False Doctrine of the Rapture To Heaven

Rapture of the Church to heaven during the great tribulation is a falsehood that has deceived very many. 

This is a really easy myth to debunk. The Bible teaches very clearly that heaven is not the reward of the saved - go to Heaven is Not The Reward of the Saved for the biblical proof.

Additionally there is no proof to suggest mankind has an immortal soul, that goes to hell at death if people have been bad, or goes to heaven if they have been good. Go to Debunking the Myth of the Immortality of the Soul  for the proof.

The Bible teaches very clearly that the resurrection of the Saints has not happened yet. It will happen at the Last Trump, which signals the return of Christ to earth.

1 Corinthians 15:51-52  " 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. "

The Bible clearly teaches that the resurrection happens at the last trump.

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. "

These scriptures show us that the resurrection happens when Jesus returns. Christians that are still alive at that time will be changed in a twinkling of an eye from flesh to spirit. This will happen very shortly after the dead saints are resurrected.

1 Corinthians 15:20-23  "  But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept. For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ's at his coming. "

This scripture shows us clearly that Christ resurrects the saints when He returns from heaven to this earth.

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. "

In the Bible there are three heavens mentioned. One is where God lives, the other is the stars and universe, and the other is the earth's atmosphere - where the clouds float. Christ will appear in the sky, and He will resurrect the saints, and they will come to Him from the four corners of the earth, and meet Him in the sky. So they will be gathered together from one end of the sky to the other.

And the saints will be with Christ. And where will Christ be ? It is quite clear from the scriptures.

Zechariah 14:4   "  And his feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east ..............

Acts 1:9-12  "  And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight. And while they looked stedfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel;  Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven. "

Mark 13:26  "  And then shall they see the Son of man coming in the clouds with great power and glory. "

Christ returns to the earth where the clouds are.  He prevents mankind from destroying all human life on earth through their hellish nuclear weapons (Matthew 24:21-22). Immediately after that He resurrects the saints.

Revelation 11:15   "  And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever.

The seventh angel refers to the one of seven angels that blow the trumpets; Revelation 8:2   " And I saw the seven angels which stood before God; and to them were given seven trumpets."

Regarding the church in the last days. The last two eras of God's true church are described for us in Revelation Chapter 3:7-22. These two eras of God's true church are contemporaries. They exist during the same time period.

The Philadelphia era of God's true church is promised a place of safety here on earth in the wilderness during the Great Tribulation.

Revelation 3:10  "  Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth. "

The Living Bible makes it sound a little clearer.

Revelation 3:10  from the Living Bible  "  Because you have patiently obeyed me despite the persecution, therefore I will protect you from the time of Great Tribulation and temptation , which will come upon the world to test everyone alive. "

This era of God's true church will be protected in the wilderness for 3 ½ years from Satan, and from the world government. This is obviously a place here on earth.

Revelation 12:13-17  "  And when the dragon saw that he was cast unto the earth, he persecuted the woman which brought forth the man child. And to the woman were given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness, into her place, where she is nourished for a time, and times, and half a time, from the face of the serpent. And the serpent cast out of his mouth water as a flood after the woman, that he might cause her to be carried away of the flood.  And the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed up the flood which the dragon cast out of his mouth. And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ. "

The earth helped the woman, and swallowed up the flood, which the serpent poured out against the church in an attempt to destroy the church. If the church is raptured to heaven, then why is the earth helping the woman ? Obviously because there is no biblical proof of a rapture to heaven. Instead all these things and events happen here on earth.

The Philadelphia era of the true church alone is promised a place of safety in the wilderness. The other eras of the true church in the last days - Sardis and Laodicea are not promised this. Christ rejects, or spits out of His mouth the Laodiceans (Revelation 3:16,19). This era and perhaps a remnant of the Sardis era will have to live through the great tribulation, and many of them will probably suffer martyrdom at the hands of the Beast (Matthew 24:9) (Revelation 6:9-11).

A lot of preachers teach that Christ could return at any moment, and rapture the true believers to heaven. Yet there isn't any biblical proof of this. Where do people get these ideas ?

If you have questions, or concerns please feel free to write, telephone, or send me an e-mail. I would be happy to answer questions, but cannot 100 % guarantee a response.