When many think of the "rapture" scenario at the time of Jesus second coming, this is what they picture : believers flying upwards to the clouds n meet the Lord.
I've always wondered about this because I just cannot understand how people are going to come together and go in the same direction. Maybe, it's possible but to me, when the person living in the northern parts of the earth goes up to the sky, he or she is not going in the same direction as someone who is living in the southern parts of the earth who is also heading upwards.
Another issue that must be solved will be about what happens to an aeroplane full of partners if a pilot of an aeroplane is a Christian. Will angels take over and land the airplane safely to the ground?
However, I believe that the scenario of rapture might be different from what many imagine in their mind : believers will not fly upwards but rather at the twinkling of the eye, God opens up our spirit eyes n restore our spirit body back to original state of holiness so that we can be receive by Jesus and all his holy clouds of angels.
At once, the way we see the world will totally change. What happens if all of a sudden, everyone can see the true person inside each other? Somebody may appear attractive outwardly but then that person's spirit might be dark and not attractive at all. On the other hand, someone might be unattractive outwardly but his or her spirit has a bright and beautiful appearance. Somebody might be a preacher and appear holy when giving a sermon but suddenly, with our sirit eyes opened, we can see what he really is like inside. Another person who sits at quietly at the back row might suddenly appear to shine brighter than the preacher.
Now, would that not be a frightening moment of judgement? It would be a time when evil can no longer hide itself.
Jesus disciples, on mount transfiguration, recognized Moses and Elijah even though they have never seen photographs of them before. (There is no cameras in ancient times so they can only rely on paintings. And over time, it is inevitable that many painters will come up with paintings that looked different from the original). So, on Mount transfiguration, when Jesus face suddenly became full of light, God must have opened up the spirit eyes of his disciples who were with him so they can "spiritually" recognize the ancient prophets.
One morning, when a king who was angry with prophet Elisha sent a large army to capture Elisha, Elisha's disciple saw the army surrounding them and was fearful. Elisha told him not to be afraid because God's angels was with them and the Heavenly Hosts are more powerful than the armies that were surrounding them. When he saw that his servant was still in fear, Elijah prayed and asked God to temporarily open up the spirit eyes of that disciple. When the spirit eyes of the disciple became opened, he could see the angels Elijah was talking about.
When Jesus walked over to John the Baptist, God opened up John's spirit eyes and he saw what looked like spirit of doves coming down from Heaven and resting on Jesus.
When Jesus appears, how will many people who have not seen a photograph of what Jesus looked like be able to recognise that He is Jesus? For this to happen, their spirit eyes will have to be opened.
It will be interesting to ponder on whether Jesus will choose to wear Jewish traditional dress or will he choose to wear modern looking garments.
But his dressing doesn't matter. What is important is that people will be able to recognize that it is him because their spirit eyes became opened. At the same time, with their spirit eyes still opened, they will be able to see believers suddenly receiving their new and beautiful spirit bodies.
Resurrection means from the state of death to the state of alive.
Jesus once told a disciple who wanted to go back and bury his dead relative to let the DEAD bury the DEAD. To Jesus, people who are breathing but don't have a spirit that can connect with God are in a sense dead.
Adam and Eve were still breathing after they "ate" the forbidden fruit which supposed to cause death the moment they eat of it.
Before eating, their 5 spirit senses (see, hear, touch, smell, taste) was still in a state where they could connect with God.
God closed up our spirit senses after Adam and Eve committed sins and the Devil, Satan came to have some degree of control in this world. Only few people such as the prophets were allowed to become spiritually opened and usually in a limited time. Scattered around in history, there were also people who found ways to become opened spiritually but their spirit senses were limited.
It is good thing in a sense because according to Apostle Paul, the Devil can come to people and appear as angel of light. If our spirit eyes are opened and we are not careful, we can be misled.
Satan of course, tried to help some of those wicked people whom he can use as his agent on earth to become spiritually opened.
But, for most people, our spirit senses remained closed until a time when Jesus comes again and there is no way for the Devil to deceive true believers.
If we understand the phenomena of the rapture in this way, then scoffers cannot mock and paint pictures of mass accidents with airplanes and trains. Because, your friendly Christian brother or sister will not suddenly fly away but in a twinkling of an eye, your spirit eyes will be opened and you can see your friendly Christian brothers or sisters receiving their new glorious resurrected bodies.
Those who receive resurrected bodies will then be covered with clouds as they are taken to the place Jesus prepared. When they have passed over to the other realm, the cloud will clear up and disperse upwards.
In the book of ACTS, we read about how clouds or thick mist came and covered Jesus as he was walking together with his disciples. Suddenly, after Jesus passed over to the heavenly realm, the clouds dispersed upwards and cleared away. Not knowing that Jesus was no longer inside the cloud, the disciples just continued to gaze upwards at the cloud as it dispersed upwards.
An angel then told then that there's no need to gaze upwards.
In the old testament, whenever God appeared, it was accompanied with thick clouds. Mount Sinai was covered with clouds. Solomon's temple was covered with cloud or thick smoke during the opening ceremony.
Perhaps, what takes place wherever God appears is so bright that if it is not covered with cloud, it will be difficult for our eyes to take it.
I've always wondered about this because I just cannot understand how people are going to come together and go in the same direction. Maybe, it's possible but to me, when the person living in the northern parts of the earth goes up to the sky, he or she is not going in the same direction as someone who is living in the southern parts of the earth who is also heading upwards.
Another issue that must be solved will be about what happens to an aeroplane full of partners if a pilot of an aeroplane is a Christian. Will angels take over and land the airplane safely to the ground?
However, I believe that the scenario of rapture might be different from what many imagine in their mind : believers will not fly upwards but rather at the twinkling of the eye, God opens up our spirit eyes n restore our spirit body back to original state of holiness so that we can be receive by Jesus and all his holy clouds of angels.
At once, the way we see the world will totally change. What happens if all of a sudden, everyone can see the true person inside each other? Somebody may appear attractive outwardly but then that person's spirit might be dark and not attractive at all. On the other hand, someone might be unattractive outwardly but his or her spirit has a bright and beautiful appearance. Somebody might be a preacher and appear holy when giving a sermon but suddenly, with our sirit eyes opened, we can see what he really is like inside. Another person who sits at quietly at the back row might suddenly appear to shine brighter than the preacher.
Now, would that not be a frightening moment of judgement? It would be a time when evil can no longer hide itself.
Jesus disciples, on mount transfiguration, recognized Moses and Elijah even though they have never seen photographs of them before. (There is no cameras in ancient times so they can only rely on paintings. And over time, it is inevitable that many painters will come up with paintings that looked different from the original). So, on Mount transfiguration, when Jesus face suddenly became full of light, God must have opened up the spirit eyes of his disciples who were with him so they can "spiritually" recognize the ancient prophets.
One morning, when a king who was angry with prophet Elisha sent a large army to capture Elisha, Elisha's disciple saw the army surrounding them and was fearful. Elisha told him not to be afraid because God's angels was with them and the Heavenly Hosts are more powerful than the armies that were surrounding them. When he saw that his servant was still in fear, Elijah prayed and asked God to temporarily open up the spirit eyes of that disciple. When the spirit eyes of the disciple became opened, he could see the angels Elijah was talking about.
When Jesus walked over to John the Baptist, God opened up John's spirit eyes and he saw what looked like spirit of doves coming down from Heaven and resting on Jesus.
When Jesus appears, how will many people who have not seen a photograph of what Jesus looked like be able to recognise that He is Jesus? For this to happen, their spirit eyes will have to be opened.
It will be interesting to ponder on whether Jesus will choose to wear Jewish traditional dress or will he choose to wear modern looking garments.
But his dressing doesn't matter. What is important is that people will be able to recognize that it is him because their spirit eyes became opened. At the same time, with their spirit eyes still opened, they will be able to see believers suddenly receiving their new and beautiful spirit bodies.
Resurrection means from the state of death to the state of alive.
Jesus once told a disciple who wanted to go back and bury his dead relative to let the DEAD bury the DEAD. To Jesus, people who are breathing but don't have a spirit that can connect with God are in a sense dead.
Adam and Eve were still breathing after they "ate" the forbidden fruit which supposed to cause death the moment they eat of it.
Before eating, their 5 spirit senses (see, hear, touch, smell, taste) was still in a state where they could connect with God.
God closed up our spirit senses after Adam and Eve committed sins and the Devil, Satan came to have some degree of control in this world. Only few people such as the prophets were allowed to become spiritually opened and usually in a limited time. Scattered around in history, there were also people who found ways to become opened spiritually but their spirit senses were limited.
It is good thing in a sense because according to Apostle Paul, the Devil can come to people and appear as angel of light. If our spirit eyes are opened and we are not careful, we can be misled.
Satan of course, tried to help some of those wicked people whom he can use as his agent on earth to become spiritually opened.
But, for most people, our spirit senses remained closed until a time when Jesus comes again and there is no way for the Devil to deceive true believers.
If we understand the phenomena of the rapture in this way, then scoffers cannot mock and paint pictures of mass accidents with airplanes and trains. Because, your friendly Christian brother or sister will not suddenly fly away but in a twinkling of an eye, your spirit eyes will be opened and you can see your friendly Christian brothers or sisters receiving their new glorious resurrected bodies.
Those who receive resurrected bodies will then be covered with clouds as they are taken to the place Jesus prepared. When they have passed over to the other realm, the cloud will clear up and disperse upwards.
In the book of ACTS, we read about how clouds or thick mist came and covered Jesus as he was walking together with his disciples. Suddenly, after Jesus passed over to the heavenly realm, the clouds dispersed upwards and cleared away. Not knowing that Jesus was no longer inside the cloud, the disciples just continued to gaze upwards at the cloud as it dispersed upwards.
An angel then told then that there's no need to gaze upwards.
In the old testament, whenever God appeared, it was accompanied with thick clouds. Mount Sinai was covered with clouds. Solomon's temple was covered with cloud or thick smoke during the opening ceremony.
Perhaps, what takes place wherever God appears is so bright that if it is not covered with cloud, it will be difficult for our eyes to take it.
