Just so you know, NO ONE in the posttrib camp has ever proven with scripture that the gathering in Matthew 24 is Paul's rapture. And don't say there is no such thing.
When Scripture uses clear and unambiguous words (no parables, no figures of speech), there is nothing to "prove". The words are the proof. Kinda like "the proof is in the pudding". The words are clear enough.
The gathering in Matt 24 occurs when? At the end of the Tribulation. Bingo.
First Thes. 4:17 is "Paul's rapture" because Paul received a revelation on the rapture and wrote of it. NO ONE in the posttrib came has proven that all the righteous will be resurrected at the same time.
I have and your eyes are closed to the clear and unambigous words.
The problem is that pretribbers have placed ALL emphasis on "the rapture". Well, that is just a very small part of the singular resurrection of ALL believers, as Luke 14:14, Acts 24:15 and 1 Cor 15:23 all indicate.
The real emphasis SHOULD BE on resurrection. Yes, there will be a "gathering/rapture" when the singular resurrection occurs.
But consider the numbers. Those resurrected first are all believers from Adam on, who have previously died and accompany Christ from heaven to earth. That number is significantly more than "those who are alive and remain", per 1 Thess 4.
In fact, the number of the living believers who will be "changed in the twinkling of the eye" per 1 Cor 15:52 will only be a very SMALL FRACTION of the number of the previously dead saints.
So there is NO reason to put any emphasis on a "rapture". The only real deal is the resurrection, which includes a rapture.
And again, in all the so-called rapture verses, better called "resurrection" verses, there is NO MENTION of Jesus taking anyone to heaven.
Many have tried, as you have tried, but when posttrib verses are studied and exegeted IN CONTEST, they really don't say what posttribbers believe they say
If that is so, how come you have never even tried to exegete the verses I've given you that prove there is only ONE resurrection, which includes a rapture, in the 4 verses?
and the first on the "first" or chief or primary resurrection is no exception.
Right. There are no exceptions. All believers will receive their resurrection bodies WHEN HE COMES. 1 Cor 15:23.
Have. Over and over. Your eyes are closed.
Just three verses after Paul's classic rapture verse, the alive in Christ being caught up, Paul tells us of the Day of the Lord. It is ambiguous because Paul did not say word for word, "the Day of the Lord" will come just after the rapture." But did Paul HAVE to say it word for word for us to understand?
What is your point here? The Day of the Lord should be obvious; it is a period of time from WHEN He comes at the Second Advent throughout all of His Millennial reign. It may even include the new heaven and earth. Not sure about that.
However, every "period of time" begins with a single day. No exceptions. And the Day of the Lord also begins on a single day; the actual literal day that He descends to earth with the armies of heaven (all the dead saints) and be joined in the air with the remaining living believers.
It is the same for God's wrath: Paul did not say word for word, "the rapture will come JUST before God's wrath begins." Again, did Paul HAVE to write it word for word for us to understand it?
What he wrote in 2 Thess 2:1 is crystal clear. When Christ comes He will gather the living believers.
Why would Paul mention the Day of the Lord and the wrath of God (that we have no appointments with) in a rapture passage - UNLESS the rapture would be the trigger for the start of the Day of the Lord and the start of God's wrath?
You are confused. The start of God's wrath is 7 years before the start of the Day of the Lord.
Prove that the Day of the Lord includes the Trib. I don't believe that. In fact, Acts 3:21 says that Jesus remains in heaven until the restoration of all things. You want to believe that the Trib is a time of "restoration"????
Most translations have "heaven must receive Him until the time of the restoration". But the Greek word for "receive" means "to retain, or contain". So the previous edition of the NIV (1978) which says "Jesus must remain in heaven..." is accurate.
In a previous verse in his same epistle, Paul wrote, "which delivered us from the wrath to come." I say there can be no doubt that Paul is telling us—WRATH—God's wrath—will follow hard after the rapture.
God's wrath falls on all who are disobedient. That will include believers and unbelievers. Arminians, who keep looking for evidence that salvation can be lost will point to the "mark of the beast", where all who take it will end up in the lake of fire.
However, they refuse to accept the reality that God will use His wrath to "winnow" out disobedient believers so they won't have the opportunity to even take the mark.
A prewrath writer put it this way: they are back to back events—no time between. I say it this way: Jesus' coming will trigger (start) the resurrection of the dead in Christ. Then those alive in Christ: the catching up. And the catching up will trigger the start of the DAY. (That is, the Day of the Lord, or the Day of His wrath.)
I do not equate the Day of the Lord with the Day of His wrath. Where do you get that from?
Where can we see this on a timeline of end-time events? In Revelation John starts the Day of the Lord or the Day of His wrath at the 6th seal.
Please prove your claims with actual verses. I have no idea what verse or verses you are thinking of. I provide verses for all my claims.
The way Revelation is written, it is IMPOSSIBLE that the 6th seal can be moved anywhere else in Revelation. It is just before the 7th seal 30 minutes of silence as the official start of the 70th week of Daniel or "the trib" as many say. Therefore, since Paul's catching up comes before wrath and before the Trib, we are justified in saying the rapture is PRE-trib.
Are you not aware that the 70th "week" refers to 7 years?
As further proof, John then saw the church IN HEAVEN shortly after that and wrote it in Rev. chapter 7.
Sure. By the time of the Trib, MOST of the "church" will already be IN heaven. There have been over 2,000 years of the deaths of believers. How many? No one knows, but that number will GREATLY OUTNUMBER those who "are alive and remain".
But according to your false theory, that large crowd too large to count should be in chapter 19.
I wish I knew what you are referring to, but you never explain yourself when you throw out your claims.
I've proven that there is ONE singular resurrection, that will include ALL believers from Adam on. If you want to reject the 4 verses I've repeatedly shared, that's your business. But I HAVE prove it.
It is an absolute FACT, clear and unambiguous, that John wrote of the marriage and supper taking place BEFORE Jesus gets onto His white horse to descend to Armageddon. Can you deny this?
Of course I absolutely DENY your false ideas about Rev 19. The very wording regarding the wedding shows what is about to take place, NOT what occurred 7 years previously.
7 "Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory! For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and his bride has made herself ready."
Why the words "has come" and "has made herself ready" IF IF IF it ALREADY occurred 7 years before? John would have simply written "came" and "made herself ready".
But that's not all.
9 Then the angel said to me, “Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb!” And he added, “These are the true words of God.”
What do you think about "are invited"?? That shows clearly what is about to occur, NOT what has already occurred and 7 years previously.
If the wedding took place in heaven, it wouldn't be JUST BEFORE Jesus comes back with His army. It would have occurred WHEN Jesus took all the resurrected/raptured to heaven, which is 7 years prior.
So you can't argue for the wedding in heaven, because in the whole context of ch 19, it shows the "heavenly army" getting ready (v.7) and THEN coming with Christ to earth.
The timing of the wedding cannot be as you are presenting it.
It makes MUCH BETTER SENSE to see that the heavenly army gets ready for the wedding, then comes with Christ, who ends the Trib and sets up His kingdom. THAT is when the wedding supper occurs.
What this is saying, IN CONTEXT, is that posttrib theory is a MYTH. The church is already in heaven when the marriage and supper take place.
Your theory (myth) has ALL the trib converts totally missing out on a resurrection body then. Nonsense.
Oh, not a problem for posttribbers! They just move the marriage to a different time and a different place!
No, I understand it from the wording in ch 19. Very clear.
What you keep rejecting are the 4 verses that PROVE that there is just ONE singular resurrection with rapture event for believers.
That is on you.