WHAT’S MISSING?

I need to preface today’s post by stating that it is controversial, and a lot of people are going to disagree with me.

I have been asked, more than once, why I don’t address the rapture in the Senses Novels. While I understand that millions of people believe that they will be swept up to heaven before the type of events that I describe in the books happen, I don’t think that it is Biblically supported, and I don’t mean the old argument that John Darby invented it in 1830 AD.

Many people hang onto a couple of verses to support the idea of a pre-tribulation rapture, specifically

1 Thessalonians 4:16 and 17:

16 For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. 

Matthew 21:40 and 41:

40 Two men will be in the field: one will be taken and the other left. 41 Two women will be grinding at the mill: one will be taken and the other left.

These are compelling, but there is one problem:

Matthew 24:29 -31:

29 Immediately after the tribulation of those days: ‘The sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from the sky, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken.’ 30 At that time the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and all the tribes of the earth will mourn. They will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven, with power and great glory. 31 And He will send out His angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather His elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other.…

Mark 13:24 - 27

24 However, after the tribulation of those days, ‘The sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, 25 the stars will fall from the sky, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken.’ 26 Then they will see the Son of Man coming in the clouds with great power and glory. 27 And He will send out the angels to gather His elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of heaven.…

My thinking is that everything that is being said is true, but it may not be chronological. Matthew 24 and Mark 13 may actually come before Thessalonians 4 and Matthew 21. Why would I think that? Read Thessalonians 4:17 a little more carefully and you will catch, “After that, we who are still alive and are left…” Why state it as still alive and left?

If I am correct, and here is where the stones start flying at me, then we must live through the tribulation before we get taken. That is the reason that you haven’t seen a word about it in the Novels.

Since none of us know the truth behind all the mysteries, I could be wrong, just as anyone who claims to have a lock on the truth of this is kidding themselves. Remember the admonishment that we should be living our lives as though He may come back at any moment. That could mean that we are already living in the times of the tribulation and are just too close to it to see it.

Have a great weekend everyone!

KM