I was in the delivery room with my wife when both of our children were
born. I remember how anxious and excited I was as a proud, expectant father.
Both Suzanne and I were so relieved and happy when the doctor announced, "I can
see the head!" In the moments that followed, there was a body and last, those
two tiny feet. Our joy was fulfilled when we saw each of our children born whole
and complete into this world.
Of course, the joy we felt cannot equal
God's joy with the birth of His church. After all, He had waited and planned for
it for so long! Is the analogy accurate? Is the comparison of a baby's birth to
the church's birth a fair comparison to make? Absolutely! The church is the Body
of Christ and He is the head. The Bible states this in a number of passages
quite clearly. See Ephesians 4:12 and 5:23.
Here also is what Paul wrote
in I Corinthians.
1 Corinthians 12:12-26
12 The body is a unit, though it
is made up of many parts; and though al! l its p arts are many, they form one
body. So it is with Christ. 13 For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one
body--whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free--and we were all given the one
Spirit to drink. 14 Now the body is not made up of one part but of many. 15 If
the foot should say, "Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body," it
would not for that reason cease to be part of the body.
And further on
in I Corinthians 12: 18-20 it reads:
18 But in fact God has arranged the
parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. 19 If they
were all one part, where would the body be? 20 As it is, there are many parts,
but one body.
Knowing that we are part of the body of Christ, we may
also find it interesting to go back and read Psalm 139. It certainly speaks
about how God formed us in the womb and knew us before we were born as
individuals into this world. However, when we view this Psalm in terms of the
birth of the church as Christ's! body, i t takes on both a very symbolic and
prophetic meaning.
In fact, there are many places in the Bible that hint
at what was to become the future birth of the church. But, once we begin to
focus on the birth of the church and begin to think in those terms, we are left
with a very obvious conclusion. If the church is born into this world like a
baby, with first the head (Christ) appearing, followed in succession by the
other parts of the body, then the end-time church would naturally have to be the
feet.
We, the end-time church, are the feet of the Body of Christ! This
fact is important. It allows us to see if God has foreshadowed any events which
relate to this part of the church. Now that we know how to look for it, we find
that the Bible has a great deal to tell us!
It seems staggering to me
that so much has been written on the two feet of the image which appears in
Nebuchadnezzar's dream which is found in the book of Daniel. Volumes and
volumes! Dani! el, him se lf, tells us that the feet of the statue represent the
end-time empire. We know this is the revived Roman Empire. Much has been said in
books, sermons, lectures and discussions about the feet of the statue. If the
Bible gives us so much to go on regarding the feet of the image in the book of
Daniel, isn't it possible that the Bible would give us at least as much detail
about the end-time church? In fact, it gives us a great amount.
One Heel
Will be Bruised
All the way back in Genesis 3:15, we find a veiled
reference relating to a foot, or heel, which will be injured by Satan.
Practically everyone agrees that this is a reference to the crucifixion of
Christ. So do I. Jesus' feet were pierced when He was crucified. Genesis 3:15
certainly does symbolize the crucifixion event. However, it is also a veiled
foreshadowing of an event which pertains to the end-time church. How do I know
this? Because the Bible doesn't make mistakes. Genesis 3:15 clearly says heel!
(singu l ar) . It does not say heels (plural). During the crucifixion, both of
Jesus' feet were pierced. I am utterly convinced that when God was speaking in
Genesis 3:15, He was at the same time making a veiled prophecy about the
end-time church! Just as the statue in Daniel has two feet which represent the
end-time world power, so the end-time church is represented by two feet, one of
which will be bruised, or persecuted by Satan! God says that one heel will be
bruised, not two. What happens to the other foot? The answer is simple. One part
of the church (one foot) will have gone in the Rapture! It was the front foot.
I remember something that happened to me when I was a young boy. I was
fishing with some older boys at a pond. Sunning itself beside the water's edge
was a poisonous copperhead snake. I didn't see it. I stepped right on top of it.
The moment it moved under my foot, I saw it and jumped. That snake was mad! It
came after me. Thankfully, my friends were there ! to chas e i t aw ay with
their fishing poles. But, had that snake caught me, it would surely have bitten
me on the back of my heel. I was running from it. My heel was the only place it
could have struck me. When Satan chases and persecutes the end-time church,
which is represented symbolically by the feet, he will surely bruise and afflict
the heel of the foot which is fleeing from him. One foot of the church will be
beyond his grasp. It will have departed.
Enoch and Elijah
Back
to foreshadowing. If one foot of the church is taken in the Rapture, we should
find it foreshadowed in the scriptures. It's there, of course. Enoch. We find
him raptured way back in Genesis. He is the first one to have ever been taken
away. But, he isn't the last one! There is further foreshadowing of a second
Rapture. Elijah. He foreshadows the Rapture of the second foot of the persecuted
end-time church. Elijah's life perfectly represents the church of the
persecution during the Tribulatio! n. At v a r i ou s tim es he had to go into
hiding. He was persecuted by King Ahab and his wife Jezebel who participated in
the vilest forms of idolatry. Of special interest is the fact that during a
period of about three years, there was a severe drought and famine. He had to
leave his country and live with a widow who miraculously supplied him with food.
On another occasion, Elijah was supplied with food by ravens. Later, he was
helped by an angel who provided food and water. At various times, Elijah would
say he was the only believer left.
Taken together, all these instances
make a dramatic parallel to the events which transpire for the Christians who
have to go through the persecution. Not being able to buy or sell, they will be
forced from their homes and depend on miraculous provision from God. They too
may feel like they are the only true believers who are left. However, they are
not alone. God will not abandon them just as he did not abandon Elijah.
Moreover, the per! secuted C hr is tia ns wil l have the same source of strength
that Elijah had. They will receive the Holy Spirit. Remember what the Amplified
Bible calls the Holy Spirit? He is called the Comforter, Counselor, Helper,
Intercessor, Advocate, Strengthener, and Standby.
The Departure and
Return of the Holy Spirit
There are many who teach that when the
Pre-Tribulation church goes in the (first) Rapture, the Holy Spirit departs with
them. This is only partially true. The Holy Spirit does go with them. However,
he does return. Just like our blessed Savior who departed, but will come again.
Can this be proven? Yes! Beyond any doubt. In John 14:16, Jesus said, "I will
pray the Father, and He shall give you another comforter, that He may abide with
you forever." A little further on, Jesus said, "I will not leave you
comfortless." I would call this teaching pretty direct. But, let's see if it
fits with what we know about the end-time church being the symbolic feet of
Christ. ! Earlier , I sa id that once w e knew that the end-time church is
symbolically represented by the feet of Christ, it would lead us to discover
what God has in store. Let's find out.
On two separate occasions, Jesus'
feet were anointed with a costly perfume. Luke 7:38 and John 12:3 describe two
separate, but similar events. In each case, Jesus' feet were anointed with
costly perfume. Read the passages and compare them for yourself. They are two
separate events! One occurs in the house of a Pharisee and other event occurs in
the home of Mary and Martha. Here is what John Wesley said in his commentary on
Luke 7:37. "A woman - Not the same with Mary of Bethany, who anointed him six
days before his last passover. "
The perfume is symbolic of the Holy
Spirit. What a perfectly harmonious analogy! The church which goes in the first
Rapture has the Holy Spirit. Later, the remaining church is given the Holy
Spirit! This brings me to an important point. The very reason that part! of the
ch urch is lef t behind at the first Rapture is because they are living without
the power of the Holy Spirit in their lives right now! They will be left out of
the first event and have to live through a terrible persecution because they are
not living for Jesus in the present. What a terrible tragedy!
I believe
that for a period of time, the church of the persecution (symbolized by the
second foot of Christ) will have to endure without the Holy Spirit. They will be
like Jeremiah, who in Lamentations 1:16, said, "For these things I weep; my eyes
flow with tears, because a comforter, one who could refresh and restore my soul,
is far from me..." (Amplified Bible). But, please remember that God will not
abandon this church. They will be sent the Holy Spirit. After all, it was ten
days after Jesus departed this world before the Holy Spirit was sent.
The Foolish Virgins
Jesus taught a parable which is a warning
about being caught without enough of the Holy! Spirit at His com ing t o take t
he church into Heaven. It is known as the parable of the foolish virgins.
Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which
took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom. And five of them were
wise, and five were foolish. They that were foolish took their lamps, and took
no oil with them: But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. While
the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept. And at midnight there was
a cry made, Behold the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him. Then all those
virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said unto the wise, Give
us of your oil; for our lamps are gone out. But the wise answered, saying, Not
so; lest there not be enough for us and you: but go ye rather to them that sell,
and buy for yourselves. And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and
they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door (which opens
in heaven at the Rapture) was shut (like the door of the Ark) Afterward came
also the other virgins, saying Lor! d, Lord , open to us. But he answered and
said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not.
Christ is the bridegroom coming for His bride, the church. The oil
represents the Holy Spirit. We should not be like foolish virgins and be left
behind at the first trumpet call.
The Servants Who Missed the Wedding
The following scripture may be the clincher. Read Luke 12:36. The
characters are not virgins waiting to be taken to a wedding. They are servants
waiting for their master to return for them after he has been to the wedding!
35 "Be dressed ready for service and keep your lamps burning, 36
like men waiting for their master to return from a wedding banquet, so that when
he comes and knocks they can immediately open the door for him. 37 It will be
good for those servants whose master finds them watching when he comes. I tell
you the truth, he will dress himself to serve, will have them recline at the
table and will come and wait on them. 38 It will be good for those servants
whose master finds them ready, even if he comes in the second or third watch of
the night.
Does this mean that the first foot caught up in the rapture joins the
others in Heaven to be the bride of Christ and join Him in the marriage supper?
Does this mean that the second foot which is caught up later is not the bride,
but is still considered His servants? These questions occur to me and I think
the answer may be "yes." The book of Joel has a passage about the Holy Spirit
being given to waiting servants…
Joel: 17 'And it shall come to pass in the last days, says God, That
I will pour out of My Spirit on all flesh; Your sons and your daughters shall
prophesy, Your young men shall see visions, Your old men shall dream dreams. 18
And on My menservants and on My maidservants I will pour out My Spirit in those
days; And they shall prophesy. 19 I will show wonders in heaven above And signs
in the earth beneath: Blood and fire and vapor of smoke. 20 The sun shall be
turned into darkness, And the moon into blood, Before the coming of the great
and awesome day of the Lord. 21 And it shall come to pass That whoever calls on
the name of the Lord Shall be saved.'
Two Trumpet Calls
When the Jews were wandering in the wilderness,
before entering the Promised Land, there were two trumpet calls in the morning
to prepare the people to move out. The first one called the leaders of the
tribes. The second one called the remainder of the people. Just as with the
ancient Jews, there will be two trumpet calls for the church. Both trumpet calls
are to the two coming rapture events. If you are reading this before the first
Rapture, I urge you to pray for the fullness of the Holy Spirit in your life and
the lives of all your loved ones. Do it now! Don't wait. Be ready when the first
call is made. You do not have to endure the agony of persecution.
If you
are reading this after the first call, take heart. The Holy Spirit will come.
Pray for the Holy Spirit unceasingly and God will surely provide. And just like
with Elijah, God will provide sustenance, food when you need it, water when you
need it. It might not be a feast. It mi! ght onl y be as little as what a bird
can bring (remember Elijah being fed by the ravens). God will never abandon you,
no matter how you feel. Don't go with feelings. Go with faith! There is hope for
you. He will give food, the Holy Spirit and a second call to join Him in Heaven
at the second Rapture. Remember, just like feet, we mount up the stairs one foot
at a time.
Jacob's Ladder
One foot at a time. That's how we
climb the steps of a ladder, or go up the stairs. In Genesis 28:12, Jacob has a
dream. It is one of the most familiar passages in the Bible and yet many of us
have missed its significance.
"He had a dream in which he saw a stairway
resting on the earth, with its top reaching to heaven, and the angels of God
were ascending and descending on it. " Yes. It is a ladder. In all my life, I
never climbed a ladder using two feet at a time. The point is simple and well
taken. The two symbolic feet of Christ's body will mount up to Heaven in two
stages. Th! ere wi l l be two Raptures.
Is this the only example we can
look at? No. Look at the Song of Solomon. So many people ignore this book. I
don't know why. It is one of the most beautiful books in the Bible. One of the
reasons that I delight in reading it is because it gives us a wonderful insight
into how God views the Bride of Christ. Please remember that the body, the
church, is also the Bride of Christ and is described in those terms in a number
of different passages.
In the Song of Solomon (chapter 2, verse 10) the
inspired word of God says, "My beloved speaks to me, Rise up, my love, my fair
one, and come away..." At the Rapture, God will call us to rise up! A few verses
later (verse 14), the Amplified Bible says, "So I went with him, and when we
were climbing the rocky steps..." There it is again! Steps. Steps which we can
only climb up one foot at a time.
It would be easy at this point to
digress. There is a great deal more that could be made out of the! fores h ad
owing in the Song of Solomon. However, the point I would most like to bring out,
regards the specific reference this book makes about the feet. Please notice the
beautiful descriptions attributed to each part of the body. We see how God feels
about each and every part. The feet are described as being beautiful (chapter 7,
verse 1). God truly loves us! To Him, we are beautiful despite all our faults.
Despite all we have ever done, God finds beauty in us.
Do I Have any
Other Proof?
Up to this point, if you only believe there is one rapture
and that it occurs before the tribulation, then how do you reconcile your belief
with Genesis 18:22-33? Read this passage directly from the New International
Version.
Genesis 18:23-33
23 Then Abraham approached him and said: "Will you sweep away the
righteous with the wicked? 24 What if there are fifty righteous people in the
city? Will you really sweep it away and not spare the place for the sake of the
fifty righteous people in it? 25 Far be it from you to do such a thing--to kill
the righteous with the wicked, treating the righteous and the wicked alike. Far
be it from you! Will not the Judge of all the earth do right?" 26 The Lord said,
"If I find fifty righteous people in the city of Sodom, I will spare the whole
place for their sake." 27 Then Abraham spoke up again: "Now that I have been so
bold as to speak to the Lord, though I am nothing but dust and ashes, 28 what if
the number of the righteous is five less than fifty? Will you destroy the whole
city because of five people?" "If I find forty-five there," he said, "I will not
destroy it." 29 Once again he spoke to him, "What if only forty are found
there?" He said, "For the sake of for! ty, I w ill not do it." 30 Then he said,
"May the Lord not be angry, but let me speak. What if only thirty can be found
there?" He answered, "I will not do it if I find thirty there." 31 Abraham said,
"Now that I have been so bold as to speak to the Lord, what if only twenty can
be found there?" He said, "For the sake of twenty, I will not destroy it." 32
Then he said, "May the Lord not be angry, but let me speak just once more. What
if only ten can be found there?" He answered, "For the sake of ten, I will not
destroy it." 33 When the Lord had finished speaking with Abraham, he left, and
Abraham returned home.
If God won't even destroy a city such as wicked Sodom, how can you accept
an unchangeable God destroying the world unless you accept that no one will get
saved after the rapture of the Bride? I contend that people will get saved. They
will endure persecution and death. They will be caught up to Heaven.
I
know what you must be thinking. If there are two separate Raptures, then when
will they occur? I truly don't know. I believe we are in the final days. As for
the second Rapture, look at Revelation 2:10. Once again, I will quote from the
Amplified Bible:
"Fear nothing that you are about to suffer. Dismiss your dread and
your fears! Behold, the devil is indeed about to throw some of you into prison,
that you may be tested and proven and critically appraised; and for ten days you
will have affliction. Be loyally faithful unto death - (that is) even if you
must die for it - and I will give you the crown of life."
My guess is that the second rapture occurs when the two witnesses are taken
up in the book of Revelation. At the midway point of tribulation? I suppose. I
can only conclude that it is far better to be a participant in the first
rapture. God doesn't want us to endure the coming persecution. He gives us a way
out! We just have to be ready. Remember those virgins who were waiting for the
bridegroom to come? Some were ready and some foolishly were not. I urge you to
pray. Pray that the Holy Spirit will come fully and completely to live in you.
Be filled with His presence. Accept not only God's salvation and accept Him as
Lord of your life. Do it now. Please do not wait.
Finally, let me
address why I think that very few people have caught on to the Two Rapture
Theory. I think it's the same reason that there was confusion in Jesus' day when
people missed the fact that the Messiah would have to come twice. The prophecies
would often show the first and second coming in ! the sam e context. Passages
that relate to the two raptures are perceived by readers as being all about one
and the same event.
Do I believe that there are two rapture events? Yes,
until I am confronted with compelling evidence that would lead me to believe
otherwise. In the end, what matters most is that Jesus Christ is my Lord and
Savior. May God be with you and may He give us all faith, hope, peace, humility,
understanding and love.
Post Script: Draw two stick figures on a sheet of paper.
The first one will represent the statue in Daniel's vision. Label the head
Babylon. The arms and shoulders will be the Medes and Persions. The torso is
Greece. The legs are the eastern and western Roman empire. Lastly the feet are
the end-time empire. Now start labeling the second figure with Christ as the
head. The arms and shoulders are Ephesus and Smyrna. The torso is Pergamos.
The legs are Thyatira and Sardis. The end-time church is represented by
Philadelphia and Laodicea. Many have erroniously labeled all of the end-time
church as Laodicea because it is mention last in Revelations. However this best
describes the state of the end-time church in Europe and parts of America.
Certainly the church in China, Africa and elsewhere is best described as
Philadelphia. The end-time churches truly are the two! feet o f the body of
Christ.
If you have feedback, please email me.
Sincerely,
Bruce Baber