The rapture is the first-fruits offering of the Saints, to God, and is commonly called the "First-Fruits Rapture".

First-fruits are also the first 10%, the tithe offering, of the fruit of the land at each Harvest, to God.  (The Hebrews had 3 Harvest Festivals each year, Firstfruits (Barley), Pentecost (Wheat), and Tabernacles (olives & vine-fruit).)

Which brings up an interesting question.  Will the "First-Fruits Rapture" consist of 10% of the people of Earth?  Since it includes those who are dead that will rise first it could be 10% of all the people who have lived up to that time on Earth.

We also know there will be a great Harvest during the Tribulation.

Now, guess what the word "decimate" originally mean't.

Well, a hint is the prefix Deci- which means 10.  For example, the word "decade" means 10 years, "decimal" is base 10, and "decibel" is log base 10.

The word "decimate" originally meant the killing of every 10th person, which was the Roman army's punishment for mutinous legions.

So the removal of every 10th person from the earth in the Rapture would "decimate" the Earth while at the same time be a "first-fruits" tithe to God.

Shalom,
Ted Porter