How many go in the rapture?

[glc11]

There are some that suggest this is a reference to the dividing of the righteous and the unrighteous. The wheat and the tares grow together until the harvest. (Matt 13:30). The sheep and the goats are together until they are separated at the judgement. (Matt 25:31-46).

The point of this seems to be that a person cannot claim proximity to the righteous to protect his or herself from being judged. They might have lived with believers, worked with them, been part of the same family, but that won't matter at the end.

So interesting. I understand what you are saying, but still have ALWAYS interpreted this as a rapture event. I never thought of it as a 50/50 event….. just assumed that those in unequally yoked relationships (friendships and marriages) would have this scenario take place at the time of the rapture.

Always learning!

Regardless… if this verse is about the second coming…. This is still also going to happen at the rapture too! Two sleeping or working side by side…. One is taken, the other stays…

 

[Everlasting Life]

I know this is what the scripture says, but the theological explanation of it makes no Tribulational sense. In the tribulation I guarantee a marked person and an unmarked person will not be sharing a bed, nor will they be working beside one another in a field or anywhere else. There has got to be another explanation for this verse and until I read or hear something that makes tribulational sense to me, I'm going to continue to believe, this is The Rapture.

Take a look at Luke 17:30:

.......after the same manner shall it be in the day that the Son of man is revealed. This is understood to mean when Jesus comes to defeat His enemies and establish His Kingdom at His second Advent. Then scripture goes on to describe what will be happening when Jesus is revealed to the world at His second Advent, the 2 men, the 2 women, one taken, one left.


In regards to understanding this maybe this will be helpful.

And I saw another angel flying through the sky, carrying the eternal Good News to proclaim to the people who belong to this world—to every nation, tribe, language, and people. “Fear God,” he shouted. “Give glory to him. For the time has come when he will sit as judge. Worship him who made the heavens, the earth, the sea, and all the springs of water.”
Revelation 14:6-7

Then a third angel followed them, shouting, “Anyone who worships the beast and his statue or who accepts his mark on the forehead or on the hand must drink the wine of God’s anger. It has been poured full strength into God’s cup of wrath. And they will be tormented with fire and burning sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and the Lamb. The smoke of their torment will rise forever and ever, and they will have no relief day or night, for they have worshiped the beast and his statue and have accepted the mark of his name.”

Revelation 14:9-11

Whenever I've read this portion it seemed to me that God in His grace was putting forth a warning to those who have may not have worshiped the Beast or taken the Mark yet but also have not moved into what vs 6-7 says to do; fear God, give Him glory and worship Him, all done out of faith.

I've often wondered, to whom would the Gospel be proclaimed? Wouldn't it be to those who've not made a decision yet? It didn't seem that this would be directed to those who've already decided to follow God (but this warning may also have strengthened them to continue in following God). But then we are also told that those who've worshiped the beast and accepted his mark must drink the wine of His anger, doesn't seem to be any wiggle room.

Therefore, I've thought that perhaps there is a third group of people.

I've wondered if there's a sort of sitting on the fence in regards to either following the beast or following God, which may be part of why this angel is warning. If those who've taken the Mark are cemented in their decision and heading for hell and God's Wrath, this warning would not pertain to them.

So then to whom would this pertain to? Possible those still making a decision?

In the Footsteps of the Messiah, Arnold Fruchtenbaum believes so. He says starting on pg 184-185:

"The second proclamation is in Revelation 14:6-7:

And I saw another angel flying in mid heaven, having eternal good tidings to proclaim unto them that dwell on the earth, and unto every nation and tribe and tongue and people; and he saith with a great voice, Fear God, and give him glory; for the hour of his judgment is come: and worship him that made the heaven and the earth and sea and fountains of waters.

This proclamation is a final call to the world to accept the Gospel in light of the Revelation thirteen problem where the Antichrist declares himself to be god, and the False Prophet is calling all men to take upon themselves the mark of the beast and thus show their submissive acceptance of the deity of the Antichrist. This proclamation is a call to the inhabitants of the world to choose between Christ or Anti-christ. with the announcement of a final call to heed the Gospel comes an announcement of the coming final series of judgments about to be poured out through the bowl judgements. In light of the coming judgements, they are urged to worship Him who made the heavens and the earth.

The third proclamation is in 14:8:

And another, a second angel, followed, saying, Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great, that hath made all the nations to drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication.

This proclamation announces the fall of political Babylon, something that will be detailed in Revelation 18.........the announcement is made that the world-wide capital of the Antichrist is due for destruction.

The fourth proclamation is in 14:19-12:

And another angel, a third, followed them, saying with a great voice, If any man worshippeth the beast and his image, and receiveth a mark on his forehead, or upon his hand, he also shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is prepared unmixed in the cup of his anger; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb: and the smoke of their torment goeth up for ever and ever; and they have no rest day and night, they that worship the beast and his image, and whoso receiveth the mark of his name. Here is the patience of the saints, they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.

This proclamation concerns those who take upon themselves the mark of the beast. This is the point of no return. The opportunity of salvation will be available to all as long as they are without the mark. But once the mark is taken, signifying the acceptance of the Antichrist as the one true god, they will have forfeited any further opportunity to be saved. Those who take the mark are destined for two things: first, they will drink of the wine of the wrath of God which is the bowl judgement of Revelation 15-16; and, secondly, they are doomed to eternal torment in the Lake of Fire. For by taking the mark, they have reached the point of no return.

No one will take the mark out of ignorance for by this time there will have been two world-wide proclamations of the Gospel. First was the 144,000 during the first half of the tribulation and the second was the angel in Revelation 14:6-7 in the middle of the tribulation. Those who accept the mark are those who heart the love of the truth but rejected it (II Thessalonians 2:8-12)......."

What we do know for sure is Christ says there will be two men and two women (as examples) where one is taken and the other is left at His second advent, but we may not know completely why this is possible. That may unfold more clearly during the time Christ is talking about.

 

[Set free 47]

Some like Tim LaHaye have speculated that a very large number will be taken in the Rapture, perhaps billions. I kind of agree.

 

[RedRx]

Some like Tim LaHaye have speculated that a very large number will be taken in the Rapture, perhaps billions. I kind of agree.

Let’s all try to make this party as big as possible!

 

[alisani]

Let’s all try to make this party as big as possible!

Amen and amen!!

 

[glc11]

Take a look at Luke 17:30:

.......after the same manner shall it be in the day that the Son of man is revealed. This is understood to mean when Jesus comes to defeat His enemies and establish His Kingdom at His second Advent. Then scripture goes on to describe what will be happening when Jesus is revealed to the world at His second Advent, the 2 men, the 2 women, one taken, one left.


In regards to understanding this maybe this will be helpful.

And I saw another angel flying through the sky, carrying the eternal Good News to proclaim to the people who belong to this world—to every nation, tribe, language, and people. “Fear God,” he shouted. “Give glory to him. For the time has come when he will sit as judge. Worship him who made the heavens, the earth, the sea, and all the springs of water.”
Revelation 14:6-7

Then a third angel followed them, shouting, “Anyone who worships the beast and his statue or who accepts his mark on the forehead or on the hand must drink the wine of God’s anger. It has been poured full strength into God’s cup of wrath. And they will be tormented with fire and burning sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and the Lamb. The smoke of their torment will rise forever and ever, and they will have no relief day or night, for they have worshiped the beast and his statue and have accepted the mark of his name.”

Revelation 14:9-11

Whenever I've read this portion it seemed to me that God in His grace was putting forth a warning to those who have may not have worshiped the Beast or taken the Mark yet but also have not moved into what vs 6-7 says to do; fear God, give Him glory and worship Him, all done out of faith.

I've often wondered, to whom would the Gospel be proclaimed? Wouldn't it be to those who've not made a decision yet? It didn't seem that this would be directed to those who've already decided to follow God (but this warning may also have strengthened them to continue in following God). But then we are also told that those who've worshiped the beast and accepted his mark must drink the wine of His anger, doesn't seem to be any wiggle room.

Therefore, I've thought that perhaps there is a third group of people.

I've wondered if there's a sort of sitting on the fence in regards to either following the beast or following God, which may be part of why this angel is warning. If those who've taken the Mark are cemented in their decision and heading for hell and God's Wrath, this warning would not pertain to them.

So then to whom would this pertain to? Possible those still making a decision?

In the Footsteps of the Messiah, Arnold Fruchtenbaum believes so. He says starting on pg 184-185:



What we do know for sure is Christ says there will be two men and two women (as examples) where one is taken and the other is left at His second advent, but we may not know completely why this is possible. That may unfold more clearly during the time Christ is talking about.

Thank you for this very understandable explanation

 

[daygo]

Some like Tim LaHaye have speculated that a very large number will be taken in the Rapture, perhaps billions. I kind of agree.

For that it would have to be a large percentage that are now Christians, myself can't see it.