Scripture Demands a Spiritual Rapture
An Analysis of
Mark 13
By Michael Bennett
"If there has to be a physical
rapture to be face to face then we are not in the New Covenant and
the curse is not removed (Rev. 22:3-4)."
A Brief Response To
Silence
Demands a Rapture
The A.D. 66 Physical Rapture View
I am not going to get too detailed in this, nor am I going
to get into the logical fallacy that "silence" or
"expectations" could demand anything. I want to thank HL James
for pointing out the Mark 13 issues to me the other day, and I also want
to say that I got the rest of the email from a comment that I saw that summed
up the Covenantal problem of believing a past physical rapture. HL James,
I believe will be responding soon in much detail regarding this 66 AD physical
rapture theory. I look forward to it.
Ed
Stevens'
Timeline for the physical rapture:
1. AD 62-66
(Satan released for short time -- Great Tribulation on the Church)
2. AD 66 (the Return of Christ, Resurrection, Rapture)
3. AD 66-70 (Christ's continued presence for Wrath and Judgment)
The saints in the scriptures below were not physically
raptured at 66 AD. It is also impossible for them to be the left behind
Christians after the supposed 66 AD physical rapture.
Please see the comments noted next to the scriptures.
Mark
13
Signs of the End
of the Age
1As he was leaving the
temple, one of his disciples <= He is speaking to
the disciples said to him, "Look, Teacher! What massive stones!
What magnificent buildings!"
2"Do you see all these great buildings?" replied Jesus. "Not one
stone here will be left on another; every one will be thrown down."
3As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple, Peter, James,
John and Andrew asked him privately, 4"Tell us, when will these things
happen? And what will be the sign that they are all about to be
fulfilled?" <= He is talking to the Apostles.
5Jesus said to them: "Watch out that no one deceives you. <= Still talking to the Apostles.
14"When you see 'the abomination that causes desolation' standing where it
does not belong <= This is when the armies came to
the city, yet the people are not told that they would disappear, they are told
to flee the city. In the physical rapture view they would have had to have
already been raptured because supposedly they would appear with Christ at his
coming which was signified by these armies --let the reader understand <= If this were the left behind Christians they would not
understand.--then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. <= Why flee to the mountains if you are expecting
to disappear via the physical rapture? 15Let no one on the roof of his
house goes down or enters the house to take anything out. <= Why not if they were just going to be physically raptured off the
planet? Why would they have any urge to get anything if they were not going to
need it because they expected a physical rapture? 16Let no one in
the field go back to get his cloak. <= Why not, if
they were going to be physically raptured off the planet? Why would any man
think that he might need a cloak if he was expecting to be physically
raptured? 17How dreadful it will be in those days for pregnant women and
nursing mothers! <= Why would it be dreadful to be
pregnant if they were going to be physically raptured off of the planet? 18Pray
that this will not take place in winter, <= Why is
that - physical raptures don’t work well in cold weather? (Side note: For
the futurist who thinks that this is an earth ending event. Isn’t it always
winter somewhere on the planet?) 19because those will be days
of distress unequaled from the beginning, when God created the world, until
now--and never to be equaled again. 20If the Lord had not cut short those days,
no one would survive. <= Seems to me that the goal
was to survive those days, not be raptured out. But for the sake of the
elect, whom he has chosen, he has shortened them. <=
There is no way that the second rate Christians who are left behind are the
elect in these verses. 21At that time if anyone says to you, 'Look, here
is the Christ!' or, 'Look, there he is!' do not believe it. 22For false Christs
and false prophets will appear and perform signs and miracles to deceive the
elect--if that were possible.<= Its not possible to
deceive the elect - therefore these verses can not be speaking of so-called
second left behind rate Christians. 23So be on your guard; I have told
you everything ahead of time.
24"But in those days, following that distress,
" 'the sun will be darkened,
and the moon will not give its light;
25the stars will fall from the sky, and the heavenly bodies will be shaken.'
26"At that time men will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great
power and glory. <= Men would see him. If they saw
him coming that means that these were not sleeping Christians. These
Christians were ready. 27And he will send his angels and gather his
elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of the
heavens.
28"Now learn this lesson from the fig tree: As soon as its twigs get
tender and its leaves come out, you know that summer is near. 29Even so, when
you see these things happening, you know that it is near, right at the door. <= This can't be a group of people that was left behind.
This group saw the signs. Sleepers don't see
the signs. 30I tell you the truth, this generation will certainly not
pass away until all these things have happened. 31Heaven and earth will pass
away, but my words will never pass away.
The Day and Hour Unknown
32"No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor
the Son, but only the Father. 33Be on guard! Be alert! <=
This group is the Alert group - not the so called second rate (left behind)
Christians You do not know when that time will come. 34It's like a man
going away: He leaves his house and puts his servants in charge, each with his
assigned task, and tells the one at the door to keep watch. <= These servants were watching. Not left behind. 35"Therefore
keep watch because you do not know when the owner of the house will come
back--whether in the evening, or at
A Physical Rapture Would = No
New Covenant For Believers Today
"....In
My Father's house are many dwellings; if it were not so, I would have told you;
for I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I
will come again, and receive you to Myself; that where I am, you may be
also." (Jn. 14:2-3) Jesus was not going to take the Church "out of
the world" into Heaven. (Jn. 17:15) He and the Father were going to
descend "out of Heaven" and make Their Dwelling in the Church:
"Jesus answered and said to him, If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word;
and My Father will love him, and We will come to him, and make Our Dwelling
with him." (Jn. 14:23) The "Place" that Jesus was going to
"prepare" for His disciples was the New Jerusalem: "But as it
is, they desire a better Country that is a heavenly one. Therefore God is not
ashamed to be called their God; for He has prepared a City for them."
(Heb. 11:16) The heavenly "Tabernacle" / "Dwelling" /
"Place" / "Country" / "City" / "House"
of God descended "from out of Heaven" to be "among men." (II
Corinthians 5:2; I Thess. 4:16; Rev. 3:12; 21:2-3, 10) The Church was
"clothed" with that Dwelling (I Cor.