Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ,
With the world situation seemingly growing worse by the day, not to mention the moral decline and decay of the United States, there is much conversation about how near the Rapture is to being fulfilled. The English word “rapture” comes from the Latin word “raptura,” which refers to the Greek work “harpazo,” which means “to remove suddenly or snatch away.”
There are schools of doctrine or thought about the Rapture’s timing as compared to Daniel’s 70th week, aslo known as the “Tribulation.” The schools are “Pre-Tribulation,” “Mid-Tribulation” or “Post-Tribulation.” The Scriptures are clear about the timing. We’ve learned the Book of Genesis has “types and shadows” of everything to come in the rest of the Scriptures. One such type and shadow is Noah’s flood. We all know the story. There were three groups of people associated with the flood: those that perished in the flood, those that were preserved through the flood (Noah and family), and those that were removed prior to the flood (Enoch). Which group do you think represents the Church of the Rapture? We’ll answer this question in later messages concerning the Tribulation topic.
I’m not going to go in-depth in this and successive messages speaking to the topic of The Tribulation. As I’ve always maintained, I’ll give you enough to make the point, but you will need to study it diligently on your own to complete the details. The Holy Spirit will lead and guide you if you are open to His leading and to His correction. Each week we’ll deal with one or two points, Scripturally based, that support which tribulational time period the Church will be Raptured. I won’t necessarily deal with the time periods in order. I will move back and forth between them.
There are a variety of warnings from God to the Church in the New Testament Epistles; however, none of the warnings instruct Believers to prepare for entering and enduring the tribulation. The vigorous warnings are directed against:
Scriptural error and false prophets (Acts 20:29-30; II Peter 2:1; I John 4:1-3; Jude 4)
Ungodly living (Ephesians 4:25-5:7; I Thessalonians 4:3-8; Hebrews 12:1)
Enduring in the midst of present tribulation (I Thessalonians 2:13-14; II Thessalonians 1:4; I Peter 1)
There is complete silence on the preparation of the Church to go through any part of the Tribulation found in Revelation chapters 4 – 19. If the Church were to go through the Tribulation, the writers of the New Testament Epistles would clearly teach the Church is going through the Tribulation, the purpose of the Church in the Tribulation, and the conduct of the Church in the Tribulation. God has not left His Children exposed to the dangers of a Tribulation if the Church were destined to go through it.
Revelation chapters 4-19 deal with Daniel’s Seventieth Week. In these chapters, there is no mention of the “ekklesia,” the Church. However, in Revelation chapters 1-3 and in chapter 22:16, the “ekklesia” is mentioned 20 times, 19 times in Revelation 1-3 and one time in Revelation 22:16. This is before and after the Tribulation. There is a conspicuous absence of the Church during the Tribulation on earth. We have to then ask ourselves why John would suddenly go from detailed instructions for the Church in the first three chapters, then to complete silence for the next 16 chapters? Might this mean something? Notice John moves from speaking of the Church in the first three chapters to addressing the Jewish remnant that will be God’s instrument during the Tribulation on earth – not the Church. John addresses the 144,000 Jews from the 12 tribes of Israel in Revelation 7 and 14. Not only does he address the 144,ooo, but John also addresses the woman who gives birth to the male child in Revelation 12:1-13, which is Israel. So, in the 16 chapters speaking to the Tribulation, it is only the Jewish remnant and the nation of Israel that are addressed. Where is the Church during this time period? One thing we must keep in mind is God does not use Israel or the Church at the same time as the human channel for redemptive Truth. God used Israel up until Acts, then He set aside Israel and is using the Church. This adds to the drama of when the Church is going to experience the Rapture?
We’ll continue next week looking into more Scripture that defines the exit, or the Rapture of the Church.
“You can form a world within this world with your words.” Jerry Savelle.
Blessings,
Larry