Many protestants (especially dispensationalists) ascribe to the doctrine known as the rapture. The Rapture doctrine states that Jesus will return invisibly, before the appearance of Antichrist, and raise those who are "alive in Christ" into heaven. "Alive in Christ" means dispensationalist kooks only. Everyone else is "left behind". Invented in the 1800s, as the result of a child's dream, and brought to limelight by Hal Lindsey and Tim Lahaye, the rapture doctrine has no evidence in scripture whatsoever.
In fact, it is the very verses rapturists cite, in support of this doctrine, that refute it.
Let's look at the two most common.
Matthew 24
37 And as in the days of Noe, so shall also the coming of the Son
of man be.
38 For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, even till that day in which Noe entered into the ark,
39 And they knew not till the flood came, and took them all away; so also shall the coming of the Son of man be.
40 Then two shall be in the field: one shall be taken, and one shall be left.
41 Two women shall be grinding at the mill: one shall be taken, and one shall be left.
42 Watch ye therefore, because ye know not what hour your Lord will come.
Here Jesus is clearly drawing a straight parallel to Noah and the Ark. The ones who are taken are the unfortunate ones.
The ones who are left behind are the lucky ones. These whackjobs have these verses exactly backwards!
When does this occur?
Immediately before Judgement.
50 The lord of that servant shall come in a day that he hopeth not, and at an hour that he knoweth not:
51 And shall separate him, and appoint his portion with the hypocrites. There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
The Rapture doctrine is refuted on the basis of Matthew 24. The tribulation has passed, Jesus returns, then judgement.
What about 1 Thessalonians 4?
15: For this we declare to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, shall not precede those who have fallen asleep.
16: For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a *cry of command, with the archangel's call, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in
Christ will rise first;17: then we who are alive, who are left, shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet
the Lord in the air; and so we shall always be with the Lord.
(* doesn't sound very quiet or invisible to me!)
The dead in Christ must rise first? When does that happen?
John 6:39: and this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose
nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up at the last day.
40: For this is the will of my Father, that every one who sees
the Son and believes in him should have eternal life; and I will raise him up at
the last day."
54: he who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life,
and I will raise him up at the last day.
John 11:24: Martha said to him, "I know that he will rise again in the
resurrection at the last day."
The dead in Christ are raised on the LAST DAY and they MUST precede the alive in Christ. Therefore, no Rapture.
Need further proof? In his second letter to the same church, Paul states, in Chapter 2;
1 Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him, 2 That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand.
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; 4 Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped;
so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.
5 Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things?
Here, Paul says explicitly that our gathering together with him (what protestants call a Rapture) CANNOT happen until the great apostasy and the appearance of the Antichrist.
The Apostasy must come first.
Antichrist comes second.
Jesus returns third.
The dead rise fourth
then, the alive rise into the sky to meet Christ, immediately before the White throne judgement.
Rapture refuted.
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