Hi
Concerning the rapture, my understanding was immediately after death came! the1st resurrection, meaning the rapture! but scripture tells us about the rich man and Lazarus in Hades and paradise, and that they are conscious of being there..
Scripture also tells us after death the body returns to the dust and the sole goes back to God who gave it.. therefore does this mean the sole even though conscious after death is quarantined until receiving the resurrection body at the rapture?
A man Converted in Christ, has become Crucified, accounted Bodily Dead, and has fulfilled the requirement to DIE ONCE.
We are in the end days, since Jesus first came to earth. And Since Jesus first came to earth, a Division Among men has been occuring for the last 2,000 + years. Some men becoming IN Christ; many not.
Jesus will Descend to the Clouds. While IN the Clouds, He shall rise UP to Him, in the Clouds....above the earth;
all (Physically dead and still alive bodies converted in Christ).
The Physically dead body's, rise up from their graves, immortal glorified, and Jesus has their saved soul and quickened spirit with Him, which are united with their glorified body.
Then immediately...
The Physically alive, still have their soul, their quickened spirit, within their body and that body is changed to an immortal glorified body as it is risen up to the clouds.
THAT ^ is the Rapture; Jesus resurrecting up to Him, the Converted in Christ; ie His Church.
Then begins the introduction of the end of days Tribulation.
The anti-Christ is given power over the earth.
The people of the world are deciding to believe in God/Christ, and be killed for their belief. Or choose allegience to the anti-Christ.
The Israelites, believers in God, but not Christ Jesus are sent Israelite ministers to teach the Israelites to accept Christ Jesus.
It is a continuation of DIVISION, IN the world, during a portion of the end of days tribulation, while they will be experiencing subjection to the anti-Christ, his power, his armies, and massive weather conditions and results and plagues.
Nearing the end of the Tribulation there is WAR-fare in the lower heavens...Holy Angels, fallen angels....Body's of those who came to believe have been killed; (by the anti-Christ's armies) their souls & spirit having risen to heaven.
Bodies of men of those in allegience to the anti-Christ, shall become dead, killed, by the effects of the earth and plagues.
(And there is a remnant of Israelites, who Believe, are Saved from bodily death, and shall remain mortal and repopulate the earth, during Jesus' Kingdom and 1,000 reign on earth).
Christ shall descend from the clouds...
His Raptured Church with Him.
His Leagues of Angels with Him.
war-fare in the heavens shall cease.
War-fare on the earth shall cease.
Men who came to believe and became soul saved and spirit quickened and killed, shall be risen up in glorious bodies.
Their soul and spirit from heaven united with their bodies.
The bodies of the dead, who rejected Christ Jesus, shall be consumed by birds.
Their soul sent to hell to wait Judgement.
Fallen angels and the anti-Christ sent to hell to wait Judgement.
Christ Jesus' Kingdom shall appear coming down from heaven. The seat of Jesus' government being Jerusalem, and Jesus seated in king David's everlasting throne.
And the mortals shall live, marry, reproduce, die, grow crops, have communities with leaders and learn to accept or reject Christ Jesus as He and His immortal servants are present upon the earth (without the influence of fallen angels, satan, men against God, men against Christ Jesus) ...for 1,000....
And then after the 1,000 years, satan, his band of fallen angels will have about 3 months to be loosed, roam the earth, and try to convince MORTAL men to follow after him and reject God, and Christ Jesus.
And there is more....thereafter...dividing, separation, judgement, etc.
In short, not everyone believes the same, or believes the same at the same time. Or is resurrected up at the same time.
Glory to God,
Taken