| There
is a common teaching today as concerns the great tribulation period and
the "rapture" or the catching away of the church. Does the Bible indeed
teach that there is a promise for some to be air lifted off of this earth
before that great day of testing which shall come upon the earth? If so,
when is it to occur. Some teach pretribulation rapture, others say midtribulation
rapture, while some even teach a posttribulation rapture.
Then
there are those who teach no rapture at all. But what does the Bible say
about this catching away or rapture of the Church? Our study will take
us to look at what the early church believed. We will look at a great historical
writing known as "The Shepherd Of Hermas", a writing which was read throughout
the early churches and believed by many to be inspired scriptures. After
this, we will examine every biblical reference to the catching away of
the church. We will look at what the scriptures say of the catching away
of Philip, Paul, Enoch, Elijah, John, and of course Jesus himself. |