Hello Danny,

You wrote:

Hi Ger, This is the first time I have come to you with a question. Most probably it won't be the last! My question is about The Rapture. I seem to remember some time back here on Trinity some one said that the idea of the Rapture is wrong and it will not happen. In your opinion is this true? If it is not, then would you go explain it to me? I have seen and heard from other people and would like to hear your interpretation, my brother here on Trinity. I thank you in advance

My answer:

The idea of the rapture, as vey many believe, is that :
before, during or at the end of the great , bad days of the Antichrist the Christians are taken away from the earth and from the heavenly spheres look at the cruel deeds of this antichrist against the world population.

But Revelation 11 says:that at the end of times there will be people in fierce battles with the forces of satan. These 'two witnesses' are not Moses and Eliah. They are not Joshua and Zerubbabel either, (from the book of Zechariah), though they do and have the tasks as these four men had in the visible world in old days.
No: these warriors of the end time are very advanced 'commando's' (among the bigger group of Christians) , who are not only converted and born again, but who have experienced the baptizm in the Holy Spirit with all the gifts and all the fruit..... to the full. And so they struggle in the invisible world and have theire tasks there

In this fierce battle at last the beast comes ( 7)...
this beast has got all the power of the devil, ( 13 v 2) and possesses the antichrist. And this beast kills the brave Christian warriors. They are killed , just as Jesus was killed at Golgotha. But this is not the end.

When 3½ days have gone over their dead bodies, just as was valid for Jesus, "a breath of life from God entered them, and they stood on their feet...."(11)
12: and they heard a loud voice from heaven saying to them "Come up here".
And they went to heaven in a cloud, all just like Jesus"

That Danny, is the rapture: not before, not in , not at the end of the great tribulation, but AFTER...!!!!.

This already teaxches us, that Christians should be ready as far as possible, for we are not leaving at a convenient moment, to look from the heaven the bad things that occur on earth. No we are in those bad events to the bitter end.

Not all the Christians are taken away with the heroes of Revelation 11. There are other Christians, also purified in the great tribulation, who are ready on the great day of Jesus.( 1 Thessalonians 4 v 15- 17):
" According to the Lord's own word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left till the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. ( have died in Christ).
16: For the Lord himself will come down from heaven with a loud command with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpetcall of God and the dead in Christ will rise first.
17: After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air".

And what about the Christians, not having come so far as the commando's.
Of them speaks 2 Thessalonians 1 v 10:
" ....at the day he( Jesus) comes to be glorified in his holy people among àll those who have believed".

All believers in Jesus, who have not come so far as the ´commando´s´are marvelling at them, for at once they see their greatnees. And then they see them disappear in the clouds.
But these Christians, not having followed the Lord so far. have no part in this rapture. They remain on earth and have a good time in the ´thousand years´. But they do not reign there as kings, (Isaiah 32 v 1).

Perhaps there is some time between the happenings of Revelation 11 and the happenings in 1 Thess. 4 v 15-17.

The prophet Daniel may point to this, when he speaks these enigmatic words:
" ...1290 days....1335 days..." , (12 v 11-12).

But anyway Danny:
- try to belong to the heroes
- if you are 'only looking at' in Revelation 11, make use of the possibility to be more connected to the Lord, which chance is offered with Rev 11 v 13.
"...the survivors gave glory to the God of heaven..."
- and use ' the 45 days' to come in shape still more
- but first and for all : try to come in shape NOW.

Greetings
Ger