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the rapture theory +

[ questions and answers ]

Question: What is a Strong's Concordance?

Answer: Strong's Concordance is a concordance of the King James Bible (KJV) that was constructed under the direction of Dr. James Strong (1822-1894). Dr. Strong was Professor of exegetical theology at Drew Theological Seminary at the time. It is an exhaustive cross-reference of every word in the KJV back to the word in the original text.
It included: * The 8674 Hebrew words used in the Old Testament* The 5624 Greek words used in the New Testament en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strong's_concordance

Question: Why do you feel strongly about "the rapture theory"?

Answer: There are a few things that I have found on my own, that have caused me to question (not the Word Of God) BUT the traditions from others. One is about the "rapture". I have not once found the word "rapture" in the KJV Bible. Not once. So it only makes me wonder why people teach this if the word does not exist in the bible.

The rapture ultimately leads to people worshiping the false Christ, the anti-Christ because Jesus warned us in Mark 13 that false Christs and prophets shall rise and not to believe them.

So when the anti-Christ appears showing signs and wonders people will flock to him because they will believe he is Jesus ready to rapture them all away. They will be ashamed for worshiping Satan when the true Lamb appears.

[ the few lines of scripture ]

Below are the lines of scripture that many different churches told me to support the rapture theory:
But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. 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. Wherefore comfort one another with these words. 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18

[ the cross-referencing ]

Cross-referencing the main words : Using a Strong's Concordance
I took the words out of the scripture and looked them up. I found a number beside the words I looked up. I then looked up the number. The results are printed below.

The Dead = 3498 nekros nek-ros' from an apparently primary nekus (a corpse); dead (literally or figuratively; also as noun):--dead.

Rise = 450 anistemi an-is'-tay-mee from 303 and 2476; to stand up (literal or figurative, transitive or intransitive):--arise, lift up, raise up (again), rise (again), stand up(-right).

Alive = 2198 zao dzah'-o a primary verb; to live (literally or figuratively):--life(-time), (a-)live(-ly), quick.

Remain = 4035 perileipo per-ee-li'-po from 4012 and 3007; to leave all around, i.e. (passively) survive:--remain.

Asleep = 2837 koimao koy-mah'-o from 2749; to put to sleep, i.e. (passively or reflexively) to slumber; figuratively, to decease:--(be a-, fall a-, fall on) sleep, be dead.

Air = 109 aer ah-ayr' from aemi (to breathe unconsciously, i.e. respire; by analogy, to blow); "air" (as naturally circumambient):--air. Compare 5594.
5594 psucho psoo'-kho a primary verb; to breathe (voluntarily but gently, thus differing on the one hand from 4154, which denotes properly a forcible respiration; and on the other from the base of 109, which refers properly to an inanimate breeze), i.e. (by implication, of reduction of temperature by evaporation) to chill (figuratively):--wax cold.
also see 07307 ruwach {roo'-akh}

Caught Up = 726 harpazo har-pad'-zo from a derivative of 138; to seize (in various applications):--catch (away, up), pluck, pull, take (by force).

Clouds = 3507 nephele nef-el'-ay from 3509; properly, cloudiness, i.e. (concretely) a cloud:--cloud.

see also 3509 nephos {nef'-os}

[ the dictionary ]

I looked up "cloud" in the Merriam-Webster and found that one of the meanings is c : a great crowd or multitude : SWARM (clouds of mosquitoes)

Merriam-Webster The word rapture: 1rap-ture
Pronunciation: 'rap-chr
Function: noun
Etymology: Latin raptus
1 a : a state or experience of being carried away by overwhelming
emotion b : a mystical experience in which the spirit is exalted
to a knowledge of divine things
2 : an expression or manifestation of ecstasy or passion
synonym see ECSTASY
- rap-tur-ous adjective
- rap-tur-ous-ly adverb
- rap-tur-ous-ness noun

[ the conclusion ]

Taking the true meaning of the words and reading the scripture in its entire chapter and in context will give light to the true meaning of what Paul was telling the church. He was telling them not to be ignorant about the dead in Christ, (the dead in Christ are those who have died before those that are still living). He wanted to assure them that they are with the Father in heaven and we will who are still alive will not go before them because they are already there (their spirits are not in some hole in the ground). Paul then continues to assure the church that we will meet with those who have died before us again when Jesus returns ( Jesus will return in the 7th trump after the 6th trump which is the 6th seal - the time of the anti-christ which means instead of Christ, the false messiah).

I don't intend to convince people's heads to believe in God's Word but to encourage them to read the Word of God for themselves. This is what I have done to find truth for myself.

"All that we have learned from our youth up must be tested and proved by the Word of God. Where we find it is true we must learn it over again, from God. And where it will not stand the test of His Word we must be not only content, but thankful to give it up; and receive Divine revelation in the place of man's imagination."
- E.W. Bullinger

| Updated 4.18.19 @ 12:04 PM |

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