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Raptures for the church.
Also in Num. (10 v. 2) we see a similar illustration. "Make thee two trumpets of silver; of a whole piece shalt thou make them; that thou mayest use them for the calling of the assembly, and for the journeying of the camps. And when they shall blow with them all (both) the assembly shall assemble themselves to thee at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, and if they blow but with one trumpet then the princes which are heads of the thousands of Israel shall gather themselves unto thee.
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So we see here in the Old Testament "typology" a protocol for two different gatherings, one for the princes (or elders) and another for the whole congregation. Returning to John's vision, it is absolutely essential for us to understand that these elders are (1) seated upon thrones (2) wearing crowns; In His letters to the seven churches, Christ promised certain overcomers that if they were faithful they would rule with Him -- sit upon thrones, and receive crowns. Only one church (out of seven) was promised an open door of escape from the hour of tribulation which would "come upon all the world" that is the church of "Philadelphia," or church of "Brotherly Love." Remember "Love covers a multitude of sins."
We know from scripture that many will "shrink back at Christ's return" while other will be caught completely unaware. For, as we have observed many times, He will come as a thief, and a thief only steals what is best (i.e., gold, silver and precious stones). No thief steals "wood, hay or stubble;" also, the Bible never infers anywhere that all believers will receive crowns, or that we will all sit upon thrones with Christ; only those who qualify (by their works) will receive one or more of the five crowns listed in scripture -- and only those few are promised co-rulership with Christ.
What we do know, however, is that "those whom God loves He chastens and rebukes." To the church of Thyatira, Christ promises that He will cast them into a bed of "great tribulation" and will "kill her children (her spiritual offspring) with death." To the Laodiceans (which is the predominant church of our day) He promises He will spit them out of his mouth. However, I assure you, the Laodiceans are indeed Christians, but since they are so carnal, materialistic, and lukewarm, Christ will spit them into the tribulation, where they will either be perfected or fall away. The Lord will cast many of His own into the tribulation so they can "wash their robes", (spotted by the flesh) and thus give them a second opportunity to achieve one or more of the five crowns listed in the scriptures; however, the predominant crown achieved during the tribulation will be the martyrs crown; for then Christians will be hunted down and killed, and many will betray one another. We must understand that death and suffering are not antithetical to the Christian experience (contrary to the current evangelical and faith movement opinion). Just look to the Apostles; to the early Christians devoured in the Roman arenas; to the untold numbers burned and tortured by the Inquisitors. No -- hatred has hounded the true followers of God since the beginning; and He alone knows how many of His own (It is estimated to be 100 million) have been trampled beneath the devil's seed. The true gauge of our spiritual life is not found in how successful, rich or popular we have become, but Christ said; "Blessed are ye when men shall revile you and persecute you and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely for my sake. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad; for great is your reward in heaven." (Mat. 5 vs. 11-12)
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