With reference to the rapture, we must first understand the following.
The Bible, with its 66 books, is the Word of God and is inerrant and is God's message to the world explaining His purpose and plans for all ages (2 Timothy 3:16-17; 2 Peter 1:20-21). The Bible, to be understood properly, must be interpreted literally. In other words, it means what it says and says what it means. There are parables, figures of speech, etc., but the Bible makes these clear. There is no place for spiritualizing God's Word. There is what is known as Amillennial or allegorical interpretations, that spiritualize God's Word, that some use and with this they can make the Bible say anything they want. This is the reason false teachers use this type of interpretation. Most people today use this false method of interpreting God's Word and change the meaning to whatever they want.
We must remember that the Church and Israel are two separate things. Israel is not the church, and the church is not Israel. God has a separate program for both. God's plan for Israel as a people and a nation is not the same as that for the Bride of Christ, the Church. In today's age it makes no difference whether one is a Jew or Gentile, when they become saved, they are members of the Body of Christ and not a form of spiritual Israel (Romans 1:16).
Before the Millennium the Bible tells us of a literal 7-year tribulation period. Israel will first be gathered back into its land. We see Israel come back into their land in 1948. The seven year tribulation period will be to force Israel to see that Jesus is their Messiah and for the Messiah to return and fight for His believing remnant (Deuteronomy; Isaiah 13:6-13; 17:4-11) (Jeremiah 30:4-11; Ezekiel 20:33-38; Daniel 9:27; 12:1; Zechariah 14:1-4; Matthew 24:9-31). This seven-year tribulation begins with a covenant between Israel and the Antichrist (Daniel 9:27). The length of this tribulation is 7 years broken into two 3 ½ year periods, the last 3 ½ years is known as the Great Tribulation.
The Bible teaches that Jesus will physically return again, a second time to earth (Zechariah 14:1-21; Matthew 24:29-31; Mark 13:24-27; Luke 21:25-27; Revelation 19). Jesus returns to earth a second time to set up His throne, restore Israel, defeat His enemies and rule with a rod of iron and share His authority with those who overcame with Him (Matthew 19:28; 25:31; Acts 1:3-6; Revelation 2:26-27; 3:21).
The Bible teaches us about the rapture in 1 Thessalonians 4:17, “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 word rapture means to catch up, or be caught up, to snatch away, or to take out.
Paul tells us that the rapture is to encourage believers during this Age (1 Thessalonians4:18). If the rapture does not occur before the Tribulation, there is no encouragement. Here are some other mentions of the rapture John 14:1-4; I Corinthians 15:51-58;and 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18. 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. Jesus descends in the clouds and all church age believers, alive and dead (His bride) meet him in the clouds, (the rapture) Jesus doesn't return to the earth at this time. He calls Christians up to meet Him in the clouds. This is the Groom coming to take His bride to the marriage supper. (1 Corinthians 15:51-52, 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 , Revelation 4:1 ) Then all believers go to heaven with Christ for the marriage supper of the Lamb during the tribulation. (Revelation 19:7-9)
After the church and the Holy Spirit are removed (the rapture) the antichrist is allowed to be revealed (when a 7-year peace agreement is confirmed with Israel - Daniel 9:27) to rule this world during the tribulation. Notice that scripture doesn’t say the antichrist makes the 7 yr. treaty, it only says he confirms it. During the tribulation the 144,000 (12,000 from each of the 12 tribes of Israel) sealed and protected by God and the two witness’ preach His salvation message. (Revelation 7:3-10)
Those saved after the age of grace, after the rapture, and during the tribulation will most likely have to die for their faith in Christ. These are the tribulation saints that reign with Jesus during the millennium. (Revelation 20:4) Those that are saved and survive to the end of the tribulation go on to populate the world in the millennium. If we had a rapture at the end of the Tribulation, then all believer's would be in heaven and all lost people would have been killed so there would be no one left to enter the millennium.
After the tribulation and the marriage supper Jesus returns physically with His Bride, the church, to the earth at The Mount of olives to save Israel. This is the second coming. The unbelievers are defeated by Christ and will be judged at the Great White Throne judgement at the end of the millennium. (Matthew 24:37-42, Revelation 19:21, Revelation 20:5)
The tribulation saints and the Old Testament saints are resurrected at this time (the first resurrection). (Revelation 20:4-6 , Daniel 12:1-2) Those that accepted Christ and are saved and survive to the end of the tribulation go on to populate the earth during the millennium. Satan is bound and thrown into the bottomless pit for 1000 years (the millennium) (Revelation 20:1-3). After the millennium all of those lost, those that are not saved through the ages, are resurrected to be judged by their works for degrees of punishment at the Great White Throne judgement. (Revelation 20:11-15)
Why the Millennium?
The Word of God teaches that the source of evil is rooted within Man’s fallen nature, and that it is Man, and not society, which needs to be changed (Genesis 8:21; Jeremiah 17:9-10; Mark 7:20-23). The Word also teaches that the only way this change can take place is through the work of the Holy Spirit within a person who has put his faith in Jesus. God is going to place Mankind in a perfect environment of peace and prosperity for a thousand years. Satan will be bound so he cannot influence man. Man will not be able to say, "The Devil made me do it!" For almost a 1000 year righteousness will abound. Yet, at the end, when Satan is released, many will rally to him when he calls the nations to rebellion against Jesus (Revelation 20:7-10).
The Last Trump in 1 Corinthians 15:51-52 says, "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."
Paul wrote the letter of 1st Corinthians to correct what he saw as erroneous views in the Corinthian church. Paul used things the Corinthians would relate to in this letter. Here he’s using a comparison of the trumpets of the Roman armies to describe the rapture. Any reference to the book of Revelation would be impossible. When Paul wrote this letter around AD 53–57, the book of Revelation hadn’t been written, Revelation was written by John around AD 95. (See below) He couldn’t reference information he didn’t have.
A comparison to the trumpets of the Roman army, on the other hand, they would relate to and understand. The 1st trumpet was reveille, time to get up and get ready. The 2nd trumpet was muster, time to get in formation and prepare to move out. The Last trumpet (trump) indicated it was time to go, to move out, start the march.
1 Corinthians 15:51-52 has nothing to do with the trumpet judgements of Revelation. John hadn’t written it yet and Paul didn’t have the information himself. It’s saying it’s time to go, move out, time for the rapture. Simply a reference to the rapture.
Scholars suggest that the letter was written during Paul's stay in Ephesus, which is usually dated as being in the range of AD 53–57 while Revelation was written around AD 95.
