From: Marilyn Agee
My thoughts, Re: Thunder at Rapture and beginning of the
Tribulation
Hi:
I now think that the Pre-Trib Rapture, the FIRST TRUMP, will
take place on the same day that the Tribulation begins. I feel sure that the
Pre-Wrath Rapture, the LAST TRUMP, will take place before
"noon" (Zeph. 2:3-5) on the same day that the Millennium begins. If the
LAST TRUMP will be on the same day that an identified chunk of time (the
1000-year Kingdom of Christ) begins, the FIRST TRUMP may also be on the
same day that an identified chunk of time (the Tribulation) begins. God
works in orderly ways.
We know from I Thess. 4:16,17 that there will be a great noise at the
time of the Pre-Trib Rapture. "For the Lord himself shall descend from
heaven with a SHOUT, with the VOICE of the archangel, and with the TRUMP of
God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and
remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord
in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord."
That night, we will be taken to Heaven. In John 14:3, Jesus said, "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." Since He will not be on Earth
during the Tribulation, we will not be on Earth during the Tribulation
either.
What will the first trump of God sound like at the first Rapture? The
type is found in Ex. 19. Verse 4 says, "I bare you on eagles' wings, and
brought you unto myself", and the first trumpet of God in the Bible sounded at
Mt. Sinai.
Ex. 19:16-20 says, "it came to pass on the third day in the morning, that
there were THUNDERS and lightnings, and a thick cloud upon the mount, and THE
VOICE OF THE TRUMPET EXCEEDING LOUD; so that all the people that was in the
camp trembled. And Moses brought forth the people out of the camp to meet
with God; and they stood at the nether part of the mount. And mount Sinai
was altogether on a smoke, because THE LORD DESCENDED upon it in fire: and the
smoke thereof ascended as the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mount quaked
greatly. And when the VOICE OF THE TRUMPET sounded long, and WAXED
LOUDER AND LOUDER, Moses spake, and God answered him by a VOICE. And the
LORD CAME DOWN upon mount Sinai, on the top of the mount: and THE LORD CALLED
MOSES UP to the top of the mount; and MOSES WENT UP."
Job 40:9 asks, "Hast thou an arm like God? or canst thou THUNDER WITH A
VOICE LIKE HIM?" There was THUNDER when the LORD CALLED MOSES UP. This seems
significant. Maybe there will be thunder at the Rapture.
When do we find thunder in "The Revelation of Jesus Christ"? It is only
mentioned twice in the book, near or at the time of both Raptures.
IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE PRE-TRIB RAPTURE, Rev. 6:1 says,
"I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seals, and I heard, as it were
(symbolic language) THE NOISE OF
THUNDER, one of the four beasts saying, Come and see." This
is after saints "out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation"
sing a "NEW SONG" (Rev. 5:9) before the throne in Heaven. These are Bride
saints wearing white robes, Philadelphians for whom Jesus had no words of
condemnation, not Laodiceans that lacked "white raiment" (Rev. 3:16-18).
AT THE PRE-WRATH RAPTURE, Rev. 14:2 says, "I HEARD
A VOICE FROM HEAVEN, AS THE VOICE OF MANY WATERS, AND AS (symbolic
language) THE VOICE OF A GREAT THUNDER: and I heard the
voice of harpers harping with their harps: And they (the 144,000 Israelites)
sung as it were a NEW SONG before the throne" in Heaven.
At the second Rapture, only the 144,000 can sing the "new song." Rev.
14:3 says, "they sung as it were a NEW SONG before the throne, and before the
four beasts, and the elders: and no man could learn that song but the hundred
and forty and four thousand, which were redeemed from the earth."
At the second Rapture, only the 144,000 Israelites are added to the Bride
group already in Heaven. Rev. 14:4,5 says, "These are they which were not
defiled with women; for THEY ARE VIRGINS. These are they which follow the Lamb
whithersoever he goeth. These were redeemed from among men, being the
FIRSTFRUITS unto God and to the Lamb. And in their mouth was found no guile:
for they are WITHOUT FAULT before the throne of God."
Jesus Christ is THE FIRSTFRUIT/FIRSTFRUITS. I Cor. 15:20 says, "now is
Christ risen from the dead, and become the FIRSTFRUITS of them that
slept."
Both the Church saints and the 144,000 Israelites are
also FIRSTFRUITS. In Romans 8:23, Paul said, "ourselves also, which have
the FIRSTFRUITS OF THE SPIRIT, even we ourselves groan within ourselves,
waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body." Romans 16:5
says, "Likewise greet the CHURCH that is in their house. Salute my
well-beloved Epaenetus, who is the FIRSTFRUITS of Achaia unto Christ." James
1:18 says, "Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should
be A KIND OF FIRSTFRUITS of his creatures."
I Cor. 15:22,23 says, "For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall
all be made alive. But every man in his own order (tagmati, rank, i.e., of the
First Resurrection): Christ the FIRSTFRUITS; afterward they that are Christ's
at his coming." He comes in the air at both Raptures.
Christ will keep the first group of saints OUT OF the
Tribulation trial that will come upon all the Earth. Rev. 3:10 says,
"Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from
(ek, OUT OF) the hour of temptation (peirazo, trial), which shall come
upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth."
The second group of saints come OUT OF the Tribulation. Rev.
7:14 says, "These are they which came OUT OF (ek) great tribulation, and
have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb."
It looks like the Pre-Trib Rapture at beginning of the Tribulation
is marked by thunder. The Pre-Wrath Rapture and the beginning of the
Millennium are also marked by thunder. That is the Day of God's Wrath when the
asteroids of Rev. 8:8 and 10 impact Earth. Isa. 29:5-7 says, "it shall be at
an instant suddenly. Thou shalt be visited of the LORD of hosts with
thunder, and with earthquake, and great noise, with storm and tempest, and the
flame of devouring fire. And the multitude of all the nations that fight
against Ariel, even all that fight against her and her munition, and that
distress her, shall be as a dream of a night vision." Psa. 81:7 says, "Thou
calledst in trouble, and I delivered thee; I answered thee in the secret place
of thunder".
Agape, Marilyn
1 Thess. 1:10: "wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the
dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come.
Marilyn Agee
8641 Sugar Gum Rd.
Riverside, CA
92508