Rapture – Do Paul’s Words Speak for the Lord Jesus?
Question: The Bible says, “Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord” (1Ts 4:17). How should we interpret that?
Answer: We should hope for the Lord’s return based on the prophecies that He Himself spoke. That is the most standard way of waiting for the Lord’s return. Who are you quoting, really? Are you quoting the Lord’s words or the words of men? “Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air,” who said that? Are those the Lord Jesus’ words? The Lord Jesus never said anything like that. The Holy Spirit never said that, either. The words you believe in and quote are Paul’s words. Do Paul’s words represent the Lord Jesus’ words? Can he represent God? Only God knows the answer to this mystery. If we corrupt humans dare to make blind interpretations and judgments like this, we are committing a heinous sin. Paul was not Christ. He was only an ordinary corrupt person. His writings are full of impure human ideas and imaginings. His words are not the truth, so we cannot use them as proof. All proof should be based on God’s words in the Bible. That is in line with the truth. It’s wrong to investigate the rapture and entry into the kingdom of heaven based on the words of people in the Bible, especially Paul, and not based on the Lord Jesus’ words, because only the Lord Jesus’ words are the truth; only His words have authority. Only the Lord Jesus is Christ, the King of the heavenly kingdom. Why don’t you search in the Lord Jesus’ words for the truth and God’s will? Why do you use the words of men as the basis of your search instead? Is this in accordance with the Lord’s will? This makes you prone to following man and walking down your own path. God made mankind out of clay. He tasked them with doing their duty on earth and managing the rest of His creations. He demanded that they obey, worship, and honor Him, and mandated that their place was on the earth, not in heaven. Moreover, God told us long ago that He would establish His kingdom on earth. Besides, He will dwell with us humans on earth and the kingdoms of earth must be transformed into kingdoms ruled by Christ. Therefore, God’s kingdom will eventually be established on earth, not in heaven. Many people are always looking to be raised into heaven. That is their own conception and imaginings, their own fanciful desire. It is not at all in accordance with the truth or the fact of God’s work.
Excerpted from the movie script of Awakening from the dream