Intro

This is Dreamwalker1960. As a reminder you can read the transcripts of all my podcasts at dreamwalker1960.com. Also, you do not need to download podbean if you wish to listen. You can use Listen Notes, iHeart Radio, Amazon Music or Audible, Google Podcasts or Apple Podcasts. As well as Pandora, Spotify and PlayerFM. All you need do is do a search for Dreamwalker1960.

Today’s podcast asks a question and then leads into what causes questions like this come into existence. So, let’s begin today’s study with that question.

Discussion

Is the Rapture a reality?

Why ask this question?

Because there are those that count themselves as followers of Jesus Christ. Yet they deny His words that He spoke.

What words did Jesus say about a rapture?

Well, there are three occurrences of this Luke 17, and Matthew 24:30-31; 24:37-41.

Luke 17:34-37 – That night two people will be asleep in one bed; one will be taken, the other left. 35 Two women will be grinding flour together at the mill; one will be taken, the other left.” 37 “Where will this happen, Lord?” the disciples asked. Jesus replied, “Just as the gathering of vultures shows there is a carcass nearby, so these signs indicate that the end is near.”

Note that in the verses before these, Jesus states that those in the world will be behaving like that of Noah and of Lot. Noah before the flood destroyed the world and Lot before the fiery judgement of Sodom and Gomorra and the cities about them.

Matthew 24:30-31 – And then at last, the sign that the Son of Man is coming will appear in the heavens, and there will be deep mourning among all the peoples of the earth. And they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. 31 And he will send out his angels with the mighty blast of a trumpet, and they will gather his chosen ones from all over the world—from the farthest ends of the earth and heaven.

These verses ties into Daniel 12:1-3 and Revelation 7:1-8 and is speaking of the last rapture that is solely for the Jewish nation. The key to this is in two parts. The first is that it will cause “deep mourning among ALL the peoples of the earth.” Which says that none are left that honor God or have the Holy Spirit within them. And lastly that “they will gather his chosen ones from all over the world.” The chosen or in other words “sealed.”

Continuing now with the verses where Jesus Christ Himself speaks of a rapture type event:

Matthew 24:37-41 – “When the Son of Man returns, it will be like it was in Noah’s day. 38 In those days before the flood, the people were enjoying banquets and parties and weddings right up to the time Noah entered his boat. 39 People didn’t realize what was going to happen until the flood came and swept them all away. That is the way it will be when the Son of Man comes. 40 “Two men will be working together in the field; one will be taken, the other left. 41 Two women will be grinding flour at the mill; one will be taken, the other left.

Per the words of Jesus Christ there will be those performing tasks or even sleeping. One person disappears the other stays. He states on His return that angels will gather the chosen which are the sealed as I already mentioned. These are His only true mention of what could be described as a rapture.

When someone says there is no rapture. Are they not denying the words of Christ? If they are denying the words of Jesus are they not in actuality denying Him?

My answer to that question is yes, they are.

Matthew 10:32-33 – “Everyone who acknowledges me publicly here on earth, I will also acknowledge before my Father in heaven. 33 But everyone who denies me here on earth, I will also deny before my Father in heaven.

This is witnessed elsewhere in the Bible as well.

Matthew 7:21-23 – “Not everyone who calls out to me, ‘Lord! Lord!’ will enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Only those who actually do the will of my Father in heaven will enter. 22 On judgment day many will say to me, ‘Lord! Lord! We prophesied in your name and cast out demons in your name and performed many miracles in your name.’ 23 But I will reply, ‘I never knew you. Get away from me, you who break God’s laws.’

When I started these podcasts in one of my studies, I showed that the phrase “I never knew you.” Is a Jewish law legalism. It does not mean you were never a part of the Body of Christ. It means that Jesus Christ is stating that those people in these verses that are asking to enter into Heaven have turned away From Him. So, since they have departed from Him. He never knew them. Why? Because they chose their life on earth over following the true teachings of the Bible. Therefore, when they originally joined the Body they lied about their true nature unto the Christ. They jointed the lukewarm whom Jesus spit from His Body in distaste. (Revelation 3:15-16)

So, to get back on track.

The fact that Jesus Christ mentioned people vanishing from the face of the earth. Implies a rapture event. He even establishes what to look for to know that His return is near.

Matthew 24:37-39 – “When the Son of Man returns, it will be like it was in Noah’s day. 38 In those days before the flood, the people were enjoying banquets and parties and weddings right up to the time Noah entered his boat. 39 People didn’t realize what was going to happen until the flood came and swept them all away. That is the way it will be when the Son of Man comes. 

Luke 17:26-30 – “When the Son of Man returns, it will be like it was in Noah’s day. 27 In those days, the people enjoyed banquets and parties and weddings right up to the time Noah entered his boat and the flood came and destroyed them all. 28 “And the world will be as it was in the days of Lot. People went about their daily business—eating and drinking, buying and selling, farming and building— 29 until the morning Lot left Sodom. Then fire and burning sulfur rained down from heaven and destroyed them all. 30 Yes, it will be ‘business as usual’ right up to the day when the Son of Man is revealed.

So, if someone has taught you there is no rapture. Then they are teaching a false gospel.

2 Timothy 2:16-18 – Avoid worthless, foolish talk that only leads to more godless behavior. 17 This kind of talk spreads like cancer, as in the case of Hymenaeus and Philetus. 18 They have left the path of truth, claiming that the resurrection of the dead has already occurred; in this way, they have turned some people away from the faith.

By the way, the “resurrection of the dead” is the rapture. Therefore, there is mention of the rapture throughout the Bible.

Now back to the topic of false teachings. I once again turn to the first chapter of Galatians:

Galatians 1:6-10 – I am shocked that you are turning away so soon from God, who called you to himself through the loving mercy of Christ. You are following a different way that pretends to be the Good News 7 but is not the Good News at all. You are being fooled by those who deliberately twist the truth concerning Christ. 8 Let God’s curse fall on anyone, including us or even an angel from heaven, who preaches a different kind of Good News than the one we preached to you. 9 I say again what we have said before: If anyone preaches any other Good News than the one you welcomed, let that person be cursed. 10 Obviously, I’m not trying to win the approval of people, but of God. If pleasing people were my goal, I would not be Christ’s servant.

Let’s look at the last verse in the KJV:

“For do I now persuade men, or God? or do I seek to please men? for if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ.”

It is made clear in this verse that those spreading the false gospel were using teachings that made people joyous to the point of returning to their sinful nature. A life which they had left behind when accepting Jesus Christ as their Savior. Joyous not in the true teachings of the Bible, but in themselves and themselves alone. For they were being pleased and not God. This is why those that teach only the parts of the gospel to make people feel good are cursed.

Here is an important thing that people do need to realize. God does love ALL of humanity. But due to this love he wants all to have life. Not life here in this temporal and corrupt existence. But a life filled with true joy. An eternal joy that cannot be found here on earth.

What is also made clear in this verse is that the true Gospel is not meant to only please us. In fact, we are told there will be times with sorrow and pain, as well as suffering.

Let’s look at a verse about pain.

Proverbs 13:24 – He that spareth his rod hateth his son: but he that loveth him chasteneth him betimes.

Those that falsely teach the Gospel hate the people they are teaching it to. Those that teach the true Gospel makes people uncomfortable. Even to the point of feeling like that they have been spanked. When they accept their guilt of their sin they will become emotionally distort. Not with what they heard, but with themselves for living in sin.

This is not me saying this. This is the Bible saying this:

2 Timothy 3:16-17 – All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: 17 That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.

For it is our responsibility to “Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine.” (2 Tim 4:2)

Reprove – G1651 – elegcho – to admonish, to convict, convince.

1. Admonish – to warn someone not to do something, usually in a kind way, or to tell someone to do something:

Rebuke – G2008 – epitimao – to tax upon, censure, forbid.

1. Censure – to express strong criticism or disapproval.

Exhort – G3870 – parakaleo – to call near, invite, invoke (by imploration, hortation or consolation)

1. Imploration – earnest supplication

a1) supplication – an act or instance of supplicating; humble prayer, entreaty, or petition.

• Hortation – The act of exhorting, inciting, or giving advice
• Consolation – something that makes someone who is sad or disappointed feel better

The true gospel does not accept sin it exposes it and shows its filth for all to see. Causing those that live in these sins to feel discomfort and even pain.

When truly teaching the true gospel, it is not done in harshness, but in love. In compassion. In honest and sincere concern for those living in sin. For those that truly love them wish to see all be welcomed into heaven. But this is only achieved through ending sin in our lives. Which can only be done by surrendering authority of our lives from ourselves and giving that authority unto God.

This can only be done through one door. Asking Jesus Christ to be our Savior from our sins. As well as getting baptized in the name of Jesus Christ and seeking to be filled with the Holy Spirit.

Then we are to seek to end sin within our lives, but especially those sins which are clearly shown within the Bible that are not to be allowed in heaven.

For if we embrace sin. We embrace the world.

I will end with these verses for you the listener and reader to think hard upon:

James 4:1-10 – What is causing the quarrels and fights among you? Don’t they come from the evil desires at war within you? 2 You want what you don’t have, so you scheme and kill to get it. You are jealous of what others have, but you can’t get it, so you fight and wage war to take it away from them. Yet you don’t have what you want because you don’t ask God for it. 3 And even when you ask, you don’t get it because your motives are all wrong—you want only what will give you pleasure. 4 You adulterers! Don’t you realize that friendship with the world makes you an enemy of God? I say it again: If you want to be a friend of the world, you make yourself an enemy of God. 5   Do you think the Scriptures have no meaning? They say that God is passionate that the spirit he has placed within us should be faithful to him. 6 And he gives grace generously. As the Scriptures say, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” 7 So humble yourselves before God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8 Come close to God, and God will come close to you. Wash your hands, you sinners; purify your hearts, for your loyalty is divided between God and the world. 9 Let there be tears for what you have done. Let there be sorrow and deep grief. Let there be sadness instead of laughter, and gloom instead of joy. 10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up in honor.

God Bless