Rapture: Timing and Proofs

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Passages That Do and Don’t Speak of the Rapture

Revised 10/4/2008

Introduction

 Many hold different views on the Rapture. (The Rapture is the catching away of all dead and living Saints to meet Messiah Yeshua, Godly relatives and friends in the air.) Some say that it occurs before the Tribulation (when Yehovah the God of Israel troubles unbelieving Israel and the world). Some believe it will take place during the Tribulation, while others say that it will occur at the end of the Tribulation. Some are not sure, and are not even sure if it is important. Others don’t believe it is Biblical, saying that the Rapture is taught to convince Christians that they won’t face trouble. One viewpoint is that it isn’t important for Salvation or Christian living, and therefore it isn’t important. Since more than half of the Bible is not concerned with Salvation or Christian living, should we abandon it?

Anyone who fears Yehovah knows that what He says is always important.

Along the same lines, there are those who state that the word Rapture does not appear in the Bible. (Neither do the words millennium and incarnation.) A Latin version of the Bible proves that this is wrong, because the word is found there. The word rapture is from rapiens found in 1 Thessalonians 4 in Latin, meaning catching away.

This document will use the King James Version and some literal renderings. (Other versions often have weaker renderings and biases.) I will use Yeshua, Jesus’ Hebrew name, Yehovah instead of Jehovah, etc. to better reflect the Hebrew and its meanings. This document will place the text first in each section, followed by a ‘questions’ format. See if you can answer the questions for yourself.

A. First Thessalonians Texts

1 Thessalonians 1:1 Paul, and Silvanus, and Timotheus, unto the church of the Thessalonians which is in God the Father and in the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ. ²We give thanks to God always for you all, making mention of you in our prayers; ³ Remembering without ceasing your work of faith, and labour of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, in the sight of God and our Father; ⁴ Knowing, brethren beloved, your election of God. ⁵For our gospel came not unto you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Ghost, and in much assurance; as ye know what manner of men we were among you for your sake. ⁶And ye became followers of us, and of the Lord, having received the word in much affliction, with joy of the Holy Ghost: ⁷So that ye were ensamples to all that believe in Macedonia and Achaia. ⁸For from you sounded out the word of the Lord not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but also in every place your faith to God–ward is spread abroad; so that we need not to speak any thing. ⁹For they themselves show of us what manner of entering in we had unto you, and how ye turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God; ¹⁰And to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come.

 Who Wrote the Letter?

Three Jewish men wrote this letter: Paul, Silvanus and Timotheus. They have only good things to say about the Saints (fearers of God, delighters in His Word) living in Thessalonica. They mention their patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ. (Patience is endurance. Patience and hope will be mentioned again in these documents.)

What is the Wrath to Come (verse 10)?

Wrath signifies extreme anger. To what wrath to come are they referring? One clue is this: the writers are waiting for his Son from heaven. When will He come from heaven? While this text doesn’t specify what this wrath is or why it is, the two letters sent to the Thessalonian Saints mention this. The letters are written as a mystery, but one that has solutions in the Bible. (They are not difficult to solve; it just requires some thought and consideration with plenty of reading in the Bible.) This document is designed to solve this mystery as readers continue through it.

1 Thessalonians 2:1 For yourselves, brethren, know our entrance in unto you, that it was not in vain: ²But even after that we had suffered before, and were shamefully entreated, as ye know, at Philippi, we were bold in our God to speak unto you the gospel of God with much contention. ³For our exhortation was not of deceit, nor of uncleanness, nor in guile: ⁴But as we were allowed of God to be put in trust with the gospel, even so we speak; not as pleasing men, but God, which trieth our hearts. ⁵For neither at any time used we flattering words, as ye know, nor a cloke of covetousness; God is witness: ⁶Nor of men sought we glory, neither of you, nor yet of others, when we might have been burdensome, as the apostles of Christ. ⁷But we were gentle among you, even as a nurse cherisheth her children: ⁸So being affectionately desirous of you, we were willing to have imparted unto you, not the gospel of God only, but also our own souls, because ye were dear unto us. ⁹For ye remember, brethren, our labour and travail: for labouring night and day, because we would not be chargeable unto any of you, we preached unto you the gospel of God. ¹⁰Ye are witnesses, and God also, how holily and justly and unblameably we behaved ourselves among you that believe: ¹¹As ye know how we exhorted and comforted and charged every one of you, as a father doth his children, ¹²That ye would walk worthy of God, who hath called you unto his kingdom and glory. ¹³For this cause also thank we God without ceasing, because, when ye received the word of God which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe. ¹⁴For ye, brethren, became followers of the churches of God which in Judaea are in Christ Jesus: for ye also have suffered like things of your own countrymen, even as they have of the Jews: ¹⁵Who both killed the Lord Jesus, and their own prophets, and have persecuted us; and they please not God, and are contrary to all men: ¹⁶Forbidding us to speak to the Gentiles that they might be saved, to fill up their sins always: for the wrath is come upon them to the uttermost. ¹⁷But we, brethren, being taken from you for a short time in presence, not in heart, endeavoured the more abundantly to see your face with great desire. ¹⁸Wherefore we would have come unto you, even I Paul, once and again; but Satan hindered us. ¹⁹For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Are not even ye in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at his coming? ²⁰For ye are our glory and joy.

Is This Wrath Historical?

Verse 16 states, “Forbidding us to speak to the Gentiles that they might be saved, to fill up their sins always. For the wrath is come upon them to the uttermost.” This again mentions wrath. Either it already came upon those involved and is therefore not the wrath to come or is it prophetic. Which is it? It must be the wrath to come at a future time. No wrath had come upon Israel in Paul’s day. Even the Temple was still functioning.

(A Note on the Jews)

Many readers will view this text as angry words from the Spirit of God against the Jews in general. Those readers haven’t been careful in their reading (if they read at all). Verse 16 mentions us as opposed to the Gentiles. It mentions the Jews as a third group. Thus, many readers thought that us referred to Christians (made of Jews and Gentiles). Those drawing this conclusion have also not been careful.

The expression the Jews is found throughout the book of John. Yet, with the exception of specifically named non-Jewish persons, all in John were Jews. This has led some to make a distinction between the Jews and Israel. Some of them see the Jews as cursed, while Israel (in their views) consists of the people of God (referring to the Christians). This also shows a very sloppy reading.

The Jews were a sect of ‘the Jews’ (all the Israelis) who were leaders. Paul himself was one of this group:

Acts 21:39  But Paul said, “I am a man, a Jew of Tarsus, a city in Cilicia, a citizen of no mean city: and, I beseech thee, suffer me to speak unto the people.”

Acts 22:3 “I am verily a man which am a Jew, born in Tarsus, a city in Cilicia, yet brought up in this city at the feet of Gamaliel, and taught according to the perfect manner of the law of the fathers, and was zealous toward God, as ye all are this day.”

Yet, Paul identifies himself by tribe:

Romans 11:1 “I say then, Hath God cast away his people? God forbid. For I also am an Israeli of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin.”

Philippians 3:5 “...circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, an Hebrew of the Hebrews. As touching the law, a Pharisee...”

Nicodemus, that great fearer of Yehovah and believer in Yeshua was a ruler of the sect called the Jews:

John 3:1 There was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews.

Not all of the sect called the Jews were antagonistic to Yeshua. Some were, however.

Understanding Thessalonians will be much easier with this information. Paul stated (verse 14), “For ye (non-Jewish Saints in Thessalonica) also have suffered like things of your own countrymen even as they (the Israeli congregations of God) have of the Jews.”

I will now return to the question whether this wrath is historical. When the text says, “has come upon them to the uttermost,” that must be describing the worst case of wrath that has occurred. That can only be describing a future event, since the wrath of Yehovah on Israel has never met that criterion. The Biblical Tribulation does describe that.

Coming and Presence: To what coming does 1 Thessalonians 2:19 refer?

1 Thessalonians 2:19 For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Are not even ye in the presence of our Lord Messiah Yeshua at His coming? ²⁰For ye are our glory and joy.

This text gives very little information. (Texts shown later in this document will give much more information.) Most readers assume that they know to what this refers. I have found that this rule holds: Whenever readers assume anything about any text, they are nearly always wrong. The Bible was written so that sloppy readers would be wrong, and careful readers would obtain right information. That way, enemies will not know what is actually occurring, and friends of the Bible will. That way, friends of the Bible will be able to escape many deadly situations, and enemies will fall into traps.

Coming and Presence: When will Messiah be present (again, verse 19)?

This will again await more information. Feel free to assume that coming and presence are about Yeshua’s arrival on earth to reign, if you must. Be ready for surprising evidence and proof, however.

In the first chapter, the patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ (verse 3) indicates that something is being awaited (1 Thessalonians 1:10). What is it? Is it not waiting for His Son from heaven? This will directly connect to the present set of questions.

Patience and Lifetimes

1 Thessalonians 1:3 Remembering without ceasing your work of faith, and labour of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Messiah Yeshua, in the sight of God and our Father …

Patience (endurance) would not be needed if they were not enduring for the sake of something that could occur in their lifetimes. They knew that somethine was imminent (it could happen at any time). It may not happen right away, but is expected at any time. No other event must first occur.

1 Thessalonians 3:1 Wherefore when we could no longer forbear, we thought it good to be left at Athens alone; ²And sent Timotheus, our brother, and minister of God, and our fellowlabourer in the gospel of Christ, to establish you, and to comfort you concerning your faith: ³That no man should be moved by these afflictions: for yourselves know that we are appointed thereunto. ⁴For verily, when we were with you, we told you before that we should suffer tribulation; even as it came to pass, and ye know. ⁵For this cause, when I could no longer forbear, I sent to know your faith, lest by some means the tempter have tempted you, and our labour be in vain. ⁶But now when Timotheus came from you unto us, and brought us good tidings of your faith and charity, and that ye have good remembrance of us always, desiring greatly to see us, as we also to see you: ⁷Therefore, brethren, we were comforted over you in all our affliction and distress by your faith: ⁸For now we live, if ye stand fast in the Lord. ⁹For what thanks can we render to God again for you, for all the joy wherewith we joy for your sakes before our God; ¹⁰Night and day praying exceedingly that we might see your face, and might perfect that which is lacking in your faith? ¹¹Now God himself and our Father, and our Lord Jesus Christ, direct our way unto you. ¹²And the Lord make you to increase and abound in love one toward another, and toward all men, even as we do toward you: ¹³To the end he may stablish your hearts unblameable in holiness before God, even our Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all his saints.

What affliction and tribulation are mentioned in verses 3 and 4?

1 Thessalonians 3:3 That no man should be moved by these afflictions: for yourselves know that we are appointed thereunto. ⁴For verily, when we were with you, we told you before that we should suffer tribulation even as it came to pass, and ye know.

Tribulation means continuous trouble accompanied by danger, hurt or death. Affliction means pain and suffering, but includes humiliation. The above passage indicates that affliction and tribulation will be a normal part of the lives of Saints. An event is coming that won’t be part of the regular difficulties. The ends of each chapter often mention this event.

Which coming is “the coming of our Lord Messiah Yeshua with all his saints”?

1 Thessalonians 3:12 And the Lord make you to increase and abound in love one toward another, and toward all [men], even as we [do] toward you: ¹³To the end he may stablish your hearts unblameable in holiness before God, even our Father, at the coming of our Lord Messiah Yeshua with all his saints.

Does the answer seem obvious? Be cautious.

Focus on the following underscored words:

To the end he may stablish your hearts unblameable in holiness before God, even our Father, at the coming of our Lord Messiah Yeshua with all his saints.

Why not word it, “To the end he may stablish all the Saints’ hearts unblameable in holiness before God, even our Father, at the coming of our Lord Messiah Yeshua with all his saints”? Three separate groups are being specified by first person pronouns (We, us, our), second person pronouns (ye, you, your) and third person pronouns (they, them, their).

Always identify pronouns.

The Thessalonians must have their hearts stablished, gaining a firm foundation in the faith.

The others (the Saints with whom Messiah will come) have already been stablished unblameable in holiness before God.

The writers expect Messiah’s soon coming with all His Saints. If you recognize this as true, keep it in mind as you continue.

1 Thessalonians 4:1 Furthermore then we beseech you, brethren, and exhort you by the Lord Jesus, that as ye have received of us how ye ought to walk and to please God, so ye would abound more and more. ²For ye know what commandments we gave you by the Lord Jesus. ³For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that ye should abstain from fornication: ⁴That every one of you should know how to possess his vessel in sanctification and honour; ⁵Not in the lust of concupiscence, even as the Gentiles which know not God: ⁶That no man go beyond and defraud his brother in any matter: because that the Lord is the avenger of all such, as we also have forewarned you and testified. ⁷For God hath not called us unto uncleanness, but unto holiness. ⁸He therefore that despiseth, despiseth not man, but God, who hath also given unto us his holy Spirit. ⁹But as touching brotherly love ye need not that I write unto you: for ye yourselves are taught of God to love one another. ¹⁰And indeed ye do it toward all the brethren which are in all Macedonia: but we beseech you, brethren, that ye increase more and more; ¹¹And that ye study to be quiet, and to do your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you; ¹²That ye may walk honestly toward them that are without, and that ye may have lack of nothing. ¹³But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. ¹⁴For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. ¹⁵For 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. ¹⁶For 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: ¹⁷Then 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. ¹⁸Wherefore comfort one another with these words.

What are Saints commanded to do while they wait?

1 Thessalonians 4:11 And that ye study to be quiet, and to do your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you; ¹²That ye may walk honestly toward them that are without, and ye may have lack of nothing.

If the Saints do as commanded, they will study to be quiet, do their own business, work with their hands, and will walk honestly toward them who are outside─toward the non-saints. (They won’t be sitting on a mountain awaiting ‘the coming of Christ’!)

Is ignorance of future events acceptable?

1 Thessalonians 4:13 But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.

(This may not seem to answer the question, but read the rest of the verses in the chapter to see that a future event is mentioned.)

The Spirit of God through the three writers states, “I would not have you to be ignorant.” They need to know what is going to happen.

Some believe these events will not be clearly understood until they are fulfilled, admitting they are ignorant. If this describes you, be patient and carefully read.

What is the Saints’ Hope?

Hope is mentioned in verse 13. This Scriptural word means expectation, something a person with that hope expects to certainly occur. The Biblical hope is almost always the resurrection, and the resurrection is directly associated with Messiah’s arrival to rule. Everyone born of God who has died will be resurrected at one time.

Sleep (verse 13, asleep) refers to death, but is used of Saints who await resurrection.

Messiah died and rose again, so God will bring those who ‘sleep’ in Yeshua with Yeshua. Whatever this event is, Yeshua and those who previously died in faith will be brought together.

If God will bring them with Him, where is He located?

He is in the heavens. They are also in the heavens.

When will He bring them?

This is harder to determine. Remain in “We which are alive [and] remain unto the coming of the Lord” means survive. The writers fully expected Messiah’s return before they died. Had they not expected this, the text mighty have been worded something like, ‘they which are alive [and] remain unto the coming of the Lord.’

Similar ‘Coming’ Texts

Read these verses again, focusing on the word coming:

1 Thessalonians 4:15 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.

1 Thessalonians 2:19 For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? are not even ye in the presence of our Lord Messiah Yeshua at his coming? ²⁰For ye are our glory and joy.

1 Thessalonians 3:12 And the Lord make you to increase and abound in love one toward another, and toward all [men], even as we [do] toward you: ¹³To the end he may stablish your hearts unblameable in holiness before God, even our Father, at the coming of our Lord Messiah Yeshua with all his saints.

These three ‘coming’ texts refer to the same thing.

Descending from Heaven

Compare these texts:

1 Thessalonians 1:9 For they themselves show of us what manner of entering in we had unto you, and how ye turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God; ¹⁰And to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, Yeshua, which delivered us from the wrath to come.

1 Thessalonians 4:16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven.

These phrases refer to the same event.

Pronouns in The Hope

Overlook no pronouns. We is used as well as them in 1 Thessalonians 4:16-18:

¹⁶For 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 the Messiah shall rise first: ¹⁷Then we which are alive 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. ¹⁸Wherefore comfort one another with these words.

The consolation of living Saints would be very small if their only hope of seeing their dead relatives and friends were after they too were dead! This hope is for Saints who are alive. They will see them at this event whether they are dead or alive.

1 Thessalonians 5:1 But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you. ²For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. ³For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape. ⁴But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief. ⁵Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness. ⁶Therefore let us not sleep, as others; but let us watch and be sober. ⁷For they that sleep sleep in the night; and they that be drunken are drunken in the night. ⁸But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation. ⁹For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ, ¹⁰Who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him. ¹¹Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also ye do. ¹²And we beseech you, brethren, to know them which labour among you, and are over you in the Lord, and admonish you; ¹³And to esteem them very highly in love for their work’s sake. Be at peace among yourselves. ¹⁴Now we exhort you, brethren, warn them that are unruly, comfort the feebleminded, support the weak, be patient toward all. ¹⁵See that none render evil for evil unto any; but ever follow that which is good, both among yourselves, and to all. ¹⁶Rejoice evermore. ¹⁷Pray without ceasing. ¹⁸In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. ¹⁹Quench not the Spirit. ²⁰Despise not prophesyings. ²¹Prove all things; hold fast that which is good. ²²Abstain from all appearance of evil. ²³And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. ²⁴Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do. ²⁵Brethren, pray for us. ²⁶Greet all the brethren with an holy kiss. ²⁷I charge you by the Lord that this epistle be read unto all the holy brethren. ²⁸The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen. To the Thessalonians was written from Athens.

Fooled by the Day of the Lord

Some pronouns in the following text have been italicized for your observation:

1 Thessalonians 5:1 But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you. ²For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. ³For when they shall say, “Peace and safety!” then sudden destruction cometh upon them as travail upon a woman with child. And they shall not escape. ⁴But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief. ⁵Ye are all the children of light and the children of the day. We are not of the night, nor of darkness. ⁶Therefore let us not sleep, as others, but let us watch and be sober. ⁷For they that sleep sleep in the night, and they that be drunken are drunken in the night. ⁸But let us who are of the day be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and for an helmet: the hope of salvation. ⁹For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ ¹⁰Who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we shall live together with Him. ¹¹Wherefore comfort yourselves together and edify one another even as also ye do.

The expression the day of the Lord contrasts with previous texts and includes the sudden destruction of some. Ye and you are Saints who will be reading this Thessalonians letter, while they and them are non-saint bad guys who will be destroyed. The Saints (called ‘the children of light’) will not be surprised by that Day overtaking them as a thief. They will be living in ‘full uniform,’ putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and the Hope of salvation for a helmet. God hath not appointed us (who are of the day, of light) to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Messiah Yeshua who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we will live together with Him.

About the Day of the Lord

The Day of the Lord (the Day of Yehovah) is the Day of Wrath. (Saints living at the time of the Day of Yehovah will be prepared to suffer at the hands of evil folks, not at the hands of Yehovah. These attack statements are not directed toward them.)

The writers consoled the Thessalonian Saints, showing that they are not appointed to live or die during the Day of Yehovah, but to live together with Him. The ‘Old Testament’ has much to say about the Day of Yehovah and its accompanying wrath. The Hope includes seeing Messiah and dead Saints who are relatives and friends, not the terrible day of the Wrath of Yehovah.

‘Body’ Texts

1 Thessalonians 5:23 And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Messiah Yeshua. ²⁴Faithful is He that calls you, Who also will do.

Look carefully at this quote with the bracketed notes: “Your [plural] whole spirit [singular] and soul [singular] and body [singular] be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Messiah Yeshua.” This is not the same as “Your [plural] whole spirits and souls and bodies be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Messiah Yeshua.” Overlooking singulars and plurals will lead to wrong theology.

The spirit gives life to the body, the soul is the true entity—the real person or group, and the body is the physical ‘earth suit’ that is seen. The Thessalonian body is a part of the Body of Christ. If it is preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Messiah Yeshua, Messiah’s coming will occur during this body’s lifetime.

Standard Hope

1 Thessalonians 5:27 I charge you by the Lord that this epistle be read unto all the holy brethren.

All the holy brethren must have the same Hope.

B. Second Thessalonians Texts

2 Thessalonians 1:1 Paul, and Silvanus, and Timotheus, unto the church of the Thessalonians in God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: ²Grace unto you, and peace, from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. ³We are bound to thank God always for you, brethren, as it is meet, because that your faith groweth exceedingly, and the charity of every one of you all toward each other aboundeth; ⁴so that we ourselves glory in you in the churches of God for your patience and faith in all your persecutions and tribulations that ye endure, ⁵a manifest token of the righteous judgment of God, that ye may be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which ye also suffer: ⁶Seeing it is a righteous thing with God to recompense tribulation to them that trouble you; ⁷And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, ⁸In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: ⁹Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power; ¹⁰When he shall come to be glorified in his saints, and to be admired in all them that believe (because our testimony among you was believed) in that day. ¹¹Wherefore also we pray always for you, that our God would count you worthy of the calling, and fulfil all the good pleasure of goodness, and the work of faith with power: ¹²That the name of our Lord Jesus Christ may be glorified in you, and ye in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Being Counted Worthy

Consider verses 4 and 5:

⁴so that we ourselves glory in you in the churches of God for your patience and faith in all your persecutions and tribulations that ye endure, ⁵a manifest token of the righteous judgment of God, that ye may be counted worthy of the kingdom of God for which ye also suffer.

They are suffering persecutions and tribulations with patience (endurance) and faith! Why are they suffering? It is a manifest token (visible sign) “of the righteous judgment of God, that ye may be counted worthy of the kingdom of God for which ye also suffer!” Religious non-saints are usually the most violent activists against Saints. Saints suffer, and they will be counted worthy of the kingdom of God. They become strong, bold and tough to stand for what is right, to respond by doing good in the faces of evil.

Yehovah will recompense the bad-guys:

⁶seeing [it is] a righteous thing with God to recompense tribulation to them that trouble you!

Bad guys will also have tribulation, ending in the Lake of fire and sulfur. What will happen to the Saints?

⁷and to you who are troubled, rest with us when the Lord Yeshua shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels!

A better word order is this:

⁷and rest with us to you who are troubled, when the Lord Yeshua shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels!

They will get permanent relief from being mistreated, never to be hurt or pained again, when Messiah will be revealed from heaven. The story will end well!

Reveal and Coming Contrasted

Focus on reveal in the following:

^7-bwhen the Lord Yeshua shall be revealed from heaven with His mighty angels ⁸in flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Messiah Yeshua, ⁹who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power ¹⁰when He shall come to be glorified in His saints and to be admired in all them that believe (because our testimony among you was believed) in that day.

“Revealed from heaven with His mighty angels” is not the same as “the coming of Messiah with all His Saints.” This is the time of vengeance when Messiah will come in flaming fire, and will come to be glorified in His Saints! This contrasts with 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18–

¹³But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. ¹⁴For if we believe that Yeshua died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Yeshua will God bring with him. ¹⁵For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. ¹⁶For 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 the Messiah shall rise first: ¹⁷Then we which are alive 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. ¹⁸Wherefore comfort one another with these words.

No wrath accompanies 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18, but rather a ‘get-together’ of the Saints. 2 Thessalonians 1 and 1 Thessalonians 5 are alike.

The Importance of Glorification

When the Thessalonian letters were written, the Saints’ objectives included glorifying the Name of the Lord Messiah Yeshua, fulfilling all the good pleasure of goodness, and doing the work of faith with power:

2 Thessalonians 1:11 Wherefore also we pray always for you that our God would count you worthy of [this] calling and fulfill all the good pleasure of goodness and the work of faith with power, ¹²that the name of our Lord Messiah Yeshua will be glorified in you and ye in Him according to the grace of our God and the Lord Messiah Yeshua.

When the Day of Yehovah comes, Messiah will come to be glorified in His saints. Glorifying [demonstrating as important] is important in both cases.

2 Thessalonians 2:1 Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him, ²That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand. ³Let no man deceive you by any means: for except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; ⁴Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God. ⁵Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things? ⁶And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time. ⁷For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only He who now restrains, until He be taken out of the way. ⁸And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming ⁹Whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, ¹⁰And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. ¹¹And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: ¹²That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness. ¹³But we are bound to give thanks alway to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth: ¹⁴Whereunto he called you by our gospel, to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. ¹⁵Therefore, brethren, stand fast, and hold the traditions which ye have been taught, whether by word, or our epistle. ¹⁶Now our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God, even our Father, which hath loved us, and hath given us everlasting consolation and good hope through grace, ¹⁷Comfort your hearts, and stablish you in every good word and work.

Beseeching by the Rapture, Avoiding Confusion

Look closely at the first few verses after reading the chapter.

2 Thessalonians 2:1 Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Messiah Yeshua, and our gathering together unto Him ²that ye be not soon shaken in mind or be troubled—neither by spirit nor by word nor by letter as from us, as that the day of the Messiah is at hand. ³Let no man deceive you by any means: for except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition.

Beseech means to strongly urge or to strongly ask that something be done. In some of our cultures, one would not normally urge another by something as is done in this section. The Saints’ Hope is “in the coming of our Lord Messiah Yeshua” and in their being gathered together with their dead relatives and friends who were Saints (born of God). The writers urged that they would refuse to be shaken, etc. using this Hope.

1 Thessalonians 4 also mentioned the coming of Messiah and this gathering (we will call this the Rapture). I will explain the terminology shortly.

1 Thessalonians 4:17 Then we who are alive/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.

Caught up in Latin is rapiens. The noun form is raptura from which comes rapture.

2 Thessalonians 2:1-3 urges the Saints by the Rapture that “ye be not soon shaken in mind,” quickly confused and weakened. What might cause the confusion? The writers do not want them troubled or greatly upset, but upset about what?

Three possible sources of confusion and upset are listed:

as from us. If a spirit attempts to confuse or upset them, they must refuse to believe it. If a word (communication) tries to confuse or upset them, they must refuse to believe it. If a confusing or upsetting letter on this topic comes to them as if Paul, Silvanus or Timotheus wrote it, they must refuse to believe it.

The potential point of confusion or upset is the error that the day of the Messiah is at hand. The day of Messiah is the Day of the LORD, the Day of Yehovah, the Day of Wrath (starting with the Tribulation). The writers warned that the Day of Yehovah is not at hand, even if a spirit, word, or letter might claim otherwise. (At hand means could happen now, is imminent.) The Rapture was already imminent, but the Day of Yehovah is not!

A Falling Away, the Man of Sin

³Let no man deceive you by any means: for [that day shall not come], except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition.

Two events occur before the Day of Yehovah: a falling away (not described in the text) and the revealing of the man of sin—his being made known to all who know about him. He is called the antichrist and the son of perdition in the ‘New Testament,’ and the Assyrian in the ‘Old Testament.’

The Spirit’s Letting

⁶And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time. ⁷For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth [will let], until he be taken out of the way.

Let in 1611 meant either allow or prohibit! The Greek word means prohibit in this text:

⁶And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time. ⁷For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now prohibiteth [will prohibit], until he be taken out of the way.

Who has the power to prohibit the man of sin from being revealed? Who can live for many generations? Only the Spirit of Yehovah can. The man of sin will be revealed when the Spirit of Yehovah moves out of the way, unblocking his arrival. (Some think the Holy Spirit will be removed from the earth at this time, but since He is omnipresent, this makes no sense.)

Receiving the Love of the Truth

¹⁰…in them that perish, because they received not the love of the truth that they might be saved. ¹¹And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion that they should believe the lie: ¹²that they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.

Many will not receive the love of the Truth. (Love of the Truth is a requirement for Salvation.) Yehovah responds to those who will not receive the love of the Truth by sending them strong delusion so that they will believe the lie. All who did not believe the Truth will be damned, choosing to have pleasure in unrighteousness.

2 Thessalonians 3:1 Finally, brethren, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may have course and be glorified, even as with you, ²and that we may be delivered from unreasonable and wicked men. For all have not faith. ³But the Lord is faithful, who shall stablish you, and keep from evil. ⁴And we have confidence in the Lord touching you, that ye both do and will do the things which we command you. ⁵And the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God and into the patient waiting for Christ. ⁶Now we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Messiah Yeshua, that ye withdraw yourselves from every brother that walketh disorderly, and not after the tradition which he received of us. ⁷For yourselves know how ye ought to follow us. For we behaved not ourselves disorderly among you; ⁸Neither did we eat any man’s bread for nought, but wrought with labour and travail night and day, that we might not be chargeable to any of you— ⁹Not because we have not power, but to make ourselves an ensample unto you to follow us. ¹⁰For even when we were with you, this we commanded you, that if any would not work, neither should he eat. ¹¹For we hear that there are some which walk among you disorderly, not working at all, but are busybodies. ¹²Now we command and exhort them that are such by our Lord Jesus Christ that they work with quietness and eat their own bread. ¹³But ye, brethren, be not weary in well doing. ¹⁴And if any man obey not our word by this epistle, note that man, and have no company with him, that he may be ashamed. ¹⁵Yet count not as an enemy, but admonish as a brother. ¹⁶Now the Lord of peace himself give you peace always by all means. The Lord be with you all. ¹⁷The salutation of Paul with mine own hand, which is the token in every epistle: so I write. ¹⁸The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen. To the Thessalonians was written from Athens.

Currently Waiting for Messiah

Focus on verse 5:

⁵And the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God and into the patient waiting for the Messiah.

They are waiting for Messiah at this time.

The Importance of This Letter

¹⁴And if any man obey not our word by this epistle, note that man and have no company with him, that he may be ashamed.

See how strong the three writers felt about this information? We must take it as seriously!

C. A Rapid-Paced Look At the Rest of the Bible

In Relation to the Rapture

Look up each text. Read surrounding texts to ascertain whether it is a Rapture text.

1 Peter 4:13 But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of the Messiah’s sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy. ¹⁴If ye be reproached for the name of the Messiah, happy [are ye]; for the spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you: on their part he is evil spoken of, but on your part he is glorified. ¹⁵But let none of you suffer as a murderer, or a thief, or an evildoer, or as a busybody in other men’s matters. ¹⁶Yet if [any man suffer] as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God on this behalf. ¹⁷For the time [is come] that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if [it] first [begin] at us, what shall the end [be] of them that obey not the gospel of God? ¹⁸And if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear? ¹⁹Wherefore let them that suffer according to the will of God commit the keeping of their souls [to him] in well doing, as unto a faithful Creator.

Revealed is used in the above text in the same way as in 2 Thessalonians, referring to the Day of Yehovah, the Day of Wrath. Appear is used in the following text, and is akin to revealed in that Yeshua will become publicly seen.

1 Peter 5:4 And when the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away.

Members of the group are identified as ye. They will receive a crown (singular), indicating that the entire group will obtain that crown. Israel will be glorified (that is the crown), and that glory will never cease. The glorification of Israel will occur upon Messiah’s arrival, and will actually begin just before His arrival near the end of the Tribulation. Enemies will know that the God of Israel is doing these destructions of Israel’s enemies and salvations of the Israelis and their friends. Once Yeshua arrives, the specificity of the importance of Israel will be known by every human living and dead.

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1 Peter 1:5 …who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. ⁶Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations: ⁷That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Messiah Yeshua: ⁸Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see [him] not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory: ⁹Receiving the end of your faith, the salvation of [your] souls. ¹⁰Of which salvation the prophets have inquired and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace [that should come] unto you: ¹¹Searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of the Messiah which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of the Messiah, and the glory that should follow. ¹²Unto whom it was revealed, that not unto themselves, but unto us they did minister the things, which are now reported unto you by them that have preached the gospel unto you with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven; which things the angels desire to look into. ¹³Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Messiah Yeshua; ¹⁴As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance: ¹⁵But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; ¹⁶Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.

Verse 5 establishes the timing of the revealing: in the last time. Verses 7 and 13 use different words to describe different events and the same timing. The appearing is not a threat; the revealing is a threat to the bad guys and a reason for rejoicing to the good guys. This is no rapture text; it deals with the Israelis again as a group: “Receiving the end of your (plural) faith (singular).” The entire letter is of this nature. “Gird up the loins of your (plural) mind (singular).”

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The next text is a Rapture text, and gives a reversed order of events:

Psalm 50:1 A Psalm of Asaph. The mighty God, Yehovah, hath spoken and called the earth from the rising of the sun unto the going down thereof. ²Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty, God hath shined. ³Our God shall come, and shall not keep silence: a fire shall devour before him, and it shall be very tempestuous round about him. ⁴He shall call to the heavens from above, and to the earth, that He may judge His people. ⁵Gather my saints together unto me; those that have made a covenant with me by sacrifice. ⁶And the heavens shall declare his righteousness: for God is judge himself. Selah.

Reversing the order gives the proper events as they will occur. Verses 5 and 6 must act as one verse:

The gathering of the Saints (verse 5) sounds like the Rapture. The Scriptures teach that all must appear before the judgment seat of Messiah:

2 Corinthians 5:10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of the Messiah that every one may receive the things in the Body according to what he hath done, whether good or bad. ¹¹Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men; but we are made manifest unto God; and I trust also are made manifest in your consciences.

Saints are given their ranks (and potentially their assignments) at this time in the heavens. Non-saints will likewise be judged, but much, much later, and will be given their ranks of damnation.

The Saints (already having been judged) will return with Messiah when He is revealed from heaven. Think about it to see if it makes sense.

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James 5:7 Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive the early and latter rain. ⁸Be ye also patient; stablish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh.

Such a statement would only make sense if this coming of the Lord is imminent, like the husbandman waits for rain.

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2 Peter 1:16 For we have not followed cunningly devised fables, when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Messiah Yeshua, but were eyewitnesses of his majesty.

The power of Messiah is a vital part of both the resurrection and the coming. This coming is consistent with the one in James 5:7, an imminent coming. The Rapture is imminent; the Tribulation is not.

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1 John 2:28 And now, little children, abide in Him so that we will have confidence when He shall appear, and not be ashamed before Him at His coming.

This appearance sounds akin to 1 Peter 1:5 and following, while His coming sounds akin to texts above that refer to the coming. If this is the case, this text is not difficult to understand. We refers to the Israelis. Little children refers to Israeli children. If the little Israeli children abide in Yeshua, the Israelis will have confidence when Messiah Yeshua appears (a Tribulational event), and they will not be ashamed before Yeshua at His coming, at the Rapture. The Saints following the Rapture will know what is occurring on earth, and will be ‘rooting’ for the Israelis on earth, especially those who will do valiantly. If the Israelis don’t do well during the Tribulation, that will bring shame to the Israelis in the heavens, since what one Israeli does, all Israelis are affected.

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1 John 3:2 Beloved, we are now the sons of God. And it does not yet appear what we shall be. But we know that we shall be like Him when He shall appear, for we shall see Him as He is. ³And every man that has this hope in him purifies himself even as He is pure.

The Israelis will be like Him when He appears. They will see Him as He is. The result of truly having this Hope is personal purification to the degree that Messiah is pure. This appearance will be at the end of the Tribulation.

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Jude 14 And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, “Behold, Yehovah comes with ten thousands of His saints ¹⁵to execute judgment upon all and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds that they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard [speeches] that ungodly sinners have spoken against Him.

The Saints will be coming with Yehovah when He comes to execute judgment and vengeance against enemies.

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Hebrews 10:36 For ye have need of patience so that ye will receive the promise after ye have done the will of God. ³⁷For yet a little while, and He that shall come will come and will not tarry. ³⁸Now the righteous shall live by faith. But if [any man] draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him. ³⁹But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition, but of them that believe to the saving of the soul.

This coming is not given a timing except to qualify it, “yet a little while.” This coming has no vengeance text attached. This seems consistent with coming texts.

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Hebrews 9:28 So the Messiah was once offered to bear the sins of many; and He shall appear unto them that look for Him the second time without sin unto salvation.

Appear is again used. He will appear unto those looking for Him. The appearing texts have above been linked with the Tribulation arrival (in glory, to do vengeance, to save Israel). This text appears to follow that same mode.

 Titus 2:13 Looking for that blessed Hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Messiah Yeshua…

For what does the Saint look? It is for that blessed Hope and glorious appearing!

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2 Timothy 4:1 I charge [thee] therefore before God, and the Lord Messiah Yeshua, who shall judge the alive and the dead at His appearing and His kingdom: ²preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine. ³For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; ⁴And they shall turn away [their] ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables. ⁵But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry. ⁶For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand. ⁷I have fought a good fight, I have finished [my] course, I have kept the faith: ⁸Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which Yehovah, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day; and not to me only, but unto all them also that love His appearing.

Compare verse 1 with verse 8. This describes two events: judging the alive and judging the dead. It also describes two timings: at His appearing, and  His kingdom. They sound like they are at the same time. The kingdom lasts more than a thousand years.

I propose that Yeshua the Judge will judge the living folks at His appearing, and He will judge the dead also at His appearing, though they are not dead yet (referring to the damned in the Sheep/Goat Judgment). (The Saints judge the dead after the Millennium.) If this is the case, the expression the dead refers to those who have no Life and who will be both killed and damned in that Sheep/Goat Judgment. (The Sheep/Goat Judgment is only of non-Jewish persons; all physically living Jews will have been judged before the Tribulation ends.)

Saints love His appearing; others do not. His appearing is His arrival (I propose), and the judgment at His Kingdom is described in Matthew 25:31 and following.

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1 Timothy 6:13 I give thee charge in the sight of God Who makes-alive all things, and Yeshua the Messiah who witnessed a good confession before Pontius Pilate, ¹⁴that thou keep the Commandment without spot, unrebukeable until the appearing of our Lord Messiah Yeshua ¹⁵that He shall show in His times, Who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords.

His times refers to the Day of Yehovah. This gives the timing to a careful reader. The proof is that He will be King of kings and Lord of lords at that time. Thus, this appearing is referring to Yeshua’s arrival on earth to rule.

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Colossians 3:4 When the Messiah, our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory.

This is the end of the Tribulation and a matter of weeks before the Millennium. It is when the Hope of the Saints (the resurrection) has occurred since all Saints will have glorified physical, immortal bodies.

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Philippians 3:20 For our conversation [lifestyle] is in the heavens from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Messiah Yeshua ²¹Who shall change our vile Body so-that it will be fashioned like unto His glorious Body according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself.

We in this text are the Israelis. The only time the Israelis will successfully look for the Saviour will be when all Israel is in faith and ready for His arrival. That will occur when the Body of the Israelis (that is, the Body of Israel) is changed and fashioned like Yeshua’s Body (the Body of Christ). This will occur shortly before the end of the Tribulation. The use of the plural our with the singular Body is the clue that careful readers will see and will recognize, since otherwise it would have been worded our bodies had it been referring to physical bodies of individuals.

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Philippians 1:6 Being confident of this very thing, that He Who has begun a good work in you will perform until the day of Messiah Yeshua, ⁷even as it is appropriate for me to think this of you all, because I have you in my heart inasmuch as ye all are partakers of my grace both in my bonds, and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel. ⁸For God is my record, how greatly I long after you all in the bowels of Messiah Yeshua. ⁹And this I pray, that your love will abound yet more and more in knowledge and all judgment ¹⁰so-that ye will approve things that are excellent, so-that ye will be sincere and without offence until the day of the Messiah.

The careful reader will see the following:

Thus, the Day of Messiah is when He is openly active during the Tribulation. This congregation will pick up where it left off some time before Tribulation starts, and will be persecuted, yet without offence and with sincerity and zeal during that time. When Messiah appears and comes, the congregation at Philippi will receive the highest accolades for excellence.

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2 Corinthians 1:13 For we write no other things unto you than what ye read or acknowledge. And I trust ye shall acknowledge even to the end ¹⁴as also ye have acknowledged us in part—that we are your rejoicing even as ye also are ours in the day of the Lord Yeshua.

This text will have the same timing and be the same event as in the Philippians 1:6 text.

The last statement might seem cryptic: “we are your rejoicing even as ye also are ours in the day of the Lord Yeshua.” When the Lord Yeshua descends to earth with all the Saints, and thus fulfills the resurrection of the dead, the Israelis (we in this text) including Paul and the others who were with Paul will rejoice in all the Corinthians who stood firm during the centuries, and especially during the Tribulation. (The folks in Corinth were mainly non-Jewish.)

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1 Corinthians 15:23 But every man in his own order: the Messiah is the firstfruits; afterward are they who are the Messiah’s at His coming. ²⁴Then is the end when He shall have delivered up the kingdom to God—even the Father, when He shall have put down all rule and all authority and power. ²⁵For He must reign, till He hath put all enemies under His feet. ²⁶The last enemy shall be destroyed: death. ²⁷For He hath put all things under His feet. But when He says “all things are put under,” [it is] manifest that He Who did put all things under Him is excepted. ²⁸And when all things shall be subdued unto Him, then shall the Son also Himself be subject unto Him Who put all things under Him, that God may be all in all. ²⁹Else what shall they who are baptized for the dead do if the dead rise not at all? Why are they then baptized for the dead? ³⁰And why do we stand in jeopardy every hour? ³¹I protest by your rejoicing that I have in Messiah Yeshua our Lord—I die daily! ³²If I have fought with beasts at Ephesus after the manner of men, what does it advantage me if the dead rise not? “Let us eat and drink; for to morrow we die!” ³³Be not deceived! Evil communications corrupt good manners. ³⁴Awake to righteousness and sin not! For some don’t have the knowledge of God. I speak to your shame. ³⁵But someone  will say, “How are the dead raised up?” and “With what body do they come?” ³⁶Fool! That which thou sowest is not made-alive except it die. ³⁷And that which thou sowest, thou sowest not that body that shall be, but a bare grain. It may chance of wheat, or of some other. ³⁸But God gives it a body as it has pleased Him, and his own body to every seed. ³⁹All flesh is not the same flesh, but one is flesh of men, another flesh of beasts, another of fishes, another of birds. ⁴⁰[There are] also celestial bodies and terrestrial bodies. But the glory of the celestial is one, and that of the terrestrial is another. ⁴¹[There is] one glory of the sun and another glory of the moon and another glory of the stars. For a star differs from a star in glory. ⁴²So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption; it is raised in incorruption. ⁴³It is sown in dishonour; it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness; it is raised in power. ⁴⁴It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body. ⁴⁵And so it is written, “The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam a quickening spirit.” ⁴⁶Howbeit that is not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; and afterward is that which is spiritual. ⁴⁷The first man is of the earth, earthy; the second man is Yehovah from heaven. ⁴⁸As is the earthy, such are they also that are earthy. And as is the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly. ⁴⁹And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly. ⁵⁰Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, and corruption does not inherit incorruption. ⁵¹Behold, I show you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed ⁵²in 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. ⁵³For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal shall put on immortality. ⁵⁴So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then the saying shall be brought to pass that is written, “Death is swallowed up in victory.” ⁵⁵O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? ⁵⁶The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law. ⁵⁷But thanks is to God Who gives us the victory through our Lord Messiah Yeshua. ⁵⁸Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.

This text supplies the order of events:

 This coming connects to the Rapture, and the Rapture bridges to the end of the Tribulation via the resurrection (parts 1 and 2). The amount of time between the Rapture and the Tribulation can easily be many centuries.

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1 Corinthians 4:5 Therefore judge nothing before the time—until the Lord comes Who will both bring the hidden things of darkness to light and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts. And then every man shall have praise of God.

This coming precedes His bringing the hidden things of darkness to light and His making manifest the counsels of the hearts.

Bringing hidden things of darkness to light will be accomplished in the Tribulation, and making manifest the counsels of the hearts will likewise be accomplished during the Tribulation. That is how He will sort those who will help Israel and do righteousness from those who won’t do either.

Since Yeshua’s arrival the earth will occur after He has brought hidden things of darkness to light and after He has made manifest the counsels of the hearts, the coming must be the Rapture.

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1 Corinthians 1:7 So that ye come behind in no gift; waiting for the coming of our Lord Messiah Yeshua ⁸Who shall also confirm you unto the end blameless in the day of our Lord Yeshua the Messiah.

The coming is one event (the Rapture), and the end (referring to the time when the Gentiles will no longer be predominant over Jerusalem, ending the time of the Gentiles and beginning the Day of Yehovah) is another. The latter will occur in the Day of our Lord Yeshua the Messiah.

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Romans 12:10 [Be] kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love preferring one another in honour—¹¹not slothful in business—fervent in spirit, serving the Lord, ¹²rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing instant in prayer…

1 Thessalonians 4:9 But as touching brotherly love ye need not that I write unto you: for ye yourselves are taught of God to love one another. ¹⁰And indeed ye do it toward all the brethren which are in all Macedonia: but we beseech you, brethren, that ye increase more and more; ¹¹And that ye study to be quiet, and to do your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you ¹²so-that ye will walk honestly toward them that are without, and ye will have lack of nothing. ¹³But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them who are asleep—that ye sorrow not, even as others who have no hope.

Three items match in these two texts:

The tribulation mentioned can be what folks in historical Rome were enduring, but most texts speak of events to come (even if those events are viewed as extensions of the miniature versions that historically took place). There will be a future congregation at Rome, and it will receive this document written to them more than just a little pertinent. They will realize the power of prophecy, a communication that can be penned a multiplied thousand years before the real recipients will live.

No one should expect that modern churches, pastors, theological professors, spiritual teachers, normal fundamental Christians or folks of the various more caring Jewish faiths will view the Bible this way. They have not been taught to consider the power of God and of prophecy in this manner. They are instead taught to stare at their own navels, always thinking that texts must be about them and must be applied to them in order for them to have any real usefulness in their lifetimes. They are taught to be self-centered, and they have proven their teachers very competent.

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Romans 8:23 And not only [they], but ourselves also who have the firstfruits of the Spirit—even we ourselves groan within ourselves waiting for the adoption [‘sonship-ment’]: the redemption of our Body. ²⁴For we are saved by hope. But hope that is seen is not hope. For what a man seeth—why does he yet hope-for? ²⁵But if we hope for what we don’t see, we do wait for [it] with patience.

The Adoption [or better, ‘sonshipment,’ when Israelis as a unit become sons of God by the New Birth] takes place at the redemption of our [the Israelis’] Body. This hope is central to all Saints. Biblical Saints are waiting for this event with great anticipation. This will occur during the second half of the Tribulation.

The Body is not the same as bodies in the next text:

Romans 8:11 But if the Spirit of Him Who raised Yeshua from the dead dwells in you, He Who raised up the Messiah from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by His Spirit that dwells in you.

Be vigilant regarding pronouns! Us is not the same as you! Sloppy readers don’t really see the Bible; they see what they want to see.

Romans 8:18 For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy [to be compared] with the glory that shall be revealed in us.

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Luke 19:11 And as they heard these things, He added and spoke a parable because He was nigh to Jerusalem and because they thought that the Kingdom of God should immediately appear. ¹²He said therefore, “A certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom, and to return. ¹³And he called his ten servants. And he delivered them ten pounds. And he said unto them, ‘Occupy till I come.’ ¹⁴But his citizens hated him. And they sent a message after him saying, ‘We will not have this to reign over us!’ ¹⁵And it came to pass that when he was returned having received the kingdom, he then commanded these servants to whom he had given the money to be called unto him so-that he might know how much every man had gained by trading. ¹⁶Then the first came, saying, ‘Lord, thy pound hath gained ten pounds.’ ¹⁷And he said unto him, ‘Well! Thou good servant! Because thou hast been faithful in a very little, have thou authority over ten cities!’ ¹⁸And the second came, saying, ‘Lord, thy pound hath gained five pounds.’ ¹⁹And he said likewise to him, ‘Be thou also over five cities!’ ²⁰And another came, saying, ‘Lord, behold thy pound that I have kept laid up in a napkin. ²¹For I feared thee because thou art an austere man. Thou takest up what thou didn’t lay down, and reapest what thou didn’t sow.’ ²²And he says unto him, ‘I will judge thee out of thine own mouth, wicked servant! Thou knew that I was an austere man, taking up what I didn’t lay down and reaping what I didn’t sow! ²³Why, then, didn’t thou give my money into the bank so-that I might have required my own with interest at my coming?’ ²⁴And he said unto them who stood by, ‘Take the pound from him and give to him that hath ten pounds!’ ²⁵And they said unto him, ‘Lord, he hath ten pounds!’ ²⁶ ‘For I say unto you that unto every one who has shall be given, and from him who doesn’t have, even what he has shall be taken away from him! ²⁷And those, mine enemies who would not that I should reign over them—bring hither and slay before me!’”

Identify the Nobleman, the Kingdom and the far country. What does “when he was returned, having received the kingdom” sound like?

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Luke 17:26 And as it was in the days of Noe, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man. ²⁷They did eat, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, and the flood came, and destroyed them all. ²⁸Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded; ²⁹But the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all. ³⁰Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed. ³¹In that day, he which shall be upon the housetop, and his stuff in the house, let him not come down to take it away: and he that is in the field, let him likewise not return back. ³²Remember Lot’s wife. ³³Whosoever shall seek to save his life shall lose it; and whosoever shall lose his life shall preserve it.

The surrounding texts will show that this is Messiah’s physical return to earth to reign.

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Luke 14:12 Then said He also to him that bade Him, “When thou makest a dinner or a supper, don’t call thy friends or thy brethren or thy kinsmen or the rich neighbours lest they also bid thee again, and a recompence be made thee. ¹³But when thou makest a feast, call the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind. ¹⁴And thou shalt be blessed, for they cannot recompense thee. For thou shalt be recompensed at the resurrection of the just.

If there is a resurrection of the just (righteous), there must necessarily be a separate resurrection of the unjust. As I proposed above, the Resurrection is in two stages. The first part is the Rapture, but that occurs quite a distance before the second part in the Tribulation. No one is officially resurrected until that person comes alive and quite visible in his/her immortal body to this planet.

The recompensing at the resurrection of the righteous can refer to either event, since both are part of the same resurrection. The recompensing will be in the form of responsibilities and rank during the Kingdom (the Millennium), since rank survives from this earth to the New Earth.

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Luke 12:35 Let your loins be girded about, and [your] lights burning, ³⁶and ye yourselves like unto men who wait for their lord when he will return from the wedding so-that they will open unto him immediately when he comes and knocks. ³⁷Blessed are those servants whom the lord shall find watching when he comes. Verily I say unto you that he shall gird himself and make them to sit down to food, and will come forth and serve them! ³⁸And if he shall come in the second watch or come in the third watch and find so, blessed are those servants. ³⁹And know this: that if the goodman of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched, and not have suffered his house to be broken through. ⁴⁰Be ye therefore ready also: for the Son of man cometh at an hour when ye don’t think.

What hour is in mind? Whatever hour this is, they are definitely expecting the coming of the land owner. The warning is that they will not know exactly when it is, so they must be prepared. Those who are not watching will be destroyed.

The only time that this is the case is near the end of the Tribulation. The only requirement is that they are watching for this arrival. That, therefore, cannot be over more than several days. If it were, a person would weary and would sleep. The statement of the day and the hour shows that it is will be within several days, else it would have stated a week or a month, or even a year.

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Luke 9:26 For whosoever shall be ashamed of me and of my words, the Son of man shall be ashamed of him when He shall come in His own glory, and the Father’s and of the holy angels.

Messiah comes with power and great glory after the Tribulation. Thus, the expression, come in glory isn’t the same as come without any qualification.

Glory is importance, and that is its meaning throughout the Bible (if it refers to kavod in Hebrew; there is another word translated glory, but meaning brightness). The time when Yeshua will arrive in glory, in His importance will be at the end of the Tribulation.

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Mark 14:62 And Yeshua said, I am: and ye shall see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven.

Messiah’s coming is in the clouds, not meeting Saints in the air. The same is true of the following text:

Mark 13:26 And then shall they see the Son of man coming in the clouds with great power and glory.

The Rapture is a meeting in the air, though clouds are not an issue (since there are always clouds somewhere over the earth, and the Rapture will be in the air, clouds or not). Coming in the clouds is not a Rapture event; that is an arrival event.

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Mark 13:35 Watch ye therefore: for ye know not when the master of the house comes—at evening or at midnight or at the cockcrowing or in the morning—³⁶lest coming suddenly he finds you sleeping. ³⁷And what I say unto you I say unto all: Watch!

The master will arrive during one of four described times during which folks awaiting it are commanded to not sleep. If folks were commanded to not sleep while awaiting the Rapture, what Saint would ever sleep? This command is only reasonable if the waiting period is short. Folks will dismiss this text as non-literal, claiming that sleeping means being spiritually off guard. The Bible uses sleep in one of two ways: physically resting unconsciously, or physically being dead.

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Mark 8:38 Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of man shall also be ashamed of him when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels.

Matthew 26:64 Yeshua says unto him, “Thou hast said. Nevertheless I say unto you, hereafter ye shall see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power and coming in the clouds of the heavens.

These two events are the same as those mentioned above: at the end of the Tribulation.

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Matthew 23:37 “Jerusalem, Jerusalem that kills the prophets and stones them who are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together even as a hen gathers her chickens under wings, and ye would not! ³⁸Behold, your house is left unto you desolate. ³⁹For I say unto you, ye shall not see me henceforth, till ye shall say, ‘Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord.’

Jerusalem will physically see Messiah when its occupants say, “Blessed is He who comes with the Name Yehovah” (literally translated from Psalm 118). This event will not occur until the end of the Tribulation.

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Matthew 19:28 And Yeshua said unto them, “Verily I say unto you that ye who have followed me, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel in the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory.”

The regeneration is the new birth. Messiah will arrive to rule only when and after all Israel experiences a new birth as a single entity, a single group. This sitting on thrones (chairs) judging the twelve tribes will be a Millennial event. This judgment will be for decisions regarding lands and other such things, since the Israelis will all be righteous during the entire Millennium.

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Matthew 16:27 For the Son of man shall come in the glory of His Father with His angels; and then He shall reward every man according to his works.

Yeshua will come with all the importance of Yehovah the Father. He will do the ‘Sheep/Goat Judgment’, a judgment that has the basis only of works (those done toward Israelis).

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Zechariah 14:5 And ye shall flee the valley of the mountains; for the valley of the mountains shall reach unto Azal. Indeed, ye shall flee like when ye fled from before the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah. And Yehovah my God shall come! All the saints are with thee!

When Yehovah comes, all the Saints who have died accompany Him, coming behind Him. They must include all who have been raptured. King David will be among them. He will reign during the Millennium:

Hosea 3:5 Afterward shall the children of Israel return, and seek Yehovah their God, and David their king; and shall fear Yehovah and his goodness in the latter days.

King David will be the prince of Israel for ever:

Ezekiel 37:24 And David my servant is king over them; and they all shall have one shepherd: they shall also walk in my judgments, and observe my statutes, and do them. ²⁵And they shall dwell in the land that I have given unto Jacob my servant, wherein your fathers have dwelt; and they shall dwell therein, they, and their children, and their children’s children for ever: and my servant David is their prince for ever.

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Ezekiel 37:13 “And ye shall know that I am Yehovah when I have opened your graves, my people, and brought you up out of your graves. ¹⁴And I will put my spirit in you. And ye shall live. And I shall place you in your own land. And ye shall know that I Yehovah have spoken and performed,” says Yehovah.

If you believe the Bible, you will take it literally (unless it’s own words tell you to do otherwise).

This event isn’t the Rapture and it isn’t Yeshua’s arrival to reign. Ten tribes of Israel will be annihilated, and Yehovah will resurrect them back to mortal life so that His Word will stand.

 This event will precede the Tribulation by years (perhaps by centuries).

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Ezekiel 34:23 “And I will set up one shepherd over them. And he shall feed them: my servant David—he shall feed them and he shall be their shepherd.”

David is the one shepherd over the Israelis. Jeremiah also mentions this:

Jeremiah 30:9 “They shall serve Yehovah their God and David their king whom I will raise up unto them.”

 These are Millennial promises.

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Jeremiah 4:26 I beheld. And behold, the fruitful place is a wilderness! And all the cities thereof were broken down at the presence of Yehovah—by His fierce anger.

This is a wrath event, as is the following:

Isaiah 66:15 For behold, Yehovah will come with fire and with His chariots like a whirlwind to render His anger with fury, and His rebuke with flames of fire.

These are Tribulation events. (A reader who isn’t certain and who desires to know will read surrounding texts. If they contain an unusual amount of detail, they are not about events that were about to happen thousands of years ago from our present time, since those would be expressed in very brief forms. Instead, they are about events to come, especially during the Tribulation. Yehovah nearly always gives far more detail to Tribulation events than He does to ‘current’ events in the days of the prophets.

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Isaiah 66:5 “Hear the word of Yehovah, ye that tremble at His word. Your brethren that hated you, that cast you out for my name’s sake said, ‘Let Yehovah be glorified!’ But He shall appear to your joy, and they shall be ashamed!”

This text refers to Messianic Jews. (Many claim this distinction today, but extremely few meet the qualification.) It also quotes Yehovah (“He shall appear to your joy”) and mentions Yeshua (“for my Name’s sake,” a reference to Yeshua).

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Isaiah 64:1 Oh that Thou would rend the heavens, that Thou would come down, that the mountains might flow down at Thy presence ²as [when] the melting fire burns, the fire causes the waters to boil—to make Thy name known to thine adversaries, the nations may tremble at Thy presence! ³When Thou didst terrible things for which we didn’t look, Thou came down. The mountains flowed down at Thy presence. ⁴For since the beginning of the world they have not heard nor perceived by the ear, neither hath the eye seen, O God, beside Thee—He hath prepared for him who waits for Him! ⁵Thou meetest him that rejoices and works righteousness. They remember Thee in Thy ways! Behold, Thou art wroth, for we have sinned. In those is continuance, and we shall be saved. ⁶But we are all as an unclean [thing], and all our righteousnesses are as menstrual rags. And we all do fade as a leaf. And our iniquities have taken us away like the wind. ⁷And none is who calls upon Thy name, that stirs up himself to take hold of Thee. For Thou hast hid Thy face from us and hast consumed us because of our iniquities. ⁸But now, Yehovah, Thou art our father. We are the clay, and Thou our potter. And we all are the work of Thy hand. ⁹Be not wroth very sore, Yehovah, neither remember iniquity for ever. Behold, see, we beseech Thee—we are all Thy people. ¹⁰Thy holy cities are a wilderness. Zion is a wilderness, Jerusalem a desolation.

This text describes Yehovah’s coming in power with miracles, great glory, and with great physical heat. He will make His Name known. (This isn’t only referring to the Name Yehovah; it is referring to a person, as the following text will show.)

Isaiah 30:27 Behold, the Name Yehovah comes from far, burning with His anger, and the burden thereof is heavy. His lips are full of indignation and His tongue as a devouring fire. ²⁸And His breath, as an overflowing stream, shall reach to the midst of the neck to sift the nations with the sieve of vanity. And there shall be a bridle in the jaws of the peoples causing them to err.

This text speaks of the Name Yehovah as a person—a very angry person. This is Yeshua.

The following text shows His wrath when He is revealed.

Isaiah 63:1 Who is this who comes from Edom with dyed garments from Bozrah, this glorious-[one] in His apparel, travelling in the greatness of His strength? “I Who speak in righteousness, mighty to save!” ²Why [art Thou] red in Thine apparel, and Thy garments like him who treads in the wine-vat? ³ “I have trodden the winepress alone! And none is with me from the peoples! For I will tread them in my anger and trample them in my fury! And their blood shall be sprinkled upon my garments! And I will stain all my raiment! ⁴For the day of vengeance is in my heart, and the year of my redeemed is come! ⁵And I looked, and none is to help. And I wondered that none is to uphold. Therefore my own arm brought salvation unto me, and my fury—it upheld me! ⁶And I will tread down the peoples in my anger and make them drunk in my fury! And I will bring down their strength to the land!”

The timing of these texts isn’t difficult to establish. There is only one event in which Yehovah shows Himself in these ways, and there is only one event when the results will be that Israel finally and permanently turns to righteousness.

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Isaiah 62:11 Behold, Yehovah hath proclaimed unto the end of the world, Say ye to the daughter of Zion, Behold, thy Salvation comes! Behold, His reward is with Him, and His work before Him.

Salvation is a person. He comes with a reward and with work to do! This is the arrival at the end of the Tribulation to establish the Millennial reign of Messiah. (The Rapture is not a reward.)

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Isaiah 57:1 The righteous perishes, and no man lays [it] to heart. And merciful men are taken away, none considering that the righteous is taken away from the evil.

Those convinced that everyone must go through the Tribulation will find this text difficult to explain. A reader may also find this text difficult to determine its timing. I backed up to the beginning of chapter 56, and saw clear indications of the text being for the Tribulation. Any careful reader of the Bible will establish the timings of texts, and will determine the objects of all pronouns used.

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Isaiah 56:1 Thus says Yehovah, “Keep ye judgment, and do righteousness. For my salvation [fem.] is near to come, and my righteousness [fem.] to be revealed.”

One is coming, another is being revealed. Both are feminine in gender. Thus, both texts might appear to refer to Yeshua’s coming, but they expose Yehovah’s character and the actions He will take on behalf of those whom He will favour and against those whom He will have fury.

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Isaiah 26:1 In that day this song shall be sung in the land of Judah: “We have a strong city; [God] will appoint salvation [for] walls and bulwarks. ²Open ye the gates, that the righteous nation which keepeth the truth may enter in. ³Thou wilt keep [him] in perfect peace, [whose] mind is stayed [on thee]: because he trusteth in thee. ⁴Trust ye in Yehovah for ever: for in Yehovah Jehovah is everlasting strength: ⁵For he bringeth down them that dwell on high; the lofty city, he layeth it low; he layeth it low, to the ground; he bringeth it to the dust. ⁶The foot shall tread it down, the feet of the poor, the steps of the needy. ⁷The way of the just is uprightness: thou, most upright, dost weigh the path of the just. ⁸Yea, in the way of thy judgments, Yehovah, have we waited for thee; the desire of [our] soul is to thy name, and to the remembrance of thee. ⁹With my soul have I desired thee in the night; yea, with my spirit within me will I seek thee early: for when thy judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness. ¹⁰Let favour be showed to the wicked, [yet] will he not learn righteousness: in the land of uprightness will he deal unjustly, and will not behold the majesty of Yehovah. ¹¹Yehovah, [when] thy hand is lifted up, they will not see: [but] they shall see, and be ashamed for [their] envy at the people; yea, the fire of thine enemies shall devour them. ¹²Yehovah, thou wilt ordain peace for us: for thou also hast wrought all our works in us. ¹³Yehovah our God, [other] lords beside thee have had dominion over us: [but] by thee only will we make mention of thy name. ¹⁴[They are] dead, they shall not live; [they are] deceased, they shall not rise: therefore hast thou visited and destroyed them, and made all their memory to perish. ¹⁵Thou hast increased the nation, Yehovah, thou hast increased the nation: thou art glorified: thou hadst removed [it] far [unto] all the ends of the earth. ¹⁶Yehovah, in trouble have they visited thee, they poured out a prayer [when] thy chastening is upon them. ¹⁷Like as a woman with child, draweth near the time of her delivery, is in pain, crieth out in her pangs; so have we been in thy sight, Yehovah. ¹⁸We have been with child, we have been in pain, we have as it were brought forth wind; we have not wrought any deliverance in the earth; neither have the inhabitants of the world fallen. ¹⁹Thy dead [men] shall live, [together with] my dead body shall they arise. Awake and sing, ye that dwell in dust: for thy dew [is as] the dew of herbs, and the earth shall cast out the dead. ²⁰Come, my people, enter thou into thy chambers, and shut thy doors about thee: hide thyself as it were for a little moment, until the indignation be overpast. ²¹For, behold, Yehovah cometh out of His place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity: the earth also shall disclose her blood, and shall no more cover her slain.

Verse 19 describes the dead coming to life, verse 20 the Tribulation period and the wrath of God (the indignation), and finally Yehovah’s coming. The text is a Tribulation text.

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Psalm 17:15 As for me, I will behold thy face in righteousness: I shall be satisfied when I awake with Thy likeness.

This description sounds like the Rapture. Taking one verse to examine for a conclusion isn’t wise. I looked carefully at the rest of the Psalm. Verse 8 states, “Hide me under the shadow of thy wings.” This is a very normal Tribulation call. The rest of the Psalm is of the same contents as many other Tribulation texts, but all focus on very different details.

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Psalm 16:9 Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoices. My flesh also shall rest in hope. ¹⁰For thou wilt not leave my soul in Sheol; neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption. ¹¹Thou wilt show me the path of life: in thy presence is fullness of joy; at thy right hand [there are] pleasures for evermore.

A wise reader will want to know who is speaking in the Psalm, and won’t assume the answer. The Psalmist is almost never the speaker. Yet, some texts will require a great deal of thought to figure out who the speaker is. One text took a group of us about half a year (at three hours a week of study). Now, we missed an obvious and near text that would have told us the speaker, but sometimes the obvious eludes readers. The text we were studying was in Isaiah 48. We couldn’t identify the speaker until we saw Isaiah 49:14. The speaker then became very obvious, and we learned what we didn’t know before: that Mount Zion speaks as a person, having a conscience and a personality, and Yehovah speaks with Mount Zion. Psalm 16’s speaker will be of the very same nature.

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Psalm 7:6 Arise, Yehovah, in thine anger! Lift up Thyself because of the rage of my enemies! And awake the judgment thou hast commanded for me. ⁷So shall the congregation of the people compass Thee about! For their sakes therefore return Thou on high!

This is a vengeance text in which Yehovah is asked to stop enemies. (He will.) The following text is when Yehovah gives vengeance to all His Saints (and they will do this):

Psalm 149:6 [Let] the high [praises] of God [be] in their mouth and a twoedged sword in their hand ⁷to execute vengeance upon the races, punishments upon the peoples, ⁸to bind their kings with chains and their nobles with fetters of iron, ⁹to execute upon them the justice written! All His saints have this honour! Praise ye Yehovah.

This second text will occur after the Tribulation and before the Millennium. Those who are bound and brought will be tried at the ‘Sheep/Goat’ judgment of Matthew 25:31. The first text above is a Tribulation text. When Yehovah has done this, the Tribulation will be ended.

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Job 19:25 (literally rendered) “And I, I knew my living Redeemer. And He will stand afterward upon dust! ²⁶And they shall encircle this after my skin! And I will envision Eloha from my flesh ²⁷ whom I, I will envision to me! And my eyes saw, and not an alien!”

This is not the Rapture. A careful reader must establish who the speaker is. Once this has been established, other texts like this one will prove to have a very different object. It is a resurrection text, but not the resurrection of Saints, and not the resurrection of condemned sinners. It isn’t Messiah’s resurrection. (Do you know of another very important resurrection in the Bible? There is one that is so important that many texts refer to it. Here is a clue: a very famous Biblical mountain is resurrected from being a sinkhole.)

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Descriptions of the Rapture, Messiah’s arrival, and other texts that appear to be one of these (but are not) are found throughout the Bible.

Get to know Matthew 24 and 25, Mark 13, Luke 17 and 21, and Revelation 14. Distinctions in these texts are very important.

Not all similar texts are the same. Let me know if I can assist you in your understanding. You can express your protests and disagreements by writing to the following e-mail address:

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