To Be Left Behind

[Lamb]

Some denominations believe in the Left Behind series that describes a "rapture" that was invented only 200 years ago or so.

There is a "rapture" or "caught up" part of scripture in 1 Thessalonians 4:17 After that, we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will always be with the Lord.

Scripture, of course, should never be pulled out on its own without regard to what the rest of scripture teaches.

The "Left Behind" stuff from the book series tells of a secret Jesus yet that verse above in 4:16 reveals a loud trumpet.

We WILL be caught up with the Lord, but that is at His final coming.

Matthew 24:40-41 gives us another insight "Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other left. Two women will be grinding with a hand mill; one will be taken and the other left." This verse shouldn't be interpreted without the preceding verse which states "For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark; and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man."

Scripture shows us that the ones taken away were not the believers. The believers, in the case of Noah, were left behind.

 

[Josiah]

The Left Behind books/movies are FICTION...... twisting Scripture upside down and inside out in order to make NOVELS which sold well. What is laughable is the people who read them and think this stuff has anything to do with reality and truth. Same folks who watch Star Trek and think that's real, I guess (ever seen the movie "Galaxy Quest?")

 

[MoreCoffee]

Some denominations believe in the Left Behind series that describes a "rapture" that was invented only 200 years ago or so.

There is a "rapture" or "caught up" part of scripture in 1 Thessalonians 4:17 After that, we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will always be with the Lord.

Scripture, of course, should never be pulled out on its own without regard to what the rest of scripture teaches.

The "Left Behind" stuff from the book series tells of a secret Jesus yet that verse above in 4:16 reveals a loud trumpet.

We WILL be caught up with the Lord, but that is at His final coming.

Matthew 24:40-41 gives us another insight "Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other left. Two women will be grinding with a hand mill; one will be taken and the other left." This verse shouldn't be interpreted without the preceding verse which states "For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark; and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man."

Scripture shows us that the ones taken away were not the believers. The believers, in the case of Noah, were left behind.

You know ... it might be good if they all got raptured and left the rest of us behind to live sane lives :;DD:

PS; Galaxy Quest is great!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VtHM77IRkus

 

[tango]

Some denominations believe in the Left Behind series that describes a "rapture" that was invented only 200 years ago or so.

There is a "rapture" or "caught up" part of scripture in 1 Thessalonians 4:17 After that, we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will always be with the Lord.

Scripture, of course, should never be pulled out on its own without regard to what the rest of scripture teaches.

The "Left Behind" stuff from the book series tells of a secret Jesus yet that verse above in 4:16 reveals a loud trumpet.

We WILL be caught up with the Lord, but that is at His final coming.

Matthew 24:40-41 gives us another insight "Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other left. Two women will be grinding with a hand mill; one will be taken and the other left." This verse shouldn't be interpreted without the preceding verse which states "For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark; and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man."

Scripture shows us that the ones taken away were not the believers. The believers, in the case of Noah, were left behind.

I'm not sure that Matt 24:40-41 proves that the believers will be left behind. From the story of Noah it seems that the believers were taken away (in the Ark) and the non-believers were left behind to face the wrath (the flood). I struggle to reconcile the pre-tribulation rapture viewpoint with the talk of how the beast in Rev 13 will "wage war with the saints" or with the talk of the mark of the beast. Tim LaHaye has written at least one book about the pre-trib perspective that's more of a Scriptural study than a fictional novel but I still struggle to see it as much more than semantic gymnastics to overcome issues with conflicting passages.

 

[psalms 91]

As believers I am convinced that we with the Holy Spirit are what is holding back the pure evil that will come during tribulation so I dont think it is believers that are left behind, not the true ones anyway

 

[Lamb]

I'm not sure that Matt 24:40-41 proves that the believers will be left behind. From the story of Noah it seems that the believers were taken away (in the Ark) and the non-believers were left behind to face the wrath (the flood). I struggle to reconcile the pre-tribulation rapture viewpoint with the talk of how the beast in Rev 13 will "wage war with the saints" or with the talk of the mark of the beast. Tim LaHaye has written at least one book about the pre-trib perspective that's more of a Scriptural study than a fictional novel but I still struggle to see it as much more than semantic gymnastics to overcome issues with conflicting passages.

The ones who died in the flood were taken away though. The remaining people were those in the ark.

 

[MoreCoffee]

The Left Behind eschatology is fundamentally absurd.

 

[Lamb]

It's also a relatively young concept! That in itself should give warning to believers.

 

[psalms 91]

I have news for you, not everyone who is in church is saved and not everyone who is in church will be spared the tribulation

 

[MoreCoffee]

Who here has claimed that everybody who attends meetings at a church's building is "saved"?

 

[psalms 91]

I would hope noone

 

[Rens]

Ken Peters has seen it in a dream although he doesn't even believe in the rapture.
That movie was monstrous btw.

 

[tango]

The ones who died in the flood were taken away though. The remaining people were those in the ark.

It depends which way you look at it. The believers were taken away in the sense they were spared the flood, just as the pre-tribulation rapture theory holds that believers will be taken away and be spared the tribulation. I think using Noah to claim that the non-believers will be removed from the earth leaving the believers behind twists the logic around in a way that just doesn't work.

 

[Lamb]

It depends which way you look at it. The believers were taken away in the sense they were spared the flood, just as the pre-tribulation rapture theory holds that believers will be taken away and be spared the tribulation. I think using Noah to claim that the non-believers will be removed from the earth leaving the believers behind twists the logic around in a way that just doesn't work.

Who was still around though? Noah and his family. They didn't leave the planet, not their spirit.

 

[MoreCoffee]

"one was taken and the other left behind" only sounds like the one left behind is missing out if one assumes that being taken is about progress but it isn't. In the flood being taken was about dying.

 

[Josiah]

Who was still around though? Noah and his family. They didn't leave the planet, not their spirit.

Obviously, the "Evangelical" author of these FICTIONAL NOVELS decided to just switch it - to make what he felt would be a more interesting story.

That's probably okay ("poetic license") but what is amazing is how people read these NOVELS, these FICTION BOOKS, and swallow it whole. Ever seen the movie "Galaxy Quest?"

 

[Lamb]

As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. Matthew 24:37

The unbelievers were "taken" by the flood waters while Noah and his family was saved by God's grace.

 

[psalms 91]

And so it shall be

 

[Rens]

Murjahel, who used to post on cf, has some good stuff about it:

http://www.armyofprophets.com/post/...ssed-rapture-truths-6488710?highlight=rapture

 

[tango]

Who was still around though? Noah and his family. They didn't leave the planet, not their spirit.

Noah survived the experience while the others did not. My concern is that if we try and use Noah to argue that the non-believers will be whisked away and the believers left behind on the earth we potentially force an application into the text that it just doesn't support. The description of the woes and the judgments in Revelation make it clear that they affect those who took the mark of the beast, which means that non-believers must be on earth for that stage at least. It could be argued that the wrath is poured out upon those who believers who broke under pressure and took the mark of the beast but I'd suspect if the only people left on the earth were true believers they would support each other to reduce the likelihood of anyone taking the mark. If true believers are a minority (and a shrinking minority at that) it becomes more likely that they would be flushed out by the agents of the beast and presented with the choice to take the mark or die right there and then.

Also, the fact God chose to work in one particular way where Noah was concerned doesn't obligate him to do the same thing the next time his wrath is poured out upon the earth.