From: Marilyn AgeeTo: Rick Hedrick (8 Apr 2008)
Re: Only one Rapture
> > There is an interpretation taht there are two Raptures....one prior to the start of the Tribulation, and the other prior to the start of the second half of the Tribulation.There is only one Rapture. The Rapture of the Bride.Only Moses and Elijah are caught up Mid-Trib. However, I believe that there are two Raptures, Pre-Trib and Pre-Wrath. God is not going to leave one believer on Earth when he pours out his wrath on unbelievers left on Earth. The trump of God sounds two times, in I Thess. 4:16,17 and I Cor. 15:51,52. The Bride is caught up at the first trump. The Tribulation saints are caught up at the "last trump."FIRST TRUMP - PRE-TRIB RAPTURE1Thess. 4:16,17 says, "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: 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." These are the wise Philadelphian virgins with enough oil of the Holy Spirit in their lamps. They have confessed their sins comitted after accepting Christ so God can cleanse them from all unrighteousness (I John 1:9). Then the Holy Spirit will well up within them.At this point, none of these raptured ones have "put on immortality." This happens after the 2nd Rapture. Heb 11:40 says, "God having provided some better thing for us, that they without us should not be made perfect."LAST TRUMP - PRE-WRATH RAPTURE1Cor. 15:51=53 says, "Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, AT THE LAST TRUMP: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality."On the Day of God's Wrath at the end of the shortened Tribulation, God will catch up all the Tribulation saints. Rev. 6:16,17 says that men say "to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb: For THE GREAT DAY OF HIS WRATH IS COME; and who shall be able to stand?"Then Rev. 7:9,14 says, "After this (i.e., after the Day of God's Wrath has begun, and after the 144,000 Israelites are sealed) I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of ALL NATIONS (including the 144,000 Jews just sealed), and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne (in Heaven), and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands...And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they which CAME OUT OF GREAT TRIBULATION (the last half of the 7-year Tribulation), and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb."THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY IN HEAVEN ON THE DAY OF GOD'S WRATH ON EARTHThe Bride caught up to Heaven before the Tribulation is gathered to the General Assembly from one end of HEAVEN to the other. Mt. 24:31 says, "he shall send his angels with a great sound of a TRUMPET, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of HEAVEN to the other."The Tribulation saints are gathered from the Earth. Mark 13:27 says, "And then shall he send his angels, and shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from the uttermost part of the EARTH to the uttermost part of HEAVEN."Heb. 12:22-24 says, "But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels, To the GENERAL ASSEMBLY and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men MADE PERFECT (i.e., all saints actually become immortal in the twinkling of an eye at the 2nd Rapture), And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel."Rev 8:1 And when he had opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven (and Earth, Hab. 2:20), about the space of half an hour." This is when Jesus will be crowned and take his seat as judge at the Judgment Seat of Christ." After that, rewards are given the saints at the same time that the unbelievers on Earth get their just rewards for their unbelief.Rev. 11:15-19 says, "And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall REIGN for ever and ever. And the four and twenty elders, which sat before God on their seats, fell upon their faces, and worshipped God, Saying, We give thee thanks, O Lord God Almighty, which art (on the Day of God's Wrath, Tishri 1), and wast (at the 1st Advent, in 30 AD), and art to come (at the Second Advent, 7 months future, on Nisan 1, Eze. 39:12,13); because thou hast taken to thee thy great power, and hast reigned. And the nations were angry (Gog's army is attacking Israel, Eze. 38:18-20), and THY WRATH IS COME, and the time of the dead, that they should be JUDGED, and that thou shouldest GIVE REWARD UNTO THY SERVANTS the prophets, and to the saints, and them that fear thy name, small and great; and shouldest DESTROY THEM WHICH DESTROY THE EARTH. And the temple of God was opened in heaven, and there was seen in his temple the ark of his testament (and its two stone tablets, like those Moses smashed, representing the two asteroids that will smash into Earth because the commandments have been broken): and there were lightnings, and voices, and thunderings, and an EARTHQUAKE, and great hail."> > prior to the start of the Tribulation. This is when the Bride, in Her entitety (resurrected and raptured Christians), is taken by the Groom to His Father's House. No part of Her is left behind.The WISE virgins go in the first Rapture, and the FOOLISH virgins go in the second Rapture.Luke 12:46 says, "The lord of that servant (the foolish one) will come in a day when he looketh not for him, and at an hour when he is not aware, and will cut him in sunder (lit., cut him off), and will appoint him his portion (the Tribulation) with the unbelievers."Mt. 24:51 adds, "And shall cut him asunder, and appoint him his portion (the Tribulation) with the hypocrites (pretenders): there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth."We must be called, and chosen, and faithful.Mt. 22:10-14 says, "So those servants went out into the highways, and gathered together all as many as they found, both bad and good: and the wedding was furnished with guests. And when the king came in to see the guests, he saw there a man which had not on a wedding garment: And he saith unto him, Friend, how camest thou in hither not having a wedding garment? And he was speechless. Then said the king to the servants, Bind him hand and foot, and take him away, and cast him into outer darkness (i.e., outside the door darkness); there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. For MANY ARE CALLED, BUT FEW ARE CHOSEN."In Rev. 17:14, we see that those that have gone up in the first Rapture are called and chosen and faithful. It says of Christ, "he is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that ARE WITH HIM ARE CALLED, AND CHOSEN, AND FAITHFUL."Of those caught up in the Pre-Wrath Rapture, only the 144,000 are added to the Bride group.Those caught up in the first Rapture all sing a NEW SONG. Rev. 5:8-10 says, "...saints. And they sung a NEW SONG, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation; And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on (or over) the earth."Of the Tribulation saints, Rev. 14:3-5 says, "And they sung as it were a new song before the throne, and before the four beasts, and the elders: and NO MAN COULD LEARN THAT SONG BUT THE HUNDRED AND FORTY AND FOUR THOUSAND WHICH WERE REDEEMED FROM THE EARTH. These are they which were not defiled with women; for THEY ARE VIRGINS. These are they which follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth. These were redeemed from among men, being the firstfruits unto God and to the Lamb. And in their mouth was found no guile: FOR THEY ARE WITHOUT FAULT BEFORE THE THRONE OF GOD."