Mike,

I just wanted to impart this to you, since you studied all the end-time views. Have you chosen one? Thought you might find it interesting.

You can disprove all historicalisms and romanisms because Rev. 20.3 says the nations won't be deceived in the 1000 years. Obviously, they still are. And when have 200 million machines congregated in the middle east? (9.16) or 1/3 of the people of the earth (v.18) died in a 3.5 year period?

You can get rid of pre, post, mid, pre-wrath tribulation onlyisms, because there is a clear condition placed in Matt. 24.42, Luke 21.36, Rev. 3.10 for first raptured at Rev. 7.9 (cf. 12.5) according to readiness before the Trumpets of the Tribulation commence. As T. Austin Sparks says, there are advanced parties and harbingers in every sphere.

There is a danger of all the above groups accusing the millions of overcomers raptured at first rapture and denying it is the Tribulation when it is happening, who accuse the brethren day and night (Rev. 12.10), even those who have been "taken."

The 10 virgins are not a scene of the timing of when overcomers or non-overcomers are raptured, but who at judgment seat will enter the marriage feast to receive their reward to reign during the the millennium and who will lose this reward in "outer-darkness," outside the light of reward. Outer darkness has no fire or furnace about it when it is mentioned 3 times in Scripture. To lose the reward for 1000 years (or great length of period) is a long time to be disciplined and made ready for the New City. Accepting the time of recompense is necessary for accountability for believers. Without it, brings in antinomianism.

Of course, the 5 wise virgins if alive at first rapture will be raptured then, but most are asleep and if not martyrs or part of the 144,000 from previous centuries, then they will be raised up with the rest of the saints at the last trumpet rapture and resurrection. I place the last trumpet resurrection at the start of the 7th trumpet which is pre-wrath because of 11.15 with gleaning raptures during the 24 months of the bowls, but I can't be sure exactly at one point when last resurrection and rapture take place, because I just don't seen anything specific to tie down when, so I try not to assume. 7th trumpet commences the 7 bowls over 24 months because the 1st woe (5th trumpet) is 5 months, 2nd woe (6th trumpet) is 13 months, leaving 24 months for the 3rd woe (7th trumpets).

Can you sense how the major points of the Tribulation period are from chapters 7 to 11, with the minor details from 12 to 19? Like Gen. 3 gives the details of Gen. 2. Do you see how similar chapter 12 for first rapture is to chapter 7? Chapters 15 (preparation for the bowls) and 16 are to the last trumpet? 13 the beast, 14 comparing the early and latter harvest, and destruction of religious Rome (17) and political Rome (18)?

Do you sense the lock tumblers of the 6 seals for the past 20 centuries, where then the 7th seal opens up the 7 trumpets of the Tribulation and the 7th trumpet pours out the 7 bowls of the latter part (24 months) of the Great Tribulation? They key to understanding this lock tumbler and unlocking it is seeing the interjection between the 6th seal and the 7th seal in chapter 7 and the interjection between the 6th trumpet and the 7th trumpet in chapter 10.

The reason why I put the martyred at first rapture (in addition to overcomers alive at that time) is because of what is said in the 5th seal, they won't have to wait much longer till the rest of their brethren come in. I realize it says they are still resting while they are waiting, but they are also given a white robe at that time which one receives to be clothed to come before God "before the throne" (Rev. 7.9) prior to the trumpets are blown. And since the 144,000 are the cream of the crop even though not martyred necessarily, they are given this privilege of first rapture (simply, ready to be received up) also as they are contrasted with a later harvest in chapter 14 (last trumpet rapture and resurrection).

Martyrs during the Tribulation are raptured like the Two Witnesses 3.5 days after they go to rest.

Can you sense the generality of the seals for the past 20 centuries ("tribulation the great" 7.14), compared to the increasing intensity of the Trumpets for the Tribulation and the silence of the bowls pouring for the last 2 years because so much is happening so fast?

Only Christians qualify for first rapture. Old Testament Saints (make up part of Rev. 20.4) will be raptured at the last trumpet, but some may still qualify as overcomers, like Moses, David, Jeremiah, Isaiah and others. Enoch and Elijah will return to die and be raised up 3.5 days after they go to rest.

Take the partial rapture poll,
http://biblocality.com/forums/showthread.php?t=131

That's all I wanted to say, except maybe that Watchman Nee is the inspiration to provide this intricate detail. I find him and I are in complete agree with the Scriptures on this. He, of course, had the benefit of reading the various partial rapture believers before him to really round out the perspective, and I am the beneficiary of even more intricate work, revelation and light, without I pray overstepping my boundaries.