Rapture and Heaven by Mark Borders

Bold print is added by author Mark Borders, in response to an article on NTEB (Now The End Begins), website at http://www.nowtheendbegins.com/

In 1 Thessalonians 4, we read where Paul says that "we which are alive [and] remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air". The key phrase here is when Paul say "caught up together". The New Testament was largely written in Greek, and the Greek work that Paul uses in that phrase is the word "harpazo", which means literally "to snatch out", or "to seize". A very apt word to describe how the Lord Jesus will soon pull the believers out of here. After Greek, the Bible was translated into Latin, and that same phrase in Latin uses the word "raptus", or "rapturo", from which we get our English word "rapture". This word is a verb, and denotes action, not simply description.

There is no doubt that believers will be “caught up together”, at some time.

Jesus promises to return for His people, and it's not a secret
You will note that Paul says that Jesus, when He returns to take us out, does not come all the way down to the earth, but rather comes down only as far as the clouds. The world below will not see Jesus at this time, only those believers who are "caught up" in the clouds to be with Him. There will be nothing "secret" about this event as a). it will be apparent to all those not raptured what is happening, and b). The impact and devastation that will be felt by those left behind will be obvious and very immediate. Nothing secret about it, but, those left behind on earth will not see Jesus take us, only the aftermath of that event. Does Jesus say anywhere in the Bible that He will return again for His People?

In this paragraph, lies one of my issues against Pre-Tribulation Rapture, “Jesus said that only God knows the time of His Second Coming”, if believers are “Caught Up”, assuming a Pre-Tribulation Rapture, then everyone left would know the time of the second coming. It’s not like Jesus; once He has His church removed; is going to be sitting around long (7 Years?) waiting for all the destruction to happen, while His Brothers and Sisters; stand idly by and watch while their friends and loved ones who would not believe are tortured and killed. Instead I believe that the believers would feel as I do; Please Lord, leave me here to the very last second, so I may continue the work of bringing people to you, I agree with you Jesus that none should be left behind.

"Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father's house are many mansions: if [it were] not [so], I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, [there] ye may be also." John 14: 1-3

In this paragraph, “and receive you unto myself; that where I am, [there] ye may be also.”, this says nothing about the destination once he receives us, in fact just the opposite. Wherever Jesus will be, there is where we will be. During this time Jesus will not be in heaven, He is on His way to earth to reclaim it for His Father.

Jesus promises us in His Word that there will come a Day when He will personally return and gather the believers and take them to be with Him in Heaven. So at this point in our study we cross off the list those people who say there will be "no rapture", as Jesus Himself as promised us that He will come from us and take us out. To deny this is to deny the clear, revealed teaching of the Bible. The Bible commands us to wait for His return - "For they themselves shew of us what manner of entering in we had unto you, and how ye turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God; And to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, [even] Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come." 1 Thessalonians 1:9,10

This paragraph, your conclusion that; “and take them to be with Him in Heaven.” is a wish or desire by believers to be spared from seeing all the things happening around them, believers have lured themselves into believing that God will spare them from this. Did God spare Abraham completely from the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah? Why would God spare believers, when their wisdom and teaching could bring more believers into the Kingdom of God? Yes Jesus will deliver us from the wrath of the final destructive battle of Armageddon, not the wrath of the Tribulation Period.


Paul wrote about the Rapture so we would not be ignorant of it
Further along in 1 Thessalonians, Paul addresses a topic that was in much debate even in his day regarding the Rapture. Many people had thought that the Rapture has already happened, and maybe they missed it. They didn't understand the process by which everything would unfold. What would happen to those who had already died before the Rapture? So Paul sets out in chapter 4 of 1 Thessalonians to answer all these questions. Let's break it down bit by bit:“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." 1Thessalonians 4: 13,14

This is only talking about believers who die before the Rapture of believers. Those who are dead (asleep) will be caught up with the believers who are not dead (asleep). In the twinkling of an eye we will be changed, our bodies will become Glorified Bodies. Any defect will be changed to perfection, eyes will be perfect, ears, teeth, bones, all will be perfect, healthy. Praise God, I won't have to wear glasses anymore. Or wake up with my neck throbbing from a accident when I was young. Perfect Glorified Bodies!! Whoo Hoo!!

God through Paul here is telling us that, as believers, we are not left to wonder or guess about the final outcome of those who had already died. God promises that Jesus will bring those people up to Heaven as well. That death is not a cause for sorrow, because we know who holds our future, and that future is certain and secure. Next, he addresses those who will still be alive on earth when Jesus returns.

Now for more truth: You say "Jesus will bring those people UP to Heaven as well." Here is another lie satan wants you to believe, more confusion to get past. Heaven is not UP!! Why do you think we meet him in the air? Where is it that Jesus is going? He's going to earth to bring wrath to the wicked, fight the battle of Armageddon, and rule the earth for 1000 years. Just who do you think he is going to rule over? satan and his followers?? Absolutely not! We the Believers are going to meet Him in the air, for a quick re-uniting with Jesus, our friends and family who went on before, then we all are going to come back to the earth with Jesus. Praise God! He sets up His Kingdom, right here on the new Earth. After Jesus, and us Believers cleanse the Earth. The Holy City will come down out of the Heavens, notice that is plural, and it will establish itself on Earth. This is our Heaven for at least 1000 years. Remember folks, at this point we live for an eternity, right here on Earth, with Jesus as our King, and Ruler. Things on this New Earth continue just like before, but there is perfect peace among all, perfect transactions, perfect everything. No more tears, no more pain, only Happiness and Peace among all us Believers. Thank God, no more corruption, no more lies, no more crime, no more evil. satan and his followers are bound for a time (1000 years), while we believers carry on with the business of the world. Growing food, to add to the manna, catching fish, working, building, everything like the last years before the Tribulation, only much, much better. Don't you want to be there for that???

Now, here comes the Chastisement. You who believed in the Pre-/Mid-Tribulation Rapture, believed the lie of satan, he is a lier, and the truth is not in him. If you also believed Heaven was somewhere UP there, then you are believing in the fairy tell s you tell your children, or the TV Movie the "Wizard of Oz". Folks let me tell you, THAT MOVIE WAS FICTION. Go find the book in a book store and see what section it's in; "Fiction". Grow UP! You should be more adult than that. Instead of telling fictional fairy tells, you should have been reading them the Truth in Bible. "Oh, but it's so scary!!" Well Ohhh noooo. Wow, welcome to the real world. Life and end times is scary, should be scary so people understand what is at stake. Narrow is the path that leads to our Father, and few reach the destination. Wide is the path that leads to destruction, and many who enter there! That was a warning folks. God said this, not this author, God Said It! Now, you want to argue with God about it, then wait till you stand before the Throne of God and you are Judged by all the things you did while on earth. Will you come up lacking? wanting? will you look like evil? are you guilty of something? Why, yes you are guilty of not accepting His Only Begotten Son. The One True Savior of this World. The Human Female Flesh, mated with the Heavenly Father, produced Jesus, the Living Breathing Flesh of Man, who did not ever lie Honesty, always showed Ultimate Compassion, Generously game Himself to pay for our sins which had not even been committed yet. Was beaten, but showed Bravery beyond any of us. Do you think for one minute that if; He wanted to destroy all humans on the earth and start over, do you think He couldn't do it?? Come on, look at all the miracles he performed, if He could raise the dead bodies of others after days, He could have hung on that cross until today and not die. He willing gave up His life for me and you, and your neighbors, family, friends, etc.

The Devil has caused you to believe all these lies about the Bible, he wants you for his follower at that final battle, and would do anything to keep you. God will not interfere like satan, God said he would not destroy the earth again until the Deliver had come. Get right folks, start studying your Bible. Get your life right with God. Join me in Heaven, right here on Good Ole Planet Earth, but New, Refreshed, Healed, just like us.

Now in this article, I was responding to another group called Now The End Begin (NTEB) in facebook. Bold Italics is my writing the other is theirs, not sure who's but you can look for yourself sometime. Also I did not write the books and verses I paraphrased, If you want to make sure what I'm telling you is the truth, look it up yourself. To NTEB: There's been enough people tell you this same thing I'm saying. Maybe you better wake up and find Jesus. Good Lord Folks, all of you, all over the world. If I can get it, just an average person, who can read. Why has so many Bible Teachers, Ministers, Priests, Bishops, Clergy, whatever name you go by these days. Are you going to stand before God and argue with Him too? Shame such shame on what the Roman Catholic Church has failed to do, and shame on you for what you are going to do. The Roman Catholic Church will stand with the anti-Christ and proclaim him savior of the world. Not MY Savior he's not. Get the behind me satan, I bind you in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Get yourselves right people or you will spend an eternity in hell. Fire and Brimstone all around you, horrible agony, never sleeping, never eating, never feeling even one moment of relief. An eternity of that. Are you really sure that's what you want? Really?

By: Mark Borders, Southern Baptist Nobody; but a Child of the Risen Lord!!

This article is not and will not be copyrighted, it is offered free to any who need it, anyone wishing to copy it, and use it in anyway; have my permission to do so, I only insist that you change nothing, take nothing out, add nothing in, unless you are sending it to me to point out something you disagree with. And, I'm open to further discussions, but this, and the article by Rory Moore, which is also free to anyone with the same restriction, should be enough to convince any half-witted Church-going, non-Believer of the truth.