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Monday, October 8, 2018

Why was a rapture necessary?

Why was a rapture
necessary?
By Richard P. Joseph
Image result for pictures of angelic armies in the sky


There is an ongoing argument between some preterist

groups concerning an actual rapture event.  One

camp takes the bible literally while the other attempts

to spiritualize the subject into fuzzy dogma that

nobody can ever really figure out.  In this article I

am not going to analyze the whole rapture scenario

but I am only concerned with why it was a necessary

event that had to occur at an exact period of time and

for an exact reason.  If you want to learn more about

the event, I highly recommend getting a copy of

“Expectations Demand a First Century Rapture”

by Ed Stevens at www.preterist.org .  

There are several places in scripture where a

rapture is mentioned.  The English phrase would be

“caught up”, the Greek would be ”harpazo” and the

Latin, “rapio”.   I only mention that because there is

someone out there that is going to say that the word

“rapture” isn’t even in the bible.  Well, if you read it in

Latin, then it is.  It depends on which language you

are reading it in.  So, my question is; “Why did

there have to be a rapture anyhow?”   To answer that

question we need to delve into what was happening

during the first century.

As we know, Jesus was crucified in the year

AD 30.   After his personal resurrection he

returned for 40 days to instruct his disciples

on their personal mission which would last for

almost 40 years.  In acts 1:8 Jesus informed

them that they will be receiving power to become

His witnesses.  

8 But you shall receive power when the Holy

Spirit has come upon you; and you shall

be [c]witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all

Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”

This power, or “inspiration” set the apostles apart from all

other human beings as they had power to loose and

bind and to produce scripture and miracles such

that no others had.  While others also received the

Holy Spirit, they did not have the power of inspiration

that the apostles held.  Daniel predicted this very

time, and time limits were set on it.  


Daniel 9:24“Seventy [e]weeks are determined

For your people and for your holy city,

To finish the transgression,

[f]To make an end of sins,

To make reconciliation for iniquity,

To bring in everlasting righteousness,

To seal up vision and prophecy,

And to anoint [g]the Most Holy.


My focus is on the last sentence where

Daniel is told that vision and prophecy would

be sealed up.  The true message of God

has always been a controlled substance.  As

you make your way through the bible from beginning

to end you find that certain people called prophets were

given special insight into the spiritual realm.  That is why

they were often called seers.  This prevented “just

anyone” from speaking the word of the true God or

from performing miracles.  Once Jesus arrived he was

a prophet and of course more than a prophet. 

Once the Messiah finally appeared and his message

established there would be no more reason for inspiration. 

Jesus predicted an end to Judaism and gave his

disciples the power to be witnesses of Him until that

mission was complete.  Jesus clearly told them that it

would occur before that generation fully passed away.  

When the time came for Jesus to return in glory

and put an end to his unfaithful wife, Judaism, and

to marry a faithful wife, the Christian Church, he

created an absolute delineation point by rapturing

up his inspired apostles and Christians of that period

and at an exact point in time which we now know was

in AD 66 (see my article “The Day and Hour Revealed”). 

This put an end to inspiration such that the apostles

had.  This is an important event because it now

prevents anyone else from adding to or subtracting from

scripture.  For example, Mohammed, Buddha, Hare

Krishna,  Joseph Smith Jr., Charles Taze Russell,

and anyone else has absolutely no right to claim prophet

status.  It puts them all into the cult category. 

Because people do not understand this simple doctrine,

they fall for all sorts of false teachings.  They are still

waiting for a future rapture and end of the world event

that isn’t going to happen.  This ignorance opens them

up to be deceived by any smooth talking scam artist.  

However, once you familiarize yourself with the truth

of a first century rapture and, close of the age, you will

no longer be subject to liars.