NOAH AND LOTAfter reading others' thoughts about Noah and Lot, I have been thinking about the various viewpoints. And so, if I can just titrate out some substance to these thoughts, which may add to the mix, (or just confuse myself more......) I would add:
Noah and Lot are two very different types of characters. And we are to learn from the Old Testament, as examples. The people at the time of Noah were complacent until "the day that Noah went into the ark". The people in the days of Lot were complacent until Lot was taken out of the city. After the rapture, and the arrival of the a/c, the four horsemen begin to be sent upon the earth, meaning the tribulation will start. The reason for the rapture is so that we can "escape all these things", and if the complacency continued until mid-trib, what then have we escaped? And there was complacency until Lot was taken out.
For Noah, the Lord says (and I don't quote exactly), that it will be thus "at the coming of the Son of Man". But for Lot, He says "thus will it be when the Lord is REVEALED". Now is the "coming", the same as the "revealing"? For, some say that He comes secretly for the rapture, but is revealed at a later rapture. That is just another bone to chew on, for I don't know just how evident the rapture will actually be, especially if it is accompanied by a great earthquake, which earthquake might happen at the raising of the dead in Christ.
In Luke, after His discussion about Lot, He gives a parable about the good man of the house who didn't know the watch the thief was coming and so "his house was broken up". Lot's family was separated, and all was confusion for him, and in fact he was "forcefully" taken by angels out of the city, dividing his family both prior to his leaving, and afterward, when his confused wife became, well, you know.............
Now, Noah had planned according to the directions of God, the building of the ark, and knew the times and seasons of the coming of the flood. He prepared his family, who accompanied him without hesitations or reservations, because Noah had brought the Word of the Lord to them, and they had become believers.
To the big Kingdom-writers out there, all in the church will go at the rapture, both those who are ready, and those who are not (the Lot's). We are told that "the Lord Himself" will descend from heaven and take us to Himself, at the sound of a trumpet. But He also says elsewhere that He "will send my ANGELS", again with a trumpet, to gather His elect. Here, we can see that He Himself gathers the Noah's who are ready, but it may be that He sends His angels to gather the Lot's, who are not ready, and have to be "forcibly" removed at the rapture. The Kingdom guys say that these Lot's / unwise virgins, will be "shut out", but that does not mean to suffer tribulation on earth, but denied certain privileges in heaven, and in the coming Kingdom of our Lord, for Paul says that we will "ALL' appear at the judgment seat of Christ, and that our works will be tried in the fire, and that the ones with only wood, hay and stubble, are still saved, but, "so as by fire" (the judging of their Lot-like lifestyles, having no precious metals or stones). This pre-supposes that all are present at this judgment at the same time, not separated by a lag in time. The coming Kingdom, will have positions of authority, and positions in nearness to the Lord, and also more lowly positions, and He will reward these positions in His hierarchy, as He sees fit, starting with the twelve apostles to whom He promised the very highest positions. Lot was in a high position in the city of Sodom, but ended up in a very lowly position in the mountains, and thereafter, after being forced out of the city. Likewise, the Lot's who are raptured, will be forced out of their worldly high positions, and be of no account in the Lord's Kingdom. Jesus said, those who are exalted (on earth), will be debased (in the Kingdom).
One thing that I think we can be certain of, is that our Lord is merciful. He saved Lot, because of the intervention of Abraham on his nephew's behalf. We pray so often for those we love, that they should not enter any tribulation, and this precedent of Abraham / Lot, shows us that our Lord hears our prayers, and will "save" our beloved ones, even if He has to send angels to drag them out of their worldly lives. But, like Lot, they may lose a spouse or in-laws in that taking-away. (by angels)
If there be a time-period separation of these two raptures or two types of raptures (the Lord Himself taking unto Himself, and His sending of angles to take to safety), I really cannot figure out, although Marilyn Agee presents some pretty good arguments that there may be a time period between the two raptures. The Kingdom guys say all will be taken at the same time, but some will lose their crowns and rewards. One of these crowns is the crown of righteousness, which those who "love His appearing", will receive. Well, right there, if those who love His appearing, receive one of these crowns (and I sure would love to get one of those, to add to the three gold crowns my dentist has presented to me.....)--- (I did try to be humble at these sessions) , that pre-supposes that there will be those who do not get one of these crowns, in other words at the judgment seat of Christ-- no rapture-love, no crown.
Somehow, it just seems to me that the Noah's and the Lot's are going to be taken at the same time, but under differing circumstances (some called by the Lord Himself, as typed by Abraham's PERSONAL visit by the Lord, and his close communion with the Lord, the day prior to the burning of the cities) and the others yanked out by angels), Maybe not. Or, maybe the two raptures are just one day apart, as seen by Abraham's personal visit, and the next day of Lot's eviction. But, I want the Lot's in my family to be with the Lord, and with me. Gee,,,,how much prayer time have I taken up, with trying to convince Jesus that he should take my cat, Switch----here, one of my petitions is that Noah got to take his animals in the ark with him, so hey what about Switch?; secondly, He sent me this cat for comfort in some hard times over the last couple years, so how could this beautiful and comforting creature not be important to Him?(He knows every fallen sparrow) ; thirdly, how could He leave behind in tribulation, my cat- who would feed her? Fourthly, nothing is impossible for our Lord, and I don't think He will be too busy raising 2000 years' worth of those who sleep in Christ, plus countless living watchers, that He could not handle a few cats and dogs, and birds, for whom the nervous-Nellies down here have repeated bothered Him about?
Your sister in Christ...............Arlene