I have a question. My father was a minister and always taught us that we would go through 3 1/2 years of the rapture then be raptured into Heaven. I have searched the Bible for this but cannot find it anywhere. Was that teaching false or did I misunderstand the teaching?
Your Father's teaching is what we would refer to as a belief in a 'mid-Tribulation Rapture'. That is, that the Great Tribulation begins at the revelation of Anti-Christ & Christians suffer under his regime, but will be removed mid-way before God pours out His Anger upon the whole world.
Others also believe that the Great Tribulation begins at the advent of the Anti-Christ & so we will either see him briefly, or not at all, before being taken away (pre-Tribulation Rapture). And then, of course, still others hold to the fact that we all (saved & unsaved) go right through the whole Tribulation period of 7 years: (Post-Tribulation Rapture).
For this, we must appeal to 2 Thessalonians 2:1-4. "That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand. Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition." (vv2,3).
The Thessalonian Christians were fearful that the Great Tribulation was already upon them & they missed out on being raptured. So Paul comforted them by saying the 'Day of Christ (Lord)' would not come until there was first a 'falling away' from the Church & the revelation of the Anti-Christ. This should lead us to believe that Christians might be around to see Anti-Christ appear on the scene but will be raptured some time afterwards. We're not told when, whether there will a time where we will need to decide to take the Mark or not, or even suffer for it. That day & time is known only to the Lord, but we must be ready, waiting & watching. So, I would be too dogmatic to suggest that your Dad is wrong in holding to a mid-trib position, though I would tend to hold to a pre-trib position, based on my understanding of Scripture & removal of the Holy Spirit (v 7) & the Church and that God is always seen to remove His own before His Judgement falls on the unbeliever.
The rapture is false altogether.Christ is returning to Earth to set up his eternal kingdom.it is written in the Psalms that God has chosen Mount Zion on his favorite place where he will dwell forever.
To believe that the Rapture is false, would mean disregarding or reinterpreting a lot of Scripture that points to such an event. And those Scriptures don't fit nicely into a belief that Jesus is coming to rule in Jerusalem without something occurring first to both the living & dead believers. The differing viewpoints that arise as to when the Rapture occurs in connection with the Great Tribulation, causes the variation of interpretations of the Scriptures.
Others also believe that the Great Tribulation begins at the advent of the Anti-Christ & so we will either see him briefly, or not at all, before being taken away (pre-Tribulation Rapture). And then, of course, still others hold to the fact that we all (saved & unsaved) go right through the whole Tribulation period of 7 years: (Post-Tribulation Rapture).
For this, we must appeal to 2 Thessalonians 2:1-4. "That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand. Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition." (vv2,3).
The Thessalonian Christians were fearful that the Great Tribulation was already upon them & they missed out on being raptured. So Paul comforted them by saying the 'Day of Christ (Lord)' would not come until there was first a 'falling away' from the Church & the revelation of the Anti-Christ. This should lead us to believe that Christians might be around to see Anti-Christ appear on the scene but will be raptured some time afterwards. We're not told when, whether there will a time where we will need to decide to take the Mark or not, or even suffer for it. That day & time is known only to the Lord, but we must be ready, waiting & watching. So, I would be too dogmatic to suggest that your Dad is wrong in holding to a mid-trib position, though I would tend to hold to a pre-trib position, based on my understanding of Scripture & removal of the Holy Spirit (v 7) & the Church and that God is always seen to remove His own before His Judgement falls on the unbeliever.
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