One rapture passage is found in 1 Thessalonians 4:15-18. "For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep. (i.e. dead.) For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another with these words."
The Greek word translated as "shall be caught up" is harpazō. It is defined by Strong's Concordance (g726) as: 1) to seize, carry off by force; 2) to seize on, claim for one's self eagerly; 3) to snatch out or away. (From danger to safety.) The controversial word "rapture" comes from the Latin Vulgate where the verb "rápiō" is used. It means to seize and carry off, snatch, tear, pluck, drag, hurry away to safety. The Latin word "rápiō" is where we get our English word "rapture". Harpazō, rápiō, and rapture are synonymous.
The early church fathers Clement of Rome, Polycarp, and Pseudo Ephraim, taught a pre-tribulation rapture. The early church fathers, Clement and Polycarp, were men who had been taught by the Apostles Peter and John. Other early church fathers were taught by those who knew the apostles. Pseudo Ephraim said, "All the saints and elect of God (Biblical descriptions of Christians) are gathered together before the tribulation which is to come, and are taken to the Lord." The title "pseudo" in front of Ephraim's name is not because the sermon was in doubt. The question was one of authorship--not authenticity. Two historians attributed the quote to Ephraim the Syrian (c. 306–373) and one historian attributed it to Isadore of Seville. (c. 560–636) Most critics who oppose a pre-tribulation rapture teach that the doctrine originated with John Nelson Darby in the 1800's. However, both Ephraim the Syrian and Isadore of Seville predate John Darby by more than a millennium. More importantly, though, the teaching is a Biblical teaching, and it predates even Clement and Polycarp.
In the Bible, Jesus describes the tribulation like this: "For at that time there will be great tribulation, the kind that hasn't taken place from the beginning of the world until now and never will again!" Matthew 24:21.
As I said, the pre-tribulation rapture of the church is not a new teaching as some claim. However, it was lost in the early centuries.
Here are some of the rapture verses in the Bible:
Matthew 24:38-42:
"For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and did not know until the flood came and took them all away, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. Then two men will be in the field: one will be taken and the other left. Two women will be grinding at the mill: one will be taken and the other left. Watch therefore, for you do not know what hour your Lord is coming."
Notice the order, before the flood -- before the tribulation of Noah's day -- life was going on as usual until Noah entered the ark. He entered the ark before the flood -- before that tribulation. Judgment did not come on the unbelievers until Noah entered the ark. It is important to note that the judgment did not come on those who believed and obeyed God. It came on those who did not believe and did not obey God. Remember, Jesus said we must be found worthy to escape all these things, Luke 21:36. How are we found worthy? I think it can be summed up in two words: Love. Obedience. Love of God and obedience of God's moral laws. We also need to be watching. If we don't believe these things, how can we keep watch? (See my post, "Do Christians Need to Stop Sinning?)
It is the same at the rapture. Life will be going on as usual in many ways; however, there is an emphasis on marrying and giving in marriage -- then believers enter safety, and judgment comes upon the unbelievers. In other places, such as Genesis 6:11, we also see that violence and corruption characterized the days of Noah. The days before the deliverance of Noah were also equated with the days of Lot, which were characterized by sexual immorality, abundance of leisure, lack of concern for the needs of others, violence, selfishness, arrogance, sin. (Genesis 19, Ezekiel 16:48-50). It sounds just like our day.
Also note that this coming of Christ is a "sign-less" event. We do not know what hour the Lord is returning to take His companions. When Jesus returns to the earth to set up His Kingdom, we will know when that is going to happen. It will happen exactly 42 months after the anti-christ desecrates the rebuilt Temple in Jerusalem and declares himself to be god. (There is an interesting article about the Islamic anti-christ declaring himself to be god here: http://shoebat.com/2014/11/28/new-evidence-discovered-proves-muslim-antichrist-will-come-temple-god-declare-god/ - I do not agree with the Shoebats on many things, but I certainly find that article interesting.)
In Matthew 24:40 and 41, the meaning of the words 'taken' and 'left' becomes clear when we look at the Greek. The word for 'taken' is paralambano. It means to 'take to oneself'—as a companion. Here are the definitions from Strong's Concordance for paralambano:
1) to take to, to take with one's self, to join to one's self
a) an associate, a companion
b) metaph.
1) to accept or acknowledge one to be such as he professes to be
2) not to reject
3) to receive something transmitted
So paralambano means, 'to take to oneself, to join to oneself'—as an associate, as a companion—not to reject them but to receive them, acknowledging that they are what they profess to be. (And in our case, we profess to be Christians.) The rapture is the clearest demonstration of whether we are what we claim to be or not.
Paralambano is used by Jesus in his final conversations with His disciples. It is found in these verses, which took place on the Mount of Olives—during Jesus' last week on earth, and it is found again in John 14:1-3—on Jesus' last night on earth.
John 14:1-3:
"Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father's house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also."
The word for "receive" in John 14:3 is paralambano. Since Jesus clearly used "paralambano" in John 14 to speak about coming back for His disciples to take them to the Father's House, we can better understand His usage of "paralambano" in the Matthew 24:38-42 passage and its parallel in Luke 17—especially when looked at in light of what the Greek words actually are and what they mean. The language on those occasions, and the meaning of the words, assures us that when Jesus said two people would be going about their daily lives and suddenly one would be taken (paralambano) and the other left (aphiemi), He was talking about one being taken to Heaven to be with Him as a companion, and the others being left behind on earth—left to themselves—which is what they wanted in the first place. They wanted God to leave them alone. After the rapture, He has done so. He has given them exactly what they wanted.
In Matthew 24:40 and 41 where it talks about those who will be left, the Greek word for left is "aphiemi", and that is referring to someone who has been abandoned and left desolate.
From Strong's Concordance, the meaning of "aphiemi" is:
1) to send away
a) to bid go away or depart
1) of a husband divorcing his wife
b) to send forth, yield up, to expire
c) to let go, let alone, let be
1) to disregard
2) to leave, not to discuss now,
3) to omit, neglect
d) to let go
e) to give up, keep no longer
2) to permit, allow, not to hinder, to give up a thing to a person
3) to leave, go way from one
a) in order to go to another place ( in this case, the Father's House)
b) to depart from any one
c) to depart from one and leave him to himself so that all mutual claims are abandoned
d) to desert
e) to go away leaving something behind, to be left behind
f) to leave one by not taking him as a companion
g) to leave on dying, leave behind one
h) to leave so that what is left may remain, leave remaining
i) abandon, leave destitute
One reason atheists give for rejecting God is that, "if there is a loving God, how can He allow such suffering and evil?" The reason is God is merciful. He is giving people time to repent and come to Him. There will come a time, when sin and evil has reached its fullness, when God will stop the suffering and the evil, and that will require a judgment. That judgment upon the earth comes during the tribulation. Unbelievers should be grateful it hasn't happened yet. It is described in the Bible as the time of God's wrath on unbelievers. The Bible also says that Christians are not appointed to this time of God's wrath, 1 Thessalonians 5:9. They will be delivered out of it, Revelation 3:10. They won't be left to go through it. They will be taken out of it altogether. That is one of the purposes of the rapture.
We also see the word "paralambano" used in Matthew 1:20 when the angel tells Joseph not to be afraid to "take" Mary to be his wife. The word for "take" is "paralambano". I find it significant that it is used in connection to taking someone to be one's wife, especially since when Jesus returns in the rapture, it is to take his "bride" the "church" to the Father's House.
Additional New Testament rapture verses.
Luke 21:36:
"Watch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man."
Jesus is telling us that there is an escape for those who truly follow Him, for those who are what they profess to be. That escape is the rapture.
1 Thessalonians 4:16-18:
"For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another with these words."
1 Corinthians 15:51-52:
"Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, (die), but we shall all be changed—in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we (the living) shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality." (That's another purpose of the rapture—to put on incorruption or to put on immortality—so that we are fit to enter Heaven with Christ.)
For more about the last trumpet, please see this lecture by Dr. Arnold Fruchtenbaum. The section that addresses the last trumpet starts at approximately the 31 minute and 35 second mark. However, I recommend the entire video.
Philippians 3:20-21:
"For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to His glorious body, according to the working by which He is able even to subdue all things to Himself."
1 Thessalonians 5:2-3:
"For you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night. For when they say, "Peace and safety!" then sudden destruction comes upon them, as labor pains upon a pregnant woman. And they shall not escape. (Those who are left behind to go through the tribulation do not escape in the rapture. The day of the Lord is also called the time of God's wrath—on an unbelieving world. It is also known in the Bible as the tribulation—the last tribulation.)
Revelation 3:10:
"Because you have kept my command to persevere, I also will keep you from the hour of trial which shall come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth."
Luke 21:28:
"So when all these things begin to happen, stand and look up, for your salvation is near!" (That salvation is the rapture, and Jesus gave us signs to look for that will signal it is about to happen.)
Even though Arnold Fruchtenbaum and other teachers, such as John Walvoord, claim the rapture is not found in the Old Testament, I do believe there are some verses in the Old Testament that hint at a rapture:
Isaiah 26:19-21:
"Your dead shall live; Together with my dead body they shall arise. Awake and sing, you who dwell in dust; For your dew is like the dew of herbs, And the earth shall cast out the dead. Come, my people, enter your chambers, (the mansions that Jesus promised to prepare) And shut your doors behind you; Hide yourself, as it were, for a little moment, Until the indignation is past. (The tribulation). For behold, the LORD comes out of His place To punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity; The earth will also disclose her blood, And will no more cover her slain."
The rapture not only catches up the living—to snatch them out of harm's way; it is also a resurrection of the dead. It is a time when God brings believers to Himself, both living and dead.
Zephaniah 2:3:
Seek the LORD, all you meek of the earth, Who have upheld His justice. Seek righteousness, seek humility. It may be that you will be hidden in the day of the LORD's anger. (The Lord is going to judge the sins of this world, but He is also going to hide some away and keep them from that judgment.)
Malachi 3:16-18:
"Then those who feared the LORD spoke to one another, And the LORD listened and heard them; So a book of remembrance was written before Him For those who fear the LORD And who meditate on His name. "They shall be Mine," says the LORD of hosts, "On the day that I make them My jewels. And I will spare them As a man spares his own son who serves him." Then you shall again discern Between the righteous and the wicked, Between one who serves God And one who does not serve Him.”
The rapture will be the ultimate indicator as to who has served God and who hasn't.
I believe the seals of Revelation clearly end in the rapture.
Revelation 6:
Before looking at Revelation 6 and the opening of the Seals, I want to address some clues in the text that show the Seals are not part of the Tribulation. The first clue is a question by the martyred saints in verse 10, "How long, Sovereign Lord, holy and true, until you judge the inhabitants of the earth and avenge our blood?" This tells us the judgment of the earth has not started yet. I think that is very clear. Next in verse 17 we see exactly when it does start. "...the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?" The Tribulation is about to start. That is why we see silence in Heaven for half an hour when the last Seal is opened. It is the final thing Jesus must do before the judgment of the earth begins. The opening of this last Seal signals that the time has come. It anticipates the coming of the greatest Tribulation the world has ever seen, and it will start when the Trumpets begin to sound. I know this is not the traditional pre-tribulation rapture view, and I do understand the points of that view, and I respect the teachers of that view -- as well as those who adhere to it. However, I respectfully disagree with them, and I pray we can amicably disagree and not divide over the issue.
"Now I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seals; and I heard one of the four living creatures saying with a voice like thunder, "Come and see." And I looked, and behold, a white horse. He who sat on it had a bow; and a crown was given to him, and he went out conquering and to conquer. When He opened the second seal, I heard the second living creature saying, "Come and see." Another horse, fiery red, went out. And it was granted to the one who sat on it to take peace from the earth, and that people should kill one another; and there was given to him a great sword. When He opened the third seal, I heard the third living creature say, "Come and see." So I looked, and behold, a black horse, and he who sat on it had a pair of scales in his hand. And I heard a voice in the midst of the four living creatures saying, "A quart of wheat for a denarius, and three quarts of barley for a denarius; and do not harm the oil and the wine." (A small amount of food comes at a great price.) "When He opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature saying, "Come and see." So I looked, and behold, a pale horse. And the name of him who sat on it was Death, and Hades followed with him. And power was given to them over a fourth of the earth, to kill with sword, with hunger, with death, and by the beasts of the earth." (Muslims make up 1/4 of the earth's population.)
"When He opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain for the word of God and for the testimony which they held. And they cried with a loud voice, saying, "How long, O Lord, holy and true, until You judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?" (Currently, 200,000 Christians are being martyred per year, including by crucifixion and beheading; and 100 million Christians face persecution, and this is extreme persecution: Homes destroyed or confiscated, churches burned, unjust imprisonment, enslavement, forbidden from working, etc. In N. Korea, Christians are used as Guinea Pigs or confined to brutal labor camps. All of that was before ISIS, now ISIS is beheading Christians for entertainment. They are committing such brutal acts of terror that it is hard for some people to believe it is actually happening.)
"Then a white robe was given to each of them; and it was said to them that they should rest a little while longer, until both the number of their fellow servants and their brethren, who would be killed as they were, was completed. I looked when He opened the sixth seal, and behold, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became like blood. And the stars of heaven fell to the earth, as a fig tree drops its late figs when it is shaken by a mighty wind. Then the sky receded as a scroll when it is rolled up, and every mountain and island was moved out of its place. And the kings of the earth, the great men, the rich men, the commanders, the mighty men, every slave and every free man, hid themselves in the caves and in the rocks of the mountains, and said to the mountains and rocks, "Fall on us and hide us from the face of Him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb!"
"For the great day of His wrath has come, (it had not come before now,) and who is able to stand?"
"After these things I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth, that the wind should not blow on the earth, on the sea, or on any tree. Then I saw another angel ascending from the east, having the seal of the living God. And he cried with a loud voice to the four angels to whom it was granted to harm the earth and the sea, saying, "Do not harm the earth, the sea, or the trees till we have sealed the servants of our God on their foreheads." And I heard the number of those who were sealed. One hundred and forty-four thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israel were sealed:" (The church has now been raptured, so the duty of evangelism has now passed to these 144,000 Jews of the Tribes of Israel. The church will no longer evangelize the world. I believe the Two Witnesses begin their ministry at this time. It is possible they brought the 144,000 to faith, or perhaps they came out of the 144,000. We know from Revelation 11 that the Two Witnesses will minister for 42 months. However, their ministry does not start in chapter 11. It ends in chapter 11. It actually began 42 months earlier.)
"...After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could number, of all nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, with palm branches in their hands, (these people have just suddenly appeared in Heaven, and they are not spirits. They have hands -- they have bodies) and crying out with a loud voice, saying, "Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!"
"All the angels stood around the throne and the elders and the four living creatures, and fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, saying: "Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom, Thanksgiving and honor and power and might, Be to our God forever and ever. Amen."
"Then one of the elders answered, saying to me, "Who are these arrayed in white robes, and where did they come from?" (There is something astounding about their sudden appearance. I believe they came from the rapture.) And I said to him, "Sir, you know." (John has no idea.) So he said to me, "These are the ones who come out of the great tribulation, and washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb." (The Christians have just gone through a time of great tribulation—see the Seals, especially the fifth Seal—brought on them by the religion of the anti-christ—Islam. Plus the silence of a sinful and unbelieving world.) Now the world is about to go through a time of great tribulation brought on them by God.
"Therefore they are before the throne of God, and serve Him day and night in His temple. And He who sits on the throne will dwell among them. "They shall neither hunger anymore nor thirst anymore; the sun shall not strike them, nor any heat;
"for the Lamb who is in the midst of the throne will shepherd them and lead them to living fountains of waters. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes."
"When He opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour." (Because the tribulation is about to start.)
"And I saw the seven angels who stand before God, and to them were given seven trumpets. Then another angel, having a golden censer, came and stood at the altar. He was given much incense, that he should offer it with the prayers of all the saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne. And the smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the saints, ascended before God from the angel's hand. Then the angel took the censer, filled it with fire from the altar, and threw it to the earth. And there were noises, thunderings, lightnings, and an earthquake. So the seven angels who had the seven trumpets prepared themselves to sound."
End of quote from Revelation 6.
I believe the first five Seals have been opened and are ongoing and getting worse. These are the birth pains. They grow more intense and come more frequently the closer we get to the big event - the rapture. I believe the 6th Seal will be opened next, and with it comes a worldwide earthquake, cosmic disturbances, and a rapture.
Some time after this, God’s judgment begins. However, believers were rescued from God’s judgment when Jesus died on the cross. We won’t be here for the tribulation of that time. We’ve been rescued out of it. We will have been raptured prior to it. There is a rapture. The Bible clearly teaches it. Now the greatest tribulation in the history of mankind is about to begin on earth. The rest of the book of Revelation describes it.
All of these things up to this point have happened in chronological order. Over and over we read, “after these things.” That tells us something happens and then after it, another thing happens. Most of Revelation is chronological.
The Bible also teaches a rapture through archetypal symbols in the Bible: It is seen in the rapture of Enoch and Elijah. It is seen in the deliverance of Noah and Lot. It is also seen in the Jewish wedding.
This is what the Bible says about the rapture of Enoch. Genesis 5:24 - Enoch walked faithfully with God; then he was no more, because God took him away. (From the book of Hebrews it is clear that Enoch was not taken away in death. He was taken away before he died. He was directly translated to heaven. And he was taken because he had walked faithfully with God. We also need to walk faithfully with God.)
Elijah was also directly translated to heaven.
2 Kings 2:9 "When they had crossed, Elijah said to Elisha, “Tell me, what can I do for you before I am taken from you?”
“Let me inherit a double portion of your spirit,”
Elisha replied. “You have asked a difficult thing,” Elijah said, “yet if you see me when I am taken from you, it will be yours—otherwise not.”
As they were walking along and talking together, suddenly a chariot of fire and horses of fire appeared and separated the two of them, and Elijah went up to heaven in a whirlwind. Elisha saw this and cried out, “My father! My father! The chariots and horsemen of Israel!” And Elisha saw him no more. Then he took hold of his own clothes and tore them apart. He picked up the cloak that had fallen from Elijah and went back and stood on the bank of the Jordan.
(I suspect it is because of the description above that many movies show the clothes being left behind after the rapture.)
We see another archetype of the rapture in the story of Lot.
Genesis 19:10-22:
"But the two men (angels) staying with Lot opened the door, pulled him back inside the house, and then closed the door. They struck those outside the door with blindness, so the men, both young and old, could not find the door. The two men said to Lot, “Do you have any other relatives in this city? Do you have any sons-in-law, sons, daughters, or any other relatives? If you do, tell them to leave now, because we are about to destroy this city. The Lord has heard of all the evil that is here, so he has sent us to destroy it.”
"So Lot went out and said to his future sons-in-law who were pledged to marry his daughters, “Hurry and leave this city! The Lord is about to destroy it!” But they thought Lot was joking. At dawn the next morning, the angels begged Lot to hurry. They said, “Go! Take your wife and your two daughters with you so you will not be destroyed when the city is punished.” But Lot delayed. So the two men took the hands of Lot, his wife, and his two daughters and led them safely out of the city. So the Lord was merciful to Lot and his family. After they brought them out of the city, one of the men said, “Run for your lives! Don’t look back or stop anywhere in the valley. Run to the mountains, or you will be destroyed.”
"But Lot said to one of them, “Sir, please don’t force me to go so far! You have been merciful and kind to me and have saved my life. But I can’t run to the mountains. The disaster will catch me, and I will die. Look, that little town over there is not too far away. Let me run there. It’s really just a little town, and I’ll be safe there.” The angel said to Lot, “Very well, I will allow you to do this also. I will not destroy that town. But run there fast, because I cannot destroy Sodom until you are safely in that town.”
Here Lot is literally snatched away from danger by these two angels. He is also told that the angels cannot even destroy Sodom until Lot and his family have reached safety. Believers are told by Jesus that they will literally be snatched away from danger, that angels will be involved in this deliverance, and that God's judgment will not come until they have reached safety. But, during the tribulation, there is no safe place on earth. The only safe place for believers is in Heaven.
We also see the deliverance of the faithful and their families in the story of Noah and the ark. The flood could not come until Noah and his family had been safely shut away inside the Ark.
I will end with an essay by Dr. Renald Shower on Jewish Marriage Customs at the time of Jesus. (No copyright is claimed for this material. Such alleged infringement is possible under the Fair Use principles set forth in U.S. copyright law, Fair Use Clause, Section 107. The content of such material is being used for the purpose of educating, informing, commenting or critiquing.)
"Behold, The Bridegroom Comes! The Comforting Promise"
"It was a night of destiny. Jesus had gathered with His disciples in the Upper Room. In a few more hours He would be crucified on a cross. Jesus had been warning His disciples concerning His coming death, resurrection and ascension to heaven. The prospect of these events caused the disciples to be greatly disturbed. In order to ease their fears, Jesus made the following comforting promise:
Let not your heart be troubled: you believe in God, Believe also in me. In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there you may be also. (John 14:1-3.)
Jewish Marriage Customs:
Those who live in the modern western world do not catch the full significance of Jesus' promise. This is due to the fact that in His promise Jesus was drawing an analogy from Jewish marriage customs in biblical times. Since this is so, those marriage customs must be examined if one is to grasp the significance of the promise.
The first major step in a Jewish marriage was betrothal.
Betrothal involved the establishment of a marriage covenant. By Jesus' time it was usual for such a covenant to be established as the result of the prospective bridegroom taking the initiative.
2 The prospective bridegroom would travel from his father's house to the home of the prospective bride. There he would negotiate with the father of the young woman to determine the price (mohar) that he must pay to purchase his bride.
3 Once the bridegroom paid the purchase price, the marriage covenant was thereby established, and the young man and woman were regarded to be husband and wife.
4 From that moment on the bride was declared to be consecrated or sanctified, set apart exclusively for her bridegroom.
5 As a symbol of the covenant relationship that had been established, the groom and bride would drink from a cup of wine over which a betrothal benediction had been pronounced.
6 After the marriage covenant had been established, the groom would leave the home of the bride and return to his father's house. There he would remain separate from his bride for a period of twelve months.
7 This period of separation afforded the bride time to gather her trousseau and to prepare for married life.
8 The groom occupied himself with the preparation of living accommodations in his father's house to which he could bring his bride.
At the end of the period of separation the groom would come to take his bride to live with him. The taking of the bride usually took place at night. The groom, best man and other male escorts would leave the groom's father's house and conduct a torch light procession to the home of the bride.
9 Although the bride was expecting her groom to come for her, she did not know the exact time of his coming.
10 As a result the groom's arrival would be preceded by a shout.
11 This shout would forewarn the bride to be prepared for the coming of the groom.
After the groom received his bride together with her female attendants, the enlarged wedding party would return from the bride's home to the groom's father's house.
12 Upon arrival there the wedding party would find that the wedding guests had assembled already.
Shortly after arrival the bride and groom would be escorted by the other members of the wedding party to the bridal chamber (huppah). Prior to entering the chamber the bride remained veiled so that no one could see her face.
13 While the groomsmen and bridesmaids would wait outside, the bride and groom would enter the bridal chamber alone. There in the privacy of that place they would enter into physical union for the first time, thereby consummating the marriage that had been covenanted earlier.
14 After the marriage was consummated, the groom would announce the consummation to the other members of the wedding party waiting outside the chamber (John 3:29). These people would pass on the news of the marital union to the wedding guests.
15 Upon receiving this good news the wedding guests would feast and make merry for the next seven days. (The tribulation is a 7 year period.)
16 During the seven days of the wedding festivities, which were sometimes called "the seven days of the huppah," the bride remained hidden in the bridal chamber.
17 At the conclusion of these seven days the groom would bring his bride out of the bridal chamber, now with her veil removed, so that all could see who his bride was.
The Examination of the Analogy:
Earlier it was stated that in His promise in John 14 Jesus drew an analogy from Jewish marriage customs in biblical times. Now that the marriage customs have been considered, it is essential that the analogy be examined. In what ways was Jesus' promise analogous with Jewish marriage customs? In the examination of the analogy the first thing that should be noted is the fact that the Scriptures regard the Church to be the Bride of Christ (Eph. 5:22-23). In addition, just as the Jewish bridegroom took the initiative in marriage by leaving his father's house and travelling to the home of the prospective bride, so Jesus left His Father's house in heaven and travelled to earth, the home of His prospective Church, over 1900 years ago.
In the same manner as the Jewish bridegroom came to the bride's home for the purpose of obtaining her through the establishment of a marriage covenant, so Jesus came to earth for the purpose of obtaining the Church through the establishment of a covenant. On the same night in which Jesus made His promise in John 14, He instituted communion. As He passed the cup of wine to His disciples, He said: "This cup is the new covenant in my blood" (1 Cor. 11:25). This was His way of saying that He would establish a new covenant through the shedding of His blood on the cross. Parallel to the custom of the Jewish groom paying a price to purchase his bride, Jesus paid a price to purchase His bride, the Church. The price that He paid was His own life blood. It was because of this purchase price that Paul wrote the following to members of the Church: "know ye not that...ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and your spirit, which are God's" (1 Cor. 6:19-20).
Analogous with the Jewish bride being declared to be sanctified or set apart exclusively for her groom once the marriage covenant was established, the Church has been declared to be sanctified or set apart exclusively for Christ (Eph. 5:25-27; 1Cor. 1:2; 6:11; Heb. 10:10; 13:12).
In the same way that a cup of wine served as a symbol of the marriage covenant through which the Jewish groom obtained his bride, so the cup of communion serves as the symbol of the covenant through which Christ has obtained the Church (1 Cor. 11:25).
Just as the Jewish groom left the home of his bride and returned to his father's house after the marriage covenant had been established, so Jesus left the earth, the home of the Church, and returned to His Father's house in heaven after He had established the new covenant and risen from the dead (John 6:62; 20:17).
Corresponding with the period of separation between the Jewish groom and bride, Christ has remained separate from the Church for over 1900 years. The Church is now living in that period of separation.
Parallel to the custom of the Jewish groom preparing living accommodations for his bride in his father's house during the time of separation, Christ has been preparing living accommodations for the Church in His Father's house in heaven during His separation from His Bride (John 14:2).
In the same manner as the Jewish groom came to take his bride to live with him at the end of the period of separation, so Christ will come to take His Church to live with Him at the end of His period of separation from the Church (John 14:3).
Just as the taking of the Jewish bride was accomplished by a procession of the groom and male escorts from the groom's father's house to the home of the bride, so the taking of the Church will be accomplished by a procession of Christ and an angelic escort from Christ's Father's house in heaven to the home of the Church (1 Thess. 4:16).
Analogous with the Jewish bride not knowing the exact time of the groom's coming for her, the Church does not know the exact time of Christ's coming for her.
In the same way that the Jewish groom's arrival was preceded by a shout, so Christ's arrival to take the Church will be preceded by a shout (1 Thess. 4:16).
Similar to the Jewish bride's return with the groom to his father's house after her departure from her home, the Church will return with Christ to His Father's house in heaven after she is snatched from the earth to meet Him in the air (1 Thess. 4:17; John 14:2-3).
In the same manner as the Jewish wedding party found wedding guests assembled in the groom's father's house when they arrived, so Christ and the Church will find the souls of Old Testament saints assembled in heaven when they arrive. These souls will serve as the wedding guests.
Parallel to the custom of the Jewish groom and bride entering into physical union after their arrival at the groom's father's house, thereby consummating the marriage that had been covenanted earlier, Christ and the Church will experience spiritual union after their arrival at His Father's house in heaven, thereby consummating their relationship that had been covenanted earlier.
Corresponding with the Jewish bride remaining hidden in the bridal chamber for a period of seven days after arrival at the groom's father's house, the Church will remain hidden for a period of seven after arrival at Christ's Father's house in heaven. While the seven year Tribulation Period is taking place on the earth, the Church will be in heaven totally hidden from the sight of those living on the earth.
Just as the Jewish groom brought his bride out of the bridal chamber at the conclusion of the seven days with her veil removed, so that all could see who his bride was, so Christ will bring His Church out of heaven in His Second Coming at the conclusion of the seven year Tribulation Period in full view of all who are alive, so that all can see who the true church is (Col. 3:4).
The Significance of the Analogy:
This analogy between Jewish marriage customs and Christ's relationship to the Church is very beautiful, but what practical significance does it have for today?
The answer to this question is twofold. First, if you have never taken Jesus Christ personally to be your Savior from sin, it has great significance for you. Christ came to this earth and died on a cross for the purpose of paying the penalty for your sins. Through the shedding of His blood He paid the price necessary to purchase you to be part of His Bride, the Church. He thereby established a new covenant through which you can enter into a special relationship with Him.
Every time the gospel of Jesus Christ is declared to you, Christ is proposing that you enter into this special relationship with Him. In essence He is saying to you:
"I, Jesus, take thee, [NAME], to be My Bride. And I do promise and covenant before God The Father and these witnesses, to be thy loving and faithful Savior and Bridegroom; in sickness and in health, in plenty and in want, in joy and in sorrow, in faithfulness and in waywardness, for time and for eternity."
Just as the proposal that the Jewish bridegroom made could be accepted or rejected, so Christ's proposal to you can be accepted or rejected...
If you sincerely believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and that He came to this earth, died for your sins and rose from the dead, then respond to Him as follows:
"I, [NAME], take Thee, Jesus, to be my Savior. . . And I do promise and covenant before God and these witnesses to be Thy loving and faithful Bride; in sickness and in health, in plenty and in want, in joy and in sorrow, for time and for eternity."
Second, the analogy is most significant also for those who have taken Christ to be Savior. During the time of separation between the establishment of the marriage covenant and the coming of the bridegroom to take his bride, it was possible for the Jewish bride to commit adultery by giving herself to another man.
In like manner it is possible for believers today to commit spiritual adultery against Christ before He returns to take His Church. Paul expressed concern over this possibility when he wrote the following to Christians:
"For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy: for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ. But I fear lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtlety, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ" (2 Cor.11:2-3).
James expressed the same concern when he rebuked Christians as follows: "Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship with the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God." (James 4:4) The context of James' statement indicates that spiritual adultery is committed when a believer becomes more devoted to the godless world system and the things that please it than he is to Jesus Christ and the things that please Him.
If you are a believer, honestly evaluate your devotion to Jesus Christ. Do you love him as much now as when you took Him to be your Savior? Is He truly the Centre of your existence, the One who gives your life its meaning and purpose? Is your every attitude, action and lifestyle motivated and controlled by your devotion to Jesus Christ, or by a desire to have the friendship of the world system in which you live?
If you have been unfaithful to your heavenly Bridegroom, confess this to Him and be assured that even "If we believe not, yet he abideth faithful: he cannot deny himself." (11 Tim.2:13) Then trust the Holy Spirit to renew your devotion as you wait for your heavenly Bridegroom to come at any moment.
End of Dr. Showers’ essay.
Many mock the idea of a rapture, primarily the idea of a pre-tribulation rapture, but there is a rapture. The Bible clearly teaches it.
By the way, Zola Levitt also did a wonderful teaching on the marriage customs of the Jews during the time of Jesus. You can watch it at the below link. It starts at the 8 minute and 33 second mark.
http://www.levitt.tv/media/watch/427
The Hebrew word that is equivalent to the English word "rapture" is "natsal." It is encoded in the Bible. This old video with Yacov Rambsel covers that.
Part of Speech: Verb
Transliteration: natsal
Phonetic Spelling: (naw-tsal')
Definition: to strip, plunder, deliver oneself, be delivered, snatch away, deliver
