Thank you Jemidon.

~sigh~.....

What I'm asking, is how do we interpret what Jesus said in my previous post?

Ha,

There are several highly detailed studies on the forum about the RAPTURE. For beginners, "caught up" is what you need to look for. There are several reasonable views that all involve the RAPTURE. I would simply say begin at the beginning. People who don't swim shouldn't jump into deep water, nor should they talk about false teachers.

Love In Christ,
Tom

She is correct...there is no [secret]Rapture...as the Bible never teaches such a thing. It always teaches that Christ's 2nd coming will be visible and noisy.

Here's a little noise for ya.



 

Grace and Peace!

What did you mean by "Here's a little noise for ya" ?  

Sorry that I never really introduced myself in the previous post.  I'm 21, in NC and am a junior in college.  Aside from studying theology, I am in the fish-keeping hobby and love to read in general.  Some of my fav. bands is Caedmon's Call and Derek Webb, the Temptations (I know, I'm young for them, but my parents made me listen growing up, and now I like them) among others.  My favorite book of the Bible if I had to narrow it down would be Romans.  Anyway, that's a little about me.

I understand what you're saying with that verse.  But how do we reconcile that verse with what Jesus said of John and Elijah?  14 "And if you are willing to accept it, John himself is Elijah who was to come. 15 "He who has ears to hear, let him hear.

Back to the original topic.  What about what Jesus said about John the Baptist in this passage?  If John was Elijah, why would there need be another to come?

7 As these men were going away, Jesus began to speak to the crowds about John, "What did you go out into the R385 wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind? 8 "But F237 what did you go out to see? A man dressed in soft clothing? Those who wear soft clothing are in kings' palaces! F238 9 "But F239 what did you go out to see? A R386 prophet? Yes, I tell you, and one who is more than a prophet. 10 "This is the one about whom it is F240 written, `BEHOLD, I SEND MY MESSENGER AHEAD OF YOU, WHO WILL PREPARE YOUR WAY BEFORE YOU.' 11 "Truly I say to you, among those born of women there has not arisen anyone greater than John the Baptist! Yet the one who is least F242 in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. 12 "From R388 the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers F243 violence, and violent men take F244 it by force. 13 "For all the prophets and the Law prophesied until John. 14 "And if you are willing to accept it, John himself is Elijah R389 who was F245 to come. 15 "He R390 who has ears to hear, let F246 him hear.

I apologize for all the numbers in the middle.

Sorry this ended up being such a long post, but it's something I felt compelled to share.
I didn't take the time to read the entire thread, but I would just like to share about myself.  I grew up a Southern Baptist, and still go to a southern baptist church.  So I grew up a premillenial, pre-trib, dispensationalist.  I really didn't even know much about other views, such as amillenialism and postmillenialism.  All I knew was what I read about them in premillenial books.  I attended a two year baptist bible college.  Quite frankly, amillenialism and postmillenialism weren't given a fair and balanced (I sound like FoxNews) defense.  So naturally, my view on them was distorted, and I hadn't really studied them.  

As I had a tendency to do (and I'm not saying every dispensational does this), I tried to keep up with current events and see how they might fit prophecy.  It began to become tiring to me.  I also began to feel as if I was trying to interpret prophecy from current events rather than letting the Bible interpret itself.  So...one day I decided that I'd try to read the main passages that dispensationals say support the pre-trib, premillenial rapture from a totally unbiased (as I could be) view.  In other words, I tried to read them as if I'd never heard of a rapture.  Well, I couldn't find the rapture in there if I took that presuppisition away.  So, I began to study other views and read "A Case For Amillenialism" by Kim Riddlebarger.  He explains it well, and in my estimation stays true to the biblical text.  You most certainly have to have a different set of presuppisitions in the amil view, for example covenantalism vs. dispensationalism.  Anyway, I feel now that the disp. view is kind of pop eschatology.  It's what is popular right now.  Given the popularity of Lahaye, Lindsey, etc etc.  Only time will tell what will happen to this view.  I also think that the rapture fits in well with the escapism mentality of Americans.  The mentality that nothing bad will happen to us.  

All that being said, I'm sure we'll still disagree on this issue.  I suppose Christians throughout history have and will continue to do so.  I don't think those in the disp. camp are evil, stupid, etc etc.  If they are in Christ, then we are brothers and sisters.  The same holds true for any view on prophecy.  I just wanted to relate my story to you and pray that you prayerfully consider each view.  Don't settle on one because right now it makes the most sense, or your pastor believes it.  Believe that view because you've studied each one, and prayed about each one, and that is why you are where you are.  Truth be told, some of us are wrong on this issue.  Since these views hold differing interpretations of prophecy, they can't all be right.  Most likely, none of us are completely right.  I told the youth minister at our church that it would be easy to believe one view and dismiss the others if I knew that in one view, the people lived godly and holy lives and in the other view people didn't.  But I know that in each view, there are people who have prayed about it, live godly lives and are great Christians.  It makes it hard doesn't it?  Thank God He uses us in spite of ourselves.  Grace and peace to you.