The Rapture(s)
The following is a personal interpretation of the Scriptures so please feel free to disagree. You may also want to read the following posts for some background - Date of Jesus’ Return, Sodom and Prophecy.
Matthew 24:9
“Then they will deliver you to tribulation, and will kill you, and you will be hated by all nations because of My name.”
Matthew 24:21
“For then there will be a great tribulation, such as has not occurred since the beginning of the world until now, nor ever will.”
Jesus said that there will be two “tribulations” - the tribulation and the great tribulation. The tribulation will be a picture or shadow of the great tribulation (what happened before will happen again and the second time always takes place on a much grander scale than the first).
Daniel 9:27
“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 tribulation will begin on Rosh Hashanah and end seven years (one week) later on Yom Kippur.
Matthew 24:15, 16
“Therefore when you see the ABOMINATION OF DESOLATION which was spoken of through Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place (let the reader understand), then those who are in Judea must flee to the mountains.”
The great tribulation will begin 3 ½ years (middle of the week) after the tribulation begins when the ABOMINATION OF DESOLATION is standing in the holy place.
Matthew 24:6-8
“You will be hearing of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not frightened, for those things must take place, but that is not yet the end. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and in various places there will be famines and earthquakes. But all these things are merely the beginning of birth pangs.”
Before the tribulation or the great tribulation takes place nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and in various places there will be famines and earthquakes not unlike what is happening in the world today. These however, are merely the beginning of the birth pangs.
1 Thessalonians 4:15-17
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. 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. 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.
Just as there are going to be two tribulations there are also going to be two “raptures” where God’s Elect will be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. The first rapture will be a picture or shadow of the second rapture (what happened before will happen again and the second time always takes place on a much grander scale than the first).
According to Hebrew tradition on Rosh Hashanah the Gates of Heaven are opened and ten days later on Yom Kippur the Gates of Heaven are closed.
The first rapture will take place on Rosh Hashanah (when the Gates of Heaven are opened) at the beginning of the seven year tribulation.
The first rapture will take place over the ten day period between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. Anyone who was a believer or becomes a believer and is born again of the Spirit during this ten day period will be caught up into the clouds. But after Yom Kippur the Gates of Heaven will be closed and anyone who comes to the Lord after that time will have to wait until the second rapture which will take place 3 ½ years later.
Matthew 27:50-53
Matthew 27:50-53
And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice, and yielded up His spirit. And behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom; and the earth shook and the rocks were split. The tombs were opened, and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised; and coming out of the tombs after His resurrection they entered the holy city and appeared to many.
After Jesus’ resurrection (which occurred three days and three nights after the Day of Preparation of Passover) the tombs were opened, and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised. This raising of the saints is a picture or shadow of the second rapture which will occur right after Passover 3 ½ years after the tribulation begins.
Revelation 7:2-4
Revelation 7:2-4
And I saw another angel ascending from the rising of the sun, having the seal of the living God; and he cried out with a loud voice to the four angels to whom it was granted to harm the earth and the sea, saying, “Do not harm the earth or the sea or the trees until we have sealed the bond-servants of our God on their foreheads.” And I heard the number of those who were sealed, one hundred and forty-four thousand sealed from every tribe of the sons of Israel:
Not all of God’s Elect will be caught up into the clouds of the first rapture. 144,000 bond-servants (12,000 from each of the twelve tribes of Israel) will remain behind to preach the Gospel to the peoples and nations of the earth.
Daniel 12:11, 12
Daniel 12:11, 12
“From the time that the regular sacrifice is abolished and the abomination of desolation is set up, there will be 1,290 days. How blessed is he who keeps waiting and attains to the 1,335 days!”
Revelation 11:3
“And I will grant authority to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy for twelve hundred and sixty days, clothed in sackcloth.”
Revelation 11:7
When they have finished their testimony, the beast that comes up out of the abyss will make war with them, and overcome them and kill them.
Revelation 11:11,12
But after the three and a half days, the breath of life from God came into them, and they stood on their feet; and great fear fell upon those who were watching them. And they heard a loud voice from heaven saying to them, “Come up here.” Then they went up into heaven in the cloud, and their enemies watched them.
In addition to the 144,000 bond-servants there will be two witnesses who will begin prophesying at the start of the tribulation (on the Rosh Hashanah of the first rapture). 1,260 days later the two witnesses will be killed and the abomination of desolation is set up.
Three and a half days later the Lord will call the two witnesses up into heaven along with “the clouds” which symbolize the Elect or all those who have been born again of the Spirit during the first 3 ½ years of the tribulation.
This event would once again open of the Gates of Heaven which will close on Shavuot (Pentecost) 1,335 days after the Rosh Hashanah that began the tribulation.
So the second rapture will take place between the 1,290 days (when the Gates of Heaven will again be opened) and the 1,335 days (when the Gates of Heaven will again be closed).
Luke 13:29, 30
“And I will grant authority to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy for twelve hundred and sixty days, clothed in sackcloth.”
Revelation 11:7
When they have finished their testimony, the beast that comes up out of the abyss will make war with them, and overcome them and kill them.
Revelation 11:11,12
But after the three and a half days, the breath of life from God came into them, and they stood on their feet; and great fear fell upon those who were watching them. And they heard a loud voice from heaven saying to them, “Come up here.” Then they went up into heaven in the cloud, and their enemies watched them.
In addition to the 144,000 bond-servants there will be two witnesses who will begin prophesying at the start of the tribulation (on the Rosh Hashanah of the first rapture). 1,260 days later the two witnesses will be killed and the abomination of desolation is set up.
Three and a half days later the Lord will call the two witnesses up into heaven along with “the clouds” which symbolize the Elect or all those who have been born again of the Spirit during the first 3 ½ years of the tribulation.
This event would once again open of the Gates of Heaven which will close on Shavuot (Pentecost) 1,335 days after the Rosh Hashanah that began the tribulation.
So the second rapture will take place between the 1,290 days (when the Gates of Heaven will again be opened) and the 1,335 days (when the Gates of Heaven will again be closed).
Luke 13:29, 30
“And they will come from east and west and from north and south, and will recline at the table in the kingdom of God. And behold, some are last who will be first and some are first who will be last.”
On Shavuot (day 1,335) the 144,000, who were the first to be sealed, will be the last to be caught up into the clouds - the last will be first and the first will be last.
From this point forward the great tribulation will take place. And anyone who becomes a believer and is born again of the Spirit during this time will have to remain on the earth until Jesus returns in His glory with the clouds of heaven (the Elect) on Yom Kippur 3 ½ years later.
Revelation 1:7
BEHOLD, HE IS COMING WITH THE CLOUDS, and every eye will see Him, even those who pierced Him; and all the tribes of the earth will mourn over Him. So it is to be. Amen.
So…
In which Rapture will you be caught up into the clouds?
