Core Christian Principal: God is our Bridegroom/Husband and We are His Betrothed/Wife)

Jeremiah 3:14 Turn, O backsliding children, saith the LORD; for I am married unto you: and I will take you one of a city, and two of a family, and I will bring you to Zion:

Hosea 2:16 And it shall be at that day, saith the LORD, that thou shalt call me Ishi [husband]; and shalt call me no more Baali [my Master].

Hosea 2:19-20 And I will betroth thee unto me for ever; yea, I will betroth thee unto me in righteousness, and in judgment, and in lovingkindness, and in mercies.
I will even betroth thee unto me in faithfulness: and thou shalt know the LORD.

Isaiah 54:5 For thy Maker is thine husband; the LORD of hosts is his name; and thy Redeemer the Holy One of Israel; The God of the whole earth shall he be called.

Isaiah 62:5 For as a young man marrieth a virgin, so shall thy sons marry thee: and as the bridegroom rejoiceth over the bride, so shall thy God rejoice over thee.

Matthew 25:1 Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom.

John 3:29 He that hath the bride is the bridegroom: but the friend of the bridegroom, which standeth and heareth him, rejoiceth greatly because of the bridegroom's voice: this my joy therefore is fulfilled.

Ephesians 5:23 For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body.

2 Corinthians 11:2 For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy: for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ.

Revelation 19:7 Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready.

Revelation 21:2 And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.

Revelation 21:9 And there came unto me one of the seven angels which had the seven vials full of the seven last plagues, and talked with me, saying, Come hither, I will shew thee the bride, the Lamb's wife.

Rapture References: God calling for His Love to "come away" with Him

Song 2:10 My beloved spake, and said unto me, Rise up, my love, my fair one, and come away.

Song 2:13 The fig tree putteth forth her green figs, and the vines with the tender grape give a good smell. Arise, my love, my fair one, and come away.

Isaiah 2:5 O house of Jacob, come ye, and let us walk in the light of the LORD.

Revelation 21:9 And there came unto me one of the seven angels which had the seven vials full of the seven last plagues, and talked with me, saying, Come hither, I will shew thee the bride, the Lamb's wife.

Revelation 22:17 And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.

Promise of the New Covenant (the Final, New Testament)

Jeremiah 31:32-33 Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; which my covenant they brake, although I was an husband unto them, saith the LORD: But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the LORD, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people.

Raptures mentioned in the Holy Bible

Enoch was the first person Raptured

Genesis 5:24 And Enoch walked with God: and he was not; for God took him.

Elijah was also Raptured

2 Kings 2:11 And it came to pass, as they still went on, and talked, that, behold, there appeared a chariot of fire, and horses of fire, and parted them both asunder; and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven.

Jesus was Raptured three times

1. The first time was right after this verse.

John 20:17 Jesus saith unto her, Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father: but go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and to my God, and your God.

2. The second time was when Jesus ascended to heaven.

Acts 1:9 And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight.

3. The third time is allegorical.

1 Timothy 3:16 And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.

Revelation 12:5 And she brought forth a man child, who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron: and her child was caught up unto God, and to his throne.

Paul witnesses someone being Raptured

2 Corinthians 12:2 I knew a man in Christ above fourteen years ago, (whether in the body, I cannot tell; or whether out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth;) such an one caught up to the third heaven.

The Two Witnesses are Raptured

Revelation 11:12 And they heard a great voice from heaven saying unto them, Come up hither. And they ascended up to heaven in a cloud; and their enemies beheld them.

Jesus teaches the Rapture

John 14:3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.

John 14:23 Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.

Matthew 25:10 And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut.

Luke 21:36 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.

Revelation 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.

Paul preaches the Rapture

1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 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: 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.

1Thessalonians 1:10 And to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come.

Lot experienced a Rapture of sorts

Lot and his family are physically removed from the doomed city of Sodom, thus they escaped. They were rescued, saved.

Genesis 19:16 And while he lingered, the men laid hold upon his hand, and upon the hand of his wife, and upon the hand of his two daughters; the LORD being merciful unto him: and they brought him forth, and set him without the city.

Quick Reference to Harpazo (caught up/away) mentioned in the Holy Bible

"harpazo (ἁρπάζω)"- 1) to seize, carry off by force; 2) to seize on, claim for one' s self eagerly; 3) to snatch out or away
from a derivative of "haireō (αἱρέω)" - to choose. See Philippians 1:22; 2Thessalonians 2:13; Hebrews 11:25

Matthew 11:12: "suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force."

Matthew 13:19: "the wicked one, and catcheth away that which was sown in his heart."

John 6:15: "they would come and take him by force, to make him"

John 10:12: "and the wolf catcheth them, and scattereth the"

John 10:28: "they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them"

John 10:29: "and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand."

Acts 8:39: "water, the Spirit of the Lord caught away Philip, that the eunuch"

Acts 23:10: "the soldiers to go down, and to take him by force from among them,"

2 Corinthians 12:2: "I cannot tell: God knoweth;) such a one caught up to the third"

2 Corinthians 12:4: "How that he was caught up into paradise, and heard unspeakable words,"

1 Thessalonians 4:17: "we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in"

Jude 1:23: "save with fear, pulling them out of the fire; hating"

Revelation 12:5: "and her child was caught up unto God, and to his"

Interesting things concerning the Rapture of the Church

After Jesus ascended into heaven, He sent His Holy Spirit to the Church

Jesus promises the Holy Spirit

Acts 1:8 But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.  See John 14:16, John 14:26, John 15:26, John 16:7.

The Coming of the Holy Spirit

Acts 2:1-4
1 And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.
2 And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting.
3 And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them.
4 And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.

The Church is not a building, nor a religion, it is the body of true believers in Christ. They belong to Him, all of them

See Romans 12:5, 1Corinthians 12:12 , 1Corinthians 12:27

The Holy Spirit resides in each and every one of them

See 1 Corinthians 3:16, 1Corinthians 3:17, 1Corinthians 6:19

Not only that, they are as married, of one body

See Ephesians 1:22-23

Ephesians 5:23 For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body.

Ephesians 5:30-31
30 For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones.
31 For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh.

From the time of the giving of the Holy Spirit until the time of the Great Tribulation is the Tribulation of the Saints. This time period is also called the Age of Grace

Many would say that this time began before Jesus’ assumption, that it began at His resurrection because Jesus is the first saint.

Age of Grace: Romans 3:21-31

Jesus the First Saint: Romans 8:29-30, Colossians 1:15-18, Hebrews 12:23

Currently, Satan is the prince and power of the air, the ruler of this world. See Ephesians 2:2. And we know for a fact that the spirit of the Antichrist is now here. Indeed, there are now many antichrists. See 1John 2:18, 1John 4:3.

With the birth of the Church, the persecutions, trials, and tribulations of the saints begin

2 Timothy 3:12-13 Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.
But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived.

2 Thessalonians 1:3-4 We are bound to thank God always for you, brethren, as it is meet, because that your faith groweth exceedingly, and the charity of every one of you all toward each other aboundeth;
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:

Mark 10:30 But he shall receive an hundredfold now in this time, houses, and brethren, and sisters, and mothers, and children, and lands, with persecutions; and in the world to come eternal life.

Psalms 44:22 Yea, for thy sake are we killed all the day long; we are counted as sheep for the slaughter.

Romans 8:35-36 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?
As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.

Before the Rapture, most saints will be killed

John 16:2 They shall put you out of the synagogues: yea, the time cometh, that whosoever killeth you will think that he doeth God service.

Matthew 10:21-22 And the brother shall deliver up the brother to death, and the father the child: and the children shall rise up against their parents, and cause them to be put to death.
And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake: but he that endureth to the end shall be saved.

Also see Mark 13:12-13

Luke 21:16 And ye shall be betrayed both by parents, and brethren, and kinsfolks, and friends; and some of you shall they cause to be put to death.

Only a few will be saved

Matthew 7:14 Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.

Luke 13:23 Then said one unto him, Lord, are there few that be saved? And he said unto them,

Luke 13:24 Strive to enter in at the strait gate: for many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able.

Romans 11:5 Even so then at this present time also there is a remnant according to the election of grace.

Revelation 12:17 And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.

Revelation 17:14 These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them: for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that are with him are called, and chosen, and faithful.

Most see this as the Rapture because the Church is not mentioned during the Great Tribulation

Luke 21:36 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.

Revelation 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.

During the Great Tribulation, many will be saved. None of these are referred to as the Church. Those who are in Christ are referred to as the Bride of Christ

Ephesians 5:32-33 This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church.
Nevertheless let every one of you in particular so love his wife even as himself; and the wife see that she reverence her husband.

Revelation 21:9 And there came unto me one of the seven angels which had the seven vials full of the seven last plagues, and talked with me, saying, Come hither, I will shew thee the bride, the Lamb's wife.

Revelation 22:17 And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.

Notice that the God of Israel is the God of the whole earth

Isaiah 54:5 For thy Maker is thine husband; the LORD of hosts is his name; and thy Redeemer the Holy One of Israel; The God of the whole earth shall he be called.

Many confuse the Rapture with the Second Coming

I believe that the Word of God Intentionally obscures the Rapture and the Second Coming, just like it does with the suffering/sacrificed Messiah and the reigning/conquering Messiah. It’s all part of God’s plan to keep certain key parts secret from the Devil and followers.

The TIMING is kept SECRET from us, and even from Jesus.

Matthew 24:36 But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only.

Matthew 24:42 Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.

Mark 13:32 But of that day and that hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father.

Mark 13:33 Take ye heed, watch and pray: for ye know not when the time is.

Luke 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.

The Coming of the Antichrist

Apostasy must come first, before the Man of Lawlessness

2Thessalonians 2:1-4 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.

Also the Mysterious Restrainer must be removed

2 Thessalonians 2:6-7 And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time.
For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way.

This is clearer in the ASV
2 Thessalonians 2:6-7 And now ye know that which restraineth, to the end that he may be revealed in his own season.
For the mystery of lawlessness doth already work: only there is one that restraineth now, until he be taken out of the way.

And God will send a Great Delusion

2 Thessalonians 2:11-12 And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.

The Great Tribulation

The Tribulation of the Saints is happening now, but after they are removed, comes the Great Tribulation which is for Israel (so that all Israel will be saved)

Jeremiah 30:7 Alas! for that day is great, so that none is like it: it is even the time of Jacob's trouble; but he shall be saved out of it.

Matthew 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.

Romans 9:6 Not as though the word of God hath taken none effect. For they are not all Israel, which are of Israel:

Romans 11:26 And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob:

Matthew 24:21-22 For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.
And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened.

Daniel 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.

Note that true Israel and the true Church are the same thing. It is composed of all those who truly believe God in Christ

Romans 10:12 For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him.

Galatians 3:28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.

Colossians 3:11 Where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free: but Christ is all, and in all.