, then this view supports Pretribulationalism. Since “the lawless one” (i.e., the Beast or anti-Christ) cannot be revealed until the restrainer is taken away, it follows that the Tribulation cannot occur until the church is removed.
Again, agree or disagree, makes sense to me to be ready.
the pictures are taken so fine!
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