Jesus is coming back.

[B-A-C]

We can argue, pre-trib, mid-trib, post-trib, 2nd coming and the timing of all those things. But hopefully this thread isn't about all that.

The timing doesn't matter that much to me. But the plain and simple truth is, Jesus is coming back one day.

John 14:2; "In My Father's house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you.
John 14:3; "If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also.

He is going to take us to His Father's house, so we can be with Him.

1Thes 4:13; But we do not want you to be uninformed, brethren, about those who are asleep, so that you will not grieve as do the rest who have no hope.
1Thes 4:14; For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus.
1Thes 4:15; For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep.
1Thes 4:16; For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first.
1Thes 4:17; Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord.

The words "caught up" in verse 17 in the Greek are...

ἁρπάζω
harpazō
har-pad'-zo
From a derivative of G138; to seize (in various applications): - catch (away, up), pluck, pull, take (by force).
Total KJV occurrences: 13

It's one of two words used for the common word "rapture". The word rapture isn't in the Bible, but the phrases "gather up and "caught up" are.

Matt 24:30; "And then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the SON OF MAN COMING ON THE CLOUDS OF THE SKY with power and great glory.
Matt 24:31; "And He will send forth His angels with A GREAT TRUMPET and THEY WILL GATHER TOGETHER His elect from the four winds, from one end of the sky to the other.

Mark 13:26; "Then they will see THE SON OF MAN COMING IN CLOUDS with great power and glory.
Mark 13:27; "And then He will send forth the angels, and will gather together His elect from the four winds, from the farthest end of the earth to the farthest end of heaven.

The other Greek word commonly used for rapture is in these two passages. The phrase "gather together" in Matt 24:31 and Mark 13:27 come from this word.

ἐπισυνάγω
episunagō
ep-ee-soon-ag'-o
From G1909 and G4863; to collect upon the same place: - gather (together).
Total KJV occurrences: 7

So, we can debate the timing of all this in other threads if we want to, but no matter when it happens, Jesus is coming back to get many of us.

 

[B-A-C]

2Pet 3:3; Know this first of all, that in the last days mockers will come with their mocking, following after their own lusts,
2Pet 3:4; and saying, "Where is the promise of His coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all continues just as it was from the beginning of creation."
2Pet 3:5; For when they maintain this, it escapes their notice that by the word of God the heavens existed long ago and the earth was formed out of water and by water,
2Pet 3:6; through which the world at that time was destroyed, being flooded with water.
2Pet 3:7; But by His word the present heavens and earth are being reserved for fire, kept for the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men.
2Pet 3:8; But do not let this one fact escape your notice, beloved, that with the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years like one day.
2Pet 3:9; The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.
2Pet 3:10; But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, in which the heavens will pass away with a roar and the elements will be destroyed with intense heat, and the earth and its works will be burned up.

 

[B-A-C]

Some Christians just assume by virtue of being a Christian, they will automatically be raptured, but I see a number of passages like this.

Matt 24:42; "Therefore be on the alert, for you do not know which day your Lord is coming.
Matt 24:43; "But be sure of this, that if the head of the house had known at what time of the night the thief was coming, he would have been on the alert and would not have allowed his house to be broken into.
Matt 24:44; "For this reason you also must be ready; for the Son of Man is coming at an hour when you do not think He will.
Matt 24:45; "Who then is the faithful and sensible slave whom his master put in charge of his household to give them their food at the proper time?
Matt 24:46; "Blessed is that slave whom his master finds so doing when he comes.
Matt 24:47; "Truly I say to you that he will put him in charge of all his possessions.
Matt 24:48; ''But if that evil slave says in his heart, 'My master is not coming for a long time,'
Matt 24:49; and begins to beat his fellow slaves and eat and drink with drunkards;
Matt 24:50; the master of that slave will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour which he does not know,
Matt 24:51; and will cut him in pieces and assign him a place with the hypocrites; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

Luke 12:35; "Be dressed in readiness, and keep your lamps lit.
Luke 12:36; "Be like men who are waiting for their master when he returns from the wedding feast, so that they may immediately open the door to him when he comes and knocks.
Luke 12:37; "Blessed are those slaves whom the master will find on the alert when he comes; truly I say to you, that he will gird himself to serve, and have them recline at the table, and will come up and wait on them.
Luke 12:38; "Whether he comes in the second watch, or even in the third, and finds them so, blessed are those slaves.
Luke 12:39; "But be sure of this, that if the head of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have allowed his house to be broken into.
Luke 12:40; "You too, be ready; for the Son of Man is coming at an hour that you do not expect."

1Thes 5:2; For you yourselves know full well that the day of the Lord will come just like a thief in the night.
1Thes 5:3; While they are saying, "Peace and safety!" then destruction will come upon them suddenly like labor pains upon a woman with child, and they will not escape.
1Thes 5:4; But you, brethren, are not in darkness, that the day would overtake you like a thief;
1Thes 5:5; for you are all sons of light and sons of day. We are not of night nor of darkness;
1Thes 5:6; so then let us not sleep as others do, but let us be alert and sober.

2Pet 3:9; The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.
2Pet 3:10; But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, in which the heavens will pass away with a roar and the elements will be destroyed with intense heat, and the earth and its works will be burned up.
2Pet 3:11; Since all these things are to be destroyed in this way, what sort of people ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness,
2Pet 3:12; looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be destroyed by burning, and the elements will melt with intense heat!
2Pet 3:13; But according to His promise we are looking for new heavens and a new earth, in which righteousness dwells.

Matt 25:10; "And while they were going away to make the purchase, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding feast; and the door was shut.
Matt 25:11; "Later the other virgins also came, saying, 'Lord, lord, open up for us.'
Matt 25:12; "But he answered, 'Truly I say to you, I do not know you.'
Matt 25:13; "Be on the alert then, for you do not know the day nor the hour.

Mark 13:32; "But of that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone.
Mark 13:33; "Take heed, keep on the alert; for you do not know when the appointed time will come.
Mark 13:34; "It is like a man away on a journey, who upon leaving his house and putting his slaves in charge, assigning to each one his task, also commanded the doorkeeper to stay on the alert.
Mark 13:35; "Therefore, be on the alert—for you do not know when the master of the house is coming, whether in the evening, at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or in the morning—
Mark 13:36; in case he should come suddenly and find you asleep.
Mark 13:37; "What I say to you I say to all, 'Be on the alert!'"

All of these passages seem to say, be awake, be alert, be ready, be sober, be prepared for when He returns.
Many of these passage give consequences for not being ready, and not doing the right things when He returns.

 

[B-A-C]

Jesus told many parables about "a man" who went on a journey. It seems it's always a long journey He went on.
..and while He was gone, He expected some things to happen.

Matt 25:14; "For it is just like a man about to go on a journey, who called his own slaves and entrusted his possessions to them.
Matt 25:15; "To one he gave five talents, to another, two, and to another, one, each according to his own ability; and he went on his journey.

I don't know all there where's and why's he had to go on the journey, but he did.

Mark 13:33; "Take heed, keep on the alert; for you do not know when the appointed time will come.
Mark 13:34; "It is like a man away on a journey, who upon leaving his house and putting his slaves in charge, assigning to each one his task, also commanded the doorkeeper to stay on the alert.
Mark 13:35; "Therefore, be on the alert—for you do not know when the master of the house is coming, whether in the evening, at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or in the morning—
Mark 13:36; in case he should come suddenly and find you asleep.
Mark 13:37; "What I say to you I say to all, 'Be on the alert!'"

The common theme in all of these parables, seems to be the man went on a journey and he out his servents in charge of things, a vineyard, talents, his household, his possessions...

Luke 20:9; And He began to tell the people this parable: "A man planted a vineyard and rented it out to vine-growers, and went on a journey for a long time.
Luke 20:10; "At the harvest time he sent a slave to the vine-growers, so that they would give him some of the produce of the vineyard; but the vine-growers beat him and sent him away empty-handed.

But I also notice that in all of the parables, the man "comes back" to see how things have fared while he was gone.

When he comes back, he tells some of his servants...

Matt 25:23; "His master said to him, 'Well done, good and faithful slave. You were faithful with a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.'

But he tells other servants...

Matt 25:26; "But his master answered and said to him, 'You wicked, lazy slave, you knew that I reap where I did not sow and gather where I scattered no seed.
Matt 25:30; "Throw out the worthless slave into the outer darkness; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

I can't help but think all of these parables have a common theme, that Jesus will be looking for something when He comes back.

Matt 25:5; "Now while the bridegroom was delaying, they all got drowsy and began to sleep.
Matt 25:6; "But at midnight there was a shout, 'Behold, the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.'
Matt 25:7; "Then all those virgins rose and trimmed their lamps.
Matt 25:8; "The foolish said to the prudent, 'Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.'

This particular one doesn't mention that He went on a journey, it simply says he delayed. But eventually he came back and opened the door... for some of them.

 

[Charlie24]

I can't help but think all of these parables have a common theme, that Jesus will be looking for something when He comes back.

Luke 18:8

"I tell you that he will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?"