For the record, I do believe in the Rapture. I have read your article on “7 things you should know” and in there you said that the Rapture was a “secret” teaching.
My question is how do you explain that to a person that doesn’t believe in the rapture? This “secret teaching” sounds a bit like an influence from Gnosticism…. I mean, why would Jesus NOT teach something so GREAT and WONDERFUL himself and in open for everyone to know….? It doesn’t make sense if you think about it.
The verses in Matthew that are mostly used in argument for the rapture can be turned into an argument for post-trib or the second coming of Jesus, because if you read it, you can choose which way you want to interpret it…either for the rapture or for the second coming… There is not enough proof of the pre-trib rapture in it for most people… and you can’t assume things that you want to believe are true about the Bible.. it is either right or wrong.. no grey area.
Please help me answer this question on “why didn’t Jesus Himself teach about the rapture, OPENLY.”
The death of Jesus was to have been Satan’s ultimate victory, the removal of the last obstacle to man’s complete and eternal separation from God. It would have also fulfilled Satan’s stated ambition to “become like the Most High” as expressed in Isaiah 14:13-14. All mankind would now owe their allegiance to him. Satan had earlier offered all the kingdoms of the Earth to Jesus in return for His worship, but Jesus had refused. Now He would get nothing.
But at the cross something unexpected happened. As Satan stood there at the foot of the cross celebrating with his minions, a long list appeared over the Lord’s head and was nailed to the cross with Him. It was a list of all our sins. His death was paying for all the sins of mankind, allowing anyone who so desired to be granted a full pardon and be reunited with God. Immediately the ultimate victory became a total defeat. (Colossians 2:13-15)
But the full extent of the defeat wouldn’t be known until 20 years later when Paul informed us that a whole new race of human had been created that day. (Ephes. 2:15-16) This race was called the Church and it would be elevated above all creation, and even above the the angels, to be seated at the very side of the Lord, as righteous as He is (2 Cor. 5:21). The church would dwell forever in His Presence, having authority with Him not only over Earth but all the Universe. In short, the Church would be given everything Satan aspired to, while Satan would get the eternal punishment that the Church deserved.
No other group in the history of mankind would be so honored, not the Old Testament believers who came before, and not the tribulation believers who came after. And it would happen on a day that no one could predict, so that Satan would never know in advance when his final humiliation would come. That’s one of the reasons he’s so angry when he’s cast down to Earth at the beginning of the Great Tribulation. (Rev. 12:12)
It was an unbelievable manifestation of God’s love. If Satan had known before hand what was coming he would have done everything in his power to prevent the crucifixion. (1 Cor 2:7-10) For that reason alone, it could not be revealed on Earth until it was too late for Satan to do anything about it.
But there was more. Jesus came to offer a Kingdom to Israel, and His focus was to convince them to take it. Because of that He hardly spoke of the Church at all. Notice that in the Olivet Discourse, His definitive teaching on the end times, He didn’t mention the Church even once.