Summary of Bible references on the Rapture

Interesting linkage of the raising of Lazarus with Eleazar getting a bride for the Lord and how this must happen before the passover because the Passover is when Jews crown a king. The rapture must take place before the crowning of the king.

John 12 says that they eat in Bethany 6 days before Passover and after Lazarus has been raised, so we know that Lazarus was raised more than six days before Passover, but other than that we don't know much.

He tells us he must wait 4 days. 2017 was the end of the six thousand years, it was the 120th jubilee and yet the Lord needs to wait 4 years before the rapture.

The number six ties in with the wedding of Cana and those six water pots were for the purification of a woman who is giving birth so we are reminded that we have a wedding and a birth.

A lot of different pieces coming into focus. Please note, if the return must come at the appointed day referring to the full moon and it must take place before Passover then it must take place March 18th.

We have had worldwide events before, but nothing like the battle to deal with the Pandemic.

When Jesus was crucified they arrayed him with a crown of thorns to mock Him because Passover is when the king is crowned.

Satan was trying to provoke the wrath of God. Imagine if God had lashed out at that moment and destroyed all humans. Satan already knows he has been judged, there is no avoiding that, but he wants to take as many people with him as he can. If God had to judge every single person then Satan would see that as a victory.

So instead we have the grace of God for two years in which we are able to separate out those who are one with Satan with those who love the Lord. Yes the soldiers mocked Jesus but that doesn't mean every single person on Earth was one with them.

I will be breaking this down today, however, one point I enjoyed was that both Elijah and Enoch knew when they were going to be raptured, Noah knew when to get in the boat and even Lot was warned to get out of the city before the fire fell. My son was upset with the humanitarian crisis in Ukraine with people who cannot flee. I told him I started a thread on this forum on December 1st titled "Russia preparing for War" based on statements made by Anthony Blinken. My point is that the warnings were there 3 months before Russia attacked, anyone could have fled prior to the attack if they had heeded the warnings. Too many think that this is something that if they don't agree with the warning then it won't happen. If you are fleeing now you could have fled 3 months ago, 2 months ago, 1 month ago and even 1 week before the attack. You chose not to because you chose to ignore the warnings.

What is the purpose of these Bible studies? If you think they are so you can know when the rapture is you are greatly mistaken. I was a science teacher in HS and every year there was a statewide exam at the end of the year. There were teachers that would post a countdown to the date and every day the kids would see that they had 40 days, or 39, or 38, etc. I never did that.

Obviously knowing the date of the exam is important, but it isn't that important. Instead of everyday spending 30 seconds on this trivial stuff why not spend the 30 seconds reviewing the key concepts that everyone needs to know -- the royal law, treat others with mercy, confess that Jesus is Lord, spend time with Him everyday and Listen to what He tells you.

I believe that God and the Lord have left this mystery for us because it has caused us to dive deeper into the word and to appreciate the word even more.

Back to my analogy, I would much rather have a kid who is well prepared for the exam, but only learns a few days before the exam when it is than to have a kid who has been hit with the date and time for the last two months only to show up and know nothing and fail the exam.

He gives a completely new view of Noah. Suppose Jesus and the church has been in the ark since the time of the early church and the waters signifies the people slowly filling up the Earth and covering the whole earth.

In that view when God remembers Noah and sends His holy breath, the spirit, to blow across th waters that would be the rapture. From that time the water begins to assuage, which is what we see in Revelation, a fourth of the people die, and then a third of the people die. Then God removes the covering of the ark -- Jesus returns for all to see and Noah steps out onto the land during the millenial reign.

So one of the big points is from

Ecclesiastes 3:15 That which is hath been long ago; and that which is to be hath long ago been: and God seeketh again that which is passed away.

He applies this to many stories concerning the rapture and the gospel.

John 12:1 Jesus therefore six days before the passover came to Bethany, where Lazarus was, whom Jesus raised from the dead. 2 So they made him a supper there: and Martha served; but Lazarus was one of them that sat at meat with him. 3 Mary therefore took a pound of ointment of pure nard, very precious, and anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped his feet with her hair: and the house was filled with the odor of the ointment.

Imagine that Lazarus being raised is the pre tribulation rapture. Then in this picture the Passover will be the return of Christ as the King. When He comes on the cloud and every knee shall bow. Six days before this, or six years we will be one year into the tribulation and at that time the believers who are on earth will pour out the costly oil onto the Lord -- you will see a great revival, great salvation, precious testimony.

9 The common people therefore of the Jews learned that he was there: and they came, not for Jesus’ sake only, but that they might see Lazarus also, whom he had raised from the dead. 10 But the chief priests took counsel that they might put Lazarus also to death; 11 because that by reason of him many of the Jews went away, and believed on Jesus.

Then what happens, they tried to say you can't buy or sell without the mark and they walked away from the economy ("why this waste") but now they take counsel on how to kill them. You just had the rapture and yet now you want to decapitate the believers like that will help? But this is spiritual warfare and the elites who are one with Satan realize the whole world is being converted and saved and they must do something!

Dr. Barry sees 2 key points with Passover

The two key points are that the Jews are to set a place for Elijah to show up and open the door. We know that Elijah is very likely one of the two witnesses that shows up during the tribulation, so the idea that he first appears during Passover is surely very important.

The second key point is that God made four promises to the children of Israel that will be fulfilled at Passover, and the fourth has not yet been fulfilled for the believers, bringing us into the good land.

I think this is why he sees Passover as a good date for the rapture, but I disagree with that conclusion.

1. Mark begins with the ministry of John the Baptist who is "Elijah who is to come if you are able to receive it". So that gospel begins with Elijah preaching a gospel of repentance. That would be what would happen after the rapture. I see the three synoptic gospels as referring to three groups -- Luke to those who are raptured first, Mark to those who are raptured in the tribulation and Matthew to the nation of Israel.

2. It is too much to say that the first rapture would be the fulfillment of the promise concerning the Passover because there are still believers who would not have entered in yet.

A little on the timeline --

1. Pre Tribulation rapture takes place in March during two week period 18th/19th on full moon up to the new moon.

2. Elijah shows up on Passover

3. The Christians who are left behind are now left to wander in the wilderness and buy the oil from the two witnesses.

4. 9th of AV we see the Antichrist rise up to propose they confirm the covenant with the many. This would also mean that Russia in the Gog/Magog war would be defeated around this time.

5. They confirm the covenant on Feast of Trumpets and the seven year tribulation begins. This gives you six months from the rapture to the start of the tribulation.

This is a rough consensus among the various watchmen -- for the most part they agree that tribulation begins on Feast of trumpets, pretribulation rapture occurs about six months beforehand, two witnesses show up shortly after that, Gog/Magog war takes place and 9th of AV would be best time for AntiChrist to stand up.

Dr. Barry Awe does a nice little blurb on how Eve was taken out of Adam's side and that this ties in with the Passover. No issue with that, the church was taken from the Lord's side at the Passover and that rib is what the church was built out of. That is a standard NT teaching, but the fact the rib was taken from Adam on Passover would not in any way imply that she was brought to Adam on Passover.

I would say that when he compares Adam and Eve being kicked out of the garden of Eden to the rapture when the Spirit leaves that he is grasping at straws.

Passover accounts

This video provides many, many passover accounts and they are all very helpful. I would just point out several things -- they do appear prophetic concerning God's people but not the pretribulation rapture but rather the ultimate rescue of God's people and the ultimate start of the great tribulation. For example he likens Lot to being rescued on Passover. That looks much more like the rescue of believers right before the fire of the wrath of God falls. He also likens the account of Cain and Abel and again that looks to me like the killing of believers during the tribulation and then the start of the great tribulation.

187

Wow, very interesting!!

It is always 187 days from Nisan 1 to Feast of Trumpets. It seems the rapture may also be 187 days before the tribulation based on the story in Esther as well as the story of the Queen of Sheba.

So Enoch is raptured first, then Methuselah means "his death shall bring" and Jesus death brought the flood. Then Lamech means despairing and he lives for 187 years.

OK, so Metushelah is 187 when he has Lamech and Lamech lives for 777 years +5 when the flood came, so he was 782 (this is the year 782 on Jewish calendar). It was 782 years after the desparing were born that the flood came.

These prophecies clearly are a reference to the beginning of the flood and yet the number 187 is tied to "the despairing". Think about that, how will those left behind feel, no doubt despairing.

What a plan! In august Russia makes this agreement but doesn't roll it out until the US first debanks them from the system. China and ME nations are already on board, but imagine how other countries like India and Indonesia feel after having seen what the US did to Russia. So now they start buying oil with gold and create a brand new currency with the gold standard after having seized the gold from Ukraine.

Of course this will require Russia to put their military in the ME to control the ME.

Gog/Magog war here we come.

Concluding thoughts concerning the Passover

Our Christian life begins with the Passover, with the Cross of Christ, with his redeeming sacrifice. Yes, you can see death and resurrection in this but that is true of our everything in our Christian life. The Christian life is a narrow road that leads to life, it begins with the Passover, that is the on ramp, that is not the end of the road it is the beginning.

12 Now the Lord had said to Abram:

“Get out of your country,
From your family
And from your father’s house,
To a land that I will show you.

This was the first blessing of the covenant God made with Abraham. Again, this is not the end, it is the beginning. This is the story of Passover.

2 I will make you a great nation;

How did Israel become a great nation? They received the books of Moses. How did the church become a great nation? They received the fellowship of the apostles.

I will bless you

Israel was blessed with the good land, the church was blessed with Jesus Christ as our good land.

And make your name great;

Israel is "prince of God", Abraham is "father of faith", God makes our name great by transforming us into precious stones through the process of sanctification. David's name was made great when he slew Goliath. This is like the 9th of AV for the church, it was an opportunity to make your name great, Caleb and Joshua met that challenge while the other ten spies failed. But it is a blessing of faith.

And you shall be a blessing.

This is the blessing of the 15th of AV. For 40 years they wandered in the desert until all those who had cried to God that they wished they had died in the wilderness had died. But now the word for this next generation is that you will be a blessing. You will be the generation that reverses the curse and enters the good land.

3 I will bless those who bless you,
And I will curse him who curses you;

The history of Israel is filled with these battles, attacks, and testimonies of those who blessed the people of God were blessed while those who tried to curse them were cursed.

And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”

But this is the end of the road. Jesus said when you see Him you see the Father. In each blessing we are conformed more and more to the image of Jesus Christ. This is what it means when Adam saw Eve and said "this is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh". This final blessing shows that we have been conformed to the image of Jesus to the point that we express the Father. We see this in the book of Esther. The book of Esther shows how the people of God can be a blessing to the nations. Likewise the story of Joseph is a story of God's people being a blessing to the nations.

Enoch was a type of the pre tribulation rapture, he "walked with God and he was no more". In other words he spent time with God, was transformed into His image, and was raptured. Esther is also a type of the rapture before the tribulation, before the evil Haman tries to kill all the people of God. When we read Esther we see what it means for Noah's ark to rest on the mountains. Our Christian life is like us being in the Ark with Jesus, in the church. It is a wild ride but as long as we stay in the Ark we are safe. But before the Antichrist is released on the 9th of AV typified by the raven the ark comes to rest on the mountain tops. Esther gives us a picture of the mountain top.

So I say all of this to give a remark on Passover. Yes, you can see death and resurrection in Passover, but what you really see is a new beginning. After the pre tribulation rapture, sure, the saints left behind will be devastated and chastened. But then they will have a new beginning. The two witnesses will be given to them and just like Jesus' earthly ministry beginning with the preaching of John the Baptist we will see a 3 1/2 year period of ministry that is every bit as glorious also beginning with this word to confess, repent, and to leave this land that you are in ruled by Pharaoh to a land that the Lord will show you.

This is why I think the rapture should precede the Passover. Would it be the last day of the year, or would it be the last full moon of the year, I can see both being plausible. However, the last full moon of the year is also the feast of Purim and it seems to me that the pre tribulation rapture will be the saints who are expressing Jesus Christ. These are the saints that in them the whole world is blessed.

The rapture will be a blessing to the whole earth

The rapture of the saints will be the biggest help to those who are unbelieving or backsliding. It will result in the world repenting and turning to the Lord. This is the fulfillment of the blessings of the covenant to Abraham, the father of faith.

Let's go through these verses in reverse order

John 14:1 Let not your heart be troubled: believe in God, believe also in me. 2 In my Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you. 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I come again, and will receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also. 4 And whither I go, ye know the way. 5 Thomas saith unto him, Lord, we know not whither thou goest; how know we the way? 6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, and the truth, and the life: no one cometh unto the Father, but by me. 7 If ye had known me, ye would have known my Father also: from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him. 8 Philip saith unto him, Lord, show us the Father, and it sufficeth us. 9 Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and dost thou not know me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; how sayest thou, Show us the Father? 10 Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I say unto you I speak not from myself: but the Father abiding in me doeth his works. 11 Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father in me: or else believe me for the very works’ sake. 12 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto the Father. 13 And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.

1. The goal is that the father would be glorified in the son.

2. Whatever we ask in the name of Jesus He will do so that the father would be glorified.

3. We will do the works that Jesus did and greater works shall he do and this is because Jesus has gone to the Father.

4. The goal is that we would believe that Jesus is in the Father. If you can't do that at the very least you can believe because of the works that you see.

5. If you have seen Jesus you have seen the father, if you know Jesus you have known the Father.

6. Jesus is the only way to the father, He is the way, the truth and the life.

7. Jesus is going to the Father, he has already shown us the way.

8. For the last two thousand years Jesus has prepared a place for us in Heaven in the Father's house, he promises to return and bring us to where He is. This is the rapture.

9. He tells us this so that we would not be troubled, we believe in God we need to also believe in Jesus.

Think of Jesus as the guy who jumps out of the helicopter to rescue those who are drowning in the ocean. You believe in Him and He in turn lifts you up into the Helicopter typifying Heaven and God. You see God doing these rescues, soon you also will be able to do them and even more. Why? Because all those guys who are rescued and lifted up into the helicopter will become an army.

I have a great deal of respect for this brother's messages.