Re: Editor of Despatch ... Wendy Beuster Howard
 http://www.despatch.cth.com.au/Artic...ure_Howard.htm

You wrote, "Some teachers claim there will be a partial Rapture, with only the spiritual"members of the Body of Christ going. This false theory is refuted by one little word in I Cor.15:51, where Paul says that "we shall ALL be changed" at the Trump of God. Part of the Body CANNOT be left whilst the other part is taken, it is ONE BODY. Also we are ALL saved by GRACE, not works at all, neither will we be Raptured because of works, which are as filthy rags in God's sight! It is ALL of GRACE!"

Wendy,

You suffer from two mistaken assumptions or self-imposed legalizations: "Single Glory Syndrome" (everyone raptured at the same moment) and "Extreme Sovereignty Condition" (for your said "all is by grace alone"), not realizing there is a firstfruits (Rev. 14.1-5) and later harvest (vv.14-16)-an advanced party that precedes the saved in general. This is conditional based on readiness.

Some people say that the rapture of the church cannot be divided because the body of Christ cannot be divided. It should be noted in reply, however, that the body is a figure of speech which signifies one life. If the body is taken literally, then there is already division today because the Lord is now in heaven, Paul has already died, we remain living on earth, and some believers are yet to be born.

Others object that rapture is part of redemption, that since redemption is according to grace, rapture cannot be based on the concept of worthiness. In reply, it needs to be pointed out that while the act of changing (see 1 Cor. 15.51-52) is indeed according to grace, the act of being taken (rapture) is according to works.

Since in 1 Cor. 15:50-52 (“We all shall not sleep, but we shall all be changed”) “all” is the word used, surely this signifies the whole body. Yes, the “all” here does indeed refer to the entire body, but it does not have reference to the same time. For example, we all will die, but certainly not all of us will do so in one day.

There is a distinction made in the Bible between wheat and tares, some say, but no difference made between wheat and wheat; consequently, all wheat must be raptured. In reply, it should be noted that the times of ripening for wheat are not the same. Thus there are the firstfruits and the later harvest.

We are not robots so it is not all of grace. Jesus died on the cross for the sins of the world and God's grace is sufficient for all to have the choice. His grace and wooing of His Spirit supplies us. The Bible doesn't consider Christians filthy rags, but new born children of God with the righteousness of Christ. The righteousness of the saints shall be rewarded. "And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints" (Rev. 19.8)-"our righteousness" (Is. 64.6).

Only the overcoming believers are related to the new city during the millennial kingdom. In the new heaven and new earth, both the saved and the overcomers partake equally in the New Jerusalem. The wedding gown is worn only for a time; the believers who overcome are joined together as the bride. At the marriage of the Lamb it looks as though the door of the New Jerusalem is opened for the first time to let in the overcomers. The five foolish virgins are not able to enter during the millennium.

Matt. 24.40-42, Luke 21.36, Rev. 3.10. All of these verses are "conditional statements" to be "taken," to escape the hour of trial of the Tribulation, to escape all these things that are to happen during the Tribulation. The condition is if you are watchful, prayerful, worthy and keep the word of His patience. Do all Christians do this? Of course not. Hence, the first rapture is according to readiness before the 7 year Tribulation starts. And the rapture at the start of the last trumpet before the bowls of wrath are poured near the end of the Tribulation is according to completion of those who are "alive" and "left" (1 Thess. 4.17).