I would like to know what you feel the rapture is... and when you think it will happen.

The word rapture is not even found in the bible. The theory comes from:

Paul wrote: For the Lord him self shall descend from heaven with a shout, with a voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in christ shall rise first: 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 be forever with the Lord.
1 Thessalonians 5:16-17

Clearly it doesn't happen until Christ's return. He's coming back here, so why would we go anywhere? We will be wherever he is, right here on earth.

"Meet in the clouds" is a figure of speech. Like if you saw a bunch of locusts you might say "Wow, look at that cloud of locusts". It means there will be many saints present.

"Meet the Lord in the air" means we will be transferring to our spiritual body. Spirit = air. Our "incorruptable" body.

It's made up

We enter into another state of being after passing through and beyond current existence/understanding. That other state is one of which we curently have no concept... only guesses and wishes.

I think the idea of the "Rapture" comes from two of the Gospels; Matthew mentions it very briefly, and then Luke mentions it in the following verses in chapter 17:

[24] For as the lightning, that lighteneth out of the one part under heaven, shineth unto the other part under heaven; so shall also the Son of man be in his day.
[25] But first must he suffer many things, and be rejected of this generation.
[26] And as it was in the days of Noe, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man.
[27] They did eat, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, and the flood came, and destroyed them all.
[28] Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded;
[29] But the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all.
[30] Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed.
[31] In that day, he which shall be upon the housetop, and his stuff in the house, let him not come down to take it away: and he that is in the field, let him likewise not return back.
[32] Remember Lot's wife.
[33] Whosoever shall seek to save his life shall lose it; and whosoever shall lose his life shall preserve it.
[34] I tell you, in that night there shall be two men in one bed; the one shall be taken, and the other shall be left.
[35] Two women shall be grinding together; the one shall be taken, and the other left.
[36] Two men shall be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left.

So this is where it comes from I think.

Although, Jesus said several places also that all of these things would come to pass before the end of the current generation.

Matt.24
[34] Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled.

Mark.13
[30] Verily I say unto you, that this generation shall not pass, till all these things be done.

Luke.21
31] So likewise ye, when ye see these things come to pass, know ye that the kingdom of God is nigh at hand.
[32] Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass away, till all be fulfilled.

The gospels repeat this many times in many different ways. This is why it makes no sense to think that these things that Jesus talked about might happen 2000 year later.

I don't think anyone is still around that lived 2000 years ago.

Jesus was saying this to the people he was actually speaking to! He didn't tell them to write this stuff down for people to read several millennia later! He was speaking directly to his diciples!

He was under some delusion that the world was going to come to an end within the current generation!

This is crystal clear. It's all through the gospels. Why anyone expects Jesus to come "back" 2000 years later is beyond me. He wouldn't be coming 'back' to us anyway. He would be coming to this generation for the FIRST time!

The idea that Jesus is coming back now is truly unreasonable. Even the text that claims to be his word clearly says that the current generation shall not pass before all the things he predicted would come true.

So it's crazy for people 2000 years later expecting Jesus to come 'back'. He wasn't even talking to us! He was talking to his disciples and the crowds that he preached to live!

In fact, if he told those people that he was coming back before THIER generation passed, then he was LYING to them!

Clearly the script can't work as printed. Send it back to the screen writers for proof reading.

CUT!

Ok everyone take five!

I don't think there will be a rapture. I believe this is a false doctrine that is taught today. Christians will not be flying away. Who will stand against the anti christ in this scenario?

The rapture wasn't even taught till the 1800's and came from a vision by a mentally ill lady named Margaret McDonald and was overheard by a few preachers that said to themselves, hmmm what a way to get more people into our church to donate more money.

False Doctrine.

Jesus needs help?

That's news to me.

He can't seem to do anything on his own. I don't mean that in a derogatory way, but Christians typically don't seem to even trust him to be able to save innocent souls on his own. They feel that he needs their help for that too.

So maybe you're right.

I never really thought of Jesus as the God who needs help. But now that you've mentioned it, it does seem that Christians do tend to behave as though he can't do anything without their help.

Ohhhhhhh......you said "RAPTURE". My bad.

Good point. "God" doesnt need anyones "help". He can fight his own battles. And its not our(humans) job to fight some (fictional) "anti-christ" (a.k.a. Supervillain.) That is also a false doctrine but even if it was true then "God" can take care of his own business.

Did Jesus not already come back to Mary Magdelene and then to the others?

How many times is he supposed to?