Dr Paul Allen

English: An etching by Jan Luyken illustrating Matthew 24:41 in the Bowyer Bible, Bolton, England. (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) The “ rapture ” of the believers, as described by Paul in 1 Thessalonians 4:17, refers to the meeting of the believers who are alive on earth with Jesus who comes from heaven to earth, an event that unites them with the believers who had died and who will be raised from the dead. There is no evidence in the New Testament for a separation between believers and unbelievers in which the believers are taken to heaven before the day of the Lord while the unbelievers are left behind on earth to face unprecedented tribulations. The event of “the rapture” (if one wants to retain the term, based on 1 Thess. 4:17) takes place on the day when Jesus returns to earth. Schnabel, E. J. (2011). 40 Questions about the End Times. (B. L. Merkle, Ed.) (p. 102). Grand Rapids, MI: Kregel Academic & Professional. Related articles I Will Keep The Right Perspective And...

The Great Day of His Wrath (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) "For the day of the LORD is near upon all the heathen: as thou hast done, it shall be done unto thee: thy reward shall return upon thine own head." ( Obadiah 15 ) The book of Obadiah was possibly the earliest of the prophetic books of the Old Testament and is certainly the shortest, with its single chapter. Its theme is God's coming judgment on the Edomite nation, not only because of their general wickedness, but particularly because of their abusive treatment of their Israelite relatives (Jacob's brother Esau was the father of the Edomites ). The prophecy of Obadiah contains (in our text) the first mention (chronologically) of the coming "day of the LORD." Although it appears at first to focus especially on the Edomites, it is really looking far ahead to the end times, when the judgments of that day will be "upon all the heathen." There have been many precursive and partial fulfil...