I posted the following on the RR website in response to something I came across on the internet and wanted to share my thoughts here.  I have added a bit to it and hope you enjoy reading it.

While surfing the internet, looking for subject matter on the end-times, I came across a website (not mentioning which one) that was very demeaning to anyone who believed in the rapture. To be clear on the matter, I do believe in the rapture of the saints. But this writer was so vehement in denouncing anyone who believed in the rapture that I continued reading his post to determine why he felt that way.

One of his main points is that proponents of the rapture use a very small number of Bible verses to support their beliefs and in so doing they (we) twist the original meaning of those verses in question to support our stance. While sitting in church this morning, I listened to a sermon on Romans 15:8-12 and the following occured to me. The Jews of the Old Testament had precious few teachings that would lead them to believe that there would ever be something called the church. All the Old Testament writings dealing with the gentiles being brought into the fold of believers could be counted on one hand. Yet here we are. We were a mystery! Before the first century church... before the apostles... before the Son of God offered us grace to enter into the family, the concept of a mainly gentile body of believers was obscure to the Jews! I counted and only found something like five Old Testament references (2 Sm 22:50, Ps 18:49, Dt 32:43, Ps 117:1, Is 11:10) and while I clearly understand what they mean, I can see how the Jews missed it. My search wasn't exhaustive and there may well be other verses than the ones I listed, but I think you catch my drift.

Sometimes there are things in the Old and New Testaments that are simply stated without great elaboration, but we accept the concepts. In the case of a body of believing gentiles, we can plainly see it. In the case of the rapture, we have more to go on than the Jews did regarding the church! And some day soon, we will plainly see that too! We do, afterall, have Paul's teachings in Second Thessalonians. We have Jesus' parables. We have the parallels given to us in the examples of Enoch and Elijah. We have the parallel in Joseph taking a bride before seven years of famine (tribulation) in Gn 41:45. We have examples in the harvests. We have the symbollism in the Jewish wedding ceremony. I could go on and on, but I think I've made my point.

I love my brothers and sisters in Christ even when we disagree. I wish we all shared the same hope... the hope that one day soon Jesus will come like a thief in the night to take us home to be with Him forever. Amen and amen!

 

Addendum:  I could have also pointed out that the concept of the Trinity wasn't fully developed and explained until the New Testament writers appeared on the scene.  The Trinity was likewise hinted at going back as far as Gn 1:2 and further alluded to in the Psalms and elsewhere.  But, by and large, the Trinity wasn't accepted as a teaching until the church age.  Once again, at the sake of repeating myself, there are concepts that we accept due to having a New Testament perspective that were missed in earlier times.  On the subject of the rapture, there are more allusions to it in both testaments than either the concepts of the church or the Trinity.  For those of you who have read my posts before, you know that I personally believe in both a pre-tribulation rapture and also mid-trib, or pre-wrath rapture and have earlier cited the passages as to why I believe as I do.  I steadfastly refuse to argue with anyone who sees things differently.  I am thankful for the opportunity this website affords to be able to express my beliefs in a loving manner.  I can only conclude by saying that I do so hope to to hear the trumpet call soon.  Very, very soon.