The Hebrew phrase 'chew the cud' simply means 'raising up what has been swallowed'. Coneys and rabbits go through such similar motions to ruminants that Linnaeus, the father of modern classification (and a creationist), at first classified them as ruminants. Also, rabbits and hares practise 'refection,' which is essentially the same principle as rumination, and does indeed 'raise up what has been swallowed'. The food goes right through the rabbit and is passed out as a special type of dropping. These are re-eaten, and can now nourish the rabbit as they have already been partly digested.
The following dates (in millions of years) utilize the potassium-argon method. 1. Hualalai, basalt (Hawaii, AD 1800-1801) = 1.60 +/- 0.16 and 1.41 +/- 0.08 (2 samples) 2. Mt. Etna, basalt (Sicily, 122 BC) = 0.25 +/- 0.08 3. Mt. Etna, basalt (Sicily, AD 1792) = 0.35 +/- 0.08 4. Mt. Lassen, plagioclase (California, AD 1915) = 0.11 +/- 0.03 5. Sunset Crater, basalt (Arizona, AD 1064-1065) = 0.27 +/- 0.09 and 0.25 +/- 0.15 (two samples) 6. Mt. St. Helens lavadome, whole rock (Washington, AD 1980-1986) = 0.35 +/- 0.05 7. Mt. St. Helens lavadome, feldspar (Washington, AD 1980-1986) = 0.34 +/- 0.06 8. Mt. St. Helens lavadome, amphibole (Washington, AD 1980-1986) = 0.9 +/- 0.2 9. Mt. St. Helens lavadome, pyroxene (Washington, AD 1980-1986) = 1.7 +/- 0.3 10. Mt. St. Helens lavadome, pyroxene (Washington, AD 1980-1986) = 2.8 +/- 0.6
Ref-0003, 23(3) June-August 2001, pp. 24-25.
"Before the eleventh century the dominant teaching on this subject was as old as Origen, who believed that through sin mankind had made itself subject to the devil. The mark of this subjection was death. God in his grace wished to free men, be he was unable to because the devil's claim was just. Consequently, to neutralize Satan's claim, a ransom had to be paid in the form of a valuable person over whom Satan had no right--a sinless person."
Ref-0063, p. 282.
The word rapture is not found in the Bible. It is based on the Latin verb rapto, which means 'to seize' and 'to carry off,' taken from the phrase 'caught up' in the 1Th. [[4:17|bible.73.4.17]] of the Latin Vulgate which reads: Deinde nos, qui vivimus, qui relinquimur, simul rapiemur cum illis in nubibus obviam Christo in aera, et sic sempe cum Domino erimus.. ". . .John Darby did not invent the Rapture. Huebner is correct when he explains, 'The word rapture was in use, to designate the catching up of the saints, long before 1832. For example, Joseph Mede (1586-1638) wrote, Therefore, it is not needful that the resurrection of those which slept in Christ, and the rapture of those which shall be left alive together with them in the air. . ." Heubner, Precious Truths Revived and Defended, p. 95. Cited in
Ref-0181, October 2002, p. 3.
"Since no wicked nations exist on earth at the beginning of the alleged millennium, having all been sent to eternal punishment; since the righteous cannot fall into sin and cannot bear children; and since the wicked dead have not yet been raised according to the premillennialist, just whom could Satan gather to war against the saints?" Floyd E. Hamilton, "The Basis of Millennial Faith" (Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publ. Co., 1942), p. 135 cited in
Ref-0207, pp. 339-340.
". . .if the rapture will take place in connection with the Lord's posttribulational coming, the subsequent separation of the sheep from the goats (see Mtt. [[25:3|bible.61.25.3]]1ff.) will be redundant. Separation will have taken place in the very act of translation." Mayhue, Richard L., 'Why a Pretribulational Rapture?,'
Ref-0164, Vol. 13 No. 2, Fall 2002, pp. 244-245.
"Margaret MacDonald. . . had her vision in 1830; Darby came to the pre-trib position in 1827. Besides, Margaret's vision had nothing in it about a pre-trib rapture. Anyone who thinks she was his source hasn't read the account of her vision. That is why I reprinted it in the appendix of my book, The Rapture."
Ref-0181, October 2002, p. 1.
"For all the saints and Elect of God are gathered, prior to the tribulation that is to come, and are taken to the Lord lest they see the confusion that is to overwhelm the world because of our sins." Ephraem the Syrian, A.D. 373.
Ref-0031, p. 108.
"Paul Boyer says that Increase Mather proved 'that the saints would be caught up into the Air beforehand, thereby escaping the final conflagration -- an early formulation of the Rapture doctrine more fully elaborated in the nineteenth century.'" Thomas Ice, The Rapture, John [[14:1-31|bible.64.14.1]], and Myths,
Ref-0055, March 2001, 39, quoting Paul Boyer, When Time Shall Be No More: Prophecy Belief in Modern American Culture, 75.
"Another illustration of pretribulationalism may be found in Irenaeus' book Against Heresies (Book V, Chapter xix). After describing the sinfulness of the present age, the church father Irenaeus comments: And therefore, when in the end the Church shall be suddenly caught up from this [evil age], it is said, 'There shall be tribulation such as not been since the beginning; neither shall be.'"
Ref-0207, pp. 71-72.
"[T]he author was told in a vision: You have escaped from the great tribulation on account of your faith, and because you did not doubt in the presence of the beast."
Ref-0031, p. 230. "You have escaped from great tribulation on account of your faith, and because you did not doubt in the presence of such a beast. Go, therefore, and tell the elect of the Lord His mighty deeds, and say to them that this beast is a type of the great tribulation that is coming. If then ye prepare yourselves, and repent with all your heart, and turn to the Lord, it will be possible for you to escape it, if your heart be pure and spotless, and ye spend the rest of the days of your life in serving the Lord blamelessly." Thomas Ice, The Rapture, John [[14:1-31|bible.64.14.1]], and Myths,
Ref-0055, March 2001, 36 quoting The Shepherd of Hermas 1.4.2
"As early as A.D. 270, St. Victorinus, Bishop of Petau, wrote a commentary on the book of Revelation in which he said, And I saw another great and wonderful sign, seven angels having the seven last plagues; for in them is completed the indignation of God. For the wrath of God always strikes the obstinate people with seven plagues, that is, perfectly, as it is said in Leviticus; and these shall be in the last time, when the church shall have gone out of the midst [emphasis added]" St. Victorinus, Bishop of Petau, "The Writings of Tertullianus," trans. R.E. Wallis, Commentary on the Apocalypse of the Blessed John, vol. III, published by T. Clark, 1870, p. 428, cited by
Ref-0181, October 2002, p. 3.
"Peter Jurieu in his book Approaching Deliverance of the Church (1687) taught that Christ would come in the air to Rapture the saints and return to heaven before the battle of Armageddon. He spoke of a secret Rapture prior to His coming in glory and judgment at Armageddon. Philip Doddridge's commentary on the New Testament (1738) and John Gill's commentary on the new Testament (1748) both use the term Rapture and speak of it as imminent. It is clear that these men believed that this coming will precede Christ's descent to the earth and the time of judgment. The purpose was to preserve believers from the time of judgment. James Macknight (1763) and Thomas Scott (1792) taught that the righteous will be carried to heaven, where they will be secure until the time of judgment is over." Thomas Ice, The Rapture, John [[14:1-31|bible.64.14.1]], and Myths,
Ref-0055, March 2001, 39, quoting Paul N. Benware, Understanding End Times Prophecy: A Comprehensive Approach, pp. 197-198
The following contrasts can be seen between the rapture and the second coming. 1. Christ comes for His own (John [[14:3|bible.64.14.3]]; 1Th. [[4:17|bible.73.4.17]]; 2Th. [[2:1|bible.74.2.1]]) vs. with His own (1Th. [[3:13|bible.73.3.13]]; Jude [[1:14|bible.86.1.14]]; Rev. [[19:14|bible.87.19.14]]). 2. He comes in the air (1Th. [[4:17|bible.73.4.17]]) vs. to the earth (Zec. [[14:4|bible.38.14.4]]; Acts [[1:11|bible.65.1.11]]). 3. He claims His bride (1Th. [[4:16-17|bible.73.4.16]]) vs. He comes with His bride (Rev. [[19:6-14|bible.87.19.6]]). 4. Removal of believers (1Th. [[4:17|bible.73.4.17]]) vs. manifestation of Christ (Mal. [[4:2|bible.39.4.2]]). 5. Only His own see Him (1Th. [[4:13-18|bible.73.4.13]]) vs. Every eye shall see Him (Rev. [[1:7|bible.87.1.7]]). 6. Tribulation begins (2Th. [[1:6-9|bible.74.1.6]]) vs. millennial kingdom begins (Rev. [[20:1-7|bible.87.20.1]]). 7. Saved are delivered from wrath (1Th. [[1:10|bible.73.1.10]]; 1Th. [[5:9|bible.73.5.9]]) vs. unsaved experience the wrath of God (Rev. [[6:12-17|bible.87.6.12]]). 8. No signs precede rapture (1Th. [[5:1-3|bible.73.5.1]]) vs. signs precede second coming (Luke [[21:11|bible.63.21.11]],Luke [[21:15|bible.63.21.15]]). 9. Focus is Lord and church (1Th. [[4:13-18|bible.73.4.13]]) vs. focus is Israel and kingdom (Mtt. [[24:14|bible.61.24.14]]). 10. World is deceived (2Th. [[2:3-12|bible.74.2.3]]) vs. Satan is bound (Rev. [[20:1-2|bible.87.20.1]]).
Ref-0083, pp. 101-102 11. At the rapture, believers depart the earth (1Th. [[4:15-17|bible.73.4.15]]), but at the final event of the second coming, unbelievers are taken away from the earth (Mtt. [[24:37-41|bible.61.24.37]]). 12. At the rapture, unbelievers remain on earth, but at the final event of the second coming, believers remain on earth (Mtt. [[25:34|bible.61.25.34]]). 13. At the rapture, there is no mention of establishing Christ's Kingdom on earth, but at the final event of the second coming, Christ has come to set up His Kingdom on earth (Mtt. [[25:31|bible.61.25.31]],Mtt. [[25:34|bible.61.25.34]]). Mayhue, Richard L., 'Why a Pretribulational Rapture?,'
Ref-0164, Vol. 13 No. 2, Fall 2002, pp. 247.
Ref-0031, p. 156.
Ref-0031, p. 156.