Meaning of Rapture

Rapture and rising up is one of the 10 worlds of Shakyamuni Buddha.


In Buddhist teachings it is called piti.

Piti is a very specific joy associated with a state of deep tranquility. It is often translated with the English words "joy" or "rapture."

The Buddhist rapture has been misinterpreted by Christians who treat scripture literally.

The word rapture does not appear anywhere in the Bible.

It has been taken from the Buddhists by Christians who really believe that it means flying up into the sky.

The rapture does not mean people flying up into the sky like Superman.
It means rising in consciousness to a higher mind state. That is rapture which Christians misunderstand.

2. What about rising to meet Jesus in the air.

The New Testament of the Bible was written in Greek by Greek Hellenists in Alexandria Egypt.

They taught consciousness that was described in 5 states.


1. Earth was the physical body
2. Water was the 2nd level of consciousness as we begin to rise in meditation
3. Air was the 3rd stage of consciousness where we separate from thought
4. Fire was the 4th stage of consciousness where we begin to receive the higher energy
5. The new mind, Christ or Krishna consciousness

The Greek Hellenists who wrote the scripture had Iseous (translated into English as Jesus)
deeply involved in the meditation process.
They had him walking on the water which meant as you begin to rise in meditation you interact with Jesus walking on water in the 2nd level.

The next level is where Christians misunderstand the Buddhist rapture.


The Bible says we shall rise and meet Jesus in the air.
It does not mean we fly up into the sky.
It means we separate from thought and rise to the 3rd level of meditative consciousness which is air.

We know that this is a correct interpretation of the intent of scripture because the text has Jesus saying the kingdom of God is within you.

It has Jesus saying take no thought, and also it has Jesus saying we should stimulate the single eye which is the pineal gland.

These are meditative techniques which align with the 5 conscious levels.

Jesus also says, you take away the key of knowledge when you do not enter within yourself.

Finally in a wonderful Buddhist connection, Jesus says take my yoke upon you. Matthew 11:29

Let us look as the dictionary defines YOKE
YOKE

Now let us define Yoke:

A crossbar with two U-shaped pieces that encircle the necks of a pair of oxen or other draft animals working together

6. Something that connects or joins together; a bond or tie.

Important derivatives are: yoke, jugular, subjugate, joust, adjust, juxtapose, join, 
junction, juncture, junta, conjugal, injunction, yoga.

When Jesus speaks of the single eye, take no thought, entering within oneself by using the word that connects to Yoga, it is obvious what the intent was. Given the above, one should not be concerned with the findings of those who have misinterpreted scripture in such a way that they describe the raising of consciousness in meditation as a superman type of up and away. And also those who have completely neglected to interpret the instructions of Jesus concerning the inner change and the goodness of Yoga.

Biblical References to the Tribulation:

The Day of the Lord

Isaiah 2:12
For the day of the LORD of hosts shall be upon every one that is proud and lofty, and upon every one that is lifted up; and he shall be brought low. (KJV)

Isaiah 13:6
Wail, for the day of the LORD is at hand! It will come as destruction from the Almighty. (NKJV)

Isaiah 13:9
Behold, the day of the LORD comes,
Cruel, with both wrath and fierce anger,
To lay the land desolate;
And He will destroy its sinners from it.(NKJV)

(Also: Joel 1:15, 2:1, 11, 31, 3:14; 1 Thessalonians 5:2)

The final 7-year period of Daniel's "70 Weeks."

Daniel 9:24-27
"Seventy 'sevens' are decreed for your people and your holy city to finish transgression, to put an end to sin, to atone for wickedness, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy and to anoint the most holy. Know and understand this: From the issuing of the decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until the Anointed One, the ruler, comes, there will be seven 'sevens,' and sixty-two 'sevens.' It will be rebuilt with streets and a trench, but in times of trouble. After the sixty-two 'sevens,' the Anointed One will be cut off and will have nothing. The people of the ruler who will come will destroy the city and the sanctuary. The end will come like a flood: War will continue until the end, and desolations have been decreed. He will confirm a covenant with many for one 'seven.' In the middle of the 'seven' he will put an end to sacrifice and offering. And on a wing of the temple he will set up an abomination that causes desolation, until the end that is decreed is poured out on him." (NEV)

The Great Tribulation (Referring to the second half of the seven year period)

Matthew 24:21
For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. (KJV)

Trouble / Time of Trouble / Day of Trouble

Deuteronomy 4:30
When thou art in tribulation, and all these things are come upon thee, even in the latter days, if thou turn to the LORD thy God, and shalt be obedient unto his voice. (KJV)

Daniel 12:1
And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people: and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book. (NEV)

Zephaniah 1:15
That day will be a day of wrath,
a day of distress and anguish,
a day of trouble and ruin,
a day of darkness and gloom,
a day of clouds and blackness. (NEV)

Time of Jacob's Trouble

Jeremiah 30:7
How awful that day will be!
None will be like it.
It will be a time of trouble for Jacob,
but he will be saved out of it. (NEV)

More References to the Tribulation

Revelation 11:2-3
"But exclude the outer court; do not measure it, because it has been given to the Gentiles. They will trample on the holy city for 42 months. And I will give power to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy for 1,260 days, clothed in sackcloth." (NEV)

Daniel 12:11-12
"From the time that the daily sacrifice is abolished and the abomination that causes desolation is set up, there will be 1,290 days. Blessed is the one who waits for and reaches the end of the 1,335 days."

The English word Rapture does not occur AT ALL in the King James, New King James, NIV, or other modern translation of the Bible. In fact, the word itself did not come into existence until around the very late 1500s A.D. Among many Christians, especially those in certain parts of the Protestant world, the meaning of the rapture is a snatching up to heaven of true Christians who are still alive at some time just before or during the the Great Tribulation.

Many believers rest their hope in what they believe is a "rapture" of saints based on only two Bible verses written by the Apostle Paul (1 Thessalonians 4:16 - 17).

Many religious teachers teach that the rapture (also known as 'rapture of the church') can only occur just before Jesus' Second Coming to reign and rule the earth for 1,000 years. Some also believe that such "snatching up" of saints will occur in SECRET to save a select few from the suffering and trials delineated in the book of Revelation. These believers, as taught, are taken to heaven for a period until they return triumphantly with Jesus to fight those who are deceived by Satan after which they will rule the world with Christ.

Jesus told his disciples, in regard to the exact time of his return to earth and the establishment of his kingdom, that "(the) day and hour no one knows - neither the angels in heaven, nor the Son - except the Father only . . ." (Matthew 24:36, HCSB).

In spite of these direct statements from Jesus, there have been those throughout history who have dogmatically tried to predict the day of the rapture and / or the day of Jesus' return to earth. Religious leaders foolish enough to "set dates" have been embarrassed and discredited when their predicted date quietly comes and goes.

A notable example of "setting dates" for events like the rapture occurred with William Miller, a preacher in the Baptist church, who predicted Jesus would come back to earth sometime within a year of March 21, 1843. When March 21, 1844 came and went without incident, Miller adopted the new date of April 18, 1844 for Christ's return. When THAT date failed, one of Miller's associates recalculated the date of the Second Coming to be October 22, 1844. What is labeled "The Great Disappointment" occurred on that October day when Jesus did not arrive as scheduled.


The lesson of history is that believers today need to be very wary of any teacher or preacher who says he or she knows the date of the 'rapture' and Jesus' second coming.