THE GLORIOUS EXPECTATION OF THE ECCLESIA
It seems that according to the Greek Scriptures, there is to be a fixed and pre-ordained number in the Ecclesia, but not revealed.
The Expectation.
"For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air..." 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18.
Dead believers are not SLEEPING in the graves! When a believer dies the soul (the
Self) and their spirit goes to be with the Lord. "We are confident, yes,
well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord."
2 Corinthians 5:6-8
When the Lord appears in the sky,
"For if we believe that Jesus has died and has risen again, so
also God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep through Jesus."
1 Thessalonians 4: 14
God will bring them "out of the memory" and all this will happen "in the twinkle of an eye" 1 Corinthians 15: 52
"For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to His glorious body, according to the working by which He is able even to subdue all things to Himself." Philippians 3: 20, 21
TYPE 1
In the Lord's transformation on the Mount, we see a type of the rapture of the Ecclesia. The appearance of Moses who died and was buried, and Elijah who was translated, both met the Lord on a high mountain signifying 'in the air.'
TYPE 2
In Jesus' conversation with Martha, we see a second type. "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. 26And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die." John 11 25,26Now Paul explaining a mystery says,
"I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep,
but we shall all be changed -- in a moment, in the twinkling of an
eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be
raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible
must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. So
when this corruptible has put on incorruption, and this mortal has put on
immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written: "Death is
swallowed up in victory."
"O Death, where is your sting?
O Hades, where is your victory?"
The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law.
But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ."
1 Corinthians 15: 51-57