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Original Message
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Here is an overview of the doctrine of the Rapture that we believe at this point in time:
1. Most Christians will be left behind at the Rapture. Jesus is only coming back for his Bride. His bride is part of the Church, but not all the church.
2. There is a "crier church" ministry before the Rapture. The "crier church" ministers are the forerunners to the Bride of Christ or the "Man-child" bride company ministry. The crier church brings Christ back to her mother's house (Visible Christian Church). Song of Solomon 3:4; 8:2
3. The Visible Christian Church will be tormented from "within" the body because of the doctrine of GOD that the crier church preaches. And that doctrine is about who Jesus Christ really is. (Revelation 12:2)
4. A third of the saints who have the heart of the bride will fall prey to "THE" great deception (Revelation 12:4)
5. The "Man-child" bride company is birthed from the Visible Christian church (Revelation 12:5).
6. The "dead in Christ" rise first. These are saints in Heaven who have the heart of the Bride. They are sent back to earth to ministry with the living bride upon the earth. We believe this ministry will mirror Christ's resurrected ministry. That ministry lasted 40 days.
7. The "dead in Christ" and the living bride will be "caught up" to GOD and His throne to the marriage supper of the Lamb.
8. The Woman (Visible Christian Church) sees that her greatest fear has come to pass. And that is being left behind. (Revelation 12:6; Isaiah 66:5)
9. The third of the saints who were deceived by "THE" great deception, are the first to stand up and give their lives for the testimony of Jesus Christ. They are called, "the remnant" of the woman's seed in Revelation chapter 12:17.
9. The Woman goes into hiding from the Beast System for 3 1/2 years. During that age, as each saint that overcomes, is anointed to minister and judge the Beast System, they are martryed. Their souls are then found under the alter of GOD in Heaven.
10. The "Two Witness" are actually two groups of saints. They are also called., the "two olives trees" standing before the lord of the earth (Satan). These two groups of saints are Gentiles and Jews. There will be so many Jews according to the flesh, that come to accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, that they are called one of the two witnesses.
11. The Two Witnesses. Revelation 11:11 "After three and a half days a life-giving breath came from God and entered them, and they stood up; and all who saw them were terrified." The phrase "three and a half days" is not literal. It is actually 3 1/2 years. During the 3 1/2 year ministry of the two witnesses, the world will be partying each time that one of the saints in this company is martyred. The last saint is martyred between the opening of the 5th and 6th seals. There is a great earthquake and Jesus sends their souls attached to their spirits back to be joined with their bodies that were martyred. They stand up whole and healed. And all who see them are terrified! GOD is doing this as a sign to the world that death is swallowed up in victory in the name of Jesus. The the two witnesses, who are also called, "The Laodicean" church age, hear a voice from Heaven saying:
Rev 11:12
12 "Come up here." And they went up into heaven in the cloud, and their enemies beheld them.
(NAS)
Who is saying "Come up here?" It is the bride of Christ. And part of this group of saints, who are also known as the "crier church" made a shout to the the 10 virgins in Matthew 25:6;
'Behold, the bridegroom! Come out to meet {him.'}
(NAS)
The 5 wise virgins are also known as the "church age" of Philadelphia. And the 5 foolish virgins are those saints who will be left behind and will be known as the "church age of Laodicea.'
It is to the "church age" of Philadelphia that Jesus says in Revelation 3:8;
Rev 3:8
8 'I know your deeds. Behold, I have put before you an open door which no one can shut, because you have a little power, and have kept My word, and have not denied My name.
(NAS)
The phrase "and have not denied My name" is referring to who Jesus Christ really is. That He is not an unknowable mystery. And His name tells us who He really is. He is the Father, YAHWEH the Savior, anointing and being one with the man Christ Jesus.
Rev 3:10
10 'Because you have kept the word of My perseverance, I also will keep you from the hour of testing, that {hour} which is about to come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell upon the earth.
(NAS)
In the phrase, "I also will keep you from the hour of testing," the word "from" in the Greek is "ek." It literally means "out of." In other words, Jesus will keep the "church age" Philadelphia (also known as the Bride of Christ), "out of" "THE" temptation which shall come upon the whole world. And the only way that Jesus can keep this "church age" "out of" "THE" temptation which is to fall upon the whole world, is to take them out of the earth. In other words, the church age of Philadelphia will be Raptured or caught up to GOD and His throne. With that Revelation 12:4; I Thessalonians 4:13-18.
Now – some teach that the word “Rapture” is not a Biblical term. After all, the literal word “Rapture” is not found in our English Translations. And ---- one of the principles of hermeneutics states that:
“We are not to use non-biblical terms to define doctrine.”
Now, to use the word "Rapture" as a biblical term is okay and here is why:
The English word “Rapture” comes from the Latin word “RAPTUS.” And the word “RAPTUS” is found in the Latin bible everywhere the Greek word for “HARPAZO”
(HAR –PAD –ZO) is used. It is spelled “H – A – R – P – A – Z – O.” In Strong’s Dictionary of Greek words, it is #726. It means:
“To seize ( in various applications) : to catch (away, up), to pluck, pull, take (by force).”
The connotation is: As if you have a hundred dollar bill, and accidentally throw it in a fire, ------then you better “Snatch it up quickly,” --- otherwise it will be burned up!!
So, ---if you look at the Latin bible, --- you will find the word “Raptus” (or some variant of it), --- everywhere that the Greek word “Harpazo” is used in the Scriptures!!
Now, ---- here are some Scriptures where the Greek word “Harpazo” is used, --- but it is translated in our English Bibles in different forms.
1. Matthew chapter 11:12 ---- the phrase “take by force” is translated “Harpazo in the Greek.
2. Matthew chapter 13:1---- the phrase “snatches away” is translated “Harpazo in the Greek.
3. John chapter 3:16 ---- again, the phrase “take by force” is translated “Harpazo in the Greek.
4. John chapter 10:12, 28 and 29 ---- the phrases “snatch or snatches” is translated “Harpazo in the Greek.
5. Acts chapter 8:39 ---- the phrase “snatched” is translated “Harpazo in the Greek. Now, ----- in that context --- it is talking about being “snatched away bodily.” Philip after ministering to the Ethiopian eunuch, -----was picked up in his flesh by the Spirit of GOD -------and physically set down in another city. GOD put that there for us!!! To give us a Vision and a hope to build our faith. Because in the ministry of the “Crier church” ----- and the ministry of the man-child bride company ------ we will be physically moved from one place to another by the Spirit of GOD to minister. And what is that ministry????? It is to call the bride!!!! The Spirit and the Bride say, Come. With that, Revelation 22:17; Matthew 25:1-13; Revelation 12:1-5; Ezekiel chapter 1 , The Song of Songs and many other places throughout the Scriptures talk about the ministry of the “Crier church” and the ministry of the “man-child bride” company.
6. Acts chapter 23:10 ---- the phrase “by force” is translated “Harpazo in the Greek.
7. II Corinthians chapter 12:2, 4 the phrase “caught up” is translated “Harpazo in the Greek. And in that context, ----- it is talking about being “caught up in the spirit.”
8. I Thessalonians chapter 4: verses 17,18 says:
1Thes 4:17-18
17 Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and thus we shall always be with the Lord.
18 Therefore comfort one another with these words.
(NAS)
This context is talking about the rapture of the bride of Christ. The phrase in verse 17 “shall be caught up” (meaning “future tense”) -----that phrase ---is a little bit different variant of the Greek word “Harpazo.” It is showing a “future action” which shall take place.
We see that the “dead in Christ” must rise first, and minister with the living bride. With that I Thessalonians chapter 4: verses 13 – 17.
In this context, there is a “time lapse” between the bride saints who are in heaven right now ( like brother Chris) -------and we who are “alive and remain” ----being caught up together to meet Jesus in the air. That “time lapse” we have speculated to be about 40 days.
We believe at this point in time that the “man-child bride company will fulfill the “type” of Christ’s resurrected ministry. Christ ministered for 40 days after his resurrection. And many of the saints that had died with the heart of the bride, --- ministered with Him during this 40 day time period.
Matt 27:50-53
50 And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice, and yielded up {His} spirit.
51 And behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom, and the earth shook; and the rocks were split,
52 and the tombs were opened; and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised;
53 and coming out of the tombs after His resurrection they entered the holy city and appeared to many.
(NAS)
What were they doing in the “City of Rain???” They were preaching the “GOOD NEWS!!” JESUS CHRIST IS RAISED FROM THE GRAVE!!! WE HAVE BEEN REDEEMED BY THE BLOOD OF THE LAMB FROM HELL!!!!
That’s why when Peter preached on the “Day of Pentecost” in ACTS chapter 2 ---- 3,000 souls gave their hearts to Jesus Christ. Peter preached without a microphone, ----without a radio or television set--------and 3,000 souls were saved from his sermon. WHY???
The people’s hearts had already been prepared by the “Resurrected ministry of Jesus and the “dead in Christ!!!”
And Acts chapter 1: verse 3 tells us that Christ ministered for 40 days after His resurrection.
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