A Prelude to the Rapture?

Gary responds to two recent postings about current events and the "rapture of the church." Two important questions that should precede any discussion of the rapture is 1) what is meant by the rapture and 2) what does the Bible teach (or not teach) about it? Too often, prophecy writers and speakers assume the legitimacy of the doctrine of the rapture and look for newspaper clippings and Bible verses that seem to confirm what they already believe.