How do you interpret rapture?
By aubrey
@averygirl72 (37845)
Philippines
December 4, 2012 1:32am CST
When I am in college a group of Christians had a film showing with the title Thief in the Night which I don't understand before because I am still Catholic at that time. I believe it's just a particular belief of Protestants.
Now that I read the Bible, the thought of rapture can actually make somebody freak out. I heard about tribulation and rapture but don't really understand them as they are not frequently discussed in the church.
Do you want to interpret it literally? What if rapture just means a person being set free from worldly things or worldly lifestyle and starts to be more spiritual? Example if you used to be attending a Catholic church but then you suddenly break away, and never seen in those church again, isn't it a form of rapture?
If rapture is such a great issue, then why people does not seem to really care about it? If rapture is so very true, what preparations or strategies are you using to make sure when Jesus comes to rapture Christians you will be included?
2 people like this
7 responses
@allknowing (136438)
• India
4 Dec 12
I don't even want to think about it leave alone wanting to know what it means. There are millions in this world who are not educated but follow a particular religion. Do you think they know what is written in Holy Books?
Just live a clean life, and do what is expected of you. For me that is living. Although I am educated I hardly know the bible.
@averygirl72 (37845)
• Philippines
6 Dec 12
That is true, even in my church I haven't heard a solid teaching about it because they rarely touch that topic now and really focus on their current life issues.
@allknowing (136438)
• India
6 Dec 12
Bible consists of may be well over a thousand pages and most teachings there are in parables which need to be interpreted and interpretations differ from person to person. I get amused when people talk about the Bible as though they know it on their finger tips
@dorannmwin (36392)
• United States
6 Dec 12
Well, I would like to think that being that I am a Christian that I would be raptured. However, being that I am a Catholic, I don't really understand the entire thought of rapture because it isn't something that I remember learning about when I was going to Sunday school as a child or when in going to church on a regular basis, so it isn't something that I completely understand.
To a certain extent, I have to say that I don't know if I believe in rapture because it isn't something that I have a lot of knowledge of.
@averygirl72 (37845)
• Philippines
6 Dec 12
Let us just believe that rapture is not a frightening thing but actually a great event. I am sure God is good and always good we just need to have faith in Him everyday and he will save us too when rapture time comes.
@AmbiePam (92719)
• United States
4 Dec 12
There are two divisions of this, the premillennial and amillenial. Premillennial believes in the rapture and the tribulation. Amillenial believes most of that is symbolic. I'm a Christian and I'm of the amillennial camp. Whereas my grandparents are premillennial. Bottom line is, if you're a Christian, you're good either way.
@averygirl72 (37845)
• Philippines
6 Dec 12
I've heard about that term somewhere Premillenial but not Amillenial. Actually this can be a hard topic and controversial really. I would devote enough time to make some research and figure these things out. Bottom line is your a good follower, it's good either way.
@6precious102 (4043)
• United States
4 Dec 12
The Rapture is the snatching away of those who are born again believers in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. Jesus will come silently, like a thief in the night, and in the twinkling of an eye will gather His believers, and take them with Him back to heaven before the Tribulation period. That way His believers will not have to suffer through the terror of the Tribulation period.
The Tribulation is a period of seven years. Three and one half years will be calm, but the second three and one half years will be torment. You must either pledge your life to the ruler of the world, or, if you don't and you're caught, you will be killed. An identification chip will be implanted either in your hand or forehead and if you don't have that chip you will not be able to buy or sell. Pledging your life to the world's ruler is the same as selling yourself to the devil.
http://www.christianbiblereference.org/faq_rapture.htm
Read the Bible. Go to a Bible believing and teaching church. If you believe the message of the Bible, accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior and you won't have to worry about whether or not there's a rapture.
@averygirl72 (37845)
• Philippines
6 Dec 12
Thanks for the link I will use it in my own study! I actually remember some scene in the movie about that but I don't fully understand everything.
@mythociate (21432)
• Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
5 Dec 12
You confuse me: you were a Catholic, but did not read the Bible?
We all have little 'tribulations' & 'raptures' in our lives, leading people to believe there's going to be one giant Tribulation & Rapture.
I ... well, I don't believe it MUST happen; but that's not to say I don't believe it COULD happen. Just that THAT'S NOT WHAT JESUS CHRIST WAS ABOUT!
He was about His Father's business (really Our Father's business). Our Father's business is Life Right Where We Are. If you're about Life in the Unforeseeable Future or -Life in the Distant Past, you are somewhere outside Our Father's kingdom.
Jesus already comes to rapture people, when they ask him to.
@averygirl72 (37845)
• Philippines
6 Dec 12
I mean to say when I am a Catholic I really never heard of that rapture thing until I came to college with lots of students from different parts of our province. You see majority here is Catholic and when I am elem and highschool I only have around 4 to 5 non-Catholic and they don't say about it too. It could happen, just what I can also say. It's just in the back of my mind and believe it is in a distant future to happen.
@cessybear (223)
• Philippines
4 Dec 12
I thought of that once you know. :P But as I read on, I realized that it cannot be because the whole book of the Revelations talk about the Tribulations and the Rapture. And some texts in the Bible also talk about them. In Revelation, there are so many weird things in there that cannot just be symbolized by some things. So the Tribulation and Rapture is true.
@averygirl72 (37845)
• Philippines
6 Dec 12
You know, since many church goer actually skip this topic and focus on other things, I too cannot fully agree if it is true. Maybe it's about time I make my own research. I will report here of what my findings are.
@KrauseHome (36448)
• United States
6 Dec 12
For me, the word Rapture means a carrying away. A time to distinguish between the good and the bad, and the evil. I feel that when this day comes there will be many sitting there weeping and wishing they could have listened and changed, and many wondering just what happened. But I truly believe that no matter who we are no one really knows the time or the place, and that is why if you believe in god it is best to do everything you can to be ready. Because when that day comes, do you really want to be left behind.