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Here is a list in favor of why the resurrection and catching away will take place prior to the beginning of the seven years:
Proof #1: Revelation 19:11-21 doesn't mention a resurrection.
The catching away is a resurrection of those "in Christ" (
1 Thess. 4:13-18). Isn't it a little bit odd that in
Rev. 19:11-21, which is the clearest picture of the second coming of Christ, there is no mention of a resurrection? The catching away will be the biggest event since the resurrection of Jesus where hundreds of millions of Christians will be resurrected and translated, yet there isn't any mention here. Don't you think it deserves at least one verse? The catching away isn't mentioned because it doesn't happen at the second coming.
I'll have to respond in parts brother, because you posted so much.
Rev 19:14
14 And the armies which were in heaven followed Him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean.
KJV
Those "armies" those follow Him include the 'asleep' saints He brings with Him when He comes, as per 1 Thess.4. The 1 Thess.4 Scripture is specific; Jesus brings the 'asleep' saints with Him that have already died, and in the process of His return He gathers the alive saints still on the earth, i.e., they are "caught up" and joined with the 'asleep' saints. Then all go to Jerusalem for this final battle per Zech.14.
Therefore, mention of the resurrection is not needed in that Rev.19:11-21 Scripture; there's enough written elsewhere about it that link with the event of His coming, like 1 Thess.4 and Zech.14 and Matt.24:29-31 and Mark 13:24-27 and 1 Cor.15, etc. Just because an event in one Book is not mentioned in another Book does not cancel out what was given prior. That kind of thinking actually goes opposite to how God revealed events in His Word, details of an event having different coverage between different Books. It's a way to give more info without repeating again what was given before.
Thus your point #1 is disproved.
Proof #2: Zechariah 14:1-15 doesn't mention a resurrection.
This is an Old Testament picture of Jesus returning to earth at the second coming. Again, no mention of a resurrection.
Again, not needed if... one studies all of God's Word to be familiar where it does explain the resurrection and when. In Jesus' parable of the "tares of the field", He shows the tares go into the fire without mention of His future "thousand years" reign. In His Revelation, chapter 20 reveals the "thousand years" must take place first. So just because Matt.13 didn't mention that "thousand years" it does not cancel out the Rev.20 Scripture He gave later through John. This is actually very basic.
Thus your point #2 is disproved.
Proof #3: Two different pictures are painted.
In the Old Testament, there were two different pictures painted of the Messiah-one suffering (
Isa. 53:2-10,
Ps. 22:6-8,
11-18) and one reigning as King (
Ps. 2:6-12,
Zech. 14:9,
16). As we look back on these scriptures, we see they predicted two separate comings of the Messiah-the 1st coming as a suffering Messiah and the 2nd coming (still future) as a reigning King.
In the New Testament, we have another picture added. Again, we have two pictures painted which don't look the same. These two different descriptions of Jesus' coming point to two separate events we call "the resurrection and catching away" and "the second coming."
The Isaiah 53 and Ps.22 Scripture examples are about His 1st coming, humbling Himself meek as a lamb to die on the cross. There was a small resurrection of saints in Jerusalem when Jesus died on the cross, but that is not... the resurrection you speak of that is to occur at the time of Jesus' 2nd coming. In Luke 4, Jesus went into the temple and read from Isaiah 61:1-2, but He did not complete the phrase "and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn." He closed the Book before He got to that last part, because... His 1st coming was not the time for that day of vengeance, for that day is reserved for the day of His 2nd coming.
The Zech.14 and Ps.2 Scripture examples are about His future 2nd coming and reign on earth.
The New Testament Scriptures agree with both of those 2 comings, so both the OT and NT Scriptures are declaring the same thing about the 2 times of His coming. There are other OT Scriptures that also have that 2 times of His coming alignment, the Zech.9:9 verse is about His 1st coming, and the Zech.9:10 verse is about His 2nd coming.
Therefore, there is NO in-between coming secret rapture mentioned in any of those Scriptures, not in the OT nor the NT. His 2nd coming there is linked with the time of judgment upon the wicked which the OT prophets called "the day of the Lord", which is the timing of the Rev.19:11-21 Scripture, that Zech.14, Zech.9:10, and Ps.2 Scripture.
Thus your point #3 is disproved.
Proof #4: The Known Day and the Unknown Day
Concerning the return of Jesus, the Bible presents a day we can't know and a day we can know.
Matthew 25:13 says Jesus will return at an unknown time, while
Revelation 12:6 says the Jews will have to wait 1,260 days for the Lord to return. The 1,260 days begins when the Antichrist stands in the Temple and declares himself to be God (
Matt. 24:15-21,
2 Thess. 2:4) This event will take place at the mid-point of the seven year Tribulation (
Dan 9:27). The Antichrist has authority to rule for 42 months, which is 1,260 days (
Rev. 13:4) and will be destroyed by Jesus at His second coming (
Rev. 19:20,
2 Thess. 2:8). The known and unknown days must happen at different times, meaning they are two separate events.
Correct that our Lord Jesus said no man knows the 'day' of His second coming (Matt.24 towards the end of the chapter). When He was speaking of the time of "great tribulation", He also showed those days will be '
shortened' (Matt.24:22). So how can anyone depend on the end of that latter 1260 days from the Book of Daniel being the actual day of His return? It is now only a ballpark figure timing, and not the actual day. Even the Jews cannot predict the day of His 2nd coming.
Thus your point #4 is disproved.
Proof #5: A door open in heaven (Revelation 4:1)
The door in heaven is opened to let John into heaven. I believe John's call into heaven is prophetic of the church being caught up (see proof #6). In
Revelation 19:11, heaven is opened again, this time to let the armies which are already in heaven out. This is the Church, which has been raptured at a previous time, following Jesus out of heaven at the second coming. Also, I believe that the "trumpet call of God" in
1 Thes.4:16 is synonymous with "that voice that sounds like a trumpet, which says 'come up here' " in
Rev.4:1
Apostle John did not literally go into Heaven in Revelation 1, he was given to see... into the heavenly. In Rev.1:9 he said he was in the isle of Patmos. He said he was "in the Spirit on the Lord's day" (Rev.1:10). He heard behind him a voice as a great trumpet, then turned around to look and that's when The Lord began showing him the visions. No mystery that God is able to cause His servants to see visions of the heavenly, while they were not bodily in Heaven; many such cases in the OT prophets.
The meaning of John's phrase "the Lord's day" is about "the day of the Lord", for those were the type of visions John was given in order to write down and give to the seven Churches in Asia. That's what Revelation is especially about. His being "in the Spirit" has no connection with a pre-trib rapture. He experienced that so God could give him the prophecies so as to give to the Churches about what to expect for the end days. Linking that to a pre-trib rapture theory of men is adding to that Rev.1 Scripture.
Thus your point #5 is disproved.
Proof #6: "Come up here." (Revelation 4:1)
A voice called for the apostle John to "Come up here," and immediately he was in heaven. This could be a prophetic reference to the catching away of the Church. The words "Come up here" are spoken to the two witnesses who are killed in the middle of the Tribulation, who are resurrected and ascend into heaven (
Rev. 11:12). Therefore, the phrase "Come up here" could mean the church is caught up in
Rev. 4:1. The word "church" is mentioned 22 times in Rev. 1-3, but is not mentioned again until
Rev. 22:17 which is outside of the narrative.
You apparently misunderstand 2 Cor.12 about the one "caught up" also, I assume.
That Rev.4:1 event is linked to what John said in Rev.1:10, that he was "in the Spirit". His physical body was still on earth on the isle of Patmos. The situation with God's two witnesses being killed per Rev.11 is different, for they were killed, John was not. Major difference there.
Moreover, if you link a rapture with the two witnesses of Rev.11:12 being told to, "Come up hither", that is just prior... to the sounding of the 7th Trumpet and time of destruction upon the wicked, revealing "the day of the Lord" events of Jesus' 2nd coming and then immediate reign over the nations. Also, that happens to the two witnesses at the ENDING of the 6th Trumpet - 2nd Woe period, which is AT... the ENDING of the latter 1260 days of Daniel, which means at the END OF THE TRIBULATION. By the sounding of that 7th Trumpet, the tribulation is all over.
Thus your point #6 is disproved,
...and in a roundabout way, you have unknowingly proven that the rapture will occur at the end of the 1260 days of Rev.11 (and that part is... correct, Christ's 2nd coming is AFTER the tribulation like He said in Matt.24:29-31).
Proof #7: The 24 elders have their crowns.
After John is called up into heaven, he sees the 24 elders with their crowns (
Rev. 4:4-10). We know that Christians will receive their rewards (crowns) when we are caught up (
2 Tim. 4:8,
1 Pet. 5:4). We will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous (
Luke 14:14). The elders couldn't receive their crowns unless the resurrection and catching away has taken place.
The crowns are not handed out UNTIL the day of Jesus' 2nd coming on "the day of the Lord", which is when the wicked on the earth are subdued and He begins His "thousand years" reign with His elect priests and kings.
So instead of moving that 24 elders event backwards before the tribulation, like you've wrongly been taught, you need to move it to the future when it will actually occur, which is after Jesus' 2nd coming and start of His "thousand years" reign on earth, i.e., the Zechariah 14 timing.
If you keep reading into the Rev.5 chapter, you would have discovered this...
Rev 5:9-10
9 And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for Thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by Thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation;
10 And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth.
KJV
Exactly WHEN is it that they sing that "new song"???
One must continue to read in Revelation, all the way down to Rev.14...
Rev 14:1-3
14:1 And I looked, and, lo, a Lamb stood on the mount Sion, and with him an hundred forty and four thousand, having his Father's name written in their foreheads.
2 And I heard a voice from heaven, as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of a great thunder: and I heard the voice of harpers harping with their harps:
3 And they sung as it were a new song before the throne, and before the four beasts, and the elders: and no man could learn that song but the hundred and forty and four thousand, which were redeemed from the earth.
KJV
"Sion" simply is a translation from the Greek for Zion, which is in Jerusalem on earth, i.e., the Mount Zion. That "Lamb" is our Lord Jesus standing there on earth in Jerusalem where He returns, and that area... is where that "throne" is!!! There is no Revelation Scripture between Rev.4-5 and this Rev.14 Scripture to show all that mysteriously moved from Heaven down to the earth where Zion is!
The LORD gives us details of events that we must 'rightly divide' as to their timing per His Word of Truth. Apostle Paul told us to be careful to do that dividing of the Scriptures (2 Tim.2:15), to become a "workman" in God's Word to be approved of God, and not found in shame. The way that is done is you familiarize yourself with all His Word which has many event relationships between different Books.
Thus your point #7 is disproved.
Proof #8 Holy ones are already with Jesus in heaven (Zech. 14:5, Rev. 19:14)
The armies in heaven riding on white horses and clothed in fine linen, follow Jesus out of heaven at His second coming (
Rev. 19:14,
Zech. 14:5,
Col. 3:4). These are not angels because
Rev. 19:7-8 has the bride receiving her fine linen just before her descent with the Lord. Also, in Rev.17:14, those who return with him from heaven are identified as his "called, chosen and faithful followers" which would not be a proper designation for angels, but for the redeemed. In order to come out of heaven, we must go there first, indicating a previous resurrection and catching away.
You cannot just destroy... the times and the seasons coverage that Apostle Paul and Peter gave us. If Revelation were the only Bible Book we had, then you might be able to theorize all that above.
Again, in 1 Thess.4, Apostle Paul made it plain that Jesus brings the 'asleep' saints with Him when He comes. That's one group of saints, i.e., those that have already died. And at that same time He will gather His saints still alive on earth to Him, which means joining with those 'asleep' saints coming with Him. And then Zech.14 reveals His coming there to Jerusalem with all His saints. It will not take 1260 days for Him to accomplish that. It will happen suddenly, at the "last trump", in the "twinkling of an eye", like Paul also taught in 1 Cor.15.
In the very next... 1 Thess.5 chapter, Apostle Paul linked the timing of Jesus' 2nd coming with "the day of the Lord". He did that by the "thief in the night" timing metaphor. In Rev.16:15, on the 6th Vial timing, Jesus warned His Church that He comes "as a thief". On the 7th Vial is when the great battle of Armageddon will happen, which is the LAST day of this present world, which is the time of "the day of the Lord" events per the OT prophets. Thus Apostle Paul perfectly aligned with the timing of the OT prophets about "the day of the Lord" events being the day of Christ's 2nd coming and... gathering of His Church.
The armies of Rev.19 that come with Jesus to destroy the wicked on that day perfectly aligns with the time the OT prophets showed about "the day of the Lord" events. And it perfectly aligns with the Zech.14 Scripture about Jesus' feet touching down upon the Mount of Olives (where He ascend from per Acts 1) and all the saints with Him there, which is Jerusalem on earth!
Moreover, in 2 Pet.3:10, Peter linked "the day of the Lord" with the "thief in the night" idea. That further proves our time of gathering by Jesus at His 2nd coming will only... occur on that "day of the Lord" timing.
Thus your #8 point is disproved.