RAPTURE - SECOND COMING OF THE LORD- PHASE 1

"For this we say to you by the word of the Lord,that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep.For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout,with the voice of an archangel,and with the trumpet of God.And the dead in Christ will rise first.Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord.And thus we shall always be with the Lord" I Thessalonians 4 :15-16

Even before I became a born again Christian(I was an ex-roman catholic),as a boy in the late 60's I used to hear the priest in our Sunday church mass service reciting the catholic apostolic creed in our local mother tongue (kadazan).Somehow God has already implanted in my heart a faith to believe that Jesus Christ will come again but I am not ready to meet Him then!Remembering the creed,it says:

"I believe in God the Father Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth, and in Jesus Christ His only Son our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died and was buried and He descended to the dead. On the third day He rose again and sitteth at the right hand of the Father, From thence HE SHALL COME TO JUDGE THE LIVING AND THE DEAD.I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church , the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and life everlasting.Amen"

My in dept research study on biblical Eschatology have further confirmed my belief that Jesus Christ is coming again not only to bring all His saints back to heaven but also to come down from heaven to be the ruler of a Millennial kingdom (1000 years Christ kingdom on earth)as prophesied in the book of revelation (Rev 20:4).A great lenght of theological debates have emerged among the theologians and bible scholars pertaining to the eminent of Christ return.Some scholars believe that Christ will come in the first half quarter of the seven years tribulation period and some were trying to prove that Christ will come at the end of the seven years period.Nevertheless,all of them do agree one thing,and that is the imminent return of the Lord Jesus Christ as the King/Ruler and the judge who one day will rule for a thousand years.The same issue goes with the Rapture event.

The "pre-tribulation rapture"teaching being originated by John Darby and the Plymouth brethren at the dawn of the nineteenth century suggest that the Lord will come for His Church before the last seven years tribulation.In 1908,over one million copies of William Eugene Blackstone's book entitled "Jesus is coming"was sold promoting this pre-tribulation rapture interpretation.Hal Lidsey,the author of "the great late planet earth"also into it and one current famous theologian who also teaches such belief is Dr.Tim La Haye(Author of "Revelation unveiled")
The "mid-tribulation rapture"scholars claim that the Church will be raptured during the middle of the last seven years,just prior to the last three and a half years of the Great Tribulation.
Scholars such as Harold Ockenga,James Buswell and Norman Harrison initiated such interpretation.
The "post-tribulationist" interpreters are convinced that the Church will undergo the seven years Tribulation.They also perceive the rapture as occurring simultaneously with the second coming of Christ and upon meeting Jesus in the air,the saints will accompany Him in His return to earth.Such view is supported by famous Teachers and Authors such as Pat Robertson,Walter R.Martin and Dr.Brian J.Bailey.Others even predict and claim that they know the exact time and even mention which year that Jesus will come or that rapture will occur!

I'm glad that the Lord didn't send me to study in any Theological seminary/School.He must have some good purposes of not letting me do so even though I did study in deptly Theologies such as Eschatology and the Apocalypse.Believing myself that when the blessed Holy Spirit is within us "He,the Spirit of truth,has come,He will guide you into all truth..."John 16:13 and that the Anointing of the Holy Spirit will enable us to know and being taught on the truth of God's word.(I John 2:27).So as a layman,what will be my belief in these doctrines concerning the second coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and the rapture?.In my previous posting,I did initially mention that I'm comfortable and in the fold with the pre-tribulationist and again in favour with the Postmillennialists group (I'll share this"Postmillennialism" topic in my upcoming post).I believe the Book of Revelation is written to unveil Jesus's prophetic revelation concerning the End time.

I should therefore call myself a Pre-Partial Tribulationist(PPT) and that is,I believe the Church of Jesus Christ will be "caught up"(Raptured)prior to the seven years of tribulation BUT that not all will be raptured and that some Christians Churches will still go through this tribulation period or as Dr.Tom Lahaye wrote in the title of his book will be "Left behind".I believe that only the Spirit filled,obedience Christians who live a holy life will be raptured by the Lord and those who aren't will be left behind .If this is my belief,then I should be become the"Partial Rapture"group of believer then?Absolutely not!.Because the partial rapture interpreters believe that some are raptured before the tribulation and some will be raptured during those seven years tribulation period.

In my next posting,I will put forth my biblical belief and show scriptures on this important doctrines.Till then Maranatha!"Yeshua Hamasiach" the Hebrew name of" Jesus Christ "is coming soon!