My thought on the rapture process Someone asked if unbelievers are able to hear the sound of trumpet. The answer is no. But from the parable of ten virgins, there are two group of believers who are able to hear the midnight cry from Jesus. They are divided by Jesus into five wise virgins, and five foolish virgins. Matthew 25:6 And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him We need to compare this midnight cry from the bridegroom to the shout of Jesus in 1 Thessalonians 4:16. 1 Thessalonians 4:16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Many Christians believe the shout from the Lord, voice of the archangel, and the trump of God happens at the same time. They are not. The shout from the Lord is the same as the midnight cry from the bridegroom. When the wise virgins and foolish virgins hear the midnight cry and the shout, they know it is Jesus' calling on them, preparing them for the rapture. But the foolish virgins are the lurkers in the church. They once believe in Christ in their life. But they are drifted away by the secular world, and have lost their faith. We see a lot of them today. They have the look of a Christian, but no substance inside. They shall hear the midnight cry and the shout from Jesus. But they don't know how to prepare themselves for the rapture. They ask the wise virgins. What should they do to enter the kingdom? They forget the basic principal to enter into the kingdom. They are the one whom Jesus says He never knew them. The next process is the voice of the archangel. After the shout from the Lord, God sends the archangel to us,and prepare us for the rapture. They probably say " Hurry up, prepare yourself, your Lord is coming, he is in the air, waiting for you". I don't know how long this process is , my speculation is few minutes to half hour. At this time, some of us may be in the pub, drinking, in theater watching a movie, taking a shower, working in office, or arguing with a friend, on the phone, cooking, nursing.... By this time, after we hear the midnight cry and the shout from the Lord, we know that rapture is finally here. I don't know what other Christians' response is, but I will lay down all my work, knelt down on the floor, and start praying earnestly, preparing myself for this glorious moment. The last process of the rapture is the blast of God's trump. At this time, our body is changed from mortal into immortal. This is a nano second event. We go up to the sky and meet our Lord. My summary. Three process in rapture. 1/ A midnight cry = the shout from the Lord in 1 Thessalonians 4:16 ( For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout) , At this time, both the faithful Christians ( represent by the wise virgins) and the lurkers unfaithful one (represent by the foolish virgins) hear this cry/shout. They both acknowledge this is a call from the Lord. I call it "On your mark" in a Olympic field game. The unfaithful one is panicking, and forget the basic principal to enter the kingdom. This is why they ask the wise virgins for the oil. But Jesus say He never knew them. 2/ The voice of archangel. God sends angels to us, to prepare us for the rapture. This process may last few minutes to half hour. I call it "Get set" in a Olympic game. 3/ A blast from God's trump. I call it " Go" when the Olympic athletes hear the gun blast. Our body is snatched by God in a nano second. We are caught up in the sky, to meet our Lord, so that we are with our Lord, forever and forever. I have also mentioned this process before by quoting Luke 17:30-37. Verse 30 is the event rapture when the Son of man is revealed to the world. Luke 17:30 Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed. In that day, Jesus tells us not to look back at our earthly belonging. He tells us not to go back to our house. 31 In that day, he which shall be upon the housetop, and his stuff in the house, let him not come down to take it away: and he that is in the field, let him likewise not return back. 32 Remember Lot's wife. She missed the world and looked back. It caused her life. Jesus uses Lot's wife to remind us not to look back to our life, just prepare ourselves for the rapture. Indeed it is a sequential process. While of course speaks of the transpiration of time. As such there is a built in "high" sign that I have often spoken of. That we might not be taken unawares! Again, we are asked to trust God as to the timing involved. Again making the day and hour a mystery! TR Christ's first coming was and is the greatest act in Christianity! Coming in second is the Rapture when Christ gathers His bride unto Himself! The third greatest act of this dispensation is the second coming of the Lord! As such, I am still amazed that so many in the church downplay or disregard the Raprure altogether?! I am told that even Satanists await the Rapture, anxious anxious to get us out of their way! TR This preparation process also speaks of God's character. Before He descent on mount Sinai to meet His people, He told Moses to prepare His people for three days, sanctify themselves. Same thing happens in the day of rapture. While I believe many of us are ready, but some of us may be caught doing indecent things in that moment. This is where the archangel comes in, to prepare us to meet God. Imagine we are drinking in the pub, or arguing with friends, if we are caught up in the sky without foreknowledge, how embarrassed we are to meet our God in that moment. God doesn't like it either.
