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Bible Q

What is the rapture? : “Caught up . . . in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.” (1 Thessalonians 4:17)

“Rapture”, although the word in English now means an emotional state, something akin to a frenzy or trance, originally just meant “snatched away”. It occurs in several Bible verses, but the one that is the base of some Protestant churches’ teaching about a “rapture to heaven” is based on a misreading of these two verses: […]

What is the Parousia?

Parousia is a common Greek word for the arrival of an individual. The term occurs only twice in the Greek Old Testament (2 Maccabees 8:12 and 15:21), but is used 24 times in the New Testament. 7 of these concern the arrival of individuals; Paul (2 Corinthians 10:10, Philippians 1:26, 2:12), Stephanas, Fortunatus, and Achaicus (1 Corinthians 16:17), […]

What is the history of the doctrine of the ‘pre-tribulation secret rapture’?

The doctrine of the ‘pre-tribulation secret rapture’ is the belief that faithful Christians will be removed suddenly and secretly from the earth prior to a time of ‘tribulation’ which will immediately precede the return of Jesus Christ to the earth. Although the concept of believers being removed from the earth at the time of Christ […]