Caught Up! (Part 3 of 3)

[This is a continuation of my previous blog post, “Caught Up!” Please read Parts 1 and 2 before reading this, or things might not make sense.]

               Before we begin our third and final part of this study, let’s have a quick review of the first two parts.  We have defined what the event known as The Rapture is. The English word “rapture” comes from the Latin word “rapturos” which is a translation of the New Testament Greek word “harpazo” which means “caught up” in English. According to the New Testament, there will come a point in time when the Church of Jesus (His followers from the time of His ascension after His resurrection to the time of the Rapture event) will be “caught up” to meet Him in the heavens. This event is described as happening in an instant, and those who are alive at the time and who are involved will not experience physical death, but will have their bodies transformed to be like the resurrected body of Jesus. They will then transition into an eternal destiny with God (Father, Son, and Spirit) beginning with the Millennial Kingdom and then proceeding to the New Heavens and New Earth, as described in the Bible.

               We have also discussed different theories as to the nature and timing of the Rapture event. Some believe it isn’t literal, but symbolic of some other spiritual truth or meaning. Some believe it is literal, but will happen at the end of the Millennial Kingdom. Some (myself included) believe, as described above, that it is literal, but will happen before the Millennial Kingdom begins. The Millennial Kingdom, by way of review, is a Biblically prophesied 1000-year government (kingdom) that will physically exist on this Earth with Jesus as the actual, physical king, established when He returns, as He promised. Among those who believe the Rapture will happen before the Kingdom age, some believe it will happen at the end of the Tribulation, some believe it will happen during the Tribulation (either at the middle, or before the time of God’s wrath), and some (myself included) believe it will happen before the Tribulation begins. The Tribulation, by way of review, is commonly understood as a 7-year final period of human governance upon the Earth, where mankind is in full rebellion against God, having completely rejected His sovereignty, or in denial of His existence. This is the time when the Antichrist will rise to power, the world will descend into war and great turmoil, the Nation of Israel, and the Jewish people, as well as any followers of Christ (those who turn to Him during the Tribulation after the Rapture of the Church according to my position) will be globally persecuted, and God’s wrath will descend upon His enemies for their refusal to repent of their evil desires, wicked thoughts and deeds, and depraved sinful nature.

               Do I really believe all of this? Do I believe that Jesus will return to Earth and establish a literal Kingdom? The Bible says He came the first time, was born of a virgin, performed miracles, died, and rose again, and I believe that. The Bible says He will come again, and He claimed in the Bible that He would do so. So, yes, I believe it. Do I believe that there will be a Tribulation period? It has been prophesied throughout multiple books, by multiple writers, in both the Old and New Testaments. The Bible prophesied that the Nation of Israel would be dispersed from their land (promised and given to them by God) and they were. The Bible prophesied that the Nation of Israel would eventually be re-gathered and reformed in that same land (promised and given to them by God), and, contrary to the flow of human history and common sense, they have been, in this past century. So, yes, I believe it. Do I believe that there will be a literal Rapture event? Absolutely I do. Why wouldn’t I? How absurd it would be for me to claim I believe what the Bible says about Jesus first coming, but not His second (of which the Rapture is part of). On what basis would I select which parts to believe and which parts to reject? The Bible is the Word of God and I believe these things will come to pass, and if I am wrong then I am the most foolish among men. If I am wrong about Jesus having been resurrected then I am most pitiable among men and my faith and claim to salvation is in vain. But I do not believe it is in vain, and I would gladly be a fool for the Gospel’s sake. As to the timing of the Rapture, I leave room for the possibility that I might not be correct. There are many good Bible scholars who disagree on the subject. In the end, it isn’t a critical doctrine regarding my salvation, but it is a promise that I look forward to. It may not occur in my lifetime, but I believe whole-heartedly that it will occur. I have already provided some reasons, in my previous blog post, why I think it will happen before the Tribulation, but now I will provide another reason, which I think is the most convincing. Get ready, because this next part is going to be an adventure into theological territory that many have never ventured into before.

               There is a term that floats around the halls of theology known as “Dispensationalism.” This is the view that God, although immutable (unchanging) by nature (Numbers 23:19, 1 Samuel 15:29, Psalm 102:26, Malachi 3:6, 2 Timothy 2:13, Hebrews 6:17-18, James 1:17), relates to humanity in different ways during different dispensations (periods of time), by use of different covenants which He establishes with His followers. For example, there is the dispensation of the Law, the dispensation of Grace, and the dispensation of the Kingdom. These dispensations can be further divided. The Kingdom can be divided into the Millennial Kingdom, and the New Heavens and New Earth (or future eternal state). Grace pretty much always represents the Church age (our present time). The Law can be divided into the Mosaic age and the Patriarchal age. If the Church age is represented by Christianity, then the Mosaic age is represented by ancient Judaism. The Patriarchal age can be further divided, but there is no need to go into that here.

               God makes covenants with His people. There is the Abrahamic covenant, which provides not only promises to Abraham to be the father of a nation, but also to the nation of Israel (not yet in existence when the covenant was made) to be God’s chosen people, and also the outline for the plan of salvation for all mankind (which includes the Church, both Jews and Gentiles alike, which has been grafted into the vine—see Romans 11:17). The Abrahamic covenant, by the way, is unconditional. God made promises and did all the work, regardless of what actions were taken by His people. There is the Mosaic covenant, which was established with the nation of Israel when they left captivity in Egypt. This covenant basically established ancient Judaism, and was a conditional covenant. If the Jews kept the Law, then God would bless them. There is also the New Covenant which was established by Jesus when he completed His work of redemption through His death and resurrection. This ushered in the Church age, also known as the Age of Grace. Things go much deeper than what is described here, but this is a high-level overview. I bring it up, not because it is necessary to memorize and remember all the different dispensations, but because it is important to recognize the principle that God deals with humanity differently in different ages, and that different groups of God’s people, although all saved by grace through faith, have different roles, different missions, and different destinies. I won’t get into the Doctrine of Salvation here, as I have discussed it before and will dedicate an entire blog post to it in the future. But I will explore some of these other concepts further as we continue; and I will also explain what all of this has to do with the Rapture and why I think it leads to a pre-tribulational view.

               Let’s talk a little more about dispensations. I want to spend a little time demonstrating the importance of recognizing and understanding how God interacts with His people, and all of humanity, in different ways during different segments of time. First, I want to emphatically state that God doesn’t change. It is one of His characteristics, part of His nature, an attribute. He is immutable (unchanging). Read Numbers 23:19, 1 Samuel 15:29, Psalm 102:27, Malachi 3:6, 2 Timothy 2:13, Hebrews 6:17-18, and James 1:17. He doesn’t learn because He knows all things (omniscient). He cannot be surprised. He cannot be disappointed. These things would be logical impossibilities, as they are contrary to His nature. But that doesn’t mean that He chooses to deal with His creation the same way throughout all time. There is such a thing as progressive revelation.

               Just think about it. Without getting too theological, just consider the following. God interacted directly with Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden before the Fall. After the Fall, His fellowship was withdrawn. Man had broken the covenant of perfect harmony with His Creator through disobedience; rejection of God’s command equaled rejection of God’s Law, which equaled rejection of the natural order of Creation. Perfection was broken. Sin and death (physical and spiritual) resulted. The dominion God gave to mankind over the earth was forfeited to the one mankind chose over God—the Devil. But God promised to Adam and Eve that He would send a Savior to redeem humanity and His creation. It is the first prophecy found in the Bible regarding the Messiah—Genesis 3:15. As time passed, people lost touch with not only the Creator Himself, but knowledge of His character and law. Enoch walked with God and was taken. Noah walked with God and survived the Flood by building the Ark per God’s direction. After the Flood, as time passed, mankind again drifted away from the knowledge of God. God selected Abraham and Abraham responded. God spoke to Abraham, both audibly and in visions. God made the “Abrahamic Covenant” with Abraham, which was an unconditional, one-sided promise. Abraham had no part to fulfill. In fact, when he tried, he made a mess of things (Hagar and Ishmael). The Abrahamic Covenant not only reiterated the promise of a Savior, but also promised to make a nation (Israel—the Hebrew people) from Abraham’s descendants, and promised the land (Canaan, Palestine, Israel) to them.

               Eventually, God rescued the Hebrew people from slavery in Egypt and gave them the “Old Testament” Law (the Mosaic Covenant) through Moses. This was the establishment of what is known as the religion of ancient Judaism. He led the Hebrews to the promised land of Canaan and gave it to them. He made a nation of people, the Israelites, and established a kingdom under David, which He promised would last forever (the Davidic Covenant). During this time, from the Exodus from Egypt to approximately 400 BC/BCE the Old Testament portion of the Word of God (the Bible) was written. This was a period that lasted approximately 1000 years. During this time, God spoke to His people through His prophets—people like Moses, Elijah, Elisha, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Daniel, and many others. God gave direct revelation to these prophets, who then passed the words of God to His people and wrote them down in the Old Testament.

               After a period of about 400 years, during which no new revelation was received from God, the greatest revelation of all was given to mankind—the incarnation—God in human flesh; the Man Christ Jesus. God walked among His own people in the body of a Man. Jesus was, and is, fully God and fully Man. This is the mystery of the incarnation, the mystery of Jesus’s dual nature, the mystery of the deity of Christ. What better revelation could mankind have then for God to walk among them and give them His words, His teachings, directly? This was similar to God’s direct interaction with Adam and Eve.

               After Jesus ascended to the heavens, after His resurrection, the Apostles and others of His disciples recorded His words and deeds, and other revealed truths of God—revealed to them by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit through visions (Paul, John) and illumination of Old Testament teachings—in the New Testament. At the end of John’s writings, namely the Book of Revelation, the New Testament was concluded and God’s Word was completed. That is, until Jesus returns one day, whereupon God will be among us again giving us His revelation directly again.

               So to summarize, we have the time of the Garden (direct revelation through God’s fellowship with Adam and Eve), then the time of the Patriarchs (direct revelation through people like Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob), then the time of the Prophets (direct revelation through Moses, etc.) during which time the Old Testament portion of God’s Word was recorded, then the time of Jesus’s first advent (direct revelation through Jesus), then the time of the Apostles (direct inspiration of people who walked with Jesus during His ministry) during which time the New Testament portion of God’s Word was recorded. We are now living in what is known as the Church Age, where we have the completed Word of God, both Old and New Testaments. Between God’s Word (the Bible) and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit within those who are redeemed through God’s grace through faith in Christ Jesus, we have all the revelation we need. There will come a time when God’s indwelling presence in the body of believers (the Church) is removed—The Rapture event. The Bible will still be here, but times will be difficult, and access to God’s Word might be restricted by the Antichrist. Then, Jesus will return for His second advent and establish His kingdom on Earth. From that time forward, He will remain with His followers through the Millennial Kingdom, into the New Heavens and Earth after the Kingdom Age, and through all eternity. In short, these are the dispensations of God’s dealings with mankind:

• The Garden of Eden
• The Patriarchs
• The Law and Prophets
• The first advent (coming) of Jesus
• The Church Age (also known as the Age of Grace)—our current time
• The Tribulation (7 years)
• The second advent (coming) of Jesus and the Millennial Kingdom (1000 years)
• The New Heavens and New Earth (eternity hereafter)

These dispensations can be given different names, and combined or divided differently, but I choose this division because it makes the most sense to me in terms of God changing the way He chooses to interact with mankind. In the Garden, man had direct access. With the Patriarchs, man had indirect access through specific individuals selected by God. With the Law and Prophets, man had indirect access through the Prophets, and somewhat indirect access through the Old Testament as it was being written. With the first advent, man again had direct access through Jesus (though man failed to recognize it). During the Church Age (our present day and age), man has indirect access through the completed Word of God (the Bible), both Old and New Testaments, but man also has direct access through accepting the salvation offered by Jesus and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. During the Tribulation, after the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit is taken away with the Rapture of the Church, man will again have indirect access through the completed Bible, until the second advent whereupon man will again have direct access through Jesus during the Millennial Kingdom, and with the Trinity into eternity.

I want to discuss a related topic here. This topic is related in the sense that some may have questions about salvation as it related to progressive revelation and different dispensations. The Bible is clear that salvation is only obtained by God’s grace through faith. The Bible is also clear that salvation is only possible through Jesus Christ.

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast. –Ephesians 2:8-9 (NIV)

Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” –John 14:6 (NIV)

“Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.” –Acts 4:12 (NIV)

               How can this be? How could people be saved before Jesus was born and died and rose again? How could people be saved that haven’t heard about Jesus? Is salvation not possible for these people? Is God unjust? Are these verses in the Bible not true? Do all paths eventually lead to God? Don’t these things contradict each other, and common sense? So glad you asked. These are common questions that seem to cause people to decide that the Christian faith doesn’t make sense and therefore must be wrong. Let me explain how these things work and can be possible without contradiction.

               Mankind can be and is saved the same way in every dispensation, and all mankind has access to salvation. Let me be clear, I am not saying that all of mankind is or will be saved (Universalism). I am not saying that mankind chooses God on their own apart from God’s election (Arminianism). I am not saying that mankind has no choice to reject God (Calvinism). These topics are too deep to discuss here. But for those of you familiar with these topics, I am not claiming any of them. For those of you not familiar with these topics, forget (for the time being) that I mentioned them. What I am saying is that all people of all ages have access to salvation—no group or time period is excluded. What I am saying is that all people are saved the same way—there is one path to God, not multiple paths (Matthew 7:13-14). Here is how:

               First, mankind is saved by God’s grace imparted through man’s faith in God and His ability to save and promise to do so for those who ask. We have already seen that, according to Ephesians 2:8-9, we (Christians) are saved by grace through faith. But what about Abraham? How was He saved? For that matter, what about Moses, or King David, or the Prophet Daniel? How were they saved? By keeping the Old Testament Law? No! That would mean by implication that one could be saved today by keeping the Law. But we know that is impossible!

“We who are Jews by birth and not sinful Gentiles know that a person is not justified by the works of the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ. So we, too, have put our faith in Christ Jesus that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law, because by the works of the law no one will be justified.” –Galatians 2:15-16 (NIV)

These people were all saved the same way as we (Christians) are, by grace through faith!

For we maintain that a person is justified by faith apart from the works of the law. Or is God the God of Jews only? Is he not the God of Gentiles too? Yes, of Gentiles too, since there is only one God, who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through that same faith. –Romans 3:28-30 (NIV)

Abram believed the LORD, and he credited it to him as righteousness. –Genesis 15:6 (NIV)

What does Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.” –Romans 4:3 (NIV)

So also Abraham “believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.” Understand, then, that those who have faith are children of Abraham. Scripture foresaw that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, and announced the gospel in advance to Abraham: “All nations will be blessed through you.” So those who rely on faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith. For all who rely on the works of the law are under a curse, as it is written: “Cursed is everyone who does not continue to do everything written in the Book of the Law.” Clearly no one who relies on the law is justified before God, because “the righteous will live by faith.” –Galatians 3:6-11 (NIV)

So all who are saved are saved the same way, by grace through faith. It is the grace of God that saves human beings, and that grace is imparted to individuals through faith.

               Second, salvation is made possible for mankind through Jesus completed work. He was crucified and died and was buried and came back to life from the dead through His resurrection. This is the Gospel. This message is repeated throughout the New Testament. This work of the Messiah was prophesied of throughout the Old Testament. There is no salvation apart from the finished work of Christ.

               For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive. –1 Corinthians 15: 22 (NIV)

Consequently, just as one trespass resulted in condemnation for all people, so also one righteous act resulted in justification and life for all people. For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous. –Romans 5:18-19 (NIV)

So all humanity can be saved by God’s grace through faith because of Christ’s completed work. So that is how salvation is obtained by all people of all ages. But what about those who lived before the first advent of Christ? And what about those who never hear about Jesus?

               We (Christians and all those living after the time of Jesus) can believe in Jesus through what is recorded about Him in the Bible and from what other Christians tell us about Him. We look back upon Jesus and His completed work and put our faith in God and His ability and promise to save us by His grace because of Jesus sacrifice. Those who lived before Jesus still put their faith in God and His ability and promise to save them. If they lived during or after the time of the prophecies regarding the Messiah, then they could look forward to God sending a Savior. If they lived before the prophecies (although the first was given to Adam and Eve) then they could still put their faith in God despite a lack of full understanding as to His methods. Remember, the Old Testament Saints (those saved before the death and resurrection of Christ) waited in Sheol for the Messiah to complete His work and set them free. See Luke 16:22-31, 1 Peter 3:19, and Ephesians 4:8-10. See also my previous blog post entitled “After Death.” The Old Testament Saints were saved the same way the Church Age Saints are saved, we just have more information available to us!

               Finally, what about those who never hear about Jesus. What about those who never hear about the God of Israel? What about those who never see a Bible? They can still be saved by grace through faith in the same manner as the rest of us. They can believe in God; one Supreme Being who created all things. They can acknowledge their own inability to save themselves and their need for God’s salvation. They can place their faith in God and His ability and faithfulness to save them. And their salvation is still made possible by the completed work of Christ, even if they don’t know the details! Am I preaching another way to heaven besides through Jesus? No! It is still through Jesus. None of us ever has full knowledge of God or His mysteries at any time in this life. Some of you know more than others. Your knowledge or lack thereof doesn’t save you anymore than your own works or keeping of the Law (which is impossible anyway)! The Bible says that all people know God exists from observing creation around them. The Bible says all people know they are sinful from the consciences God gave them. You may choose to deny your senses and your heart, and convince yourself that He doesn’t exist or that you don’t need saving, but in the end, you will be without excuse. Read the following:

The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of people, who suppress the truth by their wickedness, since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse. –Romans 1:18-20 (NIV)

(Indeed, when Gentiles, who do not have the law, do by nature things required by the law, they are a law for themselves, even though they do not have the law. They show that the requirements of the law are written on their hearts, their consciences also bearing witness, and their thoughts sometimes accusing them and at other times even defending them.) –Romans 2:14-15 (NIV)

Creation testifies to the existence of God and your conscience testifies to your sinful nature. Am I saying that you can be saved without believing in Jesus? No. Remember progressive revelation? You are held accountable for what you know. I have told you about Jesus. Therefore you now know about Him. You have a decision to make, if you haven’t already made one. Once a person hears the truth, they are accountable to respond based upon what they have had revealed to them. Not everybody learns all the details in this life, but everyone is accountable to the knowledge of the creation and the conscience.

               To finish up this point, God is just. I trust that He has a provision for extending salvation to those who are outside the realm of the Gospel message, as well as those who are incapable of understanding (babies, young children, those with cognitive disorders, etc.), even if I don’t definitively know the details of such provision. In the end, you are accountable for what you know. I conclude with this final concept from Scripture:

Behold, his soul which is lifted up is not upright in him: but the just shall live by his faith. –Habakkuk 2:4 (King James Version)

               I want to discuss another related topic here. I have discussed already the unique indwelling of the Holy Spirit that is given to those who are redeemed during the Church Age. Those of us who believe in Jesus and are saved during this time are part of the Church, also known as members of His Body, and also known as His Bride (or the Bride of Christ). We occupy a unique place among the dispensations and the Saints of God, as we are the only ones who are promised and who have the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. Check it out in Scripture. Before the Church started after the resurrection of Christ, the Holy Spirit would come alongside God’s people to help them, or would come upon God’s people to empower them. The Greek words used for this in the Greek translation of the Old Testament (The Septuagint, or LXX) are “para” (alongside) and “epi” (upon). In the New Testament, not only are the Greek words para and epi used to describe the Holy Spirit working with God’s people, but also the Greek word “en” is used which means “within.” Not only was the Holy Spirit promised to be the helper of the Church in the four Gospels and the Book of Acts, but the Holy Spirit is also the seal of God within us, which guarantees our salvation. (Ephesians 1:13, 2 Corinthians 1:21-22) That is pretty cool.

               At this point, I want to delineate an important distinction between two groups—namely, the Church and the Nation of Israel. The relevance of this distinction is just as important for understanding the Rapture Event as is the relevance of differentiating between dispensations. Recognize that when I speak of the Church, I am not talking about any particular denomination, nor am I referring to buildings or services, but rather to the Body of Christ—His Bride—the collective assembly of all Christians from the founding of Christianity after Jesus’s resurrection until the present time, and beyond, should we not be living in the final days leading up to the Tribulation. Recognize as well that when I speak of the Nation of Israel, I am not speaking of the modern state that has existed since 1948, nor am I speaking of any government body or territorial boundary, but rather to the Hebrew people, the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob—God’s “chosen people.” Both the Church and Israel are special groups of people, specifically selected by God and set apart for His purposes. Unfortunately, there is an incorrect teaching that began circulating in Christian churches centuries ago known as “Supersessionism” or “Replacement Theology.” This teaching, which I assert again is not correct from a Biblical perspective, asserts that the Church has replaced Israel as God’s chosen people, under the assumption that Israel was abandoned by God for their rejection of the Messiah. Where would such a teaching have come from? Here’s some historical background:

               When Jesus came to Earth the first time, the Nation of Israel was under the rule of the Roman Empire. Israel still existed, and still lived in the land, and still practiced Judaism, but her political and judicial authority were non-existent, being a conquered people under Rome. A few decades after Jesus was crucified, resurrected, and ascended, in the year 70 AD/CE to be precise, the Hebrews revolted and four Roman legions, under the command of Titus (who would later become the 10^th Roman Emperor) laid siege to Jerusalem, leveled the Jewish Temple (Herod’s Temple, not Solomon’s), and scattered the Jewish people in what has become known as the Roman Jewish Diaspora (“diaspora” is the Greek word for “scattering” or “dispersion”). By the way, this siege was predicted by Jesus in Luke 19:41-44. For nearly nineteen centuries, Israel was no longer a political, economic, military, or territorial nation. The Hebrew people were scattered among other nations. As time passed, many theologians in the Church began to believe and teach that God had turned His back on Israel and that the Church had now replaced Israel in terms of Biblical prophecies and promises. Not all theologians taught this, but the teaching took hold in many denominations. You must understand the confusion here though. The Bible prophesied that the Nation of Israel would exist when Christ returned. The Bible prophesied that the Temple would exist during the End Times. How could this be possible when Israel as a nation hasn’t existed for hundreds of years? Many theologians assumed that these prophecies must be allegorical or symbolic of some spiritual truths. Surely they couldn’t be literal. How would Israel ever become a nation again? Again, not every theologian believed this, but even those who didn’t believe this teaching couldn’t provide answers to these questions.

               But then something happened. One of the most astonishing developments in the history of nations and peoples in all of human history. After nearly nineteen-hundred years, in 1948, under United Nations recommendation and under British mandate, the modern State of Israel was born within her historical territorial borders. Where else, and at what other time in all of human history has a nation that hasn’t existed for nineteen centuries been reborn? The Bible said the Nation of Israel would exist at Christ’s return. And now, as of last century, the Nation of Israel exists again, despite the weight of human history and the attempts of her enemies to destroy her. If this fulfillment of prophecy doesn’t cause you to stop and take notice, then you are not paying attention to what I am saying. But either way, this is where the false teaching of Replacement Theology originated. The truth is, God hasn’t turned His back on His chosen people. God made an unconditional covenant to Abraham and again to David. God will not break His promises or His Word. The prophecies and promises to Israel will all be fulfilled.

               So where does the Church fit in? The Church is a hidden mystery in the Old Testament, alluded to, but not directly spoken about. The Church is the Bride of Christ. Christ is the bridegroom. Israel and others are the wedding guests. The Church is special. The Church has the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. The Church is destined to be a kingdom of priests. Church Age Saints have a destiny to be kings and priests, who will rule with Christ in His Kingdom. According to God’s direction in the Old Testament, the Nation of Israel was to have a line of priests and a line of kings, and those lines were to be distinct with distinct roles. Those roles were not to be confused or crossed. There were kings and there were priests. But Jesus was given both roles and both titles. He is our High Priest and He is the King of Kings. Only two others in the Bible are called king and priest: Melchizedek (see Genesis 14, Psalm 110, and Hebrews 7) and the Church! Revelation chapters 4 and 5 discuss a scene in heaven where John saw the throne of God and around the throne were 24 elders seated upon thrones with crowns on their heads. I believe that these 24 elders represent the Church. They are described as having been purchased for God by the blood of Christ “from every tribe and tongue and people and nation.” (Revelation 5:9, NASB) That describes the Church. They are also described as kings and priests (Revelation 5:10), just like the Church. I will detail all this in a future blog about the Church. But keep this in mind as I will circle back around to it later.

               The Church has a special calling, fulfills a particular role, has a distinct mission, and has a glorious destiny. The Church hasn’t existed in previous dispensations and won’t exist (as it is today) in future dispensations. The Church began after the resurrection of Christ, when the disciples received the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, and the Church will end at the Rapture. People were saved before the Church and people will be saved after the Church, but they won’t be part of the Church.

               Now I am going to discuss one more important subject before I conclude this study on the Rapture and assert my final argument for the timing of the Rapture event. I am going to discuss a topic known as the 70 Weeks of Daniel, or Daniel’s 70 Weeks. The Jewish Prophet Daniel, while living in exile in Babylon under the rule of the Persian Empire after the fall of the Babylonian Empire in the 6^th Century BC/BCE, was given a revelation from God through the Angel Gabriel. Here is the message:

“Seventy weeks have been decreed for your people and your holy city, to finish the transgression, to make an end of sin, to make atonement for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy and to anoint the most holy place. So you are to know and discern that from the issuing of a decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until Messiah the Prince there will be seven weeks and sixty-two weeks; it will be built again, with plaza and moat, even in times of distress. Then after the sixty-two weeks the Messiah will be cut off and have nothing, and the people of the prince who is to come will destroy the city and the sanctuary. And its end will come with a flood; even to the end there will be war; desolations are determined. And he will make a firm covenant with the many for one week, but in the middle of the week he will put a stop to sacrifice and grain offering; and on the wing of abominations will come one who makes desolate, even until a complete destruction, one that is decreed, is poured out on the one who makes desolate.” –Daniel 9:24-27 (New American Standard Bible)

Let’s dissect this. I will explain this passage. But I challenge you to read the entire chapter and the entire book. I challenge you to study it. Read commentaries and other scholarly research. Understand it, for it is the key to understanding End Times prophecy. Until you do, just follow along with me. It will make sense.

               The “weeks” are referring to weeks of years. “70 weeks” of years is “70 X 7” years. That is 490 years. You can take my word for it, or you can go research it.

               “Your people” and “your holy city” are the Nation of Israel and the City of Jerusalem. Remember, Daniel, to whom this message was being given, was a Hebrew prophet. His people were the Jews. His holy city was Jerusalem. Daniel wasn’t part of the Church. The Church didn’t exist. The Church doesn’t have a holy city (and no, it certainly isn’t Vatican City).

               490 years are decreed for the Nation of Israel and the City of Jerusalem. For what? “to finish the transgression, to make an end of sin, to make atonement for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy and to anoint the most holy place.”

               When do the 490 years start? “from the issuing of a decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem”

               Then what happens? “there will be seven weeks and sixty-two weeks” That’s 483 years.

               Until what? “until Messiah the Prince”

               Stop right there. From the issuing of the decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until the Messiah comes there will be 483 years. When did the decree happen? Oh, that was in (approximately) 445 BC/BCE. The event itself is detailed in the Old Testament Book of Nehemiah, chapters 1 and 2.

Now here’s a very important point. The ancient Hebrew year consisted of 360 days. 483 years X 360 days = 173,880 days. 173,880 days / 365.25 days = 476.05749 years. 445 BC/BCE + 476 years = 32 AD/CE.

Remember there is no Year Zero. From July 1, 445 BC to July 1, 1 BC is 444 years. From July 1, 1 BC to July 1, 1 AD is 1 year. Therefore, from July 1 445 BC to July 1, 1 AD is 445 years. 476 – 445 = 31. July 1, 1 AD + 31 years = July 1, 32 AD. July 1^st has no significance, I was just using it for illustrative purposes.

What happened in 32 AD/CE? An event known as the Triumphal Entry, which was the only time during Jesus’s first advent that He allowed Himself to be worshipped as the Messiah when He entered Jerusalem, the week before He was crucified; an event that Christians celebrate as Palm Sunday the week before Easter.

If you aren’t stunned, then you either already knew this, or you weren’t paying attention. When did Daniel receive this message? In the 6^th Century BC. When did the timetable start? The 5^th Century BC. When did Jesus (the Messiah) come into Jerusalem? The 1^st Century AD. This, my friends, is prophecy fulfilled to the day. How do we know the Book of Daniel wasn’t written after Jesus entered Jerusalem (that would be convenient for the skeptic)? Because it was included in the Greek translation of the Old Testament (the Septuagint) which was finished by the 2^nd Century BC. Let’s get back to the prophecy:

What happens next? “the Messiah will be cut off and have nothing” What happened to Jesus? He was rejected by His people, the Jews. He was crucified by the Romans. He died. But then he was resurrected. Did He establish His Kingdom? No. He ascended to heaven and the Church Age began.

What happens next? “the people of the prince who is to come will destroy the city and the sanctuary. And its end will come with a flood; even to the end there will be war; desolations are determined” The Romans destroyed the City of Jerusalem, and the Temple of the Jews in 70 AD, after Jesus has ascended. Then the Jews were dispersed among the nations of the world; the Roman Diaspora. By the way, another word that is translated from “diaspora” is “flood.” Did you just get goose bumps? I repeat: “And its end will come with a flood”

What about Week 70? We’ve already seen the first 69 Weeks (of years). What happens next? “And he will make a firm covenant with the many for one week, but in the middle of the week he will put a stop to sacrifice and grain offering; and on the wing of abominations will come one who makes desolate, even until a complete destruction, one that is decreed, is poured out on the one who makes desolate.”

The “he” is “the prince who is to come” mentioned in the previous sentence. Remember, the prince didn’t destroy the city and the temple, but the people of the prince did. The prince makes a covenant with the many for one week.

The prince is the Antichrist. He will make firm a covenant (treaty) with Israel (the many) for seven years (one week). In the middle, after three and a half years, he will break the treaty and then all kinds of bad stuff will happen. This is the seven year tribulation. This is the 70^th Week. This hasn’t happened yet. The other 483 years have happened. Israel is now restored. The 70^th Week will happen. The Tribulation will happen. The Rapture will happen.

Who are the 490 years for? Israel.

Where are we now? 483 years have passed. 7 years are yet future. We are in an interval period. We are in the Church Age. The Old Testament is, by and large, a story about the Nation of Israel. The Church isn’t mentioned by name in the Old Testament. We are living in a period of time (dispensation) where God is dealing with humanity through the Church, as flawed as we (Christians) may be. We are living between year 483 and 484. 483 is over and 484 has yet to begin. How long is this interval period? We don’t know. But it’s already been almost 2000 years.

God will eventually return His focus to Israel (not that He has ever forgotten). God will keep His promises. God’s Word will be fulfilled. When the Church Age is complete (only God knows when that will be) then the Church will be removed (the Rapture) and the 70^th Week (years 484-490) will begin for Israel.

This is the main reason that I believe the Rapture will happen before the Tribulation starts. The 70^th Week isn’t for the Church. It is for Israel. It is a time during which the chosen people of God will come to realize that they have rejected their Messiah. As a nation, they will repent and return to God. They will beg for Messiah to return, and He will! At the end of the 70^th Week (the Tribulation), Jesus will return and establish His Kingdom on Earth.

Does the Church have to be removed first? In parts 1 and 2 of this blog I gave some reasons why I think the answer is yes. But the 70 Weeks prophecy doesn’t require the Church’s removal. But it doesn’t make sense for the Church to be here. The Bride of Christ belongs to Him. The first 69 Weeks happened before the Church began. I believe the 70^th Week will happen after the Church ends.

I think most people who debate the timing of the Rapture fail to understand this concept. Many probably aren’t even aware of this concept. I am not special for knowing this, I have just been blessed with good teaching in the past. To God be the glory.
          Here are some final points that I believe support the concept of a pre-tribulation rapture. First, there is the structure of the Book of Revelation itself. In chapter 1 we have an introduction to the book and an introduction of its key figure, Jesus. Chapters 2 and 3 are letters from Christ to His Church, the Letters to the Seven Churches. In Chapter 4, John is caught up to heaven, from where he see the rest of the events that take place in the book. In chapters 4 and 5 we see the Church in heaven, represented by the 24 Elders (remember, I discussed them earlier). After chapter 5, the Church is no longer the focus, but Israel is the focus. I see within this structure an outline, or timetable, of prophetic events. The Church is on the Earth in chapters 2 and 3. Then John (who is part of the Church) is caught up (raptured) to heaven, along with the rest of the Church. Then we see the Church (the 24 Elders) in heaven, about to witness the unfolding of God’s plan for the Earth and those who inhabit it (the Tribulation period). Then we see the rest of the events, through John’s writing.

Second, there is the Marriage Supper of the Lamb. Earlier I mentioned that the Church is the Bride of Christ. This is, of course, symbolic imagery to describe the love relationship that Jesus has for His Saints and vice versa. Nonetheless, in keeping with the imagery, the Church is the bride and Jesus is the Bridegroom. Revelation 19:6-9 discusses the event of the Marriage Supper. Jesus also discusses the Kingdom of Heaven as being like a wedding feast (Matthew 22:1-14). Jesus also discusses the parable of the ten virgins who were going to a wedding feast (Matthew 25:1-13). Both of these passages are filled with meaning, but I think both can be related to the Marriage Supper of the Lamb. Regardless, it is reasonable to question the timing of this Marriage Supper in prophetic events. Now, without getting into the physics of eternity, and the difference between the physical dimension of time and the extra-dimensional nature of heavenly reality, all of which add additional layers of thinking and understanding to Biblical topics, I think the Marriage Supper of the Lamb happens during the Tribulation. It makes perfect sense to me. Jesus takes His bride (the Church) to heaven prior to the Tribulation, the Marriage Supper takes place (during the Tribulation), and then Jesus returns with His bride (the Church) to establish His kingdom on Earth (the Millennial Kingdom) at the end of the Tribulation, and the Church reigns with Him during the Kingdom Age, as promised throughout the New Testament.

Third, and in response to those who argue against the Pre-Tribulation View on the basis of their assumption and assertion that the Bible prophesies one second coming of Christ, not two second comings, I want to explain how Biblical prophecy works from the perspective of the prophet, or witness/observer, and I want to clarify again what is meant by the term “second coming.” When an Old Testament prophet foresaw and foretold the coming of the Messiah, there was oftentimes no distinction made between His first coming and His second coming. That is why the Jews at the time of Jesus were expecting a political savior as much as (if not more than) a religious one. That is why Jesus was rejected by Jewish leadership, because He did not overthrow the Roman government and re-establish the Jewish Throne of David. We have the benefit of being able to see the distinctiveness of two advents (comings) because we see the fulfilled prophecies of the First Coming, and we have the promise made by Jesus Himself of the Second Coming. We also see all the unfulfilled promises from the Old Testament and recognize their fulfillment is yet future. Why did the Old Testament prophets not distinguish between the two? Perhaps they didn’t see two advents. Think of the prophet as someone standing on a mountaintop. They see the valley in front of them, and they see the mountaintop across from them. They can describe the mountaintop in front, and can see the separation between them (the valley). But what if there is another valley on the other side of the mountain across from them, and across that valley there is another mountaintop? Their line of sight would possibly enable them to see the other mountaintop, but if they can’t see the valley between, they might confuse the two mountaintops as being one, or not be able to distinguish between the two. That explains how Old Testament prophets foresaw the coming (or comings) of the Messiah. Look at the Second Coming the same way. Perhaps the writers of the New Testament did not clearly distinguish between Jesus’ coming at the Rapture, and His coming to establish the Kingdom because they did not see separation between the two, all they saw was future events taking place. That being said, I want to again clarify that when Jesus comes to take away His Church, He does not return all the way to Earth, but rather comes in the clouds and the Church meets the Lord in the air. When the Second Coming is discussed, it is typically understood to be when Jesus physically returns to Earth and touches the ground. This occurs at the end of the Tribulation when He saves the remnant of Israel from the Antichrist and establishes His Kingdom. So if one wants to be technical about Biblical prophecy not clearly differentiating between two second comings, then one should also be technical about the Rapture not really being the Second Coming at all, but an entirely different and separate event.

In conclusion, why do Christians talk about the Rapture being near when the Bible says we won’t know in advance when it will occur? The Bible gives lots of signs related to the days preceding the Tribulation. For those like me, who believe that the Rapture will happen before the Tribulation, if we see the signs that the Tribulation is approaching, then we know the Rapture must be approaching too. I once heard the joke, “When you see stores putting out Christmas decorations, you know that Thanksgiving is near.” The same principle applies to the Tribulation and the Rapture.

               Again, you have a choice. You can call me a fool. You can believe me to be confused or deceived. You can shrug all this off. Or you can do something else. You can open your eyes, open your mind, and open your heart. I have presented some amazing truths here about the Bible and Biblical prophecy. Even if I’m misinterpreting the timing of the Rapture, I’m not misinterpreting the prophecies that have already been fulfilled. With all due respect and all the love I can muster, to those of you who don’t already believe, I implore you to take this seriously. Disregard this information if you want, but please think it through first.

               As always, thanks for reading. Until next time, grace and peace to you all.