Hi Hilmar,

>>>Good answer, now comes an even tougher one. Which rapture senario do you hold to? Pre-tribulation, Mid-tribulation, Post-Tribulation.
>>
>>*chuckle*
>>
>>Pre. Absolutely. Because it is the most accurate reflection of God's nature and also the patterns in the entire scriptures. Enoch, Lot, etc..
>
>Can you explain, for a non-Christian, what rapture, pre-tribulation, etc. means?

Well, gosh... The word commpnly use is 'rapture', though it in and of itself is no where to be found in the Bible. However, in 1 Thessalonians 4:17 it 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."

The phrase 'caught up' is 'harpazo' in the Greek which can be translated 'snatched up forceably' or 'snatch out'. The Latin is 'rapturos' which is where the word/phrase 'rapture' is derived.

Essentially, it is a teaching regarding the disposition of the church at the end of what is known as 'The Time of The Gentiles' or 'The Age of Grace' where God removes His church out of the way immediately prior to His judgement of this world. There are quite a few instances in the entirety of the Bible where God took His people out of the way before His judgement; Enoch and Lot being the two examples I've posted before. Also, a careful reading of the Book of Revelations shows that after the 4th chapter until about the 18th chapter the church is no where to be seen. And, in some places the Lord comes for His church and some places He comes with His church. One needs to carefully read the texts.

The Tribulation is also known as "Jacob's Troubles", "The Day of The Lord" and a few others. It is a perios in time when God has reached the point where He has determined that this world must be judged for rejecting Him. It will not be fun and all are encouraged to avoid it while they can. Just stop rejecting God's place in your life.

There are some folks who get very riled up over this issue and while I come down specifically on one side it is absolutely not a big deal overal with respect to the Historicl Christian positions and teachings. A lot of folks use it as a rationale for what is called 'cheap grace' and it should never be thought of in that fashion.

Does that help?