Marilyn and Doves,

 

Thanks for your kind words and feedback concerning my post about Isaiah 18 and its connection to the rapture and rapture timing.

 http://www.fivedoves.com/letters/may2013/johnb514.htm

 

And thanks for focusing on the word "sprigs" in your reply. It made me take a much harder look at the meanings of this word that God used in verse 5 and you may be pleasantly surprised with what I believe I've found or you may think I am toying with falsehoods.

I said in my post that Isaiah 18 had double and now maybe triple meanings for a lot of the words used in this passage of scripture.

 

With that in mind lets look at verse 5 and the word "sprigs" God used.......

5 For before the harvest when the bud is perfect and the sour grape is ripening in the flower, He will both cut off the sprigs with pruning hooks and take away and cut down the branches. 

 

Obviously God is giving us a parable of sorts here as He often does. He explains "kingdom" facts using everyday terminology.

 

In this verse I believe Jesus is saying this..... 

 

before the main part of the end time harvest of humanity........

before the nearly seven year tribulation.........

when the preconceived number of His followers is complete........

before His chosen people of Judah have awoken to who He is......

He will take away or remove His faithful followers and their families from harms way.......

He will remove young people from around the planet under the age of accountability........

and He will remove His security from mankind that are left behind in this world.......... 

 

Now I am sure alarm bells went off to some of you bible scholars when I inserted the phrase "and their families" into the above explanation because many or most people believe that everyone has to stand alone in God's kingdom and no one gets a free ride to heaven on someone else's ticket. If you're the son or daughter of a righteous heaven bound couple but a heavy sinner you can't "tag along" on your families righteousness.......or can you?

 

Enter that word "sprigs" which I believe is the component or the faction of the population that Jesus saves in the rapture.

All of a sudden the choice and definition of this word God used becomes paramount and of extreme importance so lets look into this word.

 

We all know that the common definition for a sprig is a dry twig or spray which fits nicely into God's orchard parable above. But does it have other "human" meanings that would fit into the "kingdom" side of the same parable? Yes

 

As per Webster's dictionary a sprig can also be.......

1) a young fellow

2) a person as the offspring of a family, institution, class, etc.

 

Lets look at definition 1.....a young fellow

A fellow is a person in the same associated condition like "fellow workers".

 

So a young fellow would be a.......young person with the same associated condition......like all young people below the age of accountability.

 

Lets look at definition 2.....a person as the offspring of a family, institution, class, etc.

This definition is pretty straight forward in my mind.

Are we as followers of Jesus.... 'people as the offspring of an institution'..... i.e. His Christian Church? Yes

Are our children and grandchildren persons as the offspring of a family? Yes

If they are offspring of a righteous family (couple) but are 'off the road' sinners, are they still "sprigs"? As per definition 2 ....I believe so

 

God used the word "sprigs" and the definitions are what they are....... so one could conclude that if we are righteous in God's eyes that our children are protected under our righteousness and will accompany us in the rapture even if they have fallen off the righteous path.

 

This would be a huge burden off most of us who have been praying for our wayward children for years terrified that they will be left behind due to their inattention to God and His Word.

 

Before you stone me for what I just proposed which goes against the grain of most Christian teachings let me remind you of Noah, Lot, the jailer where Paul and Silas were held in prison and Joseph and the saving of his whole family.

 

Did not God save all of Noah's family from the flood? Were they all as righteous as Noah or did they fall under his righteousness as ...a family

 

Did not God save or try to save all of Lot's family? Were they all as righteous as Lot or did they fall under his righteousness as.....a family

 

And when Paul's jailer accepted the Lord in jail Paul assured him that his whole household (family) would also be saved.   Acts 16:31

 

The story of Joseph sold into slavery then becoming Pharaohs right hand man and then saving all his extended family and their flocks when the seven years of trouble came. It parallels the rapture story and all of his family was saved which were many.

 

I am very excited as to what I have discovered about this part of scripture and the multiple / applicable definitions of the word "sprigs". I pray that I am correct and that God honors all of the definitions of this word as described. If so by the grace of God we will all be together as a family when the trumpet blows.

 

This scenario makes more sense to me because if our loved family members were left behind how could we ever enjoy heaven knowing that they were going through the great tribulation back on earth.

 

I pray that this is the way it will happen.

 

Luke 21:36  "Watch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and stand before the Son of Man" 

 

Blessings.......John B