Rapture Answers
Robert Cogswell


The Word of God teaches that the "catching away" or rapture will occur at the last trumpet and therefore is in opposition with the Doctrine of Pretribulation Rapture. The Bible reasons are discussed below as well as some commonly asked questions.

I should state that I do not have a martyr complex, I do not want to see my wife and children suffer nor do I want to loose my head for not accepting the mark of the beast. If it were up to me we would go before the Antichrist comes.  Nevertheless, we must believe the Bible: “Let God be true, but every man a liar” Romans 3:4.

The following passages from the Bible will be discussed in detail followed by some answers to common questions.

1 Corinthians 15:23-24
"But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ's at his coming. Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power." (Italics added for emphasis)

Every man in his own order first Christ and the firstfruits. This event is found in Matthew 27:52-53 which reads, “And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose, And came out of the graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many.”  "Afterward they that are Christ’s at his coming. Then cometh the end when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God...when he shall put down all rule and all authority and power" 1 Cor. 15:23-24. In pretribulation arguments, Jesus comes a first time leaing some to suffer, and then returns a second time for those left behind and thereupon puts down all rule, authority, and power. However, this passage places both at the same event. If Jesus comes and puts down all rule and authority and power; how can the antichrist rule which we all agree he must? Simply stated, Jesus cannot come before the antichrist, and this will be backed by additional scriptures to follow.

1 Corinthians 15:50-51
"Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption. Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed. 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." (Italics added for emphasis)

There is a key phrase I would like to point out here, “At the last trump.” This is a passage quoted often by all those looking forward to the promise of his second coming. I believe that we can agree that the last cannot come before the last, and cannot possibly be the first.

1 Thessalonians 4:15-18
"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."

In this passage Jesus descends with a shout and a trump, and the dead in Christ rise first: then we which are alive shall be caught up together with them in the clouds. 

2 Thessalonians 2:1-4
"Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him, That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand.  Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition."

In this passage Paul calls the second coming of Jesus the “Coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him.” Paul describes the “rapture” and the second coming of Jesus just as Jesus did in Matthew 24 and 1 Corinthians 15; as one event. 

This passage also offers further details on when this single event will occur, “Except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition.” Pretribulation doctrine must ignore this passage all together. The man of sin must be revealed before the rapture can occur. This event does not occur until Matthew 24:15 and Daniel 12:11. We are now living in the time of the great falling away. This falling away is not from religion, but a falling away from the Word of God.

Matthew 24:29-31
"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 then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. 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." (Italics added for emphasis)

There are many in the christian community that will say that this is not the rapture of the church, but we believe that it cannot be anything else. All the elements are there. For example, there is a trumpet, Jesus is coming back, and the angels are gathering Christ's elect from the four winds. This passage shows the second coming of Jesus, and the "rapture" occurring at the same time. 

Jesus’ coming and the rapture must be separated for the Pretribulation Rapture Doctrine to work. However, as stated in each example above, we can see the events of Jesus’ return, and our catching away occur at the same time.


Answers to Common Question


Revelation 4:1
"After this I looked and, behold, a door was opened in heaven: and the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me; which said, Come up hither, and I will shew thee things which must be hereafter."

There are three reasons within this verse as to why this is not a picture of the rapture. First, this is the "First" voice. There is no way the first and the last can be the same event, and as we discussed in 1 Corinthians 15, Jesus will come at the last trump. Second, in the Bible the church is always referred to as a woman and John is no woman. Finally, this event occurred when Jesus called up John to receive the revelation. Why would the church need to be caught up to see the things that must be hereafter when John already revealed them to us in the book of Revelation?

2 Thessalonians 2:7
"For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way."

Pretribulation arguments will say that the church is what must be taken out of the way before the antichrist can take his place. However, the scripture specifically says "he," and the church is always referred to as a woman. The he referred to in this verse is not the church; otherwise it would be a she.

Thief in the Night

1 Thessalonians 5:2 
"For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night."

This verse seems as though it's saying that neither the church nor the world will know when Christ's return will be, but if one reads this passage of scripture in context we find the answer to the mystery.

1 Thessalonians 5:3-6 
"For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape. But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief. Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness. Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober." (Italics added for emphasis)

We are not in darkness, that that day should overtake us as a thief. In other words, those who watch and pray will not be surprised by the second coming of Jesus Christ. Only those who are not watching.

Suffering

There is a feeling in the church today that we are not given to suffering. I find the teaching to be absent from biblical principles at best, and a deliberate delusion at worst. We as the American Church, have to be the only Christians in history that could possibly have that belief. If we had the opportunity to speak to our fellow Christian laborers either in History or in the present world in such nations as China, North Korea, Vietnam or any Muslim State, Do you think they would agree that we are not called to suffer? Do you think that the saints who died in "Foxes book of Martyrs" did not live the gospel to the fullest? Consider the following passages from the Bible. 

Hebrews 11:36-38
"And others had trial of cruel mockings and scourgings, yea, moreover of bonds and imprisonment:  They were stoned, they were sawn asunder, were tempted, were slain with the sword: they wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins; being destitute, afflicted, tormented; (Of whom the world was not worthy:) they wandered in deserts, and in mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth. And these all, having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise."

This passage of scripture may sound nothing like the glory road that many ministers preach today, but these are the torments Saints of God have endured for the name and cause of the Gospel of Christ.

Consider 1 Corinthians 4:10-14
"We are fools for Christ's sake, but ye are wise in Christ; we are weak, but ye are strong; ye are honourable, but we are despised.  Even unto this present hour we both hunger, and thirst, and are naked, and are buffeted, and have no certain dwelling place; And labour, working with our own hands: being reviled, we bless; being persecuted, we suffer it:  Being defamed, we intreat: we are made as the filth of the world, and are the offscouring of all things unto this day.  I write not these things to shame you, but as my beloved sons I warn you."

We are weak, despised, hungry, thirsty, naked, and beaten. We have no home, we work with our hands, and are called the filth of the world. This is the typical Christian walk, but here in America we do not experience such physical oppression. However, that may very rapidly change.

Listen to Paul's words to Timothy about suffering, "If we suffer, we shall also reign with him: if we deny him, he also will deny us" 2 Timothy 2:12. Suffering is a given part of the Christian walk.

Heed Christ's own words in Luke 9:23-25, "And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it. For what is a man advantaged, if he gain the whole world, and lose himself, or be cast away?"

Finally, it is well known that believers have lost their lives, and suffered horrendous ordeals for the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I believe that when the Church says we will not suffer, but be taken out; the church makes the word of God of no effect. Does not the Word say in Acts 10:34, “Then Peter opened his mouth, and said, Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons?” If God is no respecter of persons, how can we rate ourselves better than another group of believers, and expect not to suffer for his names sake?

Noah & Lot

People have used Noah and the flood, and Lot and Sodom as examples of people that did not have to go through tribulation, but were taken before the judgment came. First consider Noah, “The preacher of Righteousness.” Noah spent 120 years building a boat to the exact specifications that God gave him.  During that time Noah warned that judgment was coming. The Bible says in Hebrews 11:7 that Noah was "Moved with Fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house.” The verse goes on to say that “By the which he condemned the world.” If Noah had not built the boat, the world would not have been condemned. The reason is that there was obedience to God on earth. I believe Noah endured one of the most terrifying events that I can find in the Bible. To have heared the screams of the people not on the boat. Noah was not removed from the suffering, but rose above it through his faithfulness to God. The boat served as a witness against the evil of Noah’s day just as the Church will be a testimony to the faithfulness of Jesus Christ during the tribulation.

Lot was warned by the angels to flee the city because God’s judgment was coming in the morning. Lot also was moved with fear, and like Noah could only get his wife and two daughters to go with him. God’s word was faithful and the fire rained down in the morning, but even then all four lives that left the city that day did not make it. Lot’s wife looked back. If this is an example of the rapture, will people only make it half way?

History of the Pretribulation Doctrine

The Pretribulation doctrine started in June of 1830. In that year Margaret MacDonald claimed to have received a new revelation from the Lord. In her vision she said she saw a secret rapture for the spirit filled christians, while the rest of the church was to experience the purging of the tribulation. 

In September of the same year “Fidus” placed an article in a paper called “The Morning Watch" in which he saw the seven churches in the book of Revelation as church ages. He believed that the Philadelphian would be taken out, and the Laodicean church would be left to be cleaned in tribulation.

Edward Irving showed up in June of 1831 and continued the same logic, but added additional “evidence.” Using the “man-child” of Revelation 12 Irving argued that the body of Christ has to be taken out. This article also made it's appearance in “The Morning Watch.”

These teachings are what lead to the current version of the Pretribulation doctrine. I would ask you a couple questions before the end of this article.

Where in the Bible does it reveal the Pretribulation doctrine? After all, this is a huge change in the course of the church doctrine. It must be revealed somewhere.
We as christians know to stay away from “new revelations” such as Universalism, no hell, and Jesus was just a man. How willing are you to trust a doctrine that is only about 170 years old; compared to the 2000 years of the New Testament?

Personally, in the beginning of my Christian walk, I saw the Pretribulation Doctrine as a simple disagreement between two brothers in Christ and that more would be revealed later. However, the longer I study my Bible and the closer we get to the rise of the antichrist, the more I believe that this is truly a dangerously false doctrine. Jesus describes the antichrist using these words in Matthew 24:24, “For 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.” “If it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.” This passage of scripture does not describe something that will be easily spotted; the church must know the Word of God and the Spirit of the Lord together to be not deceived.

While many wait for Jesus to take them away, others prepare for a time of great trying for the sake of the cross. I leave you with this passage of scriture,
"But know this, that if the goodman of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken up. Therefore be ye also ready" Matthew 24:43-44.


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The Second Coming of Christ