The Gathering of the Elect, surrounding events

The Falling Away

In 2 Thessalonians 2:1-4, we read:

2Th 2:1 ¶ Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him,2 That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand.3 ¶ Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;4 Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.

We are told that two things must happen before the gathering of the elect. One is "a falling away", or apostasy. Many have compared this to what has happened among professing Christians over the centuries, as more and more those of those who claim Christ have moved away from sound doctrine, and towards wordliness and doctrinal corruption. There may be some truth to this, but that is not a satisfactory meaning for the word "apostasia", translated "falling away" here. No doubt, the corruption among professing Christians today is rampant and is being set up for this final apostasy, when those who are not elect among us will be deceived. The word "apostasia" is used in only one other instance in Scripture, translated "forsake" in Acts 21:21:

Ac 21:21 And they are informed of thee, that thou teachest all the Jews which are among the Gentiles to forsake Moses, saying that they ought not to circumcise their children, neither to walk after the customs.

The "apostasia" in this case was the moving away from the old covenant to the new covenant, from the shadow of the things to come, or the shadow of Christ, to Jesus Christ Himself, and from the law to grace. This departure was sudden and final among those who truly did "forsake" the law of Moses, in the sense of no longer being under the law, but under grace. It's practices, such as burnt offerings(Leviticus 6:12, Hebrews 10:8-10), and circumcision(Leviticus 12:3, 1 Corinthians 7:18), abandoned, it stood quite literally as a castaway, not to be returned to. Such will be the state of the most basic and important doctrine we have, of Jesus Christ being the only way, the only truth, and the only life, to those who merely profess to know Him, in the times immediately before His return, when a "strong delusion" is sent by God Himself, actually working in conjunction with the "signs and lying wonders" of the beast. In 2 Thessalonians 2:8-12, we read:

2Th 2:8 And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming:
9 Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders,
10 And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.
11 And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie:
12 That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.

We read that the beast's coming is after "the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders", and that "God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie". In Matthew 24:23-24, we read:

Mt 24:23 Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or there; believe it not.
24 For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.

In Luke 21:7-8, we read:

Lu 21:7 And they asked him, saying, Master, but when shall these things be? and what sign will there be when these things shall come to pass?
8 And he said, Take heed that ye be not deceived: for many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and the time draweth near: go ye not therefore after them.

And, in Mark 13:5-6, we read:

Mr 13:5 ¶ And Jesus answering them began to say, Take heed lest any man deceive you:
6 For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.

The second "many" in Mark 13:5 will be those who "for a while believe", not to salvation, but in a selfish and wholly intellectual sense, spoken of in Luke 8:13:

Lu 8:13 They on the rock are they, which, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no root, which for a while believe, and in time of temptation fall away.

It is no coincidence that the Lord speaks of the tribulation as "the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth" in Revelation 3, before the last letter, to the church in Laodecia. Those who are not truly His during this hour of temptation will indeed fall away. The same type is spoken of in Hebrews 6:4-6:

Heb 6:4 For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost,
5 And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come,
6 If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame.

This will be be accomplished by a powerful deception, as spoken of in Matthew 24, where our Lord says "there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect". If it were possible, even the elect would be deceived. Because this deception will be so strong, all who profess Christ, and are not elect, will no doubt be deceived by these "signs and lying wonders". This will accomplish Satan's, but ultimately, and more importantly, God's purpose for the counterfeit churches. As we know from 2
Thessalonians 2:1-3, this will come before the gathering of the elect:

2Th 2:1 ¶ Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him,
2 That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand.
3 ¶ Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;

The Revealing of the Beast

The second event that must happen before the gathering of the elect is the revealing of the "man of sin", or the final antichrist. For this to happen, we must be able to say without a doubt that this man is indeed the final antichrist as Scripture describes, and we are told when we can indeed say this, and that is when "he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God"(2 Thess. 2:4). This refers to the "abomination of desolation" mentioned in Matthew 24:15, placed "in the midst of the week" in Daniel 9:27, the "week" being translated from a Hebrew word that, in that context, refers to the seven year period of time that Revelation describes. We are told that his coming is after "the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders", by which those who profess to know the Lord and do not will be deceived. This cannot happen any time before "the middle of the week", or the midst of Danilel's 7 year period of time.

The Olivet Discourse and the Epistles to Thessolonica

Now, back in 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17, we read, "For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God... Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them(the resurrected saints) in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air" Keeping this in mind, let's take a look at Matthew 24:21-31.

Mt 24:21 For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.22 And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened.23 Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or there; believe it not.24 For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.25 Behold, I have told you before.26 Wherefore if they shall say unto you, Behold, he is in the desert; go not forth: behold, he is in the secret chambers; believe it not.27 For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.28 For wheresoever the carcase is, there will the eagles be gathered together.29 Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken:30 And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.31 And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.

In verses 30 and 31, we read "then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven... and He shall send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together His elect from the four winds". In 1 Thessalonians 4, we read, "For the Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God... Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them(the resurrected saints) in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air" These are strikingly similar. In Matthew, we read that this will be "with a great sound of a trumpet"... in 1 Thessalonians, "with the trump of God". The word for "trumpet" and "trump" here is the same, the Greek "salpigx", meaning, "(through the idea of quavering or reverberation); a trumpet:--trump(-et)."

Some may object to this, and say that it is the angels doing the gathering in Matthew, but the Lord Himself in 1 Thessalonians. This is not true; In Thessalonians, "the Lord Himself" does descend from heaven with a shout, but the saints are "caught up" to "meet the Lord in the air", and it does not once say that He Himself is the one who gathers them. In fact, since they meet Him in the air, He could not have descended to do the gathering himself! If these are speaking of the same event, when does it happen? In Matthew 24:29-31, we read:

29 Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken:30 And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.31 And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.

This happens "immediately after the tribulation of those days" after "the sun shall be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken".

The common argument against what the Olivet Discourse teaches is that the Lord is supposedly speaking to Israel, and not His disciples. This idea can be refuted plainly with the parallels of the discourse, found in Mark and Luke:

Mr 13:1 ¶ And as he went out of the temple, one of his disciples saith unto him, Master, see what manner of stones and what buildings are here!
2 And Jesus answering said unto him, Seest thou these great buildings? there shall not be left one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down.
3 And as he sat upon the mount of Olives over against the temple, Peter and James and John and Andrew asked him privately,
4 Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign when all these things shall be fulfilled?

Here, we read that the Lord was speaking privately to Peter, James, John, and Andrew, the first four called to be His disciples. A study of these four will indicate that they were indeed out of the nation of Israel, but by the time the Lord spoke these words to them, they were ostracized and hated by the Jews for their allegiance to Christ. They had been taught to "forsake Moses", as James states in Acts 21:21, and had become a part of the "one fold" spoken of by the Lord in John:

Joh 10:16 And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd.

Israel as a nation wanted nothing to do with Christ, or His followers, the four included. Furthermore, the Lord goes on to say at the end of the Discourse:

Mr 13:35 Watch ye therefore: for ye know not when the master of the house cometh, at even, or at midnight, or at the cockcrowing, or in the morning:
36 Lest coming suddenly he find you sleeping.
37 And what I say unto you I say unto all, Watch.

Here, He says, "what I say unto you, I say unto all, Watch". The Lord here is speaking to all of His disciples. This is why Paul went on to teach the same things the Lord taught here to the church in Thessolonica, and why the Discourse is found in the gospel of Luke, a Greek. What are we to watch for?

Mr 13:29 So ye in like manner, when ye shall see these things come to pass, know that it is nigh, even at the doors.

"These things" being the things that the Lord speaks of in the Olivet Discourse. He is telling all of His disciples, and not Israel, which had rejected Him, to watch for these things. Back in Matthew, the Lord tells us, concerning the gathering of His elect:

Mt 24:37 But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
38 For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark,
39 And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
40 Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left. 41 Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left.
42 Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.

This passage as well is often used as evidence of a pre-tribulational gathering of the elect. If we look at it's parallel in Luke, though, we are given more information that again refutes this idea:

Lu 17:26 And as it was in the days of Noe, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man.
27 They did eat, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, and the flood came, and destroyed them all.
28 Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded;
29 But the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all.
30 Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed.

The Lord does not switch dispensations between verses 31 and 37 of Matthew 24. In context, He is speaking of His return "immediately after the tribulation of those days". When does this happen? "In the day when the Son of man is revealed". This is what is spoken of in 2 Thessalonians 1:

2Th 1:7 And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels,
8 In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ:
9 Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power;
10 When he shall come to be glorified in his saints, and to be admired in all them that believe (because our testimony among you was believed) in that day.

This is detailed in Revelation 10, which will be expounded upon in the next section of this writing. As a summary, let's look at what Paul taught the church in Thessolonica as compared to the Olivet discourse:

Mt 24:4 ¶ And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you.
5 For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.

2Th 2:3 ¶ Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;

Mt 24:23 Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or there; believe it not.
24 For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.

2Th 2:9 Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders,
10 And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.
11 And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie:
12 That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.

Mt 24:31 And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.

1Th 4:16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:
17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.

The Trumpets and the Sign of the Son of Man

In 1 Corinthians 15:51-52, we read:

1Co 15:51 ¶ Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,52 In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.53 For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.

In this passage, we are told of a particular time that this occurs, and that is "at the last trump". So, this is going to occur, "at the last trump", or trumpet, after "the tribulation of those days" and after "the sun shall be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken". In Revelation, we read of seven trumpets. In chapter 8, we read:

Re 8:1 ¶ And when he had opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven about the space of half an hour.2 And I saw the seven angels which stood before God; and to them were given seven trumpets.

Here, there are seven angels standing before God, who are each given a trumpet to sound. When sounded, God's pre-wrath judgments(Rev. 11:18) are enacted upon the earth.

Re 8:6 And the seven angels which had the seven trumpets prepared themselves to sound.7 ¶ The first angel sounded, and there followed hail and fire mingled with blood, and they were cast upon the earth.
8 And the second angel sounded, and as it were a great mountain burning with fire was cast into the sea: and the third part of the sea became blood;9 And the third part of the creatures which were in the sea, and had life, died; and the third part of the ships were destroyed.
10 And the third angel sounded, and there fell a great star from heaven, burning as it were a lamp, and it fell upon the third part of the rivers, and upon the fountains of waters;11 And the name of the star is called Wormwood: and the third part of the waters became wormwood; and many men died of the waters, because they were made bitter.
12 And the fourth angel sounded, and the third part of the sun was smitten, and the third part of the moon, and the third part of the stars; so as the third part of them was darkened, and the day shone not for a third part of it, and the night likewise.13 And I beheld, and heard an angel flying through the midst of heaven, saying with a loud voice, Woe, woe, woe, to the inhabiters of the earth by reason of the other voices of the trumpet of the three angels, which are yet to sound!

Re 9:1 ¶ And the fifth angel sounded, and I saw a star fall from heaven unto the earth: and to him was given the key of the bottomless pit.2 And he opened the bottomless pit; and there arose a smoke out of the pit, as the smoke of a great furnace; and the sun and the air were darkened by reason of the smoke of the pit.3 And there came out of the smoke locusts upon the earth: and unto them was given power, as the scorpions of the earth have power.4 And it was commanded them that they should not hurt the grass of the earth, neither any green thing, neither any tree; but only those men which have not the seal of God in their foreheads...

In Revelation 9:2, we read, "the sun and the air were darkened by reason of the smoke of the pit". Back in Matthew 24:29, the Lord Jesus Christ says "Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light". In both instances we have a darkening of the sun. In Revelation, we are told that this is from the smoke that comes out of the bottomless pit. Consequently, if this was thick enough to darken the appearance of the sun, there is no doubt that it would darken the moon as well, as described in Matthew. This is after the sun, moon, and stars have already been "smitten... so as the third part of them was darkened, and the day shone not for a third part of it, and the night likewise" with the fourth trumpet(Rev. 8:12). In Matthew 24:29, we read, "the stars shall fall from heaven". In Revelation, it details one called Wormwood at the third trumpet(8:10-11), and then another at the fifth trumpet (9:1). The description of the sixth trumpet is not essential to the matter at hand, but it is safe to say that those who have "the seal of God in their forheads" will be spared, as they were with the fifth trumpet(Rev. 9:4). In Revelation 10:1-7, we read:

Re 10:1 ¶ And I saw another mighty angel come down from heaven, clothed with a cloud: and a rainbow was upon his head, and his face was as it were the sun, and his feet as pillars of fire:
2 And he had in his hand a little book open: and he set his right foot upon the sea, and his left foot on the earth,
3 And cried with a loud voice, as when a lion roareth: and when he had cried, seven thunders uttered their voices.
4 And when the seven thunders had uttered their voices, I was about to write: and I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Seal up those things which the seven thunders uttered, and write them not.
5 And the angel which I saw stand upon the sea and upon the earth lifted up his hand to heaven,
6 And sware by him that liveth for ever and ever, who created heaven, and the things that therein are, and the earth, and the things that therein are, and the sea, and the things which are therein, that there should be time no longer:
7 But in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he shall begin to sound, the mystery of God should be finished, as he hath declared to his servants the prophets.

This is placed after the sixth trumpet, and before the seventh, which is the last trumpet. The description of this "angel" is quite notable, as this is the only instance in the book of Revelation where an angel is given the amount of attention that is given here. He is "clothed with a cloud", with "a rainbow upon His head, and His face as it were the sun, and His feet as pillars of fire". He also has "in His hand a little book open: and He set his right foot upon the sea, and His left foot on the earth", and His voice is described as "a loud voice, as when a lion roareth". In Luke 21:25-28, we read:

Lu 21:25 And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring;
26 Men's hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken.
27 And then shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.
28 And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh.

Here, in verse 27, we read, "then shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory". In Revelation 10:1, this "angel" is "clothed with a cloud". In Ezekiel 1:28, we read:

Eze 1:28 As the appearance of the bow that is in the cloud in the day of rain, so was the appearance of the brightness round about. This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the LORD. And when I saw it, I fell upon my face, and I heard a voice of one that spake.

Here, we read that "the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the Lord" was "as the appearance of the bow that is in the cloud in the day of rain". In Revelation 10:1, we read that He has "a rainbow upon His head". In Revelation 1:16, we read in the description of the appearance of the Lord:

Re 1:16 And he had in his right hand seven stars: and out of his mouth went a sharp twoedged sword: and his countenance was as the sun shineth in his strength.

We are told here that "His countenance was as the sun shineth". In Revelation 10:1, "His face was as it were the sun". In Revelation 1:16, we read:

Re 1:15 And his feet like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace; and his voice as the sound of many waters.

His feet are described here "like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace". In Revelation 10:1, "His feet as pillars of fire". In Revelation 5:1-5, we read:

Re 5:1 ¶ And I saw in the right hand of him that sat on the throne a book written within and on the backside, sealed with seven seals.
2 And I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, Who is worthy to open the book, and to loose the seals thereof?
3 And no man in heaven, nor in earth, neither under the earth, was able to open the book, neither to look thereon.
4 And I wept much, because no man was found worthy to open and to read the book, neither to look thereon.prevailed
5 And one of the elders saith unto me, Weep not: behold, the Lion of the tribe of Juda, the Root of David, hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof.

Here, we read that "in the right hand of Him that sat on the throne" is "a book written within and on the backside, sealed with seven seals". Then, we are told that "the Lion of the tribe of Juda, the Root of David, hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof". In Revelation 10:2, we read, "and He had in His hand a little book open". In the same verse, we read, "He set his right foot upon the sea, and His left foot on the earth". This establishes "that in all things He might have the preeminence"(Col. 1:18-20), including everything and everyone on or in the sea, on or in the earth, and in heaven. In Isaiah 31:1-5, we read:

Isa 31:1 ¶ Woe to them that go down to Egypt for help; and stay on horses, and trust in chariots, because they are many; and in horsemen, because they are very strong; but they look not unto the Holy One of Israel, neither seek the LORD!
2 Yet he also is wise, and will bring evil, and will not call back his words: but will arise against the house of the evildoers, and against the help of them that work iniquity.
3 Now the Egyptians are men, and not God; and their horses flesh, and not spirit. When the LORD shall stretch out his hand, both he that helpeth shall fall, and he that is holpen shall fall down, and they all shall fail together.
4 For thus hath the LORD spoken unto me, Like as the lion and the young lion roaring on his prey, when a multitude of shepherds is called forth against him, he will not be afraid of their voice, nor abase himself for the noise of them: so shall the LORD of hosts come down to fight for mount Zion, and for the hill thereof.
5 As birds flying, so will the LORD of hosts defend Jerusalem; defending also he will deliver it; and passing over he will preserve it.

In verse 4, we read, "Like as the lion and the young lion roaring on his prey, when a multitude of shepherds is called forth against him, he will not be afraid of their voice, nor abase himself for the noise of them: so shall the LORD of hosts come down to fight for mount Zion, and for the hill thereof". In Revelation 10:3, His voice is described as "a loud voice, as when a lion roareth".

In light of the Scriptures above, we can see that Revelation 10 is nothing other than a description of the "parousia", or the appearance, and coming, of the Lord Jesus Christ.
The seventh, and "last trump"(1 Cor. 15:52), or trumpet, is as follows:

Re 11:14 ¶ The second woe is past; and, behold, the third woe cometh quickly.15 And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever.16 And the four and twenty elders, which sat before God on their seats, fell upon their faces, and worshipped God,17 Saying, We give thee thanks, O Lord God Almighty, which art, and wast, and art to come; because thou hast taken to thee thy great power, and hast reigned.18 And the nations were angry, and thy wrath is come, and the time of the dead, that they should be judged, and that thou shouldest give reward unto thy servants the prophets, and to the saints, and them that fear thy name, small and great; and shouldest destroy them which destroy the earth.19 And the temple of God was opened in heaven, and there was seen in his temple the ark of his testament: and there were lightnings, and voices, and thunderings, and an earthquake, and great hail.

Here, in verse 19, we read, "there were lightnings, and voices, and thunderings, and an earthquake, and great hail". Back in Matthew 24:29, Jesus says, "the powers of the heavens shall be shaken", which would be an accurate description of what occurs in Revelation 11:19. By the time the "last trump"(1 Cor. 15:52) is sounded, we have the requirements of Matthew 24 for the gathering of the elect fulfilled: the sun and moon being darkened(Rev. 8:12, 9:2), stars falling from heaven(Rev. 8:10, 9:1), the powers of the heavens being shaken(Rev. 11:19), and the sign of the Son of man appearing in heaven(Rev. 10:1-7). These things all occur before God begins to pour out His wrath upon the earth. We read in 1 Thessalonians 5:9, "God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ". After the seventh, and last, trumpet sounds in Revelation 11:15, we read in verse 18, that finally, His "wrath is come, and the time of the dead, that they should be judged, and that thou shouldest give reward unto thy servants the prophets, and to the saints, and them that fear thy name, small and great: and shouldest destroy them which destroy the earth". In Revelation 14:6-11, we read:

Re 14:6 ¶ And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people,
7 Saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come: and worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters.
8 And there followed another angel, saying, Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication.
9 And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand,
10 The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb:
11 And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name.

Here, in verses 9-10, we read "the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand, the same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God". Revelation 15 reads as thus:

Re 15:1 ¶ And I saw another sign in heaven, great and marvellous, seven angels having the seven last plagues; for in them is filled up the wrath of God.
2 And I saw as it were a sea of glass mingled with fire: and them that had gotten the victory over the beast, and over his image, and over his mark, and over the number of his name, stand on the sea of glass, having the harps of God.
3 And they sing the song of Moses the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, Great and marvellous are thy works, Lord God Almighty; just and true are thy ways, thou King of saints.
4 Who shall not fear thee, O Lord, and glorify thy name? for thou only art holy: for all nations shall come and worship before thee; for thy judgments are made manifest.
5 ¶ And after that I looked, and, behold, the temple of the tabernacle of the testimony in heaven was opened:
6 And the seven angels came out of the temple, having the seven plagues, clothed in pure and white linen, and having their breasts girded with golden girdles.
7 And one of the four beasts gave unto the seven angels seven golden vials full of the wrath of God, who liveth for ever and ever.
8 And the temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God, and from his power; and no man was able to enter into the temple, till the seven plagues of the seven angels were fulfilled.

Here, in verse 1, we read of "seven angels having the seven last plagues; for in them is filled up the wrath of God". Revelation 16 goes on to describe what His wrath will consist of, being the horrible plagues that His people will not experience.

Other Objections to the Theory of a Pre-Wrath Gathering

A passage that is brought up often as evidence for a pre-tribulational gathering is 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18:

1Th 4:13 ¶ But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.15 For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep.16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.18 Wherefore comfort one another with these words.

Now, the point of this passage is to give a description of the resurrection, as well as what will happen to those who are alive on earth at the time of Jesus Christ's return. At the time that Paul wrote this, the Church in Thessolonica was confused about what would happen to believers who had died before His return, hence "I would not have you be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep(a euphemism for death), that ye sorrow not, even as others who have no hope". They weren't sure what would happen to their loved ones who had died, and Paul wanted to make this clear. This is why he says "wherefore comfort one another with these words". The "others who have no hope" sorrow because they do not know what happens to their loved ones after this life is over, not because they believe that they will go through the tribulation. Our hope is not in temporal comfort or freedom from trouble in this life, but in Jesus Christ and life with Him in eternity. Those who use this passage as support for the pre-trib theory take the phrase "wherefore comfort one another with these words" as an indication that this is going to happen before the tribulation begins, or at it's beginning. They see the "comfort" as being that we will not go through the tribulation, and not the knowledge of what will happen to the saints who die in Christ, which is clearly what is meant here in light of verse 13. Another Scripture used to support the pre-tribulational doctrine is 2 Thessalonians 1:4-10:

2Th 1:4 So that we ourselves glory in you in the churches of God for your patience and faith in all your persecutions and tribulations that ye endure:5 ¶ Which is a manifest token of the righteous judgment of God, that ye may be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which ye also suffer:6 Seeing it is a righteous thing with God to recompense tribulation to them that trouble you;7 And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels,8 In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ:9 Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power;10 When he shall come to be glorified in his saints, and to be admired in all them that believe (because our testimony among you was believed) in that day.

Some will take verse six, where Paul says "it is a righteous thing with God to recompense tribulation to them that trouble you" to mean that the entire tribulation as described in Revelation is meant for unbelievers only, and that we will not be going through any of it. For one, the people of whom Paul spoke of, the ones who persecuted the believers in Thessolonica, died quite a while before the events spoken of in Revelation take place(still being future events). On top of this obvious and important contextual fact, in verse 4, Paul mentions the "tribulations that ye endure", and he was obviously not talking about "the tribulation" in reference to Daniel's 70th week(Scripture only declares the time period immediately following the mid-point as the "tribulation", see Matt. 24:21), so we know that the word is used in applications other than ones speaking of the events in Revelation. Paul then goes on to describe what this "tribulation" for those who persecuted the Thessolonican Church, would be, as "everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord". This is speaking of their judgment by the Lord, His wrath, and consequently, their everlasting stay in Hell, and not the events we know as "the tribulation".

One of the seemingly more rational arguments against the theory of a pre-wrath gathering and singular coming of our Lord is that the church is not mentioned in Revelation after the third chapter. Many reading this will likely adhere to the theory that the successsive letters to the churches in the beginning of the book refer to different time periods of the churches, with the last, the letter to Laodecia, being the final letter before the Lord's return, and the letter to the churches of today. There is much ground for this argument, but that is another study altogether. Assuming that this theory is true, let's take a look at what the Lord says in the letter to Philadelphia, the second to last church written to:

Re 3:10 Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth.

If the time-period theory is true, this letter would be to the churches in the centuries before the last one. The letter to the churches of today would read:

Re 3:14 ¶ And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God;
15 I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot.
16 So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.
17 Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked:
18 I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see.
19 As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.

"As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten". It is the belief of the author that one of the purposes of the tribulation is the chastisement of His people who have succumbed to worldliness and have become lukewarm. This would make sense in light of His statement in Luke:

Lu 21:34 And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares.
35 For as a snare shall it come on all them that dwell on the face of the whole earth.

The author believes that the reason that the churches are not mentioned in particular in the latter parts of Revelation is quite simple. All of His disciples, members of one of His churches or not, will be subject to the troubles particular to the saints in this period of time. They will all be subject to the benefits as well, i.e. not being harmed by the locusts that ascend out of the bottomless pit at the fifth trumpet. There was no need for John to distinguish between those who are part of a church, and those who are not, in light of this. Some have objected, and said that the 144,000 sealed of Israel are given the authority that the churches had in the age before... this is not found in Scripture.
Also, many have identified "he who now letteth" in 2 Thessalonians as the Holy Spirit, and have claimed that He will be removed, along with the saints, before the tribulation. If this were true, it would mean that the churches would have to be here for a time without the Spirit, as "he who letteth" must be removed before "that Wicked", or the Antichrist, "be revealed", which must happen before "the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ" and "our gathering together unto Him":

2Th 2:1 ¶ Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him,
2 That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand.
3 ¶ Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;
4 Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.

It stands to reason that the Antichrist cannot "as God sitteth in the temple of God" until he puts an end to Israel's re-instituted sacrifices, which happens "in the midst of the week":

Da 9:27 And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.

This is when "that Wicked be revealed". This happens "after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders", and before our gathering together to the Lord(2 Thess. 2:1-3):

2Th 2:7 For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way.
8 And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming:
9 Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders,
10 And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.

It is interesting that Michael the archangel is mentioned as having a special restraining ministry on behalf of Israel, in Daniel 10:

Da 10:18 Then there came again and touched me one like the appearance of a man, and he strengthened me,
19 And said, O man greatly beloved, fear not: peace be unto thee, be strong, yea, be strong. And when he had spoken unto me, I was strengthened, and said, Let my lord speak; for thou hast strengthened me.
20 Then said he, Knowest thou wherefore I come unto thee? and now will I return to fight with the prince of Persia: and when I am gone forth, lo, the prince of Grecia shall come.
21 But I will shew thee that which is noted in the scripture of truth: and there is none that holdeth with me in these things, but Michael your prince.

And, in Daniel 12, we read of the time when "Michael shall stand up", the words "stand up" being translated from a Hebrew word with a root meaning "to cease", or to "leave". Who does he take his orders from? The Lord. When will he "stand up"? When the Lord tells him to. This would be equivalent to being "taken out of the way" by the Lord. The passage in question reads as thus:

Da 12:1 ¶ And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people: and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book.
2 And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.

We are told that this happens before "thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book", and before "many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt", which would be an apt description of the gathering of the elect, and the resurrection of the dead. We read that after Michael stands up, "there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that time". This was echoed by our Lord in the Olivet Discourse:

Mt 24:22 And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened.
23 Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or there; believe it not.
24 For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.
25 Behold, I have told you before.
26 Wherefore if they shall say unto you, Behold, he is in the desert; go not forth: behold, he is in the secret chambers; believe it not.
27 For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
28 For wheresoever the carcase is, there will the eagles be gathered together.
29 Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken:
30 And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.
31 And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.

There are many other objections, but they all fall short, as they are based on eisegesis and/or a misunderstanding of the usage of a word, such as the "comfort" and "tribulations" mentioned in 1 and 2 Thessalonians.

As a Thief?

1Th 5:1 ¶ But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you.
2 For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night.
3 For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape.
4 But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief.

Here, we are given the sign to watch for indicating that the Lord's return is imminent. "For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape". Is that what you are watching for?

Lu 21:20 ¶ And when ye shall see Jerusalem compassed with armies, then know that the desolation thereof is nigh. 21 Then let them which are in Judaea flee to the mountains; and let them which are in the midst of it depart out; and let not them that are in the countries enter thereinto. 22 For these be the days of vengeance, that all things which are written may be fulfilled. 23 But woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck, in those days! for there shall be great distress in the land, and wrath upon this people. 24 And they shall fall by the edge of the sword, and shall be led away captive into all nations: and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled.

No doubt, Israel will be saying "Peace and safety" by the time they are allowed to reinstitute sacrifices and rebuild the temple in Jerusalem. This will be followed by the Abomination of Desolation, descrived above. After this,

Lu 21:25 And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring; 26 Men's hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken. 27 And then shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. 28 And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh.

"When these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift your heads, for your redemption draweth nigh", not beforehand. The of the depth of knowledge, instruction, and warning that the Olivette Discourse has for the saints is crucial to understanding these times, and our role in them. If you remove that by relegating it to Israel, when Scripture itself does no such thing, you remove the keys to understanding the last days before the Lord's millenial reign. What did He say?

Mr 13:34 For the Son of man is as a man taking a far journey, who left his house, and gave authority to his servants, and to every man his work, and commanded the porter to watch. 35 Watch ye therefore: for ye know not when the master of the house cometh, at even, or at midnight, or at the cockcrowing, or in the morning: 36 Lest coming suddenly he find you sleeping. 37 And what I say unto you I say unto all, Watch.

"What I say unto you, I say unto all, watch." Those four disciples were, at this time(although this will be argued against by the Reformed and the Romish) part of His church. No longer a part of national Israel, mentioned as "they", and not "you", earlier in the discourse. The Lord Himself made the distinction between the disciples here and the nation of Israel, so when the Lord says "what I say unto you I say unto all", He can only be speaking of all the disciples. If you take the Word as it stands, without projecting a presupposition on top of it, there is no alternative to this truth.