In the last post, we discussed the idea that we can know, based on several Biblical signs, when the Rapture is approaching. Mind you, we cannot predict the date - not from here, at least - but I believe we can be reasonably assured that it isn't likely to happen today, because, as the Scriptures state, we will not be "caught up" and "gathered" until "the Man of Lawlessness . . . sets himself up as god," and, after that, there is a "last trumpet." Since the Beast has not been revealed, and there hasn't been a First Trumpet, we can reasonably assume that the Rapture is not at any moment. This goes against popular belief, but popular belief appears to be . . . wrong.
I stated earlier that I believe the Seventh Trumpet of Revelation may immediately follow the Rapture. After reading the Scriptures for quite some time on this, I believe this is the best and most Scriptural argument. Now, to be clear, the passage in Revelation that talks about the final Trumpet does not say this, and there are detractors who argue against this view. However, the main point I want to get to is that if we take the passages we looked at in the last post and read Revelation 10 and 11 in light of those, this seems like a reasonable assessment. So let's get to it.
When we last saw the Trumpets, the Sixth Trumpet had been sounded and a 200,000,000-spirit army had been unleashed on the world (Revelation 9:13-19). People are killed (9:15), people refuse to repent (19:20-21), but believers are spared (see 9:4). One thing we must keep in mind, however, is that this Trumpet was only the second of three woes. That means that the last Trumpet is called, specifically, a "woe." Remember that as we look at the last Trumpet in a few moments.
So the Sixth Trumpet has sounded, things have gotten really scary on earth for non-believers, then John sees something in Heaven (and on earth) that sort of breaks up the Trumpets:
Then I saw another mighty angel coming down from heaven. He was robed in a cloud, with a rainbow above his head; his face was like the sun, and his legs were like fiery pillars. He was holding a little scroll, which lay open in his hand. He planted his right foot on the sea and his left foot on the land, and he gave a loud shout like the roar of a lion. When he shouted, the voices of the seven thunders spoke. And when the seven thunders spoke, I was about to write; but I heard a voice from heaven say, "Seal up what the seven thunders have said and do not write it down."
Then the angel I had seen standing on the sea and on the land raised his right hand to heaven. And he swore by Him who lives for ever and ever, Who created the heavens and all that is in them, the earth and all that is in it, and the sea and all that is in it, and said, "There will be no more delay! But in the days when the seventh angel is about to sound his trumpet, the mystery of God will be accomplished, just as He announced to His servants the prophets."
Then the voice that I had heard from heaven spoke to me once more: "Go, take the scroll that lies open in the hand of the angel who is standing on the sea and on the land."
So I went to the angel and asked him to give me the little scroll. He said to me, "Take it and eat it. It will turn your stomach sour, but in your mouth it will be as sweet as honey." I took the little scroll from the angel's hand and ate it. It tasted as sweet as honey in my mouth, but when I had eaten it, my stomach turned sour. Then I was told, "You must prophesy again about many peoples, nations, languages and kings."
What on earth is going on here? John eats a scroll, he's told not to write some things down, thunder is speaking, and an angel with legs like pillars of fire is straddling the earth and sea. This is pretty strange, but I want us to notice that we're seeing a vitally important announcement here, and that is that "in the days when the seventh angel is about to sound his trumpet, the mystery of God will be accomplished, just as He announced to His servants the prophets." Keep that in mind as we continue through Revelation.
I was given a reed like a measuring rod and was told, "Go and measure the temple of God and the altar, and count the worshipers there. But exclude the outer court; do not measure it, because it has been given to the Gentiles. They will trample on the holy city for 42 months. And I will give power to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy for 1,260 days, clothed in sackcloth." These are the two olive trees and the two lamp stands that stand before the Lord of the earth. If anyone tries to harm them, fire comes from their mouths and devours their enemies. This is how anyone who wants to harm them must die. . . .
Now when they have finished their testimony, the Beast that comes up from the Abyss will attack them, and overpower and kill them. Their bodies will lie in the street of the great city, which is figuratively called Sodom and Egypt, where also their Lord was crucified. For three and a half days men from every people, tribe, language and nation will gaze on their bodies and refuse them burial.The inhabitants of the earth will gloat over them and will celebrate by sending each other gifts, because these two prophets had tormented those who live on the earth.
But after the three and a half days a breath of life from God entered them, and they stood on their feet, and terror struck those who saw them. Then they heard a loud voice from heaven saying to them, "Come up here." And they went up to heaven in a cloud, while their enemies looked on (11:1-5; 7-12).
We've previously looked at this passage, but now I want to put it in context of the rest of Revelation. John has heard the sixth and penultimate Trumpet, which brought about a large angelic/(possibly demonic) army. Then we see an interlude in which the Third Temple, part of which is "given to the Gentiles," is operational. In front of this temple, the Two Witnesses prophesy for 3 1/2 years, are murdered by The Beast, and then are resurrected. Here's where it gets interesting:
At that very hour there was a severe earthquake and a tenth of the city collapsed. Seven thousand people were killed in the earthquake, and the survivors were terrified and gave glory to the God of heaven.
The second woe has passed; the third woe is coming soon.
The seventh angel sounded his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven, which said:
"The kingdom of the world has
become the kingdom of our
Lord and of His Christ,
and He will reign for ever and
ever."
And the twenty-four elders, who were seated on their thrones before God, fell on their faces and worshiped God, saying:
"We give thanks to You, Lord God
Almighty,
the One Who is and Who was,
because You have taken Your great
power
and have begun to reign. . ." (Revelation 11:13-17).
So what do we see? The Witnesses (possibly the Jewish and Gentile Church) are executed, resurrect, and are raptured according to a loud command from heaven (11:12). There is a great earthquake in the city of Jerusalem, and only after this is the Second Woe finished. After that declaration, the Seventh Trumpet is blown, signaling the coming Wrath of God. Now, let's look once more at the passages closely associated with "the rapture," and see what they say.
Jesus, in Matthew 24, says, "At that time the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and all the nations of the earth will mourn. They will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky, with power and great glory. And He will send His angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather His elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other" (30-31).
In I Corinthians 15, Paul writes: "I
declare to you, brothers, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the
kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable.
Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be
changed - in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet.
For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and
we will all be changed. For the perishable must clothe itself with the
imperishable, and the mortal with immortality" (50-53).
Paul, furthermore, tells us that none of this will happen "until the
rebellion occurs and the Man of Lawlessness is revealed, the man doomed
to destruction. He will oppose and will exalt himself over everything
that is called God or is worshiped, so that he sets himself up in God's
temple, proclaiming himself to be God" (II Thessalonians 2:3-4).
And all of this brings us back to Revelation 11. What do we see in Revelation 11?
1) We see Two Witnesses who are called "the two olive trees" and "the two lampstands" (4),
2) We see God supernaturally protect these witnesses (5),
3) We see these men endowed with a great outpouring of the Holy Spirit (6),
4) We see the Beast from the Abyss conquer them (7),
5) We see them resurrect (11),
6) They are raptured with a loud shout (12),
7) This event is called a "woe" for the inhabitants of the earth (14; see also 8:13),
8) The Last Trumpet sounds (15).
We've already looked at the possibility that the Two Witnesses represent the Jewish and Gentile believers. We know that God protects Israel during this time (Revelation 7:1-8;12:6,14), we know that there will be a great outpouring of the Holy Spirit prior to the Day of the Lord (Joel 2:28-32), we know that the Beast will eventually rise up and conquer the Church (13:7), we know that, at the time of the Rapture, the dead in Christ will rise first (I Thess. 4:16), the Rapture will occur with a loud command (I Thess. 4:16), this begins the period of God's Wrath on earth, something from which Jesus promised to spare the Church (Revelation 16; 3:10), and the Rapture occurs with the sound of "a" Final Trumpet (Matthew 24:31; I Cor. 15:51-52; I Thess. 4:16-17).
Seems fairly clear, right? Furthermore, we have numerous signs to look for (Six Trumpets, to be exact), in order for us to be like the man who knows when the thief is coming. However, exactly when between the Sixth and Seventh Trumpets does this occur? We don't know. Therefore, we do not know the day or the hour, but, since we are not "in darkness," it is entirely possible for us to not be caught off guard (I Thess. 4:13 - 5:11). If the Rapture is completely and totally unpredictable, then it doesn't matter how many "signs" you look for, you'll be caught off guard - you can't watch for it. That's not deep theology, that's just common sense.
I'm going to state this as plainly as I can. If "The Rapture" can happen at any moment, at any time, when no one on earth can possibly expect it, and all we have are vague, quasi-signs about war and death (which happen and have happened continuously since . . . well, since man first died), then how on earth can the Church "watch" and "be ready"? How can we possibly not be in darkness, if this is all veiled and hidden from us? Jesus tells us to watch. He tells us to be like the guy who knew when the thief was coming. Paul tells us that the world will walk in darkness and be caught off guard, but we don't walk in darkness. And, listen, most importantly, we're not told that it could happen "at any moment," but, among other things, that the Man of Lawlessness must be revealed first. We know that there will be preceding trumpets. There are specific signs we can look to in order to know when this event is closer. Very specific - much more specific than "wars and rumors of wars." This, Paul says, is a great mystery, and the angel in Revelation 10 tells us that, prior to the Last Trumpet, "the mystery of God will be accomplished" (10:7).
Look, I acknowledge that a lot of this hinges on whether or not the two witnesses are symbols of the Church, and therefore I refuse to state that this take on the Rapture is the answer, the Truth, the absolute, Biblical stance and everyone else is wrong; I won't go there. There are reasons, for example, to believe that the Rapture will happen at the very end, when Jesus physically returns and sends the Beast into the Lake of Fire. But here's the deal: if we're teaching people that the Rapture could happen this second, then we're ignoring Scripture. If we're leading people into a false sense of security, that they can wait until they see the Rapture in order to be saved, then we're also ignoring Scripture (as we'll see when we look at the Bowls of God's Wrath).
Now, some would say that this view removes the urgency of the Gospel, because part of that urgency is to tell people that they don't want to be "left behind." In the timeline I am presenting, by the time the Rapture happens, the Beast has already set up his kingdom, he has already forced people to choose whether or not they will worship him, he has persecuted and overcome Christians, the Rapture happens, the Church is taken, and the only people left are those who have sworn allegiance to the Beast and the Dragon. There is, by the time the Rapture happens, no more witnessing. If you are left behind, you will not be saved, and once the Beast arrives, he will deceive many, many people through lies, counterfeit miracles, and the like, while fear will keep any remaining doubters in line. Folks, if you're not a believer when the Rapture happens, there is - I'm just reading the Scriptures on this one - a high likelihood that you won't ever be a believer. As a result, the sense of urgency for the Gospel goes nowhere. Rather, it amplifies. Popular Christian literature teaches that once the Rapture happens, you can just be saved then. Do you know what that does? It leads people into a false sense of security. If the lies of the Beast are so persuasive, however, that Jesus is concerned that He won't find any faith left on earth (Luke 18:8), then it sounds like if you're waiting to see the Rapture before you believe in Christ, it may be too late.
More than this, though, the Gospel does not revolve around the Rapture. The Gospel revolves around the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Whether the Rapture is this year, next year, or a million years from now, we are all sinners in need of Jesus, and none of us is guaranteed tomorrow. Any one of us can be taken from this world, because we don't know the span of our lives. So understand, if you're reading this and you don't believe Jesus is Lord, don't wait for the Rapture to make a decision, because you may not live long enough to see that. Don't decide to wait until The Beast shows up, because you may not live long enough to see that. As believers, our hope of forgiveness is in the work of Jesus, not the timing of the Rapture. As non-believers, your hope is in the work of Jesus, not the timing of the Rapture.
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