Your question:

Hi Randy, my name is C. I'm hispanic and I'm not a scolarship in the Bible or something else, I'm just someone who is trying to find the truth. I'm Catholic.

One article about the word rapture in your web site call my attention and I was wondering if you can explain to me a little bit more. (My english is not good)

You said that what happend in 1 Thess. 4 is kind of a rapture but is instantly the second coming of Christ so in other words the Christians are taken in to heaven just to receive Jesus as a welcome to the earth comission and then the Christhians come with him to earth.
Now one thing: from the moment that the Christians are taken to the heavens that means that they are raptured even though they are instantly returning with Jesus back to earth. When is the marriage of the Lamb, or who is the wife of the Lamb and who are those invited to the marriage?

According to the Bible the marriage of the Lamb happen before the second coming. And who are those people with white robes and palms in their hands that the elder say they are coming out of the great tribulation.

Another thing is who are the ones that have been beheaded in Revelation chapter 20? According to this verse those pass through the great tribulation and they were Decapitated. will the christians be decapiteted all of them before the second coming?

I hope you understand me that only want to have more informaion on this subject. I don't want you to think that I'm trying to criticize your point of view it's just that maybe with what you answer could give me more light.
Thank you very much for your attetion.

 My answer:

Hi C.,
Thanks for the e-mail and your excellent questions. Your English is much better than many letters I receive from native English speakers. I was born and raised Catholic. I refuse to wear any title, but the one of 'servant of the Most High God.' This doesn't make me anti-Catholic. I defend Catholics often from attacks by self-righteous people who say they are Christians. And I count many Catholics among the subscribers of my newsletter.

You wrote: You said that what happend in 1 Thess. 4 is kind of a rapture but is instantly the second coming of Christ so in other words the Christians are taken in to heaven just to receive Jesus as a welcome to the earth comission and then the Christhians come with him to earth.

My response: More precisely, Christians will be resurrected by being taken up into the heavens. We will instantly be made immortal, and then, clothed in our new bodies we will follow Christ back to earth where He will pour out His wrath on the earth. To be taken up into the heavens is a rapture but it is only part of the story. Our focus should be on the resurrection because this is our salvation by Jesus from God's wrath.

You wrote: Now one thing: from the moment that the Christians are taken to the heavens that means that they are raptured even though they are instantly returning with Jesus back to earth. When is the marriage of the Lamb, or who is the wife of the Lamb and who are those invited to the marriage?

My response: Yes, the rapture happens, but not the way many teach it where people are taken up into heaven and then stay there for seven years. The marriage of the Lamb with his bride is the resurrection. When we 'meet' him in the air we are wedded to Him and will be with him forever after. All are invited to the marriage (resurrection) but most will not come because the world has their attention or they won't wear the wedding clothes, which means that they will not obey God His way, they feel that they can do whatever they want in the name of Jesus and still enter the kingdom. Only those who are faithful to the end will be wed to the Lamb, "Many are called but few are chosen."

You wrote: According to the Bible the marriage of the Lamb happen before the second coming. And who are those people with white robes and palms in their hands that the elder say they are coming out of the great tribulation.

My response: Yes, the marriage happens just before the wrath of God when Jesus comes to the earth. We who are found faithful will meet him and being transformed into immortals we will escort Him back. Remember that this is a wedding. The resurrected Christians will be joyously celebrating their triumph over death and their marriage to the Lamb. These are Christians that are celebrating, they have endured the tribulation and have come through as new creations when they were resurrected. Some will have survived, but many will have been killed during the desolation (tribulation). It will be like the 5 virgins that go out to meet the bridegroom. They were ready and went out to meet the bridegroom (Matthew 25:1-13). The Jewish wedding custom in Jesus' day was for the groom to prepare a house for he and his new wife. When it was ready he would journey to retrieve his bride. When it was announced that he was coming she would go out to meet him and bring him back to her house where they were married. After celebrating for a week the groom would take his bride to the house he had prepared. The house that Jesus said he went to prepare for us will come down from the heavens after the thousand year reign of Christ and there we will dwell with God forever (Revelation Chapter 21).

You wrote: Another thing is who are the ones that have been beheaded in Revelation chapter 20? According to this verse those pass through the great tribulation and they were Decapitated. will the christians be decapiteted all of them before the second coming?

My response: These are some of the faithful who died for their faith. They represent all who stood faithful to God to the end. Not all Christians will be decapitated. Many will be imprisoned, plundered or will be fugitives (Daniel 7:21-22, 11:33, Matthew 10:17-23, 24:9-13, Mark 13:9-20, Revelation 13:5-10).

You wrote: I hope you understand me that only want to have more informaion on this subject. I don't want you to think that I'm trying to criticize your point of view it's just that maybe with what you answer could give me more light.
Thank you very much for your attetion.

My response: It is my pleasure to receive and answer your questions. Please feel free to ask any questions you want. I am open to criticism if it is as respectful as your email was.

I pray that I have served you well.

In the service of the LORD Jesus,

Randy