What's up with the Rapture?

This question came to me this week:

"Concerning the rapture, which one is true-- Post trib, Pre trib, Mid-trib or what? what is your view? Just wondering, it has been brought up several times this week in our Bible study."
My reply:

This obviously is a long, complicated discussion; we would have to talk some in person on this sometime to make it workable rather than by email;
Honestly, to me it doesn't matter much; many godly men disagree on this area of biblical doctrine, not just on the so-called rapture (a word not found in the New Testament), but even disagreeing on the millenial reign of Christ and the major details of the Lord's future return. There have been godly, Christ-honoring saints over the centuries who have been pre-millieniallists, some post-mil and some amil. That's just the way it is. If a person can't acknowledge that, they will just remain ignorant.

It seems clear that the main emphasis and main points in the N. T. are these about the Second Coming:

Jesus is coming

- He's coming soon
- He's coming visibly
- He's coming bodily
- He's coming in final cosmic judgment
- He's coming to take his bride to heaven
- He's coming to judge the dead & living
- He's coming to wrap up human history
- He's coming to establish perfect righteousness
- He's coming to rule and reign forever and ever
- He's coming to make us perfectly like Him
- He's coming to receive us unto Himself forever

He is coming for me, so I am to be about my sanctification with a passion, as John says to us in 1 John:

"Beloved, now we are the sons of God and it does not yet appear what we shall be; but we know that when He shall appear, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is; And everyone who has this hope (the Second Coming as a believer- MT) purifies himself, even as He is pure."
- 1 Jn. 3:2-3

Therefore, what do Jesus and the N. T. writers tell us to be concerned about regarding future eschatological reality?

"BE READY . . . for you know not the hour that the Son of Man cometh"

"Everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, even as He is pure."

That is my eschatolgy and I am satisfied in my heart that this is enough for any Christian to know.

Obviously there is more to it, but that is what the New Testament majors on and emphasizes. I am satisfied to know that much and by God's grace, to endeavor to live in light of it. I will leave the more complicated details to the smart guys.

- Mack Tomlinson