><>...Jane, the word of God is not confusing...><>
But not so the word of man!...
The return of our Lord is spelled out quite clearly in scripture.It is throughout the entire word of God.
Matt.24...Mark 13, Luke 21 1st & 2nd Thess. 1 Cor. 15 and various other books and chapters, including Revelation.
And with diligent prayer and study we are guided by the Holy Spirit of God who will without fail lead us to all truths.
This particular study is an enormouus undertaking, and cannot be put into a few words or one post not even two or three posts.
Jane you said
" and the fact that the catching up referred to does not involve Jesus coming at all. It involves humans disappearing and those left behind in great wonder, not dancing around because some are gone but the Lord is now here. I just wonder how you sort all this out"
Jane this above statement which you have posted is what is so very confusing....It is not written in scripture.... Scripture sorts it out Jane, scripture is clear.
You also said
" I just wonder how you sort all this out and see nothing wrong with the logic, or how the two things are not obviously totally separate. Or do you see them, as James says, people jumping up into the sky for a moment and then returning in a day, month or even year to be present with the Lord in his truly glorious Hossanna event.
I don't know what James has said jane but the above statement is absurd!
"It is all illogical in many ways, but I'm sure you must see something there, or of course you would not feel as you do, so could you please explain how the Day of the Lord is the catching up at the same time. I have wanted to ask you this and see your explanation for some time, and now seems a good time as we're back into the Day of the Lord."
There is only one day of the Lord and we must look to scripture to understand it.
Paul in 2 Thes.2 gives us an excellent teaching. he tells us that the day of the Lord will not come except 2 events first come to pass.
II Th 2:3-4
3 Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;
I have already posted on this teaching.....I am sure that you saw it.
Paul also teaches that if one should be dead (in the flesh) at the time Christ returns...not to worry because the dead in Christ will return with Him...they will not miss His return, and he explains very clearly how that will happen.
1Thes 4:14-16
14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.
15 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.
16 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:
Why will they rise first...Because they are already with Him!...He is encouraging them not to be concerned with those who are already dead.....
Then Paul goes on to explain thow we, who are still alive, will gather back to our Lord.
1Thes 4:16-18
16 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:
17 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.
18 Wherefore comfort one another with these words.
It is important to note the word air as used by Paul in this scripture.
109 aer (ah-ayr');
from aemi (to breathe unconsciously, i.e. respire; by analogy, to blow); "air" (as naturally circumambient):
air. Compare 5594.
***. atha. See 3134.
It is the breath of life air...spirit... Not atmosphere or sky...which is:
3772 ouranos (oo-ran-os');
perhaps from the same as 3735 (through the idea of elevation); the sky; by extension, heaven (as the abode of God); by implication, happiness, power, eternity; specifically, the Gospel (Christianity):
air, heaven ([-ly]), sky.
So Paul is teaching that we will meet the Lord is spirit,He also teach it again in 1 Cor.15
1 Cor 15:51-52
51 Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,
52 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
Changed to what?....A spiritual body...by shedding our flesh body!
He teaches also in that same scripture that this will happen at the 7th trump.He also teaches that All who are alive at the coming of christ will be changed....There will be no one left behind...For all will be done.
Rev 11:15
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.
Except of course for the 1000 yr reign of Christ....Ez 44....a most intriguing and awesome event...The millennium
Jane there is no confusion in the word of God....only in the books of men.!
Hope this helps,
have a good evening my friend.
Shalom...><>
BTW satan comes...( Disguised as Jesus)... at the 6th trump, 6th seal, and 6th vile...666 |
