First, let’s examine the possibility that the dragon sign of Revelation 12 is the same kind of sign as the “great sign”. Never does John write about “the Church the Body of Christ”—that is strictly Pauline terminology. Paul is “the apostle of the Gentiles” (Romans 11:13). The Book of revelation reveals how the rapture of the church will take place. If Paul does not mention something, it does not concern us and it is not what God is doing today. The Bible promises us that Christ will return. The Rapture & the End Time Wrath of God We Avoid. Should Christians celebrate Valentine’s Day? Lasseigne manufactures a “rapture” theology in Revelation 4:1–2. Why did Jesus say to throw the net on the “right” side? “The church” is not enough. Learn the startling truth about the end times so you will not be caught off guard! In fact, as we may very well know, Revelation is Tribulation ground. I am the author of, they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years, they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years, the Antichrist will make war with the saints. When Did the Church the Body of Christ Begin? Let us not just repeat what others say. If we are talking about Christians today, we should say “the Church the Body of Christ” as much as possible. Otherwise, not all the dead believers will be accounted for before the surviving Christians are transformed at the Rapture. Church history, it is said, ends by the opening of Revelation chapter 4 (verse 1 supposedly being the Rapture, remember). Change ). God does this all throughout the Bible to show people things. The “rapture” refers to an interpretation in which Jesus rescues his church from tribulation by removing it from the earth and transporting it to heaven. Revelation (chapters 4 and 5), present a vision in heaven, and (chapter 6), introduces the Tribulation period. There is no “clear” connection between the two passages—unless, of course, you generalize. We do not read about “the Church the Body of Christ” in Scripture unless in Paul’s epistles, Romans through Philemon. Yes, that’s true. ( Log Out / My rebuttal to this is that people who are part of the Church are mentioned on Earth beyond Revelation 4:1. What are we doing consulting a circumcision apostle, John (Galatians 2:9), to provide us with information about us Gentiles? Revelation 14 tells us that the saints are Christians. Revelation is silent about John getting any new body. John the Apostle of the church represents the church in the Book of Revelation. To find the Rapture in the Revelation is to fall into the trap in assuming the Rapture occurs during the Tribulation! One of these—just as popular as Revelation 4:1 being the Rapture—involves chapters 2 and 3 of Revelation symbolizing the various stages of the Body of Christ throughout the 2,000 years of church history. It is to wreak havoc on the Bible text, to distort it beyond simplicity and verity (2 Peter 3:15-16). He sees the 24 elders in verse 4 which I go into depth on here. One of the most well-known verses in the Rapture debate is Revelation 3:10. Here is the problem with that argument. In chapter 4 verse 1, John sees a door open in the heavens and he is raptured to Heaven in what appears to be a symbolic type of the Rapture of the Church. SYNOPSIS - The doctrine of the “rapture” is not found in the book of Revelation and must be imported into it - Revelation 4:1-2. There are various other associated problems concerning the Church the Body of Christ being inserted into the Book of the Revelation. “And when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held:” (Revelation 6:9), “And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.” (Revelation 20:4). The Rapture in Revelation occurs in Rev 4:1 A door is opened in heaven, a voice as it were a trumpet saying, "Come up hither..." and immediately John was in the spirit. For all of the attention given to the rapture of the Church2 by students and teachers of eschatology, one wonders why the doctrine of the catching up of the saints described by Paul in 1 Thessalonians 4:17 is not more clearly mentioned in John's Apocalypse!3 This is especially problematic when Jesus says that He gave the revelation to his servants to show them “what must happen very soon” (Rev 1:1).4 Various commentators and Bible teachers have presented a number of options for the description of the raptur… It is to destroy Paul’s ministry and John’s ministry. The Koine Greek of 1 Thessalonians 4:17 uses the verb form ἁρπαγησόμεθα (harpagisometha), which means "we shall be caught up" or "taken away".The dictionary form of this Greek verb is harpazō (ἁρπάζω). Revelation 4:1-4: 4:1 After this I looked, and, behold, a door was opened in heaven: and the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me; which said, Come up hither, and I will shew thee things which must be hereafter. Thessalonians involves a resurrection, glorified bodies given to saints (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17; 1 Corinthians 15:50-58). Also see: This verse says, “Since you have kept my command to endure patiently, I will also keep you from the hour of trial that is going to come upon the whole world to test those who live on the earth.” A similar confusion is the “one-gospel-in-the-Bible” notion. Revelation was written to the "seven churches of Asia" to reveal the things that "must shortly come to pass." John told to “come up here” is thought to be a “symbolic picture of the rapture” (76). Enjoy our Bible studies? ( Log Out / Secondly, the next scene (in chapter 4) certain details show the Church residing in the throne room of Heaven, which strongly implies that the resurrection (i.e., the Rapture) has taken place between chapters 3 and 4. Did the 12 Apostles ever join the Church the Body of Christ? Learn how your comment data is processed. THE RAPTURE. Revelation 14:4 “These are they which were not defiled with women; for they are virgins. The Rapture is the special coming of Christ to end the Dispensation of Grace. Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. Rev. They do not see it as Messiah’s Church, which is what Matthew 16:16 says it is. 4:2 And immediately I was in the spirit: and, behold, a throne was set in heaven, and one sat on the throne. Therefore, we do not need Revelation 4:1 to prove a pre-Tribulation Rapture. Revelation has a, Thessalonians speaks of an archangel present (1 Thessalonians 4:16). In a sincere attempt to prove a pre-Tribulation Rapture—that is, that the Church the Body of Christ will be corporately resurrected and taken up into Heaven before the seven-year Tribulation begins—people will appeal to the Book of the Revelation. Did the Church the Body of Christ begin in Acts 2? Some Pre-Trib Rapture supporters also claim Revelation 4:1 depicts the Rapture. Isaiah 17: Pinpointing the Timing of Damascus’s Destruction. For example, while they are both supernatural ascensions into Heaven, while they both include a “church,” and while both involve a “trumpet,” that is as far as you can relate them (and even these are not close associations when you actually study them). Revelation 4:1-2 is simply John being caught up to heave so he can see what’s going to happen and write it down in the Book of Revelation. To then go grab something from John’s ministry and try to stick it on us is to abuse the dispensational boundaries so clearly evident in the Scriptures. First, we have the fifth seal martyrs, who will be killed during the great tribulation. First, we know that the Church Age ends at the conclusion of chapter 3 of Revelation. Its name literally means "the unveiling of Jesus Christ." There are at least 4 reasons for locating it here. The rapture of the church can be easily identified as to its location in the book of Revelation. Dear friends, we need to break away from shallow Bible thinking and get into the meat of Scripture! Specifically, they seize Revelation 4:1: “After this I looked, and, behold, a door was opened in heaven: and the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me; which said, Come up hither, and I will shew thee things which must be hereafter.” Is this verse typical of the Rapture? Notwithstanding the difficulties already enumerated, there are major problems in attempting to connect Revelation 4:1 with 1 Thessalonians 4:14-17. You may donate securely here. Can you explain, “We are in the world but not of the world?”. This means they are Christians. Warner states the RAPTURE is given by description only once in the book of Revelation. 4:1) Having reviewed the things that have been (Rev. These were redeemed from among men, being the firstfruits unto God and to the Lamb.” Thanksgiving 2012 – In Every Thing Give Thanks, The Flesh Straineth, Christ’s Love Constraineth. If a pretribulation rapture was to be found anywhere in the New Testament, it should be found in Revelation prior to the tribulation scenes. Change ), You are commenting using your Facebook account. All the confusion comes as the result of not understanding the three churches in the Bible (Mosaic Church—Acts 7:38; Messianic Church—Matthew 16:16-18; Mystery Church—Ephesians 3:1-9). » Did John 10:16 predict the Church the Body of Christ? 4. ( Log Out / arC Ministries' Bible Questions Answered from the Dispensationally-Delivered Scriptures. Scripture tells us that the dead in Christ will be resurrected before the Christians alive at that time meet Christ in the air when the Rapture takes place: “(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: (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.” (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17), “(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.” (1 Corinthians 15:51-52). » Is prophecy being fulfilled in the Dispensation of Grace? 1) and the things that are (Rev. 1 After this I looked , and, behold , a door was opened in heaven: and the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me; which said , Come up hither, and I will shew thee things which must be hereafter . To add to the surprises John is taking in, he also introduces us to “4 living creatures” in verse 6, “ …And in the midst of the throne, and around the throne, were four living creatures full of eyes in front and in back,” (Revelation 4:6). NET – 1 After these things I looked, and there was a door standing open in heaven! Again, this is to mix prophecy and mystery, to fail to understand that John was not sent to us Gentiles. What verse says the Bible is without error? But we do not want you to be uninformed, brethren, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve, as do the rest who have no hope. Many people have no idea how difficult the end times will be for them. The Rapture cannot take place until after the end of the great tribulation. To further prove that Revelation 4:1-2 is not the rapture, let’s see when else John is caught up IN THE SPIRIT. Church history, it is said, ends by the opening of Revelation chapter 4 (verse 1 supposedly being the Rapture, remember). Etymology. What quantifies the rapture according to 1 Thes 4 and why dont some of the supposed verses in Rev equate to the rapture. In Revelation 12:1-2, there appears a “great sign” in heaven. Did Peter use obscenities when denying Christ? Therefore, we can conclude that the Revelation 4:1 does not depict the Rapture. Revelation 4:4 " And round about the throne [were] four and twenty seats: and upon the seats I saw four and twenty elders sitting, clothed in white raiment; and they had on their heads crowns of gold. " So now you know. We are living in the last days! They have been conditioned, and they are conditioning others, to believe the only church in the Bible is the group of Christians today. This is again evidence that Christians will die during the tribulation: “And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.” (Revelation 12:17), “And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations.” (Revelation 13:7), “Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.” (Revelation 14:12). The Bible promises us that Christ will return. There is. Your privacy is valued. Prophecy Proof Insights on the Last Generation. Learn which upcoming dates are possible in my latest book Prophecy Proof Insights on the Last Generation. There is most definitely a pre-Tribulation Rapture, an evacuation of the Body of Christ from Earth before the Antichrist is revealed and begins those last seven years. 2-3), we have now arrived at part three of the book, the things that will be after this. Over 450 studies, 3000 pages, and 20 themes! Enter your email address to receive email notifications when new Bible Q&A articles are posted. The most basic error from which all the above others descend is a failure to, “Study… rightly dividing the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15). My goal is to make Bible prophecy easy for you to understand while avoiding the sensationalism seen elsewhere. These are they which follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth. However, where is the drago… It can be found in chapters 11-14. There are much more definitive dissimilarities than comparisons. The passage encourages the Christians still alive at that time to endure even as their fellow believers die: “(12) Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus. John looked up and saw an open door, the one he had first heard about when he … The absence of the word “Church” after Revelation 3 is no reason to argue for a Pre-Trib Rapture. Is prophecy being fulfilled in the Dispensation of Grace? Change ), You are commenting using your Twitter account. Lasseigne isn’t the first one to use it. Some say this represents the Church being taken to Heaven. This is a common interpretation among dispensationalists. The word “church” is a generic term, and it should be qualified as much as possible. That’s why we have Revelation 14:12-13. The Next Major Biblical Event in History: The Rapture of the Church . (6) Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.” (Revelation 20:4-6). It’s inevitable. Rapture is derived from Middle French rapture, via the Medieval Latin raptura ("seizure, kidnapping"), which derives from the Latin raptus ("a carrying off").. Greek. One of these—just as popular as Revelation 4:1 being the Rapture—involves chapters 2 and 3 of Revelation symbolizing the various stages of the Body of Christ throughout the 2,000 years of church history. What details would John give about a set of doctrine he did not even receive? Did John 10:16 predict the Church the Body of Christ? (This is why even “Church Age” is misleading; “Grace Age” or “Mystery Age” is a better term.). There is more than one church in the Bible than the Church the Body of Christ! (Rev. 14-17. Christians will be martyred. Another mixed-up idea is that of “there is only one baptism in Scripture”—water, water, water. For more information, please read the Privacy Policy. Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email. How long did it take for Israel to cross the Red Sea? You’ll also get my latest articles and updates delivered to your inbox. That note of the dear Brother is quite puzzling, my friends. Revelation 20 tells us they believe in Jesus. Dr. Scofield has the following footnote for Revelation 4:1: “This call seems clearly to indicate the fulfillment of 1 Thes. After God reveals what is (the church), we see the … The word ‘church’ is not mentioned specifically in Revelation 4 through 18 but this is not an indication that the Church has been Raptured. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. 4. It refers to those Jews who accepted Jesus as Messiah/Christ in His earthly ministry. The Rapture in Revelation 4. He states it is found in Rev.14 where there is a harvest. What is the significance of Lot’s wife being turned into a pillar of salt? Roman Catholics see “church” in Matthew 16:18 and they believe it applies to people alive today. Without any other “rapture” signs that all of the other “rapture” verses mention, any attempt to turn 4:1 into a pre-trib rapture is blatant “twisting”, that is, the “wrestling” of another meaning into the passage. Feeding the 4,000 and feeding the 5,000—same or different? The word “Church” does not appear after Revelation 3.1 Some believe this is evidence of a Pre-Trib Rapture. (13) And I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Write, Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth: Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labours; and their works do follow them.”. Do Pre-Trib Rapture believers have valid points? Learn which upcoming dates are possible in my latest book: Prophecy Proof Insights on the Last Generation. Revelation 4 (Rev 4:1) – 1 After these things I saw, and behold, a door opened in heaven, and the first voice that I heard, a voice as of a trumpet speaking with me, one saying, Come up hither, and I will show thee the things which must come to pass hereafter. Chapter 4 of Revelation provides no information regarding the accurate placement of the Rapture in God’s timeline. If the events described in Revelation 6:1-13 are sequential, and if the Rapture occurs right after 6:13, it would lead us to believe that the Rapture will not occur until after the revelation of the antichrist (see 6:1-2), worldwide war (see 6:3-4), famine (see 6:5-6), death of one-fourth of the earth by means of war, famine, pestilence and wild beasts (see Rev. Revelation 14:14 And I looked, and behold a white cloud, and upon the cloud one sat like unto the Son of man, having on … This sign can be observed in astronomy software such as Stellarium as occurring September 23, 2017. 4:5 is also very important. In Revelation 19:11, John sees the heavens opened again, and Jesus descends on a white horse, with the Church accompanying Him (Revelation 19:14). In this author’s view, the following points make a much more compelling case, one that contradicts the notion that Revelation 4:1 is a preview of the Rapture: THE DISPENSATIONAL DESIGN OF SCRIPTURE MUST BE RECOGNIZED AND RESPECTED. Revelation 4:1 “After this I looked, and, behold, a door was opened in heaven: and the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me; which said, ‘Come up hither, and I will shew thee things which must be hereafter.’” Revelation 4:2 adds: “And immediately I was in the spirit.” The definite This means the Rapture cannot take place without them martyred first. Chapter 4 The Rapture of the Church. Also, Revelation 12 and Revelation 13 tell us that Satan (the dragon) and the Antichrist will make war with the saints. The location of this event is right for the Rapture. All donation inquiries should be sent to me at arcministries@gmail.com. In this article, I will answer whether Revelation 4:1 depicts the Rapture. And the voice I had first heard speaking to me like a trumpet said, “Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after this.”. They are among the group who will be resurrected when Christ comes: “(4) And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years. In Revelation 4:2 Straightway I was in the Spirit. [4] Allen R. Kerkeslager, “The Day of the Lord, the ‘Hour’ in the Book of Revelation, and Rev 3:10,” unpublished paper delivered at the annual 1991 Annual Meeting of the Society of Biblical Literature; cited in G. K. Beale, Revelation, NIGTC (Eerdmans, 1999), 292. Prophecy is not separated from mystery, Peter is not divided from Paul, Law is not separated from Grace, Heaven is not divided from Earth, Israel is not separated from the Body of Christ. Thessalonians involves a group of people—some living and others deceased (1 Thessalonians 4:15-17). Check out our 60 new Bible Q&A booklets for sale. 9. Make no mistake, my dear readers. This is the first resurrection. If we get this straight, the Bible will become so astoundingly clear. Part 7 of Pastor Dave's teaching on the book of Revelation. » Did the Church the Body of Christ begin in Acts 2? Second Thessalonians chapter 2 makes that so very clear, as does 1 Thessalonians chapters 1, 4, and 5. That is why we locate the Rapture at this spot in the flow of events in the book or Revelation. Post was not sent - check your email addresses! How rapture takes place as revealed in the Book of Revelation. I believe this for the following reasons: 1. Is the Ezekiel 38 Invasion of Israel Imminent? ( Log Out / Unsealed.orghas done a magnificent job detailing this sign. Pre-Trib Rapture supporters will argue that the Christians who die are tribulation saints or people who get saved after the Rapture of the Church. The structure of Revelation - It fits PERFECTLY with the Lord-given structure of Revelation. Where in the book of Revelation does the rapture occur? Revelation 20 tells us that they are part of the resurrection of the dead: the first resurrection. At the “rapture” , what happens to the physical body? Revelation 4:1 describes John, the author of Revelation, being called up to Heaven: “After this I looked, and, behold, a door was opened in heaven: and the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me; which said, Come up hither, and I will shew thee things which must be hereafter.”. What was the significance of Joseph’s “coat of many colours?”. Who is “the great cloud of witnesses” of Hebrews 12:1? We see the word “church” in Acts 2:47 and conclude it must be the Church the Body of Christ. Change ), You are commenting using your Google account. https://www.prophecyproof.org/revelation-4-1-depict-rapture The word “Church” is missing, but the people who comprise the Church are mentioned after Revelation 3 and they are being martyred. I strongly believe the rapture is shown in Revelation 4:1-2 where the catching up of John represents the future catching up of the Church. Why would we expect to see a “preview” of the Rapture by appealing to John when he did not even have a ministry to the Church the Body of Christ? They are encouraged to endure and to overcome like Jesus encouraged the members of the 7 churches to endure. Revelation tells us they will die for holding onto their beliefs. Today, in every facet of Christian thought and word, there is a general reference to “the church.” In books, sermons, and so on, preachers and teachers talk about “the church, the church, the church.” They are referring to present-day Christians corporately, but this is problematic because they have dropped the qualifier. Revelation 4:1 (NIV) 1 After this, I looked, and there before me was a door standing open in heaven. From there series "Revelation: The Last Words of Jesus" featuring very special guests Dr. Ron Rhodes, Dr. Ed Hinson, and, Dr. Mark Hitchcock. Interesting video discussing 1 Thes 4:13-17 and the description given, compared to potential other rapture verses in Revelation. Luke 17:37: The Most Overlooked Prophecy? (This contradicts Romans 2:16, Galatians 2:7, Luke 18:31-34, and so on.) If we do not make this distinction between churches clear, our audience will always approach the Bible with the “one-church” mentality. If the Dispensation of Grace was given to Paul, and Ephesians 3:2 says it was, then it is only logical to conclude that Paul alone would write about that special coming of Christ to close the Dispensation of Grace. The “four and twenty seats” were actually thrones. Does not Ephesians 3:2 say “the Dispensation of the Grace of God” was committed to Paul so he could give it to us Gentiles? Is Revelation 4:1 a preview of the Rapture? (This contradicts Matthew 3:11, 1 Corinthians 12:13, and others.)
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