Mid Trib Rapture

All very good points. No offense to mid- and post- tribbers, but I don't see how it could be interpreted any different after ernestly reading and examining the prophecy in the holy scriptures.

---Justin

 

Hi Brother Ed Edwards

I look forward to hearing your thoughts on the Olivet discourse.

InChrist
Holly

 

Alright! God bless you Sister Holly!

First let me compare three passages:
----------------------------------------
Pretrib pre-mill outline of time forward:

0. church age continues <== you are here!
1. rapture/resurrection event
2. Tribulation time
3. Second Advent of Jesus event
4. literal MK=millennial kingdom
5. new heaven & new earth

The time line according to Matthew 24
(Mount Olivet Discourse, also Matthew 25,
Mark 13, Luke 21):

0. church age continues <== you are here!
Matthew 24:4-15

1. rapture/resurrection event
Matthew 24:31-44

2. Tribulation time
Matthew 24:21-28

3. Second Advent of Jesus event
Matthew 24:29-30)

Not mentioned in Matthew 24:
(4. literal MK=millennial kingdom)
(5. new heaven & new earth)

The time line according to Revelation:

0. church age continues - Rev 2-3 <== you are here!
1. rapture/resurrection event - Rev 4:1 (type)
2. Tribulation time - Rev 4:2-19:10
3. Second Advent of Jesus event - Rev 19:11-21
4. literal MK=millennial kingdom - Rev 20:1-6
5. new heaven & new earth - Rev 20:7-22:5

The time line according to 2 Thessalonians 2:

0. church age continues <== you are here!
(implied, until the falling away)

1. rapture/resurrection
v.1 - gathering together unto him
v.3 - falling away

2. Tribulation time
(time of the man of sin)

3. Second Advent of Jesus event
v.1 - coming of our Lord Jesus Christ
v.8

Not mentioned:
(4. literal MK=millennial kingdom)
(5. new heaven & new earth)

BTW, I believed in the pre-tribulation rapture/resurrection
before i saw these three scriptures as pretrib.
So even if you can prove all three of these scriptures
in error, I'll still hope in the pre-tribulation rapture
as will 90% of Baptists and kindred Christians.

 

---------------------------------
In Matthew 24:3 the disciples of Jesus
ask three questions:

(in the order asked):
1. When will the Temple be destroyed?
2. What is the sign of His coming?
3. What is the sign of the end of age?

Jesus answers these questions in
Matthew 24:4-44, then follows them with
some parables.

Here are the answers of Jesus in the
order the questions were asked:

1. When will the Temple be destroyed?
Matthew 24:4-14

2. What is the sign of His coming?
Matthew 24:15-30

3. What is the sign of the end of age?
Matthew 24:31-44

Here is a summary of the answers
in the order in which events will occur:

1. When will the Temple be destroyed?
Soon, it was in 70AD

3. What is the sign of the end of age?
No signs preceeding the end of the age

2. What is the sign of His coming?
The Sign of His coming will be the
Tribulation period.

Recall the Greek language in which this
Mount Olivet Discourse (MOD) was written
did not have Microsoft Word to do it with.
So many ands, buts, and other connectors
give the outline. 'Polysyndeton' is a retorical device that uses
(in English) repeated connectors (usually 'and')
instead of an outline. This is most noticable
in the Bible in Genesis 1 and Matthew 24.
I believe the major outline to be:

1. When will the Temple be destroyed?
Matthew 24:4-14

2. What is the sign of His coming?
Matthew 24:15-30

3. What is the sign of the end of age?
Matthew 24:31-44

The Gathering in Matthew 24:31 is the
Rapture/resurrection which ends the
current church age (gentile age, age of grace,
last days, etc.)

Thus Matthew 24:4-14 describes all of the
church age even up to this time.
Matthew 24:4-14 describes the church age.
The signs of Matthew 24:4-14 are signs
that the church age continues.
----------------------------------------

As for the topic, I beleive the vacating
of the Jews from Jerusalem at the AOD
(abomination of Desolation) will be mid-trib.
Those who are in Judea are asked to flee
to the hills (See Matthew 24:15-16).
Why would Jesus tell them
to flee to the hills if He were going to
rapture them?

 

The scriptures are known, the post-trib and
the pretrib use the same passages. The results
are how you fit them together.

----------------------------------------
Here is my Expanded pretrib timeline:

0. church age continues

1. rapture/resurrection

2. The 7-year Tribulation Period

2a. Starting events
2a1. The seven year AC/Israel treaty
2a2. The revelation of the AC

2b. the first half (3.5years) - the Tribulation period
(these items are not necessarily in time sequence)

2b1. The Seal Judgments (Revelation 6)
2b2. Rise of the Antichrist


2b3. Ten nation confederacy (Daniel 2:42-44;
---- Daniel 7:7,24; Rev 12:3; Rev 17:12,16)
2b4. The ministry of Elijah (Rev 11:3, Malachi 4:5,6)
2b5. Ministry of the 144,000 Israeli (Rev 7)
2b6. The Trumpet judgements/wrath (Rev 8-9)
2b7. The false church (ecclesiastical Babylon)
----- (Revelation 17:1-6)

2c. the mid-tribulation events
(these items are not necessarily in time sequence)

2c1. The Little Scroll (Rev 10)
2c2. AC killed (Rev 13:3)
2c3. Satan cast out of heaven (Rev 12:7,9)
2c4. Resurrection of AC (Rev 13:3,4)
2c5. 3 kings killed, 7 submit to AC
2c6. destruction by AC of false church (Rev 7:16)
2c7. Death/resurrection of two witnesses
2c8. Worship of the AC starts (Rev 13:3,4,8)
2c9. Rise of the False Prophet (Rev 13:11-15)
2c10. MOB=mark of the beast (Rev 13:16-18)
2c11. 7-year covenant broken (Isaiah 28:18; Daniel 11:41)
2c12. AOD=abomination of Desolation
----- (Daniel 9:27; Matthew 24:15,16; 2 Thess 2:4)
2c13. Persecution of the Jews begins
----- (Rev 12:1-6)

2d. the second half (3.5years) - the Great Tribulation period
(these items are not necessarily in time sequence)

2d0. Rule of the Antichrist
2d1. the Bowl Judgments/wrath (Rev 16)
2d2. protection of the Jewish Remnant
---- (Micah 2:12; Matthew 24:16; Revelation 12:6,14)
2d3. Armageddon (these items are in time sequence):

2d3a. - assembling the allies of AC
------- (Rev 16:12-16)
2d3b. - destruction of Babylon
------- (Isaiah 13; Jeremiah 50-51; Revelation 18)
2d3c. - Fall of Jerusalem
------- (Micah 4:11-5:1; Zachariah 12:1-9; 14:1,2)
2d3d. - Armies of AC at Bozrah (Jeremiah 49:13,14)
2d3e. - Conversion of Israel complete
------- (Zechariah 12:10; Romans 11:25-27)

(2e the end of the Trib, which is the Second Advent
---- of Jesus to defeat the AC and set up the MK)

3. Second Advent of Jesus event
3a. postrib gathering and resurrection of the trib saints
3b. antichrist and false prophet are cast alive into the Lake of Fire
- 19:20-22!
3c. The Judgment of the Nations= Matthew 25:31-46

4. literal MK=millinnial kingdom

5. Satan loosed for a little season to deceive the Nations - Revelation 20:7-8!

6. The final battle of God and Magog! - Revelation 20:8-9!

7. Satan cast into the lake of Fire. - Revelation 20:10!

8. The Great White Throne of Judgment! - Revelation 20:11-15!

9.new heaven & new earth - 2 Peter 3:10

10. The Eternal Kingdom! The New Heavens and New Earth
and the New Jerusalem! - Revelation 21:1-3!
--------------------------------

I take this to be at mid-trib:

Mat 24:15-20 (KJV1611)

When yee therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the Prophet, stand in the holy place, (who so readeth, let him vnderstand.)
Mat 24:16 Then let them which be in Iudea, flee into the mountaines.
Mat 24:17 Let him which is on the house top, not come downe, to take any thing out of his house:
Mat 24:18 Neither let him which is in the field, returne backe to take his clothes.
Mat 24:19 And wòe vnto them that are with child, and to them that giue sucke in those dayes.
Mat 24:20 But pray yee that your flight bee not in the winter, neither on the Sabbath day:

So there has to be those living in Judea at
mid-trib that are following Jesus.

Also at mid-trib is when the Antichrist goes
into the temple and declares himself god.

2Th 2:3-4 (KJV1611 Edition):
Let no man deceiue you by any meanes, for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sinne bee reuealed, the sonne of perdition,
2Th 2:4 Who opposeth and exalteth himselfe aboue all that is called God, or that is worshipped: so that he as God, sitteth in the Temple of God, shewing himselfe that he is God.

I'm puting these peices together to make sense.
Others put them together in different manners.

If the rapture is pre-trib, the only way that
Jews who believe in Jesus as Messiah
can exist in Judea is if they get saved
sometime between the rapture and the mid-trib
crises. Here is How I think it will go down:

At the Rapture the Antichrist will make himself
known to the world, probably even claiming to
have personally gotten rid of all those
fuddy-duddy long-faces who go around yellin'
"Woe Ye Sinnters". Anyway, a 7-year
treaty will be signed protecting Jerusalem
and the land of Judea. The daily sacrifice
will begin again on Temple Mount (it only needs
a couple of insturments and can be done
outside). The Temple in Jerusalme will be
rebuilt. While the Temple is being rebuilt
for 3½-years the two witnesses will minister.
At the dedication of the Temple
3½-years later, as part of the Antichrist
taking full control, ANtichrist will enter the
temple and comit the abomination of desolation.
Millions of Jews will immediately see that
the AntiChrist is NOT the Messiah (He is the
Anti-Messiah) and see that Jesus is the Messiah.
These Jews will be saved then. In the second
half of the Tribulation the Now Messanic Jews
will be protected by the very hand of God
from the Antichrist as the full wrath of
God falls upon the unprotected people of the earth.

 

Since the tribulation is about Israel and not the Church, the Church will be removed. Too many in the Church think they are the end all, but Romans 9-11 indicates that the Church is blessed BECAUSE of Israel. And when the fullness of the Gentiles has "come in" Israel will be saved.
In Scripture there are two regatherings of Israel-one in UNbelief and one in belief. For the present, Israel has been regathered in UNbelief and she will be purged during the trubulation and then Christ will return.
A mid-trib or pre-wrath position places the focus on the Church and as previously stated, the tribulation is about Israel and her repentance and acceptance of her Messiah, the LORD JESUS CHRIST.
Please check out:

http://www.ariel.org

Also read the book Footsteps of the Messiah by Arnold Fruchtenbaum for a thorough exposition of Revelation with full cross reference to the Old Testament for clarity and proof.

 

Amen to the above. Christian faith, ituttut

 

OK, may I humbly suggest a little rightly dividing here. Matt. 24 is addressed to the JEWS, and concerns ISRAEL. In the church age, which Daniel did not speak to, Israel is set aside. Now, when the 70th week begins at the Rapture (Rev. 4:1 The word church is never mentioned after this point...because it is gone!), God once again turns his attention to Israel. If we notice II Thes. we will see that the man of sin cannot be revealed while he that "letteth" (or...does not allow) is in the world...and we know that at the Rapture the Holy Spirit, who is sent to the saved in the church age, leaves (because he is in ME!). NOW, at that time the man of sin is revealed, but not before. Also notice in Rev. that the witnesses preach "the gospel of the kingdom." This is John's Gospel, "repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." This is different, it is a regression, because Israel missed it the first time. It is no longer the time of the Gentile, it is Daniels 70th week. The whole key is rightly dividing. You can't mix Daniel and Matt. 24 with the Church Age. It is poor science, illogical from a literary point of view, and ignores all the rules of sound hermenuetics. His humble servent, Jarhed

 

Ec 4:1 So I returned, and considered all the oppressions that are done under the sun: and behold the tears of such as were oppressed, and they had no comforter; and on the side of their oppressors there was power; but they had no comforter.

Joh 14:26 But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name,

Joh 10:27 My sheep hear my voice, (Comforter)

OT Saints didn't have a "comforter", Jesus, as Jesus, didn't speak in the OT, the "Comforter" is unique to the church.

Heb 1:1 God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets,

2 Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son,

God speaks by the "HOLY SPIRIT", Jesus by the "HOLY GHOST". (Ghost of Jesus)

The "TRINITY" explains the scriptures.

 

Please give me book chapter and verse.
I have yet to find it as you say it. </font>[/QUOTE]

 

Amen, Brother Me4Him - Sketch it!

 

The Holy Spirit came at Pentecost and started the Church, it will leave this world at the rapture before the Tribulation. God's spirit will save those during the Tribulation like he did in the OT.

The Holy Spirit being "removed" or "taken out of the way" is a different function than being caught up with the Church at the rapture.

Presently the Holy Spirit is holding back lawlessness, preventing "the man of lawlessness" from coming to power. When the time is right He will be "taken out of the way" of restraining lawlessness allowing the Antichrist to be revealed. The Holy Spirit is not caught up with the Church in 2 Thess. 2:7, He only stops restraining lawlessness permitting the Antichrist to be revealed.

Paul told the Thessalonians the "day of the Lord (kyrios) will not come until the rebellion occurs and the man of lawlessness is revealed..."(2:3). The revealing of the Antichrist must occur before the day of the Lord, no exceptions. His revealing is not part of that day, it occurs before God's judgment begins in that day. His revealing concerns the Church and not those left behind after the rapture. No where in the OT or Revelation is reference made to his appearing, only in Paul's Epistles that apply to the Church. Paul told the Thessalonians to look for his revealing and so are we as an indication the day of the Lord is soon to follow.

It is imperative that you understand his revealing is a sign given to the Church and not to those during the day of the Lord in order to understand a MID-WEEK pre-trib rature.

 

My theological two cents here will not add anything to this discussion. If you step back and look at all the verses being put forth you would have to say that at best, there is evidence for each of the theories on the rapture.

I have been put right in the middle of this argunent for many yearsbecause my best friend switched to a post trib position. He has been blasted by many and ostracized by many more. I am pre trib, but, this has afected me because I am his friend. Without going into details it cost me for his position!

I refuse to separate from m friend even though we disagree. I have thought l;ong and hard about what I am about to write. Beofre I do put it to paper (so to speak) let me just say that we need to encourage and edify one another, not tear each other down.

Here is why I have chosen not separate from my friend though we disagee:

1. What we are talking about in the timing of the rapture is unfulfilled prophecy. In the past when prophecy had been fulfilled most of the time the church just scratched its head saying, "So that is what that meant!" The time we think we have God figured out, we don't.

2. The very aspect of the timing is a secret. And we are separating over this! We are destroying ministries, lives, and friendships over something God has clearly told us we cannot know.

3. What does it really matter? If you are motivated to serve God because you are afraid you will get caught not doing something you should be or doing something you shouldn't be, then you are serving God for the wrong reason anyway. We are to serve Him out of a heart of love (1 Cor 13).

Call me a compromisor if you must. I do not feel this issue is worthy of the pain and suffering it has caused to individuals and the blemish it has put on the church.

Jesus will rapture His people when God sends him. We are to wait for Him to do so.

 

Amen! </font>[/QUOTE]

AMEN!

 

MikeinGhana speaking of rapture timing:
" ... I have chosen not separate from my friend though we disagee ... "

Amen, Brother MikeinGhana -- Preach it!

 

Some consider the days of Atonement as a allegory for the last days.

There are 10 days of Atomement. Some believe that we will be raptured on the first day (year) and three years later the Tribulation will start. This three year period will be a time for those left on Earth to choose to believe or not to believe on the Lord before the Tribulation.

"Rosh Hashanah, Feast of the Trumpets, Civil New Year (Lev.23:23-25):

The Civil New Year of the Jews is the first day of the seventh month, on September or October, and it is the beginning of 10 days of penance, to request pardon, and to begin a new life... and will finish with the Day of Expiation, the Yom Kippur.

For Christians, the trumpets will announce the Second Coming of Jesus Christ:

For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. (1.Thess 4,16-17)... see also Mat.24:30-31, 1Cor.15,51-52

Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement or Expiation (Lev.23:26-32, and Lev.16):

It is the most sacred day of the Jewish calendar, the only day that the High Priest can enter the Holy of Holies to make expiation for himself and for the People... devoted to fasting, prayer, and repentance.
It is the last day of the 10 previous ones of penance of Rosh Hashanah, and it usually falls on October.

It was instituted by Yahweh in Lev.16... and the High Priest could not enter the Sancta Sanctorum another day, because he would die (16:2).

For Christians:
- It is Final Judgment and it may fall on a Yom Kippur as Calvary fall on a Passover (Rom.2:5-11, Mat.25:31-46, Rev.20:11-15).
- In the O.T. God was hidden after a veil, and the man was behind the veil... but that "veil" was torn the day of the crucifixion, in Mat.27:51, and now we can enter into the presence of God at any time, because Christ has laid the way to us.
It is Final Judgment (Rom.2:5-11, Mat.25:31-46, Rev.20:11-15).

It is reinforced in Israel by memories of the 1973 war, a surprise attack launched by Egypt and Syria against Israel on Yom Kippur."

http://biblia.com/jesusbible/leviticus5b.htm

 

I have posted this before here, but it might bless some folks that haven't seen it yet.

"The Jewish Wedding Analogy of John 14:1-3!"
BEHOLD, THE BRIDEGROOM COMES!
THE COMFORTING PROMISE

It was a night of destiny, Jesus had gathered with His disciples in the Upper Room. In a few more hours He would be crucified on a cross.
Jesus had been warning His disciples concerning His coming death, resurrection and ascension to heaven. The prospect of these events caused the disciples to be greatly disturbed. In order to ease their fears, Jesus made the following comforting promise:

"Let not your heart be troubled: you believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father's house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there you may be also. (KJV, John 14:1-3).

JEWISH MARRIAGE CUSTOMS
Those who live in the modern western world do not catch the full significance of Jesus' promise. This is due to the fact that in His promise Jesus was drawing an analogy from Jewish marriage customs in biblical times. Since this is so, those marriage customs must be examined if one is to grasp the significance of the promise.

The first major step in a Jewish marriage was betrothal. Betrothal involved the establishment of a marriage covenant. By Jesus' time it was usual for such a covenant to be established as the result of the prospective bridegroom taking the initiative. The prospective bridegroom would travel from his father's house to the home of the prospective bride. There he would negotiate with the father of the young woman to determine the price (mohar) that he must pay to purchase his bride. Once the bridegroom paid the purchase price, the marriage covenant was thereby established, and the young man and woman were regarded to be husband and wife. From that moment on the bride was declared to be consecrated or sanctified, set apart exclusively for her bridegroom. As a symbol of the covenant relationship that had been established, the groom and bride would drink from a cup of wine over which a betrothal benediction had been pronounced.

After the marriage covenant had been established, the groom would leave the home of the bride and return to his father's house. There he would remain separate from his bride for a period of twelve months. This period of separation afforded the bride time to gather her tousseau and to prepare for married life. The groom occupied himself with the preparation of living accommodations in his father's house to which he could bring his bride.

At the end of the period of separation the groom would come to take his bride to live with him. The taking of the bride usually took place at night. The groom, best man and other male escorts would leave the groom's father's house and conduct a torch light procession to the home of the bride. Although the bride was expecting her groom to come for her, she did not know the exact time of his coming. As a result the groom's arrival would be preceded by a shout. This shout would forewarn the bride to be prepared for the coming of the groom.
After the groom received his bride together with her female attendants, the enlarged wedding party would return from the bride's home to the groom's father's house. Upon arrival there the wedding party would find that the wedding guests had assembled already.

Shortly after arrival the bride and groom would be escorted by the other members of the wedding party to the bridal chamber (huppah). Prior to entering the chamber the bride remained veiled so that no one could see her face. While the groomsmen and bridesmaids would wait outside, the bride and groom would enter the bridal chamber alone. There in the privacy of that place they would enter into physical union for the first time, thereby consummating the marriage that had been covenanted earlier.
After the marriage was consummated, the groom would announce the consummation to the other members of the wedding party waiting outside the chamber (John 3:29). These people would pass on the news of the marital union to the wedding guesst. Upon receiving this good news the wedding guests would feast and make merry for the next seven days.

During the seven days of the wedding festivities, which were sometimes called "the seven days of huppah," the bride remained hidden in the bridal chamber. At the conclusion of these seven days the groom would bring his bride out of the bridal chamber, now with her veil removed, so that all could see who his bride was.

THE EXAMINATION OF THE ANALOGY
Earlier it was stated that in His promise in John 14, Jesus drew an analogy from Jewish marriage customs in biblical times. Now that the marriage customs have been considered, it is essential that the analogy be examined. In what ways was Jesus' promise analogous with Jewish marriage customs?

In the examination of the analogy the first thing that should be noted is the fact that the Scriptures regard the Church to be the Bride of Christ (Eph. 5:22-23). In addition, just as the Jewish bridegroom took the initiative in marriage by leaving his father's house and traveling to the home of the prospective bride, so Jesus left his Father's house in heaven and traveled to earth, the home of His prospective Church, over 1900 years ago.

In the same manner as the Jewish bridegroom came to the bride's home for the purpose of obtaining her through the establishment of a marriage covenant, so Jesus came to earth for the purpose of obtaining the Church through the establishment of a covenant. On the same night in which Jesus made His promise in John 14 He instituted communion. As He passed the cup of wine to His disciples, He said: "This cup is the new covenant in my blood." (NASV, 1 Cor. 11:25). This was His way of saying that He would establish a new covenant through the shedding of His blood on the cross.

Parallel to the custom of the Jewish groom paying a price to purchase his bride, Jesus paid a price to purchase His Bride, the Church. The price that He paid was His own life's blood. It was because of this purchase price that Paul wrote the following to members of the Church: "do you not know... that you are not your own? For you have been bought with a price; therefore glorify God in your body". (NASV, 1 Cor. 6:19-20).

Anagolous with the Jewish bride being declared to be sanctified or set apart exclusively for her groom once the marriage covenant was established, the Church has been declared to be sanctified or set apart exclusively for Christ (Eph. 5:25-27; 1 Cor. 1:2, 6:11; Heb. 10:10; 13:12).

In the same way that a cup of wine served as a symbol of marriage covenant through which the Jewish groom obtained his bride, so the cup of communion serves as the symbol of the covenant through which Christ has obtained the Church (1 Cor. 11:25).

Just as the Jewish groom left the home of his bride and returned to his father's house after the marriage covenant had been established, so Jesus returned to His Father's house in heaven after He had established the new covenant and risen from the dead (John 6:62; 20:17).

In correspondence with the period of separation between the Jewish groom and bride, Christ has remained separate from the Church for over 1900 years. The Church is now living in that period of separation.

Parallel to the custom of the Jewish groom preparing living accommodations for his bride in his father's house during the time of separation, Christ has been preparing living accommodations for the Church in His Father's house in heaven during His separation from His Bride (John 14:20).

In the same manner as the Jewish groom came to take his bride to live with him at the end of the period of separation, so Christ will come to take the Church to live with Him at the end of His period of separation from the Church (John 14:3).

Just as the taking of the Jewish bride was accomplished by a procession of the groom and male escorts from the groom's father's house to the home of the bride, so the taking of the Church will be accomplished by a procession of Christ and an angelic escort from Christ's Father's house in heaven to the home of the Church (1 Thess. 4:16).

Analogous with the Jewish bride not knowing the exact time of the groom's coming for her the Church does not know the exact time of Christ's coming for her.

In the same way that the Jewish groom's arrival was preceded by a shout, so Christ's arrival to take the Church will be preceded by a shout (1 Thess. 4:16).

Similar to the Jewish bride's return with the groom to his father' house after her departure from her home, the Church will return with Christ to His Father's house in heaven after she is snatched from the earth to meet Him in the air (1 Thess. 4:17; John 14:2-3).

In the same manner as the Jewish wedding party found wedding guests assembled in the groom's father's house when they arrived, so Christ and the Church will find the souls of old Testament saints assembled in heaven when they arrive. These souls will serve as the wedding guests.
Parallel to the custom of the Jewish groom and bride entering into physical union after their arrival at the groom's father's house, thereby consummating the marriage that had been covenanted earlier, Christ and the Church will experience spiritual union after their arrival at His Father's house in heaven, thereby consummating their relationship that had been covenanted earlier.

In correspondence with the Jewish bride remaining hidden in the bridal chamber for a period of seven days after arrival at the groom's father's house, the Church will remain hidden for a period of seven years after arrival at Christ's Father's house in heaven. While the seven year Tribulation Period is taking place on the earth, the Church will be in heaven totally hidden from the sight of those living on the earth.

Just as the Jewish groom brought his bride out of the bridal chamber at the conclusion of the seven days with her veil removed, so that all could see who his bride was, so Christ will bring the Church out of heaven in His Second Coming at the conclusion of the seven year Tribulation Period in full view of all who are alive, so that all can see who the true Church is (Col. 3:4).
God bless!

Written by,
Dr. Renald Showers, Chairman of the Pastoral Studies Dept.
Philadelphia College of Bible (year unknown)