From - Fri Jan 15 22:13:07 1999 Message-ID: <36A0029F.20FCB650@netaxs.com> Date: Fri, 15 Jan 1999 22:08:15 -0500 From: "LeRoy D. Cressy" Organization: L & R Associates X-Mailer: Mozilla 3.01Gold (X11; I; Linux 2.2.0-pre2 i586) MIME-Version: 1.0 To: Xz2x1@aol.com Subject: Re: Please help me References: <4ae86d33.369fad3c@aol.com> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit X-Mozilla-Status: 0011 Content-Length: 7747 Xz2x1@aol.com wrote: > > Hello sir, I am confused about something. I know the Bible pretty well, but > I'm confused about this whole rapture thing. I believe what the Bible says so > if you could be so kind to tell me where in the Bible it talks about the > rapture or the idea of the rapture > > Xz2x1, > Church of Christ > > PLEASE E-MAIL ME BACK WITH ANSWERS ON MY QUESTION 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 13 But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. 14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. 15 For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. 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. 18 Wherefore comfort one another with these words. The Apostle Paul wrote to the Thessalonian Church that there is a day and a time coming when we would be changed and caught up to meet the Lord in the air. First the dead in Christ would rise first then we which are alive and remain shall be caught together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air. This is what is meant by what has been termed as the rapture of the church. 1 Corinthians 15 51 Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, 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. 53 For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. 54 So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. 55 O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? 56 The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. 57 But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. 58 Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord. We must put on incorruption and immortality! Only through Christ Jesus do we have this ability. We are definitely living in the last days. We are living in a time where technology is exploding. Some time ago I wrote a sermon about the image of the beast and the prototype that is currently being built in MIT. http://www.netaxs.com/~ldc/aug.16.98-no.31-TheImageOfTheBeast.html there is a reference in this sermon to the article describing what is going on. In synopsis, they have put a laptop in a stuffed toy, with laser eyes that can see and remember who is in the room, hold an intelligent conversation with you, and finally hear everything that is going on. The most awesome and scary thing is that this stuffed toy has a laser link to the Internet linked to a central computer. The financing for this toy are from the most secret agencies in the United States. We are living in the days that the entire world is linked together via the computer and the Internet. As a Linux user and system admin, I know something about file permissions on the Internet. The main system that makes the Internet work is UNIX and Linux. Last Sunday I talked about file permissions and how they can be used against the people of the world. http://www.netaxs.com/~ldc/html/03.02-jan.10.97-666.html With all of this fulfillment of prophecy, there is a day coming when the dead in Christ shall rise first then we that remain shall be caught up to meet the Lord in the air. This is what the Rapture is all about. Other scriptures on the same subject are: Enoch: Hebrews 11 5 By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and was not found, because God had translated him: for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God. Genesis 5 24 And Enoch walked with God: and he was not; for God took him. Elijah: 2 Kings 2 1 And it came to pass, when the LORD would take up Elijah into heaven by a whirlwind, that Elijah went with Elisha from Gilgal. 2 And Elijah said unto Elisha, Tarry here, I pray thee; for the LORD hath sent me to Bethel. And Elisha said unto him, As the LORD liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee. So they went down to Bethel. 3 And the sons of the prophets that were at Bethel came forth to Elisha, and said unto him, Knowest thou that the LORD will take away thy master from thy head to day? And he said, Yea, I know it; hold ye your peace. 4 And Elijah said unto him, Elisha, tarry here, I pray thee; for the LORD hath sent me to Jericho. And he said, As the LORD liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee. So they came to Jericho. 5 And the sons of the prophets that were at Jericho came to Elisha, and said unto him, Knowest thou that the LORD will take away thy master from thy head to day? And he answered, Yea, I know it; hold ye your peace. 6 And Elijah said unto him, Tarry, I pray thee, here; for the LORD hath sent me to Jordan. And he said, As the LORD liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee. And they two went on. 7 And fifty men of the sons of the prophets went, and stood to view afar off: and they two stood by Jordan. 8 And Elijah took his mantle, and wrapped it together, and smote the waters, and they were divided hither and thither, so that they two went over on dry ground. 9 And it came to pass, when they were gone over, that Elijah said unto Elisha, Ask what I shall do for thee, before I be taken away from thee. And Elisha said, I pray thee, let a double portion of thy spirit be upon me. 10 And he said, Thou hast asked a hard thing: nevertheless, if thou see me when I am taken from thee, it shall be so unto thee; but if not, it shall not be so. 11 And it came to pass, as they still went on, and talked, that, behold, there appeared a chariot of fire, and horses of fire, and parted them both asunder; and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven. 12 And Elisha saw it, and he cried, My father, my father, the chariot of Israel, and the horsemen thereof. And he saw him no more: and he took hold of his own clothes, and rent them in two pieces. There are two prophets in the Bible who have never died, being Enoch and Elijah. These prophets are mentioned in the New Testament, as well as in the Old Testament. There are many who think that these are the two prophets mentioned in Revelation 11. So there are references that there can be some who will not see death. ----------------------------------------------------------- BTW: Your credibility will increase if you sign your messages with your real name and not a string of alpha numeric characters. Have a good day :-) -- 0 0 L & R Associates " Home Page: http://www.netaxs.com/~ldc/ _______ooO ~ Ooo_______________________________________________ LeRoy D. Cressy /\_/\ ldc@netaxs.com Computer Consulting ( o.o ) Phone (215) 535-4037 > ^ < Fax (215) 535-4285