Several years ago, in our Wednesday
Bible Study, we were in a study of John 14 - and in verses 1 to 3
the obvious observation was made: this Scripture passage is
describing the Rapture. And, that is where many Bible
discussions can often go south. Why? Because we are not always
on the same page when it comes to understanding the Rapture, and
why and when it will happen.
Yes, this writing is about prophecy. Prophecy is about the future – but, such a study is also about fulfilled prophecy; which makes most of these events past, proven history. Why study prophecy? First, prophecy validates our Bible, showing that it is truly the inspired Written Word of God. Why do I say this? Well, the Bible is the only sacred book which offers prophecies. None of the sacred books of the world religions contain prophecy, only the Bible. And, to date, Bible prophecy has been proven to be 100% accurate.
The Bible has over 1800 prophecies in the Old and New Testaments. Except for the prophecies of His Coming, i.e., the End Times – all of those prophecies have been fulfilled, proven by both religious and secular writings. To date, Bible prophecies are 100% accurate. Not even one has failed to be fulfilled. That, in my mind is rock solid evidence that the Bible is the Written Word of God.
My second reason for believing we should study prophecy is a bit more pragmatic and practical. Over the years, I have driven across America a number of times. And once, I drove around America on an 8000 mile solo journey. Each time, before starting my driving adventure, I sat down with my Auto Club map and marked my route.
Why did I do this? I wanted to be sure I was taking the best route considering current highway conditions, and I wanted to know how far I should drive each day. In other words, I planned my trip, noting any detours or delays I might encounter, to make sure that I arrived safely at my final destination.
That is what we do when we study prophecy and the Bible. Based upon past experience with prophecies, and what I have learned through a continued study of prophecy and the Bible – I plan the best possible route to make sure I arrive at my final destination, heaven, on schedule.
So, let me share what I believe the Bible is telling us about the Rapture, when it will happen, what is happening before the time of the Rapture, and what will happen after the Rapture.
Let’s back up to the beginning and take a quick overview of Biblical time. In my "End Times - Bible Timeline" charts shown below, the Eternity on the left is Eternity Past, when only the Triune God (Father, Son, Holy Spirit) existed. “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth” (Genesis 1:1)
Some thousands of years ago, and we are not sure just how many thousand - God created the universe and all within it, including us, our earth, all the sciences, and all the laws governing those sciences. Science and all its laws are a subset of the Creation - not the cause of the Creation.
In my charts we are given two very important dates: The year that Christ was crucified (33 AD) - and the year that Creation began (about 4004 BC), maybe a few thousand years more. But, it most certainly is not the millions or billions of years which the atheists, secularists, and evolutionists must have to make Darwinian Evolution viable.
DATE OF THE CREATION: I have shown that the Creation happened “about 4004 BC." Why the qualifier "about"? This is the date set by James Ussher (1581-1656), Archbishop of Armagh and Primate of All Ireland, in his book “Annals Of The World.” He was one of the most famous theologians of the English Reformation. One of his principle claims to fame was that he calculated the date of creation to be 4004 BC by tracing the lineages in the King James Bible.
The belief that the Bible gives us enough information to exactly date the creation of the heavens and the earth is held by many. Traditional Judaism views the year 2000 as 5,780 years after the creation of the universe. In the seventeenth century Irish Archbishop James Ussher, after extensive research, put the date of the creation in the year 4004 B.C.
Time calculations based upon genealogies found in Genesis 5 and 10 were used to establish the date of the creation. When the different ages of the men in those genealogies were totaled, it was believed the result was the number of years between Adam and Abraham. Figuring backward from the time of Christ, Ussher arrived at the year 4004 BC.
Yet, there are problems with dating using this method. The genealogies in the Scripture are not complete. There are gaps in them.
Still, there is enough information in the Bible to assure us that the Creation happened thousands of years ago - and not the millions or billions of years required by Evolution.
DATE OF CHRIST’S CRUCIFIXION: The other important date, 33 AD, is when the Messiah was cut off (Daniel 9:26, "And after the sixty-two weeks Messiah shall be cut off, but not for Himself; . . ."). In the year 33 AD, Christ entered Jerusalem in His Triumphant Entry (Matthew 21:1-11, Palm Sunday) and, four days later He was crucified.
So, how do we arrive at the year 33 AD for His crucifixion? In Sir Robert Anderson's Passover Chart below, notice that in only two of the years between 22 AD and 37 AD does Passover begin on Friday, the day Christ was crucified.
In 1894, Sir Robert Anderson (1841-1918) did extensive research and published his book “The Coming Prince” – which is still quoted by many Bible scholars and theologians today.
In his book, “The Coming Prince” Anderson lists the dates for the Passover from 22 AD to 37 AD. Note that the Passover would start at sundown on the previous day, and end at sundown for the date shown. The Passover meal prior to His crucifixion would have been eaten the previous evening, Thursday.
The Passover meal was eaten on Thursday evening (considered part of the Jewish day of Friday) ~ His arrest, trial, and crucifixion occurred on Friday ~ and His resurrection on Sunday. That is three days by Jewish accounting. So, the only logical date for His crucifixion had to be the 483rd year starting with March 14, 445 BC (Nehemiah 2:1-8) - and that date has to be 33 AD.
These Passover dates are:
22 AD, Sunday April 22
23 AD, Thursday March 25
24 AD, Wednesday April 12
25 AD, Sunday April 1
26 AD, Thursday March 21
27 AD, Wednesday April 9
28 AD, Monday March 29
29 AD, Sunday April 17
30 AD, Thursday April 6
31 AD, Tuesday March 27
32 AD, Monday April 14
33 AD, Friday April 3
34 AD, Tuesday March 23
35 AD, Monday April 11
36 AD, Friday March 30
37 AD, Thursday April 18
In my Bible Timeline charts below is an overview of all time – from Eternity Past to Eternity Future. But, let’s focus on key events:
1. CHRIST WAS “CUT OFF” and crucified: Daniel 9:26
2. CHRISTIAN CHURCH BORN in the Upper Room in Jerusalem: Acts 2
3. THE RAPTURE: John 14:1-3, 1 Corinthians 15:50-54, 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18
Let's address the Rapture and why we believe that Jesus Christ will come in the air to take His church, His body of Christian believers worldwide, out of the world which is about to experience the closest thing to “hell on earth” that will ever happen since the Creation - the seven year Tribulation. The following Scripture passages are addressed to believers, i.e., brethren - and describe this imminent Rapture:
Some try to equate the "trumpet" in these Rapture verses with the trumpets described in Revelation which occur during the Tribulation - in an attempt to show that the church will be on earth during the Tribulation. That cannot be true. For the "trumpet" which sounds when Christ comes for His church is a trumpet of joy. The trumpets in Revelation are trumpets of woe (Revelation 8:13) and obviously are not intended for believers:
Based upon the following Scripture verses, I believe the Bible teaches that the Christian church will be taken out before the Tribulation begins, i.e., a “PreTribulation” Rapture:
Are the Rapture and His Second Coming the same event? No. And, this does not mean that there will be a Second and Third Coming of Christ. The Rapture is not a "coming" or "return" of Christ - but, instead is the appearing of Christ in the clouds:
At the Rapture, Jesus Christ returns not to earth, but in the air, to remove His church (all believers) from the earth. The rapture is promised in John 14:1-3 - and described in 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 and 1 Corinthians 15:50-54. Believers who have died will have their bodies resurrected immortal and, along with believers who are still living, will meet the Lord in the air. This will all occur in a moment, in a twinkling of an eye. For that reason, the world will not see it happen; they will only see the after-effects – when millions or billions of people instantly disappear.
The Rapture is imminent, meaning that no one can know the time it will happen (Matthew 24:36, Mark 13:32). We are told to always be ready.
At His Second Coming, Jesus Christ returns to defeat the Antichrist, destroy evil, and establish His Millennial Kingdom, His Millennial Reign as King as He sits upon the throne of David in Jerusalem for 1000 years (Luke 1:30-33). His Second Coming is described in Revelation 19:11-16.
While the Rapture is imminent, i.e., no one can know when it will happen - everyone who studies Scripture can know exactly when His Second Coming will happen. It will happen exactly seven years from the time the seven year Tribulation begins. That Tribulation clock starts ticking, after the Rapture, when the Antichrist signs a Seven Year Peace Accord with the nation Israel (Daniel 9:27).
Important differences between the Rapture and the Second Coming are:
1. At the Rapture, believers meet the Lord in the air (1 Thessalonians 4:17). At His Second Coming, believers return with the Lord to earth (Revelation 19:14).
2. The Rapture occurs before the Tribulation (1 Thessalonians 5:9; Revelation 3:10). The Second Coming occurs after the Tribulation (Revelation chapters 6–19). .
3. The Rapture will be secret and instant (1 Corinthians 15:50-54). The Second Coming will be visible to all (Revelation 1:7; Matthew 24:29-30).
4. The Rapture is imminent; it could take place at any moment (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18; 1 Corinthians 15:50-54). The Second Coming of Christ will not occur until after certain other end-times events take place (2 Thessalonians 2:3-4; Matthew 24:15-30; Revelation 6-18, Revelation 19:6-9).
5. And, a strong reason for belief that the PreTribulation Rapture and His Second Coming are two separate events, separated by the seven year Tribulation – is the Wedding Feast of the Lamb. The Wedding Feast occurs in Revelation 19:6-9 – and, like all brides, the Bride of Christ has to prepare herself prior to the wedding. When is this bridal preparation accomplished so that Bride of Christ is ready for her Bridegroom? It happens at the Believers’ Judgment (Bema Seat Judgment) BEFORE the wedding in heaven, during the seven year Tribulation (2 Corinthians 5:10, Romans 14:10, 1 Corinthians 3:11-15).
During our mortal life all believers still have the Adamic Sin Nature and our righteousness is like filthy rags (Isaiah 64:6). Upon believing and receiving Christ as Lord and Savior - all believers have the righteousness of Christ imputed, i.e., attributed, to them (Romans 3:21-22) so that when God the Father looks upon us, He does not see the filthy rags of our deeds - instead He sees only the righteousness of Christ covering us like a spiritual umbrella.
At the Bema Seat Judgment (Believers' Judgment) in heaven, during the Tribulation, we will receive our own "white robes of righteousness" for we will forever after be perfect in the eyes of God.
Before, we were "all like an unclean thing, And all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags. . ." (Isaiah 64:6).
But, after the Believers' Judgment in heaven, we are prepared and ready as the Bride of Christ, "Let us be glad and rejoice and give Him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His Bride has made herself ready. And to her it was granted to be arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright, for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints" (Revelation 19:8).
The Righteous Wedding Gown of the Bride (fine linen, clean and bright) MUST happen before the Wedding Feast of the Lamb - and the Wedding Feast of the Lamb must occur in heaven during the Tribulation. For Christ will return to earth, His Second Coming, with His Bride. In Revelation 19:11-21 we see Him returning to earth with His Bride, with the Old Testament saints, and with the martyred Tribulation saints.
4. THE TRIBULATION: Daniel 9:24-27
The Tribulation is a seven year period of Refiner’s Fire for the nation Israel.
The “seventy weeks” are seventy weeks of years, i.e., 490 years. This is the time God has given the nation Israel to get right with Him. The 490 years began when King Artaxerxes issued the decree which would allow Nehemiah to return to Jerusalem and rebuild the city.
After 49 years (7 weeks), the city was rebuilt. The nation of Israel now had 434 years (62 weeks) to get right with their God.
Then God would send their Messiah, who, on the last day of the 483 years (69 weeks) – would enter the city of Jerusalem declaring Himself to be the Son of God, their Messiah. This was the day of His Triumphal Entry which we celebrate as Palm Sunday.
Then, after the 69 weeks, their Messiah, Jesus Christ, would be “cut off” – crucified.
Christ Is Cut Off: Christ was crucified and buried. After three days, He resurrected and, for forty days, He appeared to over 500 believers (1 Corinthians 15:1-11). Then, after telling His apostles to wait in Jerusalem for what the Father had promised - their indwelling and empowerment by the Holy Spirit - He ascended back into heaven. The disciples, 120 total, waited in the Upper Room for ten days and then, the Holy Spirit came upon them, indwelling each of them. And, the Holy Spirit was not subtle about His works this time:
Why did the Holy Spirit come with such a flourish? I do not believe it was to scare anyone; but, to get the attention of those non-believers outside in the streets.
That day, when the apostles went outside and shared the Gospel, over 3000 souls became Christian believers. That day, the church went from the initial 120 in the Upper Room, to over 3000 believers. In Acts 4:4 we are told that several days later, “But many of those who had heard the message (the Gospel) believed; and the number of the men came to be about five thousand.”
Notice that Scripture tells us “the number of men” which was a Jewish way of counting crowds. Very likely there would also have been many women and children in that number of new believers that day. Thus, the Christian Church was born.
The Church Age: When Christ died and resurrected, He took the people from living under the Law - to living under the Grace of God. This period of Grace has lasted for over 2000 years. How much longer will it last? No one knows!
This is telling us that the Rapture, Jesus Christ's appearing and all believers being “caught up” -“snatched out” - harpazo in the Greek language, which in the Latin Vulgate is translated as rapiemur from which we get our English transliteration “Rapture” – is imminent.
In other words, it could happen at any moment – or it may not happen for many years. We do not know. However, we do know that all the signs, all the prophecies, which would precede the Rapture have already occurred. There are no signs left to hasten or to prevent the Rapture from happening today. Are you ready?
When the Rapture does happen, some time after that (it could be days, weeks, months, etc) the Antichrist will ascend rapidly to world power. In Daniel 9:27 we read, "And he (the Antichrist) will make a firm covenant with the many (the nation Israel) for one week. . .”
That is the event which starts the Tribulation clock ticking! And, from that time, you can set your clock by the events we know will happen. There will be 3 ½ years of relative peace, when Israel actually believes the Antichrist to be their friend. The Antichrist will somehow convince the Muslims to share the Temple Mount and the Jewish Temple will be rebuilt, full worship and sacrifices will resume, and Israel will be blessing their friend, the Antichrist.
Then, in the middle of the seven year Tribulation, the Antichrist turns and shows his full evil nature. He enters the Jewish Temple, sits on a throne in the Holy of Holies – and declares himself to be God. This is the desecration, abomination, or “abomination of desolation” of the Temple which begins what Jesus described in His Olivet Discourse (Matthew 24) as the Great Tribulation, the last 3 ½ years of the Tribulation when the full wrath of God will be poured out on the world.
5. CHRIST’S SECOND COMING! Revelation 19:11-21
Seven years, to the day, after the Tribulation begins – Jesus Christ will return to earth, His Second Coming. The first time He came as the Sacrificial Lamb. The second time He comes, He will come as the Lion of Judah, in all power and glory (Revelation 19:11-21).
The Battle of Armageddon (Revelation 16:12-16, 19:17-19) will be fought and the armies of the Antichrist will be destroyed. The Antichrist and his False Prophet will be thrown into the lake of fire (Revelation 19:20). Satan will be locked the abyss for 1000 years (Revelation 20:1-3). And the survivors of the Tribulation, believers and non-believers, will stand before Christ at the Sheep and Goat Judgment (Matthew 25:31-46).
Believers who have survived the Tribulation will go into the Millennial Kingdom of Christ in their mortal bodies (Matthew 25:34). Non-believers who have survived the Tribulation will be sent into the lake of fire to join the Antichrist and his False Prophet (Matthew 25:41).
Christ will establish His Millennial Reign, the Kingdom of God on earth, from the throne of David in the holy city Jerusalem (Luke 1:30-33). From there He will rule the nations, the world – the perfect theocracy.
During the 1000 years, the Millennial Kingdom will be populated by those who have returned with Christ at His Second Coming: (1) the Bride of Christ, the church, (2) all the Old Testament saints, and (3) the Tribulation saints, all in our immortal bodies - along with all the believers who survived the Tribulation, who will still be in their mortal bodies.
The Millennial saints, those who survived the Tribulation and entered the Millennial Kingdom in their mortal bodies, will still be marrying, having children, and raising families – all the things we do now; except with Satan locked in the abyss and with the Antichrist and his False Prophet in the lake of fire – there will be no temptation or attempts to lure us away from our Christian faith.
However, all those still in their mortal bodies – those who came from the Tribulation and those born during the Millennial Kingdom – will still have their Adamic sin nature. Those coming from the Tribulation had received Christ and were saved eternally. But, those born during the Millennium, because they still have their sin nature, will have to invite Christ into their hearts (Revelation 3:20), will still have to believe, receive Christ, and be sealed by the Holy Spirit (John 1:12, Ephesians 1:13).
In Isaiah 65:20-21 God tells us about those Millennium mortals, through the prophet Isaiah, "No longer will there be in it (the Millennial Kingdom) an infant who lives but a few days, Or an old man who does not live out his days; For the youth will die at the age of one hundred And the one who does not reach the age of one hundred Will be thought accursed. (21) They will build houses and inhabit them; They will also plant vineyards and eat their fruit.”
But, unfortunately, even though everyone will have a Garden of Eden lifestyle, and although Satan and his demons will not be there to tempt Millennial mortals – many will still be apathetic, not rebelling against Christ, but not showing any real interest in becoming a child of God.
During the 1000 years of the Millennium, billions will be born – many receiving Christ, many others still rejecting Him through apathy or omission, just neglecting to receive His gift of eternal life.
And, I believe this is why Satan is released from the abyss after the 1000 years – to test those who have been apathetic toward Christ.
6. THE FINAL BATTLE WITH SATAN: Revelation 20:7-10
Satan is released from the abyss and will travel the world one last time, recruiting all those ambivalent, apathetic souls who never bothered to have a saving relationship with Christ. Now, Satan is free to tempt them – and he will build a huge army, “the number of them is like the sand of the seashore” (Revelation 20:8) and he will lead them against Jesus Christ, the saints, and the holy city Jerusalem. This is the final battle.
7. GREAT WHITE THRONE JUDGMENT: Revelation 20:11-15
When Christ was crucified and went into Hades/Paradise for three day; He led the Old Testament saints out of Paradise and into heaven. Yet, those non-believers, and all non-believers who have since died, whose spirits are in Hades/Torment (Luke 16:19-31) stayed there, waiting to be resurrected into their immortal bodies for the Great White Throne Judgment. This will happen at the end of the Millennial Kingdom.
They will stand before Christ in judgment. But, it is only a judgment of punishment, no reprieve, no second chance - for they sealed their eternal fate when they died still denying Christ. Christ, in His perfect justice, allows them to stand before the Holy Tribunal to hear the fate they chose for themselves while still in their mortal bodies.
8. NEW HEAVEN, NEW EARTH, NEW JERUSALEM: Revelation 21 and 22.
Christ takes all believers into Eternity Future to be with Him forever. Yes, we will be reunited eternally with all our loved ones and friends who believed.
But, here is an interesting thought: For eternity we will be learning! Wow! Can you imagine that? We will be learning from the Master Teacher, Jesus Christ, for eternity. "Bill, how could that be possible, that for all eternity we will still be learning? Won't we run out of things to learn? Won't someday we will have learned everything He has to teach us?"
Think about that for a moment. If we EVER get to a point where we know everything and there is nothing more we can learn - we would be equal to God! Lucifer/Satan made that mistake - and personally, I do not want to even consider it.
After all, it is fun to learn. And with Him as our Teacher - imagine how exciting that will be?
"Lord, why did You. . .?" - or - "Lord, why didn't You. . .?"
Now that you have that thought to chew on for awhile, I think it is time to end this long journey of exploring the Rapture and the End Times. I pray that I have given you a few "golden nuggets" which will enhance your study of God's Word - and that will be helpful when you share His Word with others within your "circle of influence." Have fun!
God bless, have a wonderful, blessed day,
Bill
Yes, this writing is about prophecy. Prophecy is about the future – but, such a study is also about fulfilled prophecy; which makes most of these events past, proven history. Why study prophecy? First, prophecy validates our Bible, showing that it is truly the inspired Written Word of God. Why do I say this? Well, the Bible is the only sacred book which offers prophecies. None of the sacred books of the world religions contain prophecy, only the Bible. And, to date, Bible prophecy has been proven to be 100% accurate.
The Bible has over 1800 prophecies in the Old and New Testaments. Except for the prophecies of His Coming, i.e., the End Times – all of those prophecies have been fulfilled, proven by both religious and secular writings. To date, Bible prophecies are 100% accurate. Not even one has failed to be fulfilled. That, in my mind is rock solid evidence that the Bible is the Written Word of God.
My second reason for believing we should study prophecy is a bit more pragmatic and practical. Over the years, I have driven across America a number of times. And once, I drove around America on an 8000 mile solo journey. Each time, before starting my driving adventure, I sat down with my Auto Club map and marked my route.
Why did I do this? I wanted to be sure I was taking the best route considering current highway conditions, and I wanted to know how far I should drive each day. In other words, I planned my trip, noting any detours or delays I might encounter, to make sure that I arrived safely at my final destination.
That is what we do when we study prophecy and the Bible. Based upon past experience with prophecies, and what I have learned through a continued study of prophecy and the Bible – I plan the best possible route to make sure I arrive at my final destination, heaven, on schedule.
So, let me share what I believe the Bible is telling us about the Rapture, when it will happen, what is happening before the time of the Rapture, and what will happen after the Rapture.
Let’s back up to the beginning and take a quick overview of Biblical time. In my "End Times - Bible Timeline" charts shown below, the Eternity on the left is Eternity Past, when only the Triune God (Father, Son, Holy Spirit) existed. “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth” (Genesis 1:1)
Some thousands of years ago, and we are not sure just how many thousand - God created the universe and all within it, including us, our earth, all the sciences, and all the laws governing those sciences. Science and all its laws are a subset of the Creation - not the cause of the Creation.
In my charts we are given two very important dates: The year that Christ was crucified (33 AD) - and the year that Creation began (about 4004 BC), maybe a few thousand years more. But, it most certainly is not the millions or billions of years which the atheists, secularists, and evolutionists must have to make Darwinian Evolution viable.
DATE OF THE CREATION: I have shown that the Creation happened “about 4004 BC." Why the qualifier "about"? This is the date set by James Ussher (1581-1656), Archbishop of Armagh and Primate of All Ireland, in his book “Annals Of The World.” He was one of the most famous theologians of the English Reformation. One of his principle claims to fame was that he calculated the date of creation to be 4004 BC by tracing the lineages in the King James Bible.
The belief that the Bible gives us enough information to exactly date the creation of the heavens and the earth is held by many. Traditional Judaism views the year 2000 as 5,780 years after the creation of the universe. In the seventeenth century Irish Archbishop James Ussher, after extensive research, put the date of the creation in the year 4004 B.C.
Time calculations based upon genealogies found in Genesis 5 and 10 were used to establish the date of the creation. When the different ages of the men in those genealogies were totaled, it was believed the result was the number of years between Adam and Abraham. Figuring backward from the time of Christ, Ussher arrived at the year 4004 BC.
Yet, there are problems with dating using this method. The genealogies in the Scripture are not complete. There are gaps in them.
So all the generations from Abraham to David were fourteen generations, and from David to the deportation to Babylon fourteen generations, and from the deportation to Babylon to the Christ fourteen generations (Matthew 1:1-17). (http://www.ldolphin.org/2adams.html)
Many commentators believe that the divisions of 14 generations is simply a literary structure by Matthew, not intended to set forth a strict biological lineage. God did not arrange Israel’s history so nicely that there were exactly 14 biological generations between these three crucial moments in salvation history. One suggestion is that in 1 Chronicles 1, 2 there are 14 generations listed between Abraham and David and from that Matthew structured the rest of the genealogy according to the number 14. (http://www.gotquestions.org/14-generations.html)
Genealogies, in the Bible, are lists that document a family lineage. These lists of names cover many generations (sometimes even skipping generations), showing lines of descent over many centuries at times. They provide us with an important historical record that is sometimes used to prove who someone is. In the case of Christ, it demonstrates his lineage according to prophecy. Genealogies are found in Genesis 5, Matthew 1, Luke 3, etc. (https://carm.org/bible-writing-styles)
Still, there is enough information in the Bible to assure us that the Creation happened thousands of years ago - and not the millions or billions of years required by Evolution.
DATE OF CHRIST’S CRUCIFIXION: The other important date, 33 AD, is when the Messiah was cut off (Daniel 9:26, "And after the sixty-two weeks Messiah shall be cut off, but not for Himself; . . ."). In the year 33 AD, Christ entered Jerusalem in His Triumphant Entry (Matthew 21:1-11, Palm Sunday) and, four days later He was crucified.
All evangelical interpreters agree that the cutting off of Messiah certainly refers to the death of Jesus. This fits perfectly into my interpretation thus far. Since the 483 years were fulfilled to the day on March 30, a.d. 33 - the date of Christ’s Triumphal Entry (Luke 19:28-40) - and Jesus was crucified four days later on April 3, a.d. 33 (The Seventy Weeks of Daniel, Part VIII, by Dr. Thomas Ice www.raptureready.com/featured/ice/70-weeks-8.html)
So, how do we arrive at the year 33 AD for His crucifixion? In Sir Robert Anderson's Passover Chart below, notice that in only two of the years between 22 AD and 37 AD does Passover begin on Friday, the day Christ was crucified.
In 1894, Sir Robert Anderson (1841-1918) did extensive research and published his book “The Coming Prince” – which is still quoted by many Bible scholars and theologians today.
In his book, “The Coming Prince” Anderson lists the dates for the Passover from 22 AD to 37 AD. Note that the Passover would start at sundown on the previous day, and end at sundown for the date shown. The Passover meal prior to His crucifixion would have been eaten the previous evening, Thursday.
The Passover meal was eaten on Thursday evening (considered part of the Jewish day of Friday) ~ His arrest, trial, and crucifixion occurred on Friday ~ and His resurrection on Sunday. That is three days by Jewish accounting. So, the only logical date for His crucifixion had to be the 483rd year starting with March 14, 445 BC (Nehemiah 2:1-8) - and that date has to be 33 AD.
These Passover dates are:
22 AD, Sunday April 22
23 AD, Thursday March 25
24 AD, Wednesday April 12
25 AD, Sunday April 1
26 AD, Thursday March 21
27 AD, Wednesday April 9
28 AD, Monday March 29
29 AD, Sunday April 17
30 AD, Thursday April 6
31 AD, Tuesday March 27
32 AD, Monday April 14
33 AD, Friday April 3
34 AD, Tuesday March 23
35 AD, Monday April 11
36 AD, Friday March 30
37 AD, Thursday April 18
In my Bible Timeline charts below is an overview of all time – from Eternity Past to Eternity Future. But, let’s focus on key events:
1. CHRIST WAS “CUT OFF” and crucified: Daniel 9:26
2. CHRISTIAN CHURCH BORN in the Upper Room in Jerusalem: Acts 2
3. THE RAPTURE: John 14:1-3, 1 Corinthians 15:50-54, 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18
Let's address the Rapture and why we believe that Jesus Christ will come in the air to take His church, His body of Christian believers worldwide, out of the world which is about to experience the closest thing to “hell on earth” that will ever happen since the Creation - the seven year Tribulation. The following Scripture passages are addressed to believers, i.e., brethren - and describe this imminent Rapture:
At the Upper Room Passover Meal, in John 14:1-3, Jesus tells His apostles, and all believers, "Do not let your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me. (2) In My Father's house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you. (3) If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also.”
1 Corinthians 15:50-54, “Now I say this, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. (51) Behold, I tell you a mystery; we will not all sleep, but we will all be changed, (52) in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. (53) For this perishable must put on the imperishable, and this mortal must put on immortality. But when this perishable will have put on the imperishable, and this mortal will have put on immortality, then will come about the saying that is written, ‘Death is swallowed up in victory' (Isaiah 25:8). ”
Isaiah 25:8-9, “He will swallow up death for all time, And the Lord GOD will wipe tears away from all faces, And He will remove the reproach of His people from all the earth; For the LORD has spoken. (9) And it will be said in that day, ‘Behold, this is our God for whom we have waited that He might save us. This is the LORD for whom we have waited; Let us rejoice and be glad in His salvation.’ "
1 Thessalonians 4:13-18, “But we do not want you to be uninformed, brethren, about those who are asleep, so that you will not grieve as do the rest who have no hope. (14) For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus. (15) For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. (16) For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. (17) Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord. (18) Therefore comfort one another with these words.”
Some try to equate the "trumpet" in these Rapture verses with the trumpets described in Revelation which occur during the Tribulation - in an attempt to show that the church will be on earth during the Tribulation. That cannot be true. For the "trumpet" which sounds when Christ comes for His church is a trumpet of joy. The trumpets in Revelation are trumpets of woe (Revelation 8:13) and obviously are not intended for believers:
Woe means “grief, anguish, affliction” - the three woes of Revelation are the final judgment God pronounces on the evil inhabitants of the earth in order to spur them to repentance (Revelation 9:20). The three woes are, indeed, a time of great anguish and affliction for those who have pledged their allegiance to the Antichrist during the end times. (http://www.gotquestions.org/three-woes.html)
Based upon the following Scripture verses, I believe the Bible teaches that the Christian church will be taken out before the Tribulation begins, i.e., a “PreTribulation” Rapture:
Revelation 3:10, “Because you have kept the word of My perseverance, I also will keep you from the hour of testing, that hour which is about to come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth.”
1 Thessalonians 5:9-10, “For God has not destined us for wrath, but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us, so that whether we are awake or asleep (when the Rapture occurs), we will live together with Him.”
Are the Rapture and His Second Coming the same event? No. And, this does not mean that there will be a Second and Third Coming of Christ. The Rapture is not a "coming" or "return" of Christ - but, instead is the appearing of Christ in the clouds:
1 Thessalonians 4:16-17, "For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord."
At the Rapture, Jesus Christ returns not to earth, but in the air, to remove His church (all believers) from the earth. The rapture is promised in John 14:1-3 - and described in 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 and 1 Corinthians 15:50-54. Believers who have died will have their bodies resurrected immortal and, along with believers who are still living, will meet the Lord in the air. This will all occur in a moment, in a twinkling of an eye. For that reason, the world will not see it happen; they will only see the after-effects – when millions or billions of people instantly disappear.
The Rapture is imminent, meaning that no one can know the time it will happen (Matthew 24:36, Mark 13:32). We are told to always be ready.
At His Second Coming, Jesus Christ returns to defeat the Antichrist, destroy evil, and establish His Millennial Kingdom, His Millennial Reign as King as He sits upon the throne of David in Jerusalem for 1000 years (Luke 1:30-33). His Second Coming is described in Revelation 19:11-16.
While the Rapture is imminent, i.e., no one can know when it will happen - everyone who studies Scripture can know exactly when His Second Coming will happen. It will happen exactly seven years from the time the seven year Tribulation begins. That Tribulation clock starts ticking, after the Rapture, when the Antichrist signs a Seven Year Peace Accord with the nation Israel (Daniel 9:27).
Important differences between the Rapture and the Second Coming are:
1. At the Rapture, believers meet the Lord in the air (1 Thessalonians 4:17). At His Second Coming, believers return with the Lord to earth (Revelation 19:14).
2. The Rapture occurs before the Tribulation (1 Thessalonians 5:9; Revelation 3:10). The Second Coming occurs after the Tribulation (Revelation chapters 6–19). .
3. The Rapture will be secret and instant (1 Corinthians 15:50-54). The Second Coming will be visible to all (Revelation 1:7; Matthew 24:29-30).
4. The Rapture is imminent; it could take place at any moment (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18; 1 Corinthians 15:50-54). The Second Coming of Christ will not occur until after certain other end-times events take place (2 Thessalonians 2:3-4; Matthew 24:15-30; Revelation 6-18, Revelation 19:6-9).
5. And, a strong reason for belief that the PreTribulation Rapture and His Second Coming are two separate events, separated by the seven year Tribulation – is the Wedding Feast of the Lamb. The Wedding Feast occurs in Revelation 19:6-9 – and, like all brides, the Bride of Christ has to prepare herself prior to the wedding. When is this bridal preparation accomplished so that Bride of Christ is ready for her Bridegroom? It happens at the Believers’ Judgment (Bema Seat Judgment) BEFORE the wedding in heaven, during the seven year Tribulation (2 Corinthians 5:10, Romans 14:10, 1 Corinthians 3:11-15).
During our mortal life all believers still have the Adamic Sin Nature and our righteousness is like filthy rags (Isaiah 64:6). Upon believing and receiving Christ as Lord and Savior - all believers have the righteousness of Christ imputed, i.e., attributed, to them (Romans 3:21-22) so that when God the Father looks upon us, He does not see the filthy rags of our deeds - instead He sees only the righteousness of Christ covering us like a spiritual umbrella.
At the Bema Seat Judgment (Believers' Judgment) in heaven, during the Tribulation, we will receive our own "white robes of righteousness" for we will forever after be perfect in the eyes of God.
Before, we were "all like an unclean thing, And all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags. . ." (Isaiah 64:6).
But, after the Believers' Judgment in heaven, we are prepared and ready as the Bride of Christ, "Let us be glad and rejoice and give Him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His Bride has made herself ready. And to her it was granted to be arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright, for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints" (Revelation 19:8).
The Righteous Wedding Gown of the Bride (fine linen, clean and bright) MUST happen before the Wedding Feast of the Lamb - and the Wedding Feast of the Lamb must occur in heaven during the Tribulation. For Christ will return to earth, His Second Coming, with His Bride. In Revelation 19:11-21 we see Him returning to earth with His Bride, with the Old Testament saints, and with the martyred Tribulation saints.
4. THE TRIBULATION: Daniel 9:24-27
The Tribulation is a seven year period of Refiner’s Fire for the nation Israel.
Daniel 9:24, "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.
Daniel 9:25, "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.
Daniel 9:26, "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 (not here yet, but will be the Antichrist) will destroy the city and the sanctuary. And its end will come with a flood (not of water as with Noah's flood, but with a flood of soldiers, men of war); even to the end there will be war; desolations are determined.
Daniel 9:27, "And he (the Antichrist) will make a firm covenant with the many (the nation Israel) for one week, but in the middle of the week (3 1/2 years into the 7 year Tribulation) 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 “seventy weeks” are seventy weeks of years, i.e., 490 years. This is the time God has given the nation Israel to get right with Him. The 490 years began when King Artaxerxes issued the decree which would allow Nehemiah to return to Jerusalem and rebuild the city.
After 49 years (7 weeks), the city was rebuilt. The nation of Israel now had 434 years (62 weeks) to get right with their God.
Then God would send their Messiah, who, on the last day of the 483 years (69 weeks) – would enter the city of Jerusalem declaring Himself to be the Son of God, their Messiah. This was the day of His Triumphal Entry which we celebrate as Palm Sunday.
Then, after the 69 weeks, their Messiah, Jesus Christ, would be “cut off” – crucified.
Christ Is Cut Off: Christ was crucified and buried. After three days, He resurrected and, for forty days, He appeared to over 500 believers (1 Corinthians 15:1-11). Then, after telling His apostles to wait in Jerusalem for what the Father had promised - their indwelling and empowerment by the Holy Spirit - He ascended back into heaven. The disciples, 120 total, waited in the Upper Room for ten days and then, the Holy Spirit came upon them, indwelling each of them. And, the Holy Spirit was not subtle about His works this time:
Acts 2:1-4, “When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. (2) And suddenly there came from heaven a noise like a violent rushing wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. (3) And there appeared to them tongues as of fire distributing themselves, and they rested on each one of them. (4) And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit.”
Why did the Holy Spirit come with such a flourish? I do not believe it was to scare anyone; but, to get the attention of those non-believers outside in the streets.
Acts 2:6-11, “And when this sound occurred, the crowd came together, and were bewildered because each one of them was hearing them (the apostles) speak in his own language. (7) They were amazed and astonished, saying, ‘Why, are not all these who are speaking Galileans? (8) "And how is it that we each hear them in our own language to which we were born? (9) Parthians and Medes and Elamites, and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, (10) Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the districts of Libya around Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, (11) Cretans and Arabs – we hear them in our own tongues speaking of the mighty deeds of God.’ "
That day, when the apostles went outside and shared the Gospel, over 3000 souls became Christian believers. That day, the church went from the initial 120 in the Upper Room, to over 3000 believers. In Acts 4:4 we are told that several days later, “But many of those who had heard the message (the Gospel) believed; and the number of the men came to be about five thousand.”
Notice that Scripture tells us “the number of men” which was a Jewish way of counting crowds. Very likely there would also have been many women and children in that number of new believers that day. Thus, the Christian Church was born.
The Church Age: When Christ died and resurrected, He took the people from living under the Law - to living under the Grace of God. This period of Grace has lasted for over 2000 years. How much longer will it last? No one knows!
Matthew 24:36-42, "But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone. (37) "For the coming of the Son of Man will be just like the days of Noah. (38) "For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, (39) and they did not understand until the flood came and took them all away; so will the coming of the Son of Man be. (40) Then there will be two men in the field; one will be taken and one will be left. (41) Two women will be grinding at the mill; one will be taken and one will be left. (42) Therefore be on the alert, for you do not know which day your Lord is coming.”
This is telling us that the Rapture, Jesus Christ's appearing and all believers being “caught up” -“snatched out” - harpazo in the Greek language, which in the Latin Vulgate is translated as rapiemur from which we get our English transliteration “Rapture” – is imminent.
In other words, it could happen at any moment – or it may not happen for many years. We do not know. However, we do know that all the signs, all the prophecies, which would precede the Rapture have already occurred. There are no signs left to hasten or to prevent the Rapture from happening today. Are you ready?
When the Rapture does happen, some time after that (it could be days, weeks, months, etc) the Antichrist will ascend rapidly to world power. In Daniel 9:27 we read, "And he (the Antichrist) will make a firm covenant with the many (the nation Israel) for one week. . .”
That is the event which starts the Tribulation clock ticking! And, from that time, you can set your clock by the events we know will happen. There will be 3 ½ years of relative peace, when Israel actually believes the Antichrist to be their friend. The Antichrist will somehow convince the Muslims to share the Temple Mount and the Jewish Temple will be rebuilt, full worship and sacrifices will resume, and Israel will be blessing their friend, the Antichrist.
Then, in the middle of the seven year Tribulation, the Antichrist turns and shows his full evil nature. He enters the Jewish Temple, sits on a throne in the Holy of Holies – and declares himself to be God. This is the desecration, abomination, or “abomination of desolation” of the Temple which begins what Jesus described in His Olivet Discourse (Matthew 24) as the Great Tribulation, the last 3 ½ years of the Tribulation when the full wrath of God will be poured out on the world.
Matthew 24:21-22, "For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be. (22) And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect's (the believers) sake those days will be shortened.”
5. CHRIST’S SECOND COMING! Revelation 19:11-21
Seven years, to the day, after the Tribulation begins – Jesus Christ will return to earth, His Second Coming. The first time He came as the Sacrificial Lamb. The second time He comes, He will come as the Lion of Judah, in all power and glory (Revelation 19:11-21).
The Battle of Armageddon (Revelation 16:12-16, 19:17-19) will be fought and the armies of the Antichrist will be destroyed. The Antichrist and his False Prophet will be thrown into the lake of fire (Revelation 19:20). Satan will be locked the abyss for 1000 years (Revelation 20:1-3). And the survivors of the Tribulation, believers and non-believers, will stand before Christ at the Sheep and Goat Judgment (Matthew 25:31-46).
Believers who have survived the Tribulation will go into the Millennial Kingdom of Christ in their mortal bodies (Matthew 25:34). Non-believers who have survived the Tribulation will be sent into the lake of fire to join the Antichrist and his False Prophet (Matthew 25:41).
Christ will establish His Millennial Reign, the Kingdom of God on earth, from the throne of David in the holy city Jerusalem (Luke 1:30-33). From there He will rule the nations, the world – the perfect theocracy.
During the 1000 years, the Millennial Kingdom will be populated by those who have returned with Christ at His Second Coming: (1) the Bride of Christ, the church, (2) all the Old Testament saints, and (3) the Tribulation saints, all in our immortal bodies - along with all the believers who survived the Tribulation, who will still be in their mortal bodies.
The Millennial saints, those who survived the Tribulation and entered the Millennial Kingdom in their mortal bodies, will still be marrying, having children, and raising families – all the things we do now; except with Satan locked in the abyss and with the Antichrist and his False Prophet in the lake of fire – there will be no temptation or attempts to lure us away from our Christian faith.
However, all those still in their mortal bodies – those who came from the Tribulation and those born during the Millennial Kingdom – will still have their Adamic sin nature. Those coming from the Tribulation had received Christ and were saved eternally. But, those born during the Millennium, because they still have their sin nature, will have to invite Christ into their hearts (Revelation 3:20), will still have to believe, receive Christ, and be sealed by the Holy Spirit (John 1:12, Ephesians 1:13).
In Isaiah 65:20-21 God tells us about those Millennium mortals, through the prophet Isaiah, "No longer will there be in it (the Millennial Kingdom) an infant who lives but a few days, Or an old man who does not live out his days; For the youth will die at the age of one hundred And the one who does not reach the age of one hundred Will be thought accursed. (21) They will build houses and inhabit them; They will also plant vineyards and eat their fruit.”
But, unfortunately, even though everyone will have a Garden of Eden lifestyle, and although Satan and his demons will not be there to tempt Millennial mortals – many will still be apathetic, not rebelling against Christ, but not showing any real interest in becoming a child of God.
During the 1000 years of the Millennium, billions will be born – many receiving Christ, many others still rejecting Him through apathy or omission, just neglecting to receive His gift of eternal life.
And, I believe this is why Satan is released from the abyss after the 1000 years – to test those who have been apathetic toward Christ.
6. THE FINAL BATTLE WITH SATAN: Revelation 20:7-10
Satan is released from the abyss and will travel the world one last time, recruiting all those ambivalent, apathetic souls who never bothered to have a saving relationship with Christ. Now, Satan is free to tempt them – and he will build a huge army, “the number of them is like the sand of the seashore” (Revelation 20:8) and he will lead them against Jesus Christ, the saints, and the holy city Jerusalem. This is the final battle.
Revelation 20:7-10, “When the thousand years are completed, Satan will be released from his prison, (8) and will come out to deceive the nations which are in the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together for the war; the number of them is like the sand of the seashore. (9) And they came up on the broad plain of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city, and fire came down from heaven and devoured them. (10) And the devil who deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are also; and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.”
7. GREAT WHITE THRONE JUDGMENT: Revelation 20:11-15
When Christ was crucified and went into Hades/Paradise for three day; He led the Old Testament saints out of Paradise and into heaven. Yet, those non-believers, and all non-believers who have since died, whose spirits are in Hades/Torment (Luke 16:19-31) stayed there, waiting to be resurrected into their immortal bodies for the Great White Throne Judgment. This will happen at the end of the Millennial Kingdom.
Revelation 20:5a, “The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were completed. . .”
They will stand before Christ in judgment. But, it is only a judgment of punishment, no reprieve, no second chance - for they sealed their eternal fate when they died still denying Christ. Christ, in His perfect justice, allows them to stand before the Holy Tribunal to hear the fate they chose for themselves while still in their mortal bodies.
8. NEW HEAVEN, NEW EARTH, NEW JERUSALEM: Revelation 21 and 22.
Christ takes all believers into Eternity Future to be with Him forever. Yes, we will be reunited eternally with all our loved ones and friends who believed.
But, here is an interesting thought: For eternity we will be learning! Wow! Can you imagine that? We will be learning from the Master Teacher, Jesus Christ, for eternity. "Bill, how could that be possible, that for all eternity we will still be learning? Won't we run out of things to learn? Won't someday we will have learned everything He has to teach us?"
Think about that for a moment. If we EVER get to a point where we know everything and there is nothing more we can learn - we would be equal to God! Lucifer/Satan made that mistake - and personally, I do not want to even consider it.
After all, it is fun to learn. And with Him as our Teacher - imagine how exciting that will be?
"Lord, why did You. . .?" - or - "Lord, why didn't You. . .?"
Now that you have that thought to chew on for awhile, I think it is time to end this long journey of exploring the Rapture and the End Times. I pray that I have given you a few "golden nuggets" which will enhance your study of God's Word - and that will be helpful when you share His Word with others within your "circle of influence." Have fun!
God bless, have a wonderful, blessed day,
Bill
No comments:
Post a Comment