God doesn't have to do anything. He can do the Rapture anytime He wants to. He can permit any antichrist He wants to as being the final one. (There have been and are many, according to 1 John 2:18.) His providence in regards to the Rapture is not limited by Satan's puny efforts to provide a fake Christ.
But there is no rapture in the bible.
I read your grandfathers writing on it, he inserts the rapture in the olivet discourse, I don't see where he gets that from.
Do you believe Thomas Ice? I watch enough debates with him and preterists.
I believe there is one. When you categorically state that there is no rapture, that's pretty "in your face" to those
of us who believe there is one, you know. :(
Since you once told me in a PM not to recommend anything about prophecy by John R. Rice, I can't help you there.
Do I believe him about what? He has a lot of material, and I've not read much of his stuff on prophecy. I will say that I recommend his website to my "Dispensational Theology" students, since he is a scholar in that area.
Back in the 1970s, the CEO of Northwest Orient Airlines, Don Nyrop, had a rule that two born again Christians could not be in the same cockpit at the same time in case of the rapture. He didn't want any of his planes to be without both pilot and copilot.
WEB 1 Thessalonians 4:16
For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with God’s trumpet. The dead in Christ will rise first,
17
then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air. So we will be with the Lord forever.
Latin Vulgate
Ad Thessalonicenses I: 16. quoniam ipse Dominus in iussu et in voce archangeli et in tuba Dei descendet de caelo et mortui qui in Christo sunt resurgent primi
17
deinde nos qui vivimus qui relinquimur simul rapiemur cum illis in nubibus obviam Domino in aera et sic semper cum Domino erimus
1st thes 4:13
According to the Lord's word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep.
So if John is saying the parousia is the second coming and a physical return of Christ, then how can you include a secret rapture in here, if 4:16 happens at the "Parousia"?
What would it take, if 1 Thess. 4 isn't good enough for you? Something like, "There's going to be a rapture and all Christians will fly like Superman! Up to be with Jesus!"
So it is a two phase Parousia with the first phase not being a physical coming? But if thats the case, how can Parousia always mean physical coming? Or Is it two physical comings?
I thought you said John, the Antichrist doesn't rule the world?