Hi, Ahwatukee.
I've already addressed John 14:1-3 and what you referenced from I Thessalonians chapter 4, so I'll just concentrate on your other points in this response.
Here's what Revelation chapter 19 says:
[6] And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunderings, saying, Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigns.
[7] Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honor to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready.
[8] And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints.
[9] And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God.
[10] And I fell at his feet to worship him. And he said unto me, See thou do it not: I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren that have the testimony of Jesus: worship God: for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.
[11] And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war.
Where does this say "Rev.19:6-8 also has the church/bride in heaven attending the wedding of the Lamb"?
Instead, it says "the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready" (vs. 7).
Really? Do you know that the marriage is the same as a wedding?
The bride/church is receiving her fine linen, white and clean at the wedding of the Lamb.
All you are attempting to do here, is distort or circumvent the information given here.
Do you HONESTLY believe that while "the marriage supper of the Lamb" is allegedly taking place in heaven there are saints on the earth who are excluded from the same?
Yes, believers who will have been continuing in faith, watching and anticipating the Lord's appearing to gather us, will be caught up and taken to the Father's house. Once this event takes place, that will end the church period. Those saints that you are referring to, will be those who will become believers after the church has been removed from the earth and during the time of God's wrath. They are never referred to as the church. Though they will belong to Christ, they are another group. This group of saints, because they will have become believers after the gathering of the church, will also be exposed to all of the plagues of wrath that will be taking place on the earth, simply because they will be here.
The next event to take place will be the gathering of the church. Jesus warns believers within the church to always be on the watch and ready, not in carousing and drunkenness, and by the worries of this life. For if so, He says that day (the day of the Lord) will close on you like a trap. This group which no man can count, will be those who become believers after the church has been gathered from the earth.
Previously, John was told to write letters to the seven churches. Then in Rev.7, John sees a vision of saints which no man can count, of which the elder asks John who they are? The very fact that he is asking this demonstrates that he is not referring to the church which John just previously wrote letters to, but is introducing a new group and of which John says that he doesn't know who they are. In addition, they referred to as the ekklesia/church.
Throughout chapters 1 thru 3, the word ekklesia/church is used 19 times, with the last use being the end of chapter 3. Rev.4:1 is a prophetic allusion to where the church is gathered by that voice that sounds like a trumpet, which is identified as Jesus' voice in Rev.1:10 and which says, "come up here!" After this, you never see the word ekklesia/church again. The next time the church is alluded to is as the bride at the wedding of the Lamb in Rev.19:7. And the next time the word ekklesia/church is used again is in Revelation 22:16, which is outside of the narrative of God's wrath.
There are saints on the earth during a time a tribulation like the world has never known.
They're crying out in desperation to Jesus...and he's eating a piece of lamb or something in heaven.
Yes, there will be 'saints' on the earth during the time of God's wrath. The unbelieving nation of Israel will also be on the earth. The 144,000 will also be on the earth, but only until the middle of the seven years, where at which time they will be caught up to God and His throne.
Doesn't scripture tell us that Jesus will remain seated at the Father's right hand until his enemies are made his footstool?
Doesn't he continually make intercession for the saints while at the Father's right hand as our merciful and faithful high priest?
That does not mean that Jesus is handcuffed to His throne! I don't know why people attempt to restrict the Lord with these scriptures.
The church can't be on the earth during the time of God's wrath, because Jesus already experienced God's wrath on behalf of every believer within the church, satisfying it completely. Therefore, God's wrath no longer rests upon the believer. Those great tribulation saints will be on the earth during that time because they will have not been believers prior to the church being gather and will therefore enter into that time period of God's wrath.
Look, I honestly like you, I truly do, but, seriously, please just give up this heretical nonsense and embrace the actual truth of scripture.
This is not heretical, but are the deeper understanding of God's word.
Again, there are only TWO RESURRECTIONS, and "the first resurrection" takes place when Christ returns, so how the heck did people allegedly receive glorified, resurrected bodies in an alleged "rapture to heaven" PRIOR TO THE FIRST RESURRECTION?
You are correct in that, there are two resurrections. However, the first resurrection has stages or phases. It is not restricted a one time event:
* Jesus the first fruits
* The church at His appearing (Resurrection of the dead and changing of the living)
* The 144,000 (caught up in the middle of the seven)
* The two witnesses
* The great tribulation saints (Revelation 20:4-6, which takes place after Jesus returns to the earth to end the age)
The first resurrection does not mean 'only' resurrection. It could be better understood as the resurrections which take place prior to the one at the end of the thousand years, which will be a resurrection of the unrighteous dead throughout all of history.
All resurrections which take place prior to the end of the end of the thousand years belong to the first resurrection.
Just fyi, if you will notice in Rev.20:4-6, there is only a resurrection which takes place. There is no living believers changed and caught up at that one. This is where the saints who will have died during the tribulation period will be resurrected.