THE CASE FOR TWO RAPTURES

Adapted by Vernon Gray

 

 

Two Raptures – Two Doors?
The situation is different for the Philadelphian Church of Revelation. Addressing them, Jesus said, “I know thy works: behold, I have set before thee an open door”

(Rev. 3:8).

This open door is a symbol of the Rapture. As the fourth chapter of Revelation begins, “…behold, a door was opened in heaven: and the first voice which I heard...as a trumpet...said, Come up hither.”
But in the Parable of the fig tree we see that there is more than one Door/Rapture.

Jesus said in Matthew 24: 33 “So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things know that it is near, even at the doors.”

And again repeated in Mark 13: 29 “So ye in like manner, when ye shall see these things come to pass, know that it is nigh, even at the doors.”

 

Since "doors" is plural, does that mean that there are two Raptures?

Days of Noah Versus Days of Lot
There are at least two days of the Son of man. In Luke 17:22, Jesus mentioned "one of the days of the Son of man" to his disciples. “Doors” as we saw earlier is plural,  and again we find here that “Days” too is plural. Is this signifying that there is more than one day of the Son of Man?

The two differences stand out when you examine the days of Noah and Lot in Matthew 24:37-42 and Luke 17:26-37.

Marriage is mentioned in the days of Noah but not in the days of Lot.

No fire falls in the days of Noah, but fire (wrath from God) falls in the days of Lot.

Could these types represent two different Raptures? One Pre-Trib and the other

Pre-Wrath?

 Also, since marriage is mentioned in the days of Noah, it seems that the Bride of Christ will be taken to Heaven first, and then the rest of the Body of Christ will be caught up just before the Wrath of God is poured out at the end of the Tribulation.
Since the first Rapture is as the days of Noah, we should easily make the connection that the first Rapture is only for the Bride of Christ. Everyone that went into the Ark was married. Even the animals went in two by two.

It is worth noting that in Biblical Jewish culture a betrothal (or engagement) was as binding on both parties as if they were already married.

Jesus gave us a command to “…watch and pray always,” that we “… may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.” (Luke 21: 36)

It is here implied that there will be those persons who will be translated into the immediate presence of the Son of man, that is, by being caught up to him in the clouds, (The Rapture.)

Something of the same sort is intimated in Isaiah 26:20, where God's peculiar people are called up… “Come, my people, enter your chambers, And shut your doors behind you; Hide yourself, as it were, for a little moment, Until the indignation is past.”

Yet in Revelation 7:9 – 14  we read of a great multitude of the redeemed who are represented as having had to suffer the very woes described in Isaiah and other Scriptures. This multitude clearly reached heaven by going through at least part of the Tribulation.

 

It is specifically said, “These are they which came out of the great tribulation,” – not out of tribulation in general, but the Great Tribulation. The actual wording in the Greek is – “out of the tribulation, the great one.” – which we also find described in…

Daniel 12:1 "At that time Michael shall stand up, The great prince who stands watch over the sons of your people; And there shall be a time of trouble, Such as never was since there was a nation, Even to that time. And at that time your people shall be delivered, Every one who is found written in the book.”

 

Matthew 24:21-22; “For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be.

And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect's sake those days will be shortened.”

 

Now, as we have seen, some were  worthy to escape the Tribulation by their removal into the presence of Christ. We assume that these are prepared for the Groom and are eagerly waiting for Him on a daily basis. They are not caught unawares because they live righteous and committed lives.

Other believers, it seems only reach their places before the throne of God by passing throughout the Tribulation.

If that is indeed the case, surely then there must be two stages in the removal of the complete Church. That would imply two distinct Raptures.

One for the Bride of Christ and one for the Body of Christ?

A bride was acquired for Adam from his own body, his rib.

The first Adam received a bride that was taken out from his body.

The typology fits – a Bride for the last Adam is taken out from His Body i.e. the Church.

 

1Thessalonians 5:4 “But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief.”  “That day” is not a 24hour period. It is a season or a period of time in which the Bride of Christ knows that the end is very close. Although the exact day may not be known, the Bride of Christ is confident that the season for His return is upon her.

We have to address the matter of True Believers who are saved, born again but are not walking in the Spirit. They are in the world, pre-occupied with their own lives and in many cases living in sin. The problem with Churches today is that they preach on how to improve your life, which is not important at all. It's losing your life for Christ's sake that should be preached so that you may find your true identity. There are few that have found that narrow road. Many Christians who have been bought with the blood of Christ are on the wide highway that leads to a wide gate.

Will they be Raptured in spite of their lifestyle?

 

In Revelation 14:1 – 5 we read of a certain number of the “redeemed from among men,”  who have reached the heavenly state in the presence of the Lamb, and who are called “…the first fruits unto God.”

There is a difference between the first fruits and the general harvest, not in kind, but in the order of their gathering, and in the purposes to which they are applied.

There is always an interval between the gathering and lifting up of the one, and the general reaping of the other. We have the first fruits described in the first part of the chapter, then we have an account of the reaping of the great harvest in a subsequent part (verses 15 &16). Those that constitute the first fruits, of course, cannot be the same as those who constitute the general harvest. The one is a distinct class from the other, and is separated from it especially as to the precise time of the gathering, although the gathering is of the same kind in both instances. Because both classes of “fruit” are made up of persons redeemed from among men, and “…caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air,” we must conclude that there is to be a twofold rapture.

 

Parable of the faithful and unfaithful servants

In Matthew 24:42-51 we read of a servant who is “…faithful and wise,” whom his Lord finds at his post, and because the servant is faithful goes to blessedness; but the other servant, who is worldly and carnal  is punished/ disciplined assigning him a portion with the hypocrites, who are left behind to suffer in the Tribulation.

The words do not at all imply that the one is saved and the other is lost, but simply that the one reaches blessedness when the Lord comes, whilst the other, not being prepared by proper watchfulness, is "left behind," and disciplined by those things that will come upon the earth, and only saved “…so as by fire” at a subsequent period.

The worldly servant / believer is not experiencing God’s wrath, but rather suffering God’s discipline in order to refine him or her so that they in turn can be caught up in the second phase of the Rapture.

 

Parable of the Mina’s / Pounds

In the parable of the minas/pounds (Luke 19:11-27), we have some faithful and industrious servants who use what they have to live for Christ. No matter how much or how little, they commit their lives to Christ and surrender their will to His. But there are those who love the world, flirt with unrighteousness and live a life that is not fitting of a Child of God. They are not lost. They will not be not slain, as the unsaved and unrighteous "citizens" who would not acknowledge Christ's rule over them. They simply lose their rewards, and their places among those who obtain rulership, and are made to endure the Tribulation judgments.

 

In the fourth and fifth chapters of Revelation we find a scene in heaven where the elders address a song to Christ, in which they say to Him, “You were slain, and have redeemed us to God by your blood.”

Only man is redeemed by Christ's blood. The elders were not, therefore, heavenly orders of some sort, or angels but redeemed human beings from the earth.

Nor were they Church saints who rose with Christ at His resurrection after three days in the grave.

These are “out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation.”

They are also already “kings and priests,” and have their crowns," – which could not be said of the saints of the old dispensation, for they have not yet received the promises. The coronation time is at the coming and consummation (Heb 11:13, 40; 2 Tim 4:8; 1 Pet 1:4, Col 3:4).

 

The vision must, therefore, refer to a state of things in the heavenlies as described in

1 Thessalonians 4:17. “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.”

Notice that while these saints are in the heavenly glorified state, and have already received their crowns, the preliminary judgments of the seals are only about to begin.

And as the Great Tribulation occurs only in connection with the opening of these seals, the rapture by which they are brought to their rewards must of necessity precede the Great Tribulation. 

But, according to Matthew 24:29-31, there is another gathering of the elect “…immediately after the tribulation…” thus making two stages in the translation.

Compare Psalms 27:5-6, 31:20, 32:6-7, 45:14.

The doctrine of the Scriptures seems to be, that only those who are devoutly looking and waiting for the Savior's return shall be taken at first, (This will be the Bride of Christ), whilst all others are left to suffer in the Great Tribulation, which will continue at least three years and a half.

See Hebrews 9:28; and Revelation 12:13-14, 15:5, 11:3.

 

Conclusion

I cannot absolutely say that there will be two Raptures, but the above is quite compelling.

Personally coming from a Pentecostal background I was taught that there is only one Rapture. My question today as we live in the Laodicean age is this… Are the carnal Christians who are partying and ignoring the imminent Rapture going to be taken along with those who are preparing themselves by overcoming their sin on a daily basis?

I know that salvation is not dependant on your behaviour but rather on what you believe.

But remember that believe too, but their belief is focused on a falsehood. Are some Christians doing the same?

Believing that they are OK simply because they believe.

One hundred percent sincerity in what one believes does not make it right.

The enemy also believes and they tremble, so who are we to be so casual about something that has eternal consequences?

I think that casual Christians and covert Christians are playing with eternal fire.