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There has for a long time been much debate over whether the "Rapture", as envisioned by those presently promoting the concept, is even scriptural. The Biblical text that states the concept most succinctly and probably most in line with the "Left Behind" version is 1st Thessalonians 4:15-17.

Now, if God was dictating the text literally through Paul, or if Paul could somehow see the actual event in the future, there is little to argue but that the text means exactly what it says. If one accepts, however, that Paul was trying to make his grieving Thessalonian friends feel better and to strengthen their faith, particularly since many had no doubt expected Jesus to have returned already...as many early believers did, then one might see Paul's words as an attempt to use powerful, dynamic images to reassure his flock that they would, indeed, one day be reunited with their deceased friends and with Jesus himself.

I see no reason to believe that God wrote every word of the Bible through human beings. After all, nowhere does the Bible say that God dictated the Ten Commandments to Moses who then chiseled them into two stone tablets. According to Exodus 31:18, God himself wrote upon the tablets. Therefore, God could simply have written the Scriptures and handed them to the "writers" or just have left them somewhere to be found. I would like to think that if God, not Paul, wrote Paul's letters, for instance, Paul would have mentioned it. Nor do I imagine it likely that Paul could see thousands of years into the future.

My personal opinion is that Paul was expressing his own hope of resurrection to those who shared his core beliefs and that the Rapture, as portrayed in modern Christian fundamentalist theology, is largely a misunderstanding of this fact, as well as a whopping good story about how God is going to punish all those pesky non-believers.

As for me, if I see people start floating up into the air I'm heading for the storm shelter.

I. THE BIBLICAL PROMISE
CONCERNING THE LORD’S RETURN
1. The Bible contains a wonderful promise of the Lord’s return. From the Old Testament through the New Testament, every book touches on the subject of the Lord’s return. Bible students have counted the number of times that the New Testament speaks of this subject and have told us that one out of every twenty verses in the New Testament speaks of the Lord’s return. This is an important subject. Do not think that everything was finished when God’s Son came and accomplished the work of redemption. The Lord will come back to this earth. From Genesis to Malachi, the Old Testament repeatedly speaks of Christ’s second coming. The same is true in the New Testament from Matthew to Revelation. We can say that this subject is the greatest subject in the Bible. The biblical record of the Lord’s first coming is considerably smaller than that of His second coming. We should pay much attention to the subject of His second coming. We should memorize at least a few passages of the Scripture concerning this subject. Please carefully read these references: John 14:1-3, Acts 1:10-11, and Hebrews 9:28. A fourth reference appears in the last book, the book of Revelation. This book was written over sixty years after the Lord’s ascension. Jerusalem already had been destroyed, and the first generation of apostles was almost all gone. Even then, however, the Holy Spirit spoke in Revelation 22:20 of the coming again of the Lord Jesus.
II. A HEAVENLY CALLING
Today we not only look back at the work of the cross; we also look forward to the second coming of Christ. We are not only here serving the Lord, but we are here waiting for His coming back. It is not our only intention to serve Him here on earth. In the past we have spoken several times concerning the subject of the breaking of bread. Our breaking of bread is a remembrance of the Lord; this remembrance will last until He returns. Every Christian’s eye should be set on Christ’s second coming. While it is true that we preach obedience, praise, service, and many other subjects, it is not our only intention to be serving in this way forever. Our hope is that the church will become the bride of Christ one day. Everything we do is with the view of the second coming of Christ. Although we emphasize the local church and our work, we are not building anything on earth today. We are waiting for the Lord’s coming back. We are not preaching the doctrine of the Lord’s second coming; we are truly waiting for His coming again. Our calling is a heavenly one; it is not earthly. Our ministry and service are heavenly. We are not looking for a great building on earth. Everything on earth will pass away one day. Five great signs in the Bible indicate to us that the Lord’s coming is very near.
The Christian life on earth is a life of waiting for the Lord’s return. What does it mean to wait for His return? To wait for His return means that while we live as others do, we have an expectation of His return always within us. Miss M. E. Barber was a person in whom I found no trace of thought of remaining on earth for a long time. She was genuinely waiting for the Lord’s return. Once I was walking with her on a street, and she said, “Perhaps, I will meet the Lord when we turn this corner.” She asked me to walk at a distance from her on the other side of the sidewalk, and repeated, “I do not know whether this will be the corner for me.” Those who wait for the Lord’s return are like a man walking down a precipitous hill; he does not know for sure when he will turn a corner and meet someone walking up the same path. Our sister genuinely expected the Lord’s return daily and hourly. Notice that we are speaking of our expectation of His return, not our belief in His return. Many people can speak about the Lord’s return. They study the Lord’s return and believe in His return, but this does not mean that they are expecting His return. Many people pay much attention to such subjects as the rapture, the judgment seat of Christ, the millennium, the New Jerusalem, and the new heaven and new earth. Many people are very familiar with the prophecies concerning the Lord’s return, but they are not necessarily waiting for His return. We have to remember that we are heavenly citizens. We should be taught by grace to expect the Lord’s return. We put no hope in this earth. We know that this earth will never change for the better. While we serve, work, and labor with God here on earth, we are calling and gathering a group of people to come under the Lord’s name for His satisfaction. We serve and work for the sake of His second coming.

III. THE TWO COMINGS OF CHRIST
2. Christ has two comings, and these two comings are different. In His first coming to earth, He died on the cross for the remission of sins. Through this, sinners are reconciled to God; they can draw near to God and partake of His life. But this work for man is only half complete. The problem of sin has been settled, but sin itself is still around us. The power of death is finished in us, but our body still has to pass through death. Although we have a new life within us, we do not yet have a new environment. If Christ does not come again, nothing will be completed. The more holy we become inwardly, the darker, more sinful, and more lawless the world is to us outwardly. Our lips were once unclean. One day the holy fire came and cleansed our lips. However, we are still living among men with unclean lips. The second coming of Christ will not settle our personal sins but will settle all the sins in this world. In His first coming, He settled our personal sins. In His second coming, He will settle the sins of this world.
IV. THE PROBLEMS IN THIS WORLD
A. Social Problems
Today the world is full of all kinds of problems. How will these problems be solved? What should be our attitude towards these problems? Many social reformers pay much attention to the problems in society. Some say to Christians, “Your personal problems have been solved. But what do you say about the existence of classes, the poverty of the peasants, the suffering of livestock, and the proliferation of sinful establishments such as theaters, brothels, dance halls, and gambling casinos?” Those who pay attention to society are disturbed to see many social ills such as crime, sickness, poverty, and inequality still prevailing. They ask us what should be done about these things. We must tell them that God is not oblivious to these problems. God is not merely for individuals being saved, forgiven, and going to heaven. We must tell them that the salvation spoken of in the Bible is not only for individuals. Heaven is not merely related to the matter of individual salvation; it relates to a time when the whole world will turn to Christ. (However, we are not talking about universalism.) The Bible first speaks of personal salvation. But this does not mean that it ignores social problems. We cannot tackle social problems now, because they are not within our ability to solve at the present time. According to the Bible, God has called us to a heavenly calling, which means that Christians are only responsible for the preaching of the gospel. The responsibility of the church is to gather men into the name of Christ. Our hope and work are not on the earth. We are not here to improve society. The Lord said that there is no hope or peace in this world. All social problems will be settled when the Lord comes back again. When He comes back, all social ills will be removed. Christianity does address these problems, but there is a matter of time as to when they will be addressed. When the Lord comes again, these problems will be solved.
God’s children have no other obligations besides leading men to Christ and waiting for His return. We do not expect class distinctions in this world to be removed. We do not expect sin and crime to be eradicated from this world. One day the Lord will deal with all the problems that the sociologists and scientists cannot handle today. Our expectation is different from that of the world. We expect the day of the Lord’s return, and this day is drawing near. There are two aspects to the Lord’s return, the personal aspect and the world’s aspect. Personally, we wait for His return because we want to see Him. As far as the world is concerned, the Lord’s return will solve its many problems. Many Christians try to reform society, and in the end they are corrupted by society itself. Many good Christians try to change the world, and in the end they themselves are defiled. We should never be tempted to engage ourselves in these works, because we know that these are the Lord’s work.

B. The Travailing of the Creatures
3. Today many people say that animals are suffering and abused and are even near the point of extinction. They say that we should do something to protect them. The trouble is that humans today are treated worse than cows and horses. How can we first take care of the lower forms of creatures? In other countries there are advocates of animal rights. Romans 8 says that the whole creation groans for deliverance. We know that one day the whole creation will be freed from the bondage of corruption. Then, as foretold in the Old Testament, the world will be a place where “the wolf will dwell with the lamb; / And the leopard will lie down with the kid, / And the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; / And a young boy will lead them about. / The cow and the bear will graze; / Their young will lie down together; / And the lion will eat straw like the ox” (Isa. 11:6-7). We know that one day all the creatures will be delivered. But that day is not today. Today, protecting the animals is not our work.
C. Earthly Squabbling for Power
Every group of politicians in every nation of the world is vying for the center stage, and every nation in this world is trying to take advantage of other nations. There are strife and unrest nationally and internationally. We are not called to engage ourselves in the work of the League of Nations; our work is not to help weak and struggling countries. The angels one day will proclaim that the kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ (Rev. 11:15). We can answer the unbelievers even today with this word.
Christians’ personal problems are solved by Christ’s first coming. The social problems of this world will be solved at the time of Christ’s second coming. Then the world will not be like the world we have today. All of the problems listed above will disappear in the twinkling of an eye.
V. WHAT CHRISTIANS SHOULD DO TODAY
What then should Christians do in this world? A Christian should do his best to render help to others. For example, a doctor should do his best to help others by treating their diseases. A scientist should do his best to help others by improving nutrition and other things. But one thing should be kept in mind: We should remain pure before the Lord. We should not be contaminated by the world. Neither should we close our eyes to the affairs of this world. During His first coming, Christ labored on individuals; He did not try to do anything about the social system. In the same way, today Christians should labor on individuals; they should not try to build up any system or institution. Before our personal problems or the world’s problems were solved, we were sinners and we lived among sinners. Today we have believed in the Lord. We have become the righteous among the sinners. But there will be a day when the righteous will be among the righteous. All the problems will be solved on that day when the Lord comes back. Today we should give to others what we can afford to give. We should not engage in any form of revolution. Revolutions happen because there are bad institutions. Men start revolutions because they hate these institutions. They even sacrifice their blood for their revolutions. But we cannot sacrifice our blood for the sake of destroying any social system. When Christ comes the second time, He will change all social systems and institutions. Today, if we engage in such a work, there is a great possibility that we will be disapproved. It is foolish for us to sacrifice ourselves today. The world has become what it is today because too many innocent people have sacrificed themselves. Christians should not aspire to change any institution of this world.
The Bible shows us a heavenly calling. Our calling is not on earth. This world is not our concern. We live day by day in this world. But nothing with us is permanent; nothing is indispensable for us, and nothing is compulsory. There is nothing in this world that we cannot live without, and there is nothing that we must have. We take what the Lord gives to us in this world. It is all right for us to have more and it is all right for us to have less. If the Lord arranges for us to have a smooth pathway, we can take it. If the Lord arranges for us to have a rugged pathway, we can take it as well. We are here to wait for the Lord’s coming; we are not here to seek after worldly blessing. When Christ comes again, every earthly thing will be finished. While we live on earth, we do not live for ourselves, for our families, or for society; we live for the Lord. When the Lord comes again, that will be the happiest day of all days. Everything in this world is changing; only things pertaining to righteousness abide forever. If we do not belong to this world and do not settle down in this world, that day will be of unspeakable glory to us. On that day, the glory of the Lord will fill the church. His kingdom will come on earth, and the whole universe will be subject to Christ. This is why the church does not have any lingering love for the works of this earth.

VI. WHAT CHRIST WILL SETTLE WHEN HE COMES
4. A. Injustice
When the Lord comes back, the first thing He will settle is injustice. Today the biggest problem in the world is injustice. Isaiah 11:4 says that the Lord will “judge the poor in righteousness, / And decide with equity for the afflicted of the land.” To judge with justice is something more than what the world can do today. It is not a Christian’s job. When the Lord comes again, He will execute justice.
B. Wars
When the Lord comes again, He will settle all wars. Today man cannot deal with the problem of wars. World War II has just finished, but many places in the world are still at war. Everyone agrees that there should be peace, but there is no real peace. Man cannot achieve peace through war. Yet Isaiah 2:4 says that when the millennium comes, men will “beat their swords into plowshares, / And their spears into pruning hooks, / Nation will not lift the sword against nation, / Nor will they learn war anymore.” We should realize that we are not the ones to disarm others of swords and spears. We do not wage wars, and we do not stop wars in the hope of achieving peace. These are things beyond us. When Christ comes, He will annul all wars and bring in peace.
C. Sicknesses
When Christ comes He will settle all sicknesses. Today many people pay attention to public health, hygiene, and medical aid. But sickness will never be thoroughly eradicated today. In the Bible the two books that speak of plagues the most are Ezekiel and Jeremiah. Both books show us that plagues are in the Lord’s hand; the Lord is in control of these things. In the prophecies in Revelation and Matthew, we are told that plagues will increase in the end times. A Christian should not be given merely to the work of hygiene and medical aid. We must realize that sicknesses in this world will increase. Isaiah 33:24 says that when Christ comes, no one will say, “I am sick.” Ezekiel 47:12 says that in the new heaven and new earth, the tree of the new city will be for the healing of the nations. Hence, when the Lord comes again, the problem of sickness will be solved.
D. Famine
When the Lord comes again, the problem of famine will also be solved. In China many people have recently turned their attention to the problem of famine. Some have done very commendable works. One interesting thing that our eyes have observed is that the harvest of man’s labor always requires much plowing and tilling, whereas thorns, thistles, and weeds grow well without man’s tending. The tares do not need sowing, yet they make their way through the wheat. No matter how hard scientists and horticulturists try, they cannot stop weeds from growing. In Genesis God cursed the land, and it no longer yielded its strength to man. This is a fact. Today the earth no longer yields its strength to man. We have never heard of a thorn that requires man’s tilling. It is true that we have made achievements in irrigation and machineries, and improvements in seed and fertilizers, but we still cannot eliminate weeds. Neither have we been able to take care of all of man’s other needs.
Man has to fight against nature and wrestle with it in order to survive. If he allows nature to take its own course, he will not have a harvest. We are not depreciating the efforts of the scientists. We are merely saying that such problems cannot be solved by man. God also has no intention for the church to solve these problems. We are here only for the Lord’s return. The Bible says that when Christ comes back, the earth will once more yield its strength to man. Isaiah 43:19-20 and 35:1 speak of God making “rivers in the desert” and of the desert blossoming “like the rose.” Isaiah 51:3 says that God will make the “wilderness like Eden.” When Christ comes again, there will be no more desert, and the thorns and thistles will all pass away.
E. Education and Knowledge
Educators and philosophers teach men about good and evil and to turn away from evil and to choose good. But no one can solve the problem of sin in man’s heart. No educator can give a man the knowledge of God. Hebrews 8:10-11 says that when Christ comes back again, we will have the knowledge of God that comes from our intuition, and all will know God, from the least to the greatest.
F. Establishments of Vice
There are many establishments of vice in this world. Many places are hotbeds of sin. The church and the Christians are saving men out of these sinful places. Yet these establishments remain unchanged. Matthew 13:41-42 says that when the Lord comes again, the angels will cast out all the stumbling blocks and those who practice lawlessness, that is, those who corrupt others. In an instant the Lord will cleanse the earth.
What we have spoken of can be considered as the social philosophy of a Christian. In other chapters we have seen various aspects of the Christian faith and walk. While we remain on earth, we should do what we need to do, but our hearts should always be set on the Lord’s return. Our attention should be on the heavenly calling. We have no permanent plans for things of this world. Even the most spiritual things cannot bind us or imprison us in the earthly realm. Christians should not take root on this earth. The earth is not a place for Christians to plant their roots. God’s Word is being fulfilled bit by bit, and the Lord is at the door. Today our eyes are not set on the problems of the church; we are waiting instead for the Lord’s coming. This is our heavenly calling. May the Lord be gracious to us and may our eyes be set solely upon His return.

I. THE BIBLICAL PROMISE
CONCERNING THE LORD’S RETURN
1. The Bible contains a wonderful promise of the Lord’s return. From the Old Testament through the New Testament, every book touches on the subject of the Lord’s return. Bible students have counted the number of times that the New Testament speaks of this subject and have told us that one out of every twenty verses in the New Testament speaks of the Lord’s return. This is an important subject. Do not think that everything was finished when God’s Son came and accomplished the work of redemption. The Lord will come back to this earth. From Genesis to Malachi, the Old Testament repeatedly speaks of Christ’s second coming. The same is true in the New Testament from Matthew to Revelation. We can say that this subject is the greatest subject in the Bible. The biblical record of the Lord’s first coming is considerably smaller than that of His second coming. We should pay much attention to the subject of His second coming. We should memorize at least a few passages of the Scripture concerning this subject. Please carefully read these references: John 14:1-3, Acts 1:10-11, and Hebrews 9:28. A fourth reference appears in the last book, the book of Revelation. This book was written over sixty years after the Lord’s ascension. Jerusalem already had been destroyed, and the first generation of apostles was almost all gone. Even then, however, the Holy Spirit spoke in Revelation 22:20 of the coming again of the Lord Jesus.
II. A HEAVENLY CALLING
Today we not only look back at the work of the cross; we also look forward to the second coming of Christ. We are not only here serving the Lord, but we are here waiting for His coming back. It is not our only intention to serve Him here on earth. In the past we have spoken several times concerning the subject of the breaking of bread. Our breaking of bread is a remembrance of the Lord; this remembrance will last until He returns. Every Christian’s eye should be set on Christ’s second coming. While it is true that we preach obedience, praise, service, and many other subjects, it is not our only intention to be serving in this way forever. Our hope is that the church will become the bride of Christ one day. Everything we do is with the view of the second coming of Christ. Although we emphasize the local church and our work, we are not building anything on earth today. We are waiting for the Lord’s coming back. We are not preaching the doctrine of the Lord’s second coming; we are truly waiting for His coming again. Our calling is a heavenly one; it is not earthly. Our ministry and service are heavenly. We are not looking for a great building on earth. Everything on earth will pass away one day. Five great signs in the Bible indicate to us that the Lord’s coming is very near.
The Christian life on earth is a life of waiting for the Lord’s return. What does it mean to wait for His return? To wait for His return means that while we live as others do, we have an expectation of His return always within us. Miss M. E. Barber was a person in whom I found no trace of thought of remaining on earth for a long time. She was genuinely waiting for the Lord’s return. Once I was walking with her on a street, and she said, “Perhaps, I will meet the Lord when we turn this corner.” She asked me to walk at a distance from her on the other side of the sidewalk, and repeated, “I do not know whether this will be the corner for me.” Those who wait for the Lord’s return are like a man walking down a precipitous hill; he does not know for sure when he will turn a corner and meet someone walking up the same path. Our sister genuinely expected the Lord’s return daily and hourly. Notice that we are speaking of our expectation of His return, not our belief in His return. Many people can speak about the Lord’s return. They study the Lord’s return and believe in His return, but this does not mean that they are expecting His return. Many people pay much attention to such subjects as the rapture, the judgment seat of Christ, the millennium, the New Jerusalem, and the new heaven and new earth. Many people are very familiar with the prophecies concerning the Lord’s return, but they are not necessarily waiting for His return. We have to remember that we are heavenly citizens. We should be taught by grace to expect the Lord’s return. We put no hope in this earth. We know that this earth will never change for the better. While we serve, work, and labor with God here on earth, we are calling and gathering a group of people to come under the Lord’s name for His satisfaction. We serve and work for the sake of His second coming.

III. THE TWO COMINGS OF CHRIST
2. Christ has two comings, and these two comings are different. In His first coming to earth, He died on the cross for the remission of sins. Through this, sinners are reconciled to God; they can draw near to God and partake of His life. But this work for man is only half complete. The problem of sin has been settled, but sin itself is still around us. The power of death is finished in us, but our body still has to pass through death. Although we have a new life within us, we do not yet have a new environment. If Christ does not come again, nothing will be completed. The more holy we become inwardly, the darker, more sinful, and more lawless the world is to us outwardly. Our lips were once unclean. One day the holy fire came and cleansed our lips. However, we are still living among men with unclean lips. The second coming of Christ will not settle our personal sins but will settle all the sins in this world. In His first coming, He settled our personal sins. In His second coming, He will settle the sins of this world.
IV. THE PROBLEMS IN THIS WORLD
A. Social Problems
Today the world is full of all kinds of problems. How will these problems be solved? What should be our attitude towards these problems? Many social reformers pay much attention to the problems in society. Some say to Christians, “Your personal problems have been solved. But what do you say about the existence of classes, the poverty of the peasants, the suffering of livestock, and the proliferation of sinful establishments such as theaters, brothels, dance halls, and gambling casinos?” Those who pay attention to society are disturbed to see many social ills such as crime, sickness, poverty, and inequality still prevailing. They ask us what should be done about these things. We must tell them that God is not oblivious to these problems. God is not merely for individuals being saved, forgiven, and going to heaven. We must tell them that the salvation spoken of in the Bible is not only for individuals. Heaven is not merely related to the matter of individual salvation; it relates to a time when the whole world will turn to Christ. (However, we are not talking about universalism.) The Bible first speaks of personal salvation. But this does not mean that it ignores social problems. We cannot tackle social problems now, because they are not within our ability to solve at the present time. According to the Bible, God has called us to a heavenly calling, which means that Christians are only responsible for the preaching of the gospel. The responsibility of the church is to gather men into the name of Christ. Our hope and work are not on the earth. We are not here to improve society. The Lord said that there is no hope or peace in this world. All social problems will be settled when the Lord comes back again. When He comes back, all social ills will be removed. Christianity does address these problems, but there is a matter of time as to when they will be addressed. When the Lord comes again, these problems will be solved.
God’s children have no other obligations besides leading men to Christ and waiting for His return. We do not expect class distinctions in this world to be removed. We do not expect sin and crime to be eradicated from this world. One day the Lord will deal with all the problems that the sociologists and scientists cannot handle today. Our expectation is different from that of the world. We expect the day of the Lord’s return, and this day is drawing near. There are two aspects to the Lord’s return, the personal aspect and the world’s aspect. Personally, we wait for His return because we want to see Him. As far as the world is concerned, the Lord’s return will solve its many problems. Many Christians try to reform society, and in the end they are corrupted by society itself. Many good Christians try to change the world, and in the end they themselves are defiled. We should never be tempted to engage ourselves in these works, because we know that these are the Lord’s work.

B. The Travailing of the Creatures
3. Today many people say that animals are suffering and abused and are even near the point of extinction. They say that we should do something to protect them. The trouble is that humans today are treated worse than cows and horses. How can we first take care of the lower forms of creatures? In other countries there are advocates of animal rights. Romans 8 says that the whole creation groans for deliverance. We know that one day the whole creation will be freed from the bondage of corruption. Then, as foretold in the Old Testament, the world will be a place where “the wolf will dwell with the lamb; / And the leopard will lie down with the kid, / And the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; / And a young boy will lead them about. / The cow and the bear will graze; / Their young will lie down together; / And the lion will eat straw like the ox” (Isa. 11:6-7). We know that one day all the creatures will be delivered. But that day is not today. Today, protecting the animals is not our work.
C. Earthly Squabbling for Power
Every group of politicians in every nation of the world is vying for the center stage, and every nation in this world is trying to take advantage of other nations. There are strife and unrest nationally and internationally. We are not called to engage ourselves in the work of the League of Nations; our work is not to help weak and struggling countries. The angels one day will proclaim that the kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ (Rev. 11:15). We can answer the unbelievers even today with this word.
Christians’ personal problems are solved by Christ’s first coming. The social problems of this world will be solved at the time of Christ’s second coming. Then the world will not be like the world we have today. All of the problems listed above will disappear in the twinkling of an eye.
V. WHAT CHRISTIANS SHOULD DO TODAY
What then should Christians do in this world? A Christian should do his best to render help to others. For example, a doctor should do his best to help others by treating their diseases. A scientist should do his best to help others by improving nutrition and other things. But one thing should be kept in mind: We should remain pure before the Lord. We should not be contaminated by the world. Neither should we close our eyes to the affairs of this world. During His first coming, Christ labored on individuals; He did not try to do anything about the social system. In the same way, today Christians should labor on individuals; they should not try to build up any system or institution. Before our personal problems or the world’s problems were solved, we were sinners and we lived among sinners. Today we have believed in the Lord. We have become the righteous among the sinners. But there will be a day when the righteous will be among the righteous. All the problems will be solved on that day when the Lord comes back. Today we should give to others what we can afford to give. We should not engage in any form of revolution. Revolutions happen because there are bad institutions. Men start revolutions because they hate these institutions. They even sacrifice their blood for their revolutions. But we cannot sacrifice our blood for the sake of destroying any social system. When Christ comes the second time, He will change all social systems and institutions. Today, if we engage in such a work, there is a great possibility that we will be disapproved. It is foolish for us to sacrifice ourselves today. The world has become what it is today because too many innocent people have sacrificed themselves. Christians should not aspire to change any institution of this world.
The Bible shows us a heavenly calling. Our calling is not on earth. This world is not our concern. We live day by day in this world. But nothing with us is permanent; nothing is indispensable for us, and nothing is compulsory. There is nothing in this world that we cannot live without, and there is nothing that we must have. We take what the Lord gives to us in this world. It is all right for us to have more and it is all right for us to have less. If the Lord arranges for us to have a smooth pathway, we can take it. If the Lord arranges for us to have a rugged pathway, we can take it as well. We are here to wait for the Lord’s coming; we are not here to seek after worldly blessing. When Christ comes again, every earthly thing will be finished. While we live on earth, we do not live for ourselves, for our families, or for society; we live for the Lord. When the Lord comes again, that will be the happiest day of all days. Everything in this world is changing; only things pertaining to righteousness abide forever. If we do not belong to this world and do not settle down in this world, that day will be of unspeakable glory to us. On that day, the glory of the Lord will fill the church. His kingdom will come on earth, and the whole universe will be subject to Christ. This is why the church does not have any lingering love for the works of this earth.

VI. WHAT CHRIST WILL SETTLE WHEN HE COMES
4. A. Injustice
When the Lord comes back, the first thing He will settle is injustice. Today the biggest problem in the world is injustice. Isaiah 11:4 says that the Lord will “judge the poor in righteousness, / And decide with equity for the afflicted of the land.” To judge with justice is something more than what the world can do today. It is not a Christian’s job. When the Lord comes again, He will execute justice.
B. Wars
When the Lord comes again, He will settle all wars. Today man cannot deal with the problem of wars. World War II has just finished, but many places in the world are still at war. Everyone agrees that there should be peace, but there is no real peace. Man cannot achieve peace through war. Yet Isaiah 2:4 says that when the millennium comes, men will “beat their swords into plowshares, / And their spears into pruning hooks, / Nation will not lift the sword against nation, / Nor will they learn war anymore.” We should realize that we are not the ones to disarm others of swords and spears. We do not wage wars, and we do not stop wars in the hope of achieving peace. These are things beyond us. When Christ comes, He will annul all wars and bring in peace.
C. Sicknesses
When Christ comes He will settle all sicknesses. Today many people pay attention to public health, hygiene, and medical aid. But sickness will never be thoroughly eradicated today. In the Bible the two books that speak of plagues the most are Ezekiel and Jeremiah. Both books show us that plagues are in the Lord’s hand; the Lord is in control of these things. In the prophecies in Revelation and Matthew, we are told that plagues will increase in the end times. A Christian should not be given merely to the work of hygiene and medical aid. We must realize that sicknesses in this world will increase. Isaiah 33:24 says that when Christ comes, no one will say, “I am sick.” Ezekiel 47:12 says that in the new heaven and new earth, the tree of the new city will be for the healing of the nations. Hence, when the Lord comes again, the problem of sickness will be solved.
D. Famine
When the Lord comes again, the problem of famine will also be solved. In China many people have recently turned their attention to the problem of famine. Some have done very commendable works. One interesting thing that our eyes have observed is that the harvest of man’s labor always requires much plowing and tilling, whereas thorns, thistles, and weeds grow well without man’s tending. The tares do not need sowing, yet they make their way through the wheat. No matter how hard scientists and horticulturists try, they cannot stop weeds from growing. In Genesis God cursed the land, and it no longer yielded its strength to man. This is a fact. Today the earth no longer yields its strength to man. We have never heard of a thorn that requires man’s tilling. It is true that we have made achievements in irrigation and machineries, and improvements in seed and fertilizers, but we still cannot eliminate weeds. Neither have we been able to take care of all of man’s other needs.
Man has to fight against nature and wrestle with it in order to survive. If he allows nature to take its own course, he will not have a harvest. We are not depreciating the efforts of the scientists. We are merely saying that such problems cannot be solved by man. God also has no intention for the church to solve these problems. We are here only for the Lord’s return. The Bible says that when Christ comes back, the earth will once more yield its strength to man. Isaiah 43:19-20 and 35:1 speak of God making “rivers in the desert” and of the desert blossoming “like the rose.” Isaiah 51:3 says that God will make the “wilderness like Eden.” When Christ comes again, there will be no more desert, and the thorns and thistles will all pass away.
E. Education and Knowledge
Educators and philosophers teach men about good and evil and to turn away from evil and to choose good. But no one can solve the problem of sin in man’s heart. No educator can give a man the knowledge of God. Hebrews 8:10-11 says that when Christ comes back again, we will have the knowledge of God that comes from our intuition, and all will know God, from the least to the greatest.
F. Establishments of Vice
There are many establishments of vice in this world. Many places are hotbeds of sin. The church and the Christians are saving men out of these sinful places. Yet these establishments remain unchanged. Matthew 13:41-42 says that when the Lord comes again, the angels will cast out all the stumbling blocks and those who practice lawlessness, that is, those who corrupt others. In an instant the Lord will cleanse the earth.
What we have spoken of can be considered as the social philosophy of a Christian. In other chapters we have seen various aspects of the Christian faith and walk. While we remain on earth, we should do what we need to do, but our hearts should always be set on the Lord’s return. Our attention should be on the heavenly calling. We have no permanent plans for things of this world. Even the most spiritual things cannot bind us or imprison us in the earthly realm. Christians should not take root on this earth. The earth is not a place for Christians to plant their roots. God’s Word is being fulfilled bit by bit, and the Lord is at the door. Today our eyes are not set on the problems of the church; we are waiting instead for the Lord’s coming. This is our heavenly calling. May the Lord be gracious to us and may our eyes be set solely upon His return.

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Thanks, Maurie. So it's not in Revelations at all, but in 1 Thessalonians. Wikipedia claims the interpretation of that epistle first arose in the 1830s. Also, the focus on the Rapture and Armageddon seems seems peculiarly American. Both of those fit in with a theory I read recently. According to the theory, American Christianity (especially in the Old South) has a heavy focus on the afterlife because of the legacy of slavery. This shift in emphasis was apparently the way that slaveholding Christians reconciled their religious beliefs with their ownership of fellow human beings. Since premillenialism really took off in the 1970s, I believe that was a reaction to the social turbulence of the previous decade.

Tonio,

Look up wikipedia for the history and current beliefs about the rapture. It also provides the scriptural basis for such beliefs.

Is the Rapture actually in the New Testament somewhere, as a name or description? I looked through Revelations some time ago and couldn't find anything that resembled it.

Fred,

Yeah, I think you're describing the mental solidity of all of Christianity. Along with Judaism and Islam.

That reminds me: Have you see "The Rapture" (1991, Mimi Rogers, David Duchovny)? It's about what happens when a fundamentalist Christian actually lives through the rapture, taking the Biblical fantasies at face value. Very fine movie.

Maurie Beck:

Jeeze, now I'm shivering. I wonder what they're doing to precipitate these fantasies?

John Connolley,

I just googled "rapture". If a single person would fantasize such idiocies, he would probably be retained in an insane asylum for his own security. But if millions of idiots maintain this, it becomes a public issue, is discussed, taken halfway serious. Books are published etc.

A dirty comparison: Eat sh..., billions of flies cannot err!

John Conolley,

It gives me cold chills too. And yes, I hid under desks in the 50's too. What bothers me is that many of the fundamentalist community are looking forward to the "End Times", and the first place they look for a sign is from some conflagration in the Middle East.

Maurie Beck:

I don't know how old you are, but I remember the emergency drills of the 1950's (get under your desk, put your head between your legs, kiss your ass goodbye) and many, many, too many nightmares about mushroom clouds. Proposing one over a city, even hypothetically, gives me cold chills. If no one wants to discuss it, I don't blame them.

Tonio:

You would think it would be obvious, wouldn't you?

Not one of the fundamentalists on this thread has answered how they would feel about a mushroom cloud over Jerusalem. Cowards all.

Gerry said, "Some men have evolved. Some have not."

Pablo, Annonymous, and their ilk give apes a bad name.

There have been a number of quotes from biblical scripture, including "whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire." -- Matthew 5:22 (KVJ)"

I have a feeling that this all powerful, omnipotent, omniscient god our fundamentalist brethren keep talking about is actually a toothless, enfeebled, frustrated wannabee. I've known many people with real power. They don't have to rant about what they will do if their subjects don't follow their rules. Their subjects know exactly what will happen to them. Ranters are often harmless “idiots, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing” (Macbeth Act 5, Scene 5). Perhaps the god from the three-headed monster of the Middle East is actually nothing more than a third-rate desert demon with delusions of grandeur?

Pablo quotiation, as a last entertaining quip from him:
"I have said this over and over and you have yet to refute anything I have said. You do not have one shred of proof that nature created the universe and that man evolved."

1. If somebody says something over and over again, it has to be true, isn't it?

2. One has, for the first time (!), to admit that Pablo is correct. Nature did not create the universe! Right. Nature IS the universe.

3. And reading his posts, we have to agree with him again, at least partly:

Some men have evolved. Some have not.

John Conolley,

I would add that I don't believe in the concepts of heresy and blasphemy. The concepts imply that an organization or an individual has the right to determine what people should believe or not believe. There is no such right. Granted, a group of believers has the right to codify its beliefs, but it should be a bottom-up process, not a top-down process. If a member disagrees with one of the group's doctrines, he is free to either leave or argue his case for changing the doctrine, but the group has no right to brand him as evil and sinful simply because of his disagreement.

Again, the fundamentalists disappear. Does that mean I'm winning? It doesn't feel like winning.

Anonymous:

"SO, instead of "you'll go to hell" they might say you'll suffer "the wrath of God". Seriously, what else do you think the wrath of God means?"

That's what we're trying to get at. What does it mean? What does it say in the Bible, without your opinions as intermediary? God threatens unbelievers with wrath, and he threatens sons of the evil one with "the furnace" (which I will grant is probably Hell), but where does it say what wrath unbelievers get? Where does it say they get hellfire? Where does it spell out burning for eternity if you don't turn your mind over to the church for cold storage?

Pablo:

"Them men quoted above are heretics"

Point A: One of them men am a woman.

Point B: You are committing ad hominem on people who aren't even here.

Point C: Gregory of Nyssa is a heretic? Are you out of your ever-loving MIND? Gregory of Nyssa was one of the Cappadocian Fathers, for God's sake. He helped cook up the doctrine of the Trinity. He was a defender of the Nicene Creed. He was present at the Council of Antioch and the Second Ecuminical Council. You're calling Gregory of Nyssa a heretic? I can only think of one thing to say.

"Thou FOOL!!!"

Pablo: "All within the cat kind. Lions, tigers, Persian cats. All cats are cats and are 100% dedicated to reproducing cats."

So if all cats are the same kind, why do we never see a lion give birth to a housecat?

If lions and tigers, cheetahs and alley cats are all the same kind, why do you draw the line there? Can I just replace "cat" with "mammal" in your post? 'All within the mammal kind. Elephants, mice, whales. All mammals are mammals and are 100% dedicated to reproducing cats." Can I use "vertebrate"? All cats are vertebrates. How about "eukaryote", since all cats are also eukaryotes?

What I want from you is this: Given two random organisms, what objective test can I make to decide if they are the same "kind" or not?

Pablo: '"The fool has said in his heart there is no God" That is God's word not mine.'

"whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire." -- Matthew 5:22 (KVJ)

"anyone who referred to himself as an agnostic Jew obviously had his own problems deciding where he stood on the whole 'why am I here' question."

I don't know much about his personal biography. While I'm not Jewish, I do know that many Jews say they regard their Jewish identity as having ethnic and cultural components.

In any case, Gould had every right to be agnostic, and it wasn't up to anyone else to determine what he should and shouldn't believe. Even if he never finally decided on the "why am I here" question, that was his concern and no one else's.

I see Pablo didn't want any part of my previous question.

I wouldn't be thrown out of a "formal" debate with Pablo because I never would enter into one. You cannot have a debate with a prayer wheel nor with a manichaean hate monger, brandishing his infantile hell and heaven chips.

Nietzsche: A lie is much better than a conviction. A lie can be debunked. So let's have him enjoy his "victory" against his windmills.

There is a certain degree of entertainment in this "debate", but it is worn out now, so I am leaving, at least for quite a while.

Gerry

Lyn, aka Anonymous,

Yes, I fear it's been beaten to death. But then there's always the Resurrection.

Best wishes.

Norrie,

You are quite amusing today!

Have we about beat this one to death?

Norrie 89:18

O Anonymous: Hide not thy name under a bushel.
Reveal thyself and let the light of truth shine upon thy visible face. Or are ye ashamed of what will be revealed?

He without a name has no identity and will not be found by the Anointed One (PBUH) at the Apocalypse.

I don't know Tonio, I have a little trouble with Mr. Gould. I mean, anyone who refered to himself as an agnostic Jew obviously had his own problems deciding where he stood on the whole "why am I here" question.

Dang, what happened in here after I left yesterday?!

I see some of you want to argue about the "going to hell" question. OK, here's the deal. They didn't always say things back then the same way we say them now. SO, instead of "you'll go to hell" they might say you'll suffer "the wrath of God". Seriously, what else do you think the wrath of God means? This is in opposition to eternal life - it's big stuff.

Need another one?

2 Thessalonians 1:7-9
...when the Lord Jesus will be revealed from heaven with His mighty angels in flaming fire,
dealing out retribution to those who do not know God and to those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. These will pay the penalty of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power.

Matther 13:37-43
"The one who sows the good seed is the Son of Man, and the field is the world; and as for the good seed, these are the sons of the kingdom; and the tares are the sons of the evil one;
and the enemy who sowed them is the devil, and the harvest is the end of the age; and the reapers are angels. "So just as the tares are gathered up and burned with fire, so shall it be at (AK)the end of the age. "The Son of Man will send forth His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all stumbling blocks, and those who commit lawlessness, and will throw them into the furnace of fire; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. "Then THE RIGHTEOUS WILL SHINE FORTH AS THE SUN in the kingdom of their Father He who has ears, let him hear.

I suppose you can try to interpret these differently, but we all know what they're really saying.

I thought we had gotten past this arguing point yesterday...? (sigh)

Andrea,

Thanks. Glad you liked it.

Zechariah:
I will not feed you: that that dieth, let it die; and that that is to be cut off, let it be cut off; and let the rest eat every one the flesh of another. --11:9

Norrie,

You crack me up! I loved your cat scripture on Dr. Brooks Thistlethwaite's discussion.

"Don't you think 'why am I here' and 'why are we here' are the same question? Or do you think that everyone, rather than being created for a purpose, needs to find out what their own best reason for being is?"

I go with the latter. I cannot decide someone else's best reason for being, nor should I try to do so. And I deeply resent anyone attempting to define my best reason for being. I question any claim that all of humanity was created for a single purpose, because that violates Gould's NOMA principle.

Norrie 16:35
Threaten not others with hellfire, as it will return to you threefold times seventeen, as yon Pablo discovered to his great distress.

Pablo also doen't know how to debate either Andrea. He makes Canyon Shearer look somewhat sane.

Pablo,

What sort of formal debate are you proposing that would "throw" someone out? I don't think you know the rules of a debate.

That is the men John Conolley quoted above are heretics

Them men quoted above are heretics

Gerry,

Again you dodge the issue because you have nothing to refute what I have said. You are defeated and are gathering your friends for cover. I never said you wrote, "Can't the guy even read?" I do not know where that came from. Anyway, you and Maurie are the kings of the straw man. You would be thrown out of a formal debate. Either give us some proof or bow out of the debate. Again you will not answer with proof but will get together will your buddies but that will prove nothing.

Pablo

The Great White Throne Judgment
11Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. From his presence earth and sky fled away, and no place was found for them. 12And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Then another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to what they had done. 13And the sea gave up the dead who were in it, Death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them, and they were judged, each one of them, according to what they had done. 14Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. 15And if anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.

The Defeat of Satan
7And when the thousand years are ended, Satan will be released from his prison 8and will come out to deceive the nations that are at the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them for battle; their number is like the sand of the sea. 9And they marched up over the broad plain of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city, but fire came down from heaven[b] and consumed them, 10and the devil who had deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur where the beast and the false prophet were, and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.

The Seventh Trumpet
15Then the seventh angel blew his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven, saying, "The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he shall reign forever and ever." 16And the twenty-four elders who sit on their thrones before God fell on their faces and worshiped God, 17saying,

"We give thanks to you, Lord God Almighty,
who is and who was,
for you have taken your great power
and begun to reign.
18The nations raged,
but your wrath came,
and the time for the dead to be judged,
and for rewarding your servants,[c] the prophets and saints,
and those who fear your name,
both small and great,
and for destroying the destroyers of the earth."

19Then God's temple in heaven was opened, and the ark of his covenant was seen within his temple. There were flashes of lightning, rumblings,[d] peals of thunder, an earthquake, and heavy hail.

The Coming of the Son of Man
29"Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. 30Then will appear in heaven the sign of the Son of Man, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. 31And he will send out his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.

The Coming of the Son of Man
29"Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. 30Then will appear in heaven the sign of the Son of Man, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. 31And he will send out his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.

I want to go back and count how many times in this thread and others Pablo claimed "straw man."