Sherry Yarbrough (25 May 2007)
"rapture??? please help me understand these scriptures"
Why are people looking for the rapture now when scripture clearly says our gathering will not take place until after the man of sin is revealed?
II Th 2:1-12
CHAPTER 21 Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him,
2 That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand.
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;
4 Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.
5 Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things?
6 And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time.
7 For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be! taken out of the way. (who is this )8 And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming:
9 Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders,
10 And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.
11 And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie:
12 That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.
(KJV)-----------------------Hi:> > Why are people looking for the rapture now when scripture clearly says our gathering will not take place until after the man of sin is revealed?This is one time it pays to read several versions. The KJV is misleading in this. There are two things to research.(1) In verse 2, it should say "DAY OF THE LORD." It was found in some important manuscripts (the Sinaitic Codex, the Alexandrine Codex, and the Vatican Codex) that were discovered after the KJV was translated. The ISV has corrected this. It says, "not to be so quickly upset or alarmed when someone claims that we said either by some spirit, conversation, or letter that the DAY OF THE LORD has already come." When the Day of the Lord comes, the wrath of God will fall on unbelievers only. Both Raptures will have already taken place, one before the Tribulation and one on the Day of God's Wrath, but before the wrath is cast on the Earth.(2) The "departing" (i.e., the Pre-Trib Rapture of Rev. 4:1) comes before the great and terrible Day of the Lord (Rev. 6:17; 8:1f).
2Th 2:3 in the Geneva Bible (1587) says, "Let no man deceiue you by any meanes: for that day shall not come, except there come A DEPARTING FIRST, and that that man of sinne be disclosed, euen the sonne of perdition". The departing is the Pre-Trib Rapture. The Vulgate has the Latin "discessio", meaning DEPARTURE. The Miles Covendale (1535) and Tyndale New Testament (1526) both have DEPARTING. The World English Bible has "DEPARTURE."
In Liddle and Scott, the second meaning of "apostasia" is DEPARTURE or DISAPPEARANCE.
> > 6 And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time.
7 For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way. (who is this )He who "letteth will let" is Old English for he who hindereth will hinder. Bibles with notes in the margin explain this. It is the Holy Spirit residing in believers that hinders the appearance of the man of sin--until the Pre-Trib Rapture takes place. We are the salt of the Earth. Salt retards the growth of leaven in breadmaking. After the Rapture takes place, the man of sin will be revealed "IN HIS TIME" the Tribulation. See Rev. 13.Agape,Marilyn Agee