Questions & Answers
Questions 240 (COD Page 933)
Will the Bride be gathered together in one place at the rapture, and will it be in the West?
55 Nope, it don’t have to be there. Yeah, the Bride will be gathered together in one place. That is true, but not until the resurrection. See? “For we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord...” Ephesians, or, Second Thessalonians the 5th chapter, I believe it is. “We which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent (or hinder) those which are asleep (universally); for the trumpet of God shall sound, and the dead in Christ shall rise, and we shall be caught up together with them to meet the Lord in the air.” Therefore, the Bride will all be together when It goes to meet the Lord. See? It will be together, but it don’t necessarily mean that we–they all have to be setting in one place like this; because the Bride is sleeping in the dust of the earth around the world, from the Arctic to the tropics, and from–from the east to the west, from north to the south.
56 Jesus said, “When the Son of man shall appear,” why said, “it’d be like the light that shines from the east even into the west.” The whole thing, there’ll be a resurrection, a rapture, and away It’ll go. And before It ever go up to meet Him...
57 Watch the wisdom of the Lord. Now, let’s say, for instance, in talking this...I’m saying this through thoughts of grace and faith in the Word, that I say “we.” I’m throwing myself in with you all and I–and with the whole Body of Christ, universally. I’m–I believe that. When I say “we” then, I mean, by grace I–I believe it. By faith I believe it in His grace, that we will be among those people that’ll be caught up.
58 Now, the first thing happens when we’re resurrected... The ones which are living will just still remain...The
resurrection will set in first, the resurrection of those that are asleep. There’ll be a wakening time, and those which are asleep in the dust now, not those that are asleep in sin, ’cause they sleep right on. They don’t awake for another thousand years. But those who are–are sleeping in the dust will be awakened first, and they’ll–these corruptible bodies will put on incorruption in the rapturing grace of the Lord. And then we’ll all get together. And when they begin to get together, then we which are alive and remain shall be changed. These mortal bodies will not see death, but just of a sudden, there’ll be like a sweep go over us, and you’re changed. You’re turned back like Abraham was, from an old man to a young man, from an old woman to a young woman. What’s this sudden change? And after while you–you’re traveling like a thought, and you can see those then who are already resurrected. Oh, what a hour! Then we’ll gather with them and then be caught up with them to meet the Lord in the air.
59 It’s not necessary, if your uncle is buried down in southern Kentucky, if he has to be brought up in Indiana, or buried in Indiana has to be taken to southern Kentucky. No matter where he is...Them are dead in the sea shall rise from the sea. Those that were destroyed in that arena and eat up by lions, those who are throwed in the fiery furnaces and not even the bones will be left or the dust, they shall still rise! Whether they was in Rome, or the arena at Rome, or whether they were in the tropic jungles of the South, or in the frozen regions of the North, they’ll rise from the dead and be changed and be brought up; and the living shall be changed in a moment, a twinkling of an eye and be caught up together.
60 Look at the missionaries that died down there in the fields of Africa. Look at them that’s died up yonder in the–in the–the frozen regions of the North. Look at them that died in the arena, all over the world, in the Congo, and all around across the world. They’ve died everywhere, China, Japan, around the world; and the coming of the Lord will be universal, this rapture will.
61 Watch the changing. “There will be two in the bed; I’ll take one and leave one,” the same moment, “There’ll be two in the field; I’ll take one and leave one,” one on the dark side of the earth and one on the light side of the earth. See? It’ll be a universal rapture. Yes, the Church will all be together, but after, after the resurrection and the rapture has set in.
62 Now, if that is not the way you see it, why, that’s all right now. I’m not exactly talking when I say that; we’re taping this. You see? And it might be other ministers who disagree with that. That’s all right.