The Gathering

2 Thessalonians 2:1-2

2 Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him, 2 that ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand. 

Many people have heard Christians use a term, the Rapture, many Theologians and Believers alike have said this word does not appear in scripture, well that is not quite true, let me explain. The word gathering as indicated in the above scripture in the Latin Vulgate is the word rapturo, anglicized Rapture. The word was popularized by the Harvard College educated Cotton Mather a hardcore Puritan circa 1689, he coined this term and well it stuck. I guess Academics think that saying something in Latin makes them sound more important and so many Christians follow suit. So whether you use the Gathering or Rapturo is depicts a time in which the Bible Says Christ will return for his faithful.

1 Thessalonians 4:16-17

16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: 17 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. 

This is Part of What is referred to as the First Resurrection, notice it states the dead in Christ shall arise first, then we which are alive.... You must be "In Christ", if you are not In Christ" then this scripture does not apply to you. Simply put you will be left behind, that is after the believers in Christ, the Church leaves this earth with Jesus, the Devil will reign on this Earth during a time known as the Great Tribulation.

We will be posting a doctrinal paper on this below very soon.