Comments on: The Rapture

By: Ballyboo

Ballyboo — Sun, 18 Sep 2011 02:01:03 +0000

Let’s imagine for instance that the Rapture is not the same thing as dying. When Jesus Returns he’s going to rapture people up? okay so why Is Jesus Returning? Now when we are whisked away out imperfections in our bodies will fall out, somehow. And our perfected form will be shot up into the galaxy. This has got to be the most unscientific thing I’ve ever heard. For instance if the believer has a cancerous cell that’s mutated into his lungs, it therefore means the corruption will go through his body and fall to the ground? or wait, is it only the soul that is caught up in the air leaving the body left behind? If that’s so, isn’t that just the same as Dying? now I’m pretty sure there aren’t too many people who believe in the rapture, and Fundies never mention it when they witness to people. So how is someone saved if this is an important believe for believers to have? Now let’s talk about the truth behind this myth. Will saved air plane pilots really be sent into heaven? John Hagee has made this comment that when the saved are raptured into heaven there will be much calamity in our public system. How many people are saved? Billions of people? Or just a select few million? how many of these saved people really would be flying airplanes? or doing anything important. Most Fundies refuse to commit themselves to any real service in public life, how can this affect our system at any point of the like of fashion they insist it will be? More or less the old saints who anticipated things happening in the sky saw visions of 9/11 and the plane crash in nevada. Maybe you can’t find the bodies intact but I’m sure those victims were not raptured and if so, they weren’t called up at the same time. The more likely scenario is that faithful saints of the past made certain predictions relating to visions they must have had, which they didn’t fully understand. These visions and occurances are happening every day. But are not necessarily from a story book. Columbine, the massacres in Oslo, the suicide bombers in Iraq… these are prophecies unraveling before our eyes. The Church is blinded by this false doctrine. The saints all die in their own time and dispensation. the Dispensation of Grace is dying off with the greatest generation of American and the world’s history. The world war 2 generation. But the dispensation of grace is still on all God’s people as God does not change. Dispensations change according to the award of the generation which inherits it. What we are seeing happen in our world is the fruition of Christianity which preaches the false doctrine of the rapture. By their fruts ye shall know them… Aliester Crowley, Charles Manson, Dave Hyles, Maryln Manson, and many more evil wicked people are the fruits of the labour of this Church of Smyrna, which the Lord Christ has warned us against. As the saints are dying in their time Christ is sending his Holy Angels to bring us towards the tribulation period, and the Judgement. Most Christian Jobs have been replaced with China, India, and the lower class jobs are being taken by Mexican Catholics. None of which would believe in the rapture. There is seven billion people in the planet. And none of which will be affected when Christians start dying in mass graves. If you are teh Elect you will come to find out the truth. This Rapture teaching is a doctrine of the Antichrist and will be used to decieve many.

By: tigersharksteph

tigersharksteph — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 18:26:20 +0000

I am no longer IBF and neither is my dad, but my mom still is. He and I were talking about the amazing possibility of finding another earth like planet for humanity to migrate to, my mom started getting annoyed and said that would never happen and wont be neccessary as the rapture will have already taken place. It makes me really sad for all those bought into this becase they cant think or wonder about other possibilities or be excited about the new technology and knowledge about space that we are gathering.

By: free

free — Sat, 12 Jun 2010 21:19:16 +0000

I’ve been out of IFB for 8 years now. But some things really stick with you. 2 summers ago I was on a wilderness trip with my church youth group because they needed a female leader. The first day was rough. While waiting for the girls to change in the tent, I fell asleep laying on a rock (yes, I was that tired). When I woke up, no one else was at the campsite. I walked around looking for the others but couldn’t find them. I started freaking out. I thought the rapture happened and I was left because I wasn’t really saved. Then it occurred to me that I was out in the middle of no where and I didn’t know how to get back to civilization. I was near the point of tears when I saw a couple of them walking upstream from a place lower downstream where there was a better place to swim and have fun. They had been wondering where I was. What a relief. While it was traumatic then, it’s pretty funny now.

By: Pastor's Wife

Pastor's Wife — Sat, 05 Jun 2010 03:39:43 +0000

This is an older post, but I found it following “Random Posts” and had to comment. The first time I went to the movies was two days before my wedding with my fiance. We saw “A Clear and Present Danger”, and it was SO fun to see something on a huge screen, but I was scared that the Rapture would happen while we were in there and I would be ashamed because I was in the movie theater! I also used to be scared as a child if the house was unusually quiet and empty; what if I hadn’t “trusted right” and had been left behind?

By: mounty

mounty — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 00:17:04 +0000

Pastor: one who shepherds his flock.
Preacher: one who shouts at his flock.

That’s my set of definitions, and I’ve seen far more fundy preachers than fundy pastors. Just sayin’.

By: Jordan M. Poss

Jordan M. Poss — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 02:11:04 +0000

Ditto on the fascination. The way people use (or abuse) language says a lot about them. I think it may depend on region, too, as I can think of a lot of rural southern preachers (albeit non-fundies) who prefer “preacher,” while the highfalutin’ fundy lot coming through institutions of higher learning like BJ tend to prefer “pastor.”

By: Amanda

Amanda — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 19:37:50 +0000

Jordan, I’ve heard it both ways, so I suppose it varies from church to church and pastor/preacher to pastor/preacher (or maybe from subbranch of fundamentalism to subbranch?). Some prefer to be addressed as “Pastor” and others as “Preacher” (as in “Preacher John” or “Last Sunday Preacher said…”). You’ll have to pardon me; I have a rather unhealthy fascination with how people use language!

By: Jordan M. Poss

Jordan M. Poss — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 14:25:43 +0000

Re. Dan and RJW: I’m with y’all. I have no idea how many times those same things happened to me, the difference being that even when I was saved the Rapture scared me to death. Spending a day in an empty house or showing up somewhere alone still gives me the creeps occasionally. I shocked my friends in Sunday School as a child by declaring I’d rather die than be raptured.

Re. Amanda: In my experience, Fundy preachers almost invariably prefer “Pastor.” I prefer “preacher” for strictly etymological reasons, as “pastor” is Latin for “shepherd” and there is only one shepherd of the Church. I’ve heard one preacher in particular begin each sermon with “My name is Pastor John Doe,” as if his title is his first name. Of course, once they get their honorary doctorate from a nearby church Bible college, they shift it to the end of their name, thus: Dr. John Doe, Pastor.

Just won’t let it go.

By: Reader Mo

Reader Mo — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 01:01:23 +0000

The rapture is, of course, totally scriptural, so long as you accept schofield’s study notes as scripture

By: Amanda

Amanda — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 00:25:03 +0000

I remember being absolutely amazed the first time I read Article 37 of the Belgic Confession, the last sentence in particular:

“Therefore, with good reason the thought of this judgment is horrible and dreadful to wicked and evil people. But it is very pleasant and a great comfort to the righteous and elect, since their total redemption will then be accomplished. They will then receive the fruits of their labor and of the trouble they have suffered; their innocence will be openly recognized by all; and they will see the terrible vengeance that God will bring on the evil ones who tyrannized, oppressed, and tormented them in this world…In contrast, the faithful and elect will be crowned with glory and honor. The Son of God will “confess their names” before God his Father and the holy and elect angels; all tears will be “wiped from their eyes”; and their cause– at present condemned as heretical and evil by many judges and civil officers– will be acknowledged as the “cause of the Son of God.” And as a gracious reward the Lord will make them possess a glory such as the heart of man could never imagine. So we look forward to that great day with longing in order to enjoy fully the promises of God in Christ Jesus, our Lord.”

Growing up in fundamentalism, the “Rapture” and final judgment were something to be feared and a tool for manipulation by every fundy preacher around (interesting how they’re called “Preacher,” not “Pastor” – there’s a topic for you, Darrell, assuming you haven’t already done it!). On the contrary, they should be something to look forward to with joy and comfort, knowing that the redeemed have no condemnation to fear!