Rapture Question and Heaven Question

Lauralai

Lauralai

Member
As I understand it, if an unbeliever is married to a believer that the unbeliever is sanctified through the marriage. The children too, right? So does that mean there will be some unbelievers who will be raptured? And does it apply to marriages where the two are living separate lives but are still legally married? Also do you think we will be reading the Bible in heaven? I hope so. :angel
 
Micki

Micki

MARANATHA!!
There will be no unbelievers raptured. It is for the church alone and the church is made up exclusively of believers, Matthew 22:1-14 is a parable that I believe to be an example which shows this.

A spouse and children are sanctified through the believing spouse/parent, but that is only in this life, on this earth. That sanctification does not extend to eternity, indeed, in heaven no one is married or given in marriage between people, there is one Bridegroom, Yeshua, and one bride, the church. The sanctification is for the mortal form only. We must all, on an individual basis, decide what we will do with Yeshua.

Will we read the Bible in heaven? That is a dear wish of mine! We see through a glass darkly now, imagine how wonderful it it be there reading The Word, and seeing clearly, understanding it's full depths and actually feeling the unbelievable beauty in it. Picture this, Bible studies headed by the people who wrote those books, Moses, Daniel, Malachi, Paul, John and the rest. That's a happy thought!
 
L

livingskies

Well-Known Member
I would love to know the answers to all my Bible questions in heaven! Whether we will just "know" or can ask, or read with understanding, I am sure we will be able to learn/understand all these mysteries!

As answered above, salvation is individual. A saved spouse is a holy influence in the family. As far as kids (or those with disability), those who cannot comprehend the law are dead to the law. Once the law springs to life in them (understandable), they need to choose as far as they understand. Many see this as meaning that all young children, babies, unborn, and severely mentally challenged will be rapture. I am not sure of this, there is no mention in scripture one way or another. I would be sure that at least children with one saved parent, who can't comprehend the law, would be rapture due to the influence of this holiness, if not all children...
 
iSong6:3

iSong6:3

Well-Known Member
I think this is interesting about *household salvation.* The third part deals specifically with 1 Corinthians 7:14 and what is sanctification of an unsaved spouse and their children. At least something to consider.

BIG CAVEAT - gotquestions.org tends toward Calvinism - not everything on the site, but some writers clearly are Calvinists. This one happens to be an answer that does (unnecessarily) push that doctrine. Please be aware of that in the last part about Surgeon and the erroneous doctrine of individual *election* to salvation. The Bible never once refers to any salvific election of individuals. What is predestined is that those who are saved are then predestined to be conformed to the image of Jesus. Romans 8:29 shows the progression clearly.

What does the Bible say about household salvation?
 
RandallB

RandallB

Well-Known Member
Another thing to consider is that 1 Corinthians 7:14 talks of sanctification. Justification is what saves us.

I feel that a marriage to a believer tends to clean up (a type of sanctification) the unbeliever's life and certainly once the Gospel seeds take root (Justification) they would hopefully have good soil for growth (Continuing the Sanctification).
 
V

Vanilla

New Member
I don't think those that don't believe will go to heaven. A lot of passages say non believers will "perish". Is this a difference between perishing/nonexistence and being cast to hell? Maybe the non believers get what they want, in a sense?
 
A

Any Minute

Tetelestai !!
Vanilla said:
I don't think those that don't believe will go to heaven. A lot of passages say non believers will "perish". Is this a difference between perishing/nonexistence and being cast to hell? Maybe the non believers get what they want, in a sense?
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Hi vanilla, first let me say welcome to RF, so glad you have joined us!

You are absolutely correct; those who die in unbelief will not go to Heaven.

I would be careful though with using the word perish(ing) and nonexistence interchangeably. They have quite different meanings, especially to those who believe in some unbiblical soul sleep, annihilation, or just ceasing to exist after death.

You’re right that the Scriptures have much to say about perishing. The most common usage is a form of the word apollumi and it carries the idea or meaning of being lost or destroyed as in:
the parable of Luke 15:3-7

3So He told them this parable, saying, 4“What man among you, if he has a hundred sheep and has lost (apolesas)one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open pasture and go after the one which is lost(apololos) unil he finds it? 5“When he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. 6“And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and his neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost!’ 7“I tell you that in the same way, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.

Matthew 10:28
"Do not fear those who kill the body but are unable to kill the soul; but rather fear Him who is able to destroy (apolesai) both soul and body in hell.

John 3:16
"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish (apoletai), but have eternal life.

Unlike those who try and incorrectly teach being utterly destroyed as ‘ceasing to exist’ in Hell or the lake of fire, after death for the unsaved, it means complete and eternal separation from God with absolutely no chance of salvation (eternally lost). They will be fully aware and in constant torment, forever.

I only point this out because if someone were to do a search on the use of perish in the bible, many unbiblical sites will come up trying in vain to convince everyone reading that everlasting or eternal don’t mean exactly what God said.:doh:

I don’t think you were making that declaration in your post though!

ETA: One of my favorite verses.

1 Corinthians 1:18
For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish (apollymenois) foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.

A form of the word is used quite often.
Also wanted to clarify when I said “ those who die in unbelief will not go to Heaven”. I stand with scripture on that but I do believe in an age of accountability and provision for those who are unable to make a decision for Christ.
 
mattfivefour

mattfivefour

Well-Known Member
Lauralai said:
As I understand it, if an unbeliever is married to a believer that the unbeliever is sanctified through the marriage. The children too, right? So does that mean there will be some unbelievers who will be raptured? And does it apply to marriages where the two are living separate lives but are still legally married? Also do you think we will be reading the Bible in heaven? I hope so. :angel
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I will try to add a little more to some already good answers to your questions.

First, let's look at the word "sanctified". It does not mean "saved". Salvation alone is required for entrance to Heaven; and salvation can only come by specific and individual faith in Jesus Christ—who He is and what He did at Calvary. Sanctification is a ceremonial term and relates to someone or something being "set apart", or made ceremonially "clean". Therefore, the fact that under certain circumstances someone may be considered set apart or ceremonially clean is related to a particular earthly situation and not to one's eternal destination.

Thus God's teaching in 1 Corinthians 7:14 has nothing to do with salvation and everything to do with answering possible objections to marriage to an unbeliever. The question at the time was, in the case of one person in a marriage becoming a Christian, should that person leave the union because they would be defiled by having intimate relations with an unbeliever. Through Paul, God is saying, "No." Because you are married, the union is sanctified before God ... regardless of whether one is not a believer. If the unbeliever is content to stay, then let them stay: all is good and pure in God's eyes. But if one wants to leave, then let them.

As to the children being "sanctified", that verse is simply saying that "of course the unbelieving spouse is sanctified because if they were not then neither would your children be: the entire relationship—including all that form a part of it—would be ungodly and unsanctified." But God is the creator of marriage, and He is neither an author of confusion nor willing that any should be lost. Therefore, He ordains that the union continue, sanctified by His blessing, unless the unbeliever (never the believer) desires to depart, wanting nothing to do with God or his/her Christian partner.

Further, as I read 1 Corinthians 7:15, the believing partner is under no marriage obligation should the unbeliever leave: they are free to remarry ... entirely unlike the case of a married Christian couple where one decides to leave. In such a case the one leaving may not remarry. (This latter prohibition mitigates against people lusting after another man or woman and leaving their husband or wife to take up with the new person. Under the prohibition, if they choose to leave they are forbidden to marry again.)

So, the bottom line is that only believers will be raptured. Unbelievers will wind up in hell if they die without accepting Christ in their heart. One very important reason for not divorcing an unbelieving spouse is that the unbelieving spouse may, by the behavior of the saved spouse, wind up becoming saved themselves. (1 Corinthians 7:16)

BTW, living arrangements have nothing to do with the sanctity of the marriage vows. If you are legally married then you are married before God and your vows are inviolate for the saved one. This means that if both believers divorce is wrong. But, as dealt with above, if one is an unbeliever and insists on leaving, then the believer is under no further obligation. That said, God always honors those who keep their vows before Him out of love for Him and in order to honor Him.

Please note that I am not dealing here with seriously abusive relationships. That is an entirely different matter and I will deal with it soon, in a separate thread.

One last thing: there is no such teaching in Scripture as annihilation or release from eternal torment. The Bible is quite clear: those who turn to God through Christ will spend an eternity in Heaven; those who do not will spend an eternity in Hell. There is no other destination and no other time-frame given in Scripture.

PS: Do you think we will really need to read the Bible in Heaven when we will be in the very presence of the Word Himself and be in total, unbroken, continual communion and communication with Him, already knowing every single awesome part of Him in our innermost beings???
 
mattfivefour

mattfivefour

Well-Known Member
I agree with chaser. This matter should be presented in the members-only privacy of the prayer room. EmEm, if you do that I will answer ... as a brother in Christ who understands and appreciates your predicament ... and as a pastor who also cares for your eternal soul. You have said much right in your post above, but you do need the counsel you seek. It will be offered in the prayer room.
 
Almost Heaven

Almost Heaven

Well-Known Member
mattfivefour said:
I agree with chaser. This matter should be presented in the members-only privacy of the prayer room. EmEm, if you do that I will answer ... as a brother in Christ who understands and appreciates your predicament ... and as a pastor who also cares for your eternal soul. You have said much right in your post above, but you do need the counsel you seek. It will be offered in the prayer room.
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You need to pm her.
 
E

EmEm

New Member
Where is the prayer forum, sir? I'm still not familiar with this site. I'm a little confused on how to post and find rooms like meet & greet for new members. Where can I find them? Thank you.
 
Kaatje

Kaatje

My soul waits for the Lord, and in His Word I hope
EmEm said:
Where is the prayer forum, sir? I'm still not familiar with this site. I'm a little confused on how to post and find rooms like meet & greet for new members. Where can I find them? Thank you.
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Hi EmEm, welcome to the Forums.
Just go to the main page of the Forum, where you can see it has several “chapters”.
The first is “rules and announcements”, and under that comes the “Sprital Communications”.
In this “chapter” you find “Prayer requests & Praise Reports”. Here you can put you post.
Just make a new thread, and we are happy and ready to answer you.

See you there,

Kaatje
 
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