Is the Rapture a Biblical Doctrine? Part 2

"The Earth Belongs to HaShem and the Fullness Thereof."

Is the Rapture a Biblical Doctrine? Part 2
(To read the entire piece now go to my Noahide Nazarene Site)

By Ben Ruach ha Kodesh (John of AllFaith) © 4.16.08

For Part One Click Here

Let's begin with one the most important prophecies Master Y'shua gave us, Matthew chapter 24.

The chapter begins with the Master telling his followers that the Holy Jerusalem Temple, the heart of the Jewish faith, would be utterly destroyed! This was shocking news for people hoping that their Master was the Moshiach (Messiah)! The biblical role and function of the Messiah is to oversee the creation of a global Jewish government, but Prophet Y'shua tells them that dire days lie ahead for the Jews! They were shocked!

The disciples replied, "...when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the age?" (The KJV uses the word "world" here but "aion" means age. It means world in the sense that "your world is ending" but not in the sense it implies today. The present age or "aion" is ending, not the world.

In verse 4, "And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you...."

For the next many verses the Prophet reveals details of the End Times. The Temple was destroyed in 70 CE. The other events he speaks of would not happen until the End of the Age.

The Master warns that many false prophets will arise claiming to be anointed by God ("christ" means anointed and is not synonymous with Messiah other than by association in Church doctrine). I don't believe the point here is that they will claim to be Christ as in Master Y'shua returned (although some do), but that they are speaking the Words of God and are deceiving the people thereby.

He accurately foretells the two world wars:

7 For nation shall rise against nation [WW I], and kingdom against kingdom [WW II]: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places.
8 All these are the beginning of sorrows.

It is a generally acknowledged fact that the 1900's to the present have seen dramatic increases in such catastrophes. I wont go into all the details or offer evidence here as these are secondary to the issue at hand, the Rapture of the Church.

In the following verses we read of the religious persecutions that have been so prominent against Jews and others since the days of Hitler, then, directly related to our present study, we have the following concise prophecy:

15 When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:)
16 Then let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains:
17 Let him which is on the housetop not come down to take any thing out of his house:
18 Neither let him which is in the field return back to take his clothes.
19 And woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck in those days!
20 But pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the sabbath day:

The abomination of desolation spoken of by Prophet Daniel is spoken of in the ninth chapter of his book:

25 Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks: the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous times.
26 And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself: and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined.
27 And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.

First we note that "...When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation" shows that "you" (the people of God) will still be present on the earth at the time in order to witness it. This is one piece of evidence against the Pre-Tribulation Rapture because this 'desolation' takes place three and half years into the reign of the Rex Mundi. The Antichrist will order the rebuilding of the Jerusalem Temple early on and then desecrate it 3 1/2 years after his reign begins, three and a half years before it is ended by the true Messiah to saved the rescue the Jews (Matt 24:22). At the half way point he will commit the abomination (as typified by Antiochus Epiphanes, the Syrian King for those familiar with his reign).

We see clearly then that the Believers will not be removed from the earth, at least not prior to this point.

21 For then [ie following this desecration] shall be great tribulation [hence while the entire seven years are called the "Tribulation Period", the second half is known as the "Great tribulation."] such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.
22 And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened [ie to save the Jews, the Elect, the second half will be shortened somewhat by HaShem].
23 Then [ie "tote" or "at that time", ie at the half way point in the seven years, when the Antichrist rises from the dead and declares himself to be God (compare II Thess 2:4)] if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or there; believe it not [in verse 5 the words, many will come saying, "I am Christ" means, "I am anointed or authorized by God" but here the claim is that, "I AM God." This claim is the essence of the abomination of desolation spoken of by Daniel Prophet in Dan 9].
24 For there shall arise false Christs and false prophets, and shall show great signs and wonders [referenced at Rev 13:4 and elsewhere of the Antichrist's works and those of his False Prophet (for more on this see my study on Babylon the Great]; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect [ie the Jews, which for the first three and half years will also be deceived by the Rex Mundi. When the Rex Mundi desecrates the new Temple and proclaims himself God however, someone, presumably a religious Jew, will assassinate him for this blasphemy and deception].
25 Behold, I have told you before.

Next we are shown the Battle of Armageddon: "For wheresoever the carcase is, there will the eagles be gathered together" is a referenced back to the earlier Hebrew Prophets for this upcoming war. After the war we read, "Immediately after the tribulation of those days..." Moshiach will come.

Nowhere in this section of the prophecies is there a Rapture referenced.

After discussing post tribulation events, the Master returns to the central question of this chapter, "When shall these things be," and tells us:

32 Now learn a parable of the fig tree [a common representation of Israel in the Bible]; When his branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh:
33 So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things [ie the replanting and sprouting of Israel as a nation (1948/1967) as well as the earlier signs revealed], know that it [the end of the age] is near, even at the doors.
34 Verily I say unto you, This generation [ie the one that sees these things, ie our generation] shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled.
35 Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.

For more on the timing of these events you may find my study, "When will these things be?" of interest.

Now we will consider some of the verses people use to support the Doctrine of the Rapture:

Part Three Coming Soon!

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