In Revelation 14:1 we see that the one hundred forty-four thousand firstfruit are with the Lamb, Christ, on mount Zion. The Zion mentioned here is not the earthly one but the Zion in the heavens (Heb. 12:22). From this we see that the firstfruit will be raptured to mount Zion in the heavens, where God and His throne are and where Christ is.
The one hundred forty-four thousand living overcomers, the firstfruit of God’s crop, will be raptured to mount Zion in the heavens for God and Christ’s fresh enjoyment. Here we see the difference between the man-child in Revelation 12 and the firstfruit in Revelation 14. The man-child is for fighting and for defeating Satan. Hence, the man-child deals with the enemy. The firstfruit is not for fighting but for the satisfaction of God and the Lamb. God and the Lamb need enjoyment. The living overcomers will be the firstfruit to satisfy this need for enjoyment. The enemy, the Devil, in heaven must be cast down by the man-child, who will execute the Lord’s judgment over him. But there is another need in the heavens-God and Christ must be satisfied through having fresh enjoyment. God and Christ are hungry and thirsty, desiring some firstfruit to taste for Their satisfaction. If we realize this, we shall desire to ripen earlier for the satisfaction of God and Christ. Therefore, we need to pray, “Lord, I care for Your enjoyment and satisfaction. For the sake of Your satisfaction, I want to ripen early. Lord, I want to be taken to the heavens with the firstfruit to satisfy You.” This is the attitude of the living overcomers, those who satisfy the hunger and thirst of God the Father and the Lamb, the Redeemer. The earliest ones of God’s crop to mature are for the first enjoyment of God and Christ.
The one hundred forty-four thousand living overcomers will be raptured to mount Zion in the heavens before the great tribulation. The events recorded in verses 6 through 13 of Revelation 14, all of which will take place during the great tribulation (Matt. 24:21), indicate clearly and prove strongly that the first overcomers as the firstfruit will be raptured before the great tribulation and that the harvest in Revelation 14:14-16, which includes the majority of believers, will be raptured toward the end of the great tribulation.
The rapture of the overcomers will include the rapture of the minority of the believers who will be living at the Lord’s coming back. This is signified by the two men working in the field and the two women grinding at the mill in the day (Matt. 24:40-41) and also by the two on one couch in the night (Luke 17:34). In Matthew 24:40 and 41 the Lord Jesus says, “Then shall two men be in the field; one is taken, and one is left. Two women shall be grinding at the mill; one is taken, and one is left.” “To be taken” means to be raptured before the great tribulation. The two men in verse 40 must be brothers in Christ, and the two women in verse 41 must be sisters in the Lord. This is indicated by verse 42, which tells us to watch because we do not know on what day our Lord comes. Both “watch therefore” and “your Lord” prove that the two men and the two women in these verses are believers. The Lord would not charge the unsaved people to watch, nor is He the Lord of the unsaved.
Of the two men in the field, one is taken and the other is left; and of the two women grinding at the mill, one is taken and the other is left. The reason for this is that there is a difference between them in the matter of life. I believe that the one taken is mature and that the one left is immature. The growth in life to maturity makes the difference.
In Luke 17:34 the Lord says, “I tell you, in that night there will be two on one couch; the one will be taken, and the other will be left.” This indicates that the rapture of the overcoming believers will occur secretly and unexpectedly, at night to some believers who are sleeping and in the daytime to some sisters who are grinding at home and to some brothers who are working in the field.
In Luke 17:34 the Greek word for “taken” literally means “taken with.” This word denotes the rapture of the overcomers. Those who are taken in this way will be raptured before the great tribulation, which will be a severe trial upon the whole inhabited earth (Rev. 3:10).
In Matthew 24:40 and 41 and Luke 17:34 we see that some who are sleeping will be raptured in the night, and some sisters grinding and some brothers farming will be raptured in the day. Here we see that the rapture will involve believers who are in different places at different times. When the rapture takes place, some will be raptured in the night and others will be raptured in the day, depending on where they live on earth. Furthermore, these verses reveal that not all those who are sleeping, grinding, or farming will be raptured. This indicates that not all the believers will be raptured at once. The Lord says that two will be on one couch, and one will be taken and the other will be left. The same will be true of the two grinding at the same place and of the two laboring in the field. In each case, the one who is left may not know the whereabouts of the one who has been taken. This is the rapture of the minority of the believers living at the Lord’s coming back.
Certain fundamental teachers of the Bible do not believe in the rapture of the overcomers as distinct from the general rapture of all the believers. In other words, they do not believe in what has been called the “partial rapture.” These fundamental teachers believe only in what is mentioned in 1 Thessalonians 4. They do not believe that Matthew 24 and Luke 17 speak of the rapture of the watchful, overcoming believers. However, if we consider these chapters carefully and thoroughly, we shall realize that the only proper way to interpret such portions is to regard them as speaking of the rapture of the overcoming believers.
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