| The purpose of this article is not to persuade you to think
of the specific time of the rapture, but rather of its reality and
perhaps likelihood in the near future.
The Season
The evidences that indicate a season in which the rapture is to take
place centers on the historical parallels in the Jewish and Christian
calendars. Israel has seven holy feast days, three of which are more
special called the Pilgrimage Feasts or Festivals. The three major feasts
are as follows:
o Passover - Winter barley harvest (the first harvest)
- Israel remembers the angel of death passing over, freedom from
Egyptian slavery, leaving with Egyptian wealth, and the destruc-
tion of their enemies in the Red Sea.
- Christianity remembers the death and resurrection of Jesus who
freed us from the slavery of sin and from our enemy death, who
gave us wealth from heaven for our inheritance. By His resur-
rection was the first fruits of the resurrection from the dead.
o Pentecost - Winter wheat harvest
- Israel remembers the giving of the law on Mount Sinai and the
birth of Israel as a nation. However, God's law was written on
stone, not the heart.
- Christianity remembers the giving of the Holy Spirit and the birth
of the church. The Holy Spirit places God's law in the heart of
the believer and at the beginning of the church's harvest, 3,000
were added (Acts 2).
o Feast of Tabernacles - General harvest (also known as Succoth, Fes-
tival of Booths, the Ingathering)
- Israel celebrates the end of their labors as the harvest has been
gathered in. They remember God's supplying their needs in the
wilderness, and the end of their wilderness journey, and the en-
trance into the Promised Land. They entered into the Land of Promise
by crossing a parted Jordan river, even though it was at flood
stage. On the seventh day of the feast (Hoshana Rabba) the day
of the Great Hosanna, there was a blasting of the trumpets.
- Christianity does not yet have a correlative connection to this
feast. If the first two special feasts were so closely linked
by special Christian events, it seems likely that this third feast
is somehow linked to an event involving the Christian Church.
There remains only one event left: the rapture.
Is this the season when Christians will celebrate the end of wan-
dering and waiting to enter that which has been promised to them?
The church has been awaiting its harvest, its Ingathering into
the Promised Land of heaven to be united forever with the Fa-
ther.
An important verse of Scripture to note here is Matthew 24:32-34. "Now
learn this lesson from the fig tree: As soon as its twigs get tender
and its leaves come out, you know that summer is near. Even so, when
you see all these things, you know it is near, right at the door. I
tell you the truth, this generation will certainly not pass away
until all these things have happened."
The generation that sees the fig tree in blossom will not pass away
without "all these things" [in Matthew 24] happening. It is suggested
by some scholars (though not by all) that Israel is the fig tree in
the parable. The nation of Israel is a little more than forty years old.
Forty is a time of testing in Scripture.
Also of note is that the world has been experiencing a harvesting of
souls for the past 40 years through the efforts of the Billy Graham
Crusade and other missionary work throughout the world. Africa is see-
ing an especially high number of converts to Christianity. Perhaps this
is the great pouring out of the Holy Spirit while the American church
slumbers.
How will He come?
o In the twinkling of an eye throughout (1 Corinthians 15:51); an es-
timated 1/35th of a second.
o As a thief in the night (1 Thessalonians 5:2); unexpected. To those
who are not watching, Christ will take His own and leave the rest
behind.
He will take some who are ready and leave others who are not (Luke 17:34-
37). We will meet him in the clouds (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17).
God Warns His People
o When the great flood came, Noah was warned with time enough to build
an Ark of safety. He was warned again seven days before God destroyed
the earth.
o When Sodom was destroyed Abraham knew and also Lot was informed;
angels were sent to rescue him.
o The city of Ninevah was warned to repent and by doing so avoided
the devastation of Sodom.
o Israel was warned of being scattered and Judah thrown into 70 years
of exile.
o When Jesus was born, it was foretold and there were those who were
found waiting and expecting his coming. Wise men from the east,
(non-Jews) expected him.
With all the events of the recent past, are we also being warned of
His imminent return? "Pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to
escape all these things...and to stand before the son of man" (Luke 21:34).
There will be some saved during the Tribulation but the Bible says that
most will fall away. Most will not endure the Tribulation to the end.
Matthew 24:44 says, "So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man
will come at an hour when you do not expect him."
|