The Rapture of the Church revisited 2025

It seemed to me that recently there's been less talk about the Rature of the Church. However, with our bombing of Iran's nuclear facilities and the great offensive of Israel against Iran perhaps it's time to revisit the coming Rapture of the Church.

The three major viewpoints of the rapture of the Church are Pre-Tribulation, Mid-Tribulation and Post-Tribulation.

Call it the Rapture, The Harpazo or the Blessed Hope it will be when Jesus calls His Church home. A wonderful day, an unusual doctrine with a scriptural bases.

1 Thessalonians 4:17, “Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught (G726) up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.”

G726 - harpazō - From a derivative of G138; to seize (in various applications): - catch (away, up), pluck, pull, take (by force).

Pre-Tribulation Rapture is Jesus coming for His Church before the start of the seven year tribulation and this view is in accordance with “The Doctrine of Imminency.” We can expect Jesus at any moment; there is nothing more required for the Rapture of the Church to occur. 

The Jewish Wedding is analogous to what will happen in the lead up to the rapture. Jesus, the bridegroom, ascended into his father's house to prepare a place for his bride, the Church, just as was done in biblical time. Just as the bride was to be ready as the bridegroom could come at any time, the Church should eagerly anticipate the coming of Jesus for his Church. A recent video, "Before the Wrath" deals with this.

A Mid-Tribulation Rapture embraces the belief that the Church will be caught at the midpoint of the seven year tribulation before the start of the final three and half years known as the time of Jacob’s troubles.

A post-Tribulation rapture point of view claims that the church will go through the seven year Tribulation. We would meet ourselves in the clouds as Jesus calls us to him as He descended to earth.  We would be going up and coming down at the same time.  seems rather convolted so no, the Church will not go through the Tribulation!

Both the mid- trib rapture and a post-trip rapture point of view deny “The Doctrine of Imminency”.

While there are several Scriptures that imply that the Church will be removed prior to the Tribulation there is that bothersome Revelation 12:5-6, “She gave birth to a son who was to rule all nations with an iron rod. And her child was snatched away from the dragon and was caught up to God and to his throne. 6 And the woman fled into the wilderness, where God had prepared a place to care for her for 1,260 days.”

The woman is Israel fleeing after the desecration of the Temple and the breaking midpoint of the seven year year covenant and the start of Jacob’s troubles. The Son of the woman/Israel is Jesus and if His ascension to the Father represents the Church, could this be a mid-trib rapture?

Regardless of my question concerning Revelation 12:5-6, I am still of the belief that the rapture of the church will take place before the start of the seven year tribulation. That said, Christians are being imprisoned, tortured and murdered in many parts of the world.

Although we have been relatively safe since 9/11, we live under the growing threat of jihadists within our country and the indoctrination of our youth. New York City may elect an outspoken believer in Islam as more violence is voted into office. Many students on campuses are turning against Israel and supporting their enemies.

With all this we, the Church, are still here. We've gone through three presidential elections. 

2016 ushered in the Warrior Jehu. Like Jehu President Trump tore down some strongholds.

2020 brought in Biden who followed Isaiah 5:20...
The Rapture seemed so close.

2024 and a return of the Warrior Jehu...
King Cyrus? Or is the fulfillment of Psalm 83 happening? Leading to unwalled villages... a subject for another time. 

Does 2 Timothy 3:16 apply to all scripture revisited?

Timothy 3:16, “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, (G2315) and is profitable (G5624) for doctrine, (G1319) for reproof, (G1650) for correction, (G1882) for instruction (G3809) in righteousness: (G1343).

Doctrine: What's right
Reproof: What's not right
Correction: How to get it right
Instruction: How to stay right

In my opiniom 2 Timothy 3:16 is not applicable to all scripture, rather it is in most cases. To me 2 Peter 1 an example of its applicability and deals mostly with “Instruction.”

2 Peter 1:1, “Simon Peter, a servant and an apostle of Jesus Christ, to them that have obtained like precious faith with us through the righteousness of God and our Saviour Jesus Christ:”
Doctrine

2 Peter 1:2, “Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord,”
Instruction

2 Peter 1:3, “According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue:”
Instruction

2 Peter 1:4, “Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.”
Correction/ Instruction

2 Peter 1:5, “And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge;”
Instruction

2 Peter 1:6, “And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness;”
Instruction

2 Peter 1:7, “And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity.“
Instruction

2 Peter 1:8, “For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
Reproof

2 Peter 1:9, “But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins.”
Reproof

2 Peter 1:10, “Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall:”
Instruction

2 Peter 1:11, “For so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.”
Instruction

2 Peter 1:12, “Wherefore I will not be negligent to put you always in remembrance of these things, though ye know them, and be established in the present truth.”
Correction/ Instruction

G2315 - From G2316 and a presumed derivative of G4154; divinely breathed in: - given by inspiration of God.

G5624 - From a form of G3786; helpful or serviceable, that is, advantageous: - profit (-able).

G1319 - From G1320; instruction (the function or the information): - doctrine, learning, teaching.

G1650 - From G1651; proof, conviction: - evidence, reproof.

G1882 - From a compound of G1909 and G461; a straightening up again, that is, (figuratively) rectification (reformation): - correction.

G3809 - From G3811; tutorage, that is, education or training; by implication disciplinary correction: - chastening, chastisement, instruction, nurture.

G1343 - From G1342; equity (of character or act); specifically (Christian) justification: - righteousness.

My Polio Story

 

It all started shortly after the start of first grade. I had a horrific headache and rigid neck and was sent home from school. This was in 1947, several years before the polio vaccine was available. My mother was a registered nurse and likely had an idea of what was going on with my body. I don't remember much until the next day but Mom said that she took me into her bed that night and I think she said I was burning up with fever but I can't remember. 

The next day I had a spinal tap that didn't hurt amazingly enough. It was performed by dr. Paul Kilmer who was my mother's boss as she worked in his office for years. Well it was polio so the next thing I was in an ambulance taking a 70-mile trip to Grand Rapids, Michigan. I was taken to Blodgett Hospital and subjected to a second spinal tap this time I very painful spinal tap. I remember there was a window washer and he heard me screaming in pain and looked so compassionately up through the window. 

Later in the day or early evening I was nearly undressed and two nurses or therapist put me through a series a physical test. I had total movement of my body. They had me bending over and doing turns and such. At that point there was no paralysis. I slept that night and the next morning my mother was visiting and had a friend with her. I was laying in bed and I remember picking up my left wrist and telling my mom I can't move anything on my left side. My left arm and left leg were totally paralyzed. Years later I sent for some of my records and found out that after two weeks I could walk with help, however, I was supposed to be on complete bed rest. 

 As I recall, I spent two weeks at Blodgett Hospital during what would have been considered the more contagious part of the disease. After two weeks I was transferred to a children's Rehabilitation facility called Mary Free Bed. There I had the sister Kenny hot pad treatment. The packs were so hot they nearly seared my skin but they did keep my muscles from seizing. I remember I had a cold and at that time penicillin was far more viscous than today and had to be given every 3 hours. I was having a hot pack session and I thought a nurse was coming towards me with a blue pen in her hand. No pen, it was a hypodermic needle and I got a shot of penicillin in my posterior. I don't remember the rest of the shots but they did hurt. 

While we were mostly children's at Mary Free Bed there was a woman there who was really bedridden and she had polio once before and then contracted again and it just wiped her out. It's funny even at 6 years old I felt sympathy for her. I remember one little girl who did not have polio, rather she had lost her 2 feet and I'm not sure how much of her legs. She had a doctor helping her with learning to use her prosthesis. The doctor had two artificial arms possibly from the war. I remember this courageous little girl wrote a tricycle and I think possibly roller skated. 

Like I said we were supposed to be on bed rest but after three months I found out I could walk, not only could I walk I could run. Although my left leg still has a few minor effects of polio such as a little bit of a drop foot and downward turning of the ankle, I was ambulatory. My left hand and arm were a different story. Even after four reconstructive surgeries the best part of my hand is my little finger which is almost normal. My thumb literally sticks out like a sore thumb but I'm very protective of it. 

I had a few small victories while at Mary Free Bed. I'm not sure what I did both times but I actually was restrained because I was being rather naughty. One of my fondest memories is getting ahold of a roll of toilet paper and getting to the third floor of Mary Free Bed. I looked down the stairwell and holding on the toilet paper, I let it unroll all the way to the first floor. I don't think the nurses were too mad at me but I remember being restrained in a chair until I settled down. 

Being in Michigan, we had a number of snow storms. Family was only allowed to visit once a week, on Sunday. I was told I had a phone call and it was my mother telling me the weather was too bad and she couldn't make the trip. I cried and I said I just knew you weren't coming today. I don't know who was more broken hearted of the two of us. I don't remember the occasion, possibly Christmas, we were sending cards to our mothers. I wrote the word mother on the envelope with the card and gave it to the nurse to mail. By the time Mom received it in the mail mother had been crossed out in the proper address was added. I don't know why the mailman wouldn't know where Mom was I sure did. 

 The Shriners were good to us kids in the hospital. One time they took us to the circus and I had two cotton candies and threw up. At Christmas time they gave us Toys and mine was a little Kewpie doll. After I was released from the hospital I was playing with the Kewpie doll at my friends house. Her father was the local Baptist pastor and by mistake he stepped on my doll and of course felt really bad for breaking it. Strange the things you remember