The Rapture Of The Saints

By David J. Stewart

1st Thessalonians 4:17-18, “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.”

       Everyone who teaches about the Rapture, and movies that are made portraying what the Rapture event may be like; they all portray it as a time of mass destruction when millions of people will suddenly disappear. I sincerely don't think it will happen that way.

May I remind you that only 8 people survived the flood of Noah's day! Does not the Bible teach that it will once again be as it was in the days of Noah? Yes, that is exactly what Jesus taught...

Matthew 24:37-39, “But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.”

If only 8 people survived the flood in Noah's day, then we have no reason to expect that it will be much different today. Noah preached the Gospel for 120-years; yet not even one person got saved. Think about that for a moment! Not one person other than Noah's immediate family got on the ark when the flood came. No one believed Noah's warning of coming judgment. No one cared. They were all so busy eating, drinking, and having marriage feasts (parties) that they ignored the preaching of Noah. The world today is fast becoming apostate, when people won't ENDURE SOUND DOCTRINE. 2nd Timothy 4:3, “For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears.” Most people today will not tolerate Hell, fire and damnation preaching, nor will they tolerate preaching against sin, nor will they tolerate any preaching that bashes false religions. Joel Osteen is America's biggest sellout minister, a major disgrace to the name of Christ. Satan loves Joel Osteen. Joel Osteen says Mormons are saved.

I am confident that there will be far more than 8 people Raptured (adjusting for population growth since the time of Noah); however, my point is that there won't be many people Raptured (because there won't be many believers). Nearly all people today have churchianity without Christianity. They have baptism on the brain. Roman Catholicism is over one BILLION members strong, who all trust Mary and their religious devotion to the Sacraments to save them. They're all on a highway to Hell (Mark 7:9; Romans 10:3-4).

Here's an easy way to remember the Rapture and the Second Coming...

• Jesus came 2,000 years ago TO His own.
• He is coming at the Rapture FOR His own.
• And Jesus is coming 7-years later at the Second Coming WITH His own.

It's that simple. Amen! At the Rapture, all the saints will be caught up to meet with Christ IN THE AIR (1st Thessalonians 4:17); but at the Second Coming, Jesus will come down to the earth to put down the Antichrist and EVERY rule, authority, and power (1st Corinthians 15:24). What a glorious day that will be!

Very Few People Will Be Raptured

Jesus' disciples asked Him boldly in Luke 13:23, “Are there few that be saved?” The question itself shows that the disciple asking the question was skeptical about the possibility of many people being saved. In Luke 13:24 Jesus plainly stated that MANY will seek to enter Heaven, but will not be able. This plainly evidences that the “MANY” are religious people, who errantly think they will get to Heaven SOME OTHER WAY (John 10:1). The Bible calls such people THIEVES AND ROBBERS!

Jesus paid a debt He did not owe, because we owed a debt that we could not pay. Eternal life is a free gift (Romans 5:15; 6:23; Ephesians 2:8-9). Jesus paid it all. Anyone who tries to enter into Heaven some other way is attempting to break into Heaven. The Jehovah's Witnesses are trying to jackhammer through Heaven's side wall by doing good works. The Catholics are trying to scale Heaven's walls with a grappling hook and rope, foolishly trusting water baptism and sacraments to save them. Seventh-Day Adventist are trying to dig a tunnel under Heaven's wall, by keeping the Sabbath and tithing to get saved. These are all thieves and robbers, trying to lie, cheat and con their way into glory. Yet, the irony of the whole situation is that Heaven's gate remains wide open in Jesus' name for anyone to walk right in by simple faith in the Lord (Galatians 3:26).

Not many people were saved in Jesus time. Things haven't changed throughout history. Jesus plainly taught in Matthew 7:13-14 that most people are on a highway to Hell, just as the Rock band ACDC sings, having sold over 42,000,000 albums in the United States (and over 68,000,000 worldwide). It is sad that the United States, having only 5% of the world's population, has purchased over 60% of ACDC's highway to Hell song. As a telltale sign of America's impending doom, our nation has certainly gone to Hell in every way.

Jesus said that MANY people will attempt to enter Heaven SOME OTHER WAY (John 10:1), but will not be able. There will be no exceptions. All you Lordship Salvationists had better read Matthew 7:21-23 really hard, because Jesus said not everyone who says, “Lord, Lord” will enter into the kingdom of Heaven; but rather, he who does the Father's will (John 6:40). The will of the Father is to BELIEVE on Christ to forgive your sins (John 6:40); Acts 10:43).

Very few people will be Raptured because very few people will be saved. Jesus indicated in Luke 18:8 that there wouldn't be any faith when He returns.
 

I Think the Rapture Will Be Virtually Unnoticed

What, you say, how can that be? I know you've always seen planes crashing into buildings, cars zooming off the road and all Hades breaking out; but I don't think it will happen that way. Do you know why? It's because I don't think hardly anyone will be saved when the Lord returns. Most people are lost.

2nd Peter 3:9 teaches that the only reason God hasn't already returned is because He is a good God, longsuffering, patient, and not willing for any to perish. God wants all men to have a chance to repent and come to Christ for salvation (Titus 2:11).

When THE TRUTH is no longer getting out, and the world has become so corrupt that nearly everyone is following a Luciferian religion; I think that's when the Lord will return. 2nd Peter 3:9 to me indicates that the Lord will return when hardly anyone is getting saved anymore. With all the corrupt Bibles coming out, and with all the false religions, and with all the false doctrines, and with the world's religions being led into apostasy; fewer and fewer people are being saved.

All False Religions, Lordship Salvationists, Charismatics who think they can lose salvation by committing sin, and Unbelievers Will Be Left Behind. Contrary to what you may have seen in a corrupt religious film, or read in some apostate religious book about the Rapture; very few people will be CAUGHT UP (1st Thessalonians 4:17) when the Lord returns FOR His own.

I think I know fairly well what will happen in this world when the Rapture occurs. The mainstream newsmedia will report that the disappearance of thousands of people cannot be any sort of Biblical prophecy, nor religious event; because...

Luke 13:23-28, “Then said one unto him, Lord, are there few that be saved? And he said unto them, Strive to enter in at the strait gate: for many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able. When once the master of the house is risen up, and hath shut to the door, and ye begin to stand without, and to knock at the door, saying, Lord, Lord, open unto us; and he shall answer and say unto you, I know you not whence ye are: Then shall ye begin to say, We have eaten and drunk in thy presence, and thou hast taught in our streets. But he shall say, I tell you, I know you not whence ye are; depart from me, all ye workers of iniquity. There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when ye shall see Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, and all the prophets, in the kingdom of God, and you yourselves thrust out.”

That's a powerful passage of scripture. I have no doubt that when the Rapture happens, the world will look at all the religious people who are still here, LEFT BEHIND, and will say that terrorists struck (or some other lame excuse). We have no way of knowing how many people are truly saved, nor how many will be saved at the time of the Lord's return; but we do know that only born-again Christians will enter into Heaven (John 3:5).

Jesus taught that except a man be born of water (the flesh) and of the Holy Spirit (the second birth), he cannot enter into the kingdom of God (John 3:1-5). A man must be born TWICE, i.e., once by the flesh, and then again by God's Spirit. God gives the Holy Spirit to WHOSOEVER trusts in the Lord (Romans 10:13). John 1:12, “But as many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His name.”

Millions of Southern Baptists (i.e., members of the Southern Baptist Convention) have been led into a false gospel, being taught to “pray the Jesus prayer,” or merely “invite Jesus into one's heart.” The issue of sin MUST be dealt with. A person must realize and acknowledge their guilt of sin before God, for violating God's holy Laws (Romans 3:19). Turning over a new leaf is not salvation. A person must come to God as a guilty sinner, and believe upon the Lord Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins. Surrendering one's life to Christ is not a plan of salvation. Forsaking the world is a false gospel. Biblical salvation is acknowledging one's sinful condition and trusting upon Christ's redemptive work to be saved. Christ came into the world to SAVE SINNERS!
 

I Believe the Lord is Coming Soon

I again remind you that only 8 people, Noah and his immediate family, survived the flood. Noah preached righteousness for 120 years according to 2nd Peter 2:5, “And spared not the old world, but saved Noah the eighth person, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood upon the world of the ungodly.” No one listened to Noah. No one took Noah's preaching seriously. The Bible says that when the flood came, they didn't know what hit them. They could have known, but they deliberately rejected knowledge.

Jesus prophesied that in the Last Days, it would once again be as it was in the days of Noah (Matthew 24:37-38). Most people in the world today don't care about what God has to say. Most people criticize the Bible, because of the wicked influence of icon singers such as Ronnie James Dio. Hardly anyone listens to preachers of righteousness, like me and Noah. It is tragic that no one listened to Noah's preaching. Noah was a novelty to them, just as my website is a novelty to many people. The truth ought to scare you my friend. It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God (Hebrews 10:31). Isaiah 45:9, “Woe unto him that striveth with his Maker!...” The day of reckoning is coming!

I believe that the Lord's return is very near, as we see the world preparing like never before to receive the Antichrist. Never before in history have we seen so much effort being put forth to break downs all the barriers of national, cultural, racial and denominational borders. Just as it was prior to the flood, and prior to Babel, mankind is attempting to unite in rebellion against God.

The same Lord who destroyed the world be flood, and who confounded humanity at Babel, will also put down the Antichrist. The Antichrist will declare to be God and demand worship (2nd Thessalonians 2:4; Daniel 9:27). Many people will be killed no doubt for refusing to worship the Beast's IMAGE (Revelation 13:15). The Lord will come back, the Battle of Armageddon will follow, and Jesus will put down the Antichrist, the False Prophet and the Dragon.
 

Conclusion of the Matter

I wrote this article to draw attention to the sad truth that there are VERY FEW people who are genuinely saved. All of the corrupt LEFT BEHIND books and movies show the Pope being Raptured. The Pope is not a Biblical Christian. Pope Benedict XVI actually said publicly that people can be saved without having any Biblical faith...

Nonbelievers Too Can Be Saved, Says Pope

Refers to St. Augustine's Commentary on Psalm 136(137)

VATICAN CITY, NOV. 30, 2005 (Zenit.org).- Whoever seeks peace and the good of the community with a pure conscience, and keeps alive the desire for the transcendent, will be saved even if he lacks biblical faith, says Benedict XVI.

The Pope made this affirmation today at the general audience, commenting on a meditation written by St. Augustine (354-430).

SOURCE: Pope Benedict XVI's general audience, Nov. 30  2005

The Pope is the world's biggest false prophet. If you want to go to Hell, then be a fool and listen to the Pope. If you are wise, then you will obey the Gospel as the Bible teaches and warns (2nd Thessalonians 1:8). 2nd Thessalonians 1:8-9, “In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power.”

These are frightening Scriptures. Anyone who refuses to obey the Gospel will be tormented in Hell fire forever. God will take out His vengeance upon them with flaming fire. Yet the lying Pope thinks he knows more than God, teaching people that they can get to Heaven by seeking “peace and the good of the community.” You will burn in Hell with the Popes if you don't obey the Gospel as 2nd Thessalonians 1:8-9 sternly WARNS!!! Ye must be born-again!

Jesus is coming soon, I believe that with all my heart. The world is preparing for the coming of the Antichrist like never before. In fact, world leaders are desperate for his coming, even leaving seat number 666 open in the European Parliament waiting and inviting him. It could be very soon. But the Rapture of the saints must precede the appearing of the Antichrist (2nd Thessalonians 2:3).

1st Thessalonians 4:18, “Wherefore comfort one another with these words.” There would be no “comfort” if we knew we had to suffer through the Tribulation Period, when billions of people will be killed. In Revelation 8:7, one-third of all trees will be burned with fiery hail and destroyed, and all green grass will be burnt up. In Revelation 8:9, one-third of all sea life will perish. In Revelation 8:11, a meteorite will strike the earth and poison one-third of the waters, and many people will perish from drinking the water. The Bible names the meteorite “Wormwood” (an actual poisonous bitter herb which is mentioned 7 times in the Old Testament). The meteorite will make the earth's waters deadly to drink.

This all doesn't sound very “comforting,” does it? Yet we are told in 1st Thessalonians 4:18 to comfort one another with the Biblical teaching of the Rapture. How much clearer could the Bible be that there will be a Pre-Tribulation Rapture of the saints, and we will NOT go through the Tribulation Period here on earth. It is the wicked who will suffer, just as during the flood, just as during the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah.