This is a Bible Study of the catching away of the
bride of Christ, the harpazo. In
short, it is a supernatural event that comes directly after the
resurrection of the dead in Christ in the near future. After their resurrection, those
who are still alive and in Christ are changed in the blink of an eye and are given
their immortal bodies. Then both the resurrected and the changed are
caught up together to meet the Lord in the air. The resurrection of the dead is central to
the Christian faith as Paul explains in
1 Corinthians 15:12-24.
There are many different perspectives in the church regarding this
topic from the denial of it to the belief that it can come at any
second. Understanding of the Word of the Lord will not come by
quoting one or two verses, but by building on a solid foundation of
the Word, taking God for what He says and in context. It is also
interspersed throughout the text of the Bible, here a little and
there a little. Isaiah 28:9-13 I interpret the Bible with the Bible so that I leave as much
of my own errors out of the equation and rather trust in the Word to
define for me what must be understood. In this way, symbology is not
randomly assigned from a 21st century English perspective, but from
a Biblical perspective. The Bible was written by Hebrews for the
Hebrews until the work of Christ on the cross brought that Truth to
the Gentiles and all with ears to hear. This causes one to view the
Bible from a more Hebrew perspective and define words from the
Hebrew and Greek for deeper meaning as well
as seeing a broader picture of God’s plans for the future.
I would
also like to say before beginning that I understand this is a very
divisive subject for some and much passion is displayed regarding
this teaching because of perceived deceptions we are warned about
and concern for a falling away from God resulting from things not
turning out as expected. As true believers, absolutely nothing can
separate us from God. It shows an extreme selfishness and pride for
one to turn from God because their perceptions of reality limited by
their lack of knowledge not coming to pass as desired. Job was
answered by God as to how little we know of the whole picture in
Job 38-40. There is One
Truth and history will unfold in one way, that which God has laid
out for those that love Him to understand from His Word, the Holy
Bible. Only He knows the end from the beginning and He has shared
the future with us. That is the focus of this Bible study on the harpazo. I
believe that if we all trust the Word of God we will be on the
same page, speaking the same language as the words haven’t changed nor what the
words mean. Do not take my word
for this or any other study presented. Rather search the scriptures
daily to see whether these things are so.
Acts 17:11
Lord, guide my study of Your Word and reveal
to me through Your Holy Spirit those things You would have me understand. Give
me a greater hunger for Your Word as I bring myself closer to you. Teach me
your Truth from your Word as I submit to your plans and design. Amen.
The term “rapture” is more commonly used than harpazo
and is not found in the Bible. While you will not find that
exact word through a word search, the meaning
of the words that are written remains the same and conveys the same
idea. The term “rapture” comes
from the Latin verb rapiemur
which means “to seize, snatch, carry
away.” This is the same
meaning behind the Greek word that is found in the
Bible, harpazo. It is found in the following
scripture, which is the “harpazo” passage.
1 Thessalonians
4:15-18 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. 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: then we which are alive and
remain shall be caught up[G726harpazo]
together with them in the clouds, to meet
the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore
comfort one another with these words.
So while the word rapture is technically not in the Bible, the idea
behind that Latin word represents the same idea of being caught up
together to meet the Lord in the air as stated in scripture. I have
decided to move away from using the term rapture in exchange for
sticking with the original Greek word spelled out in English as “shall be caught up.”
1 Corinthians 15:51-53 Behold, I show 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 trump: for
the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we
shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this
mortal must put on immortality.
So what could this “changing” be like? Here’s an
interesting show from Coast to Coast AM with Barrie Schwortz &
Jerome Corsi on the Shroud of Turin. (2 hours long below) Barrie is a Jew
and one of the
scientists of the only scientific study ever done on the
shroud of
Turin. It is fascinating to hear his description of the details of
this shroud and some of the things science can’t explain. One day we
will be changed as Yeshua was and from what I heard of this
scientist, the shroud of Turin is the real deal and what science
cannot explain, the reality of the resurrection and our future
changing is an exciting thing to think about in our anticipation of
the future.
The harpazo is the catching away of those who have a personal
relationship with Yeshua the Christ, those who call themselves by His
title/name,
Christians.
The catching away to meet the Lord in the air is our blessed hope to anyone who
has accepted Christ as their savior.
Titus 2:13 Sin is transgression of God’s ways,
His Law, and as a righteous God, He cannot exist with sin and we are
therefore separated from Him. Yeshua died for all of our sins and rose again,
offering Himself as the perfect sacrifice for remission of all sins for
those who
accept Christ and follow His
Commandments to love God and love each other to the end that we
would be in God’s presence with Him for eternity.
The kingdom
parable of
Matthew 25:1-13 explains this time in more detail and coincides with
ancient Jewish
wedding tradition.
In this parable, only five of the ten virgins actually go
to meet the bridegroom when He comes. The others are unprepared and without
oil, which is the Holy Spirit. This oil gives them the fuel
for the flame, which lights the path.
Psalm 119:103-105 How sweet are thy words unto my taste! yea, sweeter than
honey to my mouth! Through thy precepts I get understanding:
therefore I hate every false way. Thy word is a lamp unto my
feet, and a light unto my path.
In the parable, only 50% of those who were virgins waiting for the
bridegroom actually had oil, the wise virgins. The foolish virgins had
the door to the marriage shut on them and the Lord says He doesn’t know
them. This sobering division of those who call Yeshua Lord reveals that
a true Christian doesn’t just accept Christ, they repent (change mind)
and obey God’s Word. Then they can have communion with the Lord and
receive the Holy Spirit, the oil that we are anointed with which reveals
the Word of God to us so that we are not in darkness! And the first
comment the Lord makes after He says He knows them not?
Matthew 25:13 Watch therefore,
for ye know neither the day nor
the hour wherein the Son of man cometh.
It is at His coming that we are removed, or caught up, to meet Him in
the air. It’s interesting because there are many scriptures about Christ
coming “like a thief in the night.” When a thief comes, he takes
something he deems valuable. If the Lord is coming like a thief, what is
it that He finds valuable? His bride! And it is His bride that is
going out to meet Him in the air as He steals them from the earth
because we are not of this earth but chosen out of it.
John 15:17-19 This will also
fulfill the promised escape from the destruction of the day of the Lord
as well.
Luke 21:34-36
All we
have to do to be a part of this group, is to believe that Yeshua
is God in the flesh (1
John 4:1-3) who died
and rose again (1
Corinthians 15:1-11) so that we could be forgiven our sins and be with Him
forever. Our
resurrection to eternal life is central to the belief of a Christian. (1
Corinthians 15:12-30) The
harpazo is that point of resurrection for the
Christian.
The dead believers will be resurrected, part
of the first resurrection. We must also remain obedient to God’s
Word. There is no condemnation for them in Christ, yet to remain in
Christ we must be obedient and repent of our sins.
John 14:21 Let us walk after the
spirit and not the flesh.
Romans 8:1-8
The reason for
the harpazo is to catch up the
church, Christ’s bride, (Ephesians
5:23) to the
marriage that takes place while
God’s
wrath is poured out on the children of disobedience. (Ephesians
5:1-20) This hints to the timing which will be covered in
greater depth later.
I’ve come across many people
who try to attach guilt regarding a Christian’s desire to be caught up
while people left behind go through the great tribulation on earth. I address that
further here. I believe this view comes from a lack of understanding
on what the harpazo is all about, the why. There is nothing unfair about it because the free gift
of salvation and relationship with Christ is ours if we want it. We all have the
choice to do our own things or listen to God through His Word, the Bible. He
is coming for those who are watching and who take His Word seriously, loving Him
with all their hearts and following His ways, which requires obedience to His
Word. He has warned us to watch and that the destruction
would come suddenly like a thief in the night. He is our Creator
and Savior, able to keep us from
eternal
separation from God’s love. Accepting Christ is not just about saying
a prayer, but about obedience, living God’s ways of love toward Him and
each other.
Matthew 7:13-23 Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way,
that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because
strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few
there be that find it. Beware of false prophets, which come to you in
sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. Ye shall know them
by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? Even
so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth
forth evil fruit. A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a
corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. Every tree that bringeth not forth good
fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. Wherefore by their fruits ye
shall know them. Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall
enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father
which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have
we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in
thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I
never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.
I believe the above speaks to the importance of developing a personal
relationship with Christ. How do we “know” someone? We must communicate
with them, learning more about them with every encounter. God has given
us His Word to understand history and the future, but He has also given
us the Ruach Hakadosh (Holy Spirit), our Comforter who teaches
us all things.
John 14:15-29;
John 15:14-27; John 16:4-11
One of those things learned through the Word of God revealed by the
Holy Spirit is that the church is the
bride of Christ. This is a special breed of people to God that live now by faith in Yeshua
the Christ and His promises for them. They are not special because they’re so
good and religious, they are special because the Creator of the universe
wants to become one in spirit with them as symbolized through the
marriage of a man and woman. It is this bride that Yeshua is coming for,
to take her to the marriage of the Lamb.
Revelation 19:7-8
They aren’t defined by belonging to a
church, but their church is defined by belonging to Christ, members of His
body whereas He is the head and directs the body. They give their lives over to His control,
letting go of their own desires to submit to His will for their lives,
trusting Him in all things. They will be the ones looking for Christ’s return and
they will be the ones taken in it unto salvation upon His sudden return. We are being taken out of this world before God’s wrath is poured out on
it because we are not appointed to wrath. 1 Thessalonians 5:1-11
I believe the Lord is coming to
take His church into the clouds (1
Thessalonians 4:16-18) at the same time changing
us from mortal to immortal. (1
Corinthians 15:50-54) It will be fast
and we will be taken away from this earth to
New
Jerusalem as
best as I can read. (John
14:1-4) At some point prior to His return, we
will be married to Christ. (Revelation
19:7-8) We will become one, us
the body and He the head. (Ephesians
5:23) We will be arrayed
in fine linen, clean and white, and then we
will be gathered from one end of heaven to the other (Matthew
24:31) and follow
Christ when He returns at the end of the 70th week. (Revelation
19:11-14) Prophecy will be
fulfilled when every
eye sees Him coming in great glory. (Revelation
1:1-8) Some will see Him from below, and His
wife, the church, from behind when He destroys the gathered
armies (Revelation
16:13-14) at Armageddon and takes
the kingdoms (Revelation
11:15) to rule
with a rod of iron (Revelation
19:15) for 1,000
years (Revelation
20:4-7)
However there are many different perspectives in the Christian community regarding
the answer to this question. I have researched this topic myself extensively and
I have documented what I have found in my research. I’m not asking anyone to
agree with my perspective, but rather ask that you take the Word of God for what
it says and then the answer will be revealed from the text itself.
Mark 13:30-37 Verily I say unto you, that this generation shall not pass, till all
these things be done. Heaven and earth shall pass away: but my words shall not
pass away. But of that day and that hour knoweth no man, no, not the
angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father. Take ye
heed, watch and pray: for ye know not when the time is. For the Son of Man is as
a man taking a far journey, who left his house, and gave authority to his
servants, and to every man his work, and commanded the porter to watch. Watch ye
therefore: for ye know not when the master of the house cometh, at even, or at
midnight, or at the cockcrowing, or in the morning: Lest coming suddenly he find
you sleeping. And what I say unto you I say unto all, Watch.
Luke 21:34-36 And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be
overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so
that day come upon you unawares. For as a snare shall it come on all them
that dwell on the face of the whole earth. Watch ye therefore, and pray always,
that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come
to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.
Revelation 3:3 Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard, and hold fast, and
repent. If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee
as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee.
We are told to watch many more times in scripture:
Matthew 24:42 |
Matthew 25:13 |
Mark 13:33-34 |
Luke 12:37-39 |
Luke 21:36 | 1 Thessalonians 5:1-11 |
Revelation 3:1-6 |
Revelation 16:15
This tells us in that while we don’t know
exactly when, day or hour,
God has not left us in the dark.
Amos 3:7
Surely the Lord GOD will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his
servants the prophets.
harpazo can’t come before...
So when does it happen according to
scripture? We don’t know the day or the hour, but this first passage tells us
that the harpazo cannot come before two events happen.
2 Thessalonians
2:1-4
Now we beseech you, brethren,
by the coming
of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him,
That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by
spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of
Christ is at hand. Let no man deceive you by any means: for
that day shall not come, except
there come a falling away first, and
that man of sin be revealed, the son
of perdition;
Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all
that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth
in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.
The church of Thessalonica was concerned that the day of Christ was at hand,
the day of the Lord. I’ll get to that in a moment. Paul writes to alleviate
their fears by telling them that that day would not come until two things
had come to pass, the
apostasy and the revealing of the man of sin at the abomination of desolation.
According to Christ,
Matthew 24:14-22, the abomination of
desolation marks the beginning of the 3½ year reign of the antichrist and the 3½
year time of great tribulation. For a further defining of the timing according to
scripture, this is “in the midst of” the
70th week of
Daniel, the last seven years God appointed to Israel. It is also the
beginning of a 1290-day period of time.
harpazo can’t come after...
While the timing of the harpazo isn’t found in relation to the great
tribulation, it is found in relationship to
God’s wrath
and according to the Bible, the harpazo will come before the day of the Lord.
I’ll get into the scriptures further down, but several promise that we will not
be here for God’s wrath. It is not for them that obey God, but for the children
of disobedience.
Ephesians 5:1-11
In a show of God’s
character towards them that love Him, in Genesis 18:17-33, God told Abraham what He was going
to do with Sodom, which prompted Abraham’s questioning about how many righteous
would prevent God’s destruction. He got to 10 before stopping. God would not
destroy the cities with His wrath if there were 10 righteous in the cities.
God’s wrath is coming again and it will arrive suddenly as the world is living
life as normal, planning for the future and unaware of the day the Son of man
will be revealed.
Luke 17:26-37 And as it was in the days of Noe, so shall it be also in the days of
the Son of man. They did eat, they drank, they married wives, they were
given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark, and the
flood came, and destroyed them all. Likewise also as it was in the
days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they
planted, they builded; But the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it
rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all. Even
thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed. In that
day, he which shall be upon the housetop, and his stuff in the house, let
him not come down to take it away: and he that is in the field, let him
likewise not return back. Remember Lot’s wife. Whosoever shall seek to save
his life shall lose it; and whosoever shall lose his life shall preserve it.
I tell you, in that night there shall be two men in one bed; the one shall
be taken, and the other shall be left. Two women shall be grinding together;
the one shall be taken, and the other left. Two men shall be in the field;
the one shall be taken, and the other left. And they answered and said unto
him, Where, Lord? And he said unto them, Wheresoever the body is, thither
will the eagles be gathered together.
So according to this passage, the Son of man is revealed at a time of sudden
destruction and the story of Lot is also connected to this explanation when the
Son of man is revealed. Notice that Lot and his family, the only righteous in
the city, were removed before the wrath came, just as Noah was placed above the
destruction of the wrath of God’s flood on the earth. So it shall be in the
coming of the Son of man.
Matthew 24:36-39 This all tells us that
in order to be gathered to meet the Lord in the air as explained above in
scripture, He must be here, and His coming is connected to the sudden
destruction of the day of the Lord.
Now there are several different opinions as to when the catching away of the
bride takes place in relationship to the
great
tribulation. If you have not read that study please do, even if you have
studied this before. The full understanding of what is said regarding
the great tribulation in scripture changes many aspects of how one
interprets other scriptures. It is a precept that must be understood
before other precepts are built from it. This short explanation of this
perspective is called
pre-wrath.
Of the following four main views, three of them center their timing on the 3½ year
great tribulation. I list them here in order of timing where the pre-trib
harpazo can happen at any moment to a post-trib harpazo where we as the bride of
Christ will spend the whole time of the great tribulation here on earth. I will
get into my perspectives using the Bible on each of these in the links below and
why I hold the pre-wrath viewpoint.
Pre-Tribulation harpazo
| There is actually only one scripture,
2 Thessalonians 2:1-4, that I
believe eliminates this possibility and upon further study of the two
divisions of the great
tribulation, I believe there is only a minimum of 30 days difference
between the
Mid-Tribulation harpazo
| This view is the tribulation-focused perspective I hold, but prefer the
pre-wrath term because that is clearly given as a timing element for our
meeting the Lord in the air.
Pre-Wrath harpazo
|
After personal study this is the term I feel most accurately describes the
timing of the harpazo of the bride to meet the Lord in the air.
Post-Tribulation harpazo
| This view of harpazo timing has the most problems with it when viewing it
in light of scripture. While many scriptures can be quoted for this view,
there is also a lack of focus on certain other scriptures and a series of
assumptions that are built upon to support this view. I believe as time goes
on, this view’s foundations will continue to be shaken in light of coming
prophetic fulfillment.
After the harpazo
The answer to this question varies somewhat because of different views on
timing of the harpazo. Of course this will be a biased opinion based on my
beliefs from study, but it’s what I read from the Word of God regarding Bible
prophecy. Don’t just trust what I have to say without searching the scriptures
though.
The bride of Christ
Isaiah 26:19-21 Thy dead men shall live, together with my dead body shall they arise.
Awake and sing, ye that dwell in dust: for thy dew is as the dew of herbs, and
the earth shall cast out the dead. Come, my people, enter thou into thy
chambers, and shut thy doors about thee: hide thyself as it were for a
little moment, until the indignation be overpast. For, behold, the
LORD cometh out of his place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for
their iniquity: the earth also shall disclose her blood, and shall no more
cover her slain.
This shows our harpazo to heaven before the indignation comes on the
children of disobedience who have rejected Christ to follow their own
paths.
John 14:1-3 Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in
me. In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I
would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and
prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto
myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.
We’re going to be taken into
New Jerusalem,
the Father’s house with many mansions, where we will wait a little while while
God pours out His wrath on the inhabitants of the earth. It is also at this time
that we will be taken to prepare for the marriage of the Lamb.
Revelation 19:5-8 And a voice came out of the throne, saying, Praise our God, all ye his
servants, and ye that fear him, both small and great. And I heard as it were
the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the
voice of mighty thunderings, saying, Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent
reigneth. Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the
marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready. And
to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white:
for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints.
According to
ancient Jewish wedding tradition, the marriage supper was about seven days
after the marriage. This is when the groom presented His wife to the gathered
guests. So we are being caught away to prepare for the marriage of the Lamb in
our Father’s house with many mansions (our new home) while God’s wrath is poured
out on the children of disobedience. This is the shaking of the heavens. Isaiah 13:10-13
The following is an article written regarding what Christians
should expect after the catching away.
The harpazo
by
Zola Levitt also goes into what the church goes through
after the harpazo.
The children of disobedience
For those who have rejected Christ, they will remain on the earth during the
remaining almost 3½ years of
great
tribulation during which God’s wrath is poured out in the sequence of
seven trumpets and
seven bowls described
in the book of Revelation. If you go through those Bible studies, you will get a
good perspective on what is coming for those who reject Christ.
Ultimately during this time a spiritual battle will rage as Satan tries to
take as many humans down with him in his final time of power on the earth before
Christ’s return in glory. The mark of the beast will be implemented, and anyone
that takes the mark will have made their choice in whom they put their trust.
The choices are
men, or the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
How close is the harpazo?
Matthew 25:13
Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein
the Son of man cometh.
Mark 13:32,33
But of that day and that hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels
which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father. Take ye heed,
watch and pray: for ye know not when the time is.
Nobody can know for sure how close it is, but once the
abomination of desolation takes place, we should expect it at any
moment.
Here are
some charts regarding the harpazo in the timeline of
Bible prophecy. I find that charts help me to view things more clearly using
scripture. I pray you find them useful as well.
What will the harpazo look like? Here is a little video clip of one person’s
vision to that time. I thought was pretty cool attempting to
visualize the harpazo from space.
God’s wrath is for the children of disobedience. Ephesians 5:1-8
Wrath of God affecting the whole earth. Luke 21:34-36
|
1 Thessalonians 5:1-11
The day of the Lord begins the wrath of God.
See here
Christ comes and is revealed on the day of the Lord/Christ
coinciding with sudden destruction.
Matthew 24:36-39 |
Luke 17:26-30
Some escape God’s wrath, instead standing before the Son of man
in heaven. Luke 21:34-36
Those who wait for Yeshua from heaven are delivered from the
wrath to come.
1 Thessalonians 1:10
Rest for the troubled is coming when Yeshua is revealed from
heaven with vengeance against the disobedient to the Gospel.
2 Thessalonians 1:4-10
We are not appointed God’s wrath. It comes on the day of the
Lord, like a thief in the night, as sudden destruction from which
those on the earth do not escape. 1 Thessalonians 5:1-11
We are saved from the wrath by Yeshua.
Romans 5:1-11
Some of the church are kept from “the hour
of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try
them that dwell upon the earth.” Revelation 3:10
The church at Thessalonica were afraid the day of Christ had
come. Paul wrote them “by
[concerning] the
coming of our Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him,” that they shouldn’t be worried that the day of Christ was upon them
because the apostasy and the abomination of desolation precede the
coming of the Lord. The abomination of desolation begins the great
tribulation and our gathering comes after that. (cannot be pre-trib)
This shows the Biblical teaching of pre-wrath Paul was telling them.
They thought they had missed the promised escape before the wrath. 2 Thessalonians 2:1-4
The repentant of the church are not cast into great tribulation
when unrepentant are.
Revelation 2:22
An example of Joshua (same name as Yeshua in Hebrew) saving Rahab and her family from Jericho
before it’s impending destruction. Rahab helped Joshua and the spies,
therefore she and her family were saved. They did not destroy the
city until they were taken out of it. Joshua 6:22-25
Abraham, before Sodom & Gomorrah were destroyed, asked the Lord
whether God would destroy 50 righteous and kept asking until 10
righteous. Each time the Lord said He would not send the destruction
if there were that many righteous. We later see that proven out when
Lot and his family escape the destruction of God’s wrath. Genesis 18:20-33
The day of the Lord follows the sixth seal.
Joel 2:31
Noah and Lot were protected on the earth through God’s
wrath. Matthew 24:36-39 |
Luke 17:26-30
Counter-point:Noah and
Lot both escaped the destruction of God’s wrath just as we’re
promised to. Luke 21:34-36 The first
time with Noah was by water and the second time yet future will
be by fire as with Lot, only this time global in scale. Noah and
Lot both represent the manner in which God’s wrath came,
suddenly catching those who weren’t listening to the warning by
surprise. Noah and family were lifted above the destruction of
the flood on the earth’s surface, entering the sky by buoyancy
when entering through the door that God shut on the ark before
the rains and the fountains of the deep opened up. Yeshua is our
door to heaven that no man can shut. John 10:1-11
| Revelation 3:7-13
However, the Messiah had also not come through the lineage from
Noah yet and mankind’s salvation was not completed, so Noah and
family remained on the earth to repopulate and bring in the
Messiah. In the second instance, Lot is removed from the
destination of God’s wrath before it came, only this time the
wrath was not world-wide in scope even though it was by fire and
brimstone from heaven as it will also come in the future. So
there was no need to remove Lot and family from the earth. In
the future, the
day
of the Lord brings
God’s
wrath and comes as a destruction from the Almighty.
Isaiah 13:6-13
If the church is not present after this point then there can be
no Christians present after this point, as all Christians are part
of the body and therefore part of the church.
All Christians are the bride like all women are a bride and
salvation is through Christ alone, not the church. So all of the
bride of Christ are Christians, but not all Christians are the
bride of Christ. There is a point of escape that comes when
Christ does and those left behind miss the time of escape from
God’s wrath. Luke 21:34-36 The marriage
of the Lamb takes place in heaven before Christ returns in
glory,
Revelation 19:7-14, so it is
not possible that all saved by the blood of Christ are the bride
of Christ since there are some resurrected who are justified in
Christ after the marriage is over and after Armageddon.
Revelation 20:4
These are the guests at the marriage supper of the Lamb
on the earth during the millennium.
Daniel 12:11 places the end of the
1290 days as the end of the
70th
week of Daniel.
I don’t think it is possible for Christ’s
return to be at the 1290-day point because at His return at
Armageddon the antichrist and false prophet are cast into the lake
of fire. Revelation 19:20 This ends his
1260-day reign that began at the abomination of desolation beginning
the 1290-day period. So if he only has power for 1260 of the 1290
days, then that leaves 30 days from Christ’s return at Armageddon
until the end of the 1290-day period. Since the AoD is the common
beginning for the 1260 day great tribulation and the beginning of
the 1290 days, that 30 days exists beyond Christ’s return.
The 1335-day period begins also at the abomination of desolation and
has a blessing attached to those who wait and come to this point in
time. Now this is hardly definitive, but there is another blessing
in...
Revelation 19:9
And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are
called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto
me, These are the true sayings of God.
The marriage supper of the Lamb is on the
earth and is where the bride is presented traditionally. There are
guests, the bride and the groom. The focus of Daniel 12 is
approximately the second half of the 70th week beginning at the
abomination of desolation and ending with the 1290/1335-day periods
connected to that AoD.
In that one chapter, there are three time periods given 1260 days (Daniel
12:7), 1290 days (Daniel
12:11) and 1335 days (Daniel
12:12). The first is regarding the great
tribulation’s length, which begins at the abomination of desolation
according to Christ. The second also begins at the abomination of
desolation, but extends 30 days past the end of the great
tribulation. The final number extends 45 days beyond that. Since we
know the antichrist’s reign (the great tribulation) ends 1260 days
after it began and Christ’s return in glory marks the destruction of
the antichrist, we know that Christ’s return in glory is 30 days
before the end of that period of time. The last verse of Daniel 12
states, “But go thou thy way till the end be: for thou shalt rest,
and stand in thy lot at the end of the days.”
This
speaks to a resurrection after a time of rest to stand in his
lot at the end of the days. The blessing attached to the 1335
days is for those who “waiteth,” or “to adhere to.” The dead are asleep
until resurrected and cannot adhere to or fall away from a teaching
as they are no longer in that capacity in death. So it would seem
the end of the days attached to the resurrection is in regards to Daniel 12:11, the end of
the 1290 days. I believe this is the resurrection of
Revelation 20:4-5 following
Christ’s return in glory at Armageddon and the destruction of the
antichrist and his kingdom.
In this way, Christ would return in glory with His wife and about a
month later the dead in Christ who were not caught up and were
martyred during the great tribulation for His namesake will be
resurrected. These are the guests at the marriage supper of the Lamb
and so must be resurrected before that time. The blessing is
attached to those who adhere to God’s ways during this time that
ends 1335 days after the abomination of desolation. This is 45 days
after the final resurrection of the just following Armageddon. So
those resurrected will sit with Christ and the bride at the
marriage supper of the Lamb during the millennium after Satan is
bound.
This is one of those points that I feel there is a strong logic
behind this timing, yet it is admittedly built on assumptions and so
I will state it as such. I can’t be dogmatic about this, but it all
fits with what I feel I can be dogmatic about and is clear. I
believe it also fits with the whys of some things as well.
Also, Israel is
protected,
Revelation 12:14, for the same time
the antichrist has power,
Revelation 13:5, yet we know the
dragon gets the woman upon being cast from heaven. This is why
Christ warned those in Judea to flee at the abomination of
desolation, because Satan is come with great wrath knowing his time
is short and 2/3 of Israel will be killed during the
time of
Jacob’s trouble.
So the first <30 days (time cut short) is not the time of Israel’s
protection. This places Israel’s protection beyond the time of
Christ’s return in glory by about 30 days. Of course she doesn’t
need to remain in the wilderness to be protected from the dragon
after Armageddon because the dragon will be locked in the bottomless
pit, but she will be protected from him nonetheless. That time would
then end about the time of the resurrection of Revelation 20:4,5.
So in this way, all the just will be resurrected/gathered prior to
the end of the 70th week of Daniel such that Israel will be in the
Promised Land, probably divided up for the millennium already,
standing in their lot after being resurrected. Then after a month
and a half, all the just will gather to the marriage supper of the
Lamb to meet the bride and dine with the Creator of the universe! I
can’t even imagine!
Scripture only speaks of one future
coming of Christ.
There is only one resurrection, the
“first resurrection,” when Christ returns in glory. Revelation 20:4
“Saints” are enduring the tribulation
and God’s wrath so the harpazo cannot be before that.
The wrath of God is poured out at
Armageddon.
Day of the Lord is at Armageddon.
Daniel 12 - the resurrection of the
just and unjust appears to occur on the same day, the day of the
Lord (at the time the AC meets his end- Dan 11), and Daniel is told
he will rise to receive his reward at the end of the days, another
term for the day of the Lord.
Revelation 20:5 states that the
unjust don’t live again until the millennium is over. (this can
be resolved in my opinion by a 1,000-year day of the Lord - 2
Peter 3:8-10 | Psalm 90:4) With that also, being raised “at the last day” would be at the beginning of the 1,000 year day of the Lord. If
the day of the Lord is God’s wrath, our harpazo before it would
fit well being raised “at the last day.”
John 6 - Jesus states that He will
raise believers on the ‘last day’, the last day being another term
for the ‘end of the days’ and the day of the Lord.
I agree, I just place that in the
midst of the week because it is “immediately after the
tribulation of those days,” which are focused on Israel as seen
in Matthew 24:15-22, Daniel 12:1, and Jeremiah 30:4-7. These all
talk about an unparalleled time of great tribulation and all
focus on Israel, Daniel’s people, those in Judea, Judah, and “Jacob’s trouble.” Being that they are the focus of this
“tribulation of those days,” and that they are protected for
1260 days, Revelation 12:14... it follows then that this
unparalleled time they (Israel, the woman of Revelation 12) are
saved out of upon it being cut short can only be 30 days long at
most, making the sixth seal which immediately follows it occur
about one month after the abomination of desolation in the midst
of the week. (Daniel 9:27 | Daniel 12:11)
John 11 - Martha states to Jesus
that she knows Lazarus will be resurrected at the last day.
Revelation 20:5 states that the
unjust don’t live again until the millennium is over. (this can
be resolved in my opinion by a 1,000-year day of the Lord - 2
Peter 3:8-10 | Psalm 90:4) With that also, being raised “at the last day” would be at the beginning of the 1,000 year day of the Lord. If
the day of the Lord is God’s wrath, our harpazo before it would
fit well being raised “at the last day.”
Matthew 24 - Jesus states that the
elect will be gathered after the ‘time of distress’, when the sun
and moon are darkened, consistent with the day of the Lord as
described in the OT (Joel 3, Zechariah 14)
1 Corinthians 15 - Paul states that
concerning the resurrection, Christ is the ‘firstfruits’ and ‘when
he comes, those who belong to him. Then the end will come, when he
hands over the kingdom to God the Father...’ Paul equates the
resurrection with Christ’s coming and the ‘end’, the day of the
Lord. In 1 Corinthians 15 Paul also discusses the harpazo and
associates it with the resurrection.
There is more than one resurrection
of the just. Christ is the firstfruits, then those at His
coming, which is connected to the sudden destruction we escape
from like the days of Noah and Lot. Matthew 24:36-39 There is
another resurrection in Revelation 20:4,5 that is focused only
on those who went through the mark of the beast and beast
worship time. The rest of the dead don’t live until the 1,000
years are completed. (great white throne judgment)
1 Thessalonians 4-5 - Paul
discusses the harpazo and the discusses timing- ‘about times and
dates we do not need to write to you, for you know very well that
the Day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night.’ Paul again
makes a direct association with the harpazo/resurrection and the day
of the Lord.
I agree, but the timing of the day
of the Lord is after the sixth seal in the midst of the week.
Matthew 24:29
2 Thessalonians 2 - Paul discusses
Christ’s return- ‘Concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and
our being gathered to him, we ask you brothers, not to become easily
unsettled or alarmed by some prophecy, report or letter, supposed to
have come from us, saying that the Day of the Lord has already
come.’ Paul again appears to be making a direct association between
the coming of Jesus and our ‘gathering’ to Him and the day of the
Lord.
I agree, but the timing of the day
of the Lord is after the sixth seal in the midst of the week.
Matthew 24:29
According to
Zechariah 14 and
Joel 3, which both appear to
describe Armageddon, the day of the Lord occurs as Jesus returns to
fight for Israel at Armageddon, there is not a time prior to that
known as the day of the Lord.
Revelation 16:15 says, “Behold,
I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his
garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame.” Therefore, the day of the Lord, which comes like a thief at a time
we don’t know must be after the sixth bowl.
We are promised escape from God’s wrath, Luke 21:34-36, the sixth
bowl is the last part of God’s wrath in the seven bowls and so
our removal must be before that point. Revelation 15:1
Scripture is clear we are to escape God’s wrath, see pre-wrath
above. That wrath cannot begin at Armageddon because Revelation 15:1
clearly places the seven bowls as the filling up of the wrath of God
and it is the sixth bowl when the armies are gathered to Har
Megiddo, Armageddon. Revelation 16:12-16
There are two distinct “comings” of Christ. First is suddenly
and unexpectedly like the days of Noah and Lot bringing the wrath of
God. This is the point of removal for the bride of Christ to attend
the marriage of the Lamb in heaven. The second is at Armageddon when
Christ returns in glory with His wife following Him to take the
kingdoms and destroy the antichrist and false prophet. These are
mutually exclusive according to the Biblical definition of God’s
wrath:
At the very least, the six bowls are the wrath of God and
complete it.
Revelation 15:1 However, the
armies aren’t gathered to Armageddon until the sixth bowl. Revelation 16:12-16
If Christ’s coming with God’s wrath must be before the
first bowl, then His coming at Armageddon must be after that,
which specifies two comings of Christ.
If Christ comes only once and we don’t know the day or hour,
then there is a contradiction in scripture because Revelation 13:5 speaks to the
antichrist being given power for 1260 days (42 months). This
begins the great tribulation at the abomination of desolation.
Revelation 19:20 places the end
of the antichrist’s reign at Armageddon when the beast and false
prophet are cast into the lake of fire. From the abomination of
desolation to Christ’s return in glory, we know the number of
days.
7th Trumpet is the “last trump,” the
“trump of God.” 1 Thessalonians 4:16-18 |
1 Corinthians 15:50-54
No Biblical connection of the 7th trumpet of judgment (3rd
woe) to the “trump of God” or the “last trump” except that out
of seven judgments the seventh is the last and a trumpet is
blown. Given the overwhelming scripture regarding the removal
coming before God’s wrath and therefore before the seven
trumpets, this assumption does not stand up to Biblical
scrutiny.
The “first resurrection” of Revelation 20:4 is not preceded by
any resurrection/harpazo
“First” can mean 1,2,3,4,... and it can also mean
first/last. The resurrection of
Revelation 20:4 is not the
first resurrection as in none came before it. This is clearly
disproved in the resurrection and harpazo of the two witnesses
well before it and after the sixth trumpet.
Revelation 11:3-15
Noah and Lot were protected on the earth through God’s
wrath. Matthew 24:36-39 |
Luke 17:26-30
Revelation 7 shows two groups
in the chapter placed after the sixth seal and before the
trumpets. At this time, angels given to hurt the earth and sea
are told to hold back until the 144,000 of Israel are sealed.
The second half shows a multitude from every nation, tribe and
tongue standing before the throne and before the Lamb as
promised in
Luke 21:34-36.
The 7th seal, trumpet and bowl are
describing the same event (lightning, thunder, rumblings,
earthquake, hailstorm), and the timing of the seals, trumpets and
bowls would then occurring somewhat in parallel. The listing of
these 5 events in a sequence, and then repeating the events and
sequence twice, would make it much more likely that scripture is
describing the same event 3 times. If scripture is describing the
same event 3 times, the seals, trumpets and bowls run in parallel.
Lightning, thunder, earthquakes are
repeatable events even today. Revelation 8:1,2 states the seven
trumpets aren’t
Be not overcome
of evil, but overcome evil with good. Romans 12:21
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