The Pre-Tribulation Rapture Debate
I've read the bible from Genesis to Revelation a minimum of 20+ times over 46 years in the King James, The New King James, The Amplified, The NIV, The English Standard Version, The Complete Jewish Bible. I've read countless books on Christian Apologetics. The Church was not born until Acts 2. It was after Jesus had been crucified, buried, resurrected and ascended to Heaven. That had not happened in Matthew 24 when Jesus gave the Olivet discourse. I Corinthians 15:52 about the last trumpet was written approximately 56 AD about 40 years before John received the Revelation from the Glorified Jesus in approximately 93 AD. The Apostle Paul was beheaded in Rome in AD 69 about 24 years before John received the Revelation ergo, when Paul was writing about the last trumpet to the Corinthians in the above passage, he had no knowledge of the seals, bowls and trumpets of Revelation because Revelation had not been written. It's all about context, context, context. Jesus is the only Hero of this earth story. It makes me sad every day, that people I know and love will endure the Tribulation, but I will not and neither will anyone whose trust is in the true Lord, Jesus Christ the author and finisher of our faith.
This was my response to someone who sent me a video entitled Three Questions Answered About The Rapture - Will You Be Left Behind.
There is nothing I like better than a good discussion on the Rapture!! 
What I found interesting about this video was the failure to acknowledge a few key issues. #1 There was no church when the Olivet Discourse was written, it was yet future. #2 Revelation had not been written. #3 The Elect at that time was the whole House of Israel, Jesus specifically said He came to offer the kingdom to the entire house of Israel. The assumption that the "last trumpet" is referring to the Last Trumpet in the Trumpet judgments overlooks, that Revelation had not been written yet, so the church at that time had no knowledge of the 7 Trumpets of Revelation, so could it be that what Paul was referring to was one of many last trumpets blown during the Jewish Feasts throughout the year. Or could it be a trumpet that signifies the end of the church age? I find it interesting when all the pretrib deniers keep referring to the Harpazo (rapture) as secret. There is no biblical text that says the Harpazo is a secret, it sounds noisy to the extreme, 1st, Jesus Shouts from the Air because that's where we meet Him, 2nd, the voice of the archangel sounds and 3rd the trumpet sounds and then millions and millions perhaps billions disappear from earth, how is that a secret? Next Daniel is specifically to the House of Israel Daniel 9:24. Daniel had no knowledge of the Church. The purpose of the Tribulation is the Salvation of the Jewish Nation. In I Thessalonians you will see that Paul speaks of two separate events. The first is the caught up together event the Harpazo in which he says to encourage one another with that event and then Paul starts off the next event with the word "Now," and then he proceeds to tell them about the next event which is the day of the Lord where Paul states "For God has not destined us for wrath but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ and once again he tells them to encourage one another. There is nothing encouraging about going through the Tribulation. Those are just a few of the thoughts I have about what the guy said.
here's some things to consider - Revelation Chapter 4 After this I looked, and behold, a door standing open in Heaven! And the first voice, which I had heard speaking to me like a trumpet, said, "Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after this." After what? The Letters to the Churches, i.e., the church age. And John's command to come up here sounds like the rapture I Thessalonians 4:16 For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel and with the sound of the trumpet. Back to Revelation Chapter 4:9-10 And whenever the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to him who is seated on the throne, who lives forever and ever, the twenty-four elders fall down before him who is seated on the throne and worship him who lives forever and ever. They cast their crowns before the throne, saying . . . Who are they? According to the biblical text Christians are the ones who receive crowns and moving into Chapter 5 the song of the twenty four elders includes the ransomed people that Jesus Christ ransomed with his Blood, this particular group of people Jesus has made a kingdom and priests to our God and they shall reign on the earth vs. the group of martyrs in Revelation 7 who had to wash their robes in and made them white in the blood of the lamb. They were not ransomed by Jesus, but they had to wash their robes in His blood and that group of people are before the throne of God and serve him day and night in his temple. They do not rule on earth and have not been made priests. The elders and the ransomed in Chapters 4 and 5 of Revelation witness the opening of the 7 sealed scroll along with John. I could go on and on ad nauseum, but I think you get my drift. If one simply reads God's word carefully, one can make sense of the text. It is after all The Revelation indicating it is to be understood and not a mystery. Finally, millions of Christians have been persecuted and died throughout the centuries and millions have lived peaceable lives and died peaceably. It seems to me those who want to suffer persecution overwhelmingly are men! I just don't get it, and whether I go through the Tribulation or not, my faith is in Jesus Christ because He saved a wretch like me, not because He's going to save me from persecution for His name's sake.
See you soon, in the Pretrib Rapture of the Church and if you have not made Jesus Christ your Lord and Savior call on His name and ask Him to save you today! Time is running ou!
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