Letter to Perry Stone to Teach Correctly Concerning the Rapture

Perry,

The purpose of this letter is to encourage you to teach correctly concerning the first rapture.

Do all Christians fulfill this condition? "Because thou didst keep the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of trial, that [hour] which is to come upon the whole world, to try them that dwell upon the earth" (Rev. 3.10). Since being born-again is not by works, wouldn't you agree some Christians though can't lose eternal life do not "keep the word of my patience" for God to "keep thee from the hour trial, that hour which is to come upon the whole world" in the Tribulation period to "try them [everyone] that dwell on the earth"? So some Christians will enter into and pass through the Tribulation who do not "overcometh" (Rev. 2.7,11,17,26; 3.5,12,26) and keep the conduct of Matt. 5-7 and therefore shall to go through the time of testing, may or may not overcometh during the Tribulation and if not, will not return with Christ to reign during the 1000 years (Rev. 20.4).

Similarly, "Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man" (Luke 21.36) "before the throne" (Rev. 7.9) where first rapture takes place not in Revelation 4, but Revelation 7.9 (study Rev. 7.9-17). These "things that shall come to pass" to "stand before the Son of man" are the things of the Tribulation period. Do all Christians "watch...and pray always"? Not all. Only 1 of the 7 churches or church periods was most spiritual (Philadelphia) indicating only 1 in 7 believers alive at the time of the first rapture will be "taken." And only 1 in 7 believers will reign during the 1000 years. This is accountability for believers.

With double emphasis, "one shall be taken, and the other left...one shall be taken, and the other left" (Matt. 24.41-42), for both the "taken" and "left" referred to here are Christians (study of Matthew 25 for the various other reasons why both are saved). So God says "Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come" (Matt. 24.42). Do all Christians "Watch therefore"? Of course not. Many believers are carnal and fleshly (Rom. 7.14,19; 1 Cor. 3.1). "Make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, and godliness with brotherly kindness, and brotherly kindness with love" (2 Pet. 1.5-7).

Some believers will have to go through the time of testing (Daniel's last seven), will not be raptured at the first rapture according to readiness (Rev. 7.9) and won't be raptured until the last trumpet (Rev. 11.15) if they are not martyred during the Tribulation and raised up after three and a half days like the two witnesses.

You can say everyone who loses the reward in "outer darkness" (mentioned specifically 3 time in Scripture) outside the light of reigning with Christ during the 1000 years will not be raptured at the first rapture, but not everyone who is not raptured at the first rapture will necessarily lose the reward of reigning during the millennium because some of those can still overcometh during the Tribulation.

The Holy Spirit put it on my heart to tell you this so you teach correctly and not make it a forgone conclusion Christians are raptured before the Tribulation, for that is a bit antinomian don't you think? It misses the point of why first rapture takes place, because there is remnant or firstfruits of believers that are truly ready to be received at that time which causes Satan to react, hence the Antichrist and his 7 year peace treaty. Moreover, it is spiritually motivating to overcome knowing that if you don't, you will not be ready to be received at the first trumpet.

It helps to see there are verses for first rapture but also verses for the last trumpet resurrection and rapture to help lead you to the conclusion first rapture is according to readiness, and those verses pertaining to readiness then become clearer. Watch the three partial rapture videos for further conviction and convincing.

[Letter sent to Perry Stone, March 18, 2009.]