Results 1 - 2 of 2
|
|
|||||
Results from: Answered Bible Questions, Answers, Unanswered Bible Questions, Notes Ordered by Verse | ||||||
Results | Verse | Author | ID# | |||
1 | Rapture | Rev 20:1 | MJH | 214124 | ||
John, First off, while I generally shy away from end time’s debates, I appreciated your admitting you are not all together sure. Me neither. I enjoyed a speaker at a pastors' convention awhile back who told this story, "God is up in Heaven sitting with Jesus to his right. Before God are laid out all of the end times charts. He puts His arm on His Son's shoulder and says, 'You know Son, I'm going to send you back down there just as soon as I can figure these things out." Needless to say, it broke the tension of a bunch of staunch Christians holding different views on many things. That all being said, I recently wondered if those "taken away" were the Righteous or the Wicked. In Matt. 24:40-41 the two men and women, one is taken and the other left, the Text does not say which was which. If fact, in all cases where "one is taken" the Text doesn't specify which. We assume the good person is taken because of what we bring to that particular Text and not because of what the Text actually says. When I studied the first century understanding, I found that the Greek's believed the dead “good” were taken away to some heaven, but the Jewish faith believed the dead wicked were taken away to judgment. The Jews always saw Earth—and Jerusalem in particular—as the final place for the righteous. So, if Jesus is speaking to a Jewish world about someone being "taken away" and then He does not say who gets taken away; it would make sense that his audience assumed what Jews in that day assumed. Jesus doesn't overtly challenge that thinking. (Nor does he confirm it....it's not mentioned who is taken.) When I looked at this idea closer, I found that all throughout the Old Testament, those who are "taken away" are taken away to judgment, or because of judgment. At this time (first century), Israel’s identity is that She was taken away to Babylon as judgment for her sins. (Lamentations, Jeremiah) The only Text that does not fit this mold, (that the ones taken away are those taken away for final judgment) is 1 Thes. 4:17. Yet even here, the dead rise and the living meet the Lord in the air....but the Text even here does not mention if they float away to some heavenly place, or return triumphant with the Lord. They are not “taken away” per se, but rather gathered to the Lord. Any thoughts? This is one of my, “kept it under my hat” thoughts. MJH |
||||||
2 | Rapture | Rev 20:1 | DocTrinsograce | 214126 | ||
Well, at least no one in the current thread is using Luke 17 as a Rapture proof text. Having just attended a conference where Dr. Sam Waldron spoke, I am reading his book, "The End Times Made Simple." Good book. |
||||||