A well known author says there will be two raptures. The first, preceding the tribulation, will be for those who “have overcome the world” by putting Christ above all else. The remaining who are saved but “love the world” must go through part of the tribulation in order to be “purified”. They will be raptured at the seventh trumpet. Normally I learn from reading this man’s works, but I’ve never heard anything like this before. Your thoughts?
I’ve never seen any credible evidence in the Bible for 2 raptures. None of Paul’s teaching on the rapture indicates there will be more than one, They only say the dead will be raised and then the living will be called up to join them, not some but all, and not some now and others later but all at once.
People who teach the two rapture theory don’t understand that from God’s perspective the Church was made pure at the cross. We don’t need any further purification, and in any case could never purify ourselves by our own works. All our righteous acts are as filthy rags to the Lord (Isaiah 64:6). That’s why everyone who believes has been given a righteousness from God that comes through faith in Jesus Christ (Romans 3:23-24).
In Ephesians 5:25-27 Paul tells us Christ loved the Church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. You can’t get any purer than that, and notice that Jesus did it all.