Marilyn Agee (2 July 2008)
"Where in Scripture does it say that the rapture MUST OCCUR BEFORE the seven-year tribulation begins"

From: Marilyn Agee
Re: Bruce Warner (1 July 2008) "WHERE IN SCRIPTURE DOES IT SAY ?"
 
Hi:
 
> > Where in Scripture does it say that the rapture MUST OCCUR BEFORE the seven-year tribulation begins ? Could it be that the rapture may occur AFTER the seven-year tribulation begins, and "after we have suffered a little while"? Could the pre-trib rapture really be better described as  an early-trib rapture?
 
No. The 1st Rapture is Pre-Trib. It takes place when the first trump sounds (I Thess. 4:16). The 2nd Rapture is Pre-Wrath. It takes place when the "last trump" sounds (I Cor. 15:51,52).
 
 "The Revelation of Jesus Christ" is written as if it is 10 days before the Rapture (Rev. 2:10). It is at hand in both the first and last chapters (1:3 and 22:10). Rev. 1:19 said for John to "Write the things which thou hast seen (i.e., before the Rapture), and the things which are (at the time of the Rapture), and the things which shall be hereafter" (after the Rapture).
 
Watch the progression. In chapters 2 and 3, John wrote down Jesus' monologue to the churches as viewed 10 days before the Rapture.
 
Rev 4:1 is the Pre-Trib Rapture. It says, "a door was opened in heaven: and the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me; which said, COME UP HITHER, and I will shew thee things which must be hereafter (i.e., after the Pre-Trib Rapture).
 
In Heaven, John was seated on his throne with the other 23 elders, i.e., the 12 patriarchs and the 12 apostles that were caught up at the same time John was.
 
Rev 4:2-4,6 says, "And immediately I was (lit., became) in the spirit: and, behold, a throne was set in heaven, and one sat on the throne. And he that sat was to look upon like a jasper (1st stone in the breastplate) and a sardine stone (last in the breastplate) (i.e., Christ, the first and the last, LORD of the Old Testament and Lord of the New Testament): and there was a rainbow round about the throne (i.e., Heaven, Saturn, has a halo of 7 rings), in sight like unto an emerald (Judah's stone, i.e., Jesus is Lion of the tribe of Judah). And round about the throne were four and twenty seats (lit., thrones): and upon the seats I saw four and twenty elders sitting, clothed in white raiment; and they had on their heads crowns of gold....And before the throne there was a sea of glass (i.e., ice) like unto crystal" (Saturn's rings are made up of ice crystals).

Since Jesus, the God/man is seated on his throne, to depict his taking the Seven-sealed Title Deed of the Earth, a symbolic lamb is used.

After this, we see the saints in Heaven. 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 (epi, on or over) the earth."

Rev 5:12,13 pictures thousands of angels "Saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing. And every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I saying, Blessing, and honour, and glory, and power, be unto him that sitteth upon the throne (Jesus as God), and unto the Lamb (Jesus as man, the Saviour) for ever and ever." The first Rapture is history.
 
As the next chapter begins, the Tribulation begins. Rev. 6:1,2 says, "And I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seals, and I heard, as it were the noise of thunder, one of the four beasts saying, Come and see. And I saw, and behold a white horse: and he (the 1st beast of Rev. 13) that sat on him had a bow (lit., simple cloth, i.e., he is a religious leader, a man of the cloth, probably the Tribulation Pope); and a crown was given unto him: and he went forth conquering, and to conquer."
 
At the end of the shortened Tribulation, the 2nd Rapture will take place. It is the Pre-Wrath Rapture. In Rev. 6:15-17, the Day of God's Wrath has arrived. It says, "And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains; And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him (Christ, as God) that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb (Christ as the Saviour): For THE GREAT DAY OF HIS WRATH IS COME; and who shall be able to stand?"
 
Before the wrath of God hits Earth, the Tribulation saints are caught up to Heaven. Rev. 7:9,14-17 says, "After this I beheld, and, lo, A GREAT MULTITUDE, which no man could number, OF ALL NATIONS, AND KINDREDS, AND PEOPLE, AND TONGUES, stood before the throne (Jesus as God), and before the Lamb (Jesus as man and Saviour), 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, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Therefore are they before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple: and he that sitteth on the throne shall dwell among them. They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more; neither shall the sun light on them, nor any heat. For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes."

After the Pre-Wrath Rapture has removed all believers, and all children, from the Earth, there is silence on Earth and in Heaven as Jesus is seated as judge at the Judgment Seat of Christ. After that, the 7 trumpets are given to the 7 angels and the Wrath of God falls on unbelievers left on Earth.

Hab 2:20 says, "But the LORD (YHWH of hosts, the Redeemer; Isa. 44:6) is in his holy temple: let all the EARTH KEEP SILENCE before him."

Rev 8:1,2 says, "when he had opened the seventh seal, there was SILENCE IN HEAVEN about the space of half an hour. And I saw the seven angels which stood before God; and to them were given seven trumpets.

After that, the asteroid as large as a mountain will hit the Mediterranean Sea, and the asteroid called an aster (star) named Wormwood will obliterate Babylon, Iraq (Rev. 8:8-10).

Of the Day of God's Wrath, Jer 50:35-40 says, "A sword is upon the Chaldeans, saith the LORD, and upon the inhabitants of BABYLON, and upon her princes, and upon her wise men. A sword is upon the liars; and they shall dote: a sword is upon her mighty men; and they shall be dismayed. A sword is upon their horses, and upon their chariots, and upon all the mingled people that are in the midst of her; and they shall become as women: a sword is upon her treasures; and they shall be robbed. A drought is upon her waters; and they shall be dried up: for it is the land of graven images, and they are mad upon their idols. Therefore the wild beasts of the desert with the wild beasts of the islands shall dwell there, and the owls shall dwell therein: and it shall be no more inhabited for ever; neither shall it be dwelt in from generation to generation. As God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah and the neighbour cities thereof, saith the LORD; so shall no man abide there, neither shall any son of man dwell therein."

Of the Day of God's Wrath, the first day of the Millennium, Rev. 11:15-19 says, "the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of OUR LORD (YHWH King of Israel), AND OF HIS CHRIST (YHWH of hosts, the Redeemer; Isa. 44:6); 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 1st day of the Millennium), and wast (at the First Advent), and art to come (at the Second Advent 7 months future; Eze. 39:12,13); because thou hast taken to thee thy great power, and hast reigned. And the nations were angry, and THY WRATH IS COME, AND THE TIME OF THE DEAD, THAT THEY SHOULD BE JUDGED (i.e., at the Judgment Seat of Christ), 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 (i.e., with the two stone tablets in it): and there were lightnings, and voices, and thunderings, and an earthquake (a worldwide earthquake; Eze. 38:20), and great hail."

Agape,
Marilyn Agee
mjagee@verizon.net
http://prophecycorner.com/agee/index.html