THE RAPTURE; WHEN?
WHAT HAPPENS TO THE CHURCH (SAINTS) AT THE END TIMES
MATTHEW 24:24 RSV For false Christs and false prophets will arise and show great signs and wonders, so as to lead astray, if possible, even the elect.
2 THESSALONIANS 2:9-12 RSV 9 The coming of the lawless one by the activity of Satan will be with all power and with pretended signs and wonders, 10 and with all wicked deception for those who are to perish, because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. 11 Therefore God sends upon them a strong delusion, to make them believe what is false, 12 so that all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness.
REVELATION 13:13-14 RSV 13 It works great signs, even making fire come down from heaven to earth in the sight of men; and by the signs which it is allowed to work in the presence of the beast, 14 it deceives those who dwell on earth, bidding them make an image for the beast which was wounded by the sword and yet lived;
REVELATION 19:20 RSV And the beast was captured, and with it the false prophet who in its presence had worked the signs by which he deceived those who had received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped its image...
REVELATION 13:16-18 RSV 16 Also it causes all, both small and great, both rich and poor, both free and slave, to be marked on the right hand or the forehead, 17 so that no one can buy or sell unless he has the mark, that is the name of the beast or the number of its name. 18 This calls for wisdom: let him who has understanding reckon the number of the beast, for it is a human number, its number is six hundred and sixty-six.
REVELATION 14:9-11 RSV 9 And another angel, a third, followed them, saying with a loud voice, "If any one worships the beast and its image, and receives a mark on his forehead or on his hand, 10 he also shall drink the wine of God's wrath, poured unmixed into the cup of his anger, and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb. 11 And the smoke of their torment goes up for ever and ever; and they have no rest, day or night, these worshippers of the beast and its image, and whoever receives the mark of its name."
REVELATION 16:2 RSV So the first angel went and poured his bowl on the earth, and foul and evil sores came upon the men who bore the mark of the beast and worshipped its image.
REVELATION 19:20 RSV And the beast was captured, and with it the false prophet who in its presence had worked the signs by which he deceived those who had received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped its image...
WHAT HAPPENS TO THE CHURCH (SAINTS) AT THE END TIMES
DANIEL 7:20-21 NKJV 20 "and about the ten horns that were on its head, and about the other horn which came up, before which three fell,... 21 "I was watching; and the same horn was making war against the saints, and prevailing against them,
DANIEL 8:19,23-25 NKJV...RSV 19 And he said, "Look, I am making known to you what shall happen in the latter time of the indignation; for at the appointed time the end shall be. 23 And at the latter end of their rule, when the transgressors have reached their full measure, a king of bold countenance, one who understands riddles, shall arise. 24 His power shall be great, and he shall cause fearful destruction, and shall succeed in what he does, and destroy mighty men and the people of the saints. 25 By his cunning he shall make deceit prosper under his hand, and in his own mind he shall magnify himself. Without warning he shall destroy many; and he shall even rise up against the prince of princes; but, by no human hand he shall be broken.
MATTHEW 24:6-9 RSV 6 And you will hear of wars and rumours of wars; see that you are not alarmed; for this must take place, but the end is not yet. 7 For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places: 8 all this is but the beginning of the sufferings. 9 "Then they will deliver you up to tribulation, and put you to death; and you will be hated by all nations for my name's sake.
REVELATION 6:9-11 RSV 9 When he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain for the word of God and for the witness they had borne; 10 they cried out with a loud voice, "O Sovereign Lord, holy and true, how long before thou wilt judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell upon the earth?" 11 Then they were each given a white robe and told to rest a little longer, until the number of their fellow servants and there brethren should be complete, who were to be killed as they themselves had been.
REVELATION 13:7 RSV Also it was allowed to make war on the saints and to conquer them.
REVELATION 13:15 RSV and it was allowed to give breath to the image of the beast so that the image of the beast should even speak, and to cause those who would not worship the image of the beast to be slain.
REVELATION 14:13 RSV And I heard a voice from heaven saying, "Write this: Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord henceforth." "Blessed indeed," says the Spirit, "that they may rest from their labors, for their deeds follow them!"
REVELATION 15:2 NKJV And I saw something like a sea of glass mingled with fire, and those who have the victory over the beast, over his image and over his mark and over the number of his name, standing on the sea of glass, having harps of God.
REVELATION 20:4 RSV Also I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their testimony to Jesus and for the word of God, and who had not worshipped the beast or its image and had not received its mark on their foreheads or their hands. They came to life, and reigned with Christ a thousands years.
LUKE 9:24 RSV For whoever would save his life will lose it; and whoever loses his life for my sake, he will save it.
LUKE 17:33 RSV Whoever seeks to gain his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life will preserve it.
MATTHEW 10:39 RSV He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for my sake will find it.
MATTHEW 16:25 RSV For whoever would save his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.
MARK 8:35 RSV For whoever would save his life will lose it; and whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel's will save it.
MATTHEW 24:27 NKJV "For as the lightning comes from the east and flashes to the west, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.
MATTHEW 24:30 NKJV "Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.
LUKE 17:24 NKJV "For as the lightning that flashes out of one part under heaven shines to the other part under heaven, so also the Son of Man will be in His day.
DANIEL 7:13-14 NKJV 13 "I was watching in the night visions, And behold, One like the Son of Man, Coming with the clouds of heaven! He came to the Ancient of Days, And they brought Him near before Him. 14 Then to Him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, That all peoples, nations, and languages should serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion, Which shall not pass away, And His kingdom the one Which shall not be destroyed.
REVELATION 11:15,19 RSV 15 Then the seventh angel blew his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven saying, "The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he shall reign for ever and ever." 19 Then God's temple in heaven was opened, and the ark of his covenant was seen within his temple; and there were flashes of lightning, loud noises, peals of thunder, an earthquake, and heavy hail.
REVELATION 16:17-18,21 NKJV 17 Then the seventh angel poured out his bowl into the air, and a loud voice came out of the temple of heaven, from the throne, saying, "It is done!" 18 And there were noises and thunderings and lightnings; and there was a great earthquake, such a mighty and great earthquake as had not occurred since men were on the earth. 21 And great hail from heaven fell upon men, every hailstone about the weight of a talent. And men blasphemed God because of the plague of the hail, since that plague was exceedingly great.
1 THESSALONIANS 4:13-17 NKJV 13 But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope. 14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus. 15 For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep. 16 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus always be with the Lord.
notice that the living do not precede the dead, but go after,(shortly after but after), and you have several key word, the Lord descending from heaven, as mentioned in Matthew, and a TRUMPET.Here is the Matthew passage, which is Christs triumphant return at the end of the tribulations.
MATTHEW 24:30,31 NKJV 30 "Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. 31 "And He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.
and finally the last piece of the puzzle
1 CORINTHIANS 15:50-52 NKJV 50 Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor does corruption inherit incorruption. 51 Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall be changed- in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. 52 For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.
notice that the TRUMPET is now defined as the LAST TRUMPET, at which time the dead go up, and remember the living go after that.The Last Trumpet is blown immediately preceding the physical return of Christ.
Revelations 11:15 Then the seventh angel sounded: And there were loud voices in heaven, saying, "The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever!"
REVELATION 19:17-18,21 NKJV 17 Then I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the birds that fly in the midst of heaven, 18 "Come and gather together for the supper of the great God, "that you may eat the flesh of kings, the flesh of captains, the flesh of mighty men, the flesh of horses and of those who sit on them, and the flesh of all people, free and slave, both small and great." 21 .... And all the birds were filled with their flesh.
LUKE 17:24-37 NKJV 24 "For as the lighting that flashes out of one part under heaven shines to the other part under heaven, so also the Son of Man will be in His day. 26 "And as it was in the days of Noah, so it will be also in the days of the Son of Man: 28 "Likewise as it was in the days of Lot:... 29 "but on the day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven and destroyed them all. 30 "Even so will it be in the day that the Son of Man is revealed. 32 "Remember Lot's wife. 33 "whoever seeks to save his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life will preserve it. 34 "I tell you, in that night there will be two men in one bed: the one will be taken and the other will be left. 35 "Two women will be grinding together: the one will be taken and the other left. 36 "Two men will be in the field: the one will be taken and the other left." 37 And they answered and said to Him, "Where, Lord?" So He said to them, "Wherever the body (carcass) is, there the eagles (vultures) will be gathered together."
MATTHEW 24:37-42 NKJV 37 "But as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. 40 "Then two men will be in the field: one will be taken and the other left. 41 "Two women will be grinding at the mill: one will be taken and the other left. 42 Watch therefore, for you do not know what hour your Lord is coming.
MATTHEW 24:27-28 NKJV 27 "For as the lightning comes from the east and flashes to the west, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. 28 "For wherever the carcass is, there the eagles (vultures) will be gathered `together.
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