Question: If the Rapture occurs before the...so-called "Tribulation period" of seven years, how did ...

Question: If the Rapture occurs before the...so-called "Tribulation period" of seven years, how did the multitude from every nation, etc., get into heaven in Rev:7:9-17 [9] After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands; [10] And cried with a loud voice, saying, Salvation to our God which sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb. [11] And all the angels stood round about the throne, and about the elders and the four beasts, and fell before the throne on their faces, and worshipped God, [12] Saying, Amen: Blessing, and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and honour, and power, and might, be unto our God for ever and ever. Amen. [13] And one of the elders answered, saying unto me, What are these which are arrayed in white robes? and whence came they? [14] And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. [15] Therefore are they before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple: and he that sitteth on the throne shall dwell among them. [16] They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more; neither shall the sun light on them, nor any heat. [17] For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes.
See All...? There is only one rapture/resurrection, not two! Also, don't the first six seals of Revelation correspond directly with Christ's appearing in power and His angels gathering together His elect after the Great Tribulation and the cosmic disturbances in heaven (Mt 24:30-31)?Also, if the seven churches in Rev. 2-3 are "overcomers," what trial do they overcome? I believe it is the Great Tribulation when Satan's man, Antichrist, sets up his image in the temple and demands worship. I feel the "true church" (Philadelphia type) will be protected through the Great Tribulation, but there will be some martyrs....

Response: The multitude "which no man could number, of all nations...clothed with white robes" are also seen in Revelation:6:9-11 [9] And when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held: [10] And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth? [11] And white robes were given unto every one of them; and it was said unto them, that they should rest yet for a little season, until their fellowservants also and their brethren, that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled.
See All.... These are "the souls of them that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held...." Not "some," but an astonishing number worldwide, will be killed by Antichrist during the Great Tribulation! These "souls" are not yet resurrected, having come to heaven through martyrdom after the resurrection and Rapture.

Of those martyred we read, "And they overcame him [Antichrist] by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death" (Rv 12:11). Their resurrection comes not at the Rapture (already past-1 Cor:15:49-57 [49] And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly. [50] Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption. [51] Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, [52] In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. [53] For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. [54] So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. [55] O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? [56] The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. [57] But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
See All...) but at the end of the Great Tribulation: "I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark...and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years...this is the first resurrection" (Rv 20:4,5).

This is the resurrection only of those killed by Antichrist. There is nothing about the Lord descending from heaven or of the living being caught up with those resurrected to meet Christ in the air (1 Thes:4:13-18 [13] But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. [14] For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. [15] For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. [16] For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: [17] Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. [18] Wherefore comfort one another with these words.
See All...). Christ has already returned to the Mount of Olives at His Second Coming and defeated Antichrist and his armies at Armageddon (Ezk 38:18-20; 2 Thes:1:8In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ:
See All...; Rv 19:11-21). Yet this is called "the first resurrection." Why? Because those resurrected at this time are also in the church like those resurrected at the Rapture.

No, the opening of the six seals in Rev. 6 occurs at the beginning of the Great Tribulation; but Mt 24:30,31 concerns the Second Coming at the end of the Tribulation. As for the "true church" being preserved through the Great Tribulation, it won't even be on earth then but in heaven, married to Christ (Rv 19:7,8). The fact that the bride is "arrayed in fine linen, clean and white" shows that the Judgment Seat of Christ is past. Following the wedding (19:11-13), Christ's bride returns with Him in the armies from heaven "clothed in fine linen, white and clean" (v. 14). Christ at the Second Coming brings "all the saints with [Him]" (Zec:14:4And his feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east, and the mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst thereof toward the east and toward the west, and there shall be a very great valley; and half of the mountain shall remove toward the north, and half of it toward the south.
See All...,5), described as "ten thousands of his saints" (Jude 14). Clearly these "saints" must have been raptured to heaven in order to return with Christ at the Second Coming. I have dealt with the precise timing of this event in a number of books. (See Countdown to the Second Coming)

You seem to believe that only those who face Antichrist are called overcomers. Not so. All Christians are to "overcome evil with good" (Rom:12:21Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.
See All...). All true believers are to overcome the world, the flesh, and the devil (1 Jn:2:12-17 [12] I write unto you, little children, because your sins are forgiven you for his name's sake. [13] I write unto you, fathers, because ye have known him that is from the beginning. I write unto you, young men, because ye have overcome the wicked one. I write unto you, little children, because ye have known the Father. [14] I have written unto you, fathers, because ye have known him that is from the beginning. I have written unto you, young men, because ye are strong, and the word of God abideth in you, and ye have overcome the wicked one. [15] Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. [16] For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. [17] And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.
See All...). John exhorts every believer to overcome Satan, and declares that we overcome the world by our faith (1 Jn:5:4For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.
See All...,5).