Many doctrines of men are put forth to tell us about the return of Christ. When Jesus comes again, we are told, He will quietly “rapture” the saints. They will go to paradise for seven years and return with Christ for a 1,000-year reign on earth. A favorite passage cited for this theory is 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18. Let’s study a few points from the passage.
- The word rapture is not found in 1 Thessalonians 4, or the rest of the Bible. It is purely a product of man’s imagination.
- There will be a “voice” and “trumpet,” not silence.
- The saints will “meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord.” The saints will not return to the earth for a 1,000-year reign.
Ask your preacher if he teaches the doctrines of men or the doctrine of Christ (cp. Jn. 9-11). Ask him if he teaches there will be a rapture, something wholly without biblical support. Ask him to give a clear explanation — then you study it for yourself.
Steven F. Deaton
