The Rapture in: 1 Thessalonians 4, 1 Corinthians 15:

There is no debate that 1 Thessalonians 4, and 1 Corinthians 15 teach on the rapture.  Both chapters also teach the
resurrection and of the trumpet blast.  Neither chapter mentions anything about having to endure the tribulation before the
rapture comes.  There is no debate that Revelation 19 and Zechariah 14 teach on the physical return of the Lord Jesus Christ in power after the tribulation.  Neither of those chapters speak of the rapture, nor of a resurrection, nor of a trumpet blast.

1 Thessalonians 4:15 For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming
of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep.
1 Thess 4:16 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:
1 Thess 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.
1 Thess 4:18 Therefore comfort one another with these words.

"Rapture", when used in eschatological terms, is an English word used in place of the Latin word raeptius; taken from the Vulgate, which in turn is a translation of the Koine Greek word harpazo, which is found in the Greek New Testament manuscripts of 1 Thessalonians 4:17.

In many modern English translations of the Bible, harpazo is translated; "caught up", or "taken away".

The Greek word αρπάζω (pronounced \har-pad'-zo\) means "to snatched".

[caught up=HARPAZO=Rapture]

1 Thess 1:10 And to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the
wrath to come.
1 Thess 2:19 For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Are not even ye in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at his coming?
1 Thess 5:9 For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ,
1 Thess 5:23 And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

1Cor 15:51 Behold, I show you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,
1Cor 15:52 In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be
raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.
1Cor 15:53 For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.
1Cor 15:54 So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall
be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory.
1Cor 15:55 O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?

Luke 21:36 Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.

    The Seven Churches; One is promised an Escape through the "open door" from the Great Tribulation

To Thyatira:
Rev 2:22 Behold, I will cast her into a bed, and them that commit adultery with her into great tribulation, except they repent of their deeds.

To Philadelphia:
Rev 3:8 I know thy works: behold, I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it: for thou hast a little strength, and hast kept my word, and hast not denied my name.
Rev 3:10 Because you have kept my word of patient endurance, I will keep you from the hour of trial which is coming on the whole world, to try those who dwell upon the earth.

To Laodiceans:
[Rev 3:16] So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth. [out into
tribulation as in Rev. 2:22]

[Revelation 4:1] After this I looked, and, behold, a door was opened in heaven: and the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me; which said, Come up hither, and I will shew thee things which must be hereafter.

[Rev 8:13] And I beheld, and heard an angel flying through the midst of heaven, saying with a loud voice, Woe, woe, woe, to the inhibitors of the earth [those not raptured?] by reason of the other voices of the trumpet of the three angels, which are
yet to sound!


                                            Feast of Trumpets (Open Door)

The Open Door and Last Trump are on the Feast of Trumpets, which is on the new moon.  The new moon feast (holyday) is a shadow/prophesy of the Rapture.  The open door is prominently seen in the rapture verses of Rev 3:10, 4:1 & Matt 25:1-13.

Col 2:16 Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday [festival], or of the new moon, or of the Sabbath days:
Col 2:17 Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ.

Ezek 46:1 "Thus says the Lord GOD: The gate of the inner court that faces east shall be shut on the six working days; but on the sabbath day it shall be opened and on the day of the new moon it shall be opened.

Pss 81:3 Blow up the trumpet in the new moon, in the time appointed, on our solemn feast day.

Isa 26:2 Open ye the gates, that the righteous nation which keeps the truth may enter in.

Pss 118:19 Open to me the gates of righteousness: I will go into them, and I will praise the LORD:
Pss 118:20 This gate of the LORD, into which the righteous shall enter.

John 10:7 Then said Jesus unto them again, Verily, verily, I say unto you, I am the door of the sheep.
John 10:9 I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.

Matthew 7:13 Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leads to destruction, and many
there be which go in thereat:
Matthew 7:14 Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leads unto life, and few there be that find it.

Luke 13:24 Strive to enter in at the strait gate: for many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able.
Luke 13:25 When once the master of the house is risen up, and hath shut to the door, and ye begin to stand without, and to
knock at the door, saying, Lord, Lord, open unto us; and he shall answer and say unto you, I know you not whence ye are:

The Feast of Trumpets, on the new moon, is when the moon is turned to darkness.  It is also "on a day or hour that no man
knows" --which is an expression referring to this feast (and to a Jewish Wedding)-- because the new moon happens 29.5
days after the previous one, creating uncertainty of whether it will fall on the 29th or 30th day after the previous new moon,
which is the first day of the month, thus the festival is traditionally celebrated for two days just to be sure.

Lev 23:24 Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, In the seventh month, in the first day of the month, shall ye have a
sabbath, a memorial of blowing of trumpets, an holy convocation.

Num 29:1 And in the seventh month, on the first day of the month, ye shall have an holy convocation; ye shall do no servile
work: it is a day of blowing the trumpets unto you.

Just as the Lord Jesus Christ fulfilled all the spring feasts, and on each day of each feast, so too, will the fall feasts be fulfilled
when Christ comes the second time, and in order, and on each day of each feast.  The Feast of Trumpets points to the
rapture, the Day of Atonement points to Satan's defeat, Tabernacles points to establishing the 1000 year kingdom.  Trumpets is on the first, and Atonement is on the tenth.  Excluding the days of the Festivals themselves, there are "seven days of Awe" or tribulation between them...including

Rev 2:10 Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer: behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may
be tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten days: be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life.


                                         II Thess 2: The Falling Away / Departure

All of the rapture positions (whether pretrib, midtrib, prewrath, posttrib) agree that the rapture happens before the day of
the Lord.  In 2 Thessalonians 2, the false report that the Day of the Lord was present meant, therefore, that the resurrection
and rapture (the departure) had come and gone and was in the past.  That the resurrection was past was a common false
report, and is mentioned in 2 Timothy:

2 Tim 2:18 Who concerning the truth have erred, saying that the resurrection is past already; and overthrow the faith of
some.

Although the day of the Lord starts with the rapture, the presence of the Day of the Lord is wrath, darkness, trouble, and the tribulation.  (Zeph 1:15) The tribulations described in 2 Thess 1 were erroneously thought to be the tribulations of the day of the Lord.

2 Thess 2:1 Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him,
[rapture]
2 Thess 2:2 That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as
that the day of Christ [day of the Lord/tribulation] is at hand [present].
2 Thess 2:3 Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day [tribulation] shall not come [be present], except there come a falling away [departure/rapture] first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;
 

2 Thess 2:4 Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sits
in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God.
2 Thess 2:5 Do you not remember that when I was still with you I told you this?
2 Thess 2:6 And now ye know what withholds that he might be revealed in his time.
2 Thess 2:7 For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way.
[the Church at the rapture]
2 Thess 2:8 And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall
destroy with the brightness of his coming:

In other words,

1.  I beg you by our rapture hope,
2.  That you don't worry if you hear that the Day of the Lord and the tribulation is present
3.  (Don't be deceived) ...unless the departure (rapture) comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition
4.  WHO will, (3.5 years later according to Dan 9:27) sit in the temple as God, as the abomination of desolation
5.  Remember I told you this?
6.  Now you know that it is your presence that withholds the man of sin, so that he will be revealed in due time.
7.  For the antichrist is working now only a little, because we restrain him as we are here and pray, until the rapture, when we will be taken out of the way.
8.  And then the antichrist will be revealed, whom the Lord will destroy with the arrival of his presence.

2Thess 3:3 But the Lord is faithful, who shall establish you, and keep you from evil.


                                 Jewish Wedding (a theme of the Feast of Trumpets)
                                               Bridal Chamber = Heaven

John 14:2 In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.
John 14:3 And 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.
 

Our "many mansions" are in heaven (Rev 21:2).  Jesus went away to heaven in Acts 1.  The words in Italics above are an
expression, used by the groom in a Jewish Wedding.   A groom would say those words to his bride and then leave to build an addition onto his father's house before returning for his bride.  He returns for his bride in the middle of the night, as a thief, at an hour she might not think, with a loud cry, and a procession of trumpet blast and his friends saying "Behold! The
Bridegroom Comes!"  Entering our "bridal chamber/heavenly mansion" will be the start of the bridal week.  This is shown in
Isaiah, and indicates that the tribulation will occur while we are "hid in the bridal chambers or heaven".

Isa 26:19 Thy dead men shall live, together with my dead body shall they arise. Awake and sing, ye that dwell in dust: for thy dew is as the dew of herbs, and the earth shall cast out the dead.
Isa 26:20 Come, my people, enter thou into thy chambers, and shut thy doors about thee: hide thyself as it were for a little
moment, until the indignation be overpast.
Isa 26:21 For, behold, the LORD cometh out of his place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity: the earth
also shall disclose her blood, and shall no more cover her slain.

Being "hid in the Lord's house, or heaven during tribulation" is also seen in Psalm 27, which is to be read daily in the 30 days
prior to the Feast of Trumpets.

Pss 27:4 One thing have I desired of the LORD, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the
LORD all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD, and to enquire in his temple.
Pss 27:5 For in the time of trouble he shall hide me in his pavilion: in the secret of his tabernacle shall he hide me; he shall set
me up upon a rock.
Pss 27:6 And now shall mine head be lifted up above mine enemies round about me: therefore will I offer in his tabernacle
sacrifices of joy; I will sing, yea, I will sing praises unto the LORD.

Hiding, being hid, having a place to hide away are themes of being hidden away in the bridal chamber during the wedding, as we will be hidden in heaven during the tribulation.

Zeph 2:3 Seek ye the LORD, all ye meek of the earth, which have wrought his judgment; seek righteousness, seek meekness: it may be ye shall be hid in the day of the LORD's anger.

                           The Church is the Bride of Christ.

Eph 5:25 Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;
Eph 5:31 For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one
flesh.
Eph 5:32 This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church.

2Cor 11:2 For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy: for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ.

The Rapture is likened to a wedding, and from the Bible, we know a wedding lasts a week, we know the rapture will be pre tribulation.  The scriptures define a marriage as being a week long event.  (Bridal week) = (Tribulation week)

Judges 14:1-18 ...And Samson made a feast there, as was customary for bridegrooms. ...If you can give me the answer within the seven days of the feast... She cried the whole seven days of the feast.

Genesis 29:22-28 So Laban brought together all the people of the place and gave a feast. ... Finish this daughter's bridal
week

The time of intimacy (the bride being with the bridegroom sealed away in the bridal chamber) begins at the start of the bridal week, and this is what we look forward to in the pre tribulation rapture.


The Parable of the 10 virgins contains many themes of the rapture, the marriage, and the feast of trumpets.

[Mat 25:1] Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the
bridegroom.
[Mat 25:2] And five of them were wise, and five were foolish.
[Mat 25:3] They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them:
[Mat 25:4] But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps.
[Mat 25:5] While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept.
[Mat 25:6] And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him.
[Mat 25:7] Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps.
[Mat 25:8] And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil; for our lamps are gone out.
[Mat 25:9] But the wise answered, saying, Not so; lest there be not enough for us and you: but go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves.
[Mat 25:10] And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut.
[Mat 25:11] Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us.
[Mat 25:12] But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not.
[Mat 25:13] Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh.

                   At the end of the tribulation, people are in heaven (the bride, the Church),
                  and coming down out of heaven, because they have been there for 7 years.

[Luke 12:36] And ye yourselves like unto men that wait for their lord, when he will return from the wedding; that when he
cometh and knocketh, they may open unto him immediately.

[Rev 19:1] And after these things I heard a great voice of much people in heaven [the raptured], saying, Alleluia; Salvation,
and glory, and honour, and power, unto the Lord our God:

[Rev 19:7] Let us rejoice and exult and give him the glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and his Bride has made
herself ready;
[Rev 19:8] it was granted her to be clothed with fine linen, bright and pure"--for the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the
saints.
[Rev 19:9] And the angel said to me, "Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb." And he said to me, "These are true words of God."

[Rev 19:14] And the armies which were in heaven followed him [the raptured] upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean.

[Mat 24:29] Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light,
and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken:
[Mat 24:30] And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and
they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.
[Mat 24:31] And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the
four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.

[Zech 14:5] And ye shall flee to the valley of the mountains; for the valley of the mountains shall reach unto Azal: yea, ye
shall flee, like as ye fled from before the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah: and the LORD my God shall come,
and all the saints with thee.

[Jud 1:14] And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten
thousands of his saints,

[Col 3:4] When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory.

Interesting verse number:  12:12  12 is written all over New Jerusalem, and there are 24 elders in heaven after the rapture in
Rev. 4:1.

[Rev 12:12] Rejoice then, O heaven and you that dwell therein! But woe to you, O earth and sea, for the devil has come
down to you in great wrath, because he knows that his time is short!"

Yes, the Bride is in heaven, coming down out of heaven at the end of the tribulation:

[Rev 21:2] And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.

[Rev 21:9] And there came unto me one of the seven angels which had the seven vials full of the seven last plagues, and
talked with me, saying, Come hither, I will show thee the bride, the Lamb's wife.

[Rev 21:10] And he carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain, and showed me that great city, the holy
Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God,


Mt. Zion & New Jerusalem: God's bride.
 

[Heb 12:22] But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an
innumerable company of angels,

[Isa 51:16] And I have put my words in thy mouth, and I have covered thee in the shadow of mine hand, that I may plant the heavens, and lay the foundations of the earth, and say unto Zion, Thou art my people.

                                                   Daniel's 70th Week

The 70th week of Daniel, which becomes the 7-year Tribulation, is a judgment and curse determined upon Israel, not the
Church.

Dan 9:24 Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an
end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and
prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy.
Dan 9:25 Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem
unto the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks: the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous times.
Dan 9:26 And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself: and the people of the prince that
shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war
desolations are determined.
Dan 9:27 And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the
sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the
consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.


The Church's sins are taken care of by Jesus' death, and we are not under the curse of the law, nor is the 70th week "to make an end for sins" determined for the Church.

[Gal 3:13] Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every
one that hangs on a tree:
[Gal 5:18] But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law.
[Rom 6:14] For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.
[1Cor 6:12] All things are lawful unto me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but I will not be
brought under the power of any.

There is no need for the tribulation to purge or cleanse the Church.  The blood of Christ, and the Word of God, sanctifies and cleans the Church, and makes us spotless, and ready for the rapture now.

Hebrews 13:12 Wherefore Jesus also, that he might sanctify the people with his own blood, suffered without the gate.
1John 1:7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ
his Son cleanses us from all sin.

Eph 5:26 That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word,
Eph 5:27 That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it
should be holy and without blemish.

                           Who has dominion?  Satan or the Lord Jesus Christ's Church?

Satan will be given dominion for 42 months on earth, the second half of Daniel's 70th week, and the Church will not be put
under Satan's dominion.  The Church, given power by the Almighty Father in heaven, in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, by the power of the Holy Spirit, restrains Satan, as was shown in 2 Thess 2.  We know that Satan has not had full dominion over the Church, even though there are many Christian brothers dying still today, for if Satan did have this power, the Word of God would have been extinguished from the face of the earth by now.  History alone proves that the Church is more powerful than Satan in this age, but the scriptures speak for themselves:

[Mark 3:14] And he ordained twelve, that they should be with him, and that he might send them forth to preach,
[Mark 3:15] And to have power to heal sicknesses, and to cast out devils:
[Mark 6:7] And he called unto him the twelve, and began to send them forth by two and two; and gave them power over
unclean spirits;
[Mark 6:13.4] And they cast out many devils, and anointed with oil many that were sick, and healed them.
[Luke 9:1] Then he called his twelve disciples together, and gave them power and authority over all devils, and to cure
diseases.
[Luke 10:19] Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and
nothing shall by any means hurt you.
[Mat 10:8] Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely give.

Casting out Devils was not "just for the disciples only".  Anyone can do this in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.

[Mark 9:38.11] And John answered him, saying, Master, we saw one casting out devils in thy name, and he follows not
us: and we forbad him, because he follows not us.
[Mark 9:39] But Jesus said, Forbid him not: for there is no man which shall do a miracle in my name, that can lightly speak
evil of me.
[Mark 9:40] For he that is not against us is on our part.

Successfully casting out devils, does not make one "saved".  Hence, if "unsaved" can cast out devils, then the Church surely has the power to restrain Satan.

Mat 7:21 Not every one that said unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of
my Father which is in heaven.
Mat 7:22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out
devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?
Mat 7:23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.

Eph 6:12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the
darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

Mat 16:19 And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shall bind on earth shall be
bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.

Mat 16:18 And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.

But Satan will be given dominion and power to dominate the other way around!

Dan 7:21 I beheld, and the same horn made war with the saints, and prevailed against them;

Rev 13:7 And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all
kindreds, and tongues, and nations.

So the Church must be raptured, "caught up", & Satan fights whoever is left over, the tribulation saints; those of the 7
churches who were spewed out into the time of testing, and repent and keep the commandments, and those foolish virgins in
Matthew 25 who were expecting Christ's return, but were too busy with the world and caught unprepared.

                                       The man child ruler Raptured in Rev 12
                            ...is Christ and the Church (Christ is the head, the Church is the Body)

The woman giving birth is not the Bride.  Jesus comes for a virgin bride.  The woman is Isreal (who gave birth to Christ and
Christians), who Satan turns to persecute after the rapture.  But she is protected by God, so Satan turns toward new believers who are the "remnant of her seed" --tribulation saints, people repent in the tribulation, after the rapture.  The man child, the woman's first child, which is caught up [harpazo] to God, is the Church in the pretribulation rapture.

Rev 12:4 And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth: and the dragon stood before
the woman which was ready to be delivered, for to devour her child as soon as it was born.
Rev 12:5 And she brought forth a man child, who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron: and her child was caught up unto God, and to his throne.

All three characteristics of the man child  (1, ruling over the nations, 2, with a rod of iron, 3 sitting on his throne), apply to both Christ AND the Church.  Christ rules, and we rule as his bride:

Rev 2:26 He who conquers and who keeps my works until the end, I will give him power over the nations,
Rev 2:27 and he shall rule them with a rod of iron, as when earthen pots are broken in pieces, even as I myself have received power from my Father;
Rev 5:10 And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth.
Rev 3:21 To him that overcomes will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne.

That these characteristics apply to the Church, and that the man child represents the Church does not deny that the man
child is Christ.  Christ is an essential part of the Church, the HEAD!

Col 1:18 And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he
might have the preeminence.

Since the other "seed" of the woman represents believers (Saints of the Tribulation), the man child also represents the many
believers of the Church.

Rev 12:17 And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the
commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.

The man child nation is delivered, or caught up to God, before the travail, (the time of trouble, the tribulation, the Day of the
Lord).

Isa 66:7 Before she travailed, she brought forth; before her pain came, she was delivered of a man child.
8 Who hath heard such a thing? who hath seen such things? Shall the earth be made to bring forth in one day? or shall a
nation be born at once? for as soon as Zion travailed, she brought forth her children.
9 Shall I bring to the birth, and not cause to bring forth? saith the LORD: shall I cause to bring forth, and shut the womb?
saith thy God.

Christianity is a "nation".
1 Peter 2:9  But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous light;


                        "Lights/Christians" are not in "Darkness/Day of Lord/tribulation!"

[Mat 5:14] Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.
[Phil 2:15] That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world;

[John 8:12] Then spoke Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that follows me shall not walk in
darkness, but shall have the light of life.

[Amos 5:18] Woe unto you that desire the day of the LORD! to what end is it for you? the day of the LORD is darkness, and not light.
[Amos 5:20] Shall not the day of the LORD be darkness, and not light? even very dark, and no brightness in it?

[Joel 2:1] Blow ye the trumpet in Zion, and sound an alarm in my holy mountain: let all the inhabitants of the land tremble:
for the day of the LORD cometh, for it is nigh at hand;
[Joel 2:2] A day of darkness and of gloominess, a day of clouds and of thick darkness, as the morning spread upon the
mountains: a great people and a strong; there hath not been ever the like, neither shall be any more after it, even to the
years of many generations.
[Joel 2:31] The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and terrible day of the LORD
come.

[Mat 24:21] For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever
shall be.

[Zeph 1:15] That day is a day of wrath, a day of trouble and distress, a day of waste and desolation, a day of darkness and
gloominess, a day of clouds and thick darkness,

[1Thess 5:4] But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief.
[1Thess 5:5] Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness.

[Col 1:12] Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light:
[Col 1:13] Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son:

So, another reason why Christians of the present age are not in that darkness, when Satan will have dominion, is:

[Mat 12:25] And Jesus knew their thoughts, and said unto them, Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to
desolation; and every city or house divided against itself shall not stand:
[Mark 3:24] And if a kingdom be divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand.

We cannot effectively pray against Satan taking power, when God gives Satan power.  It will be tough for the tribulation
saints, God lets them be killed.

[Rev 13:10] He that leads into captivity shall go into captivity: he that kills with the sword must be killed with the sword.
Here is the patience and the faith of the saints.

[Rev 14:12] Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.
[Rev 14:13] And I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Write, Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from
henceforth: Yes, says the Spirit, that they may rest from their labors; and their works do follow them.

                                      Noah and Lot as examples of deliverance!

The Rapture is compared to Noah's and Lot's time when people are caught unaware going about their daily lives.   Peter
describes Noah and Lot as examples of the rapture, stressing deliverance.

2Pet 2:4 For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of
darkness, to be reserved unto judgment;
2Pet 2:5 And spared not the old world, but saved Noah the eighth person, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood
upon the world of the ungodly;
2Pet 2:6 And turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into ashes condemned them with an overthrow, making them an
ensample unto those that after should live ungodly;
2Pet 2:7 And delivered just Lot, vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked:
2Pet 2:8 (For that righteous man dwelling among them, in seeing and hearing, vexed his righteous soul from day to day with
their unlawful deeds;)
2Pet 2:9 The Lord knows how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished:

(The day of judgment is the day of the Lord, the time of trouble, the tribulation, the time of wrath, the time of testing, the
time of temptation.)


Luke 17:26 And as it was in the days of Noah, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man.
Luke 17:27 They did eat, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark, and the flood came, and destroyed them all.
Luke 17:28 Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they
built;
Luke 17:29 But the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all.


Matthew 24:36 But of that day and hour knows no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only.
Matthew 24:37 But as the days of Noah were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
Matthew 24:38 For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark,
Matthew 24:39 And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.

The wicked people will be taking no notice, eating and drinking, before the rapture happens.  People eating, drinking, and
feasting at marriage parties does not describe the tribulation, when famine will come upon the earth.  See Rev 6:5-8, 18:8

                         One taken (in the rapture); the other left (behind in tribulation).

Matthew 24:40 Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left.
Matthew 24:41 Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left.

Luke 17:33 Whosoever shall seek to save his life shall lose it; and whosoever shall lose his life shall preserve it.
Luke 17:34 I tell you, in that night there shall be two men in one bed; the one shall be taken, and the other shall be left.
Luke 17:35 Two women shall be grinding together; the one shall be taken, and the other left.
Luke 17:36 Two men shall be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left.


                                    Gathered to the body of the Lord, as Eagles

Luke 17:37 And they answered and said unto him, Where, Lord? And he said unto them, Where soever the body is, thither will the eagles be gathered together.

Mat 24:28 For where soever the carcass is, there will the eagles be gathered together.

Isa 40:31 But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.

Joh 6:53 Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his
blood, ye have no life in you.

Mark 13:27 And then shall he send his angels, and shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from the uttermost
part of the earth to the uttermost part of heaven.

                                           Not knowing the day or the hour.

The Feast of Trumpets happens on the "new moon", which is 29.5 days after the last one, meaning it might
occur on the 29th or 30th day, nobody knows for sure.  "Of that day or hour no man knows" is an expression
referring to this feast, and thus, the rapture.

"Of that day or hour no man knows, but my Father only" is an expression used by a groom when asked
when he will go and steal away his bride like a thief in the night.  He says this because it is his Father that will tell him when
his preparations on the bridal chamber are completed and it is time.

Since the Feast of Trumpets is the "wedding of the Messiah", then this expression about "not knowing the day or the hour"
refers to the rapture, and means that the rapture must take place on a Feast of Trumpets.

Matthew 24:36 But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only.
Matthew 24:42 Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.
Matthew 25:13 Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh.

Mar 13:32 But of that day and that hour knows no man, no, not the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the
Father.
Mar 13:33 Take ye heed, watch and pray: for ye know not when the time is.
Mar 13:34 For the Son of Man is as a man taking a far journey, who left his house, and gave authority to his servants, and to every man his work, and commanded the porter to watch.
Mar 13:35 Watch ye therefore: for ye know not when the master of the house cometh, at even, or at midnight, or at the
cockcrowing, or in the morning:
Mar 13:36 Lest coming suddenly he find you sleeping.
Mar 13:37 And what I say unto you I say unto all, Watch.

Thus, not knowing the day or the hour is a parable, and, as all parables, is designed to prevent unbelievers from
understanding the meaning.  See Matthew 13:10-17.

The reality is that believers WILL and CAN know the time, because this phrase indicates the Feast of Trumpets.  Other verses on this topic plainly declare that not knowing is a punishment for the wicked servant:

Mat 24:48 But and if that evil servant shall say in his heart, My lord delays his coming;
Mat 24:49 And shall begin to smite his fellow servants, and to eat and drink with the drunken;
Mat 24:50 The lord of that servant shall come in a day when he looked not for him, and in an hour that he is not aware of,
Mat 24:51 And shall cut him asunder, and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites: there shall be weeping and gnashing
of teeth.

Luk 12:45 But and if that servant say in his heart, My lord delays his coming; and shall begin to beat the menservants and
maidens, and to eat and drink, and to be drunken;
Luk 12:46 The lord of that servant will come in a day when he looks not for him, and at an hour when he is not aware, and
will cut him in sunder, and will appoint him his portion with the unbelievers.

Rev 3:3 Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard, and hold fast, and repent. If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shall not know what hour I will come upon thee.

Since "not knowing what hour" is the punishment for not watching and a punishment for the unfaithful servant, it does not
apply to faithful believers.  And other scriptures confirm that we will know the hour:

1Th 5:1 But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you.
1Th 5:2 For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night.
1Th 5:3 For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape.
1Th 5:4 But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief.
1Th 5:5 Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness.
1Th 5:6 Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober.
1Th 5:7 For they that sleep sleep in the night; and they that be drunken are drunken in the night.
1Th 5:8 But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of
salvation.
1Th 5:9 For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ,

             The Lord comes for his bride as a thief in the night to take her away in the marriage.

1Th 5:2 For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night.

Matthew 24:43 But know this, that if the good man of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would
have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken up.
Matthew 24:44 Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.

Luk 12:37 Blessed are those servants, whom the lord when he cometh shall find watching: verily I say unto you, that he shall gird himself, and make them to sit down to meat, and will come forth and serve them.
Luk 12:38 And if he shall come in the second watch, or come in the third watch, and find them so, blessed are those servants.

Luk 12:39 And this know, that if the goodman of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have
watched, and not have suffered his house to be broken through.
Luk 12:40 Be ye therefore ready also: for the Son of man cometh at an hour when ye think not.

Because the "day or hour no man knows" refers to the marriage at the Feast of Trumpets, and because not knowing is a
punishment for the evil servant, and because we are to "know perfectly", and because "we are not in darkness", then we can
watch and be ready, because we DO KNOW when the thief will come.  Like the good man of the house, we should "be therefore ready".

Those who deny the pretribulation rapture are like the evil servant, they say something else; they say the master will delay his coming until after the tribulation. (Luke 12:45, Mat 24:48) and they are NOT watching for him now (Rev 3:3).

John 10:10 The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.

Rev 16:15 Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watches, and keeps his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame.

                                 We look forward to Christ's appearing and return.

Luke 21:28 And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draws
nigh.

Titus 2:13] Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ;

Phil 3:20 For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ:

Heb 9:28 So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second
time without sin unto salvation.

Heb 12:1 ...let us run with patience the race that is set before us, [2] Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our
faith...

Jude 1:21 Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.

We do not look for, nor are told to look for, Satan's appearing, nor the tribulation to appear.

In fact, we are told to specifically avoid looking for Jesus' physical appearing or return.  The reason to avoid looking for
Christ's physical appearing is because the AntiChrist will appear physically and claim to be Christ, from 2 Thess 2.

Mat 24:23 Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or there; believe it not.
Mat 24:24 For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall show great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it
were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.
Mat 24:25 Behold, I have told you before.
Mat 24:26 Wherefore if they shall say unto you, Behold, he is in the desert; go not forth: behold, he is in the secret chambers; believe it not.

Thus, we have a paradox.  We look for Christ's return, but are told not to believe it if we hear he has returned, or someone
claims to be Him.  This mystery is solved through the pre tribulation rapture, which preceeds the appearance of the antichrist
in the seven year tribulation.  By the time the Lord Jesus Christ arrives at the end of the seven year tribulation, everyone on
earth will suddenly know who the Lord is without question, because he will destroy the antichrist with the "brightness of his
coming" (2 Thess 2:8), and every person will "look upon the one whom they pierced" (Zechariah 12:10, Revelation 1:7, John 19:37).

We know that Jesus will appear physically at the second coming (Rev. 19 & Zech 14), despite the warnings against believing a physical appearing of a false christ in Matthew.

Zech 14:3 Then shall the LORD go forth, and fight against those nations, as when he fought in the day of battle.
Zech 14:4 And his feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east, and the
mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst thereof toward the east and toward the west, and there shall be a very great valley;
and half of the mountain shall remove toward the north, and half of it toward the south.
Zech 14:8 And it shall be in that day, that living waters shall go out from Jerusalem; half of them toward the former sea, and
half of them toward the hinder sea: in summer and in winter shall it be.

More scriptures emphasizing Christians wait for and look to Christ's return and not the appearance of the AntiChrist.

1 Corinthians 1:7 So that ye come behind in no gift; waiting for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ:

1 Corinthians 16:22 If any man love not the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be Anathema Maranatha. [In Aramaic the expression
Come, O Lord is Marana tha.]

James 5:7 Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman waits for the precious fruit
of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive the early and latter rain.
James 5:8 Be ye also patient; stablish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord draws near.
James 5:9 Grudge not one against another, brethren, lest ye be condemned: behold, the judge stands before the door.

1 Timothy 6:14 That thou keep this commandment without spot, unrebukable, until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ:

Revelation 22:17 And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst
come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.
Revelation 22:20 He which testifies these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus.

Acts 1:11 Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from
you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.


                                 Will Christians REALLY be spared the Tribulation?

[Pss 97:10] Ye that love the LORD, hate evil: he preserveth the souls of his saints; he delivereth them out of the hand of the wicked.

[Rom 5:8] But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
[Rom 5:9] Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.
[Rom 5:10] For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.

[Isa 57:1] The righteous perisheth, and no man layeth it to heart: and merciful men are taken away, none considering that the
righteous is taken away from the evil to come.

Mic 7:2 The good man is perished out of the earth: and there is none upright among men: they all lie in wait for blood; they
hunt every man his brother with a net.

[Mal 3:16] Then they that feared the LORD spake often one to another: and the LORD hearkened, and heard it, and a book of
remembrance was written before him for them that feared the LORD, and that thought upon his name.
[Mal 3:17] And they shall be mine, saith the LORD of hosts, in that day when I make up my jewels; and I will spare them, as a man spareth his own son that serveth him.
[Mal 3:18] Then shall ye return, and discern between the righteous and the wicked, between him that serveth God and him
that serveth him not.
[Mal 4:1] For, behold, the day cometh, that shall burn as an oven; and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be
stubble: and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the LORD of hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch.

[2Tim 4:18] And the Lord shall deliver me from every evil work, and will preserve me unto his heavenly kingdom: to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

                                                More "Rapture" verses:

Romans 8:23 And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the first fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within
ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.

Philippians 1:21 For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.
22 But if I live in the flesh, this is the fruit of my labour: yet what I shall choose I wot not.
23 For I am in a strait betwixt two, having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ; which is far better:
24 Nevertheless to abide in the flesh is more needful for you.

Philippians 3:20 But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, (NIV)
Philippians 3:21 Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself. (KJV)

2 Corinthians 5:1-21, full chapter.
1 For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.
2 For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with our house which is from heaven:

1 Timothy 6:14 That thou keep this commandment without spot, un-rebukable, until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ:

2 Timothy 4:1 I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his
appearing and his kingdom;
2 Timothy 4:8 Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.

1 Peter 1:
7 That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perishes, though it be tried with fire, might be
found unto praise and honor and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:
8 Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory:
9 Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls.
10 Of which salvation the prophets have enquired and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you:
11 Searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand
the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow.
12 Unto whom it was revealed, that not unto themselves, but unto us they did minister the things, which are now reported
unto you by them that have preached the gospel unto you with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven; which things the angels desire to look into.
13 Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at
the revelation of Jesus Christ;

1 Peter 5:4 And when the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fades not away.

1 John 2:28 And now, little children, abide in him; that, when he shall appear, we may have confidence, and not be ashamed
before him at his coming.

1 John 3
1 Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the
world knows us not, because it knew him not.
2 Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.
3 And every man that hath this hope in him purifies himself, even as he is pure.