The Great Tribulation
and the Rapture
Part 5

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Authored By  :
Bill Kochman

Published On :
September 15, 1997

Last Updated :
January 3, 2009


NOTE: This article or series has not been updated recently. As such, it may possibly contain some outdated information, and/or ideas and beliefs which I no longer embrace, or which have changed to some degree.

First Resurrection, Battle Of Gog And Magog, Demise Of The Ungodly Trio, the Second Resurrection, Great White Throne Judgment, The Lake Of Fire, Method Of Scriptural Research, Judgment Seat Of Christ, Post-Armageddon Judgment, Proper Timeframe Of Paul's Words, Two Raptures?, All One In Christ, Dead In Christ Rise First, Respect Of Persons, Body Change!


Thus far, we have seen how the term 'not appointed to wrath' cannot be applied to the Saints not being persecuted by the Beast during the Great Tribulation, for indeed they shall be as I have clearly shown through a preponderance of Biblical evidence. In like manner, we have also seen how the Lord can still pour out His Wrath upon the wicked, without the need to remove His Saints from the world via a Rapture. This would indeed fit not being appointed to Wrath; however, as with the first possibility, it cannot be successfully used to support a Pre-Tribulation Rapture, as the Lord can still pour out the Vials of Wrath, while protecting His Children from the same.

Another possible way to apply the phrase 'not appointed to wrath', is to suggest that it might be referring to the final Wrath of God against the living at the time of the Battle of God and Magog, found in the twentieth chapter of the Book of Revelation. Obviously, this cannot possibly be referring to the Saints being caught up to Heaven in a Pre-Tribulation Rapture, because as the following verses make clear, we will all have been resurrected and raptured one thousand years earlier during the First Resurrection of the dead at the time of Christ's Second Coming. We will be delving into this topic in just a moment. I also discuss it in other Endtime articles such as 'From Armageddon To The New Earth':

"And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years. But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection."
Revelation 20:4-5, KJV


"And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison, And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea. And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them."
Revelation 20:7-9, KJV


You will notice that I have divided the previous verses into two sections. This is to emphasize the fact that the events in the second set of verses occur one thousand years later; and that as such, while the Battle of Gog and Magog indeed represents God's final Wrath upon wicked men remaining on Earth, there is absolutely no way to associate it with the events which transpire one thousand years before. This only leaves us with one possible way in which we can apply the phrase 'not appointed to wrath', and as with the previous example of the Battle of Gog and Magog, it has absolutely nothing to do with being raptured before, or even during, the period known as the Great Tribulation. As I will now conclusively prove, not being appointed to Wrath is directly related to the Lake of Fire, which as we know, is reserved for the totally incorrigibles, as is described by the Apostle John in the following verses:

"And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever. And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire."
Revelation 20:10-15, KJV


As we have already seen, by the time all of these events occur, all of the Lord's saved children will have been resurrected over a thousand years before. Likewise, the Beast and the False Prophet will have been in the Lake of Fire for one thousand years, as is described in the final verses of Revelation chapter nineteen:

"And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone. And the remnant were slain with the sword of him that sat upon the horse, which sword proceeded out of his mouth: and all the fowls were filled with their flesh."
Revelation 19:20-21, KJV


Clearly then, there will be absolutely no need for the rapture of the Saints at the time of the Battle of Gog and Magog, followed by the Great White Throne Judgment, for it will have already occurred one thousand years before. Not only that, but as the previous verses demonstrate, after the Battle of God and Magog, that old serpent Satan will also be cast into the Lake of Fire. The Great White Throne Judgment will be preceded by one final resurrection, in which all of the remaining dead on the Earth will be raised and judged according to their works. Those whose names are not found written in the Lamb's Book of Life, will face the Wrath of God in the Lake of Fire. For me personally, it is absolutely clear that destruction in the Lake of Fire is the Wrath to which the Apostle Paul was referring when he said that we the Saints are not appointed to wrath; but, as you may be beginning to see, that Wrath does not begin at the Great White Throne Judgment.

For those who require that I leave no stone unturned, I have taken the long route in order to prove that the Lake of Fire can be the only Wrath to which Paul was referring; however, for those of you who have the faith to believe without such a preponderance of Scriptural evidence, there is actually a much shorter Biblical route which one can take in order to arrive at the same sound conclusion. As my readers know, I strictly adhere to the practice of comparing Scripture with Scripture. I've stated before that in trying to understand a verse, we should first look for other verses in the same chapter which might serve to open up our understanding. If an answer cannot be found there, then we should examine other chapters of the same book. If that still does not reveal the truth to us, then we simply need to expand our investigation to include other books of the Bible as well.

In this particular case, I think you will be amazed by how easy it is to arrive at the same conclusion regarding the phrase 'not appointed to wrath', simply by studying the writings of the Apostle Paul. It only makes sense that in some other place in his Epistles, he must have written something which would be associated with that phrase, and which would thus help us to move in the right direction in our understanding of what he meant. As happens on quite a few occasions, because I hungered after the truth regarding this matter, I believe that the Lord has been faithful to reward me with the answer. As I pondered the phrase 'not appointed to wrath', the Lord, by His Holy Spirit, quickened another verse to my mind which I first learned many years ago. When this verse came to me, I was simply amazed by the similarity between these two verses, and how they really do fit together like a hand in a glove. Here they are side by side for your consideration:

"And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:"
Hebrews 9:27, KJV


"For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ,"
1 Thessalonians 5:9, KJV


Notice that in both verses, Paul talks about being appointed to something. In the first verse, he talks about how all men are appointed to die, and then must face judgment. It should be obvious that Paul is referring to the Judgment Seat of Christ. As we have already seen, with the majority of the unsaved, this judgment will occur during the Great White Throne Judgment; however, as we have also already seen, this will not be the first time that the Lord judges the wicked. Remember again the words of the Apostle John who wrote 'And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them'. To clarify this vital point for you even further, consider some of the other things that Paul said regarding this issue of judgment, and how it will be carried out:

"For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad."
2 Corinthians 5:10, KJV


"For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins, But a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries . . . It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God . . . For our God is a consuming fire."
Hebrews 10:26-27, 31, 12:29, KJV


Notice how Paul very clearly associates this judgment with the fiery Wrath of God 'which shall devour the adversaries'. When Jesus begins to judge the world, and we with Him, this judgment will include the fiery destruction of the wicked; and it will begin the minute the Lord wins the Battle of Armageddon. It is at that time, and not one thousand years later, that the Lake of Fire, the final Wrath of God, first comes into play. As I point out in the article 'Hell And The Lake Of Fire', Jesus Himself referred to this fiery judgment in the Lake of Fire many times during His Ministry, such as in the following verse:

"And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell."
Matthew 10:28, KJV


As I explain in the aforementioned article, in this case the word 'hell' is referring to the Lake of Fire, and is derived from the Greek 'geenna' or 'Gehenna of fire', which was the Greek name applied to the valley of Hinnom, located to the south of Jerusalem, where the Israelites burned their trash, sacrificed their children on the fiery altars of the false god Molech, and burned the bodies of dead livestock and criminals. Jesus was using this valley as a stern warning to the rebellious Jews of what the Lake of Fire would be like for those who rejected Him and His message of Salvation.

Now remember, concerning this fiery indignation of God, Paul used the words 'which shall devour the adversaries'. That is very important when we consider what he said in that second verse above about not being appointed to Wrath. If we read just a few verses earlier in the fifth chapter of his first Epistle to the Thessalonians where that verse is found, we see that Paul is talking about the sudden Second Coming of Christ, and the fiery Wrath of God which will befall wicked men upon their dismal defeat at the Battle of Armageddon. In other words, in those verses, the sudden destruction to which Paul is referring, is the Lake of Fire, in which the Lord 'shall devour the adversaries'. Consider exactly what Paul wrote, keeping in mind that it is only six verses later that he says that we are not appointed to this Wrath:

"But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you. For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. 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."
1 Thessalonians 5:1-3, KJV


This firmly places this sudden destruction, or Wrath as he calls it in verse nine, precisely at the time of Christ's Arrival, and not before. As soon as the Battle of Armageddon has been won, and as soon as Christ, and we, have sat upon our Earthly thrones in order to begin judging the world, one of the very first things that the Lord is going to do, is to 'devour the adversaries' in the Lake of Fire. Here again are the verses I shared with you earlier which prove this point beyond a shadow of a doubt:

"And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone. And the remnant were slain with the sword of him that sat upon the horse, which sword proceeded out of his mouth: and all the fowls were filled with their flesh."
Revelation 19:20-21, KJV


Do you see how clear it all becomes when we put things in their proper context and stop trying to twist the Scriptures in order to fit our own interpretation? This is the fiery indignation, the sudden destruction, and the Wrath of God which the Beast and the False Prophet will face at Christ's sudden Return, when these evil rulers least expect it; and those who follow them into battle will face similar sudden destruction. This is the Wrath to which we the Believers are not appointed; because at that time, we will all be given Thrones, upon which we will judge the world with Christ! It should now be very clear to you that not being appointed to Wrath has absolutely nothing to do with escaping the wrath of the Beast, or even the Wrath of God, during the Great Tribulation through a Pre-Tribulation Rapture. The people who make such claims have totally misunderstand the exact timeframe of the events Paul is describing in his Epistle to the Thessalonians. They are trying to push this Wrath back in time to during the Great Tribulation, when this is definitely not the case whatsoever.

As I point out in the article 'From Armageddon To The New Earth, while the Millennium will be a time of judgment and strict rule by the Lord and His children, as we saw earlier, this will not be the major judgment of the world. That will not occur until a thousand years later at the Great White Throne Judgment. We will further discuss this strict rule in just a moment. As we have already seen, just as the Beast, the False Prophet and their deluded followers will face very certain fiery indignation, sudden destruction and Wrath at Christ's Coming, the very same fate awaits Satan, and the unsaved dead at the final Judgment mentioned by the Apostle Paul earlier. Allow me to share those verses from the Book of Revelation one more time to refresh your memory:

"And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever. And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire."
Revelation 20:10-15, KJV


Based upon all of this Scriptural evidence, I am personally convinced that not being appointed to Wrath has absolutely nothing to do with a Pre-Tribulation Rapture, or even with a Mid-Tribulation Rapture, in order to escape the Wrath of God upon the wicked. Neither does it have anything to do with escaping the wrath of the Islamic Beast. Not being appointed to Wrath is referring to the final and worst Wrath of all; that is, the Lake of Fire, experienced by some at Christ's Second Coming, and experienced by the vast majority at the Great White Throne Judgment one thousand years later.

Contrary to the Biblical evidence I have provided thus far, I have learned that there are some Pre-Tribulation Rapture theorists who are expecting not one, but rather two raptures to occur. According to this view, the first rapture is due to occur just before the beginning of the Last Seven Years; which as I stated earlier, Pre-Tribulation Rapture theorists view as comprising the entire Great Tribulation period. They suggest that this first rapture will include all of the New Testament Saints; that is, everyone who has lived and died believing in Jesus over the past two thousand years. This includes Jews and Gentile Believers alike, since there is no difference, and we are all one in Christ Jesus, as per the following verses from the various Epistles of the Apostle Paul:

"For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him."
Romans 10:12, KJV


"There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus."
Galatians 3:28, KJV


"Where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free: but Christ is all, and in all."
Colossians 3:11, KJV


As if the idea of two separate raptures occurring isn't already confusing enough, the proponents of this theory go on to state that this first rapture will not include all of the Old Testament Saints. They claim that the Old Testament Saints, as well as those Endtime Saints who die during the Great Tribulation, will be resurrected either right at the Lord's Second Coming, that is, right at the end of the Last Seven Years, or else during the seventy-five day period which follows the Last Seven Years, which I described for you in part four of this series. This is apparently what they are referring to when they talk about a second rapture. To support the idea of a second resurrection and rapture, these people point to the following verse which I shared earlier:

"And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years."
Revelation 20:4, KJV


According to this belief, being as all of the New Testament Christians will already have been resurrected seven years earlier in order to participate in the first rapture, I can only assume that this second resurrection and rapture will include people who actually become Christians during the Great Tribulation period. The reason I find it so difficult to accept this point of view, is because, as we have already seen, in the very next verse, not only does John refer to this as the First Resurrection, but he also clearly places it after the Battle of Armageddon during which the Beast and the False Prophet are cast into the Lake of Fire, and their armies slain and devoured by the fowls of the air. This is exactly where this First Resurrection should be:

"But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection."
Revelation 20:5, KJV


Please notice that John is not saying that the resurrection which occurs a thousand years later after Armageddon is the First Resurrection. That last sentence 'This is the first resurrection' is referring back to what he said in verse four regarding the Saints being resurrected and raptured in order to reign with Christ for a thousand years during the Millennium. If John is saying this is the First Resurrection at the end of the Great Tribulation, we can only wonder how the Pre-Tribulation Rapture theorists justify the one which they insist will occur just prior to the beginning of the Great Tribulation seven years before. Please don't forget; these people believe that the Great Tribulation will last for the entire Last Seven Years, and not just the final three and a half years as I have already explained.

Obviously, first means first; and John clearly states that the Resurrection and Rapture which occurs at Christ's Return is the first. There is absolutely no way to circumvent this belief. This is not the only fatal flaw in the two raptures theory. We have already seen that there is no distinction between Jew and Gentile Christians. According to the Apostle Paul, we will all be resurrected and raptured at the same time. First will be those who have died in Christ, to be followed by those who are still alive at His Coming. Allow me to remind you of the verses I shared in part one from Paul's first Epistle to the Thessalonians:

"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: 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 Thessalonians 4:16-17, KJV


Here we have a clear picture of the Lord descending from the Heavens as the Elect rises from the Earth to meet Him in the air; exactly as the Lord Himself described it for us in Matthew chapter twenty-four. Notice that Paul says that 'the dead in Christ shall rise first'. The dead are the dead, and we are all one in Christ Jesus. Paul does not make any kind of a distinction between a dead Old Testament believing Jew, a dead Old Testament believing Gentile, a New Testament believing Jew, or a New Testament believing Gentile. If one is dead in Christ, he is dead in Christ. The only difference is that while the pre-Christian era believers looked forward in faith to Jesus' coming Sacrifice, those of us born in the Christian era look back in faith to the same. We are all of the same seed of faith. There is absolutely no distinction.

Therefore, instead of adding our own private interpretation to these verses found in Paul's first Epistle to the church at Thessalonica, in order to support our pet theories, why don't we just accept them for what they really say? These people who say New Testament Christians will be resurrected seven years ahead of dead Old Testament believing Jews are totally contradicting the Scriptures. They are creating an erroneous doctrine through a twisting of the Scriptures. Jesus Christ Himself never once mentioned two raptures in any of His Endtime sermons, and neither did the Apostle Paul or anyone else. If such a thing were true, doesn't it seem likely that the Lord would want us to know about it? Doesn't it seem to you that this would be an important piece of information which would be useful to us in the Endtime? That being the case, why then didn't Jesus mention it in any of His Endtime sermons? He clearly tells us that His Angels will gather the Elect one time at His Coming, and not twice as these people would have us to believe.

If you still doubt that all dead New Testament Christians and Old Testament Believers will be raised together at the very same time, when Christ returns at the end of the Great Tribulation, before those of us who may still be alive at that time, then consider what the Apostle Paul writes in the following verse which comes right before the two I have just quoted:

"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 Thessalonians 4:15, KJV


For those of you who may not be familiar with Elizabethan English, that word 'prevent' simply means to come before, to precede, to go before. It is derived from the Greek word 'phthano'. Notice also that Paul is saying that he received this revelation straight from the Lord. This isn't just some strange new doctrine he made up; he received it 'by the word of the Lord'. Jesus Himself revealed this truth to Paul, for as Paul wrote in another place:

"But I certify you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached of me is not after man. For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ."
Galatians 1:11-12, KJV


Therefore, when Paul tells us that the dead in Christ shall rise first three times, it is obvious that we should accept his word as being true. If there was a distinction between Old Testament Jews and New Testament Believers, why didn't the Lord tell Paul to inform us of this? Why didn't John clearly tell us the same; or perhaps Peter? In my mind, the answer is rather obvious and quite simple; because such a difference is non-existant except in the minds of those who wish to escape the suffering of the Great Tribulation, by means of a Pre-Tribulation Rapture. They want to pre-empt everyone, including the Old Testament Saints; but again, it is a false doctrine based upon a nebulous understanding of the Scriptures.

To insert a resurrection and a rapture before the Last Seven Years begins, is making three resurrections; in fact four, if you include the one mentioned in the Gospel of Matthew. These people who hold to this doctrine claim to believe that there is no difference between Gentile and Jewish Believers, but then they turn around and totally contradict themselves by saying that there is in fact a difference because the Old Testament Believers had to look forward in faith to Christ's Crucifixion on the Cross. Why does that make them any less worthy than us, so that they have to wait until seven years later before they too are resurrected and raptured? Don't the Scriptures plainly tell us that God is no respecter of persons? Please consider the following verses:

"Wherefore now let the fear of the LORD be upon you; take heed and do it: for there is no iniquity with the LORD our God, nor respect of persons, nor taking of gifts."
2 Chronicles 19:7, KJV


"These things also belong to the wise. It is not good to have respect of persons in judgment."
Proverbs 24:23, KJV


"To have respect of persons is not good: for for a piece of bread that man will transgress."
Proverbs 28:21, KJV


"Then Peter opened his mouth, and said, Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons:"
Acts 10:34, KJV


"For there is no respect of persons with God."
Romans 2:11, KJV


"And, ye masters, do the same things unto them, forbearing threatening: knowing that your Master also is in heaven; neither is there respect of persons with him."
Ephesians 6:9, KJV


"But he that doeth wrong shall receive for the wrong which he hath done: and there is no respect of persons."
Colossians 3:25, KJV


"And if ye call on the Father, who without respect of persons judgeth according to every man's work, pass the time of your sojourning here in fear:"
1 Peter 1:17, KJV


As you have probably understood from the previous verses, when the Bible talks about having no respect of persons, what that means is that we should treat others with the same impartiality as our Heavenly Father treats us. The Apostle James makes this point very clear in the following verses:

"My brethren, have not the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with respect of persons. For if there come unto your assembly a man with a gold ring, in goodly apparel, and there come in also a poor man in vile raiment; And ye have respect to him that weareth the gay clothing, and say unto him, Sit thou here in a good place; and say to the poor, Stand thou there, or sit here under my footstool: Are ye not then partial in yourselves, and are become judges of evil thoughts? Hearken, my beloved brethren, Hath not God chosen the poor of this world rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which he hath promised to them that love him? But ye have despised the poor. Do not rich men oppress you, and draw you before the judgment seats? Do not they blaspheme that worthy name by the which ye are called? If ye fulfil the royal law according to the scripture, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself, ye do well: But if ye have respect to persons, ye commit sin, and are convinced of the law as transgressors."
James 2:1-9, KJV


It seems to me that the idea of saying that the Believers of the Old Testament must wait until the end of the Last Seven Years for their resurrection, shows a lack of respect, or honour, for those Old Testament Patriarchs. Showing honour, and being impartial in our views, are not necessarily the same thing. As I point out in other articles, physical time on Earth does not affect the Lord; because He lives outside of it in the Eternal Now, where past, present and future are all blended together as one. In God's eyes, those people were saved already, because they looked forward in faith; even if Jesus hadn't been physically born or died on the Cross yet. They are just as much of the seed of faith as we are, and deserve to be resurrected at the same time as we New Testament Believers, exactly as Paul says they will be.

Sadly, this is not the end of the confusion which surrounds the Pre-Tribulation Rapture theory. To make matters even more difficult to understand, it appears that some of the Pre-Tribulation Rapture theorists hold to the belief that those Christian Believers who are still alive at the end of the Great Tribulation, when Christ returns, will continue their existences in their natural bodies right into the Millennium; and not only that, but they will have children as well. Again, this is in total contradiction to everything we have examined thus far. All of the verses I have shared clearly show that when Jesus returns, the dead in Christ will be resurrected, changed and raptured; and then we who are still alive will likewise be miraculously changed and raptured, in order to meet the Lord in the air. As we have already seen, this wonderful event will occur at the sound of the Seventh Trump. Allow me to once again share with you some of the inspiring verses which prove this point:

"For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren."
Romans 8:29, KJV


"And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly. Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption. Behold, I shew 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."
1 Corinthians 15:49-52, KJV


"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. For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with our house which is from heaven: If so be that being clothed we shall not be found naked. For we that are in this tabernacle do groan, being burdened: not for that we would be unclothed, but clothed upon, that mortality might be swallowed up of life."
2 Corinthians 5:1-4, KJV


"For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ: 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."
Philippians 3:20-21, KJV


"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."
1 John 3:2, KJV


There should be no doubt about it whatsoever. None of those verses indicate in any way that the Believers will remain in their natural bodies, whether they are dead or alive, at the time of Christ's Second Coming, following the period known as the Great Tribulation. Every single one of us is going to be miraculously transformed together; first the dead Saints, and then those of us who are still alive! It will be the most wonderful event of our entire Earthly lives as we rise in the air in order to join the Saints of ages gone by of whom we have only read, as well as our departed relatives who have died in Christ, and of course the Lord Himself and His Angelic Host, in the clouds of Heaven.

In the final part of this series, we will continue our discussion of the Great Tribulation and the Rapture, by taking a look at the fate of those who survive the Battle of Armageddon and live into the Millennium. This will include additional comments on Christ's rule with a Rod of Iron, Millennial backsliders, the final rebellion at the Battle of Gog and Magog, John's 'Come up hither', female symbolism in the Bible, uniformity in interpretation, the Right Hand of God, the 'caught up' experience, the Mystery of God and the Seventh Trump, and Jesus' indisputable words in Matthew chapter twenty-four. I trust that you will join me.

⇒ Go To The Next Part . . .


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