Prophecy and the Rapture

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Are there any serious disciples out there who have wrestled with the
prophetic scriptures.. that is to get the correct interpretation that
harmonizes ALL of scripture.. without transposing our own preconceptions
upon it.. I am hungry for God's truth no matter what..

*Just some questions to provoke some feedback and serious thought
regarding the Lord's return:

1) Does the Olivet discourse of Matthew 24 refer to the rapture or
Armageddon ? the rapture or the second advent as some would distinguish
it ?

2) Who are the three redeemed companies in: a) Rev 5:8-10;
 b )Rev. 7:13-17 and c) Rev 20:4,5 AND which of these groups is the
church ? how can we be sure ?

3) When does the 'Day of the LORD' begin ? Is this time period synonymous
with the beginning of Daniel's 70th week ? If so what scripture(s)
corroborate this fact ?

4) Is the Olivet discourse of Matthew 24 for the Jews only ? Can this be
proven based solely upon the scriptures and apart from a forced and
presumptuous dispensational bias ? If so, what about Mark 13 ? Luke 21 ?
and what about the curious fact that Matthew is the ONLY gospel that
reveals the mystery of the 'ekklesia' or CHURCH ?

5) Apart from the dispensational bias which presumptuously places the
church outside of the 70th week of Daniel, can this be proven
emphatically from the unstrained teaching of the scriptures ?

6) As this bias presumes that the church was a mystery and NOT revealed
in the Old Testament.. and since the church was NOT included in the first
69 weeks of years of Daniel's prophecy, then it must of NECESSITY be
removed before the 70th week begins... IS this biblical or PRESUMPTION ?

7) Do the following scriptures refer to the great escape and rapture of
the 'ekklesia' and eklektos (church and elect) If not then what ?
		a) Mt. 24:31-42 ?	b) Mk 13:27 ?

Just trying to engender some discussion on this subject.. apart from what
was learned in the cemetery or seminary.. what saith the WORD of the LORD
? Amen ? 

I don't know about you all, or for that matter about the minister who has
been around for many years.. regarding a biblical eschatology.. for there
were among the sincere and devout worshippers of Jesus' day who because
of political expectations ( Messiah ben David ) missed the Christ, for
they did not acknowledge that he must first come as the 'suffering
servant' to REDEEM his subjects.. AMEN ! 

Could it be that even in this generation, we as the true church of God,
built upon the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets Jesus Christ
Himself being the chief cornerstone, even made a habitation of God
through the Spirit.. through sanctification of the Spirit and obedience
to the truth.... have missed the mark, and been misled and deceived by
the tradition of men making void the word of God, and are in error
regarding the timing of the rapture ? IS this possible ?

After all the pretrib view is an invention of 1883 and was not a
systematized belief until the 1900's when Scofield adopted this view and
it rose to dominance.

No view concerning the timing of the rapture can claim veracity based
upon age and antiquity.. Let us allow the scriptures to speak.. Would
Jesus leave us in the dark concerning this ? Did he leave it to Paul to
reveal this mystery to us ? or did he teach us about the rapture in Mt
24:31 and Mk 13:24-27 ? 

Please ponder these questions to heart.. I am not attacking any view
specifically, but I am attacking unscriptural preconceptions that we
sometimes, without thinking, will read into our hermeneutics.. and then
governs our interpretation..

Looking for that blessed hope,
even so, come LORD Jesus,
Ken Vermillion