CAUGHT AWAY!

CAUGHT AWAY! RAPTURED!

Everybody wants to be raptured—caught away! Rapture’s original meaning is: a feeling of intense pleasure or joy; but in North America it has come to mean: the transporting of believers to heaven at the appearing of Christ! Although rapture or raptured is not in the Bible, this is still what believers want to hear. It is easy for many to believe that Jesus will appear in the clouds and we will be “caught up” to meet him in the air, before Tribulation starts, thus escaping all suffering, persecution and wrath of the end time. Specifically, the favored view is that we will be raptured before Tribulation starts and that it will not be known to those left behind until they miss those who are gone; but is that what is going to happen?

Before we can know what is going to happen, we must first learn the lesson of the fig tree and be able “read the fig leaves.” We need to understand what the Bible says about believers being “caught up” to meet Jesus Christ in the air. And we need to know where being “caught up” fits in God’s timeline. I want my beliefs to be based on scripture—in context—without supposition, transference or opinions.

The Church—Spirit filled believers—has been proclaimed to be the Bride of The Lamb, Jesus Christ. Paul told the Corinthians “…I feel a divine jealousy for you, since I betrothed you to one husband, to present you as a pure virgin to Christ.” II CORINTHIANS 11:2 John tells us in Revelation: “Let us rejoice and exult and give Him the glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and his Bride has made herself ready.” REVELATION 19:7 So we can rejoice that we are the Bride of Jesus Christ and that there is going to be a marriage!

Jesus is preparing a place for us and promises to come again and take us for Himself so we may be with Him throughout eternity. JOHN 14:1-3 In keeping with Jewish wedding traditions, Jesus tells us only the Father knows the day and hour when our eternal place has been made ready. MATTHEW 24:36 When the place he is preparing for us is finished, then He will return for us. Since we do not know when He is going to appear, we must stay awake and watch! MATTHEW 24:42 and MATTHEW 25:13 We do know how He is going to return for us!

But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep. 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. I THESSALONIANS 4:13-17

Paul makes it clear about those who are asleep [in-Christ]. “God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep.” And “the dead in Christ will rise first” [their bodies, dust, will be reunited with their spirits] “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.” I THESSALONIANS 4:17

Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality. I CORINTHIANS 15:51-53

Most scripture that speaks to Jesus’ appearing says he is coming on the clouds of heaven or with the clouds. MATTHEW 24:30 Some scriptures say every eye will see him. REVELATION 1:7 Others say he is coming with his angels and will repay [reward] each person according to what he has done. MATTHEW 16:27 Still other scripture says he will send out his angels with a loud trumpet call and they will gather his elect from one end of heaven to the other. MATTHEW 24:31 The scripture In Revelation, the harvest of the earth, gives a slightly different picture than most of us may have in our mind. REVELATION 14:14-16

“Then I looked, and behold, a white cloud, and seated on the cloud one like a son of man, with a golden crown on his head, and a sharp sickle in his hand.” REVELATION 14:14 This is an obvious reference to Jesus Christ who is ready to “harvest” the earth. Son of man was a reference Jesus often used about Himself. MARK 14:62 & JOHN 3:13 “‘And another angel came out of the temple, calling with a loud voice to Him who sat on the cloud, ‘Put in your sickle, and reap, for the hour to reap has come…’” REVELATION 14:15 Jesus said no man knows the day or the hour when He would come. Only the Father knows that day and hour. MATTHEW 24:36 But the messenger angel from the temple, from the presence of God, tells the one on the cloud that it is the hour. The time to harvest the earth has come. [the rapture—caught away] I THESSALONIANS 4:16-17 The Father is saying, to the Son, “go get Your bride.” “So he who sat on the cloud swung his sickle across the earth, and the earth was reaped.” REVELATION 14:16

While scriptures on being caught away—or gathered by the angels—or reaped by a sickle may not agree word for word, we can be sure that for some reason—possibly known only to God—that clouds, angels, and trumpets will be a part of Jesus’ appearing to “take his bride” to be with him; and every eye will see Him. Even though we do not know the day nor the hour, does scripture give us a clue?

Many of the writings and teachings [scripture excluded] I researched say being “caught up” will occur before the Tribulation starts; but I have found that scripture used to support this view to be largely taken out of context. Three scriptures that were common to many of the pre-tribulation views say “… God has not destined us for wrath…” I THESSALONIANS 5:9 “Because you have kept my word about patient endurance, I will keep you from the hour of trial that is coming on the whole world, to try those who dwell on the earth.” REVELATION 3:10 “Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God.” ROMANS 5:9 These scriptures tell us that believers will not suffer God’s wrath and not that we will be “caught up” before Tribulation starts. Again, these three scriptures do not tell when we will be caught away! “…the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from trials…” II PETER 2:9 without having to “catch” us away! Further, the undiluted wrath of God does not start until around mid-Tribulation. The Church will be gone by then!

Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. ROMANS 5:9

For God has not destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us so that whether we are awake or asleep we might live with him. I THESSALONIANS 5:9-10

Because you have kept my word about patient endurance, I will keep you from the hour of trial that is coming on the whole world, to try those who dwell on the earth. REVELATION 3:10

Again, these three scriptures are often used to posit a pre-tribulation rapture view. God has often saved his people from his wrath poured out on others. The children of Israel did not suffer all of the plagues poured out on Egypt nor did they suffer God’s final wrath on Egypt—the taking of all firstborns! The Bible seems to make a distinction between Egypt and Goshen, the land where Israel resided. Not all of the plagues fell on Goshen. They are specifically excluded from three of the plagues and God gave them a “passover” for the final plague—the taking of all firstborns! Nevertheless, these chapters in Exodus show, not only is God able to keep us from His wrath, God does keep us from His wrath. EXODUS 7-12 We will be saved from the wrath of God; but our catching away will be solely because that “day and hour” has come and Jesus is fulfilling His promise to us by returning for us—no other reason!

God’s wrath is against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men. ROMANS 1:18 Godly and righteous men will not suffer the wrath of God! “Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and for ten days you will have tribulation. Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life.” REVELATION 2:10 “Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted,” II TIMOTHY 3:12 While we still do not know the day nor the hour, there is scripture that gives insight into when the rapture will take place!

Now concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered together to him, we ask you, brothers, not to be quickly shaken in mind or alarmed, either by a spirit or a spoken word, or a letter seeming to be from us, to the effect that the day of the Lord has come. Let no one deceive you in any way. For that day will not come, unless the rebellion comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction, who opposes and exalts himself against every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, proclaiming himself to be God. Do you not remember that when I was still with you I told you these things? And you know what is restraining him now so that he may be revealed in his time. For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work. Only he who now restrains it will do so until he is out of the way. And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will kill with the breath of his mouth and bring to nothing by the appearance of his coming [His Second Coming]. The coming of the lawless one is by the activity of Satan with all power and false signs and wonders, and with all wicked deception for those who are perishing, because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. II THESSALONIANS 2:1-10

In the first part of this scripture Paul is addressing some confusion on the part of the Corinthians as to when the day of the Lord would be. Then he tells them that day will not come unless the rebellion comes first and the man of lawlessness is revealed. Until he is revealed he will try to exhibit himself as a man of peace and will help broker, as a part of the last empire, a peace treaty with many [Israel and their enemies]. DANIEL9:27

When the little horn, in the book of Daniel, plucks up the three ‘horn’ kings, this could be when the Antichrist is revealed; for it will be obvious at that time that he is not a man of peace. If any doubt remains, it will be erased when his true character emerges.

When the dragon gives the Antichrist his authority, his true character emerges! REVELATION 13:4 Then is there no doubt he is the Antichrist! He takes his seat in the temple of God and proclaims himself to be God! That is referred to by Jesus and Daniel as being the abomination of desolation. MATTHEW 24:15 and DANIEL 11:21, 36 Then, the day of the Lord will come—the day when he pours out his wrath on all evil; but before all of this, “Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the great and awesome day of the Lord comes.” MALACHI 4:5

First, Elijah and Moses, the two witnesses, will come and preach for 1,260 days. Then the kingdom of the Antichrist will take control.

So where in the timeline will we be caught away? A scripture in Matthew gives some additional clarity.

“Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. Then will appear in heaven the sign of the Son of Man, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And he will send out his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.” MATTHEW 24:29-31

The events described in this passage parallel some of the same events described in the opening of the sixth seal.

When he opened the sixth seal, I looked, and behold, there was a great earthquake, and the sun became black as sackcloth, the full moon became like blood, and the stars of the sky fell to the earth as the fig tree sheds its winter fruit when shaken by a gale. The sky vanished like a scroll that is being rolled up, and every mountain and island was removed from its place. Then the kings of the earth and the great ones and the generals and the rich and the powerful, and everyone, slave and free, hid themselves in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains, calling to the mountains and rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of him who is seated on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb, for the great day of their wrath has come, and who can stand?” REVELATION 6:12-17

Then after these events “…they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven.” These scriptures in Matthew and Revelation seem to mirror the same event—the events of the sixth seal—as do these verses in Luke:

“And there will be signs in sun and moon and stars, and on the earth distress of nations in perplexity because of the roaring of the sea and the waves, people fainting with fear and with foreboding of what is coming on the world. For the powers of the heavens will be shaken. And then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. Now when these things begin to take place, straighten up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.” LUKE 21:25-28

Matthew Twenty-four and Revelation Six Comparison

“Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. Then will appear in heaven the sign of the Son of Man, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And he will send out his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.” MATTHEW 24:29-31

These things are comparable: The sun will be darkened——the sun became black as sackcloth.

The moon will not give its light——the full moon became like blood.

The stars will fall from heaven—— the stars of the sky fell to the earth as the fig tree sheds its winter fruit when shaken by a gale.

The powers of the heavens will be shaken——The sky vanished like a scroll that is being rolled up.

Then will appear in heaven the sign of the Son of Man, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory——Then the kings of the earth and the great ones and the generals and the rich and the powerful, and everyone, slave and free, hid themselves in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains, calling to the mountains and rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of him who is seated on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb.”

For me, there is no doubt that Jesus in Matthew Twenty-four is talking about this sixth seal event!

The Great and Awesome Day of The Lord

Many prophetic events are predicted as happening in “the day of the Lord.” The appearing of Jesus Christ to catch away the church will happen within certain of those prophetic events.

In II Thessalonians chapter two, the Apostle Paul reassures us that the day of the Lord has not already come. II THESSALONIANS 2:2-3 Some believe “the day of the Lord” in this passage refers to the day of God’s wrath; II PETER 3:10 and JEREMIAH 46:10 and JOEL 2:1-2 but Paul adds some additional qualifications.

He tells us “…Only he who now restrains it [the day of the Lord] will do so until he [the Holy Spirit] is out of the way. And then the lawless one will be revealed…” II THESSALONIANS 2:7-8 When the Bride of Christ is “caught up,” then they [the Holy Spirit that indwells the Bride] will not be here to restrain the Antichrist and his evil. Without “the restrainer” to restrain him—then the Antichrist—the lawlessness one will be revealed. Even though we are caught away at or near the mid-point of Tribulation, we still will not have to go through God and the Lamb’s wrath!

In Daniel chapter twelve—verse twelve it says, “Blessed is he who waits and arrives at the 1,335 days.” One writer says this is 1,335 days before the end of Tribulations [He counts days back from the end of Tribulation instead of days into Tribulation]—if his supposition is true, then that would be 45 days before the mid-point of Tribulation and perhaps about the same time as the sixth seal is opened. REVELATION 6:12-17

Joel and Malachi prophesied about the day of the Lord. In Joel and in Acts both scriptures say the “great and awesome day of the Lord” will be proceeded by signs in the heavens. Malachi says Elijah will be sent before the “great and magnificent” day of the Lord comes. Elijah will be on earth as one of the two witnesses of Revelation eleven when the sixth seal is opened! Joel, Malachi and the scripture in Acts clearly refer to the coming of Jesus Christ as “the day of the Lord.” If there is still any confusion about “the day of the Lord,” then Paul, in II Thessalonians chapter two, provides additional clarity. In verse one he says, “the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ;” and in verse two he refers to the same event as “the day of the Lord.”

The “day of the Lord” may have meanings other than the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ; but in those multiple places in scripture where it is preceded by signs in the heavens, then it is referring to His coming in or with the clouds to catch away his Church! Again, Scripture witness supports the advent of Jesus Christ a second time will be after the sixth seal is open!

In summary, the Church will be caught away after the opening of the sixth seal. The sixth seal is opened just before the mid-point of Tribulation. We will not have to go through God’s and the Lamb’s wrath—there is specific scripture witness for this. ROMANS 5:9 & I THESSALONIANS 5:9 The heavens will shaken before He appears according to Jesus’ discourse in Matthew and scripture about the opening of the sixth seal. After the heavens are shaken, then the Son of Man [Jesus] will appear in the clouds. Again, both in Matthew and the scripture on the sixth seal, His appearing is described.

In addition, the Apostle Paul says in Second Thessalonians the day of the Lord will come when the lawless one [the Antichrist] is revealed. A study of scripture will show that the opening of the sixth seal, the revelation of the Antichrist, and the fleeing of Israel into the wilderness happen at or near mid-Tribulation. So my view is: a mid-Tribulation rapture of the Church. God is able to protect His Church until that point in time just as He was able to protect the children of Israel from the plagues on Egypt.

The scripture used in this essay is from the ESV version unless specifically noted!

Written over a period of time

January 1, 2020 to May 1, 2023

By Mallard E Guy Jr.

CAUGHT AWAY!

The Gallop of the Antichrist

Babylon