Is there
a SECRET rapture?

"In case of the rapture, this vehicle will be unoccupied," smugly proclaimed the bumper sticker on the automobile waiting at the stoplight just ahead of me.

Is this true? Is Christ coming to secretly "snatch up" His saints before the Great Tribulation of Bible prophecy? Are God's people going to be taken to heaven, or up into the clouds, or to Petra, so as to escape the Tribulation? We will explore the CLEAR answers from the pages of your Bible.

Does the Bible teach a RAPTURE?

Actually, the word "rapture" does not appear in the Bible. This is strange, in one sense, for one would assume Christian theologians would prefer, if they are going to espouse a particularly important doctrine, one which provides fodder for hundreds of sermons, to have a doctrine which is at least found in one scripture, if not many.

Instead, rapturists appeal to the Greek language for the basis of their belief. They say Christ is coming back to this earth in two phases. First, by coming near the earth, to catch up His saints in the "secret rapture," and second, by coming back to the earth, perhaps after three and one-half years, or after the lapse of some other period of time, with His saints.

His first approach to earth to "rapture" away the saints, they say, is His parousia. This Greek word is found in many scriptures concerning the Second Coming of Christ. The word is found in The Strongest Strong's Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible, number 3952 in the Greek, and is rendered:

"a being near; advent; often, return - spec. of Christ to punish Jerusalem, or finally the wicked: aspect, coming, presence."

There are three different Greek words which are used relative to Christ's return to this earth. They are:

1. parousia, as already defined;

2. epiphaneia, or, the "Epiphany," the Advent (arrival) of Christ, meaning "a manifestation, appearing, brightness,"

3. apokalupsis, meaning "disclosure, appearing, coming, lighten, manifestation, be revealed, revelation."

What is the focal point of prophecy?

The very focal point of biblical prophecy is the famed "Olivet Prophecy" found in Matthew 24, Mark 13 and Luke 21. The most complete and detailed of these accounts is found in Matthew 24. Christ had described to His disciples the impending destruction of the beautiful temple with its huge columns, high walls, and magnificent, surrounding structures. The disciples, shocked by Christ's description of the utter destruction of Jerusalem, asked,

"Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign of Your coming [parousia], and of the end of the age?

"And Jesus answered and said to them: "Take heed that no one deceives you. For many will come in My name, saying, 'I am the Christ,' and will deceive many. And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of sorrows."

"Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name's sake. And then many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another. Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many . . . " (Matthew 24:3-13, NKJV throughout unless stated).

When the disciples used the word "coming," they were no doubt speaking in Aramaic. However, in the original Greek manuscripts, this word is the very same word used by "rapturists" to connote the so-called "secret" rapture.

The disciples had asked what would be the signs of Christ's "coming," or His parousia.

Read through each one of these verses carefully. Can you see any hint or suggestion in any part of this passage that the events Jesus Christ described are SECRET?

Is there anything "secret" about the utter destruction of Jerusalem, the tearing down of the temple, all of its attendant buildings, the very walls of the city itself'?

Is there anything "secret" about massive wars and rumors of wars, nation against nation and kingdom against kingdom; about famines, disease epidemics, and massive earthquakes?

Did Jesus say one word about merely being "present," near the earth, but not returning to stand upon it? Did He say one word about secretly catching up His church before the Tribulation?

No, He did not. Instead, He strongly testified that His saints would be on this earth, not only deeply affected by, but perhaps giving their last witness, perhaps being martyred for His sake before His return!

Is there an ORDER to prophecy?

Notice that Jesus Christ spoke in a definite sequence.

Many biblical commentaries, among them the well-known Companion Bible by Dr. Bullinger, note how the chronological sequence of Matthew 24 fits perfectly with the unfolding of the first six seals of the scroll of the "Apocalypse," or the book of Revelation, found in Revelation 6 and 7.

Notice how Christ said that all of these great events comprised the beginning of "sorrow." The margin renders the word as "travail," or tribulation.

Are any saints, any members of God's church, still on earth at this time of mind-boggling, global warfare, drought, famine, disease and earthquakes when literally tens of millions of men and women are dying?

Christ said,

"Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name's sake." (Matthew 24:9)

To whom was Christ speaking? His disciples! When would these things happen? At the time of the end, just before the Second Coming of Christ! So, instead of saying He would "catch up" His saints before the Tribulation, He predicted some of them would be martyred DURING the Tribulation!

Remember, when these words were originally spoken, Christ was addressing His own beloved disciples. By prophetic extension, those solemn words imply Christ's disciples at the end of this age: His true church, the body of Jesus Christ, the saints.

Is there any remote hint or suggestion in these passages that, as the Great Tribulation is ensuing, the saints are somehow secretly "snatched away" from the earth; that they are hiding in caves, or that they are up in heaven?

No, Christ said they would be murdered -- MARTYRED for "My name's sake." That means His true saints would be doing a work which would become so hated by the false religious leaders, and even by civil authority, that they would kill the true servants of Jesus Christ because they hated their message!

He went on to describe a time when many of the converted would betray one another and begin to hate one another; how false prophets would deceive many of God's people, and how because of iniquity all about them, many of those who lacked faith and who were weak in God's Word would become cold. He then said it was those who would "endure unto the end," who would be saved! This means the end of all of these events, or the end of their own lives, whichever comes first.

Now, notice carefully another major section of this vitally-important prophecy:

"'And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come.'

""Therefore when you see the 'abomination of desolation,' spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place" (whoever reads, let him understand), "then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. Let him who is on the housetop not go down to take anything out of his house. And let him who is in the field not go back to get his clothes. But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days! And pray that your flight may not be in winter or on the Sabbath."

"'For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be. And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect's sake those days will be shortened.' " (Matthew 24:14-22).

Notice that when Jesus said the gospel of the Kingdom would be preached in all the world He described it as a "witness" unto all nations. Jesus then begins to describe something called the "abomination of desolation." He says those living in the time of the imposition of this abomination in the "holy place" in Jerusalem should "flee into the mountains!" He then tells those who are watching and praying about world events that they are not to put their minds on material things; not even so much as to return into their own homes to retrieve valuable items; not even to return from their workplace to their home; but to immediately flee! This is certainly not the description of a "secret" rapture to heaven!

Notice Christ's words again:

"'And pray that your flight may not be in winter or on the Sabbath. For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be.' " (Matthew 24:20-21).

This is describing human beings fleeing on foot! Christ is telling how terrible it would be for women in the advanced stages of pregnancy; urging people to pray that they would not be fleeing in the winter when snow and ice would cover the land; that they would not be fleeing on the Sabbath day when they were ordered not to journey longer than a fairly short distance!

Again, do you see any nuance, any remote hint, in any of these passages describing the Great Tribulation that the saints are gone - that the saints have already been "secretly raptured" from the earth, and are not here?

Christ said that except those days were supernaturally cut short humanity itself would not survive! He then said it was for the sake of the "elect" that those days would be shortened. Who are these elect? Notice that the elect are those who cannot be deceived by false Christs and false prophets (verse 24). The "very elect," are those who are Christ's own disciples; baptized, converted members of God's church, in whom is the Holy Spirit of God.

Did Jesus predict false prophets would give FALSE HOPES?

Notice what kind of message would characterize the false Christs and false prophets of the end time:

"'Therefore if they say to you, 'Look, He is in the desert!' do not go out; or 'Look, He is in the inner rooms!' do not believe it. For as the lightning comes from the east and flashes to the west, so also will the coming [parousia] of the Son of Man be.'" (Matthew 24:26-27).

So the message of the false Christs and false prophets would be that there would be something "secretive" about Christ's Second Coming! These false Christs and false prophets would try to tell God's own people that Christ had come "in secret"! These false Christs and false prophets would approach God's people with the doctrine that Christ was already here somewhere, but that He must be sought out by poking around in some desert wilderness, or that He is hiding out in a cave! What did Christ say the Christian is to do with these doctrines about his "secret" coming? He said, "BELIEVE IT NOT!

Now, notice how Christ describes His Second Coming as "lightning comes from the east and flashes to the west."

Have you ever seen a bolt of lightning that does this? Probably not. Most lightning is either cloud to cloud, or cloud to ground. Lightning can come from any direction, and can race across the skies in jagged bolts, going up or down, sideways, and in dozens of different directions.The only "lightning of the sky" that you and I know of which always comes out of the east, and shines even to the west is the daily rising and setting of the sun!

The Bible describes Christ's Second Coming as an event so stupendous, so earth-shaking, so absolutely mind-boggling in its gargantuan portions that it is as if the sun itself were approaching the earth! God's Word says,

"But to you who fear My name the Sun of Righteousness shall arise with healing in His wings; and you shall go out and grow fat like stall-fed calves." (Malachi 4:2).

Christ's coming is described as coming with the strength of the sun. Continually, His coming is described as an event culminating the "day" of the Lord! Over and over again scriptures refer to the great events surrounding Christ's Second Coming in this manner "In that day . . ."

There is nothing "secret" about the daily rotational pattern of the earth, sunrise and sunset. The Second Coming of Christ is described as the sun shining in its strength, arising in the east, and finally going down in the west! There is nothing "secretive" in any of these verses.

Now, notice an enigmatic scripture:

"For wherever the carcass is, there the eagles will be gathered together." (Matthew 24:28).

Further light is shed upon this puzzling scripture in Luke's account, where the disciples asked Jesus, following His description of individuals who are at work, or asleep in their beds, and "one will be taken and the other left," by asking him, "Where, Lord?" (Luke 17:34, 37). The original Greek can imply any carrion-eating bird, such as a vulture, an eagle, or a hawk. What does this mean?

Any rancher will know immediately what it means. Suppose you have lost a cow, or a sheep. You go out and count your herd or your flock, and one is missing. So you saddle your horse, and you begin searching all over your range for the missing animal. In the distance, you see a wheeling flock of birds in the sky. Do you immediately turn away from that place, and go search somewhere else? Of course not! You automatically know that those vultures are gathered together over either a dead or dying animal! You know that where the "carcass is, there the eagles will be gathered together."

When the disciples asked Jesus, "Where, Lord?" they were asking Him where all of these events would take place. They were wondering whether it would be in or around the confines of Jerusalem and the Mount of Olives; whether it would be in northern Israel around Galilee, or whether it would be out in the "Negev," or the desert wilderness.

Jesus told them wherever the body is, THERE will the "eagles will be gathered together." (Luke 17:37)

In other words, Jesus is telling the disciples not to worry that the stupendous events surrounding his Second Coming would take place somewhere away from them! He is saying, very clearly, that he is coming where His saints ARE! He is coming for them in the same day He will stand on the Mount of Olives (Zechariah 14:4 )with them! He is reassuring His disciples that no false prophet is going to come to them and "inform" them that he has come somewhere else!

When do the heavenly signs appear?

Now, notice the step-by-step series of events Jesus described:

"'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. 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. 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.'

"'Now learn this parable from the fig tree: When its branch has already become tender and puts forth leaves, you know that summer is near. So you also, when you see all these things, know that it is near - at the doors!'" (Matthew 24:29-33).

Notice Jesus said immediately after the Tribulation the heavenly signs will occur! Let's notice another important scripture about these heavenly signs and this sequence of events:

"I looked when He opened the sixth seal, and behold, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became like blood. And the stars of heaven fell to the earth, as a fig tree drops its late figs when it is shaken by a mighty wind. Then the sky receded as a scroll when it is rolled up, and every mountain and island was moved out of its place.

"And the kings of the earth, the great men, the rich men, the commanders, the mighty men, every slave and every free man, hid themselves in the caves and in the rocks of the mountains, and said to the mountains and rocks, 'Fall on us and hide us from the face of Him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb! For the great day of His wrath has come, and who is able to stand?'" (Revelation 6:12-17).

Notice the first five seals of Revelation 6 dovetail perfectly with the chronological sequence of events unveiled by Jesus Christ in Matthew 24.

The first "horseman of the Apocalypse," riding the white horse, is depicting false Christs and false prophets. The red horse is depicting the wars and rumors of wars of which Christ spoke. The black horse is depicting famine and starvation. The pale horse is depicting disease epidemics and death, as well as ongoing warfare.

The fifth seal obviously describes those who have suffered martyrdom for the Word of God down through the ages. They are seen as symbolically crying out to God from the ground, in the same way God said that the shed blood of Abel cried out to Him from the ground after Cain slew him. They are told that they should

" . . . rest a little while longer, until both the number of their fellow servants (saints!) and their brethren (saints!), who would be killed as they were, was completed. " (Revelation 6:10-11).

When does this martyrdom of saints take place? It takes place after the unveiling of the first four seals. It comprises the opening of the fifth seal, and is the final part of the GREAT TRIBULATION, just before the heavenly signs!

It is obvious that many Spirit-filled, converted, saints, members of the body of Christ, are to be persecuted, even martyred, for the sake of Christ's name during the Tribulation!

Yet, God promises He will never permit a person to be "tempted beyond what you are able," but with every temptation (trial), will make a way that he might be able to bear it (1Corinthians 10:13). Some people would not be able to endure to the end of their lives, while others would. God knows His saints. He has always chosen men and women of great faith to be His chosen spokesmen before persecutors.

Now look at our text just quoted. Notice that the heavenly signs comprise the sixth seal of the seven seals of the scroll of Revelation. Notice that the heavenly signs come AFTER the Great Tribulation! Now, turn to and read Joel 2:

"The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the coming of the great and awesome day of the Lord. " (Joel 2:31)

In order to impress this deeply into your mind, read all three of these scriptures again: Joel 2:31, Matthew 24:29 and Revelation 6:12-13. They absolutely prove that the events leading up to Christ's Second Coming are as follows:

1. The Great Tribulation

2. The Heavenly Signs

3. The Day of the Lord.

Are the saints on the EARTH during the Great Tribulation?

Are saints on the EARTH during the tribulation? Those who espouse the false doctrine of the "secret" rapture say no! They claim the saints are secretly whisked away from this earth, or "snatched away" BEFORE the events Jesus described as the Great Tribulation. Yet your Bible says that a major part of the Tribulation to come is the martyrdom of saints! Notice:

"And war broke out in heaven: Michael and his angels fought with the dragon; and the dragon and his angels fought, but they did not prevail, nor was a place found for them in heaven any longer. So the great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was cast to the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.

"Then I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, 'Now salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren (the saints!), who accused them before our God day and night, has been cast down. And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death. . . ' " (Revelation 12:7-11)

These are God's own converted, chosen, saintly people! They are members of His church! This great persecution which follows Satan being cast back down out of heaven into the earth IS the Great Tribulation!

Notice that the saints overcome Satan and his persecutions:

" . . . by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death" (Revelation 12:11).

This is not describing a secret "snatching away" of God's people to some remote wilderness, or up into heaven, but describing God's people right in the midst of the great events talking place on the earth; describing God's people as actively witnessing and warning the nations of this world, and therefore bringing hatred and persecution upon themselves.

Notice the last verse of this chapter:

"And the dragon was enraged with the woman (God's church), and he went to make war with the rest of her offspring (the saints still on the earth), who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ. " (Revelation 12:17).

This can only be describing God's church. This is describing those who are obedient to God's commands, and who have the "testimony of Jesus Christ."

The testimony of Jesus Christ is the gospel, the advance good news about His soon-coming government which will overthrow the Beast power and all other worldly governments. These who are persecuted during the Tribulation are God's true saints, members of His true church who are doing the WORK OF GOD! Notice Revelation 13:7:

"It was granted to him (the Beast power) to make war with the saints and to overcome them."

Once again, this shows that Christ's true disciples, the saints, the true church, are on this earth, and that some of them are to be martyred by the Beast power and the False Prophet!

Where are the SAINTS in Revelation?

Some argue that the church is mentioned only in the first three chapters of Revelation, and after that, the "saints" are mentioned. Those who wrest the Scriptures to imply a "secret rapture" argue that "saints" are not necessarily a PART OF God's church! Is this so? Are not these saints members of God's church?

In Revelation, the fifth chapter, John sees the vision of the scrolls sealed with seven seals and wept much because no man was found worthy to open the scrolls or to read it. Then, in vision, he sees the Lamb, which is Jesus Christ, and describes it this way:

"But one of the elders said to me, 'Do not weep. Behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has prevailed to open the scroll and to loose its seven seals.' . . . Then He came and took the scroll out of the right hand of Him who sat on the throne.

"Now when He had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each having a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the SAINTS. And they sang a new song, saying: 'You are worthy to take the scroll, and to open its seals; For You were slain, and have redeemed us to God by Your blood out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation, and have made us (the saints!) kings and priests to our God; And we shall reign on the earth.' " (Revelation 5:5, 7-10).

This vision, wherein John sees the righteous qualifications of Jesus Christ as the Lamb also depicts the prayers and supplications of God's saints. Here, the saints are described as those who were "redeemed to God" by the precious blood of Jesus Christ out of every country on the face of the earth! They are those who are to be kings and priests with Christ, and to rule all nations of this earth with him, for one thousand years! Anyone who tries to argue these people are not members of God's church is simply ignorant of God's Word, or a deliberate deceiver.

Jesus promised His own beloved disciples co-rulership with Him, and predicted they would sit on thrones ruling the tribes of Israel, ruling with Him in the Kingdom of God. It is obvious this reference to "saints" means the consecrated, converted, Spirit-led members of God's church! Now, notice:

"Then another angel, having a golden censer, came and stood at the altar. He was given much incense, that he should offer it with the prayers of all the saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne. And the smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the SAINTS, ascended before God from the angel's hand." (Revelation 8:3-4).

These are yet more references to "saints" in the book of Revelation, and once again it is obviously a spiritual metaphor, or a vision of heaven, where the prayers of God's converted people are seen as ascending up before God and bringing about the intervention of Almighty God in human affairs! By no stretch of the imagination can these "saints" in these two verses be anyone other than true Christians!

The next place where "saints" are mentioned in the book of Revelation is in chapter 11, just after the description of the famous two witnesses:

"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!' And the twenty-four elders who sat before God on their thrones fell on their faces and worshiped God, saying:

" 'We give You thanks, O Lord God Almighty, the One who is and who was and who is to come, because You have taken Your great power and reigned. The nations were angry, and Your wrath has come, and the time of the dead, that they should be judged, and that You should reward Your servants the prophets and the SAINTS, and those who fear Your name, small and great . . . ' " (Revelation 11:15-18).

Could anyone, in the wildest stretch of his imagination, assert that these saints who are to be rewarded at the time of the Second Coming of Jesus Christ, inheriting His Kingdom with Him, and beginning to RULE the earth, are anyone other than the members of God's church?

Now, notice the "saints" mentioned in the thirteenth chapter:

"Then I stood on the sand of the sea. And I saw a beast rising up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and on his horns ten crowns, and on his heads a blasphemous name. Now the beast which I saw was like a leopard, his feet were like the feet of a bear, and his mouth like the mouth of a lion. The dragon gave him his power, his throne, and great authority. And I saw one of his heads as if it had been mortally wounded, and his deadly wound was healed. And all the world marveled and followed the beast. So they worshiped the dragon who gave authority to the beast; and they worshiped the beast, saying, 'Who is like the beast? Who is able to make war with him?'

"And he was given a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies, and he was given authority to continue for forty-two months. Then he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme His name, His tabernacle, and those who dwell in heaven. It was granted to him (the Beast power) to make war with the SAINTS and to overcome them . . . " (Revelation 13:1-7).

Here, the Beast power together with the False Prophet, now having gained global supremacy, are given the power to "make war with the saints"!

Could such a shocking thing occur? The "pre-tribulationists," or the "rapturists," assert that God is going to "snatch away" all of His true church BEFORE the horrifying consequences of the Tribulation, including martyrdom, could occur! But what did Jesus Christ say? He told His disciples:

"'Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves. Therefore be wise as serpents and harmless as doves. But beware of men, for they will deliver you up to councils and scourge you in their synagogues. You will be brought before governors and kings for My sake, as a testimony to them and to the Gentiles . . .'

"'And you will be hated by all for My name's sake. But he who endures to the end will be saved. When they persecute you in this city, flee to another . . . A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his master. It is enough for a disciple that he be like his teacher, and a servant like his master. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebub, how much more will they call those of his household!' " (Matthew 10:16-18, 22-25).

Time and again, Jesus Christ predicted that His true saints, the members of His true church, would be hated, persecuted, perhaps some of them even tortured and murdered!

When He said, "It is enough for a disciple that he be like his teacher," He is referring to His own torture and murder - the crucifixion! When He tells them not to fear those who are able to "kill the body," He is predicting that some of God's true servants will be chosen for martyrdom in the last days!

The apostle Paul was martyred. Tradition says Peter was crucified upside down. The book of Acts tells us that James, the brother of John, and one of the two sons of Zebedee, was martyred. We read in Acts the seventh chapter of the martyrdom of Stephen. Many, many others were martyred for their convictions, their beliefs, for the very fact that they were God's saints!

Will God choose some Christians to DIE for the truth?

In His Olivet prophecy, Jesus said to His disciples:

"You will be betrayed even by parents and brothers, relatives and friends; and they will put some of you to death. And you will be hated by all for My name's sake. " (Luke 21:16-17).

Read that scripture carefully. Here, Jesus obviously states that some of His true servants, His true church, the saints, will be chosen to be martyrs for the name of Jesus Christ and for the sake of His work and His coming Kingdom. Others will not.

Now, after expounding all of these earth-shaking events - wars and rumors of wars, droughts, famines, disease epidemics, massive loss of life - He says to His true disciples, who are still on the earth,

"Now when these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near." (Luke 21:28).

Where are the saints after all these fantastic events? They are on the earth, having seen the Great Tribulation, and all the events associated with it unfolding. They are involved in the work of God, giving witness and warning to God's people and to all nations of the world, warning them of the punishments of sin, of God's soon-coming Kingdom, His intervention in the affairs of mankind! God's people are warned:

" 'For it (the great tribulation) will come as a snare on all those who dwell on the face of the whole earth. Watch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man.' " (Luke 21:35-36).

Why should Jesus Christ caution His servants to pray they might be accounted worthy to escape all these things [the Great Tribulation] that are to come to pass, if He intended "snatching them up" from the earth anyway?

Why did He urge them to "pray that your flight may not be in winter or on the Sabbath" if He was going to "snatch them up" anyway? Why did He say it would be especially difficult for a pregnant woman if He was going to "snatch her up" anyway?

Notice some other places in the book of Revelation where the word "saints" is used:

"Here is the patience of the SAINTS; here are those who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus." (Revelation 14:12).

What is the "patience of the saints"? It is that they keep God's commandments, and have the faith of Jesus Christ! Can anyone dare imply that people who are keeping God's commandments, and who have the very faith of Jesus Christ living within them, are somehow not members of God's church?

Read Revelation 15:3, where Christ is called the "King of the saints." Then, notice Revelation 16:6, which says,

"For they [the Beast and the False Prophet and their armies] have shed the blood of SAINTS and prophets, and You have given them blood to drink. For it is their just due."

Finally, notice the following scriptures:

"I saw the woman, drunk with the blood of the SAINTS and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus. And when I saw her, I marveled with great amazement." (Revelation 17:6).

"And in her was found the blood of prophets and SAINTS, and of all who were slain on the earth." (Revelation 18:24).

"And to her it was granted to be arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright, for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the SAINTS." (Revelation 19:8).

"They went up on the breadth of the earth and surrounded the camp of the SAINTS and the beloved city. And fire came down from God out of heaven and devoured them." (Revelation 20:9).

The great fallen church who is the woman "drunk with the blood of the saints" is the Babylonian mystery religion, with the false Christ - the anti-Christ or the False Prophet of biblical prophecy at its head.

Revelation 18:24 shows a picture of the "blood of prophets and saints" and all of those who are slain upon the earth being discovered in the dank, filthy records of the great false church. Revelation 19:8 merely describes that "fine linen" is the symbol of righteousness of the saints, and Revelation 20:9 depicts the holy city, New Jerusalem, at the end of the Millennium, being surrounded by "Gog and Magog," and refers to the holy city as "the camp of the saints."

Here, we have seen every place in the entire book of Revelation where the word "saints" is used. In each case, it is referring to converted people in whom is God's Holy Spirit.

A pivotal argument advanced by the "pretribulationists," or those who believe in a secret rapture of the church before the Tribulation, is that Bible references to any "saints" being on earth during the Tribulation are not referring to the church, but a different category of "saints" who are not part of the church!

They know God's Word plainly mentions saints many times after the beginning of the Tribulation. Therefore, instead of simply abandoning their false doctrine of the "rapture," they try to TWIST God's Word, claiming the "saints" do not mean the church! How utterly ridiculous. And how dishonest with God's Word!

When is the resurrection of the saints?

Now, notice:

"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. 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. Then WE who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air . . ." (1Thessalonians 4:15-17).

Notice that the living saints are not to precede the dead in Christ by so much as a second! When, then, does the actual resurrection occur? Notice:

"But now Christ is risen from the dead, and has become the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep . . . But each one in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, afterward those who are Christ's at His coming. " (1Corinthians 15:20, 23).

Now, notice another graphic, earth-shaking description of Christ's Second Coming:

"Now I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse. And He who sat on him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war. His eyes were like a flame of fire, and on His head were many crowns. He had a name written that no one knew except Himself. He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God . . .

"Now out of His mouth goes a sharp sword, that with it He should strike the nations. And He Himself will rule them with a rod of iron. He Himself treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. And He has on His robe and on His thigh a name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.

"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, "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." (Revelation 19:11-13, 15-18)

Anyone who believes for one instant there is anything "secretive" about this stupendous series of events is incapable of understanding plain English.

Notice further information about Christ's Second Coming:

"Behold, the day of the Lord is coming, and your spoil will be divided in your midst. For I will gather all the nations to battle against Jerusalem; The city shall be taken, the houses rifled, and the women ravished. Half of the city shall go into captivity, but the remnant of the people shall not be cut off from the city. Then the Lord will go forth and fight against those nations, as He fights in the day of battle.

"And in that day His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, which faces Jerusalem on the east. And the Mount of Olives shall be split in two, from east to west, making a very large valley . . ." (Zechariah 14:1-4).

Christ is not coming in "two phases," first, "for" His saints prior to the Tribulation and Day of the Lord, and then, "with" His saints afterwards! Clearly, the living saints will not precede those who have died down through the ages; those martyred in the first century, including Peter, James, and Paul! Instead, they are to be either resurrected, or changed, in a moment, in the "twinkling of an eye" AT THE LAST TRUMP! The last trump is the last of the seven trumpet plagues, at the moment of the great earthquake, and the Second Coming of Christ!

In Conclusion

"Rapturists," like "survivalists" and "escapists," have their minds on the preservation of this physical life! Jesus Christ tells them that those who seek to save their lives in this world will lose it.

No, God is NOT going to "rapture" away His saints secretly!

Let us not trust in false hopes, but in Jesus Christ of Nazareth, and God the Father, Who loves us, and Who promises eternal life with Him in His Kingdom to all those who "endure unto the end," whether that means the end of our own physical lives or the end of the Tribulation and the Day of the Lord!