The rapture is not Jesus coming back to earth. It is Him returning to meet us in the clouds.
Jesus doesn't come back to earth until the old heaven and earth is destroyed and the New Heaven and Earth is established when he comes back to the New Earth in and with the New Jerusalem, see Revelation 21 and 22.
In fact Jesus warned his disciples in Luke 17 against those who would be claiming that Jesus is here or there on the earth and he then say, for just like the lightning that lights up the sky, so would be his coming.
The error that your churches are making with this is from Acts 1 when while the disciples were looking up into heaven and saw Jesus disappear in the clouds to go into heaven, the angels appeared and said "why are you standing here gazing up into heaven, for this same Jesus who you have seen go into heaven shall return from heaven the same way.
He was already in the clouds and they were looking up into the clouds and saw him disappear into the clouds to go into heaven and that is also where he will return and not to the earth like you are being falsely led to believe.
Every message of the Bible is part of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
I would disagree with that. So then you think that the truths about God's punishment for those who don't believe is good news, for that is what the word gospel means "good news" and the gospel message is summed up in John 3:16, "for God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son that whosever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life"
The rest is the teachings that follow with the gospel.
The rapture is not Jesus coming back to earth. It is Him returning to meet us in the clouds.
Every message of the Bible is part of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Actually, the same thing can be said of you.
Yes and no. There are no believers on the earth immediately after the Raprure.
Show me one place where the church is mentioned after ch#4 in Revelation.
You seemed to have missed ==>
:
Rev 20:4 KJV And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and
I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received
his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.
Actually, the same thing can be said of you.
Yep and by people like you who are believing falsely but that doesn't bother me, because at the end of the age, God will reveal who were truly his sheep and who were not and that is all I need to concerning myself with, for until then only those who are in the truth will know who is also in the truth and the rest will be like the apostate Jews when Jesus came.
Blind as bats
Yes and no. There are no believers on the earth immediately after the Raprure.
There won't be any unbelievers on the earth when the rapture occurs and 1 Corinthians 15:22-26 coupled with verse 51-58 make this clear also.
For the rapture will not occur until all other enemies are put under the feet of Jesus including the sin that still dwells within the flesh of believers.
For believers still die physically because although sin has be removed from their hearts, it still exists within their flesh and sin in the flesh of believers is the enemy of God that causes their physical death and this is what Paul is speaking of in 1 Corinthians 15:22-26.
For until the enemy of sin in the flesh of believers is put under the feet of Christ, then they will have to die physically but when it is removed, they will be changed in a moment and in the twinkling of an eye and bingo they will follow with those who have just been resurrected to meet Jesus in the air.
Paul calls this the end "then comes the end when he shall have delivered up the Kingdom unto God even the Father" and after he has put all enemies under his feet as he reigns from heaven
Show me one place where the church is mentioned after ch#4 in Revelation.
I know you think this is a big deal but really it isn't, for the church is definitely suggested all through the book.
Tell me, in Revelations 12 and in the last verse, who does John tell us that the Serpent will be making war (Armageddon) with?
Look at that last verse in Revelation 12, do you see any unbelieving Jews mentioned as who the Devil will be enraged against like your churches falsely teach about it?
Notice it says "therefore the serpent was enraged against the woman (the church both Jew and Gentile) and went out to make war against the remnant of her seek who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.
Notice they have the testimony of Jesus Christ and which means they are believers and part of the church.
You seemed to have missed ==>
:
Rev 20:4 KJV And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and
I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received
his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.
Nope, I didn't miss anything at all for I am well aware of this passage and also the false doctrines that your churches teach about it, but I am trying to figure out how you think this is an answer to my post that you are replying to.
What does it really have to do with what I said?
First off, the first resurrection spoken of here is that of Jesus himself and the 1000 years is figurative for this present age and those who came alive and lived and reigned with Christ in this age represented by 1000 years refer to those who believe and were included in Christ death and resurrection.
But they also die in this age represented by the 1000 years and some die as martyrs and some at the hands of the beast also and that is what John is speaking of here.
Nevertheless, they reign over the influence and temptation of the world, the flesh and the Devil and not over other people.
When it says "and judgment was given unto them" this means that God has given them victory over the world the flesh and the Devil through Christ and his judgment upon Satan and his kingdom, it is judgment in favor of those who believe.
What throws people off here, is the figurative language like "I saw thrones and they sat upon them" but if you read Ephesians 2, Paus says that we were raised up together (through the resurrection of Jesus) and made to sit together in heavenly places".
Furthermore, the resurrection of the believer doesn't begin with his body but rather with his spirit man and that is why Paul uses language associated with the resurrection when speaking of the conversion of believers like in Ephesians 2 and Colossians 3:1-4.
Here is an example of what I am saying from Colossians 3:1-4 below.
Colossians 3:1 Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. 3 For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ, who is your[a] life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.
Do you not see the resurrection language that Paul is using in the above?
This is what John is speaking of in Revelation 20, the first resurrection which was that of Jesus himself and which all believers take part of and which is represented by water baptism, "blessed is he who takes part in the first resurrection for of such the second death has no power".
Sorry but neither Jesus nor Paul nor any other inspired by God NT writer ever told us there would be two second comings of Jesus and two future resurrections or one secret coming and one that all eyes will see.
It simply is not in the Bible period.
Read the parables of Jesus and Paul's words in 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 and his words also in 1 Corinthians 15:22-26 and 51-58 and show me where it ever says that there would be two future resurrections?
Look at
1 Corinthians 15:23 and 24, "but ever man in his own order, Christ (past tense), the first fruits (Matthew 27:51-53 Past tense) and then they that belong to Christ at his coming (one future coming, resurrection and rapture) period.