The Rapture of the Church is after the Tribulation
04Oct
Here is a simple timeline chart of the 7 year Tribulation followed immediately by the “year of recompense” when the wrath of God is poured out. Since most prophecy teachers understand there is a time of wrath associated with these end days the phrase “year of wrath” will be used to distinguish this time from the 7 years of tribulation as will be proven with hundreds of scriptures below:
This timeline is posted several other places below to help visualize the resurrection/rapture after the 7 years of tribulation as more scriptural proofs are read.
I was raised believing the rapture would take place before the tribulation. It was not until I was 40 years old that our heavenly Father began showing me through His Holy Spirit the truth of His Word about the timing of the Rapture:
John 14:26 But the Comforter, even the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said unto you.
There are many different views on the timing of the rapture but our Father’s Word only teaches one truth. So let’s use Father’s prescribed method for understanding His concealed message:
Isaiah 28:9-10 Whom will he teach knowledge? and whom will he make to understand the message? them that are weaned from the milk, and drawn from the breasts? (10) For it is precept upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, there a little.
Proverbs 25:2 It is the glory of God to conceala thing; But the glory of kings is to search out a matter.
So let’s pull some precepts together from “here a little and there a little” to determine who the “church saints” are:
1 Corinthians 1:2 Unto the church of God which is at Corinth, eventhem that are sanctified in Christ Jesus, calledto besaints, with all that call upon the name of Jesus Christ in every place, their Lord and ours:
From 1 Corinthians 1:2 we can conclude that all those sanctified in Christ Jesus are called saints and are the church of God:
Romans 10:12-13 For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek(Gentile): for the same Lord is Lord of all, and is rich unto all that call upon him: (13) for, Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.
Galatians 3:28-29 There can be neither Jew nor Greek(Gentile), there can be neither bond nor free, there can be no male and female; for ye all are one man in Christ Jesus. (29) And if ye are Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, heirs according to promise.
Colossians 3:11-12 where there cannot be Greek(Gentile)and Jew, circumcision and uncircumcision, barbarian, Scythian, bondman, freeman; but Christ is all, and in all. (12) Put on therefore, as God’s elect, holy and beloved, a heart of compassion, kindness, lowliness, meekness, longsuffering;
From those 3 passages we can conclude that all distinctions between the Jew and Greek(Gentile) are erased as believing “saints” for we are one body in Christ Jesus, are Abraham’s seed, and therefore God’s “elect”:
1 Peter 1:1-2 Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to the elect who are sojourners of the Dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, (2) according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace to you and peace be multiplied.
2 Timothy 2:10 Therefore I endure all things for the elect’s sake, that they also may obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory.
As Abraham’s seed, this “elect” body of “saints” have been chosen from the foundation of the world as ONE spiritual house, ONE holy nation, ONE flock, and ONE body of Christ:
Ephesians 1:3-11 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ: (4) even as he chose(elected)us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blemish before him in love: (5) having foreordained us unto adoption as sons through Jesus Christ unto himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, (6) to the praise of the glory of his grace, which he freely bestowed on us in the Beloved: (7) in whom we have our redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, (8) which he made to abound toward us in all wisdom and prudence, (9) making known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he purposed in him (10) unto a dispensation of the fulness of the times, to sum up allthingsin Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him: (11) in whom also we were made a heritage, having been foreordained according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his will;
1 Peter 2:1-10 Putting away therefore all wickedness, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speakings, (2) as newborn babes, long for the spiritual milk which is without guile, that ye may grow thereby unto salvation; (3) if ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious: (4) unto whom coming, a living stone, rejected indeed of men, but with God elect, precious, (5) ye also, as living stones, are built up a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. (6) Because it is contained in scripture, Behold, I lay in Zion a chief corner stone, elect, precious: And he that believeth on him shall not be put to shame. (7) For you therefore that believe is the preciousness: but for such as disbelieve, The stone which the builders rejected, The same was made the head of the corner; (8) and, A stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence; for they stumble at the word, being disobedient: whereunto also they were appointed. (9) But ye are an elect race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, that ye may show forth the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvellous light: (10) who in time past were no people, but now are the people of God: who had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.
John 10:16 And other sheep(elect Gentiles) I have, which are not of this fold(elect Jews): them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice: and they shall become one flock, one shepherd.
John 11:51-52 Now this he said not of himself: but, being high priest that year, he prophesied that Jesus should die for the nation; (52) and not for the nation only, but that he might also gather together into one the children of God that are scattered abroad.
So the scriptures have established that the church is made up of saved Jews and Gentiles as one body of “saints” in Christ who are the “elect” from the foundation of the world:
1 Peter 1:1-5 Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to the elect who are sojourners of the Dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, (2) according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace to you and peace be multiplied. (3) Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to his great mercy begat us again unto a living hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, (4) unto an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, (5) who by the power of God are guarded through faith unto a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.
This ONE body of “saints” will be gathered together in the clouds as HIS “elect” from the utter most parts of heaven to the uttermost parts of the earth in the rapture/resurrection after the tribulation:
Matthew 24:29-31 But immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun shall be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken: (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 on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. (31) And he shall send forth his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven(those resurrected) to the other(those raptured).
Mark 13:24-27 But in those days, after that tribulation, the sun shall be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, (25) and the stars shall be falling from heaven, and the powers that are in the heavens shall be shaken. (26) And then shall they see the Son of man coming in clouds with great power and glory. (27) And then shall he send forth the angels, and shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from the uttermost part of the earth(those raptured) to the uttermost part of heaven(those resurrected).
So “after the tribulation” the “elect” who are “the church” who are “the saints” are gathered together with Christ in the clouds with the sound of the last trumpet:
1 Corinthians 15:51-52 Behold, I tell you a mystery: We all shall not sleep, but we shall all be changed, (52) in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.
The Father is going to shorten the days of “great tribulation” for the elect’s sake clearly proving we will be here through the entire tribulation:
Matthew 24:21-24 for then shall be great tribulation, such as hath not been from the beginning of the world until now, no, nor ever shall be. (22) And except those days had been shortened, no flesh would have been saved: but for the elect’s sake those days shall be shortened. (23) Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is the Christ, or, Here; believe it not. (24) For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall show great signs and wonders; so as to lead astray, if possible, even the elect.
John was shown a great multitude of this “elect” who come out of the great tribulation from all nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues further proving that “tribulation” is a very important part of entering into the kingdom of God:
Revelation 7:9-14 After these things I saw, and behold, a great multitude, which no man could number, out of every nation and of all tribes and peoples and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, arrayed in white robes, and palms in their hands; ….. (13) And one of the elders answered, saying unto me, These that are arrayed in the white robes, who are they, and whence came they? (14) And I say unto him, My lord, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they that come out of the great tribulation, and they washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.
Acts 14:22 confirming the souls of the disciples, exhorting them to continue in the faith, and that through many tribulations we must enter into the kingdom of God.
John was in exile on the Isle of Patmos around 96 AD when he was caught up to the throne to write down what must come to pass hereafter:
Revelation 4:1 After these things I saw, and behold, a door opened in heaven, and the first voice that I heard, a voice as of a trumpet speaking with me, one saying, Come up hither, and I will show thee the things which must come to pass hereafter.
He recorded the next resurrection from 96 AD as the “first resurrection” to take place in the future:
Revelation 20:4-6 And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that had been beheaded for the testimony of Jesus, and for the word of God, and such as worshipped not the beast, neither his image, and received not the mark upon their forehead and upon their hand; and they lived, and reigned with Christ a thousand years. (5) The rest of the dead lived not until the thousand years should be finished. This is the first resurrection. (6) Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: over these the second death hath no power; but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.
This “first resurrection” includes those who worshiped not the beast, neither his image, and received not the mark upon their forehead or hand for they are blessed and holy.
We know the mark of the beast takes place during the the last half of the tribulation so this “first resurrection” must take place after the beast has established the mark:
Revelation 13:16-17 And he causeth all, the small and the great, and the rich and the poor, and the free and the bond, that there be given them a mark on their right hand, or upon their forehead; (17) and that no man should be able to buy or to sell, save he that hath the mark, even the name of the beast or the number of his name.
Now lets take a look at how Father gave us the sun, moon, and stars for signs to prove there is another year after the tribulation when the wrath of God is poured out:
Genesis 1:14-16 And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days and years: (15) and let them be for lights in the firmament of heaven to give light upon the earth: and it was so. (16) And God made the two great lights; the greater light(sun) to rule the day, and the lesser light(moon) to rule the night: he made the stars also.
1 Thessalonians 5:9 For God appointed us not unto wrath, but unto the obtaining of salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ,
Let’s go back to the Olivet discourse where Jesus gives us our first sign:
Matthew 24:29 But immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun shall be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken:
So “immediately after the tribulation” the sun and moon are darkened but this darkened sun and moon happens “before” the great and notable day of the Lord comes:
Acts 2:20 The sun shall be turned into darkness, And the moon into blood, Before the day of the Lord come, That great and notable day.
Joel 2:30-31 And I will show wonders in the heavens and in the earth: blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke. (31) The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and terrible day of Jehovah cometh.
So Jesus opens the 6th seal to show wonders in the heavens and in the earth: blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke that cause the sun and moon to darken to mark the end of the 7 years of tribulation and the beginning of “the day of the Lord” where God and His Lamb pour out their wrath:
Revelation 6:12-17 And I saw when he opened the sixth seal, and there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the whole moon became as blood; (13) and the stars of the heaven fell unto the earth, as a fig tree casteth her unripe figs when she is shaken of a great wind. (14) And the heaven was removed as a scroll when it is rolled up; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places. (15) And the kings of the earth, and the princes, and the chief captains, and the rich, and the strong, and every bondman and freeman, hid themselves in the caves and in the rocks of the mountains; (16) and they say to the mountains and to the rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb: (17) for the great day of their wrath is come; and who is able to stand?
Zephaniah 1:14-15 The great day of the Lord is near, it is near and hasteth greatly, even the voice of the day of Jehovah; the mighty man crieth there bitterly. (15) That day is a day of wrath, a day of anguish and distress, a day of wasteness and desolation, a day of darkness and gloominess, a day of clouds and thick darkness,
John, Zephaniah, Isaiah, Paul, and Peter are speaking of the exact same “day of the Lord” that is to come “after the tribulation”:
Isaiah 13:9 Behold, the day of the Lord cometh, cruel, with wrath and fierce anger; to make the land a desolation, and to destroy the sinners thereof out of it.
1 Thessalonians 5:2 For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night.
2 Peter 3:10 But the day of the Lord will come as a thief; in the which the heaven shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall be dissolved with fervent heat, and the earth and the works that are therein shall be burned up.
So lets see if we can find some more clues as to how long “the day of the Lord” is:
Jeremiah 46:10 For this is the day of the Lord GOD of hosts, a day of vengeance, that he may avenge him of his adversaries: and the sword shall devour, and it shall be satiate and made drunk with their blood: for the Lord GOD of hosts hath a sacrifice in the north country by the river Euphrates.
Isaiah 34:8 For Jehovah has a day of vengeance, the year of recompense for the cause of Zion.
Isaiah 61:2 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor, the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn;
Isaiah 63:4 For the day of vengeance was in my heart, the year of my redeemed is come.
From those 4 passages above we can conclude “the day of the Lord” is also called “the day of vengeance of our God” to proclaim “the year of the Lord’s favor” that He also declares is “the year of recompense” and the “year of His redeemed”. This is when the Lord pours out His wrath which comes after the tribulation is over and the sun and moon are darkened:
Mark 13:24-25 But in those days, after that tribulation, the sun shall be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, (25) and the stars shall be falling from heaven, and the powers that are in the heavens shall be shaken.
So “the day of the Lord” is a “year of wrath” that begins immediately after the seven years of tribulation as depicted in this timeline which is not to scale as to time:
Our Father causes the sun and moon to become darkened for the first time to announce the start of the great “year of wrath” and then a second time at the sounding of the 4th trumpet:
Revelation 8:12 And the fourth angel sounded, and the third part of the sun was smitten, and the third part of the moon, and the third part of the stars; that the third part of them should be darkened, and the day should not shine for the third part of it, and the night in like manner.
And again at the sounding of the 5th trumpet:
Revelation 9:1-2 And the fifth angel sounded, and I saw a star fall from heaven unto the earth: and to him was given the key of the bottomless pit. (2) And he opened the bottomless pit; and there arose a smoke out of the pit, as the smoke of a great furnace; and the sun and the air were darkened by reason of the smoke of the pit.
The locusts of the 5th trumpet are told not to hurt anyone sealed by God proving there will be some Christians still alive on the earth during the trumpets:
Revelation 9:3-4 And out of the smoke came forth locusts upon the earth; and power was given them, as the scorpions of the earth have power. (4) And it was said unto them that they should not hurt the grass of the earth, neither any green thing, neither any tree, but only such men as have not the seal of God on their foreheads.
For it is Christians who are sealed by God:
2 Corinthians 1:21-22 Now he that establisheth us with you in Christ, and anointed us, is God; (22) who also sealed us, and gave us the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts.
Father hid the “day of the Lord” all through His Word as “the hour and day and month and year” prophesying the last year when the ungodly shall be judged:
Revelation 9:15 And the four angels were loosed, that had been prepared for the hour and day and month and year, that they should kill the third part of men.
2 Peter 3:7 but the heavens that now are, and the earth, by the same word have been stored up for fire, being reserved against the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men.
So this great and notable day after the tribulation is a year long of wrath also called the “last day” when Jesus said He would raise up those that believe on Him:
John 6:39-40 And this is the will of him that sent me, that of all that which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up at the last day. (40) For this is the will of my Father, that every one that beholdeth the Son, and believeth on him, should have eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day.
John 6:44 No man can come to me, except the Father that sent me draw him: and I will raise him up in the last day.
John 6:54 He that eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood hath eternal life: and I will raise him up at the last day.
John 11:24 Martha saith unto him, I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day.
This is when the last trump is blown and the Lord our God will gather us as His flock up from the earth in the “last day” which we learned above is called the “year of His redeemed” and is also referred to as “that day”:
Zechariah 9:14-16 And Jehovah shall be seen over them; and his arrow shall go forth as the lightning; and the Lord Jehovah will blow the trumpet, and will go with whirlwinds of the south. (15) Jehovah of hosts will defend them; and they shall devour, and shall tread down the sling-stones; and they shall drink, and make a noise as through wine; and they shall be filled like bowls, like the corners of the altar. (16) And Jehovah their God will save them in that day as the flock of his people; for they shall be as the stones of a crown, lifted on high over his land.
Please notice the 70 weeks are decreed upon the people of God and the holy city to finish transgression, and to make an end of sins:
Daniel 9:24 Seventy weeks are decreed upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to finish transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most holy.
The 70th week finishes the transgression and ends sin in the people of God declaring who are desolate by the full end of those 70 weeks:
Daniel 9:27 And he shall make a firm covenant with many for one week(70th week): and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease; and upon the wing of abominations shall come one that maketh desolate; and even unto the full end, and that determined, shall wrath be poured out upon the desolate.
But the wrath poured out upon the desolate does not occur until after the 70th week is finished when the 6th seals declares the last day of the 7 years of tribulation with the sun and moon darkened marking the coming wrath!:
Revelation 6:12-17 And I saw when he opened the sixth seal, and there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the whole moon became as blood; (13) and the stars of the heaven fell unto the earth, as a fig tree casteth her unripe figs when she is shaken of a great wind. (14) And the heaven was removed as a scroll when it is rolled up; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places. (15) And the kings of the earth, and the princes, and the chief captains, and the rich, and the strong, and every bondman and freeman, hid themselves in the caves and in the rocks of the mountains; (16) and they say to the mountains and to the rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb: (17) for the great day of their wrath is come; and who is able to stand?
Then the 7th seal marks, with a 1/2 hour of silence on the first day of the “year of recompense” which is when the wrath is poured out beginning with the 7 trumpets!:
Revelation 8:1 & 6 And when he opened the seventh seal, there followed a silence in heaven about the space of half an hour…..(6) And the seven angels that had the seven trumpets prepared themselves to sound.
Christ’s resurrection after the cross was called the “firstfruit” which took place around 30 AD:
1 Corinthians 15:20-22 But now hath Christ been raised from the dead, the firstfruit of them that are asleep. (21) For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. (22) For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive.
Jesus ascended alone in the clouds in 30AD as the firstfruit after the first 69 weeks were finished!:
Daniel 9:26 And after the threescore and two weeks shall the anointed one(Jesus)be cut off, and shall have nothing: and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and even unto the end shall be war; desolations are determined.
Acts 1:9 And when he had said these things, as they were looking, he(Jesus)was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight.
So “Christ the firstfruit” took place in 30 AD, then they that are Christ’s at his coming “in the last day”. This is the only resurrection/rapture of the saints and “then cometh the end”:
1 Corinthians 15:23-24 But each in his own order: Christ the firstfruit; then they that are Christ’s, at his coming. (24) Then cometh the end, when he shall deliver up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have abolished all rule and all authority and power.
This “last day” resurrection/rapture cannot be 3 1/2 years into the tribulation as the midtribbers claim or 7 years before the “last day”~”year of wrath” as the pretribbers claim:
Job 14:12 So man lieth down and riseth not: Till the heaven be no more, they shall not awake, Nor be roused out of their sleep.
So the resurrection/rapture cannot happen until the “last day”~”year of wrath” after the sun is darkened and the vengeance of God begins to cause the heaven to pass away and the earth begins to be burnt up:
2 Pet.3:10 But the day of the Lord will comeas a thief; in the which the heaven shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall be dissolved with fervent heat, and the earth and the works that are therein shall be burned up.
Revelation 6:12-17 And I saw when he opened the sixth seal, and there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the whole moon became as blood; (13) and the stars of the heaven fell unto the earth, as a fig tree casteth her unripe figs when she is shaken of a great wind. (14) And the heaven was removed as a scroll when it is rolled up; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places. (15) And the kings of the earth, and the princes, and the chief captains, and the rich, and the strong, and every bondman and freeman, hid themselves in the caves and in the rocks of the mountains; (16) and they say to the mountains and to the rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb: (17) for the great day of their wrath is come; and who is able to stand?
The heaven could not pass away or the earth burn up at the beginning or even the middle of the seven years of tribulation or there would not be anybody here to experience “great tribulation”! The resurrection/rapture could only be during the last year called “the day of the Lord”.
Paul warned us as brethren to watch and be sober so that the “day of the Lord” does not overtake us as a thief:
1 Thessalonians 5:1-6 But concerning the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that aught be written unto you. (2) For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. (3) When they are saying, Peace and safety, then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall in no wise escape. (4) But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief: (5) for ye are all sons of light, and sons of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness; (6) so then let us not sleep, as do the rest, but let us watch and be sober.
Jesus also warns the church to be watchful so that He does not come upon them as a thief:
Revelation 3:1-3 And to the angel of the church in Sardis write: These things saith he that hath the seven Spirits of God, and the seven stars: I know thy works, that thou hast a name that thou livest, and thou art dead. (2) Be thou watchful, and establish the things that remain, which were ready to die: for I have found no works of thine perfected before my God. (3) Remember therefore how thou hast received and didst hear; and keep it, and repent. If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee.
We are again warned by Jesus, as His angel is showing John the bowl judgments, to watch for He will come as a thief upon those Christians who are not watching:
Revelation 16:15 (Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame.)
There are some who believe the warning to watch in Revelation chapter 16 is giving us a timing of the rapture. But when we examine all three warnings above together it becomes clear that they are pointing to the “last day”~”year of the Lord’s wrath” when He comes at the 7th and last trump:
1 Corinthians 15:51-52 Behold, I tell you a mystery: We all shall not sleep, but we shall all be changed, (52) in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.
We were given clear signs as to the timing of the 7 year tribulation and the year of wrath to follow but some will argue that Jesus said “no one knoweth”:
Mat 24:36 But of that day and hour knoweth no one, not even the angels of heaven, neither the Son, but the Father only.
Please remember that Jesus made that statement to His disciples before He ascended to the right hand of His Father:
Mark 16:19 So then the Lord Jesus, after he had spoken unto them, was received up into heaven, and sat down at the right hand of God(His Father).
It was then that Jesus received the book of Revelation from His Father of “the things which must shortly come to pass” which when studied with the book of Daniel reveals many things about the timing of Jesus’ return in the clouds for His saints:
Revelation 1:1 The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God(His Father) gave him to show unto his servants, even the things which must shortly come to pass: and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John;
While I agree that we may not be able to pinpoint the exact “day and hour” of our Lord’s rapture/resurrection, we certainly can determine the times and seasons which point to shortly after “year of wrath” begins called the “day of the Lord”:
1 Thessalonians 5:1-6 But concerning the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that aught be written unto you. (2) For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. (3) When they are saying, Peace and safety, then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall in no wise escape. (4) But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief: (5) for ye are all sons of light, and sons of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness; (6) so then let us not sleep, as do the rest, but let us watch and be sober.
Combining the many clues Father gave us in His last book of Revelation with the rest of His Word proves the 7 years of tribulation is for the saints but we are not appointed unto the year of wrath that occurs afterward:
1 Thessalonians 5:9 For God appointed us not unto wrath, but unto the obtaining of salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ,
The tribulation is a wilderness trial for the saints who come out of the world as was typed(example) by Moses leading the Jews out of Egypt for history(His~story) must repeat:
1 Corinthians 10:11 Now these things happened unto them by way of example; and they were written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the ages are come.
Ecclesiastes 1:9-10 That which hath been is that which shall be; and that which hath been done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun. (10) Is there a thing whereof it may be said, See, this is new? it hath been long ago, in the ages which were before us.
Not a physical wilderness where Moses took the physical Jews but a spiritual wilderness where we learn to come out from among the world system and all apostasy as the true church that is cleansed of all defilement of flesh:
2 Corinthians 6:17-7:1 Wherefore Come ye out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, And touch no unclean thing; And I will receive you, (18) And will be to you a Father, And ye shall be to me sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty. (7:1) Having therefore these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all defilement of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.
Ephesians 5:25-27 Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself up for it; (26) that he might sanctify it, having cleansed it by the washing of water with the word, (27) that he might present the church to himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.
It is Jesus who opens up the seals to begin the destruction of man’s life style on the earth just like Moses destroyed the lifestyle of Egypt with the plagues:
Revelation 5:9-10 And they sing a new song, saying, Worthy art thou to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and didst purchase unto God with thy blood men of every tribe, and tongue, and people, and nation, (10) and madest them to be unto our God a kingdom and priests; and they reign upon the earth.
Exodus 9:13-14 And Jehovah said unto Moses, Rise up early in the morning, and stand before Pharaoh, and say unto him, Thus saith Jehovah, the God of the Hebrews, Let my people go, that they may serve me. (14) For I will this time send all my plagues upon thy heart, and upon thy servants, and upon thy people; that thou mayest know that there is none like me in all the earth.
The plagues helped the Jews escape Egypt into their wilderness so they could be proved:
Exodus 20:20 And Moses said unto the people, Fear not: for God is come to prove you, and that his fear may be before you, that ye sin not.
So too the seals will help drive the church into their wilderness to first be proven during the tribulation to see who will obey as well:
1 Peter 4:17-19 For the time is come for judgment to begin at the house of God: and if it begin first at us, what shall be the end of them that obey not the gospel of God? (18) And if the righteous is scarcely saved, where shall the ungodly and sinner appear? (19) Wherefore let them also that suffer according to the will of God commit their souls in well-doing unto a faithful Creator.
Revelation 12:6 And the woman(church)fled into the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared of God, that there they may nourish her a thousand two hundred and threescore days.
As we have proven above the “elect” leave after the 7 years of tribulation and the sun is darkened. As the year of vengeance begins and the 7th trumpet sounds, the elect are the first harvest to take place where the Lord Jesus Christ comes in the clouds to reap His saints:
Revelation 14:12-16 Here is the patience of the saints, they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus. (13) And I heard a voice from heaven saying, Write, Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from henceforth: yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labors; for their works follow with them. (14) And I saw, and behold, a white cloud; and on the cloud I saw one sitting like unto a son of man, having on his head a golden crown, and in his hand a sharp sickle. (15) And another angel came out from the temple, crying with a great voice to him that sat on the cloud, Send forth thy sickle, and reap: for the hour to reap is come; for the harvest of the earth is ripe. (16) And he that sat on the cloud cast his sickle upon the earth; and the earth was reaped.
All a Christian has to do is study every NT passage where Jesus is coming in the clouds to prove that the ONLY rapture/resurrection is after the tribulation:
Matthew 24:29-31 Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken: (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. (31) And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven(those resurrected) to the other(those raptured).
Matthew 26:64 Jesus saith unto him, Thou hast said: nevertheless I say unto you, Henceforth ye shall see the Son of man sitting at the right hand of Power, and coming on the clouds of heaven.
Mark 13:24-27 But in those days, after that tribulation, the sun shall be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, (25) and the stars shall be falling from heaven, and the powers that are in the heavens shall be shaken. (26) And then shall they see the Son of man coming in clouds with great power and glory. (27) And then shall he send forth the angels, and shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from the uttermost part of the earth(those raptured) to the uttermost part of heaven(those resurrected).
Mark 14:62 And Jesus said, I am: and ye shall see the Son of man sitting at the right hand of Power, and coming with the clouds of heaven.
Luke 21:25-28 And there shall be signs in sun and moon and stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, in perplexity for the roaring of the sea and the billows; (26) men fainting for fear, and for expectation of the things which are coming on the world: for the powers of the heavens shall be shaken. (27) And then shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. (28) But when these things begin to come to pass, look up, and lift up your heads; because your redemption draweth nigh.
Acts 1:9-11 And when he had said these things, as they were looking, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight. (10) And while they were looking stedfastly into heaven as he went, behold two men stood by them in white apparel; (11) who also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye looking into heaven? this Jesus, who was received up from you into heaven shall so come in like manner as ye beheld him going into heaven.
1 Thessalonians 4:15-17 For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we that are alive, that are left unto the coming of the Lord, shall in no wise precede them that are fallen asleep. (16) For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven, with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first; (17) then we that are alive, that are left, shall together with them be caught up in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.
Revelation 1:7 Behold, he cometh with the clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they that pierced him; and all the tribes of the earth shall mourn over him. Even so, Amen.
Revelation 14:14-16 And I saw, and behold, a white cloud; and on the cloud I saw one sitting like unto a son of man, having on his head a golden crown, and in his hand a sharp sickle. (15) And another angel came out from the temple, crying with a great voice to him that sat on the cloud, Send forth thy sickle, and reap: for the hour to reap is come; for the harvest of the earth is ripe. (16) And he that sat on the cloud cast his sickle upon the earth; and the earth was reaped.
Those passages above in Matthew 24, Mark 13, and Luke 21 are part of the Olivet discourse where Jesus clearly proves He is coming only once in the clouds with angels and the sound of a trumpet AFTER the tribulation to receive the elect as one body of saints in Christ:
Matthew 24:3 And as he sat on the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?
Paul agrees that Jesus will come in the clouds at the last trump:
1 Thessalonians 4:15-17 For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. (16) For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: (17) Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.
The fact that every eye of all the tribes of the earth will mourn when they see Jesus coming in the clouds proves there is NO secret rapture:
Revelation 1:7 Behold, he cometh with the clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they that pierced him; and all the tribes of the earth shall mourn over him. Even so, Amen.
Everyone of those passages are clearly proving that the ONE and ONLY time Jesus is coming in the clouds to harvest the saints from the earth is AFTER the tribulation. Then at the end of the “year of wrath”, Jesus doesn’t just come to the clouds but the whole way down to the earth on a white horse with His army of saints on white horses to make war:
Revelation 19:11-15 And I saw the heaven opened; and behold, a white horse, and he that sat thereon called Faithful and True; and in righteousness he doth judge and make war. (12) And his eyes are a flame of fire, and upon his head are many diadems; and he hath a name written which no one knoweth but he himself. (13) And he is arrayed in a garment sprinkled with blood: and his name is called The Word of God. (14) And the armies which are in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and pure. (15) And out of his mouth proceedeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness of the wrath of God, the Almighty.
As we saw above, the resurrection/rapture to meet our Lord in the clouds at the 7th trump is described in Revelation 14:14-16 as the reaping of the saints off the earth leaving the wicked here to experience the great winepress of the wrath of God during the rest of the year of wrath:
Revelation 14:18-20 And another angel came out from the altar, he that hath power over fire; and he called with a great voice to him that had the sharp sickle, saying, Send forth thy sharp sickle, and gather the clusters of the vine of the earth; for her grapes are fully ripe. (19) And the angel cast his sickle into the earth, and gathered the vintage of the earth, and cast it into the winepress, the great winepress, of the wrath of God. (20) And the winepress was trodden without the city, and there came out blood from the winepress, even unto the bridles of the horses, as far as a thousand and six hundred furlongs.
Jesus begins treading upon the winepress as the 7 bowls of wrath are poured out upon the earth:
Isaiah 63:1-4 Who is this that cometh from Edom, with dyed garments from Bozrah? this that is glorious in his apparel, marching in the greatness of his strength? I that speak in righteousness, mighty to save. (2) Wherefore art thou red in thine apparel, and thy garments like him that treadeth in the winevat? (3) I have trodden the winepress alone; and of the peoples there was no man with me: yea, I trod them in mine anger, and trampled them in my wrath; and their lifeblood is sprinkled upon my garments, and I have stained all my raiment. (4) For the day of vengeance was in my heart, and the year of my redeemed is come.
Revelation 15:1 And I saw another sign in heaven, great and marvellous, seven angels having seven plagues, which are the last, for in them is finished the wrath of God.
Revelation 16:1 And I heard a great voice out of the temple, saying to the seven angels, Go ye, and pour out the seven bowls of the wrath of God into the earth.
These bowls bring unbearable pain upon all those in the kingdom of the beast:
Revelation 16:9-11 And men were scorched with great heat: and they blasphemed the name of God who hath the power over these plagues; and they repented not to give him glory. (10) And the fifth poured out his bowl upon the throne of the beast; and his kingdom was darkened; and they gnawed their tongues for pain, (11) and they blasphemed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores; and they repented not of their works.
The 6th bowl draws all the armies of the earth toward the “valley of Jehoshaphat” also called the “valley of Har-Magedon” where the winepress will be full of the wicked:
Joel 3:12-15 Let the nations bestir themselves, and come up to the valley of Jehoshaphat; for there will I sit to judge all the nations round about. (13) Put ye in the sickle; for the harvest is ripe: come, tread ye; for the winepress is full, the vats overflow; for their wickedness is great. (14) Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision! for the day of Jehovah is near in the valley of decision. (15) The sun and the moon are darkened, and the stars withdraw their shining.
Revelation 16:13-16 And I saw coming out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet, three unclean spirits, as it were frogs: (14) for they are spirits of demons, working signs; which go forth unto the kings of the whole world, to gather them together unto the war of the great day of God, the Almighty. (15) (Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame.) (16) And they gathered them together into the place which is called in Hebrew Har-Magedon.
Zechariah 14:1-3 Behold, the day of the LORD cometh, and thy spoil shall be divided in the midst of thee. (2) For I will gather all nations against Jerusalem to battle; and the city shall be taken, and the houses rifled, and the women ravished; and half of the city shall go forth into captivity, and the residue of the people shall not be cut off from the city. (3) Then shall the LORD go forth, and fight against those nations, as when he fought in the day of battle.
No where in Revelation chapter 19 is there any mention of cloud(s), trumpet(s), or angel(s) gathering saints from the earth to take them up but there is an angel gathering all the birds to feast on the flesh of the wicked:
Revelation 19:17-21 And I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the birds that fly in mid heaven, Come and be gathered together unto the great supper of God; (18) that ye may eat the flesh of kings, and the flesh of captains, and the flesh of mighty men, and the flesh of horses and of them that sit thereon, and the flesh of all men, both free and bond, and small and great. (19) And I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against him that sat upon the horse, and against his army. (20) And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought the signs in his sight, wherewith he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast and them that worshipped his image: they two were cast alive into the lake of fire that burneth with brimstone: (21) and the rest were killed with the sword of him that sat upon the horse, even the sword which came forth out of his mouth: and all the birds were filled with their flesh.
The whole world will witness the harvest of the saints and know they are the unrighteous left on the earth just as it was when God shut Noah and his family up in the ark as the flood waters destroyed the rest:
1 Peter 3:20 that aforetime were disobedient, when the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls, were saved through water:
Both the disobedient who were cut off along with the wicked will be cast into the great winepress called “the wrath of God” for they refuse to repent of their evil works no matter how much suffering they endure:
Rev 14:17-19 Another angel came out from the temple which is in heaven, he also having a sharp sickle. (18) And another angel came out from the altar, he that hath power over fire; and he called with a great voice to him that had the sharp sickle, saying, Send forth thy sharp sickle, and gather the clusters of the vine of the earth; for her grapes are fully ripe. (19) And the angel cast his sickle into the earth, and gathered the vintage of the earth, and cast it into the winepress, the great winepress, of the wrath of God.
Revelation 16:9-11 And men were scorched with great heat: and they blasphemed the name of God who hath the power over these plagues; and they repented not to give him glory. (10) And the fifth poured out his bowl upon the throne of the beast; and his kingdom was darkened; and they gnawed their tongues for pain, (11) and they blasphemed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores; and they repented not of their works.
The true church is not appointed unto this year of wrath but we must endure the 7 years of tribulation as we preach the gospel in all the world BEFORE this year of wrath commences called “the end”:
Matthew 24:13-14 But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved. (14) And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.
This wrath is God’s judgment upon the wicked who He uses to tribulate the saints to drive them out of the world just as the Jews fled Egypt into their wilderness in type. Many Christians will begin to flee into their wilderness during the first half of the tribulation of 1260 days:
Revelation 12:6 And the woman(church)fled into the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared of God, that there they may nourish her a thousand two hundred and threescore days.
Jesus clearly pointed to a time of “tribulation” before we witness the “abomination of desolation” standing in the holy place by the midst of the tribulation which then brings “great tribulation” upon the saints for the last half of 7 years:
Matthew 24:8-9, 15, & 21 But all these things are the beginning of travail. (9) Then shall they deliver you up unto tribulation, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all the nations for my name’s sake…….(15) When therefore ye see the abomination of desolation, which was spoken of through Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place (let him that readeth understand),……..(21) for then shall be great tribulation, such as hath not been from the beginning of the world until now, no, nor ever shall be.
These 7 years are two 3 1/2 year periods. The first half is depicted in Revelation chapter 12 where the crowns are on the 7 heads of the great red dragon for 1260 days:
Revelation 12:3-6 And there was seen another sign in heaven: and behold, a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his heads seven crowns. (4) And his tail draweth the third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth: and the dragon standeth before the woman that is about to be delivered, that when she is delivered he may devour her child. (5) And she was delivered of a son, a man child, who is to rule all the nations with a rod of iron: and her child was caught up unto God, and unto his throne. (6) And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared of God, that there they may nourish her a thousand two hundred and threescore days.
Then the dragon’s 7 crowned heads transfer authority to the beast’s 10 crowned horns and given authority to continue forty two months for the last half of the 7 years that Jesus called “great tribulation”:
Revelation 12:17 – 13:5 And the dragon waxed wroth with the woman, and went away to make war with the rest of her seed, that keep the commandments of God, and hold the testimony of Jesus: (13:1) and he(dragon) stood upon the sand of the sea. And I saw a beast coming up out of the sea, having ten horns and seven heads, and on his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads names of blasphemy. (2) And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard, and his feet were as the feet of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion: and the dragon gave him his power, and his throne, and great authority. (3) And I saw one of his heads as though it had been smitten unto death; and his death-stroke was healed: and the whole earth wondered after the beast; (4) and they worshipped the dragon, because he gave his authority unto the beast; and they worshipped the beast, saying, Who is like unto the beast? and who is able to war with him? (5) and there was given to him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and there was given to him authority to continue forty and two months.
Jesus pointed us back to the book of Daniel for further understanding on the abomination that makes desolate by the midst of the “shabua” which is a week of years or 7 years:
Daniel 9:27 And he shall make a firm covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease; and upon the wing of abominations shall come one that maketh desolate; and even unto the full end, and that determined, shall wrath be poured out upon the desolate.
The English word “week” as it is used in Daniel chapter 9 comes from the Hebrew word “shabua” and means “week of years” or the last 7 years:
Father will show those spiritually watching exactly what this “covenant with many” is and when it is made as it will be the sign when our 7 years of tribulation commences:
Luke 21:36 But watch ye at every season, making supplication, that ye may prevail to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.
Many pretribbers try to use Luke 21:36 to prove the church will escape the tribulation but the word “prevail” means to be counted worthy as Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego proved when they yielded up their bodies in faith rather than serve Nebachadnezzer’s gods or worship his image knowing full well the consequences of their choice. The furnace of their trial was heated 7 times hotter, which represents our 7 years of increasing tribulation, that they were preserved through for trusting in our Father and stood before the Son of God while in the furnace:
Daniel 3:1 & 16-25 Nebuchadnezzar the king made an image of gold, whose height was threescore cubits, and the breadth thereof six cubits: he set it up in the plain of Dura, in the province of Babylon…..(16) Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego answered and said to the king, O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer thee in this matter. (17) If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace; and he will deliver us out of thy hand, O king. (18) But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up. (19) Then was Nebuchadnezzar full of fury, and the form of his visage was changed against Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego: therefore he spake, and commanded that they should heat the furnace seven times more than it was wont to be heated. (20) And he commanded certain mighty men that were in his army to bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, and to cast them into the burning fiery furnace. (21) Then these men were bound in their hosen, their tunics, and their mantles, and their other garments, and were cast into the midst of the burning fiery furnace. (22) Therefore because the king’s commandment was urgent, and the furnace exceeding hot, the flame of the fire slew those men that took up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego. (23) And these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, fell down bound into the midst of the burning fiery furnace. (24) Then Nebuchadnezzar the king was astonished, and rose up in haste: he spake and said unto his counsellors, Did not we cast three men bound into the midst of the fire? They answered and said unto the king, True, O king. (25) He answered and said, Lo, I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and they have no hurt; and the aspect of the fourth is like the Son of God.
The image Nebuchadnezzar set up in the plains of Dura is a type of the image that will be set up by the midst of the tribulation:
Revelation 13:14-15 And he deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by reason of the signs which it was given him to do in the sight of the beast; saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast who hath the stroke of the sword and lived. (15) And it was given unto him to give breath to it, even to the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as should not worship the image of the beast should be killed.
For more understanding on the “image of the beast” please see this link:
From the midst of the tribulation when the abomination that makes desolate is set up until the wrath of God begins to be poured out upon the desolate is 1290 days:
Daniel 12:11 And from the time that the continual burnt-offering shall be taken away, and the abomination that maketh desolate set up, there shall be a thousand and two hundred and ninety days.
This 1290 day period is called the great tribulation when great persecution comes upon the “elect” during the second half of the tribulation:
Matthew 24:21-22 for then shall be great tribulation, such as hath not been from the beginning of the world until now, no, nor ever shall be. (22) And except those days had been shortened, no flesh would have been saved: but for the elect’s sake those days shall be shortened.
Revelation 13:7 And it was given unto him(the beast)to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and there was given to him authority over every tribe and people and tongue and nation.
Our Father will shorten the great tribulation to 1290 days but promised a blessing on those who make it alive until 1335 days after the abomination of desolation is first set up. This again proves the rapture/resurrection of those such as Daniel will not happen until AFTER the tribulation during the year of wrath called the end of days:
Daniel 12:12-13 Blessed is he that waiteth, and cometh to the thousand three hundred and five and thirty days. (13) But go thou thy way till the end be; for thou shalt rest, and shalt stand in thy lot, at the end of the days.
For much more understanding on the “abomination of desolation” and the “holy place” that he desires to stand in, please see this link:
The last feast of the Jewish year was the “feast of tabernacles” which is a prophesy of the harvest of the righteous. This eight day feast begins with a holy convocation in the wilderness followed by the final holy convocation when a solemn assembly(rapture/resurrection) takes place on the 8th day:
Leviticus 23:34-36 Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, On the fifteenth day of this seventh month is the feast of tabernacles for seven days unto Jehovah. (35) On the first day shall be a holy convocation: ye shall do no servile work. (36) Seven days ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto Jehovah: on the eighth day shall be a holy convocation unto you; and ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto Jehovah: it is a solemn assembly; ye shall do no servile work.
For more understanding on who are part of this solemn assembly please see this link:
The “feast of tabernacles” is also called the “feast of ingathering” at the end of the year when the final harvest is brought in from the field:
Exodus 23:16 and the feast of harvest, the first-fruits of thy labors, which thou sowest in the field: and the feast of ingathering, at the end of the year, when thou gatherest in thy labors out of the field.
Exodus 34:22 And thou shalt observe the feast of weeks, even of the first-fruits of wheat harvest, and the feast of ingathering at the year’s end.
Jesus called the field the world:
Matthew 13:38 and the field is the world; and the good seed, these are the sons of the kingdom; and the tares are the sons of the evil one;
Jesus is letting both the wheat and the tares grow together in the world until the tribulation commences. Then 7 years of increasing tribulation will prove the wheat from the tares. The tares will be gathered up FIRST into bundles for the fires of hell:
Matthew 13:30 Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of the harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather up first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them; but gather the wheat into my barn.
When a believer dies, their soul goes to glory while their body remains on the earth:
2 Corinthians 5:6-9 Being therefore always of good courage, and knowing that, whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord (7) (for we walk by faith, not by sight); (8) we are of good courage, I say, and are willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be at home with the Lord. (9) Wherefore also we make it our aim, whether at home or absent, to be well-pleasing unto him.
Then “at the end of the world” which is the “last day” the saint’s who already died will be reunited with their resurrected bodies. Then those saints still alive on the earth will join them as one final harvest gathered from all over the world by the rapture/resurrection. This is our ONE solemn assembly out of the field and in the clouds with our savior Jesus:
Matthew 13:37-43 And he answered and said, He that soweth the good seed is the Son of man; (38) and the field is the world; and the good seed, these are the sons of the kingdom; and the tares are the sons of the evil one; (39) and the enemy that sowed them is the devil: and the harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are angels. (40) As therefore the tares are gathered up and burned with fire; so shall it be in the end of the world. (41) The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that cause stumbling, and them that do iniquity, (42) and shall cast them into the furnace of fire: there shall be the weeping and the gnashing of teeth. (43) Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He that hath ears, let him hear.
As we come out of the world we are to enter into the rest in our seven year wilderness before we enter our promised final rest on the 8th day/year:
Leviticus 23:39-43 Howbeit on the fifteenth day of the seventh month, when ye have gathered in the fruits of the land, ye shall keep the feast of Jehovah seven days: on the first day shall be a solemn rest, and on the eighth day shall be a solemn rest. (40) And ye shall take you on the first day the fruit of goodly trees, branches of palm-trees, and boughs of thick trees, and willows of the brook; and ye shall rejoice before Jehovah your God seven days. (41) And ye shall keep it a feast unto Jehovah seven days in the year: it is a statute for ever throughout your generations; ye shall keep it in the seventh month. (42) Ye shall dwell in booths seven days; all that are home-born in Israel shall dwell in booths; (43) that your generations may know that I made the children of Israel to dwell in booths, when I brought them out of the land of Egypt: I am Jehovah your God.
Nehemiah 8:18 Also day by day, from the first day unto the last day, he read in the book of the law of God. And they kept the feast seven days; and on the eighth day was a solemn assembly, according unto the ordinance.
Hebrews 4:9-11 There remaineth therefore a sabbath rest for the people of God. (10) For he that is entered into his rest hath himself also rested from his works, as God did from his. (11) Let us therefore give diligence to enter into that rest, that no man fall after the same example of disobedience.
This solemn rest on the eighth day as well as Abraham being told to circumcise the flesh on the eighth day both represent our rapture/resurrection when our corruptible flesh will be cut off as we gather in the clouds at the last trump:
Genesis 17:12 And he that is eight days old shall be circumcised among you, every male throughout your generations, he that is born in the house, or bought with money of any foreigner that is not of thy seed.
1 Corinthians 15:50-54 Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption. (51) Behold, I tell you a mystery: We all shall not sleep, but we shall all be changed, (52) in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. (53) For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. (54) But when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory.
This is when we shall be “released” from our flesh as this passage speaks in type using the last feast that, as we proved above, also represents the 7 years of tribulation:
Deuteronomy 31:10 And Moses commanded them, saying, At the end of every seven years, in the set time of the year of release, in the feast of tabernacles,
Those “booths” the Jews were told to dwell in during the feast of tabernacles in type represent our personal temple where the Holy Spirit dwells within us as we feast on the unleavened bread called the Word of God:
1 Corinthians 3:16-17 Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? (17) If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.
1 Corinthians 5:7-8 Purge out the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, even as ye are unleavened. For our passover also hath been sacrificed, even Christ: (8) wherefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.
The tribulation will prove who will be the tares that fall away in disobedience and who will be the wheat that enters the kingdom of God:
Acts 14:22 Confirming the souls of the disciples, and exhorting them to continue in the faith, and that we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God.
Paul preached that the predominately Gentile church was purposed by our Father to endure tribulations for our glory in Jesus Christ:
Ephesians 3:8-13 Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, was this grace given, to preach unto the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ; (9) and to make all men see what is the dispensation of the mystery which for ages hath been hid in God who created all things; (10) to the intent that now unto the principalities and the powers in the heavenly places might be made known through the church the manifold wisdom of God, (11) according to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord: (12) in whom we have boldness and access in confidence through our faith in him. (13) Wherefore I ask that ye may not faint at my tribulations for you, which are your glory.
Peter clearly said that the church must be the first to go through fiery trials to prove if we will obey the gospel:
1 Peter 4:12-19 Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial among you, which cometh upon you to prove you, as though a strange thing happened unto you: (13) but insomuch as ye are partakers of Christ’s sufferings, rejoice; that at the revelation of his glory also ye may rejoice with exceeding joy. (14) If ye are reproached for the name of Christ, blessed are ye; because the Spirit of glory and the Spirit of God resteth upon you. (15) For let none of you suffer as a murderer, or a thief, or an evil-doer, or as a meddler in other men’s matters: (16) but if a man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God in this name. (17) For the time is come for judgment to begin at the house of God: and if it begin first at us, what shall be the end of them that obey not the gospel of God? (18) And if the righteous is scarcely saved, where shall the ungodly and sinner appear? (19) Wherefore let them also that suffer according to the will of God commit their souls in well-doing unto a faithful Creator.
Jesus will not come back for His body until all that have been chosen from the foundation of the world are restored through repentance to a holy life without blemish as the adopted sons we were foreordained to be:
Ephesians 1:3-6 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ: (4) even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blemish before him in love: (5) having foreordained us unto adoption as sons through Jesus Christ unto himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, (6) to the praise of the glory of his grace, which he freely bestowed on us in the Beloved:
Acts 3:19-21 Repent ye therefore, and turn again, that your sins may be blotted out, that so there may come seasons of refreshing from the presence of the Lord; (20) and that he may send the Christ who hath been appointed for you, even Jesus: (21) whom the heaven must receive until the times of restoration of allthings, whereof God spake by the mouth of his holy prophets that have been from of old.
God spake by the mouth of his holy prophets all through the OT of our Messiah’s coming to be offered up for our sins whom the heavens have received until the times of restoration of all the saints:
Luke 24:44 And he said unto them, These are my words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must needs be fulfilled, which are written in the law of Moses, and the prophets, and the psalms, concerning me.
Jesus Christ’s next appearance will be to rapture/resurrect the church who wait for Him unto salvation:
Hebrews 9:28 so Christ also, having been once offered to bear the sins of many, shall appear a second time, apart from sin, to them that wait for him, unto salvation.
And yes the church includes the OT saints who were faithfully obedient:
Acts 7:37-39 This is that Moses, who said unto the children of Israel, A prophet shall God raise up unto you from among your brethren, like unto me. (38) This is he(Jesus) that was in the church in the wilderness with the angel that spake to him in the Mount Sinai, and with our fathers: who received living oracles to give unto us: (39) to whom our fathers would not be obedient, but thrust him from them, and turned back in their hearts unto Egypt,
The OT saints who lived by faith are presently waiting until all the NT saints are brought into the body of Jesus so we can all be called up as one in the rapture/resurrection:
Hebrews 11:39-40 And these all, having had witness borne to them through their faith, received not the promise, (40) God having provided some better thing concerning us, that apart from us they should not be made perfect.
Many Christians say the Jewish wedding ceremony proves a pretrib rapture but Jesus clearly proves His Father’s wedding for Him begins with the marriage feast here on earth.
Our Father sent His servants to invite the OT Jews to the marriage feast first. Many did not come to this earthly marriage feast but chose to kill some of His servants and so He destroyed those murderers and burned their city in 70 AD:
Matthew 22:1-7 And Jesus answered and spake again in parables unto them, saying, (2) The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a certain king, who made a marriage feast for his son, (3) and sent forth his servants to call them that were bidden to the marriage feast: and they would not come. (4) Again he sent forth other servants, saying, Tell them that are bidden, Behold, I have made ready my dinner; my oxen and my fatlings are killed, and all things are ready: come to the marriage feast. (5) But they made light of it, and went their ways, one to his own farm, another to his merchandise; (6) and the rest laid hold on his servants, and treated them shamefully, and killed them. (7) But the king was wroth; and he sent his armies, and destroyed those murderers, and burned their city.
Since that time our Father has been inviting both Jews and Gentiles to this same marriage feast on earth until it is full of all the guests who were called:
Matthew 22:8-14 Then saith he to his servants, The wedding is ready, but they that were bidden were not worthy. (9) Go ye therefore unto the partings of the highways, and as many as ye shall find, bid to the marriage feast. (10) And those servants went out into the highways, and gathered together all as many as they found, both bad(Gentiles) and good(Jews): and the wedding was filled with guests.
Some of the guests who are called by our Father to His Son’s marriage feast, on earth, come and partake of the feast but do not allow that Word to manifest as a “wedding garment” so they will be cast out into the outer darkness which is hell:
Matthew 22:11-14 But when the king came in to behold the guests, he saw there a man who had not on a wedding-garment: (12) and he saith unto him, Friend, how camest thou in hither not having a wedding-garment? And he was speechless. (13) Then the king said to the servants, Bind him hand and foot, and cast him out into the outer darkness; there shall be the weeping and the gnashing of teeth. (14) For many are called, but few chosen.
This “wedding garment” is to “put on of the Lord Jesus Christ”, while here on earth, learning to make no provision for our flesh so that our garment is not spotted by any sin:
Romans 13:14 But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof.
Jude 1:23 and some save, snatching them out of the fire; and on some have mercy with fear; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh.
Jesus told us to feast on the Word, that became flesh, while here on earth for it is those who have eternal life and will be raised up at the last day:
John 6:54-58 He that eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood hath eternal life: and I will raise him up at the last day. (55) For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed. (56) He that eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood abideth in me, and I in him. (57) As the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father; so he that eateth me, he also shall live because of me. (58) This is the bread which came down out of heaven: not as the fathers ate, and died; he that eateth this bread shall live for ever.
We are to continually allow Jesus to wash us with the Word until we have no spot, wrinkle, or blemish on our garment. We are to be a holy, glorious, sanctified church when He comes to present us to Himself in the clouds where He will take us to our Father in heaven:
Ephesians 5:25-27 Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself up for it; (26) that he might sanctify it, having cleansed it by the washing of water with the word, (27) that he might present the church to himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.
Jesus told us to have our loins girded with this wedding garment and our lamp burning from our feasting on His Word while on earth as we look for our Lord Jesus Christ:
Luke 12:35-36 Let your loins be girded about, and your lamps burning; (36) and be ye yourselves like unto men looking for their lord, when he shall return from the marriage feast; that, when he cometh and knocketh, they may straightway open unto him.
This continued feasting in the Word of God, while on earth, implanting it in our hearts will make us a doer of the Word and not just a hearer:
James 1:21-22 Wherefore putting away all filthiness and overflowing of wickedness, receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls. (22) But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deluding your own selves.
This will make us ready to be the bride dressed in fine linen which are the righteous acts of the saints down here on earth:
Revelation 19:7-8 Let us rejoice and be exceeding glad, and let us give the glory unto him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready. (8) And it was given unto her that she should array herself in fine linen, bright and pure: for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints.
We are to put on our wedding garment here on earth so we are ready to be bidden to the final part of the wedding called the “marriage supper of the Lamb” in heaven while the year of wrath is occurring on the earth:
Revelation 19:9 And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they that are bidden to the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are true words of God.
Those who made themselves ready through the marriage feast while watching will be those blessed servants who sit down to be served by Jesus at His marriage supper:
Luke 12:37-38 Blessed are those servants, whom the lord when he cometh shall find watching: verily I say unto you, that he shall gird himself, and make them sit down to meat, and shall come and serve them. (38) And if he shall come in the second watch, and if in the third, and find them so, blessed are those servants.
Jesus gives us some more clues hidden in Noah’s days for signs of the timing of the 7 years of tribulation and this year of wrath:
Matthew 24:37-39 But as the days of Noah were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. (38) For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark, (39) And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
God did not tell Noah when the flood was actually going to start until 7 days before:
Genesis 7:4 For yet seven days, and I will cause it to rain upon the earth forty days and forty nights; and every living substance that I have made will I destroy from off the face of the earth.
Just as was proven above in Isaiah where the Lord used one day to represent one year, in Daniel where one week represents 7 years, so it should be no surprise that our Father concealed the 7 years of tribulation in Noah’s last 7 days loading the ark:
Proverbs 25:2 It is the glory of God to conceal a thing; But the glory of kings is to search out a matter.
So the last 7 days of Noah’s time, before the flood waters began on the earth, were spent entering the physical ark with his physical family as a type of the last 7 years left for us to bring our spiritual family to the spiritual ark of Christ while enduring great tribulation:
Genesis 7:7-10 And Noah went in, and his sons, and his wife, and his sons’ wives with him, into the ark, because of the waters of the flood. (8) Of clean beasts, and of beasts that are not clean, and of fowls, and of every thing that creepeth upon the earth, (9) There went in two and two unto Noah into the ark, the male and the female, as God had commanded Noah. (10) And it came to pass after seven days, that the waters of the flood were upon the earth.
But here is a major clue: Noah did not enter into the ark for the last time until AFTER the 7 days, on the 8th day, which is the first day God began to judge the unrighteous on the earth with water when He broke up the fountains of the great deep and He opened up the windows of heaven:
Genesis 7:10-13 And it came to pass after the seven days, that the waters of the flood were upon the earth. (11) In the six hundredth year of Noah’s life, in the second month, on the seventeenth day of the month, on the same day were all the fountains of the great deep broken up, and the windows of heaven were opened. (12) And the rain was upon the earth forty days and forty nights. (13) In the selfsame day entered Noah, and Shem, and Ham, and Japheth, the sons of Noah, and Noah’s wife, and the three wives of his sons with them, into the ark;
From the time Noah entered the ark on the seventeenth day of the second month till he set foot back on the earth was a year later on the twenty seventh day of the second month:
Genesis 8:14-16 And in the second month, on the seven and twentieth day of the month, was the earth dried. (15) And God spake unto Noah, saying, (16) Go forth of the ark, thou, and thy wife, and thy sons, and thy sons’ wives with thee.
Please remember they went by lunar months in Noah’s day which were 29.6 days per month. So 12 months later would have been 355 days thus the reason God told Noah to leave the ark 10 days later on the 27th day of the second month and not the 17th day of the second month:
12 X 29.6 = 355 + 10 = 365 days or a year of wrath
It was not until 40 days into God’s wrath by water that the ark lifted off the earth as a type of the church being raptured/resurrected off the earth after our tribulation as God begins His wrath:
Genesis 7:16-18 And they that went in, went in male and female of all flesh, as God commanded him: and Jehovah shut him in. (17) And the flood was forty days upon the earth; and the waters increased, and bare up the ark, and it was lifted up above the earth. (18) And the waters prevailed, and increased greatly upon the earth; and the ark went upon the face of the waters.
The first destruction of the earth was by water but this time is by fire:
2 Peter 3:5-7 For this they wilfully forget, that there were heavens from of old, and an earth compacted out of water and amidst water, by the word of God; (6) by which means the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished: (7) but the heavens that now are, and the earth, by the same word have been stored up for fire, being reserved against the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men.
God broke up the fountains of the great deep and opened up the windows of heaven to overflow the earth with water after Noah was safely in the ark. In the last year our Father promises to begin to rain down many types of fire, break open the pit of the abyss, and overflow the earth with fire, smoke, and brimstone through the first six trumpet judgments during the year of wrath:
Revelation 8:6 -13 And the seven angels that had the seven trumpets prepared themselves to sound. (7) And the first sounded, and there followed hail and fire, mingled with blood, and they were cast upon the earth: and the third part of the earth was burnt up, and the third part of the trees was burnt up, and all green grass was burnt up. (8) And the second angel sounded, and as it were a great mountain burning with fire was cast into the sea: and the third part of the sea became blood; (9) and there died the third part of the creatures which were in the sea, even they that had life; and the third part of the ships was destroyed. (10) And the third angel sounded, and there fell from heaven a great star, burning as a torch, and it fell upon the third part of the rivers, and upon the fountains of the waters; (11) and the name of the star is called Wormwood: and the third part of the waters became wormwood; and many men died of the waters, because they were made bitter. (12) And the fourth angel sounded, and the third part of the sun was smitten, and the third part of the moon, and the third part of the stars; that the third part of them should be darkened, and the day should not shine for the third part of it, and the night in like manner. (13) And I saw, and I heard an eagle, flying in mid heaven, saying with a great voice, Woe, woe, woe, for them that dwell on the earth, by reason of the other voices of the trumpet of the three angels, who are yet to sound.
Revelation 9:1-2 And the fifth angel sounded, and I saw a star from heaven fallen unto the earth: and there was given to him the key of the pit of the abyss. (2) And he opened the pit of the abyss; and there went up a smoke out of the pit, as the smoke of a great furnace; and the sun and the air were darkened by reason of the smoke of the pit.
Revelation 9:13-18 And the sixth angel sounded, and I heard a voice from the horns of the golden altar which is before God, (14) one saying to the sixth angel that had the trumpet, Loose the four angels that are bound at the great river Euphrates. (15) And the four angels were loosed, that had been prepared for the hour and day and month and year, that they should kill the third part of men. (16) And the number of the armies of the horsemen was twice ten thousand times ten thousand: I heard the number of them. (17) And thus I saw the horses in the vision, and them that sat on them, having breastplates as of fire and of hyacinth and of brimstone: and the heads of the horses are as the heads of lions; and out of their mouths proceedeth fire and smoke and brimstone. (18) By these three plagues was the third part of men killed, by the fire and the smoke and the brimstone, which proceeded out of their mouths.
Those saints counted worthy to remain through to “the last trump” of the 7 trumpets of Revelation witness “only with their eyes” some of the wrath of God. They will rest in their spiritual ark under the pinions of our Father’s Psalms 91 promises until they are lifted up in the rapture/resurrection:
Psalms 91:1-8 He that dwelleth in the secret place of the Most High Shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. (2) I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress; My God, in whom I trust. (3) For he will deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, And from the deadly pestilence. (4) He will cover thee with his pinions, And under his wings shalt thou take refuge: His truth is a shield and a buckler. (5) Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night, Nor for the arrow that flieth by day; (6) For the pestilence that walketh in darkness, Nor for the destruction that wasteth at noonday. (7) A thousand shall fall at thy side, And ten thousand at thy right hand; But it shall not come nigh thee. (8) Only with thine eyes shalt thou behold, And see the reward of the wicked.
Revelation 11:15 And the seventh angel sounded; and there followed great voices in heaven, and they said, The kingdom of the world is become the kingdom of our Lord, and of his Christ: and he shall reign for ever and ever.
1 Corinthians 15:51-52 Behold, I tell you a mystery: We all shall not sleep, but we shall all be changed, (52) in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.
The sounding of the seventh and “last” trumpet finishes the mystery of the rapture/resurrection that Paul spoke of in 1 Corinthians chapter 15:
Revelation 10:7 but in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he is about to sound, then is finished the mystery of God, according to the good tidings which he declared to his servants the prophets.
Jesus promised us that He will not be revealed until the “days” that will be like when Noah entered the ark and the door was shut on the morning of the 8th day and the day Lot left Sodom was the day the city was destroyed by fire:
Luke 17:26-30 And as it came to pass in the days of Noah, even so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man. (27) They ate, they drank, they married, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark, and the flood came, and destroyed them all. (28) Likewise even as it came to pass in the days of Lot; they ate, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded; (29) but in the day that Lot went out from Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all: (30) after the same manner shall it be in the day that the Son of man is revealed.
Noah did not leave the ark to set foot back on the earth until after the full year of wrath was finished which as a type will be when the seven bowls will finish the wrath of God:
Revelation 15:1 And I saw another sign in heaven, great and marvellous, seven angels having seven plagues, which are the last, for in them is finished the wrath of God.
Revelation 16:1 And I heard a great voice out of the temple, saying to the seven angels, Go ye, and pour out the seven bowls of the wrath of God into the earth.
The saints will not return to the earth until after the “year of wrath” is finished by Jesus returning at His second coming to smite the nations with the sword of His mouth:
Revelation 19:11-16 And I saw the heaven opened; and behold, a white horse, and he that sat thereon called Faithful and True; and in righteousness he doth judge and make war. (12) And his eyes are a flame of fire, and upon his head are many diadems; and he hath a name written which no one knoweth but he himself. (13) And he is arrayed in a garment sprinkled with blood: and his name is called The Word of God. (14) And the armies which are in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and pure. (15) And out of his mouth proceedeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness of the wrath of God, the Almighty. (16) And he hath on his garment and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.
Isaiah 34:8 For Jehovah hath a day of vengeance, a year of recompense(year of wrath) for the cause of Zion(church).
Isaiah 63:4 For the day of vengeance was in my heart, and the year of my redeemed is come.
It is during this time where those left on the earth after the wrath is finished will repopulate the earth during the millennium:
Isaiah 24:3-6 The earth shall be utterly emptied, and utterly laid waste; for Jehovah hath spoken this word. (4) The earth mourneth and fadeth away, the world languisheth and fadeth away, the lofty people of the earth do languish. (5) The earth also is polluted under the inhabitants thereof; because they have transgressed the laws, violated the statutes, broken the everlasting covenant. (6) Therefore hath the curse devoured the earth, and they that dwell therein are found guilty: few men left.
Those “few men left” will repopulate the earth and inhabit cities that we as the saints will rule over with Jesus:
Luke 19:17 And he said unto him, Well done, thou good servant: because thou wast found faithful in a very little, have thou authority over ten cities.
Within the life of Enoch are prophesies of when Jesus would first come back to rapture His church and execute judgment upon all, and convict all the ungodly of all their works of ungodliness:
Jude 1:14-15 And to these also Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied, saying, Behold, the Lord came with ten thousands of his holy ones, (15) to execute judgment upon all, and to convict all the ungodly of all their works of ungodliness which they have ungodly wrought, and of all the hard things which ungodly sinners have spoken against him.
Enoch being the seventh generation from Adam represents the 7th day when God finished his work and rests the remainder of that day:
Genesis 2:1-4 And the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them. (2) And on the seventh day God finished his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made. (3) And God blessed the seventh day, and hallowed it; because that in it he rested from all his work which God had created and made.
Peter reminds us not to forget that one day is a thousand years thus the 7 days of creation represent 7 one thousand year millenniums:
2 Peter 3:8 But forget not this one thing, beloved, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.
Please notice that our Father called those 7 days of creation the “generations of the heavens and of the earth when they were created”:
Genesis 2:4 These are the generations of the heavens and of the earth when they were created, in the day that Jehovah God made earth and heaven.
The English word “generations” comes from the Hebrew word “towledah” and means “family history”:
Our Father was giving us a huge hint that He was going to finish His work and cut it short on the morning of the seventh millennium when He would bring the finished body of His Son home that He calls His “elect”:
Matthew 24:21-22 for then shall be great tribulation, such as hath not been from the beginning of the world until now, no, nor ever shall be. (22) Andexcept those days had been shortened, no flesh would have been saved: but for the elect’s sake those days shall be shortened.
Please notice that it will not be until after the great tribulation that will finish His “Word” which is His “work” in the morning of the 7th millennium which is the time we as the church are presently living:
Romans 9:27-28 And Isaiah crieth concerning Israel, If the number of the children of Israel be as the sand of the sea, it is the remnant that shall be saved: (28) for the Lord will execute his word upon the earth, finishing it and cutting it short.
2 Thessalonians 2:16-17 Now our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God our Father who loved us and gave us eternal comfort and good hope through grace, (17) comfort your hearts and establish them in every good work and word.
So now that we have learned that one day can represent both one year, one millennium, and a generation we can conclude that Enoch represents those who will be alive and remain and raptured up alive AFTER great tribulation:
Genesis 5:21-24 And Enoch lived sixty and five years, and begat Methuselah: (22) and Enoch walked with God after he begat Methuselah three hundred years, and begat sons and daughters: (23) and all the days of Enoch were three hundred sixty and five years: (24) and Enoch walked with God: and he was not; for God took him.
Enoch living 365 years also represents the “year of His redeemed” when Jesus first comes back in the clouds to resurrect/rapture His body. Then at the end of that same year He comes back to the earth with His army to execute judgment upon all the ungodly:
Jude 1:14-15 And to these also Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied, saying, Behold, the Lord came with ten thousands of his holy ones, (15) to execute judgment upon all, and to convict all the ungodly of all their works of ungodliness which they have ungodly wrought, and of all the hard things which ungodly sinners have spoken against him.
Just as it was not until AFTER the 7 days that Noah left the earth in his ark; we are not leaving this earth until AFTER 7 years of tribulation and the “sun shall be darkened”. “Then” and only “then” AFTER these two events does the Lord come with His angels to gather His elect from off the earth:
Mark 13:24-27 But in those days, after that tribulation, the sun shall be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, (25) And the stars of heaven shall fall, and the powers that are in heaven shall be shaken. (26) And then shall they see the Son of man coming in the clouds with great power and glory. (27) And then shall he send his angels, and shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from the uttermost part of the earth to the uttermost part of heaven.
Matthew 24:29-31 But immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun shall be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken: (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 on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. (31) And he shall send forth his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.
Paul also told us the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and our gathering together unto him would happen during “the day of the Lord” after the falling away and the “man of sin” be revealed “the son of perdition”:
2 Thessalonians 2:1-3 Now we beseech you, brethren, touching the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and our gathering together unto him; (2) to the end that ye be not quickly shaken from your mind, nor yet be troubled, either by spirit, or by word, or by epistle as from us, as that the day of the Lord is just at hand; (3) let no man beguile you in any wise: for it will not be, except the falling away come first, and the man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition,
For much more on who the “son of perdition” is please see this link:
Many pretrib rapture teachers hang their entire thesis on Revelation 4:1 with this belief that the church is not mentioned again in the book of Revelation until chapter 22:
Revelation 4:1 After these things I saw, and behold, a door opened in heaven, and the first voice that I heard, a voice as of a trumpet speaking with me, one saying, Come up hither, and I will show thee the things which must come to pass hereafter.
They try to say “the four living creatures and the four and twenty elders” are all the resurrected/raptured church but it literally says only 4 creatures and 24 elders are singing as the word “they” in verse 9 proves:
Revelation 5:8-10 And when he had taken the book, the four living creatures and the four and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having each one a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. (9) And they sing a new song, saying, Worthy art thou to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and didst purchase unto God with thy blood men of every tribe, and tongue, and people, and nation, (10) and madest them to be unto our God a kingdom and priests; and they reign upon the earth.
Jesus clearly said the spirit of Jezebel is in His church and He will throw those children of His into “great tribulation” for not repenting so that ALL the churches during the time of “great tribulation” will know that Jesus searches our hearts daily:
Revelation 2:18-23 And to the angel of the church in Thyatira write: These things saith the Son of God, who hath his eyes like a flame of fire, and his feet are like unto burnished brass: (19) I know thy works, and thy love and faith and ministry and patience, and that thy last works are more than the first. (20) But I have this against thee, that thou sufferest the woman Jezebel, who calleth herself a prophetess; and she teacheth and seduceth my servants to commit fornication, and to eat things sacrificed to idols. (21) And I gave her time that she should repent; and she willeth not to repent of her fornication. (22) Behold, I cast her into a bed, and them that commit adultery with her into great tribulation, except they repent of her works. (23) And I will kill her children with death; and all the churches shall know that I am he that searcheth the reins and hearts: and I will give unto each one of you according to your works.
Only those in the churches who overcome during their tribulation will inherit the promises of Jesus:
Revelation 2:24-29 But to you I say, to the rest that are in Thyatira, as many as have not this teaching, who know not the deep things of Satan, as they are wont to say; I cast upon you none other burden. (25) Nevertheless that which ye have, hold fast till I come. (26) And he that overcometh, and he that keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give authority over the nations: (27) and he shall rule them with a rod of iron, as the vessels of the potter are broken to shivers; as I also have received of my Father: (28) and I will give him the morning star. (29) He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith to the churches.
All of the New Testament is written directly to the “church” but the word “church” is not found in 10 books of the NT which are Mark, Luke, John, 2 Timothy, Titus, 1 Peter, 2 Peter, 1 John, 2 John, or Jude.
The word “church” is not the only word in the New Testament that describes the body of Christ as Paul often referred to the “church” as the “saints”:
1 Corinthians 1:2 unto the church of God which is at Corinth, even them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called saints, with all that call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ in every place, their Lord and ours:
All of the New Testament is written directly to the “saints” but the word “saints” is not found in 11 books of the NT which are Mark, Luke, John, Galatians, 2 Timothy, Titus, 1 Peter, 2 Peter, 1 John, 2 John, or 3 John.
But the words “church” or “churches” is used 20 times in the book of Revelation in chapters 1, 2, 3, and 22 while the word “saints” is used a total of 14 times in chapters 5, 8, 11, 13, 14, 16,17, 18, 19, 20, and 22.
Our Father is simply interchanging the words “church” and “saints” knowing it would be hard for some “saints” to understand and thus follow His message:
2 Peter 3:15-16 And account that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation; even as our beloved brother Paul also, according to the wisdom given to him, wrote unto you; (16) as also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; wherein are some things hard to be understood, which the ignorant and unstedfast wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction.
The pretrib bible teachers declare the church is “the bride of Christ” which this passage declares to be the “saints”:
Revelation 19:7-8 Let us rejoice and be exceeding glad, and let us give the glory unto him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready. (8) And it was given unto her that she should array herself in fine linen, bright and pure: for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints.
The same “saints” that the angel is warning, “if any man hath an ear, let him hear” that the beast is going to make war with the “saints” during the great tribulation:
Revelation 13:7-10 And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and there was given to him authority over every tribe and people and tongue and nation. (8) And all that dwell on the earth shall worship him, every one whose name hath not been written from the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb that hath been slain. (9) If any man hath an ear, let him hear. (10) If any man is for captivity, into captivity he goeth: if any man shall kill with the sword, with the sword must he be killed. Here is the patience and the faith of the saints.
The only other places in the bible that the phrase “hath an ear, let him hear” is used is after each letter to the seven “churches” proving the “saints” mentioned throughout the book of Revelation are also the “church”:
Revelation 2:29 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith to the churches.
Revelation 22:16 I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things for the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, the bright, the morning star.
Revelation 22:21 The grace of the Lord Jesus be with the saints. Amen.
The bride walked with Jesus over 1900 years ago:
John 3:29 He(Jesus)that hath the bride(Jesus’ disciples)is the bridegroom(Jesus): but the friend of the bridegroom, that standeth and heareth him, rejoiceth greatly because of the bridegroom’s voice: this my joy therefore is made full.
Peter was a part of those first disciples and yet Jesus told Peter was going to be crucified as the “manner of death he should glorify God” which certainly qualifies as “great tribulation” before one dies!:
John 21:18-19 Verily, verily, I (Jesus) say unto thee(Peter), When thou wast young, thou girdedst thyself, and walkedst whither thou wouldest: but when thou shalt be old, thou shalt stretch forth thy hands, and another shall gird thee(crucified), and carry thee whither thou wouldest not. (19) Now this he(Jesus)spake, signifying by what manner of death he(Peter)should glorify God. And when he had spoken this, he saith unto him, Follow me.
We must remember that Jesus commissioned His disciples as the bride to go out and make more disciples of all nations as the bride which are some of us today who are very close to the time of the end of the world:
Matthew 28:19-20 Go ye(disciples~bride) therefore, and make disciples(bride) of all the nations(some bride from all nations), baptizing them(bride) into the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit: (20) teaching them(bride) to observe all things whatsoever I commanded you: and lo, I am with you(bride) always,even unto the end of the world.
Now lets examine where Jesus as the bridegroom teaches His disciples who are the bride when He will come for them:
Matthew 24:3-4 And as he sat on the mount of Olives, the disciples(bride)came unto him privately, saying, Tell us(bride), when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy(bridegroom’s)coming, and of the end of the world? (4) And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man lead you(bride) astray.
Jesus tells His disciples who are the bride that some of the bride will still be on the earth when the abomination of desolation is set up:
Matthew 24:15 When therefore ye(bride) see the abomination of desolation, which was spoken of through Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place let him(bride) that readeth understand),
Jesus then tells His disciples who are part of the bride that the bride will experience “great tribulation” which we know is the last half of the 7 year tribulation:
Matthew 24:20-22 And pray ye(bride) that your(bride) flight be not in the winter, neither on a sabbath: (21) for then shall be great tribulation, such as hath not been from the beginning of the world until now, no, nor ever shall be. (22) And except those days had been shortened, no flesh would have been saved: but for the elect’s(bride)sake those days shall be shortened.
So AFTER the bride has witnessed the abomination of desolation being set up and AFTER the bride endures the “great tribulation” then Jesus will come in the clouds to call His elect bride home:
Matthew 24:29-31 But immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun shall be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken: (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(bridegroom)coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. (31) And he(bridegroom) shall send forth his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his(bridegroom’s)elect(bride) from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.
Mark 13:24-27 But in those days, after that tribulation, the sun shall be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, (25) and the stars shall be falling from heaven, and the powers that are in the heavens shall be shaken. (26) And then shall they see the Son of man(bridegroom) coming in clouds with great power and glory. (27) And then shall he(bridegroom) send forth the angels, and shall gather together his(bridegroom’s)elect(bride) from the four winds, from the uttermost part of the earth to the uttermost part of heaven.
Luke 21:25-28 And there shall be signs in sun and moon and stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, in perplexity for the roaring of the sea and the billows; (26) men fainting for fear, and for expectation of the things which are coming on the world: for the powers of the heavens shall be shaken. (27) And then shall they see the Son of man(bridegroom)coming in a cloud with power and great glory. (28) But when these things begin to come to pass, look up, and lift up your(bride’s) heads; because your(bride’s)redemption draweth nigh.
Many pretribbers use this passage to claim the church will not go through the trials of the tribulation:
Revelation 3:10-13 Because thou didst keep the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of trial, that hour which is to come upon the whole world, to try them that dwell upon the earth. (11) I come quickly: hold fast that which thou hast, that no one take thy crown. (12) He that overcometh, I will make him a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go out thence no more: and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God, and mine own new name. (13) He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith to the churches.
Those teachers seem to have forgotten that there are 7 letters to 7 churches and we are to hear what the Spirit is saying to ALL the churches!
The Christians who are not keeping the word of Jesus’ patience are those who go on their own way being choked with the cares, riches, and pleasures of this life which brings no fruit to perfection:
Luke 8:14-15 And that which fell among the thorns, these are they that have heard, and as they go on their way they are choked with cares and riches and pleasures of this life, and bring no fruit to perfection. (15) And that in the good ground, these are such as in an honest and good heart, having heard the word, hold it fast, and bring forth fruit with patience.
These Christians are warned in the very next letter to the seven churches that they are lukewarm and will be spewn back out of the mouth of Jesus unless they repent and begin bearing His fruit:
Revelation 3:14-19 And to the angel of the church in Laodicea write: These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God: (15) I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. (16) So because thou art lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spew thee out of my mouth. (17) Because thou sayest, I am rich, and have gotten riches, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art the wretched one and miserable and poor and blind and naked: (18) I counsel thee to buy of me gold refined by fire, that thou mayest become rich; and white garments, that thou mayest clothe thyself, and that the shame of thy nakedness be not made manifest; and eyesalve to anoint thine eyes, that thou mayest see. (19) As many as I love, I reprove and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.
Please read this link to understand what Jesus expects from His church in the form of fruit:
Paul makes it very clear that the Gentiles with the Jews become ONE new man in Christ through His blood and are fellow-citizens in the commonwealth of Israel as SAINTS in the household of God:
Ephesians 2:11-22 Wherefore remember, that once ye, the Gentiles in the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by that which is called Circumcision, in the flesh, made by hands; (12) that ye were at that time separate from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of the promise, having no hope and without God in the world. (13) But now in Christ Jesus ye that once were far off are made nigh in the blood of Christ. (14) For he is our peace, who made both one, and brake down the middle wall of partition, (15) having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; that he might create in himself of the two one new man, so making peace; (16) and might reconcile them both in one body unto God through the cross, having slain the enmity thereby: (17) and he came and preached peace to you that were far off, and peace to them that were nigh: (18) for through him we both have our access in one Spirit unto the Father. (19) So then ye are no more strangers and sojourners, but ye are fellow-citizens with the saints, and of the household of God, (20) being built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the chief corner stone; (21) in whom each several building, fitly framed together, groweth into a holy temple in the Lord; (22) in whom ye also are builded together for a habitation of God in the Spirit.
Many prophesy teachers try to say this verse where the Holy Spirit moved Jeremiah to call the coming 7 years of tribulation “Jacob’s trouble” proves it is only for the nation of Israel:
Jeremiah 30:7 Alas! for that day is great, so that none is like it: it is even the time of Jacob’s trouble; but he shall be saved out of it.
But that same Holy Spirit declared thru Paul that the church is Abraham’s seed which means they are also Jacob’s seed who receive all the promises of the OT which includes Jacob’s trouble:
Galatians 3:26-29 For ye are all sons of God, through faith, in Christ Jesus. (27) For as many of you as were baptized into Christ did put on Christ. (28) There can be neither Jew nor Greek(Gentile), there can be neither bond nor free, there can be no male and female; for ye all are one man in Christ Jesus. (29) And if ye are Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, heirs according to promise.
For more understanding on who are part of this ONE new man who is “the commonwealth of Israel” please see this link:
There is an appointed time in the near future when “all Israel” will physically appear before our Father as one body of Christ at the end of seven years of tribulation:
Deuteronomy 31:10-11 And Moses commanded them, saying, At the end of every seven years, in the set time of the year of release, in the feast of tabernacles, (11) when all Israel is come to appear before Jehovah thy God in the place which he shall choose, thou shalt read this law before all Israel in their hearing.
This congregation will only be made up of those who learned to love each other as ourselves:
The first and last chapters of the book of Revelation prove the entire book was written for the church of Jesus Christ. John included himself as a brother and partaker with us in the tribulation and kingdom and patience which are in Jesus:
Revelation 1:1-9 The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show unto his servants, even the things which must shortly come to pass: and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John; (2) who bare witness of the word of God, and of the testimony of Jesus Christ, even of all things that he saw. (3) Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of the prophecy, and keep the things that are written therein: for the time is at hand. (4) John to the seven churches that are in Asia: Grace to you and peace, from him who is and who was and who is to come; and from the seven Spirits that are before his throne; (5) and from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loveth us, and loosed us from our sins by his blood; (6) and he made us to be a kingdom, to be priests unto his God and Father; to him be the glory and the dominion for ever and ever. Amen. (7) Behold, he cometh with the clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they that pierced him; and all the tribes of the earth shall mourn over him. Even so, Amen. (8) I am the Alpha and the Omega, saith the Lord God, who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty. (9) I John, your brother and partaker with you in the tribulation and kingdom and patience which are in Jesus, was in the isle that is called Patmos, for the word of God and the testimony of Jesus.
Revelation 22:16-21 I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things for the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, the bright, the morning star. (17) And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And he that heareth, let him say, Come. And he that is athirst, let him come: he that will, let him take the water of life freely.
Those who take away from the meaning of the words of the prophecies of our Father’s book will lose their right to the tree of life if they choose not to repent as I had to when Father led me to HIS truth:
Revelation 22:18-21 I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto them, God shall add unto him the plagues which are written in this book: (19) and if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part from the tree of life, and out of the holy city, which are written in this book. (20) He who testifieth these things saith, Yea: I come quickly. Amen: come, Lord Jesus. (21) The grace of the Lord Jesus be with the saints. Amen.
This proves “unconditional eternal security” or “once saved always saved” can not be true if Father will strip the right to the tree of life from the believer who takes away from the meaning of Father’s book. It is the believer who overcomes through Christ who has the right to eat of the tree of life:
Revelation 2:7 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith to the churches. To him that overcometh, to him will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the Paradise of God.
Sum Of Thy Word 