Bible Talk > Eschatology
When will the Rapture occur?
pilgrim:
When will the Rapture occur, before or after the Second Advent?
In His grace
pilgrim
Bob:
Before.
pilgrim:
You are correct Bob on a very important doctrine.
Some say we do not know how long the time period is after the rapture before the tribulation begins, and others that it is not important. But a study of that time is very important. Why should the Lord's people not be encouraged by the knowledge that we will be spared the carnage and persecution by the Anti-Christ during the tribulation? We can learn many things that transpire at the time of that transition. There was the Apostles counsel in Jerusalem to settle some issues raised by Pharisees that were causing confusion in the Jewish church, as well as in Gentile churches later established by Paul.
At that counsel James says that at this present time God is taking out of the Gentiles a people for His name. And then adds, “After this,” God will begin the rebuilding of David’s kingdom which has fallen down. Paul says the same thing in Rom. 11:25-26 that blindness in part has happened to Israel “until,” the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. Meaning this present age that ends with the rapture, and “then” all Israel will be saved.
Of course the “all” is the 1/3 of Zech. 13:8-9 that will survive the tribulation. When Paul says then “all Israel” will be saved, he is continuing his remarks from Rom. 11:5 where he speaks of even at that time a remnant is being saved, but then, after the fullness of the Gentiles has come in through the church at the rapture, all Israel will be saved.
Here it is plain that God intends to bring the church and present Dispensation of Grace to a conclusion before the beginning of the re-establishment of the kingdom of Israel. That time of rebuilding the kingdom of David is identical to Daniel’s 70th week and the 7 years tribulation period will begin immediately after the rapture. At the council in Jerusalem in AD 50 after Paul has enlightened the apostles (Gal. 2:2, 7-8) what James tells the Apostles was, and I quote here for the convenience of the reader:
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Simon has declared how God at the first visited the Gentiles to take out of them a people for His name. “And with this the words of the prophets agree, just as it is written:
‘After this I will return and rebuild the tabernacle of David which has fallen down. I will rebuild its ruins, and I will set it up, so that the rest of mankind may seek the Lord. Even all the Gentiles who are called by My name, Says the ‘Lord who does all these things’ (Acts 15:14-18).
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At that meeting it is also plain that James makes a clear distinction between Israel and the church program; a different good news; Paul's gospel.
Since the rapture was unknown before being revealed to Paul, nothing is said about it by the Lord or His apostles. Consequently, we learn more about the time of the rapture by understanding the time of the beginning of the Day of The Lord; the beginning of the tribulation of which much is said by the Lord and the apostles. And as James said, the taking out of the Gentiles, or rapture takes place immediately precedes the tribulation.
It is the same time (the tribulation and Daniels 70th week) that the Lord mentioned when He said of the third offer of the kingdom “this gospel of the kingdom will preached to all the world and then the end will come” (Matt. 24:14).
Thanks again for your input Bob
In His grace
pilgrim
Proa42:
ANSWER SIMPLIFIED: Revelation 14:15 (King James Version) And another angel came out of the temple, crying with a loud voice to him that sat on the cloud, Thrust in thy sickle, and reap: for the time is come for thee to reap; for the harvest of the earth is ripe.
Matthew 24:30
And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.
VCO:
Is the Calling Out of the Bride (or Rapture) going to come first or is it the Second Coming?
I apologize that this will be a long reply, so I will break it up into segments:
The rapture (which is the Calling Out of the Bride the Church to go to the Wedding of the Lamb in the New Dwelling Place that HE has prepared for us), has to happen before the Second Coming. The Second Coming is when HE reclaims the earth, slaying all unbelievers with the sword of HIS mouth; and then sets up HIS Thousand Year Kingdom, ruling from the Throne of David. That event happens so slowly that the Armies of the World have time to move their troops to Valley of Megiddo, also know as Armagedon, before Christ actually sets foot on earth at the Mt. of Olives, Zech 14:3-4, Rev. 16:12-16, & Rev. 19:1-21. While in comparison, the Calling Out of the Bride happens so fast that it is compared to lightning flashing from the east to the west, plus at that time Christ does not set foot on earth, He only APPEARS in the air in the clouds.
Matthew 24:27 (NASB)
27 "For just as the lightning comes from the east and flashes even to the west, so will the coming of the Son of Man be.
Titus 2:13 (HCSB)
13 while we wait for the blessed hope and appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ.
The main reason the Calling Out of the Bride has to come first is in this Verse:
Mark 13:32 (NKJV)
32 "But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.
That cannot be talking about The Second Coming when HE comes as KING of Kings; but rather when HE appears in the clouds as Our Bridegroom to Call out HIS Bride to go to HIS and Her Wedding; because the Days of the Antichrist’s reign are numbered and he will reign for 3 and a half years peacefully, followed by 3 and a half years of being the most blood thirsty Dictator that has ever lived.
The understanding of why the Calling out of the Bride the Church has to happen first is found in understanding the Jewish Wedding Traditions at the time of Christ. Most of the info that I have on the Jewish Wedding Traditions, comes from the late Dr. Zola Levitt. I pray this will be helpful:
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