Doves:
I get weary when I see people try to steal away the "blessed hope" of the believers! I disagree with those who say that we have to be PURIFIED and tried before we go up in the rapture! Jesus was our PURIFICATION and our SANCTFICATION! To be tortured, starved - murdered - watching our children die? What kind of "blessed hope" is that? Paul discusses the rapture and he called it a "mystery," because it had not yet been revealed. Lot was saved right before destruction hit and so was Noah. Enoch was caught up alive BEFORE the flood. Enoch is a TYPE of the Christian who is caught up alive at the rapture. Joseph, son of Jacob, who was sold into slavery in Egypt was one of the greatest TYPES of Christ in the Bible. He got his WIFE BEFORE the 7 years of famine hit Egypt! MOSES got his wife BEFORE the 7 plagues hit Egypt (which is always a type of the world in the Bible) Jesus gets His Bride BEFORE the wrath of God hits this earth. We are NOT appointed to wrath, but to salvation. This coming tribulation is not like anything that has ever hit this planet before! Jesus said so Himself. It is the time of God's WRATH! It is a time of GRIEF and DESPERATE SORROW (Isa 17:11) He pours out his full FURY on a non-believing world. The church is NOT mentioned after Rev. 4:1 again until we see the church coming back WITH Jesus in chapter 19:14. The church is MISSING - yes MISSING from chapters 4.2 through 19:13 - WHY??? Because she is UP in heaven WITH the LAMB!!!!! John was the "disciple whom Jesus loved." Why does it say that about John? John was said to have been leaning on the Lord's breast at the last supper, probably across the same RIB that Eve came out of Adam and right where the spear went in Jesus' side. It is because John was loved in a special way - John is a TYPE OF THE CHURCH and Jesus loved John in a special way - Jesus loves the CHURCH in a special way. John is the disciple who LIVED to see the return of Jesus on Patmos and John was CAUGHT UP in 4:1 of Rev - a type of the rapture!!!! Jesus told Martha - "I am the resurrection and the life - he that believes in me - though he were dead (1st group - those who have already died in Christ) yet shall he live," and "he that LIVES and believes in me shall NEVER die" - SECOND group -this refers to the generation of believers who will go UP ALIVE at the rapture having NEVER died! Jesus addressed TWO GROUPS of people when he was speaking to Martha. Now - God may pour out His judgment on America or any other nation - and he already is with all the fires, floods, earthquakes, famines and hurricanes ---etc, but his judgment and His WRATH are TWO different things! JESUS faced the WRATH of God for all those who put their trust in HIM! We do not have to go through it twice! We may have to face judgment here in the US for the sins of our nation, but it will be BEFORE the GREAT Tribulation where God pours out his FURY on this world.