How did the belief of  rapture start? Is it in the bible?
549049
There are different views on the timing of the rapture--some Christians say it will occur before the Antichrist arrives to usher in the Great Tribulation, others say that Christians will go through the Tribulation and be raptured--taken to heaven--after the Tribulation but before God pours out His wrath on those who have rejected Him. I've just posted an article on my website (see the link below) on what I believe is the view on the timing of the rapture that best coincides with Scripture, along with some other links.
450820
OK this could be a long one...but... In revelations the last book of the bible it talks about Jesus coming back from heaven to collect his church also know as the rapture or second coming...When he does this the Antichrist who is going to pretend to be a "christ" or savior is going to try to dominate the world and probably succeed.  This antichrist is also known as a dragon, lion and beast.  That is where the name comes from...now the rapture hasnt happend yet and Christian all over the world speculate every day what could this be.  Well seeing the future isnt exactly what humans are meant to do or for anyone to beable to do for that matter of a fact.  Many think that it will be  microchip with a tatoo over it or something of that sort.  There are books that talk about this time and they are fiction such as the Left Behind Series and there are other non fiction book on this topic but, I would definately look up revelations and read about it.  It only talks about it for a very brief time, but i wouldnt wory about it for now because that isnt the thing preventing you from going to heavan at this time the only thing stopping you is having a personal relationship with Christ and accepting his eternal gift of life.  Hope that answers your question and oh yeah if thousands upon millions of us disappear you might want to start worrying about it and checking out being a Christian but dont wait..cause no one knows how or when its going to happen except God himself...dont miss out!
753878
I say this with the utmost exclamation. Do not allow christians with their cultivated judgment demons possess you. Living the best, most loving, altruistic life possible with the settings the world has placed you in, is acceptance to heaven, you die with no regrets...the rapture/ armageddon was the fall of rome, it already happened, it was symbolically described as the end of the world. It makes no difference what religion you are or wether you believe in God, The christians have been overtaken by satan as they sit prideful dispensing judgement and hate, if Jesus was alive today he would be washing the feet of prostitutes and gay people to teach the christians non-judgement and forgiveness. Heaven is not acquired by belief it is acquired by right-action.
437064
It is impossible to calculate but right now the theory is by year 2020 only 4% of teens will be bible believing christians so if the rapture happens after that it would have to be around that percent unless us christians step it up and do our job of sharing jesus and making deciples.
204259
most people want to believe a pre-trib rapture because they can't stand the idea of having to give up anything for who they are in CHRIST JESUS and they dont want any hardships...We are told as followers of JESUS CHRIST that we will no be partakers of the wrath of GOD...that wrath is nothing but hellfire...doesn't say that we won't go through tribulations though...we do that daily and it won't surprise me one bit when we get into the great tribulations and nobody has exited a big stage left.
131311
The rapture is a myth. Certain aspects of religion have a solid base, but I'm afraid most of it has been lost over the centuries. (The books in the bible alone have been rewritten countless times to suit the people in power.)\n\nThe idea that god is some wrathful deity sitting in heaven with a REALLY big magnifying glass is archaic at best.\n\nHope that gives a bit of insight. ;)
580495
The belief that faithful Christians will be bodily caught up from the earth,suddenly taken out of the world,to be united with the Lord "in the air". The word "rapture" is understood by some persons,but not by all,to be the meaning of 1 Thessalonians 4:17. The word "rapture" does not occur in the inspired Scriptures.
202296
No, I don't.  I believe that the book of Revelations was written about politics and events that were current nearly 2,000 years ago and has no relevance today.  I know that various preachers have been predicting the "End Times" for several hundred years and they've all been wrong.\n\nI see reliance on the concept of a "Judgement Day" as a tool for manipulating the masses and a serious cop out (i.e. "The world's a mess but have no fear, Jesus is gonna' come sort the whole nasty business out for us, so just pay your tithe and smile!")\n\nI have yet to see anything positive come out of a belief in Armageddon, just a lot of apathy, war and avoidance of important issues.  So all in all, I think we're better off forgetting about it and working for a better tommorow.
1040286
I'm unsure about my beliefs now, but I was a believer purely out of fear. My parents raised me christian and when I was really little, they made me watch a movie about the rapture. I believed even more solidly because I didn't want god to get mad and take my family away from me. Now that I'm older and seen all the other failed predictions about the end of the world, I don't have that fear anymore. And for various reasons, I now question the existence of god.
772138
well not speaking of "the rapture"  the earth has been here for billions of years without us through comets floods volcanos.....  we are going to die out long before the earth does
623792
The Post Tribulation Rapture (catching away) is very much what the Bible teaches us. Jesus said AFTER those days of tribulation he would come (See Matthew ch.24).\n\nThe Apostle Paul makes it 100% clear in his letter to the Thessalonians in that the man of Perdition must first be revealed before Jesus comes.., [2 Thessalonians 2:1-12]\n\nAnd in the Book of Revelation is more coverage.\nREVELATION 13:7, tells us that the Antichrist is given power to make war against the saints.\n\nREVELATION chapter 20 verses 4-6 also makes a surprising statement. Read about the resurrection of the dead in verse 5.\n\nThe Book of Daniel also mentions this man of perdition having power to kill the saints.  The Pre-Tribulation Rapture is a work of "wishful thinking" with an assumption that God would pay more favor to the Gentiles over the Jews.\n\nThe Apostle Paul said of good things and bad things have an order - FIRST to the Jews - THEN - to the Gentiles, and not the other way around.\n\nTo say Jesus will come before the Antichrist is calling not just the Apostle Paul a liar (read 2nd Thessalonians.), but calling Christ a liar too (read Matthew ch.24).\n\nSome preacher dude started the pretrib thought and it was the Devil.  Please note that the Bible Says the Antichrist comes first.  MUSLIMS believe their Mahdi will arrive with Jesus in tow to convince Christians that this Mahdi (who is actually the Antichrist) is the true anointed one.\n\nIn light of the Mahdi's coming ahead of Christ - Many PreTrib believers will fall for  this ruse.., as this Mahdi and his false Jesus (false prophet) will explain (twist) the scriptures and quote the Quran to make sense and magically fill in the blanks.\n\nI am firm in my belief that the Pretribulation idea works to the advantage of Islam.  Can you imagine the horrible mistake of falling for the Antichrist's ruse - accepting him as messiah - Then when Jesus comes, to fight against Jesus ignorantly thinking Jesus is the Antichrist!?\n\nThe sad thing is - once anyone accepts the Mahdi, bowing to him and accepting his mark of homage.., its too late. The Bible says there is no forgiveness for blasphemy of the Holy Spirit. Calling Jesus the Antichrist IS Blasphemy of the Holy Spirit -seeing Jesus maintained that His spirit will be sent to us from the father -  The Spirit of Christ is the Holy Ghost.\n\nBut we all have decisions to make. Only the sincere who remain faithful will make it.
290586
Its actually spelled ESCHATOLOGY. It is a part of the "Theology" which talks about the "End of World" or the "Armageddon"..\n\nAs you can read from Wiki (link below) it is derived from the Greek word for "End of age"\n\n.:Fishie:.
7568
Armageddon:\n\n1.  Bible. The scene of a final battle between the forces of good and evil, prophesied to occur at the end of the world. \n2.  A decisive or catastrophic conflict.
1012314
Rapture- n the state of being carried away with love, joy, etc; intense delight, ecstasy.- rapturous adj.- rapturously adv.\nWell I'm 34 and my husband will be home in 2 hours that will bring me to a state of rapture. The man works 7 days a week and some of those days he works 14 hours. I am always carried away with love and joy to see him. And intense delight and ECSTASY is what he brings with him.\nI know you mean t the whole Jesus thing but I don't believe in that so I had to go with the rapture I do believe in.\nLove & Light\nSharon\nOne Planet = One People
939910
A very good question; and very sincere. Shows that you want to learn more about how a real Christian beleives. Read the above Bible verses, and check out 1 Cor. 15, and come to your own conclusions, based on the Bible. You can also look up the words "2nd coming" and will be lead to Biblical verses concerning Christ's coming ( no "rapture", as you know) \nEnjoy the Bible study, and God Bless you.
185918
Along with other portions of Genesis, this is why the ultra conservative literal believers are so mistaken. The Bible is the Word of God, written by man and divinely inspired. Is it 100% word for word true? yeah right! The insistance on literal, the world was created in 6 days, belief of every word is just silly. Do you really think God would be so self-limited. A much bigger concept.\n\nI don't believe people have the least clue as to the answer to your question. My analogy for heaven is a movie house. When I get there God is going to roll the film and I'll understand it all then.\n\nAs a Christian, I believe the Bible to be a tool for contemplation and spiritual support. I believe it's historical information presented to glorify God and teach people about a broad, diverse and complex being/force/spirit/whatever. \n\nI believe that when Jesus said no one knows God except through me the meaning was clearly not about his physical person. I believe Jesus goes by Mohammed and Buddha and Krishna and Gaea in other religions.
587818
It's not the idea of a rapture that I don't believe in, but the word itself. The word isn't found in the Bible. I do believe Jesus will come the way it says, but wonder where the word "rapture" came from.