First, John Tng is correct in saying that understanding the Rapture is not essential to ones spiritual welfare, whereas responding to the Gospel message is.  We certainly cannot get to Heaven without understanding and believing the Gospel message.  Although it is a very simple message, as is the Rapture message, it has been misunderstood by many.  The case of the thief on the cross next to Jesus shows just how simple and basic are God's requirements for our salvation.  All the guy had to do was admit that he deserved his punishment, but Jesus didn't.  After proclaiming this, he asked Jesus to remember him when He (Jesus) came into His Kingdom.  That was it!  That's all it took for Jesus to say "Today thou shalt be with me in Paradise."  How much simpler can it be??  And the well known verse of John 3:16 also states just how simple the Gospel message is.  Its beauty and glory are in the very simplicity of it!!  Yet there are those who insist on complicating it by not only adding a list of further requirements other than just believing, but who are determined to also add the contradictory notion that it is possible to lose one's salvation. 

 

The message of the Rapture, likewise, is a very simple message.  All who become saved following the resurrection of Jesus will be taken with Him to Heaven when He returns for His Bride prior to the commencement of the 70th week of God's redemptive plan for Israel.  God's plan for His Church is very simple, in contrast to His plan for Israel.  And the contrast is intentional.  The Old Testament Law is very complicated, and Israel's redemption is very complicated.  But in contrast, God's grace to the New Testament believer is very simple and their redemption is very simple.  Is it not logical that Satan would want the Christian to doubt that God's grace to the believer could be so simple and unconditional.  Doesn't it make sense that he would want the Christian to believe that salvation, and God's plan for His Church, is complicated?  He knows that this would make some not even want to be a Christian, and others to feel the need to take over where God's grace allegedly falls short.  He knows that it is to his benefit when believers are convinced that God's grace and His promises to believers are not unconditional.  It misdirects the believers faith.  He would much rather the Christian have faith in their own abilities and attempts to please God rather than in God's ability to keep His promises to them in spite of their short-comings.  Satan loves it when the believer doubts both the unconditionality of God's grace, and their own worth in God's eyes.  It goes against the grain of the whole Gospel concept to believe that:  1) salvation can be lost, and 2) that a believer may not make it as Christ comes to Rapture His Bride. 

 

I appreciate the comments of those who are in agreement on this.  And I respect the rights of those who believe otherwise to do so.  Some very good observations were made in response to my previous post, and I rejoice in knowing that others are able to see the beauty in the simplicity and absoluteness of God's grace to the believer.  My intention is not to convey that one's salvation is dependant upon understanding the truth about the Rapture.  Rather, my intention is to convey that one's understanding of the Rapture is based on one's understanding of the Gospel message.  Its all part of the same Gift to those who believe.  The Gift begins with salvation, continues with the Rapture, and is eternally refreshed forever after.  And all one has to do is believe!!   We can either taint it all with self-imposed and deceptive complications, or we can humbly admit that we are in need of the fullness of God's grace, that we can offer nothing of our own merit as a means of influencing God.  To the believer who does good works He promised rewards upon entering Heaven.  But to the believer per se, He promised eternal salvation, which includes the guarantee of going to Heaven when Christ comes for his Bride. 

 

To Barry Amundsen, I appreciate your attempt to demonstrate where Paul allegedly speaks of two Raptures.  What you actually did was explain your interpretation of passages in which you have imposed the theory of two Raptures.  You are confusing Rapture with resurrection.  The points you are making have to do with resurrection, and it is true that there will be more than one resurrection.  But there is only one Rapture.  The Rapture includes one of the resurrections, but it is more than just a resurrection.  The Rapture is when Christ comes for His Bride.  This includes both living and dead Christians.  The part of the Bride who is dead will be resurrected, and the part of the Bride who is living will be transformed.  There are resurrections of the dead prior to the Rapture, and there will be resurrections after the Rapture.  But as for living humans being transformed into glorified bodies without experiencing death first, this happens once and only once.  (Of course there are the cases of Elijah and Enoch, but I believe God has special plans for them.  I believe that they will be the 2 witnesses because the two witnesses die and are resurrected.  They didn't actually skip death, their death was just postponed until the Tribulation period.  Moses, who some believe will be one of the witnesses, has already died once.  How can he die again in the Tribulation?)  If you care to, please comment on what else I said in my post, in particular the last 2 paragraphs. 

 

To Kevin Heckle, you are calling the raising of the saved dead a Rapture and the transformation of the living a Rapture.  This is only one Rapture, as I explained above.  It includes a resurrection of the dead believers and a transformation of the dead and the living believers.