Further "Rapture" exposition
This scripture below is the one usualy used to describe that Christians will be TAKEN as it has written in it that "one will be taken and one left" in 3 different scenarios, but also has Jesus concluding when asked "where?" in "where the body is the eagles will also gather".
Luke 17:26 And as it was in the days of Noe, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man.
17:27 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.
17:28 Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded;
17:29 But the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all.
17:30 Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed.
17:31 In that day, he which shall be upon the housetop, and his stuff in the house, let him not come down to take it away: and he that is in the field, let him likewise not return back.
17:32 Remember Lot's wife.
17:33 Whosoever shall seek to save his life shall lose it; and whosoever shall lose his life shall preserve it.
17:34 I tell you, in that night there shall be two men in one bed; the one shall be taken, and the other shall be left.
17:35 Two women shall be grinding together; the one shall be taken, and the other left.
17:36 Two men shall be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left.
17:37 And they answered and said unto him, Where, Lord? And he said unto them, Wheresoever the body is, thither will the eagles be gathered together.
Because He has mentioned "the body", it has been usualy supposed that this is in mention of the body of christ.
But this is the only part which is taken in such context.
Mathew 24 where we are given the same account of these words speaks volumes of the truth in this matter.
Matthew 24:28 For wheresoever the carcase is, there will the eagles be gathered together.
The word CARCASE is used to describe the kind of BODY which is mentioned in Luke 17, and we can safely and truly say in knowing that the body of Christ IS NOT A CARCASE.
When you read Revelation 19 there is THE MARRIAGE SUPPER OF THE LAMB mentioned. In the end of its writting "THE BIRDS OF HEAVEN" are called to EAT THE FLESH of the kings of the earth and their armies gathered for the battle of Armageddon. All these are those who have received the mark of the beast.
Revelation 19:17 And I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the fowls that fly in the midst of heaven, Come and gather yourselves together unto the supper of the great God;
19:18 That ye may eat the flesh of kings, and the flesh of captains, and the flesh of mighty men, and the flesh of horses, and of them that sit on them, and the flesh of all men, both free and bond, both small and great.
19:19 And I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against him that sat on the horse, and against his army.
19:20 And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone.
19:21 And the remnant were slain with the sword of him that sat upon the horse, which sword proceeded out of his mouth: and all the fowls were filled with their flesh.
As you can see, all these whom perish at Jesus' coming are those who have received the mark of the beast and pledged aleigance to evil through the Spirit of Babylon written of in the previous 2 chapters 17/18.
The remnant spoken of at the end here are the "non combatants" but still those who received the mark of the beast.
We already know it is true that "one taken, one left" means there will be two kinds of people when the Lord comes, those who have received the mark and those who havent.
1 Thessalonians 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:
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.
4:18 Wherefore comfort one another with these words.
The Term "RAPTURE" was built on the words "CAUGHT UP" from this 1Thessalonians4 scripture. However the meaning of "in the air" where we "meet the lord" has been said as if it were the physical air and so developed a THEORY that Christians will dissapear and be the ones TAKEN.
1 Corinthians 15:52 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.
ALL OF THESE SCRIPTURES are ABSOLUTELY paralel to the Book of revelation Chapters 19-20, 20 being the given REALITY and outcome of Jesus' seccond coming.
To understand what CAUGHT UP IN THE AIR TO MEET THE LORD means, we can look at what Chapter 20 says, as it is conclusive CONTINUATION from chapter 19.
Revelation 20:1 And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand.
20:2 And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years,
20:3 And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season.
20:4 And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.
20:5 But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection.
20:6 Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.
In verse 4 we see that both THE DEAD IN CHRIST WHO DIED FOR NOT RECEIVING THE MARK OF THE BEAST as well as THOSE "WHO ARE ALIVE AND REMAIN" WHO DO NOT RECIVE THE MARK OF THE BEAST, are GIVEN THRONES and THE REST OF THE DEAD DID NOT LIVE UNTILL THE 1000 YEARS ARE OVER.
The REST OF THE DEAD are obviously those who received the mark and were slain by the sword of His mouth at the end of Chapter 19.
This is ABSOLUTELY what "RAPTURE" should mean and not the story given that those whom believe in Christ will be TAKEN.
It means that those TAKEN are the ones who received the mark of the beast.
At the end of the 1000 years as you read on in Chapter 20 show the True nature of what is usualy called "JUDGEMENT DAY" when the BOOK OF LIFE and MANY BOOKS are opened and all whom are not written in the book of life are cast into the lake of fire along with the devil, beast and false prophet.
If you would want to know what GOG and MAGOG are, it is again OBVIOUS that we cannot see the matter UNTILL LIVING PRESENT DURING THE 1000 years with Christ, of which by them IT WILL BE EXTREMELY EVIDENT just as it is written of what will happen at the end of those 1000 years.
Also note, during those 1000 years there will be no BABYLONIAN SYSTEM or what is known as MONETISM or "the transact".
Reigning with Christ means All workings and stewardship of the fruits of the earth and life will be done freely amongst all, so do not be deceived by those who claim that we are already living through the 1000 years or saying that it has past in some way.
As long as there is such a thing as "economics" and "monetism" based on tying giving to receiving and receiving to giving, SUCH IS THE FALLEN BABYLON that will crash exactly as it is written in Chapters 17 and 18.
Be blessed to be a blessing and share the truth!!!