Continued from part 1.
I tell you, in that night there will be two men in one bed; the one will be taken and the other will be left. Two women will be grinding together the one will be taken and the other left. Two men will be in the field; the one will be taken and the other left. And they answered and said to him, where Lord? So, he said to them, ‘wherever the body is, there the eagles will be gathered together’ (Luke 17:34-37 ESV).
In this prophecy, Christ made it explicit that the rapture will occur in the night when some people will be in the bed, others will be grinding and others will be in the field. Meaning that the gross darkness preceding the rapture will trap people at different locations all over the earth and the rapture will occur within this period of gross darkness; and everyone taking out of the earth, will assemble together in a place, where the body is.
Paul, in his letter, wrapped up these prophecies: “For this we declare to you by a word from the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. Therefore encourage one another with these words” (1 Thessalonians 4:15-18 ESV).
He further said: “For you yourselves are fully aware that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. While people are saying, “There is peace and security,” then sudden destruction will come upon them as labor pains come upon a pregnant woman, and they will not escape. But you are not in darkness, brothers, for that day to surprise you like a thief” (1 Thessalonians 5:2-4 ESV).
Paul confirmed that the great and awesome day of the Lord is indeed the day of the rapture of the church and it will occur in the night (amidst the global darkness). He also provided a clearer picture of the rapture events. In the midst of the darkness, the Lord Jesus will descend to the earth, and with a trumpet sound, the dead in Christ will rise up and we who are alive will be caught up with them to meet with the Lord in the air; leaving a trail of massive destruction on earth.
IN SUMMARY:
The above few selected scriptures (prophecies), present a clear picture of the pre, during, and the post rapture events, which can be sequentially summarized as follows: 1. Signs in heaven and on earth; 2. Gog led invasion of Israel; 3. A great earthquake in Israel; 4. Global eclipse of the sun; 5. The Lord Jesus steps down to the earth unseen by anyone; 6. The glory of his presence fills the earth causing everyone to tremble, some in reverence and others in fear; 7. Volcanic eruptions of some of the mountains and hills around Jerusalem; 8. The resurrection of the dead saints in Christ (causing every wall on their graves, all over the earth, to collapse) and then the rapture of the church, ending the dispensation of grace and the darkness covering the earth; 9. The unleashing of the wrath (fierce anger) of God on the Gog led invading soldiers, wiping them out; 10. The commencement of the 70th week of Daniel – the tribulation era (the 7 years time of Jacob’s trouble), which will end with the return of Christ and his saints to reign on earth.
Knowing that Christ, through Prophet Hosea, in his prophecy of Christ’s accession and return; said: “I will return again to my place, until they acknowledge their guilt and seek my face, and in their distress earnestly seek me…. After two days he will revive us; on the third day he will raise us up, that we may live before him…. he will come to us as the showers, as the spring rains that water the earth” ( Hosea 5:15 – 6:3 ESV). By this prophecy, God made a 3 days plan for the earth, from the ascension of Christ to his return and reign on earth, which can not be altered.
So, Christ must return at the end of the second day (two thousand years) of his ascension to spend the third day (one thousand years) on earth, reigning with his resurrected saints (Hosea 5:15 – 6:3 comp. 2 Peter 3:1-9; Revelations 20:1-5). Indeed, Apostles Peter and John, confirmed this prophecy, ignorant of which caused many to air in their predictions of the timing of the second coming of Christ. However, of the two thousand years to the second coming of Christ, the last seven years is exclusively set apart for the affliction of Israel (the time of Jacob’s trouble or the tribulation era) of which Christ speaking through Prophet Hosea said would lead to their repentance (Hosea 5:15). The implication of this is that the church age (the dispensation of grace), is to last for 1,993 years, from the day of the ascension of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Since Christ, who was born in 5 B.C., was baptized in AD 25 (at about the age of 30), when in keeping with his divine nature of working in six days, he commenced his six days (six years) ministry as the Messiah the Prince, as was prophesied by Daniel (Daniel 9:24-26). He ministered 3 days, along side John the Baptist, and 3 days after the death of John. At the end of his six years ministry, on Thursday the 26th of April AD 31 (the second day of that year’s Jewish feast of Passover), following his rejection by the Jews, he was crucified, died and buried. However, after 3 nights and 3 days in the grave, on Sunday the 29th of April AD 31, he arose; and after 40 days of proving his resurrection to his disciples, on Friday the 8th of June AD 31, he returned to where he came from. He is therefore expected back on earth, for his coronation, on the 8th of June 2031 (after the end of the second day of his ascension), which also is the day of the vengeance of our God (Isaiah 61:1-2).
Therefore, could this year 2024, marking 1,993 years of Christ’s ascension (8th June AD 31 to 7th June 2024), see the fulfilment of the prophecies of the rapture of the church? Time will tell; however we should keep a close watch on the developments in the middle-East, between Israel and Hamas. Moreso, by the 15 years prophetic time line for the return, coronation and reign of the Son of David (the years 2020 to 2034, as contained in the songs of degrees – Psalms 120 to 134), the state of Israel should be invaded this year 2024 (Psalm 124). So, could the recent UN security council’s resolution enforcing immediate ceasefire in Gaza (which Israel might not honour) be the bait for the Gog led invasion of Israel? Time will also tell; but let’s be watchful as the church age is fast running out.
It baffles me when I hear ignorance or miss interpretation of scriptures been celebrated by those who claim that Christ said that no one ought to know when the rapture of the church will take place. Before looking at what Christ said, let’s look at what the scriptures said concerning the timing of an event on earth: “And the four angels were loosed, which were prepared for an hour, and a day, and a month, and a year, for to slay the third part of men” (Revelation 9:15 ESV). From this scripture, one can say that an event is timed by the year, the month, the day, and the hour of such event.However, speaking of the rapture, Christ said: “But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only” (Matthew 24:36).
Notice what Christ said: ‘that day, and hour knoweth no man’; there’s absolutely no way anyone can tell the day and hour of the rapture of the church, as that day will be preceded by gross darkness on earth, which could last for about three days, as was the case in Egypt (Exodus 10:21-26). However, nothing stops believers from knowing the year, the month and even the week of this great event; no wonder we were commanded to be watchful and alert as we see the day of this glorious event approach, and not be caught unaware, as a thief in the night. So, be watchful!
To be continued in part 3.
