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Reading Revelation 4&5 describes the believers as being in heaven. Notice in CH.4 the 24 elders are clothed in white robes. The judgement of the believer has passed. I do believe in the rapture of believers before the Second Coming of Christ. During the tribulation the wedding is taking place in heaven. The dispensation of grace ends when believers are called out. At this time there about Israel signs the 7 year peace agreement with the Anti-Christ. Why are we called out? Biblical history says as much. When GOD was ready to pronounce judgement upon he called out his people. He called out Noah, he called out Lott, he called out Israel, he called out his son from Israel into Egypt while the males in Israel died. He called them all out before judgements came down.

Mysteries are answerable. How can the world be in the Great Tribulation and people marrying and be given in marriage. Such as was in the days of Noah when Christ returns? The calling out of the church is separate. He comes as the thief in the night no one knows the hour but the father. There's the key. Nobody knows the hour but the father.

Jesus used Hebrew traditions to teach by. One is the tradition of the Hebrew wedding. The first trumpet was sounded in a manger 2000 years ago. GOD sent Christ to earth. The father of the groom in Hebrew custom has to make a contract with the brides family and an engagement is announced the first trumpet as it is called is sounded announcing the engagement.

The father of the Groom then has his son to prepare the place suitable for his bride. Only the father of the Groom can declare the place sufficent and ready to meet their needs. He then will say Bring forth {home} your bride. Imediately the second or final trumpet is sounded announcing the wedding is occuring. These trumpet blast have nothing to do with the 7 trumpets of judgement.

Now we are told that after Israel signs the 7 year peace treaty we can literally count the days till Christ returns that is true. But who will be here looking for it? The unbelievers? They believed not in Christ. The first part of the tribulation begins upon the signing of the peace agreement the second part or three and a half years is when the treaty is broken. That is the Great Tribulation. There is no way I can comprehend weddings and feast occuring during this time. It will be literal hell on earth. But yet the Bible is clear that so were as in the days of Noah so shall it be...

Christ left us more to go on. The 10 virgins 5 were waiting for the groom and were taken & 5 were not and missed his return. I believe the believers will indeed be called out before the Anti- Christ is revealed and before Israel signs the agreement.

But then again that is not the basis of my salvation. I understand that I must be ready to be tested as well. I have read the trib theories and pre-trib rapture in the twinkling of an eye IMHO of the reading best fits scripture.

Thanks for your note.
First of all I reject the notion of a 7 year tribulation simply because it is based on a misinterpretation of a Daniel 9 prophecy by dispensational pre-millennial scholars who invented the parenthesis theory to account for the last week of Daniel's 70 weeks. I think the Great Tribulation took place in 70 AD, within the generation existing at the time Jesus predicted it, as he said it would, (Mat 23.36, 24.34).

I also respectfully disagree with your use of the parable of the wise and foolish virgins. That passage has nothing to do with a rapture. Rather it teaches about the importance of being ready for a long delay in Christ's return. A note in the New Geneva Study Bible says, "The delay of Christ's return distinguishes the wise from the foolish. Being ready means being prepared for a long delay; short-lived zeal is inadaquate".

I agree that this stuff is not the basis of salvation, although that does not mean it is not important since it affects the way we, "the Church" view and react to the world. Have a Happy Easter.