Dear Bruce and the rest of the Doves,

The elect are those whom God has chosen in Christ before the foundation of
the world (Ephesians 1:4).  Many of the elect are raptured in Christ (I
believe on a Feast of Trumpets because it fits).  But there are still some
elect from every tribe and nation who did not receive Christ before the
rapture but will during the tribulation.  Many of them will be killed
(martyred for their faith) as we see in Revelation 6:9-11.  We also see
Revelation 7:9-10 speaking of a multitude of believers who came out of the
Tribulation.  Many Jews will come to faith in Christ during the Tribulation
also.

The reason I believe the rapture will be on the Feast of Trumpets is for
many reasons.  One of the reasons is that in Jewish tradition there were
three shofars blown called, The First Trump (at Pentecost), the Last Trump
(on Feast of Trumpets or Rosh Hashanah), and The Great Trump (on Yom
Kippur).  The Feast of Trumpets is both a call to assembly and a call to
repentance.  It would be an assembly of those in Christ and repentance for
Israel and all those left behind that were not IN Christ at the time of the
rapture.  The Feast of Trumpets is also known as, "The day and hour which
no
man knoweth."  It is called that because the Feast of Trumpets is on a new
moon.  There are two days given to the Feast of Trumpets because they are
not sure which day or hour the new moon appears.

For a person to truly understand much of the terminology in the Bible, we
need to understand the customs of the times & their terminology.


Regarding the rapture:


In John 14:2-3 we read,  *2*In my Father's house are many mansions: if *it
were* not *so*, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.*3*And
if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto
myself; that where I am, *there* ye may be also.


That passage in John 14 is understood best when we understand ancient Jewish
wedding customs.  A groom would build a room onto his father's house for him
and his bride.  When the father felt the place was finished, he would tell
the son, "Son, go get your bride."  The groom & the wedding party
would
gather, there would be *a shout and a blast of the trumpet *and they would
go to meet the bride who had been waiting and making preparations for her
groom to return.  They would then go to their room on the father's house
(the bridal chamber) and would stay there for 7 days and consummate the
marriage. There are more details, but I won't address them here.  But after
the 7 days, the bride and groom would leave the bridal chamber and would
join the guests for their wedding feast.  I believe the Bible reveals that
the wedding feast will occur on earth when the bride and groom come out of
their wedding chamber (See Joel 2:16).  Isaiah 25:6-8, *6*The LORD of hosts
will prepare a lavish banquet for all peoples on this mountain; A banquet of
aged wine, choice pieces with marrow, And refined, aged wine.  *7*And on
this mountain He will swallow up the covering which is over all peoples,
Even the veil which is stretched over all nations.  *8*He will swallow up
death for all time, And the Lord GOD will wipe tears away from all faces,
And He will remove the reproach of His people from all the earth; For the
LORD has spoken.

I am so excited for the Lord's return, but until then, let's keep sharing
the good news, the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Leisa