This . . .
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I Corinthians
51 Behold, I tell 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 trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.
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Take note of when this happens . . . "at the last trumpet".
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That . . .
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I Thessalonians
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 we shall always be with the Lord.
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This verse is talking about the second coming . . . when Jesus returns. That is when we who are alive and remain shall be caught up. There is no indication that there will be a first coming ie rapture and then a seven year tribulation, and then another second (third?) coming.
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It is good also to note that there is nothing secret about this event. There is a loud shout and a trumpet (presumably without a mute) and His coming will be as the lightning comes - fast and surprising, but not secret.
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Matthew
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.
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This is That . . .
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Here's the deal. What I believe about the rapture, differs from the popular view that the Church will be raptured at any minute and therefore miss the coming revival and crisis in the Great Tribulation. I believed in a pre-tribulation rapture for years and even now I do not understand how great men of God have reached this conclusion. I believe it is a great deception . . . a serious mistake that will leave multitudes unprepared and offended at Jesus during the Great Tribulation.
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Matthew
29 “Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. 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.
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God is good, and this is His plan. God is love, and he knows what he is doing. This is not gloom and doom, this is the leadership of Jesus over his bride and the earth. He is a really brilliant leader and He is altogether for us and not against us. It will be the Church's finest hour.
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I Thessalonians
18 Therefore comfort one another with these words.