I
imagine
that
just
about
all
the
Christians
that
frequent
this
site
are
waiting
for
the
sudden
rapture
of
the
Church
of
Christ.
So
there
is
no
need
to
spend
any
time
discussing
what
it
is,
when
it
might
be
and
who
it
concerns.
If
you
are
reading
this
article
as a
person
who
hasn’t
a
clue
what
I am
talking
about
I
can
only
urge
you
to
get
onboard
about
this
event
as
soon
a
possible.
It’s
an
event
that
personally
I
just
can’t
wait
for,
get
breathless
thinking
about
it
and
at
times
feel
a
little
weary
waiting
for,
especially
as
we
watch
the
Western
nations
disintegrate
into
moral
and
financial
chaos,
the
Middle
East
constantly
tottering
on
the
edge
of a
nuclear
holocaust
and
the
professing
Church
of
Christ
(and
people
who
ought
to
know
better)
increasingly
embraces
an
apostate
form
of
Christianity.
But
these
things
must
come
to
pass
as
the
world
stage
is
set
for
the
coming
Antichrist
and
the
horrors
of
the
Tribulation
period
before
the
glorious
appearing
of
Christ.
I’m
writing
in
response
to
an
article
supporting
a
partial
Rapture
view.
Basically,
it
supports
the
belief
that
only
those
Christians
who
are
“worthy”
will
be
Raptured
and
those
found
wanting
will
be
left
behind
to
face
the
Great
Tribulation
(of
seven
or
three
and
a
half
years
according
to
your
stance)
Can
I
say
that
I
hope
that
this
is
not
seen
a
polemic
against
this
article
which
was
written
by
someone
who
I
have
respect
for
as a
Christian
and
someone
is
isn’t
afraid
to
be
honest
and
open
about
her
views
and
whose
articles
I
like
to
read.
This
is
an
alternative
view
which
I
hold
to
with,
I
hope,
as
much
sincerity
as
the
writer
who
holds
to
the
opposing
view.
I
don’t
intend
this
as a
point
by
point
refutation
of
this
view
but
just
to
give
my
reasons
why
I
believe
all
believers
will
be
Raptured
and
why
there
won’t
be a
partial
Rapture
of
those
believers
who
are
“worthy”
of
inclusion
and
the
rest
being
left
to
face
to
Great
Tribulation.
So
as a
starting
point,
let’s
remember
that
all
of
our
salvation
is
by
grace
and
not
works:
Eph
2:8-9
For
by
grace
you
have
been
saved
through
faith;
and
that
not
of
yourselves,
it
is
the
gift
of
God;
not
as a
result
of
works,
so
that
no
one
may
boast.
Whatever
our
views
on
the
Rapture
they
must
not
overrule
these
verses.
No-one
is
deserving
of
the
mercy
and
love
of
God,
not
the
smallest
bit
even
if
we
are
living
an
exemplary
Christian
life.
In
Romans
3:23-24
it
says
“for
all
have
sinned
and
fall
short
of
the
glory
of
God,
being
justified
as a
gift
by
His
grace
through
the
redemption
which
is
in
Christ
Jesus;”
and
in
1Jn
1:10
“If
we
say
that
we
have
not
sinned,
we
make
Him
a
liar
and
His
word
is
not
in
us.”
So,
my
question
is
how
can
we
work
towards
being
worthy
of
being
included
in
the
Rapture
of
the
Church.
None
of
us
are
worthy
in
ourselves.
We
are
made
worthy
by
being
in
Christ
and
Him
alone.
In a
lot
of
ways
the
arguments
for
Once
Saved
Always
Saved
work
for
an
all
inclusive
Rapture.
What
is
the
measurement
of
being
included
in
the
Rapture,
where
does
it
tell
us
in
the
Bible
what
the
standard
will
be?
It
doesn’t.
We
are
all
commanded
to
live
Godly
lives
pleasing
to
God
and
we
all
have
our
own
weaknesses,
our
own
degree
of
failure
and
our
own
continuance
in
some
sin
whatever
view
we
may
have
of
our
lives
(perhaps
I
will
now
need
to
wait
for
the
hate
mail!).
It
is
by
grace
or
not
by
grace
we
are
saved.
Everything
we
have
is
from
God
(Jas 1:17 Every
good
thing
given
and
every
perfect
gift
is
from
above,
coming
down
from
the
Father
of
lights,
with
whom
there
is
no
variation
or
shifting
shadow.)
including
the
desire
to
serve
Him.
Of
course
we
may
chose
to
not
serve
God
even
if
we
are
saved
but
it
doesn’t
change
the
fact
salvation
is a
gift.
And,
following
on
from
this
I
believe
that
Rapture
is a
gift.
It
is
never
described
as
something
we
should
work
towards
being
a
part
of.
I
hope
that
my
sins
will
never
be
listed
and
published
to
anyone
who
cares
to
read
about
them
as
they
were
for
the
Corinthian
church
in
the
New
Testament.
They
had
factions,
envy,
greed,
drunkenness,
incest,
abuse
of
the
Gifts
of
the
Holy
Spirit
and
the
list
goes
on.
But
what
did
Paul
say
to
this
church:
1Co
15:51-52
Behold,
I
tell
you
a
mystery;
we
will
not
all
sleep,
but
we
will
all
be
changed,
in a
moment,
in
the
twinkling
of
an
eye,
at
the
last
trumpet;
for
the
trumpet
will
sound,
and
the
dead
will
be
raised
imperishable,
and
we
will
be
changed.
Did
Paul
say
that
the
Corinthian
church
(and
by
extension
all
Christians)
would
be
Raptured
if
it
cleaned
it’s
act
up?
No.
He
said
that
“we
all
be
changed”.
All,
not
some
but
the
whole
church.
Having
said
this
I
want
to
consider
a
couple
of
verses
that
seem
to
say
that
there
will
be a
partial
Rapture.
These
are
Luke
21:
34-36
"Be
on
guard,
so
that
your
hearts
will
not
be
weighted
down
with
dissipation
and
drunkenness
and
the
worries
of
life,
and
that
day
will
not
come
on
you
suddenly
like
a
trap;
for
it
will
come
upon
all
those
who
dwell
on
the
face
of
all
the
earth.
But
keep
on
the
alert
(other
versions
say
“watch”)
at
all
times,
praying
that
you
may
have
strength
to
escape
all
these
things
that
are
about
to
take
place,
and
to
stand
before
the
Son
of
Man."
Well,
context
is
everything
–
who
is
Jesus
talking
to
and
talking
about
–
the
nation
of
Israel.
Look
back
at
the
verses
in
Luke
21:20-24.
These
talk
about
“those
which
are
in
Judea”,
they
say
that
these
are
the
“days
of
vengeance”,
“wrath”
upon
these
people
and
that
“Jerusalem
will
be
trodden
down
until
the
times
of
the
Gentiles
be
fulfilled”
and
then
jumps
to
the
second
coming
of
Christ
in
verse
27
as
“the
Son
of
Man
coming
in a
cloud
with
great
glory
and
power”.
Nothing
to
do
with
the
Church
at
all.
There
are
other
exhortations
to
“watch”
which
are
directed
to
the
Church
such
as
that
on
1
Thess
5:6
“so
then
let
us
not
sleep
as
others
do,
but
let
us
be
alert
and
sober”.
So
does
this
mean
that
Christians
can
miss
the
Rapture?
No,
the
Day
of
the
Lord
is
in
view
and
as
far
as I
can
understand
the
Day
of
the
Lord
is
not
the
Rapture
but
it
is
the
Tribulation
period.
And
what
does
it
say
in
verse
9:
“For
God
has
not
destined
us
for
wrath,
but
for
obtaining
salvation
through
our
Lord
Jesus
Christ”.
God
has
not
destined
us
(Christians
in
this
dispensation)
for
the
Tribulation
period.
The
exhortation
to
watch
is a
general
one
for
all
Christians
at
all
times
and
in
all
places
as a
life
style
that
is
in
contrast
to
those
who
are
in
darkness
(verse
4).
What
about
Revelation
3:10:
“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
on
the
earth.”
This
is
certainly
seems
to
be a
conditional
promise
and
one
which
clearly
points
to
the
Tribulation
period.
So
what
is
the
“word
of
perseverance”?
Well,
let
me
say
up
front
that
this
not
so
easy
to
answer
and
if
it
was
taken
on
it’s
own
as a
prooftext
I
would
have
to
concede
to a
partial
Rapture.
So
my
interpretation
is:
When
the
Rapture
happens
the
Philadelphian
church
will
generally
represent
the
Church
at
the
time.
A
Church
that
is
being
persecuted
on a
global
scale
and
it
will
be
Church
that
is
keeping
the
“word
of
perseverance”
(cheerful,
hopeful
endurance).
If
not
then
we
have
to
throw
away
all
the
arguments
I
have
given
in
favour
of
this
one
verse
which
is
not
good
Bible
interpretation.
The
terms
in
1
Thess
4:13-18
have
not
changed
(“we”
meaning
all
the
Thessalonians
at
the
time
including
Paul
and
his
companions
and
by
extension
all
Christians
and
no
qualifiers
to
ensure
inclusion).
The
terms
in
John
14:2-3
have
not
changed.
This
is
an
all
inclusive
statement
to
the
disciples
and
to
us.
In
all
of
Paul’s
writings
He
never
makes
any
qualification
about
inclusion
in
the
Church
as
anything
but
as a
full
member.
The
only
thing
he
warns
about
is
not
actually
being
a
Christian.
It’s
the
same
with
the
Rapture
–
there
are
no
qualifiers
based
on
our
works.
And
I
would
also
ask,
what
would
be
the
point
of
not
including
all
Christians
in
the
Rapture.
It’s
almost
subscribing
to a
sort
of
Earthly
purgatory.
They
must
be
somehow
“purified”
or
punished
before
they
stand
before
Christ
and
enter
eternal
life.
Well,
what
about
those
Christians
who
don’t
live
for
Christ
or
look
for
the
glorious
appearing?
When
they
died,
weren’t
they
standing
in
the
presence
of
Christ
or
did
they
somehow
have
to
suffer
for
their
lack
of
commitment?
No,
they
will
have
a
loss
of
rewards
at
the
Judgement
Seat
of
Christ.
There
are
verses
that
say
that
Christians
must
suffer
in
order
to
reign
(Romans
8:16-17,
Acts 14: 21-22, 2 Thes 1:4-5) but these
are
nothing
to
do
with
the
Rapture
or
experiencing
the
Great
Tribulation.
Many
Christians
have
suffered
in
various
ways
throughout
the
Church
Age
but
this
is a
promise
for
all
Christians
and
is
nothing
to
do
with
the
Rapture.
The
Rapture
is
not
just
intended
to
be a
quick
escape
for
Christians
from
this
planet.
It
is
the
ending
of
the
Church
age
and
as
such
I
believe
it
is
part
of
our
salvation
for
us
at
the
end
of
this
dispensation.
It
is
not
a
matter
of
reward
or
punishment,
or
worthiness
or
lack
of
the
same
but
it
is
the
way
God
has
chosen
to
remove
the
influence
of
the
praying
and
witnessing
Church
from
the
Earth
and
give
over
mankind
to
their
desire
to
be
Godless
in
every
sense
of
the
word.
Well,
that’s
my
tuppence
worth
(as
we
say
in
the UK). If I’m left behind I will be
the
first
to
apologise.
Blessings
to
all
in
Christ.
Peter
Marks
Marks1@homail.com