Raptured? When? Part I

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higher-fire@prairienet.org
Subject: Raptured? When? Part I

     In Revelation 4:4 John is given a vision of twenty-four elders who are
seated on thrones, clothed in white raiment, crowned with gold crowns, and
in heaven in the presence of God. Several answers are given as to the
question of the identity of these twenty-four. some, because they are
associated with the four living creatures in this book, insist they are
angels. this seems an attempt to evade the implication of taking the literal
identification because it is contrary to their system. What is said of the
twenty-four elders could not be true of angelic beings, for angels are not
crowned with victor's crowns (STEPHANOS)  received as rewards, nor are they
seated on thrones (THRONOS), which throne speaks of royal dignity and
prerogative, nor are angles robed in white as a result of judgment. The
impossibility of this view argues for the second view which sees them as
resurrected redeemed men, who are clothed, crowned, and seated on thrones in
connection with royalty in heaven. Scofield presents evidence to support the
view that these are the representatives of the church. He writes:

     Five inerrant marks identify the elders as representing the
     church. These are: (1) Their POSITION. They are enthroned "round
     about" the rainbow encircled central throne. To the church and to
     the church only of all groups of the redeemed is co-enthronement
     promised (Revelation 3:21). Not yet is Christ seated upon his own
     throne on earth, but these kingly ones having been presented
     faultless, with the exceeding joy of the Lord, must be with him
     John 17:24; I Thessalonians 4:17). (2) The NUMBER of these
     representative elders, in the book where numbers are so great a
     part of the symbolism, is significant. for twenty-four is the
     number of the choruses into which the Levitical priesthood was
     divided (I Chronicles 24:1-19), and of all the groups of the
     redeemed only the church is a priesthood (I Peter 2:5-9;
     Revelation 1:6). (3) The TESTIMONY of the enthroned elders marks
     them as representing the church: "And they sung a new song,
     saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals
     thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy
     blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation;
     And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall
     reign on the earth" Revelation 5:9-10). The church, and the
     church only, can thus testify. (4) Eldership is a REPRESENTATIVE
     office (Acts 15:2; 20:17). (5) The SPIRITUAL INTELLIGENCE  of the
     elders points them out as sharers of the most intimate divine
     counsels (e.g., Revelation 5:5; 7:13). And to whom amongst the
     redeemed should those counsels be made known if not to those to
     whom our Lord said: "Henceforth I call you not servants;...but I
     have called your friends...." (John 15:15). the elders are,
     symbolically, the church, and they are seen in heaven in the
     place which the Scriptures assign to the church before a seal is
     opened or a woe uttered, and before a vial of the wrath of God is
     poured out. And in all that follows ,to the twentieth chapter,
     the church is never once referred to as on earth [C. I. Scofield,
     WILL THE CHURCH PASS THROUGH THE GREAT TRIBULATION?, pp. 23-24].

     Since, according to Revelation 5:8, these twenty-four are associated in
a priestly act, which is never said of angels, they must be believer-priests
associated with the Great High Priest. Inasmuch as Israel is not resurrected
until the end of the seventieth week, nor judged nor rewarded until the
coming of the Lord according to Isaiah 26:19-21 and Daniel 12:1-2, these
must be representatives of saints of this present age. Since they are seen
to be resurrected, in heaven, judged, rewarded, enthroned at the beginning
of the seventieth week, it is concluded that the church must have been
raptured before the seventieth week begins. If the church is not resurrected
and translated here, as some insist, and not until Revelation 20:4, how
could the church be in heaven in Revelation 19:11?

Walter Copes
The joy of the Lord is my strength
(wcopes@communique.net)
Walter L Copes