This is what I posted on anther forum, it got deleted and I got banned though, tell me what you think:
There is definitely no rapture. It was not taught until the 1800s (from what I can tell). Jesus plainly tells us,
"Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken ... And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other" (Mat 24:29-31).
Jesus clearly says "after the tribulation of those days." Why? Because "through much tribulation [we] enter into the kingdom of God" (Act 14:22).
It's through much tribulation we enter into the kingdom of God, not through much rapture.
"These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb" (Rev 7:14).
To "enter into the kingdom of God," and make your robes "white in the blood of the Lamb," you must first go "through much tribulation," come "out of great tribulation," because "To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God" (Rev 2:7). You must be presented with something to overcome to "overcometh." The rapture theory strangles the Word of God by claiming the Christians will not have to overcome and will be raptured. These people do not understand the purpose of God's loving grace.
Grace chastens, it does not rapture.
"For the grace of God ... [is] Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world..." (Tit 2:11-12).
The word translated teaching:
G3811
pa?de?´?
paideuo¯
pahee-dyoo'-o
From G3816; to train up a child, that is, educate, or (by implication) discipline (by punishment): - chasten (-ise), instruct, learn, teach.
The word translated "teaching" is the very word used in the following verse:
"For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth [paideuo, the same word used in Tit 2:12], and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth" (Heb 12:6).
The lord scourges every son he receives; he does not rapture him.
For "...if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye ********, and not sons" (Heb 12:
.
To be raptured would make you a "*******" not a son, because "through much tribulation [we] enter into the kingdom of God."
Where is the kingdom of God? The "kingdom of God is within you" (Luk 17:21).
Many suggest Thessalonians refers to a rapture. However, the people that suggest this are merely twisting Gods words because they are failing "the grace of God," and are "********, and not sons," because they wish to "be without chastisement" and sneak their way into the kingdom of God without going "through much tribulation."
"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: 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" (1Th 4:16).
This Scripture does not explain itself, because "no prophecy of scripture at all is becoming its own explanation" (2Pe 1:20). We must find when these events Paul speaks of will happen by "comparing spiritual things with spiritual" (1Co 2:13).
The event Paul speaks of in 1Th 4:16 apparently happens when "the Lord ... [descends] from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God..."
What does Jesus say? "[He] shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet…" Jesus says "with a great sound of a trumpet." Paul says "and with the trump of God." Clearly these verses are a match. However, what else did Jesus say? "Immediately after the tribulation…" These events happen "after the tribulation", not before, because "through much tribulation [we] enter into the kingdom of God." All faith is tried with fire, "Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is" (1Co 3:13). We all will be tried with fire and if we "overcometh" we will be rewarded. We all must be chastised (not raptured) and go through tribulation because "To him that overcometh will I [Christ] give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God…" To overcome you must first have something to overcome. What must we overcome? What must we come out of and go through to enter the kingdom of God? We must be tried by "fire," we must go through tribulation; we must be under grace and be chastened, for "if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye ********, and not sons"!
Moreover, "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" (1Co 15:52). Paul tells us again these events will occur at the last trump. Jesus and Paul both tell us these events happen when the trump of God is blown. And when does that happen? "Immediately after the tribulation…" When "shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven"? (Mat 24:30). After the "great tribulation" (Mat 24:21); "Immediately after the tribulation…" (Mat 24:29).
Unfortunately, Christ tells us "…there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect" (Mat 24:24). There are many false prophets amongst us today that have drowned us with their lies. What does Christ have to say about that? "Wherefore if they shall say unto you, Behold, he is in the desert; go not forth: behold, he is in the secret chambers; believe it not." Preachers worldwide are saying, look to the signs in the Middle East! And, not long and we will be raptured! Jesus told us to "believe it not." Because "For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be" (Mat 24:27). Nevertheless, "false prophets" who claim to have "prophesied in [Christs] name … and in [Christs] name … cast out devils … and in [Christs] name done many wonderful works…" (Mat 7:22) would like you to believe that the Son of man will not return "as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west," but rather the Lord will make the Christians “*******
� by not chastening them but instead taking them secretly out of the world.
Jesus said, "…if any man shall say to you, Lo, here is Christ; or, lo, he is there; believe him not…" (Mar 13:21). Many preachers are saying "Lo, here" and "lo, there" and saying "the Lord will rapture us soon! We are in the end times!" What did Christ say? "…believe [them] not."
Will you "let [the modern day spiritual] Hezekiah make you trust in the LORD, saying, The LORD will surely deliver us"? (2Ki 18:30). I won't because I know "we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God" (Act 14:22).