Greetings to all in Christ Jesus. What follows is my take on the issue of the timing of the rapture.

AT THE SOUND OF THE SEVENTH TRUMPET

The purpose of this message is to dispel a fallacy that the resurrection of the saints (often referred to as the rapture) will take place at any moment. Along the way the issue of whether or not the church will go through the tribulation will come up. The resurrection of the saints will take place at a specific time clearly marked out in scripture.

LAST DAYS

2Tim.3: 1-5 This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.

Heb.1: 1-2 God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds.

Acts 2: 16-21 But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel; And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams: And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy: And I will show wonders in heaven above, and signs in the earth beneath; blood, and fire, and vapour of smoke: The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before that great and notable day of the Lord come: And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.

2 Pet.3: 3-4 Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation.

These are perilous times that we live in. People living during the times of the first and second world wars were also living in perilous times. There have been other perilous times throughout history. The scriptures above clearly teach us that the last days started since the first century in the time of the early church. In each generation believers are inclined to think that they are in the very end. However, with each succeeding generation the end draws nearer, ‘for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed’ (Rom.13: 11).

LAST DAY

Jn.6: 39-40 And this is the Father's will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day. And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day.

Jn.6: 44 No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day.

Jn.6: 54 Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day.

Jn.12: 48 He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day.

While we are living in the last days and the last days began since the time of the early church, the scriptures point to a last day. Several times in the book of John we see the phrase ‘the last day’. What does Jesus say will happen at the last day? He will raise up all who believe in Him. If you are a believer in Christ Jesus, you cannot be raised up before the last day. All who believe in Him, whether they are Jews or Gentiles, Old Testament or New Testament saints, will be raised up at the same time, that is at the last day. The idea that some will be raised up in a secret rapture and others will be raised up at the end of a period of tribulation will mean that there are two last days. The language of the Lord clearly suggests only one last day, when all the saints will be raised up.

But when exactly is the last day? When will believers be resurrected? I believe that the Bible is clear on this point, and I am amazed that there is even a dispute as to the timing of the rapture.

LAST TRUMPET

1Cor.15: 51-53 Behold, I show you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, 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.

Mat.24: 29-31 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: 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. 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.

Rev.10: 5-7 And the angel which I saw stand upon the sea and upon the earth lifted up his hand to heaven, And sware by him that liveth for ever and ever, who created heaven, and the things that therein are, and the earth, and the things that therein are, and the sea, and the things which are therein, that there should be time no longer: But in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he shall begin to sound, the mystery of God should be finished, as he hath declared to his servants the prophets.

Rev.11: 14-18 The second woe is past; and, behold, the third woe cometh quickly. And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever. And the four and twenty elders, which sat before God on their seats, fell upon their faces, and worshipped God, Saying, We give thee thanks, O Lord God Almighty, which art, and wast, and art to come; because thou hast taken to thee thy great power, and hast reigned. And the nations were angry, and thy wrath is come, and the time of the dead, that they should be judged, and that thou shouldest give reward unto thy servants the prophets, and to the saints, and them that fear thy name, small and great; and shouldest destroy them which destroy the earth.

Many believers have failed to notice a significant word in 1 Cor.15: 51-53 and that is the word ‘last’. It is not any trumpet. It is the last trump. A careful look at the scriptures will also make it clear that what is being referred to is the last trump of God sounded by an angel, and not a trumpet that was sounded by the Israelites at their feasts or when they were entering battle. Now I want you to think. Why did Paul say last trump and not just trump? You cannot have a last trumpet unless you have other trumpets before the last one. We read about trumpets in a future sense only in the book of Revelation. The book of Revelation speaks of seven trumpets. The seventh trumpet will be the last trump. (Seven is the Biblical number of completion or totality: hence seven days in one week, seven churches, seven spirits, seven trumpets).

Let us now see the connection between the last day and the last trumpet. Remember that Jesus said that He would raise up those who believe in Him at the last day. And Paul said we shall be changed when the last trump sounds. Observe carefully the words in Rev. 10: 5-7 above. The angel swore that there should be time no longer. When? In the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he shall begin to sound. Can anything be clearer than this? The last day is the same as when time is no longer. This occurs at the sound of the last or seventh trumpet. There is no rapture before this. The concept of rapture before the seventh trumpet is a massive deception wrought by the great deceiver, Satan, himself.

Let us briefly observe what happens prior to the sounding of the seventh trumpet. Revelation chapter 6 describes the opening of the seals. The four horsemen bring war, destruction and famine on the earth. Believers are slain, there is a great earthquake, the sun and moon are changed and stars fall. Revelation chapters 8 and 9 describe what occurs when the six trumpets sound. One third of the trees are burnt, one third of the seas become blood, one third of the rivers become wormwood, and one third part of the sun, moon and stars are darkened. The fifth trumpet brings the first woe, when locusts hurt men for 5 months. The sixth trumpet brings the second woe, the loosing of the four angels from the Euphrates to destroy one third part of men with fire, smoke and brimstone. Have any of these events happened as yet? Certainly not. Only when these events happen will the seventh trumpet sound and the rapture take place. If we conclude that these events are descriptive of the tribulation, then the church will be in the tribulation. (Read Mat.24: 29-31 again.)

The third woe is only ushered in when the seventh trumpet is sounded. This heralds the rapture of all believers, and the completion of the mystery of God. It is then that the wrath of God is come. Believers in Christ, now resurrected, will not experience the pouring out of the vials full of the wrath of God. The church is in the tribulation period but not in the period of the vials of wrath.

It is my hope and prayer that this message has brought clarity to the issue of the timing of the rapture. Can you escape the tribulation? The Bible says in 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.’ Again the promise to the church in Philadelphia found in Rev.3: 10, ‘Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth.’ In the light of what has already been said there is only one rapture and this will occur at the last day. However, those found worthy shall escape the tribulation not by being raptured but by being kept by God. God shall preserve these (belonging to the church in Philadelphia) as He preserved Noah, as He preserved Daniel in the lion’s den, as He preserved Peter from Herod, and as He has preserved believers through the ages. Of the seven churches only Philadelphia is given this promise. The majority of believers will be tried in the fires of the tribulation. If you pay the price today, you may not have to pay the price then. May God find you and me worthy. Amen.

brother Tarran Dookie (strongmeat)

[peopleoftheway]

Where is Israel in the understanding of all this?

[peopleoftheway]

The "last trump" dosent indicate any previous trumpets (literal) have been sounded beforethe resurection. It is an indicator of the close, the end of things, the end of the economy of the world.

1 Thessalonians 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:

"With a shout" occurs nowhere else in the new Testament.
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.

These two verses describe along with others, that The Voice of God was as a "Trump"
1 Corinthians 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.

The last Trump here , I believe is what the Church will hear, the last Trump (End of the economy, end of the Church age) refers to the last call to the Church, a "come up hither" so to speak

The "Trumpets" in revelation are the portrayed with Angels with Literal trumpets.
Revelation 9:14 Saying to the sixth angel which had the trumpet, Loose the four angels which are bound in the great river Euphrates.


When the Seventh Angel sounds, and the vial is poured out, then the voice of God will say, "It is Done"
Revelation 16:17 And the seventh angel poured out his vial into the air; and there came a great voice out of the temple of heaven, from the throne, saying, It is done.


I am quite confident that Brother George may explain better than I can

Originally Posted by peopleoftheway

Where is Israel in the understanding of all this?

My message is not specifically discussing Israel. However, as I said in my post 'All who believe in Him, whether they are Jews or Gentiles, Old Testament or New Testament saints, will be raised up at the same time, that is at the last day. The idea that some will be raised up in a secret rapture and others will be raised up at the end of a period of tribulation will mean that there are two last days. The language of the Lord clearly suggests only one last day, when all the saints will be raised up.'

strongmeat

Originally Posted by peopleoftheway

The "last trump" dosent indicate any previous trumpets (literal) have been sounded beforethe resurection. It is an indicator of the close, the end of things, the end of the economy of the world.

I suppose that’s your opinion. I really cannot argue against someone’s opinion.

1 Thessalonians 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:

"With a shout" occurs nowhere else in the new Testament.
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.

These two verses describe along with others, that The Voice of God was as a "Trump"
1 Corinthians 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.

The last Trump here , I believe is what the Church will hear, the last Trump (End of the economy, end of the Church age) refers to the last call to the Church, a "come up hither" so to speak

The last trumpet is not a voice. I Th.4:16 does not say that the shout is the voice, if English has any meaning at all. It does not say ‘ For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, which is the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first’ but rather ‘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.’ Here the voice is distinct from the trump of God.

Rev.4:11 says ‘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.’ It does not say that the first voice is a trumpet, but rather the voice was as it were of a trumpet talking with me. This is what is known in English as a simile. The voice is not a trumpet, it only sounds like a trumpet. Furthermore, the voice speaks words. A trumpet does not speak words, it makes a sound.

You quoted 1 Cor.15:52 which says ‘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.’ This reinforces my point that the trumpet shall sound and therefore it is not a voice.

strongmeat

[peopleoftheway]

with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God

all which may be no other than the voice of Christ

It was by the sound of the trumpet that the solemn assemblies, under the law, were convoked;
The last trump is a military allusion and has no connection with the series in Rev. 8 and 9 (the seven angels sounding seven trumpets).

[peopleoftheway]

In addition

Where does the "Judgment seat of Christ" and the "marriage of the lamb to his betrothed" fit into your explanation?

[atlas]

People,

Where does the "Judgment seat of Christ" and the "marriage of the lamb to his betrothed" fit into your explanation?

It doesn't fit in, that is just one of the many reasons why all of these mid and post trib guys miss the boat.



Atlas

[Biblestudent]

I would agree with peopleoftheway that "trump" would refer to the "sound".

I believe there are many "trumps" (at least two) at the Rapture of the Church, but only one "trumpet".

1 Thess 4:16-17

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:

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.
KJV

1 Cor 15:51-52

51 Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,
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.
KJV

[chette777]

The Odd thing is Strongmeat has confounded verses from different dispensations together to make this teaching of his.

the Gathering of 1Thesselonians and 1Corinthians 15 is for the Body of Christ only.

No Old Testament saint or Tribulational saint will be gathered the time of 1Thess and 1Cor.

The term last in 1Cor15 is indicative that this is the Last event of the Church Age.