As
Christians, we believe that the Holy Bible is God’s
perfect Word and that it is a testimony to Jesus Christ.
The Bible tells us that the Kingdom of Heaven is God’s
rule over the universe and also over humans who willfully
acknowledge him as King. One day his Kingdom will come to
earth, which the Bible describes as the personal and
visible return of Jesus. This day is known as the Second
Coming, the time when Jesus will establish his rule on
the throne of David in
Jerusalem.
Many Christians also
believe that before the Second Coming there will be a
dark seven year period called the Tribulation. They
believe that in order to rescue his Bride from the
horrors of the Tribulation, Jesus will gather all true
believers to him. This is known as the futurist,
pre-tribulation Rapture view. This view acknowledges God
the Father's sovereignty over the timing of the
Rapture, Tribulation, and Second
Coming.
The
key to unpacking this momentous occasion is understanding the
Holy Bible, the customs of the Jewish people and the history of
the nation of Israel. The Jewish wedding ceremony will reveal
the theme and model of the Rapture, and help determine the
sequence of events. We will specifically focus on comparing
Matthew chapter 24 and Revelations chapter 6 to comprehend the
Tribulation period.
The
reestablishment of Israel as a nation and the definition of a
Biblical generation help guide us to the possible year of the
Rapture. The goal is a clear understanding of the Rapture,
which will act as a catalyst for holy living.
We
show that the Rapture could occur very shortly. Our goal is to
give you a clear understanding of the Rapture, so that you are
prepared!
He
who testifies to these things says, Surely I am coming quickly.
Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
(Revelations 22:20)
Jewish
wedding ceremony - This ceremony is the theme and
model of the Rapture, and determines the sequence of events.
The Jewish wedding is a type and shadow of the return of Christ
Jesus, the Messiah, for His Bride (the Church).
Jewish wedding event /
Jesus and Church
* Groom pays a Bride
price (Jesus’ sacrifice on the
cross).
* Bride prepares
herself (wears white robe representing good
deeds)
* Groom gives gifts to
His chosen Bride (gifts of the
Spirit)
* Groom prepares a
place for the Bride and himself (New
Jerusalem)
* Father tells the son
when to get his Bride (God the Father has an appointed
time)
* Groom comes with
others at midnight with a shout! (the Rapture of the
Church)
* Groom takes Bride to
private chambers for 7 days (the 7
Tribulationyears)
* Groom and Bride share
a marriage feast (the marriage supper of the
Lamb)
Matthew chapter 24 and
Revelations chapter 6- Next, we will compare the
two most important chapters in the Bible relating to the
Tribulation, side by side.
*
This describes when the Antichrist and false prophets come into
the world to conquer through a false
peace:
And Jesus
answered and said to them: “Take heed that no one deceives you.
For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and
will deceive many. (Matthew
24:4-5)
And I
looked, and behold, a white horse. He who sat on it had a bow;
and a crown was given to him, and he went out conquering and to
conquer. (Revelation 6:2)
*
These scriptures outline a period of great
war:
And you will
hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled;
for allthese things must come to pass, but the end is not
yet. (Matthew 24:6)
Another
horse, fiery red, went out. And it was granted to the one who
sat on it to take peace from the earth, and
thatpeople should kill one another; and there was
given to him a great sword. (Revelation
6:4)
*
In this time period, there will be a deadly famine leading to
massive death:
For nation will
rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there
will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various
places. All theseare the beginning of sorrows.(Matthew
24:7-8)
When He opened
the third seal, I heard the third living creature say, “Come
and see.” So I looked, and behold, a black horse, and he who
sat on it had a pair of scales in his hand. And I heard a voice
in the midst of the four living creatures saying, “A quart of
wheat for a denarius, and three quarts of barley for a
denarius; and do not harm the oil and the wine.” When He
opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living
creature saying, “Come and see.” So I looked, and behold, a
pale horse. And the name of him who sat on it was Death, and
Hades followed with him. And power was given to them over a
fourth of the earth, to kill with sword, with hunger, with
death, and by the beasts of the earth. (Revelation
6:5-8)
*
Now a period of widespread persecution of Christians will
occur:
“Then they will
deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be
hated by all nations for My name’s sake. (Matthew
24:7-8)
When He
opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those
who had been slain for the word of God and for the testimony
which they held. (Revelation 6:9)
These scriptures outline the
actions of the Antichrist as he reveals his true
nature:
“Therefore when
you see the‘abomination of
desolation,’ spoken of by Daniel the prophet,
standing in the holy place” (whoever reads, let him
understand), “then let those who are in Judea flee to the
mountains. (Matthew 24:15-16)
And he was given a mouth
speaking great things and blasphemies, and he was given
authority to continue for forty-two months. Then he opened his
mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme His name, His
tabernacle, and those who dwell in heaven. It was granted to
him to make war with the saints and to overcome them. And
authority was given him over every tribe, tongue, and nation.
All who dwell on the earth will worship him, whose names have
not been written in the Book of Life of the Lamb slain from the
foundation of the world.(Revelation
13:5-8)
Notice that the two most important chapters in the Bible
relating to the Tribulation agree completely on this sequence
of events: the Antichrist coming into the world to conquer
through a false peace, a great war, a deadly famine leading to
massive death, widespread persecution of Christians, and the
Antichrist finally revealing his true nature with people
worshiping him as God. We
believe that before this 7 year Tribulation period the true
Christian believer will be
Raptured.
The
Year?- In the book of Matthew, we
see Jesus teaching the Apostles that the Rapture, the
Tribulation, and his Second Coming will be linked to a
certain generation:
Now learn this parable from
the fig tree:When its branch has already become tender and
puts forth leaves, you know that summer is near. So you
also, when you see all these things, know that it is nearat
the doors! Assuredly, I say to you, this generation will by
no means pass away till all these things take place (Matthew
24:32-34).
We believe that this
generation started when Israel (often Biblically symbolized
as a fig tree) was reestablished as a nation in 1948 after
1,900 years of dispersion, persecution and oppression. The
reason we think this is the last generation is that the
Rapture, Tribulation and Second Coming require the existence
of the nation of Israel.
A Biblical generation is
defined as 70 years in Psalm 90:10: The days of our lives
are seventy years.
Now, applying simple
addition, we can add 70 years to 1948 and arrive at 2018 as
the possible year of the Second Coming. Subtracting 7
years for the Tribulation, we end with possible Rapture
year of 2012.
Interestingly, the Psalms,
which are in the 19th book of the Bible, have a prophetic
significance dealing with Israel for each year in the 1900s,
carrying over into the 2000s. For example, Psalm 33 points
to 1933, Psalm 45 points to 1945, and so on. The Psalm
chapters 113-118 have even more significance, because they
are known as the "Hallel" (meaning praise), and have been
recited as a prayer by observant Jews on Jewish holidays for
over 3,000 years.
Biblical scholars like J.R.
Church have found that many of the key events for the Jewish
people and for Israel are accurately reflected by the
corresponding chapter (year) in the Psalms. As you study the
Psalms, please keep in mind that the Jewish years starts
somewhere in our month of either March or April, so there is
an overlap. This is why a few of the Psalms may seem to
reference events form the previous year, of the Gregorian
calendar.
In addition,
the Psalms 12-18 seem to mirror Psalms 112-118, and Psalm 12
starts with this amazing verse:
Help, O
Lord, for the godly are fast
disappearing! The
faithful have vanished from the earth! (Psalm 12:1)
These scriptures point to
the Rapture:
Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not
all sleep, but we shall all be changed - in a moment, in the
twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet
will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and
we shall be changed. (1 Corinthians
15:51-52)
For the Lord Himself will descend from
heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and
with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise
first. Then we who are aliveand remain shall be caught up together
with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And
thus we shall always be with the Lord.
(1
Thessalonians 4:16-17)
Summary-
In this study we have seen
that theJewish
wedding ceremony is the theme and model of the
Rapture, and determines the sequence of the events. We
have compared Matthew
chapter 24 and Revelations
chapter 6 and found that they agree on the events of the
Tribulation. We have noted the reestablishment
of Israel as a nation, outlined the definition of
a Biblical
generation, and explored the scriptures
relating to the Rapture.
Catalyst for holy
living-There is a day when the
Lord will be coming for His people in the not-too-distant
future. God the Father's sovereignty is over the timing
of the Rapture. But the real question is, are you ready
to be taken up?
The Lord loves you and
he cares for you. If you are not a Christian, ask the
Lord into your life right now. Turn from your sins and
turn to God, because he is coming soon for his Bride. If
you are a Christian, you need to present yourself to God
by separating yourself from the world and leaving your
will at the Cross. Make the choice to be a bondservant
(or slave) to the Lord and acknowledge in everything his
ownership and authority. In everything make the Lord
first (Proverbs 3:6). Live every day as if it might be
your last.
If you prepare yourself
in this way, then you will be in a position to love and
encourage all those around you to be ready no matter what
day the Rapture happens. Exhort! Encourage! You can
pray like you never prayed before, for the world around
you. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous
man avails much (James 5:16). Teach by the example of
your own life, and watch!
Now may the God of
peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole
spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the
coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. (1 Thessalonians
5:23)
I, Jesus, have sent My
angel to testify to you these things in the churches. I
am the Root and the Offspring of David, the Bright and
Morning Star. And the Spirit and the Bride say, Come! And
let him who hears say, Come! And let him who thirsts
come. Whoever desires, let him take the water of life
freely. (Revelation
22:16-17)
We encourage
you to forward this link to your friends and family. Read
the Bible, join with a local church, and you will grow as a
Christian.
