John 8:31-32  Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed;  And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. 

 In this article, I want to deal with the word "rapture" and its true meaning.  Men that call themselves "doctors," "Bible scholars," "translators," etc. have taken this word and applied it to their religious theory to explain the catching up of the Church and all saints, living and dead, to be "raptured" from this earth to heaven and escape the great tribulation.  This word "rapture" has become so popular among the ministry that they not only use it as being taken up one time, but believe and teach that there is from five (5) to seven (7) raptures (being caught up).  This is not scriptural.  This word "rapture" is found nowhere in the lids of the Bible.  Therefore, it is an assumption and a doctrine of men and not of God. 

Where does the word "rapture" 
come from and why is it used ? 

The word "rapture" comes from the Greek word "harpazo," which translates to a Latin verb, "rapio."  From the Latin verb, "rapio," they derived the English word, "rapture."  This is pretty technical stuff considering that the word came from a young woman 400 years ago proclaiming that she had a vision of the saints of God being caught up into the heavens.  However, they had to find an explanation for this "great escape" so they have used technical word substitution to come up with a viable explanation for the rapture, even though it does not correspond with the Word of God.  They are applying it to their religious theory of the dead and the living saints to be taken up to be with the Lord in the air until the Great Tribulation is over.  However, they fail to read the last few words of that scripture -- "and so shall we ever be with the Lord." 
 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17:  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:  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. 
 When you look at these scriptures, do you find one word in there where it says the Church will be raptured up to be with the Lord three or seven years, as some preach, and then come back to rule and 
reign with Him 1,000 years. 
 Paul did not say the Church will be raptured up, stay with Jesus for three or seven years and then come back.  Verse 17 says "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."  "So shall we ever" implies that we will stay in the same situation described for ever and ever.  There is not one hint that we will come back to this earth for any period of time after this catching up happens.  According to His promise,  we look for new heavens and a new earth wherein dwelleth righteousness.  (2 Peter 3:13) 

 The word "rapture" is being used to take away the true words, "translated," "caught up," "caught away," or "hid away," that are used in the Bible, the Word of God.  In the English language "rapture" means 
(1)  the state of being carried away with joy and love, etc., to be enraptured; 
(2)  an expression of great joy or pleasure; 
(3) a state of being overpowered with emotion, especially joy. 
This does not in any way indicate that "rapture" is going to have the power to take us off this earth into heaven.  Yet they get five or seven "raptures" from the scriptures by misusing this word.  I will explain some of the theories ministers today are using. 
 

The First Rapture - Enoch 
(The Bible says "Translated") 
 

 This theory of the rapture that is used for the word "translated" is found in Genesis 5:24:  "And Enoch walked with God: and he was not; for God took him."  We find in Hebrews 11:5:  "By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and was not found, because God had translated him: for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God." 
 I want you to notice that "translated" means taken from one place to another as God translated Enoch and he was not found.  This means God took Enoch right before their very eyes and translated him to another place that we, the people, do not know.  The ministers, not the Bible, will tell you that Enoch must have been raptured from earth to heaven.  Whether Enoch was translated to heaven, Paradise, or somewhere else, we do not know, but we do know it was not the heaven where God's throne is because no man has seen the heaven where God is at except the Son of God. 
 The Word of God says that no man has been caught up to heaven.  Jesus said in John 3:13:  "And no man hath ascended up to this heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven."  Only Jesus has been to the throne of God, came to earth, and ascended back to the Father, where He sits on the right hand of God  the Father until the Church, His Bride,  the Lamb's wife, has made herself ready. (Rev. 19:7) 
 

The Second Rapture - Elijah 
(The Bible says "Elijah went up 
by a whirlwind into heaven.") 
 

 2 Kings 2:11:  And it came to pass, as they still went on, and talked, that, behold, there appeared a chariot of fire, and horses of fire, and parted them both asunder; and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven. 
Although we do not know exactly where Elijah was taken (like Enoch), the only place that we know that someone actually went  was the third heaven, or Paradise, the place where John the Beloved was taken in the spirit.  Elijah was taken bodily and alive, but the Word says that no man has seen the heaven where God is except the Son of God. 
 (Paul said in II Corinthians 12:2:  "I knew a man in Christ above fourteen years ago, (whether in the body, I cannot tell; or whether out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth;) such an one caught up to the third heaven."  According to the scriptures, John the Revelator, of whom Paul was speaking, was not caught up to the heaven where God and Jesus is.) 
 It is understood that both Enoch and Elijah were taken up, alive in their mortal bodies, Enoch to a place that we know not, and Elijah into heaven.  It is possible that they went to the third heaven where John was caught up in the spirit.  Enoch and Elijah were not to see death.  Not then, not ever. Let's call it like it is - translation - NOT rapture. 
The Third Rapture - Jesus 
(the word says "he was taken up, 
and a cloud received him out of 
their sight" and that He  "ascended." 

The First Ascension 

 Contrary to popular belief, Jesus returned to the Father just after His resurrection on the third day.  After the third day and  the resurrection of Jesus, Mary went to the tomb to see her Lord,  but He was not there.  He spoke to her in the garden and she would have touched him, but, 

"Jesus saith unto her, Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father: but go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and to my God, and your God." (John 20:17) 

Ascend means to climb up or to go up.  This means that while He was still in His earthly body and not yet glorified, He apparently had to go to the Father to be glorified.  He was translated to the Father to be glorified and that same night He appeared to His disciples in a glorified body that was able to go through walls and appear and disappear instantaneously.  He was also of a different appearance, because they did not know Him immediately by sight, only when they saw the prints of the nails in His hand..  From there He walked and talked with the disciples for 40 days and 40 nights.  Acts 1:3-4:  "To whom also he shewed himself alive after his passion by many infallible proofs, being seen of them forty days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God: And, being assembled together with them, commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which, saith he, ye have heard of me." 

The Second Ascension 

 Acts 1:9:  "And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight."  Acts 1:11:  "Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven. 
 This shows us that Jesus walked around in His glorified body for 40 days until it was time for Him to ascend to heaven again to sit on the right hand of God the Father until the restitution of all things spoken by the mouth of the holy prophets since the world began.  (Acts 3:21) 
 Therefore, Jesus ascended to the Father when He was still in His resurrected body, and returned to ascend again in His glorified body. 

 Summary 

  1. Elijah and Enoch were caught up bodily and alive to places that we do not know, possibly the third heaven, since we know from scripture that no man has seen the heaven where God and our Lord Jesus are. 

  2. Jesus ascended (went up) to heaven twice: once just after the resurrection to be glorified in His body by the Father, and again after He had walked with His disciples for 40 days and nights.  This is the ascension that most people know about and talk about as His ascension. 

3. The word  "rapture" is used worldwide, but is not scriptural.  The more Biblical terms are translated, caught up, caught away, and taken up and hid away.   Let us not be fooled by the learned theologians who would change the words of the Bible to suit their own theology.   AMEN 

The Truth About the Rapture  -- Part 2 
 II Timothy 2:15: "Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth." 

 Millions of God's people are being deceived by ministers that are themselves deceived by not searching the word of God to find the scriptures to support their "rapture" theory.  Even though the word "rapture" is not found in the Bible, it has become popular among ministers and they use it to explain the catching up of the church to escape the seven years of tribulation that is soon coming upon this earth. 
 A writer who wrote a book on the "rapture" (and is teaching seven raptures), made the statement, "If there is no rapture of the church to escape the seven-year tribulation, we will never get to heaven." 
 The Bible answer of how we will get to heaven is found in I Thessalonians 4:16-18:  "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 (in the Greek "first again"):  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.  Wherefore comfort one another with these words."  (Rev. 1:7) 
 The living and the dead saints will be taken up off of this earth by clouds and we will go to meet the Lord in the air, where we will ever be with the Lord, never to return.  This is an "end of the world" scripture, after the 1,000 years is over, when we will 
be going to the new heavens and new earth.  Do not worry about how we are going to get to heaven - THE THING IS THIS! - we have to be concerned about how we are going to escape the seven years of tribulation that is soon coming upon us. 

God's Plan to Escape the Tribulation 

 As the Apostle Paul said in I Thessalonians 5:9-10:  "For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ, Who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him." 
 You may think by writing this way that I do not believe in the "rapture", being caught up.  I do.  The only difference is that I believe, as the Bible teaches, in only one catching up of the saints, the one Paul is talking about in I Thessalonians 4:13-18.  This catching up is not going to happen now! So - how do we escape the wrath of God, which is called the day of the Lord? (Zephaniah 1:14-17; Amos 5:20) 

The Disciples Ask Jesus for a Sign 

 Matthew 24:3-5: "And as he (Jesus) sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world (Greek: "age")?  And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you.  For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many." 

First Sign:  Coming of False Christs and Prophets 

 The word "Christ" here is a Biblical title given to men that hold the highest office of a church.  Some are called General Overseer, Chief Bishop, Pope, etc.  It is as Jesus said in Matthew 23:2, "The scribes and the pharisees sit in Moses' seat."  Scribes and pharisees were the religious leaders in Israel in the days of Jesus.  It is the same today.  Religious leaders are not telling you the truth about the rapture. 
 

Second Sign: As it Was in the Days of Noah 

 Matthew 24:38-38: "For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be." 
 Note these words "as" or "like" in this scripture.  In the days of Noah, the people of God were joining in with the people of the world.  They were deep in sin and getting worse every day and this made God angry. Just as it is today, people have gone the way of the world and do not seem to be as concerned for the ways of God.  We are eating, drinking, marrying, and so forth, causing God to get angry and bring great tribulation upon us because of our disobedience to Him. 
 Most people see this scripture as eating, drinking, marrying, and giving in marriage.  They fail to see the rest of this scripture: ". . . until the day that Noe entered into the ark, and knew not until the flood came. . . ."  They don't see that God found a man,  Noah, to build an ark for the saving of his house and all that would be in the ark, a place of refuge from the destruction of the flood waters, which was God's wrath in that day. 

When Jesus Came the First Time 

 Jesus came to save all souls who would believe in Him from their sins and be born again.  People are born again, sanctified, filled with the Holy Ghost all the time.  However, being saved from your sins will not save you from the seven years of tribulation that will come upon all living, righteous or sinner.  God will find a just man, like Noah, who will build the church (a type and shadow of Noah's ark) that is to be the Bride, the Lamb's wife.  It's government will be set up according to the pattern that God revealed to Moses on the Mount, and just like Jesus built His Church using the same pattern.  (The only difference in Jesus' Church and this last days' Church is that different people will be used.)  While the servant is building the Church, he will be preaching and teaching how to escape the seven years of tribulation.  However, many will not listen until it is too late. 

Third Sign: The Ten Virgins 

  Scriptures supporting this is found in Matthew 25:1:  "Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom." 
 In this scripture, Jesus was comparing the kingdom of heaven to ten virgins.  Five of these virgins were wise.  They were born again, sanctified, and filled with the Holy Ghost.  Five of the virgins were foolish.  These are born again people who believed God would take care of them by taking them out of this tribulation by the rapture.  They believed that being saved was all that was necessary to make it to heaven because the Bible says you must be born again.  Matthew 25:5:  "While the bridegroom (Jesus) tarried, they all slumbered and slept."  Waiting for the Lord to appear and take them away, they all slumbered and slept, going about their everyday lives, working and playing, unaware of the plan God has for His people to escape the wrath that is to come, believing what ministers are saying and not getting into the word of God to find out the truth. 

The Church Makes the Midnight Cry 

 Matthew 25:6:  "And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him." 
 Revelation 22:17:  "And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely." 
 Who makes the cry to the ten virgins who are slumbering and sleeping?  It is the Body, the Bride, who will be like the Lord at His appearing.. The Church, that will be built like Noah's ark in the land of the wicked.  A man whom God will choose to be His servant, just as He chose Noah, Moses, Joshua, Jesus, and James after Jesus, will make the midnight cry and many will not listen just as they  did not listen to Noah. 
 Matthew 25:10-12:  "And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut.  Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us.  But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not."  This shows that virgins, born again people, are actually left outside the chambers to go through the great tribulation, the wrath of God. 

Old Testament Prophecies of Protection of the Saints 

 Jeremiah 4:5, 7:  "Declare ye in Judah (Church), and publish in Jerusalem (Israel); and say, Blow ye the trumpet in the land: cry, gather together, and say, Assemble yourselves, and let us go into the defenced cities. The lion is come up from his thicket, and the destroyer of the Gentiles is on his way; he is gone forth from his place to make thy land desolate; and thy cities shall be laid waste, without an inhabitant." 
 These scriptures show that we must assemble together to go into defenced cities for God's people to be protected when the wrath of God comes upon the earth.  A lot of people believe that only the Jews will be going through the wrath of God and not the Gentiles.  However, Jeremiah 4:7 says that the destroyer of the Gentiles is on the way. 

The Way of Protection 

 Isaiah 4:5-6:  And the LORD will create upon every dwelling place of mount Zion, and upon her assemblies, a cloud and smoke by day, and the shining of a flaming fire by night: for upon all the glory shall be a defence.  And there shall be a tabernacle for a shadow in the daytime from the heat, and for a place of refuge, and for a covert from storm and from rain." 

 QUESTION:  IF all of us are going to be in heaven at the time of the great wrath of God, why would God have put a cloud and smoke by day and a fire by night for a defense?  What is He supposed to be defending us from?  Himself?  Why would we need a place of refuge from storm and rain if we are going to be in heaven with the Lord? 

 Isaiah 26:20:  "Come, my people, enter thou into thy chambers, and shut thy doors about thee: hide thyself as it were for a little moment, until the indignation be overpast." 

 This is the scripture for the hiding away until the indignation of God is over.  This is a direct command for His people.  Right now we are His spiritual people.  He is talking to us.  Israel is His physical domain and people.  You might say, this is all in the Old Testament, what about the New Testament - what does it say? 

New Testament Prophecy - John's Vision of the Church Being Hidden - NOT  RAPTURED! 

 Revelation 12:1-6:  "And there appeared a great wonder in heaven; a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars:  And she being with child cried, travailing in birth, and pained to be delivered.  And there appeared another wonder in heaven; and behold a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his heads.  And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth: and the dragon stood before the woman which was ready to be delivered, for to devour her child as soon as it was born.  And she brought forth a man child, who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron: and her child was caught up unto God, and to his throne.  And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared of God, that they should feed her there a thousand two hundred and threescore days." 
 This is a very simple prophecy and, rightly divided, easy to understand.  The woman is the Church, not Israel.  She is clothed with the Son of God and is backed up by the law, the lesser light, which is under her feet.  She has a crown of 12 stars (apostles) upon her head.  She was travailing to be delivered of the manchild, the leader that would come forth as Noah and lead God's people to safety.  This man is under Jesus, a voice to carry out the Lord's commands in the Lord's absence.  However, Satan stood by, and is standing by, to kill this man because Satan knows once this man is brought forth, it signals the beginning of his end.  He will not succeed in this because God will take the manchild to His throne. Satan then begins to persecute the woman (the Church) that brought forth the manchild.  Revelation 12:13-14: "And when the dragon saw that he was cast unto the earth, he persecuted the woman which brought forth the man child.  And to the woman were given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness, into her place, where she is nourished for a time, and times, and half a time, from the face of the serpent."  When he sees that he can no longer destroy the woman (the Church), Satan then begins to persecute the remnant of God's people (the five foolish virgins who would not listen).  These are they that will give their life, refusing to take the mark of the beast in order to be resurrected to reign with Christ. 

The Hiding Chambers of the Church - NOT IN HEAVEN! 
 Revelation 15:5, 8:  "And after that I looked, and, behold, the temple of the tabernacle of the testimony in heaven was opened:   And the temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God, and from his power; and no man was able to enter into the temple, till the seven plagues of the seven angels were fulfilled." 

 QUESTION:  IF this temple is in heaven and is not the hiding place - Why would the glory of God have to protect  it from any man entering? There will be no outcasts in Heaven to keep out. The woman goes into the wilderness to escape Satan's wrath.  Heaven is NOT a wilderness! This temple is where the Lord will appear to His people just as He left the earth, in a cloud, and the wedding supper will take place and the Lord will take His Bride, the Church, to be His wife. 

 A FINAL WARNING 
 Zephaniah 2:1-3:  "Gather yourselves together, yea, gather together, O nation not desired;  Before the decree bring forth, before the day pass as the chaff, before the fierce anger of the LORD come upon you, before the day of the LORD'S anger come upon you.  Seek ye the LORD, all ye meek of the earth, which have wrought his judgment; seek righteousness, seek meekness: it may be ye shall be hid in the day of the LORD'S anger." 
 Isaiah 1:19-20:  "If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land: But if ye refuse and rebel, ye shall be devoured with the sword: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it." 
These are not my words, but the Word of the Lord. 
 When I think about all the scriptures that are in this sermon and all the evidences that are in the scriptures, I find it hard to believe that people still believe in an imminent catching up.  Never in the scriptures do you find God taking people to heaven to escape His wrath.  He always gave them a safe haven.  Here are some examples to read in the scriptures: 
1.  Noah and his family in the ark. (Gen. 7:23-24) 
     (NOT RAPTURED UP) 
2. Lot and his family went to the mountain and into a    little city. (Gen. 19:19-24) (NOT RAPTURED UP) 
3.  Job said, "Hide me in the grave til thy wrath be    over."  (Job 14:13)  (NOT RAPTURED UP) 
4.  The ten virgins going into the chambers. (Matt.  25:10)  (NOT RAPTURED UP)