JUST SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT<o:p></o:p>

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I believe the rapture will be at the beginning of the 7 years of tribulation. I know that there are those who believe that since the word Rapture is not in the bible and was made up by man, their belief is that the Rapture couldn’t happen. Perhaps they forgot that man made up all of the words we use today. Since we already know precisely when the second coming of Christ will be, then the scriptures that say we can’t or don’t know must be talking about something else. That being the Rapture of the Church. One day I did a mental countdown of groups of people mentioned in the bible that will be there at the time of, during the event, or at the end of the Tribulation. In order for everything to fit in place, we have to account for everyone mentioned before the return of Christ.<o:p></o:p>

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 Lets remove each group one at a time and see how it turns out. <o:p></o:p>

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            At the beginning of the seven years of tribulation, all of the born again (or saved) people are caught up to be with the Lord in heaven. Some believe that the church age is over but it isn’t. I believe we are living in the last 2 church ages, or time slots at the same time. Those 2 churches are the Church at <st1:City w:st="on">Philadelphia</st1:City> and the Church at <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Laodicea</st1:place></st1:City>. Those taken in the rapture are like the people from the church at <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Philadelphia</st1:place></st1:City>. If you read what God said about both churches, you can see how one will be taken and the other left behind. That is what the rapture is. <st1:City w:st="on">Philadelphia</st1:City> will be raptured and <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Laodicea</st1:place></st1:City> will be spued out of Gods mouth. ---^<o:p></o:p>

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  ^{Rev 3:7-11}   And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write; These things saith he that is holy, he that is true, he that hath the key of David (Christ), he that openeth, and no man shutteth; and shutteth, and no man openeth;
⁸   I know thy works: behold, I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it: for thou hast a little strength, and hast kept my word, and hast not denied my name.
⁹   Behold, I will make them of the synagogue of Satan, which say they are Jews, and are not, but do lie; behold, I will make them to come and worship before thy feet, and to know that I have loved thee.
¹⁰   Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth.
¹¹   Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown.<o:p></o:p>

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^{Rev 3:14-17}  And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God;
¹⁵   I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot.
¹⁶   So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.
¹⁷   Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked:<o:p></o:p>

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There is an event that I should add in here too.<o:p></o:p>

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The Ten Virgins <o:p></o:p>

Matthew 25
¹   Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom.
²   And five of them were wise, and five were foolish.
³   They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them:
⁴   But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps.
⁵   While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept.
⁶   And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him.
⁷   Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps.
⁸   And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil; for our lamps are gone out.
⁹   But the wise answered, saying, Not so; lest there be not enough for us and you: but go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves.
¹⁰   And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut.
¹¹   Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us.
¹²   But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not.
¹³   Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh. <o:p></o:p>

The ten virgins are like the 2 churches, one taken and one left. All claimed to be Christians but some were ready and some were not.

All of them were going to go with the bridegroom but five were watching and five were not. Five were ready and five were not. To me, the “Christians�?who are taken are like the <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:PlaceType w:st="on">Church</st1:PlaceType> of <st1:PlaceName w:st="on">Philadelphia</st1:PlaceName></st1:place>. They are the five wise virgins. The “Christians�?who are left behind are those who God said in Rev. 3-16,---I will spue thee out of my mouth---They are as the Laodiceans were. They are the five foolish virgins. I believe the two groups are the churches (people) who preach and accept salvation into their lives and the churches (people) who do not. <o:p></o:p>

            So we have the first group, the born again people being taken to heaven and they are gone. The group we see now are all who were left behind. Some of them will turn their ways to the Lord but now is the beginning of the 7 years of tribulation. The time of the anti christ so the mark of the beast is being forced upon them. If they refuse it, God’s Word says they will be beheaded. The beheaded are those who are under the altar who died for their faith.  <o:p></o:p>

                Revelation 20: And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.
            Rev 6:9-10   And when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held:
¹⁰   And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth?<o:p></o:p>

 This is the second group of people who we must account for during the 7 years of tribulation time. <o:p></o:p>

The next group are those who make it thru to the end and I believe this scripture speaks of them. Rev 2:26 And he that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations: So now we have accounted for; 1. The born again people, 2. Those who were beheaded and are under the altar, and 3. Those who make it through to the end of the tribulation. The second coming of Christ and the battle of Armageddon have not happened yet. The two remaining groups are the 144,000 Jews (12,000 from each tribe) and those who took the mark of the beast. God will not let the 144,000 be harmed in any way. Revelation 7: 4 And I heard the number of them which were sealed: and there were sealed an hundred and forty and four thousand of all the tribes of the children of <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Israel</st1:place></st1:country-region>. 5 Of the tribe of Juda were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Reuben were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Gad were sealed twelve thousand. 6 Of the tribe of Aser were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Nepthalim were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Manasses were sealed twelve thousand. 7 Of the tribe of Simeon were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Levi were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Issachar were sealed twelve thousand. 8 Of the tribe of Zabulon were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Joseph were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Benjamin were sealed twelve thousand. <o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> I would like to throw in a question and a comment right here. If we as born again Christians are to all stay behind and go through the tribulation because there is no rapture, then why aren’t we the ones to go out and bring in the lost instead of the 144,000? And another comment would be, if we were those to go out and get the lost, and they are beheaded for their faith, they would go to be with the Lord and we would be left behind. <o:p> </o:p>  Revelation 7:9 After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands; 10 And cried with a loud voice, saying, Salvation to our God which sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb.  but those who took the mark will be judged later and will spend the rest of eternity in the lake of fire. ---Rev 19:20 And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone.  Rev 14:9-11 And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand, 10   The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb: 11   And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name. <o:p> </o:p>

All of the people from these groups have to be accounted for in some way before the second coming of Christ can happen so we have to ask ourselves. <o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p>Which group are you in?<o:p></o:p>