Separate Rapture

[workerforthechurch]

I believe in separate rapture because Rev. 3.10, Luke 21.36 and Matt. 24.42 are conditional statements to the church that those who overcometh (Rev. 2 & 3), who keep the word of His patience, are watchful and prayerful, will be accounted worthy and ready to be received at the first rapture (Rev. 7.9) before the trumpets of the Tribulation (Rev. 8ff) and escape the hour of trial, which will come upon the whole world during the last seven of Daniel's prophecy.

I hope you do so that you may receive your reward in heaven and return with Christ for the 1000 years to reign over the nations as kings and priests (Rev. 20). Otherwise, you shall pass through the time of testing and if you still do not overcometh during the Trib, then you shall lose that reward, though if saved, you won't lose eternal life.

Partial Rapture Proof

 

[lecoop]

workerforthechurch wrote

Otherwise, you shall pass through the time of testing and if you still do not overcometh during the Trib, then you shall lose that reward, though if saved, you won't lose eternal life.

This is not really true. Many born again people will be here during the 70th week of Daniel; those that were born again but missed the rapture because they were not living for God, and those that are born again after the rapture. Many of these will lose their salvation, because they will accept the mark of the beast. The pressure will be too great, and they will succome, in my opinion.

Coop

 

[workerforthechurch]

I disagree because,

"My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any [man] pluck them out of my hand. My Father, which gave [them] me, is greater than all; and no [man] is able to pluck [them] out of my Father's hand" (Matt. 10.27-29).

A better way to explain what you said is to say they were never saved to begin with, that is why they take the mark of the beast.

For example, those who say they will be raptured before the Tribulation irregardless of how soulish they get, will end up in the Tribulation and accuse the brethren day and night (Rev. 12.10) who were raptured first for being ready in a rage of jealousy.

They will even deny the Tribulation when it is happening to take the mark of the beast. Many of the Left Behind novel readers are only deceiving themselves.

 

[tim-from-pa]

Well workerforthechurch, I must agree that your position is a unique one, although not one that I have not heard before.

I often joke that I am the only "British-Israelite" that believes in a pre-Trib rapture of the church, because most of them believe that we will be translated when the Lord returns to the earth. I have my logic for believing in a pre-trib rapture, as a post trib or any other time has its problems.

However, there is another thing to consider. Have you considered multiple raptures? (depending on the people being addressed?) The church is one. The two witnesses in Revelation, the manchild of Revelation 12 (aka the 144,0000), etc.? Each have their "catching ups" since the bible never uses the word rapture, but rather "catching away".

I personally do not make that a bone of contention regarding the timing of the rapture (or if there is even a rapture at all, but rather a translation instead). Christians have been in disagreement over this. However, I know why I believe what I do, and I hope that people are patient with my views because of what I perceive as scriptural support as I can see other views as well.

BTW, this is the feast of trumpets. If Christ is going to catch away the church, it would be around now as this Hebrew feast foreshadows His coming. i thought I'd throw that in.

 

[Vic C.]

BTW, this is the feast of trumpets. If Christ is going to catch away the church, it would be around now as this Hebrew feast foreshadows His coming. i thought I'd throw that in.

Yup, the feats of Trumpets is key. The Trumpet that was blown at this time of year is the Last Trump; the trump that they believed would awake their dead kin and reunite them

Martin further signifies this day by relying on the work of Theodor Gaster and his book titled "Festivals of the Jewish Year." It is stated that early Jews recognized the Day of Trumpets as a type of memorial day. More than our modern versions of the holiday, it was instead a day that was symbolic of the time "when the dead return to rejoin their descendants at the beginning of the year." Martin also quotes Gaster in saying that this was "the time that became a symbol of the Last Trump." (Martin, pg 96)

http://philologos.org/bpr/files/l002.htm

It is interesting to note that the Day of Atonement is just days away. ;-)

 

[workerforthechurch]

It is not of God to think legalistically there is only one rapture or resurrection. God reveals to us at least 12 raptures and/or resurrections. We may know the specific reason for these various raptures. Believers in the last days must pay attention to 3 essentials: (1) eternal life, (2) rapture, and (3) reward. Thank God, He has already provided the first essential. He has chosen us before the foundation of the world that through the death of Christ we should receive eternal life. The other essentials are something required of us.

I see 12 raptures in the Bible.
 
1) Enoch and Elijah (representing readied overcomers and first rapture);

2) Christ;

3) Those out of the grave at Christ's death (companion firstfruits);

4) Lazarus raised from the dead, as well as, the 12 year old girl who was only asleep (Matt. 9.18-26) - we are only appointed once to die so then comes rapture;

5) First rapture (Rev. 3.10, Luke 21.36, Matt. 24.37,40-41,42) at Rev. 7.9 before the trumpets of the Tribulation (Rev. 8ff) - firstfruits before the first month of Tribulation signified by the two wave loaves (could signify the first rapture and the harvest rapture or the rapture of those who are saved among both the Jews and Gentiles) in Lev. 23 at Pentecost. These two wave points also can typify from the time of Pentecost to the first rapture based on readiness, watchfulness, patience and holiness in our manner of life;

6) Philip the evangelist, who was raptured while at work (a type) away to Caesarea - reward is related to our work. Rapture and reward are interrelated, such as in the case of Philip;

7) Many martyrs raptured separately and individually during Tribulation (many) like the Two Witnesses;

8) Two Witnesses (Enoch and Elijah) raptured at the end of the 42 months of the Great Tribulation which is 1260th+3.5 days into it (the gleaning period of 30 days is to the 1290th day-this 30 days is for judgment by Christ when He is on earth with his sickle and divides the good and bad nations as sheep from goats in Matt. 13 and Matt. 25.31-46);

9) The 7th trumpet resurrection and rapture (final harvest of the last week in Daniel 9) which is pre-wrath at the start of the 19th month of Great Tribulation (1 Thess. 4.15-17, 1 Cor. 15.23 and Rev. 14.14-16). The last trumpet or 3rd woe of the 7 bowls lasts 24 months from the 19th to the 42nd month;

10) Those raptured after the 7th trumpet resurrection from the 19th month to the 24th month of Great Tribulation are gleaned like in any field(various fragmentary raptures).**

11) Last Revolt at the end of millennial kingdom, there is the resurrection and rapture of the unsaved from the bad side of Hades (where the rich man is) to be judged and cast into hell;

12) Last Revolt end of the millennium rapture of the saved from the good side of Hades (Abraham's bosom, sometimes called paradise below) for those who died in the 1000 years.

It is very special to note that anyone who is resurrected is also to be raptured, but not all those who are raptured were resurrected, since they did not die. Rev. 20.4 refers to the first resurrection overcomers who receive the reward of reigning during the millennial kingdom.

 

[workerforthechurch]

The virgin firstfruits (Rev. 14.1-5) are included with those raptured alive at first rapture with a possible few raptured during the Tribulation.

The man-child overcomers (Rev. 12.5) is the expression of overcomer believers that begin being raptured at first rapture. Martyrs are raptured during the Tribulation, but most overcomer believers having died in previous centuries, would be raptured at the last trumpet.

The 5th seal indicates that the only other group raptured at the first rapture besides living overcomers and the virgin firstfruits (those that shall be closest to Christ and kept themselves pure) are martyred believers from the past 20 centuries.

 

[tim-from-pa]

It is not of God to think legalistically there is only one rapture or resurrection. God reveals to us at least 12 raptures and/or resurrections. We may know the specific reason for these various raptures. Believers in the last days must pay attention to 3 essentials: (1) eternal life, (2) rapture, and (3) reward. Thank God, He has already provided the first essential. He has chosen us before the foundation of the world that through the death of Christ we should receive eternal life. The other essentials are something required of us.

I see 12 raptures in the Bible.

1) Enoch and Elijah (representing readied overcomers and first rapture);

2) Christ;

3) Those out of the grave at Christ's death (companion firstfruits);

4) Lazarus raised from the dead, as well as, the 12 year old girl who was only asleep (Matt. 9.18-26) - we are only appointed once to die so then comes rapture;

5) First rapture (Rev. 3.10, Luke 21.36, Matt. 24.37,40-41,42) at Rev. 7.9 before the trumpets of the Tribulation (Rev. 8ff) - firstfruits before the first month of Tribulation signified by the two wave loaves (could signify the first rapture and the harvest rapture or the rapture of those who are saved among both the Jews and Gentiles) in Lev. 23 at Pentecost. These two wave points also can typify from the time of Pentecost to the first rapture based on readiness, watchfulness, patience and holiness in our manner of life;

6) Philip the evangelist, who was raptured while at work (a type) away to Caesarea - reward is related to our work. Rapture and reward are interrelated, such as in the case of Philip;

7) Many martyrs raptured separately and individually during Tribulation (many) like the Two Witnesses;

8) Two Witnesses (Enoch and Elijah) raptured at the end of the 42 months of the Great Tribulation which is 1260th+3.5 days into it (the gleaning period of 30 days is to the 1290th day-this 30 days is for judgment by Christ when He is on earth with his sickle and divides the good and bad nations as sheep from goats in Matt. 13 and Matt. 25.31-46);

9) The 7th trumpet resurrection and rapture (final harvest of the last week in Daniel 9) which is pre-wrath at the start of the 19th month of Great Tribulation (1 Thess. 4.15-17, 1 Cor. 15.23 and Rev. 14.14-16). The last trumpet or 3rd woe of the 7 bowls lasts 24 months from the 19th to the 42nd month;

10) Those raptured after the 7th trumpet resurrection from the 19th month to the 24th month of Great Tribulation are gleaned like in any field(various fragmentary raptures).**

11) Last Revolt at the end of millennial kingdom, there is the resurrection and rapture of the unsaved from the bad side of Hades (where the rich man is) to be judged and cast into hell;

12) Last Revolt end of the millennium rapture of the saved from the good side of Hades (Abraham's bosom, sometimes called paradise below) for those who died in the 1000 years.

It is very special to note that anyone who is resurrected is also to be raptured, but not all those who are raptured were resurrected, since they did not die. Rev. 20.4 refers to the first resurrection overcomers who receive the reward of reigning during the millennial kingdom.

This is good. You are looking at various scenarios and, if I may sound cliche, thinking outside the box at least. Sometimes what Christians debate as the timing of the rapture is really the case where each one is looking at a different rapture but thinking its the same one! An example is the catching away of the two witnesses. Because that happens mid-Trib according to some, they blanket it to mean that this means the church as well. No, it means the two witnesses.

 

[Vic C.]

LOL, thinking outside the box would be, not confining all this end time stuff to a neat, little seven year package. ;-) Also, some points on that list refer to resurrections, not raptures.

BTW Tim, I personally lean more towards the resurrection and translation of the dead and living.