My Rapture Dream - Cause Before Symptom

With Your Host James Carner
My Rapture Dream

The Rapture: A Christian Eschatological Belief

The Rapture is a Christian eschatological belief that describes the sudden removal of believers from the Earth to meet Jesus in the clouds before the tribulation period. This event is often seen as the beginning of the Second Coming of Christ.

Biblical References

While the term "rapture" itself does not appear in the Bible, many Christians believe that various passages support this concept. Here are some key verses often cited:

* 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18: "But we do not want you to be ignorant, brothers and sisters, about those who have fallen asleep, so that you may not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope. For since we believe that Jesus died and was raised again, even so we believe that God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep. For we believe that when Christ appears, we who are still alive, who have not died, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will always be with the Lord. Therefore encourage one another with these words."   

* 1 Corinthians 15:51-52: "Behold! I tell you a mystery. We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we will be changed."   

* Revelation 14:13: "Then I heard a voice from heaven saying, ‘Write this: Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on. ‘Yes,’ says the Spirit, ‘they will rest from their labors, for their deeds follow them.’"  

* Matthew 24:40 "Then two will be in the field; one will be taken, and the other left behind."


Different Interpretations

While the Rapture is a widely held belief among Christians, there are different interpretations regarding its timing and sequence in relation to other eschatological events. Some common views include:

* Pre-tribulation Rapture: This view suggests that believers will be removed from the Earth before the tribulation period, a time of great suffering and persecution.
* Mid-tribulation Rapture: This view posits that believers will be taken to heaven during the middle of the tribulation.
* Post-tribulation Rapture: This view maintains that believers will be raptured after the tribulation period, after they have endured suffering and persecution.

It's important to note that these interpretations are based on different interpretations of biblical passages and theological reasoning. There is no single, universally accepted view among Christians regarding the timing or nature of the Rapture.

There isn't a specific individual credited with founding the idea of the Rapture. It's a belief that has evolved over centuries within Christian theology, drawing from various biblical interpretations and theological discussions.

Several key figures in Christian history have contributed to the development and understanding of the Rapture concept. These include:

* Early Church Fathers: While they didn't use the term "Rapture," early Church Fathers like Irenaeus, Tertullian, and Augustine discussed the Second Coming of Christ and the resurrection of the dead, which are foundational to the Rapture belief.
* Medieval Theologians: Medieval theologians like Thomas Aquinas and John Wycliffe explored these concepts further, contributing to the development of the Rapture idea within Catholic and Protestant theology.
* Protestant Reformers: The Protestant Reformation saw renewed interest in these topics. Figures like Martin Luther and John Calvin discussed the Second Coming and the resurrection, laying the groundwork for later interpretations of the Rapture.
* Later Theologians: In more recent centuries, theologians like John Nelson Darby, who is often associated with the Pre-tribulation Rapture view, and Hal Lindsey, whose popular books have contributed to the widespread understanding of the Rapture, have played significant roles in popularizing the concept.

The word rapture does not come from the Bible. The Greek word harpazō appears in the Bible in 13 verses, and is translated as "caught up" or "caught away" five times in relation to the rapture. The other eight times it is translated as "to forcibly seize upon, snatch away, take to oneself or use force on someone". Here are some Bible verses that use the word harpazō: 

* 1 Thessalonians 4:17: The Greek word harpazō is usually translated as "caught up" and conveys the concept of the rapture. 
* Matthew 11:12: Jesus uses harpazō to describe the violent taking of the kingdom by force. 
* Matthew 13:19: Jesus uses harpazō to describe Satan coming to snatch away. 
* John 6:15: Paul and Jesus are potentially being physically taken by force. 
* Acts 23:10: The Romans had to take Paul away by force to save him from the crowd in Jerusalem. 
* Matthew 12:29: plunder.
* John 6:15: take Him by force.
* John 10:12: the wolf catches.
* John 10:28: neither shall anyone snatch them.
* John 10:29: no one is able to snatch them.
* Acts 8:39: the Spirit of the Lord caught Philip away,

These words were replaced for the word Harpazo:

* Caught
* Taken
* Snatch
* Plunder
* Catches

The English word 'rapture' comes from Latin rapare, which appears in the Vulgate translations of the Bible. The original Greek word used in this verse is harpazo. It means caught up or snatched away. The doctrine is that at the second coming of Christ all living believers will be caught up into the air to meet Jesus.

The term "rapture" was used by Philip Doddridge and John Gill in their New Testament commentaries. However, the idea of the rapture was more fully developed by Edward Irving (1792–1834). Irving taught the idea of a two-phase return of Christ, with the first phase being a secret rapture before the rise of the Antichrist. 

The concept of the rapture gained popularity among Christians in the early 19th century, especially after it was included in the notes and illustrations of study Bibles. 

The rapture is a doctrine that teaches that believers will be caught up before Jesus' second coming and judgment on earth. It is intended to be a comforting doctrine for believers, and not a cause of division among them.

Not one denomination of Christianity believes the same when it comes to Harpazo. It is controversial and often annoys believers. It actually boils down to how close they are to God. Those that go to church, sing their songs, listen to a sermon and leave do not share a relationship where they speak with God. These believers are not in support of the rapture at all. In fact The Catholic Church does not believe in the concept of the "rapture" as it is commonly understood in certain Protestant traditions.

The Catholic understanding of the Second Coming of Christ is different. While Catholics do believe in the return of Christ, they do not believe in a physical, pre-tribulation removal of the Church from the earth. Instead, they believe that Christ will return at the end of time to judge the living and the dead, and that this event will mark the end of history and the beginning of eternal life.

The Catholic Church's understanding of the Second Coming is based on the teachings of the Bible, particularly the Gospels and the Book of Revelation. While there are elements in these texts that could be interpreted to support the idea of a pre-tribulation rapture, the Catholic Church has traditionally interpreted these passages differently.

The Eastern Orthodox Church does not explicitly believe in the concept of the "rapture" as it is commonly understood in certain Protestant traditions.

The Orthodox understanding of the Second Coming of Christ is similar to the Catholic understanding. They believe that Christ will return at the end of time to judge the living and the dead, and that this event will mark the end of history and the beginning of eternal life.

While there are elements in the Bible that could be interpreted to support the idea of a pre-tribulation rapture, the Orthodox Church has traditionally interpreted these passages differently. They emphasize the idea of a general resurrection of the dead at the end of time, rather than a pre-tribulation removal of the Church.

The Lutheran Church does not have a single, unified belief regarding the "rapture" as it is commonly understood in certain Protestant traditions.

While some Lutherans may hold views similar to those of other Protestant denominations that believe in a pre-tribulation rapture, the official Lutheran teaching on the Second Coming of Christ is more nuanced and does not necessarily endorse a pre-tribulation removal of the Church.

Lutheran theology generally emphasizes the idea of Christ's return at the end of time to judge the living and the dead. However, the timing and manner of this return are not explicitly defined in Lutheran doctrine. Some Lutherans may interpret biblical passages related to the Second Coming in a way that suggests a pre-tribulation rapture, while others may interpret them differently.

The christians who seek God inwardly through prayer and fasting actually believe in the pre rapture. The clues can be found in the parable of the ten virgins, found in Matthew 25:1-13. In this parable, Jesus tells a story about ten virgins who are waiting for a bridegroom to arrive. Five of the virgins are wise, and they bring oil for their lamps. The other five are foolish, and they do not bring any oil. When the bridegroom arrives, the foolish virgins ask the wise virgins for some oil, but the wise virgins refuse. They say, "We cannot give you any, for there is not enough for us and you. Go rather to the dealers and buy for yourselves." While the foolish virgins go to buy oil, the bridegroom arrives, and the door is shut. When the foolish virgins return, they knock on the door, but it is too late. The bridegroom says to them, "Truly I say to you, I do not know you."

The oil refers to the holy ghost. If you do not have the holy spirit and have him filled in your life, you will not be raptured. Another clue is the wedding. We are to be wedded to the groom as we are called the bride. What groom would allow their bride to suffer through Satan’s wrath during the tribulation right before their wedding? Many faith based Christians believe the Lord will take his bride first and have the wedding before he goes down and cleans up this mess.

The Dream

It's important to note that these are just a few examples, and many other theologians and scholars have contributed to the development and understanding of the Rapture concept over time.

My dreams are vibrant and ever-changing. I often find myself wandering through surreal landscapes that shift and transform as I explore them. A familiar object, like a hammer, might suddenly become something entirely unexpected, like a bird. Yet, within the dream, it feels perfectly normal

Unlike my typical dreams, which often shift and change, this one was a singular, focused event. Its clarity and lack of distortion make it unforgettable. I experienced this dream about ten years ago. While I personally don't expect to witness the rapture, this account might offer comfort or guidance to those seeking answers within the Christian faith.

I was not a religious leader at the time of the dream and had limited knowledge of eschatology. While I studied the Bible, I didn't have a comprehensive understanding of its themes. I struggled to connect different passages and interpret their meanings. When I asked God why he had given me this dream, He indicated that it wasn't intended for me personally.

My father and I were searching through the ruins of an abandoned office building. The once-thriving business district was now a desolate wasteland. We were scavenging for scrap metal, which had become a valuable commodity in this post-apocalyptic world.

I heard my father working nearby as I focused on my pile of debris. I stumbled upon a small office box, likely once used for petty cash. Inside, I found stacks of hundred-dollar bills, which I knew were worthless in this new world. I tossed the money aside and continued searching for anything of value.

I realized within the dream that the dollar bill, and the federal reserve currency in general, had lost all value. They were worthless, even as fuel for a fire. The buildings were destroyed, but I didn't understand why. The economy had collapsed, and we were now living a survivalist lifestyle. With my father by my side, I knew my family would be taken care of.

My father noticed me pulling something metallic from the rubble and asked if I had found anything. I replied that it was just cash. As I continued digging, I saw that only two walls remained of the building. The destruction was extensive, likely caused by a natural disaster or perhaps even a nuclear event. Though I couldn't pinpoint the exact cause, I knew it was a sign of the end times. The Bible prophesies about such events in Joel 2:28 and Acts 2:17.

The sky was a dull gray. I don't recall the exact clothing we were wearing, but it felt familiar. The temperature was mild, but I noticed that we were dirty and hadn't bathed in several days. Despite our circumstances, I felt a sense of contentment. We were surviving by working hard, scavenging for metal, which had become our new form of currency. Suddenly, a powerful, echoing sound filled the valley.

This was a sound we had never heard before in our lives. My father was terrified and wanted to flee. I recognized it, though, from a YouTube video. It was a shofar, a ram's horn used in Jewish religious ceremonies. It's a symbol of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, the Jewish New Year and Day of Atonement. I held onto my father's wrist, trying to calm him down. He was terrified, more than I had ever seen him.

I remembered hearing the sound on YouTube, echoing throughout the city as the person recorded it. These mysterious sounds were reported worldwide in the early 2000s, sparking various theories. Some believed they were caused by underground drilling machines, while others attributed them to HAARP, a project used for ionospheric research and weather modification. Another theory suggested they were the sounds of God's angels heralding the end times. Finally, some attributed the sounds to a musical instrument called a waterphone, often used to create eerie effects in movies.

Play Video 1

While the waterphone is the closest instrument I can compare it to, imagine that sound amplified five hundred times. It felt like someone was playing the entire atmosphere like a violin with a bow larger than the Earth. Or perhaps imagine the Earth itself being held by God and played like a waterphone, with you inside it. The entire world trembled. And I have heard this sound on YouTube. This is one of those videos I was mentioning to my dad about.

Play Video 2

While these strange sounds have become less frequent worldwide, I believe they are the result of weather manipulation technologies like HAARP, which use powerful radio waves to affect the ionosphere. This is similar to how a waterphone creates sound by vibrating its metal rods. The Earth's atmosphere can be thought of as a giant resonating chamber, and HAARP can manipulate its vibrations.

Regardless of the cause, this was the sound I heard. In the dream, I knew it wasn't HAARP but a heavenly shofar, signaling the rapture. I wanted my father to experience this moment of salvation. Life had become incredibly difficult, and the rapture felt like an answer to our prayers. The world was undergoing profound changes, and it wasn't for the better. We had managed to avoid the dangers of FEMA camps and the mark of the beast.

Holding onto my father tightly, I looked up at the gray sky and saw a small, pinprick-sized hole. It was a portal to another dimension, emitting streams of bright white light. It seemed far away, but as we watched, it grew larger and larger.

Between the colors, I saw new hues, as if we were witnessing colors we had never seen before. These colors emerged from the hole in pairs, like dots arranged in a line. As they dispersed across the sky, I realized they were not dots but beings, heavenly angels.

Two of these celestial beings was descending towards us. As they grew closer, their forms shifted into towering figures, perhaps twenty to thirty feet tall. Their appearance was ethereal, with a shimmering, translucent bronze color. They were dressed in a 1920s-style suit and hat, a symbol whose meaning I couldn't decipher.

Their faces radiated an air of authority, as though my dad and I were expected to heed their every word. Although they remained silent, their imposing figures drew closer. Their massive hands, each as large as a car, extended towards us, as if each were assigned to one of us. Their fingers, the only part we could grasp, still seemed too large to hold onto.

By this time, my father and I knew what this was. We were going to our real home. Then I woke up. I told this dream to my dad months later. It shook him. He then told me something I never knew about him. A prophet told him he would not die and be taken up to meet Jesus in the clouds. After I heard that, we didn’t talk for a while as our minds were racing through our own understanding of scripture and how could I possibly be that we were going to be that generation.

sources

Gemini AI
Geneva Bible