The doctrine called the “Rapture” is a delusion.
It is very easy to discount this fantasy.
But first, the reason for this delusion must be understood.
God gives people over to delusion if they continually reject the truth, and then they fervently believe lies, 2 Thess 2:11.
2Th 2:11 And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: (KJV)
The following paragraphs explain how this works.
Mt 11:12 And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and men of violence take it by force. (ASV)
The Kingdom of God is not something that a person enters casually. It cost Jesus His physical life on earth in order to make it available to His followers.
Ro 14:17 for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. (ASV)
As His followers, we are in turn expected to lose our lives or die to sin in order to obtain from God the Kingdom attributes of righteousness (the ability to do what is right) Joy, and Peace in the Holy Spirit, Rm 14:17.
Mr 8:35 For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel’s, the same shall save it.
Ro 6:11 Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. (KJV)
Ro 8:13 For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live. (KJV)
When Rm 14:17 says that the “Kingdom of God” is righteousness joy and peace, it means that the attributes of the “kingdom” are His to distribute.
Through His grace, God can change a person into someone who calmly and peacefully does what is “right in His eyes”, and enjoys behaving that way.
Isa 30:15 For thus saith the Lord GOD, the Holy One of Israel; In returning and rest shall ye be saved; in quietness and in confidence shall be your strength: and ye would not.
God alone can give these attributes to a person.
The Bible employs a parable system, also referred to as speaking in Tongues, to prevent those who are insincere from understanding it.
Understanding the Bible is not a simple matter of learning.
All knowledge belongs to God, and He gives it to people as they meet His conditions for receiving it.
This parable process is twofold. It prevents insincere readers from learning the Bible’s truths, and at the same time, it prevents sincere unlearned believers from progressing to fast for their own good.
1Co 14:23 If therefore the whole church be come together into one place, and all speak with tongues, and there come in those that are unlearned, or unbelievers, will they not say that ye are mad?
The so-called “Rapture” verses are clearly shown to be referring to the Christian life as it is lived out on earth.
This is an important understanding because many so-called end-time delusions are based upon the false concept that the sleeping condition refers to physical death.
The misguided “Rapture” doctrine is, so to speak, one of the foundational delusions that other more ridiculous delusions are based upon.
This becomes immediately clear when a reader realizes that the chapter divisions do not exist in the original letter.
In First Thessalonians 4:13, the Apostle Paul tells His readers that He is going to explain the “sleeping condition”.
After presenting the doctrine in a brief parable-style explanation, eleven verses later He encourages His readers to stay awake and not fall asleep in First Thessalonians 5:6.
This means that the “sleeping condition” is not physical death as the “delusion” maintains.
That is it! This simple error is the basis for delusions that have worldwide implications.
Ro 3:4 (YLT) let it not be! and let God become true, and every man false, according as it hath been written, `That Thou mayest be declared righteous in Thy words, and mayest overcome in Thy being judged.’
The parable refers both to believers who sleep and those that remain awake, and how both groups are ultimately reunited when the sleepers wake up in 1 Thess 4:17.
Falling asleep means that a believer becomes inattentive to spiritual matters.
If believers fall asleep or become inattentive in their spiritual life Jesus will have to wake them through the discipline process referred to as “The Day of the Lord”.
This “Day of the Lord” is a time when only Jesus and His character attributes are acceptable, 1 Cor 3:15, 1 Cor 11:27-32, and Isaiah 2:11.
1Co 3:15 If any man’s work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.
Isa 2:11 The lofty looks of man shall be humbled, and the haughtiness of men shall be bowed down, and the LORD alone shall be exalted in that day. (KJV)
1Co 11:27 Wherefore whosoever shall eat this bread, and drink this cup of the Lord, unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. 28 But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup. 29 For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body. 30 For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep. 31 For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged. 32 But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world.
Believers are not immediately given over to discipline when they are inattentive and disobedient.
They go through a process that encourages them to understand that the activity is indeed a sin, and not simply a mistake.
Jer 3:13 Only acknowledge thine iniquity, that thou hast transgressed against the LORD thy God, and hast scattered thy ways to the strangers under every green tree, and ye have not obeyed my voice, saith the LORD. 14 Turn, O backsliding children, saith the LORD; for I am married unto you: and I will take you one of a city, and two of a family, and I will bring you to Zion:
This process of discipline is seen in the following verses.
Lu 12:58 When thou goest with thine adversary to the magistrate, as thou art in the way, give diligence that thou mayest be delivered from him; lest he hale thee to the judge, and the judge deliver thee to the officer, and the officer cast thee into prison. 59 I tell thee, thou shalt not depart thence, till thou hast paid the very last mite.
If the discipline process from Luke 12:58 is ignored by the believer they “fall away”.
The sin becomes willful and they become a “Man of sin” and are “imprisoned”.
2Th 2:3 ¶ Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;
God then lets them believe a lie (that the sin is not really a sin) because of their “willful sin”.
In 2 Thess 2:12 God sends “strong Delusion” to a Christian involved in persistent “willful sin” so that they can be judged for the sin that they mistakenly think is acceptable before God.
2Th 2:11 and because of this shall God send to them a working of delusion, for their believing the lie, (YLT) 12 that they may be judged–all who did not believe the truth but were well pleased in the unrighteousness. (YLT)
God designs the judgment to correct the willfully sinful Believer, 1 Cor 11:32.
1 Co 11:32 But when we (believers) are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world. (KJV)
When discussing the “Man of sin” in His Second Letter to the Thessalonians Paul says, “Don’t you remember that I told you of these things”.
Here He is referring to the things that He had mentioned to them in 1 Thess 4:13 thru 5:8.
Willful sin was the cause of this doctrinal delusion.
Many Christians continue to adhere to the “Rapture” delusion because they don’t question the doctrine”s scriptural validity.
Paul finally comforts the believers in 1 Thess 5:10 by telling them that even a persistent “sleeping condition” will not result in the sinful Christian being banned from “Heaven” so to speak.
1Th 5:10 Who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him.
1Co 15:51 Behold, I tell you a mystery: We all shall not sleep, but we shall all be changed, (ASV)
Being involved in any sin is a “Humiliating” state, Phil 3:21
Php 3:21 (YLT) Who shall transform the body of our humiliation to its becoming conformed to the body of his glory, according to the working of his power, even to subject to himself all things.
As Paul mentioned in His Second letter to the Corinthians (2 Cor 5:6 and 8), we are no longer in the body when we go to be with the Lord.
When the Apostle speaks of transforming our “lowly” body to be like Jesus’ body this action or transformation occurs during our lifetimes on earth.
As we humble ourselves before God (James 4:6) we will receive grace and can then be taught by God to deny ungodly activity, Phil 3:21 and Titus 2:11-12.
Jas 4:6 But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble. (KJV)
Tit 2:11 ¶ For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, 12 Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; (KJV)
As with all sin, the humiliating “sleeping condition” will be a hindrance to spiritual progress.
Humiliation or the “humbling” effect of sin is the condition required to receive God’s grace.
In this way, God helps sinful believers stop sinning as He did with Paul in 2 Cor 12:7.
2 Corinthians 12:7 KJV — And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure.
The people who have faith in Jesus or “hold the truth” and decide to persist in unrighteous behavior are called “covenant breakers” in Romans 1:31 and they will experience God’s discipline, which He designs in order to correct them.
Ro 1:18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness;
19 ¶ Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them.
20 For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:
21 Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.
22 Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools,
23 And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things.
24 Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves:
25 Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen.
26 For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature:
27 And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that “recompense” of their error which was meet.
28 And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient;
29 Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers,
30 Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents,
31 Without understanding, covenant-breakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful:
32 Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same but have pleasure in them that do them. (KJV)
New American Standard Bible for 2 Peter 2:9
9 then the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from temptation, and to keep unrighteous under punishment for (“In” – Strongs 1519) the day of judgment,
The sinful believer is kept “in” an unrighteous humiliating condition as their punishment.
The disobedient believer is not reserved in punishment awaiting a future judgment.
They are reserved in punishment “as a just recompense” as Paul made reference to the concept of a believer’s judgment in 1 Cor 11:32.
1Co 11:32 But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world.
The “Day of the Lord” is the same thing as the “Day of Judgment”, and believers who are involved in unrighteous behavior have not inherited the Kingdom attribute of “righteousness” from God (they are not enabled by “Grace” to do what God considers “right”).
They are kept in this “unrighteous” state of punishment or discipline as long as they persist in unrighteous behavior.
Just as Fallen angels are kept in chains of darkness or sin in 2 Peter 2:4.
2 Peter 2:4 KJV — For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into (1519) chains of darkness, to be reserved unto (in 1519) judgment.
Jude 1:6 And the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day.
Fallen Angels are reserved in darkness (sin) and they are used by God to discipline believers as God allows the believer to be influenced by them.
Fallen angels cannot escape their darkness it is everlasting, the gulf between darkness and the kingdom of God is fixed, Lk 16:26.
Lu 16:26 And beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed: so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot; neither can they pass to us, that would come from thence.
Angels do not die as is seen from the statement in Heb 2:9. Jesus was made lower than them for the suffering of death.
Heb 2:9 But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man.
Being humans, believers can die, and they can also perish in hell after physical death as Jesus alluded to in Matt 10:28.
Mt 10:28 And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.
Angels cannot perish in Hell but are “reserved” there and they are used to discipline humans, John 3:16.
Joh 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
We as believers during this lifetime can go into darkness and come out of it.
Matthew 5:26 KJV — Verily I say unto thee, Thou shalt by no means come out thence, till thou hast paid the uttermost farthing.
Re 3:12 Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out (out of God’s Temple): and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God: and I will write upon him my new name.
Re 7:14 And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.
Jesus said that in the world we would have “tribulation” but He had overcome the world, Jn 16:33.
John 16:33 These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world. (KJV)
Tribulation is the recompense for sin.
This speaks to how Fallen Angels were used to discipline Paul as He was buffeted in 2 Cor 12:7.
Just as in Job’s case in Job 42:6 this discipline or “just recompense” process continues until the believer corrects the behavior that caused the divine discipline in the first place.
When the behavior is corrected and the God Fearing person has learned to “deny the ungodly activity” the person “comes out of the prison of discipline” so to speak, they come out of Hell, Mt 5:26.
Job 42:6 Therefore do I loathe it, And I have repented on dust and ashes. YLT