₦airaland Forum

TayoD,

I will begin my submission by quoting first from the Book of Acts, chapter 1 and verse 6: When they therefore were come together, they asked of him, saying, Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel? From the disciples' question, you get the understanding that they were expecting a literal manifestation of God's Kingdom on earth with the Jews as His client nation. Jesus did not tell them they were wrong for expecting the kingdom, but He made them realise that there is a timing to it.

Since you accept that a doctrine can be built upon the questions of the disciples. Then don't you also accept Jesus answer?

Act 1:7 And he said unto them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power.

How is it for you to know when a literal physical kingdom will be but not for the disciples to know?

Traditional Christian Terminology:

Jesus Second coming:

The dead will be resurrected.
The living will be raptured.

Malik,

The resurrection of the dead is spoken of in at least 40 scriptures.
The rapture is spoken of in 2 scriptures.

There most certainly is a Majority and Minority between the two.

Malik,

Oh. I agree with your definitions.

The Rapture:

Believers from the dead = Resurrectees --A Majority of Christians will experience this.

Believers from the living = ? -- A very small Minority of Christians will experience this.

acdonline,

Don't forget what the bible says: The wicked also prosper in this world. (psalm 73) We do not want to make the same mistake that Job's friends did, when they said that his doing bad was a sign of his sinfulness. God corrected them by saying: You have not said what is right about Me. I find that too many Christians associate 'material things' with the 'blessings of God'.

And the answer to your question is: YES ABSOLUTELY.

If you obey God when He gives you the answer in prayer.

Bobby,

Look at this sequence of events, some actually believe.


This present world -- unbelievers can be saved.

Rapture: Christians are taken away by Jesus secretly.

The tribulation --  unbelievers get another chance to be saved. By Jews preaching!

Why would an unbeliever even care about the rapture, since they still got a chance to get saved?

It even goes further than that, next they believe that:

Jesus and all the saints come back in Glorified bodies and rule the earth for 1000 years.

Rule over who exactly?

Then they inform you that there will still be unbelievers on the earth!!!

So this would be like the 3rd chance unbelievers have to be saved!!!

All an unbeliever has to do is, survive, this world, then the tribulation and then God's wrath and Armageddon and make it to the earthly Millenial Kingdom!!!

Sinners in Jesus Kingdom? Unbelievers in Jesus Kingdom?

Glorified saints ruling over Mortal Human beings existing on earth for 1000 years?

It is mind boggling. But most are probably like me and just believed it, without knowing that is the nonsense they believe.

Malik,

Since you have changed the traditional definition of the rapture, I can agree with it.

What however will we now call what people usually refer to as the rapture?

Those alive at the coming of the Lord, going up in the air to the Lord?

Chauncey,

Let's get it straight, son. You are a large part of Africa's problem.

Sitting in America eating Candy bars, driving your car and drinking your coffee. That chocolate candy bar came from Cocao beans grown in Africa. Those tires on your car came from Rubber trees grown in Africa. Africa actually imports more coffee to America than Columbia, despite the myths. And what about that gas in your car, come from Nigeria? The world's 5th largest oil producer?

Why don't you write a nice letter to Hersheys in Pennsylvania and Firestone tires and Maxwell? coffee and tell them to start bringing Africans into the equation in a fair and equitable way?

Tell them how you would be willing to pay more than 50cents for your candy bars if it means that Africans would get prices for their raw products that would allow them to live in a decent manner?

Tell them how you would be willing to pay more than 50cents for your cup of coffee, if Maxwell? coffee would open a coffee processing plant in Africa.

Africa is doing bad, so you can live good.

It seems more convincing that, every Christian (those truly saved or born again) will be resurrected, rather than a majority.

Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed - I Cor. 15:51.

However, I'm persuaded that the rapture is for all Christians who are truly saved - past, present and future. This is not a small event for a few; but rather one that is for all believers at the second coming of the Lord Jesus Christ.

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 Thes. 4:17.

So, both the resurrection and the rapture are for all true Christians rather than a majority or a few.

Are you saying that the rapture is a general term that covers both the rapture of those alive and the resurrection of the dead?

Dru,

How did you come to this conclusion? I don't think Scripture treats the rapture as a small event; much less that most of God's people will never experience it. I may be mistaken, but could you clarify?

The majority of Christians will experience the resurrection not the rapture.

Think about all the dead Christians over the last 2000 years, they outnumber those living in the end days.

Especially when you consider that the bible says the end would be filled with false christians, false preachers, false teachers, christians who only want to hear things that tickle their ears (prosperity gospel).

The rapture is an event that is only for the Christians living at the end, the bible promises that this will be VERY FEW, that is how I came to that the rapture is a small event for very few christians.

I'd never put nothing before you, that's like eating cereal picking the fork over the spoon. -- Field Mob

Bobby,

I agree.

1Th 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: [size=16pt]and the dead in Christ shall rise first:[/size]

1Th 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.

Many people do not like to face the fact that the RESURRECTION happens first.

The rapture is a small event that most of God's people will never experience.

It is only for those alive at the specific coming of the day of the Lord, at the end of this age, not at the beginning of the tribulation.

All falls down --Kanye West

Nobody is supposed to be here -- Deborah Cox