The rapture of the saints is a
biblical doctrine that was hijacked by Emmanuel de LaCunza, a Jesuit
priest, who wrote about the pre-tribulation rapture in the 18th
century. His false doctrine was picked up by Edward Irving, John
Nelson Darby and Cyrus Scofield and is taught in seminaries and
churches today. The rapture of the saints is a biblical doctrine but
the majority of Christians believe that it will take place before
the tribulation and the reign of the Antichrist but the Bible does
not give any such assurance. In fact, there is no place in the Bible
that undeniably states that Jesus will remove all believers in
Christ prior to the coming of the Antichrist. Jesus never gave a
timetable for the catching away nor did He talk about the Antichrist
and his régime. The apostle Paul told us that the Jesus won't come
back until the Man of Sin has taken up his reign on the earth;
however, he stopped short of saying just how long the Antichrist
would rule before Jesus came back. The Bible says there will be a
resurrection and a catching away of believers in Christ but it won't
happen until sometime after the Antichrist has come to power. This
is what we know for sure: Jesus is coming back and there will be a
catching away of Christians, but no one, not even Jesus, knows when
it will take place. Therefore, we need to heed the words of Jesus
when He said, "Occupy till I come." |
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