Caught Up With Christ
"And he died." This terse statement echoes eight times throughout the fifth chapter of Genesis as a reminder of sin’s deadly price. Yet in contrast with this chorus of death is a solo voice of hope. In the seventh generation from Adam, the words change. Enoch did not die “for God took him” (Gen. 5:24). Early in God’s dealings with mankind, the Scriptures teach of a way to escape the curGet More Articles—Subscribe Today!
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Paul didn’t actually introduce the concept of the rapture, he expounded on it. Paul begins 1 Thessalonians 4:15 with “according to the Lord’s own word”; there is no place in the New Testament where Jesus speaks of some being resurrected and some others being transformed to meet the Lord in the air. He never said anything like that, nor does he even imply such a thing. So to which of the “Lord’s own words” was Paul referring to? The answer can be found in Isaiah 26:19-21 and 57:1, 2. Isaiah introduced the concept but being non-understood it was a mystery. Paul revealed the explanation of that mystery. Paul and the other apostles obviously thought they would see the Lord return while they were still living. All this makes perfect sense since God says, “Indeed, the Sovereign LORD never does anything until he reveals his plans to his servants the prophets.” Amos 3:7