In 2 Corinthians 2:11, Paul takes it for granted that the Corinthians are “not ignorant of his (Satan’s) devices.” Sadly, a large portion of the church today appears to be vastly ignorant of Satan’s devices.

Deuteronomy 18:10-11 gives a list of occult or pagan practices which are an abomination to God. Many of these have been disguised by being given positive-sounding names or simply adding the word “Christian” to them such as “Christian Yoga” in effect producing “Christianized Abominations.”  One such practice is called centering or contemplative prayer, which isn’t prayer at all, but mystical meditation

What is the Biblical definition of prayer?
There are a number of different words translated “pray” “praying” or “prayer” in the New Testament Greek.  Many of which simply mean to make a request of either man or God.  Two of these are “Eratao” and “Deomae.”

“Erotao” ἐρωτάω is a verb that simply means to ask, request, beg.   It is used in passages such as Luke 5:3 “And he entered into one of the ships, which was Simon’s, and prayed him that he would thrust out a little from the land.  And he sat down, and taught the people out of the ship.”  (John 17:15; Acts 10:48; 1 John 5:16 and many others)

“Deomae” δέομαι is a verbal/gerund which means–wanting, desiring, asking, begging, beseech, make requests.”  2 Corinthians 8:4 “Praying us with much entreaty that we would receive the gift, and take upon us the fellowship of the ministering to the saints.“ (Galatians 4:12; Acts 8:22; 1 Thessalonians 3:10 and many others)

However, the next word, “Proseuche” προσευχή is a noun which actually means “a prayer addressed to God.”  Romans 12:12  “Rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing instant in prayer”   (Luke 19:46; Acts 12:5; Philippians 4:6;  and many others)

“Proseuchomai,” προσεύχομαι  is a verb that means to offer up prayers (to God). Mark 11:24 “Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.“ (James 5:13; Hebrews 13:18; 1 Timothy 2:8 and many others)

Characteristics of Biblical Prayer
The characteristics of scriptural prayer are as follows:

• Making requests directed to God.  Philippians 4:6 “Be careful for nothing; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.“
• Using language and words.  Matthew 6:9-13 (The Lord’s Prayer)
• Your desires, your mind, your thoughts, etc.  1 John 5:14, 15 “And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask anything according to his will, he heareth us:  And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him.“
• Prayer is our communication to God.  This is in contrast to reading, studying and meditating on God’s word, which is God speaking to us.
• Comparison of Biblical Prayer with Contemplative Prayer

As many uninformed people point out, the word “Rapture” does not occur in the “Bible.”  They are only right in the fact that it doesn’t appear in the ENGLISH translation of the Bible. However, It does occur in the Latin translation of the Bible.

The word Rapture comes from the Latin word rapiemur. Raptus is the past participle of rapio, and our English words “rapt” and “rapture” stem from this past participle.¹  It appears in the following New Testament verses:

Revelation 12:5  “et peperit filium masculum qui recturus erit omnes gentes in virga ferrea et raptus est filius eius ad Deum et ad thronum eius”
Revelation 12:5  “And she brought forth a man child, who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron:  and her child was caught up unto God, and to his throne.”

2 Corinthians 12:2 “scio hominem in Christo ante annos quattuordecim sive in corpore nescio sive extra corpus nescio Deus scit raptum eiusmodi usque ad tertium caelum”
2 Corinthians 12:2  “I knew a man in Christ above fourteen years ago, (whether in the body, I cannot tell; or whether out of the body, I cannot tell:  God knoweth;) such a one caught up to the third heaven.

12:4 “quoniam raptus est in paradisum et audivit arcana verba quae non licet homini loqui”
12:4  “How that he was caught up into paradise, and heard unspeakable words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter.”

Acts 8:39 “cum autem ascendissent de aqua Spiritus Domini rapuit Philippum et amplius non vidit eum eunuchus ibat enim per viam suam gaudens”
Acts 8:39 “And when they were come up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught away Philip, that the eunuch saw him no more…”

1 Thessalonians 4:17  “deinde nos qui vivimus qui relinquimur simul rapiemur cum illis in nubibus obviam Domino in aera et sic semper cum Domino erimus”
1 Thessalonians 4:17 “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.”

In the original Greek, the word that is translated “caught up” is ἁρπάζω (harpazo), “to take away by force.”  The definition of “Harpazo” is:

1) to seize, carry off by force
2) to seize on, claim for one’s self eagerly
3) to snatch out or away²

Philip is an interesting example of someone being caught away. In Acts 8, there is the account of the Ethiopian Eunuch who was traveling along trying to understand Isaiah 53:7,8.  The Eunuch asked Philip what this passage meant.  After Philip explained it to him, the Eunuch asked to be baptized.  Philip agreed and baptized him, then immediately after the Eunuch was baptized, Philip was “caught away.”

Acts 8:39 “And when they were come up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught away Philip, that the eunuch saw him no more: and he went on his way rejoicing.”

“Caught  away” in this passage uses the Greek word “Harpazo.”  Philip disappeared and then was “found” or “seen to be present” in Azotus. (Acts 8:40).  I think it is an interesting comparison that when we are raptured as believers, WE will be found in the presence of the Lord!

Conclusion: The word “Rapture” and “Harpazo” are found in the Bible.

Footnotes:
¹ http://www.khouse.org/articles/2002/444/print/
² http://www.blueletterbible.org/lang/lexicon/lexicon.cfm?Strongs=G726&t=KJV

Next:  The Rapture Question #2: What does the term “In Christ” mean?

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On December 8, 2010, the first Marian shrine in the United States was approved by the Roman Catholic Church at the Shrine of Our Lady of Good Help in Champion Michigan.  David Ricken, the bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Green Bay, announced his official approval of the Marian apparitions stating:

“It remains to me now, the Twelfth Bishop of the Diocese of Green Bay and the lowliest of the servants of Mary, to declare with moral certainty and in accord with the norm of the Church:  That the events, apparitions and locutions given to Adele Brise in October of 1859 do exhibit the substance of supernatural character, and I do hereby approve these apparitions as worthy of belief (although not obligatory) by the Christian faithful.” [emphasis mine.]

The approved site in Champion joins with others such as–Lourdes, France; Guadalupe, Mexico; and the most famous–Fatima, Portugal.

Since the announcement in December, attendance in Champion has been booming.  It is estimated that 500-800 people a day have visited the site since that time.

This Shrine of Our Lady of Good Help in Champion, Wisconsin was featured in an ABC Nightline program July 13, 2011 at 9:00 p.m. called “Miraculous Mysteries.”

In an interview, Nightline’s co-anchor, Bill Weir asked Bishop Ricken what criteria was used to determine whether an apparition site is legitimate or not, and asked if it could possibly be demonic interference?”  In answer, Bishop Ricken first referred to 2 Corinthians 11:14, which indicates that Satan can appear as an angel of light, and then stated “I suppose he (Satan) could even fraudulently imitate the blessed mother.”

According to the same program, another Marian site is currently being considered for approval, a very famous site in Medjugorje, Bosnia.   In the early 80′s, six children–Ivan, Marija, Ivanka, Jakov, Vicka, and Mirjana began having daily visits by the  Marian Apparition.  They were each promised ten secrets regarding the future of the world.   The daily visits are still continuing for Ivan, Marija, and Vicka.  However, the daily visits ceased for Mirjana, Ivanka, and Jakov once they received the ten secrets.

Because of the fighting between the local Franciscans and the Vatican’s bishop regarding the legitimacy of the apparition and her messages, and also due to the fact that the visionaries claim that the apparition disagrees with the bishop, the Vatican stepped in last year and Pope Benedict XVI sent a commission out to look into Medjugorje.

Dr. Mark Miravalle, a leading Mariologist and one who has investigated other apparition sites for the Church, believes it will pass the Vatican’s test.  He stated:

“After 25 or 30 years … the church can have a pretty good idea about whether this is of God, or whether it’s of Satan. The message is very sound. The spiritual fruits are undeniable”

But are the messages from the Marian Apparitions sound?   And as Bishop Ricken indicated above, could any or all of the Marian apparitions be demons or Satan himself pretending to be Mary, the mother of Jesus?

Interestingly enough, it is the Marian Apparitions themselves who have provided the answer to these questions…

In many of the messages given by the Marian Apparitions in numerous locations both approved and unapproved, she calls herself the “Queen of Heaven.”

The Queen of Heaven is mentioned several times in the Bible and God makes it very clear that the Queen of Heaven does not have his approval.

Jeremiah 7:18  “The children gather wood and the fathers kindle the fire, and the women knead their dough, to make cakes to the queen of heaven, and to pour out drink offerings unto other gods, that they may provoke me (the LORD) to anger.” (Also see Jeremiah 44:17-19, 25)

Who is the Queen of Heaven?

The Queen of Heaven is just one of many names given the “Goddess of Nature” who has been worshiped from the earliest days to the present, primarily by women.

She is called:

Beltis or Mylitta–by the Babylonians
Ishtar–by the Assyrians
Astarte–by the Phoenicians
Tanata–by the Persians
Isis–by the Egyptians
Shing Moo or Holy Mother–by the Chinese
Aphrodite–by the Greeks
Artemis or Diana–by the Ephesians
Venus–by the Romans
Queen of Heaven– in the book of Jeremiah

It is no coincidence that these Marian Apparitions each call themselves the Queen of Heaven.  If the apparitions are truly of Mary the mother of Jesus, and if they have the abilities that are ascribed to the Marian Apparitions, she would certainly not choose a pagan title for herself.  So it is apparent that a demonic entity (or entities) is indeed impersonating Mary as Bishop Ricken himself indicated was a possibility–-not just certain ones as he assumes–-but ALL of them.