Mystery of the Rapture - Personal Revelation
John 20:1 Now on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb early, while it was still dark, and saw that the stone had been removed from the tomb.
I have for some time meditated on Mary Magdalene and the Resurrection of Jesus, especially as recorded in the Gospel of John (chapter 20). There are some important truths here, and these are worth looking at closely. The core truth is the progressive revelation of Jesus to Mary (and then to the disciples). From the four gospels we understand that Mary was:
Among the first group of women to see the empty tomb
Among the women who saw the angel at the entrance to the empty tomb
In the group of women who saw the angels where the body of Jesus lay
The first to see the Resurrected Christ!
The first to hear the truth of the coming Ascension of Jesus Christ!
While the other gospels fill in details about the women at the empty tomb, John looks particularly through the eyes of Mary Magdalene, from empty tomb, angelic witness, resurrected Christ to the announcement of His Ascension. In this letter I would like to start with Mary Magdalene in the garden, but then look at the revelation of the Second Coming, and the Rapture in particular. Hoping that this may help to understand things that must (very) shortly come to pass, I would like to cover:
Jesus appearing (first) to Mary as the Resurrected Christ
The truth of His coming Ascension - revealed first to Mary!
The Mystery of the Rapture revealed to/through Paul
Mystery of the Pre-tribulation Rapture - revealed through His Word!
Are there three brides of Christ? Rebekah, Leah and Rachel?
Rapture of the (Rebecca) Bride of Christ (overcoming/remnant Church)
Rapture of the (broader Leah) Body of Christ
Rapture of the Jewish (Rachel) Bride
My name and your name - written into the Bride - the Lamb’s Wife!!
Jesus appearing (first) to Mary as the Resurrected Christ
10 Then the disciples went back again to their homes (lodging places). 11 But Mary remained standing outside the tomb sobbing. As she wept, she stooped down [and looked] into the tomb.
I believe that the Church of Jesus Christ was birthed on the Day of Pentecost. While I do not wish to overstate the role of Mary Magdalene, it is clear from John 20:10,11 that Mary became the vital link in the revelation of the Resurrection and (announcement of) the Ascension. The other disciples had returned to their homes (including John!) - but through Mary’s tears she saw the Resurrected Christ!!
12 And she saw two angels in white sitting there, one at the head and one at the feet, where the body of Jesus had lain. 13 And they said to her, Woman, why are you sobbing? She told them, Because they have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid Him.
14 On saying this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing [there], but she did not know (recognize) that it was Jesus. 15 Jesus said to her, Woman, why are you crying [so]? For Whom are you looking? 16 Jesus said to her, Mary! Turning around she said to Him in Hebrew, Rabboni!
The truth of His coming Ascension - revealed first to Mary!
John 20:17 (2017) - Coincidence or Clue?
The Ascension of Jesus Christ is vital for our understanding of the Rapture - His Ascension took place visibly, caught up into the clouds, in a few moments of time. Our Ascension into Glory (the Rapture) will take place in the twinkling of an EYE!! So it is very interesting that Mary became the first custodian of the Truth of the Ascension.
17 Jesus said to her, Do not cling to Me [do not hold Me], for I have not yet ascended to the Father. But go to My brethren and tell them, I am ascending to My Father and your Father, and to My God and your God.
What wonderful words of Truth! This promise is in John 20:17 (2017)! And 2017 is an end-point for some timelines! While this may only be coincidental, what is important is that the Truth of the Ascension was revealed to Mary.
18 Away came Mary Magdalene, bringing the disciples news (word) that she had seen the Lord and that He had said these things to her.
What happened to Mary happens to us - through the Word of God and the Spirit of Truth, truths are opened into our hearts. For me, this includes my long-held view (revelation) of the seven year pre=tribulation Rapture!!
The Mystery of the Rapture revealed to/through Paul
(1 Corinthians 15:51,52) Take notice! I tell you a MYSTERY (a secret truth) We shall not all fall asleep [in death], but we shall all be changed (transformed). 52 In a moment, in the TWINKLING of an eye, at the [sound of the] last trumpet call. For a trumpet will sound, and the dead [in Christ] will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed (transformed).
These verses from 1 Corinthians 15 are a clear revelation of a MYSTERY - something hitherto not known! Paul is the one through this MYSTERY of the RAPTURE is revealed! Unlike Christ’s Ascension, which took place in a few moments of time - our Rapture will be miraculously INSTANTANEOUS! No wonder there is such focus on this event! The rapture takes place in the TWINKLING OF AN EYE - not even a wink or a blink!
It is worth anticipating that those who are left behind will also be CHANGED!! We do not want this, but there needs to be a wake-up call for the Church.
I Thessalonians 4 (16.17 - below) reveals an important Truth about the Rapture, one that is somewhat problematic: put simply, if the dead in Christ rise firs Amplifiedt, and the Rapture is instantaneous (in the twinkling of an eye) - there must be some gap to the Rapture of the Church! When looked at from the time of the early Church, this may have seemed that it would be SIMULTANEOUS - but as we move towards the Rapture of the Church is a gap becoming evident.
I have, albeit somewhat reluctantly, come to understand that there may be a first fruits rapture of the Church (the overcoming Church in Revelation), at the time when the dead in Christ are raised. Perhaps these overcoming Christians are also ‘dead in Christ’- experiencing deeply I am crucified with Christ!
(1 Thessalonians 4:16, 17) For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a loud cry of summons, with the shout of an archangel, and with the blast of the trumpet of God. And those who have departed this life in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we, the living ones who remain [on the earth], shall simultaneously be caught up along with [the resurrected dead] in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air; and so always (through the eternity of the eternities) we shall be with the Lord!
Mystery of the Pre-tribulation Rapture - revealed through His Word!
(Ephesians 5:27) That He might present the church to Himself in glorious splendour, without spot or wrinkle or any such things [that she might be holy and faultless].
I am aware that there is considerable controversy about the seven year pre-tribulation Rapture. For me, this is a revealed Truth to me, through the Word of God. Revelation 11:2 refers to a period of 3.5 years when the holy city (Jerusalem) will be trampled by the Gentiles. During this time the two witnesses/prophets and the 144 000 from the tribes of Israel will declare the coming Kingdom of Jesus Christ.
(Revelation 11:2) But leave out of your measuring the court outside the sanctuary of God; omit that, for it is given over to the Gentiles (the nations), and they will trample the holy city underfoot for 42 months (three and one-half years).
Daniel 12 speaks of a follow-on period of 3.5 prophetic years (plus 75 days) - during this period the Beast/Antichrist will seek to exert total control over the Earth! And the remnant of Israel will be in hiding, preserved by the Lord.
(Daniel 12: 11,12) And from the time that the continual burnt offering is taken away and the abomination that makes desolate is set up, there shall be 1,290 days (3.5*360 days in a prophetic year plus 30 days). 12 Blessed is he who waits expectantly and earnestly [who endures without wavering beyond the period of tribulation] and comes to the 1,335 days! (3.5*360 days in a prophetic year plus 75 days).
So for me, I have maintained this unswerving belief in the seven year Pre-tribulation Rapture. So what is the period that we are now in? This is the time, prior to the final seven years allotted primarily to Israel, when the Holy Spirit is preparing the Church for the Rapture. I do not believe that we have entered the final seven years, even though this climax is drawing ever closer! Hallelujah!!
Are there three brides of Christ? Rebekah (Rebecca in NT), Leah and Rachel?
Golf - Birdies and Brides of Christ
Have my views about the seven year pre-tribulation rapture changed in recent years? The answer to this is, in part, yes. This is because I have come to realise that there may be a first fruits Rapture of the Bride/overcoming Church of Revelation (at any time), and prior to the Rapture of the broader Church/Body of Christ. This would be more than seven years before the Coming of Jesus Christ to the Mount of Olives!! I have outlined my thoughts more fully in a letter of 10 July 2012: Golf - Birdies and Brides of Christ - link and excerpts below:
http://www.fivedoves.com/letters/july2012/denish710.htm
(Excerpt) The church is spoken of as both the body and bride of Christ, raising questions of how this fits. These are my thoughts. Rebecca is a type of the first bride (the first fruits of the Church - the dead in Christ and the remnant of living and watching believers), and one that may be taken/raptured at anytime! Once raptured, Rebecca becomes one with the Lord, the bridegroom.
(Excerpt) Then the second bride - the broader body of Christ is purified and prepared through the Holy Spirit, and after a short space of time, this second (Leah bride) is raptured and becomes one with Christ Jesus the Lord and his first bride Rebecca (Rebecca - those who have been previously joined together as the wife - one flesh, one body).
(Excerpt) The third bride - Rachel (the one more loved by Jacob/Israel) is then prepared and raptured, with the two witnesses and the 144 000 witnesses from the 12 tribes of Israel - midway through the final seven years of Jacob’s trouble).
This Rachel rapture foreshadows the final consummation when Christ returns and is joined eternally with the remnant of Israel!
Rapture of the (Rebecca) Bride of Christ (overcoming/remnant Church)
Rebekah and Isaac - a Rapture Love Story
Rebecca - Genesis 24 is a beautiful love story - Abraham’s servant (a type of the Holy Spirit) going to Abraham’s own country to find a bride/wife for his son Isaac, Rebecca following the servant and falling in love with the man she sees walking across the field (Jesus - the field is the world). This is the work of the Holy Spirit today - finding and preparing a purified Bride for Jesus Christ - this points to the Rapture of the Remnant or Overcoming Church, those who are watching and ready for His Return.
http://www.fivedoves.com/letters/dec2012/denish1210-1.htm
I have presented a more detailed presentation on Rebekah and Isaac - a Rapture Love Story - at the link above (Five Doves - 10 December 2012). I do not need to go over this, but there are some key points worth noting. The bride (Rebecca) is taken to another place, and it happens overnight when the (broader) Church and the world is sleeping. There is a strong sense of urgency, with no delay, even though Laban wanted to delay it by 10 days. Rebecca is clearly a type of the Bride of Isaac/Jesus!
Rebecca had the heart of a servant - what is sad is that while Rebecca is taken, others are LEFT BEHIND!! When we consider the strong warnings of Jesus to WATCH, it appears that this first fruits Rapture will be unexpected by most of the Church, and will be a huge wake up call to the Church!!
In His mercy, I believe that there will be a second opportunity (the Leah Rapture) to avoid at least some of the tribulation coming on the Earth!!
While the Rapture type in Genesis 24 (Rebecca) is helpful, the question may (rightly) be asked, is there any other Scriptural evidence for the Rapture of the Bride (overcoming Church). The end of Revelation Chapter 3 and the start of Revelation Chapter 4 may guide us (see below). In Revelation 4 (1,2) we see a DOOR STANDING OPEN in Heaven, and a command to COME UP HERE! And through the Holy Spirit’s power! This takes us back to the start of this letter - the revelation to Mary of the Resurrected Christ and the Ascension of Christ!.
(Revelation 4:1,2) AfTer this I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven! And the first voice which I had heard addressing me like [the calling of] a war trumpet said, COME UP HERE, and I will show you what must take place in the future. At once I came under the [Holy] Spirit’s power, and behold, a throne stood in heaven, with One seated on the throne!
Could it be that the mystery of (the timing of) our INSTANTANEOUS ASCENSION (RAPTURE) is hidden in these verses? The question is then to whom is this DOOR OPENED? The answer to this may be hidden in plain sight in Revelation 3 (20,21). Perhaps the door in heaven opens to those who hear the knock of Jesus on the DOOR (of their heart), and open once (and only when) they hear His voice.
The One who is outside the door was presented to the World as a Jew (albeit recognising the Divine origin of His Birth – His incarnation!). The world, and sadly much of the Church, will turn away from Israel and the challenge for the overcoming Church will be its willingness to welcome the Jews - His brothers and sisters (into the homes of their hearts)
The wonderful promise for opening the door of our hearts to Him is to sit beside Him on His Throne!! Our Instantaneous Ascension (Rapture).
The (fullness of the) outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon all flesh is imminent, and signs and wonders will be done in the Name of Jesus. However, in time strong persecution will come upon the Bride of Christ, especially those who stand with Israel, to purify it. While we may escape the Tribulation period, we will almost certainly need to pass through this time of persecutioj (remembering that He has already OVERCOME THE WORLD!
Revelation 3:20,21: Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears and heeds My voice and OPENS THE DOOR, I will come in to him and will eat with him, and he [will eat] with Me. 21 He who overcomes, I will grant him to sit beside Me on My throne, as I Myself overcame (was victorious) and sat down beside My Father on His throne.
Rapture of the (broader Leah) Church/Body of Christ
I have previously put together some thoughts on the swapped brides - reversal of the order of the two brides (Leah representative of the broader body of Christ, and Rachel a type of the first fruits of Israel - Messianic Jews) - see link below.
http://www.fivedoves.com/letters/march2012/denish39.htm
There is an important distinction between the Rebecca and the Leah/Rachel Raptures. Rebecca is taken (overnight - under the cover of darkness) by the Holy Spirit to another place - all the others are left behind!! Both the Leah and Rachel Raptures embody a consummation of their relationship with Jacob/Israel. The Rebecca Rapture probably will take place more than seven years before Christ’s earthly appearance to Israel.
My view is that the Rebecca Rapture may coincide with the Psalm 83/Isaiah 17 War. Israel’s victory will, for a time at least, will inflict a major wound on REPLACEMENT THEOLOGY (that the Church has replaced Israel). The left behind Church will need to find its Eternal purpose through ‘marriage’ (close union) to Israel/Judaism. Arguably the most opportune time for the Leah Rapture may be the Ezekiel 38, 39 War - and another overwhelming victory for Israel!
Rapture of the Jewish (Rachel) Bride
This brings us (at long last) to the third Bride of Christ - the much loved and beautiful Rachel. And here we ask a very important question, with strong relevance to the seven year pre-tribulation Rapture. How many days were there between Israel’s consummation with Leah and Rachel - SEVEN DAYS (the wedding week). I believe this speaks of SEVEN YEARS between the Leah (broader Church) Rapture and the Coming of Jesus in glory and power to be joined with, married to, then remnant of Israel who have been hidden and protected by Yahweh!!
The first fruits of Israel reflect this Rachel Rapture, an ascension with the two witnesses in the middle of the final week. This could be made up of, or include, those of the 144 000 witnesses who have not become martyrs.
My name and your name - written into the Bride - the Lamb’s Wife!!
I have one final point. In Revelation 21 we are shown the Lamb’s wife. This is the New Jerusalem, and includes in the gates the names of the twelve tribes of Israel.
2 And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God, all arrayed like a bride beautified and adorned for her husband; 9 Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls filled with the seven final plagues came and spoke to me. He said, Come with me! I will show you the bride, the Lamb’s wife.
10 Then in the Spirit He conveyed me away to a vast and lofty mountain and exhibited to me the holy (hallowed, consecrated) city of Jerusalem descending out of heaven from God, 11 Clothed in God’s glory. The lustre of it resembled a rare and most precious (Jew)el, like jasper, shining clear as crystal.
12 It had a massive and high wall with twelve [large] gates, and at the gates [there were stationed] twelve angels, and [on the gates] the names of the twelve tribes of the sons of Israel were written.
Now we know that, through faith in Jesus the Lamb, crucified and risen from the dead, our names are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life. I have come to understand that the Bride of Christ is both Jewish in its foundations and gates, and in many respects is a composite Bride: first fruits of the Church (Rebecca), the broader Church (Leah) and the first fruits of Israel (Rachel).
Then I made an accidental discovery. In Revelation 22:17 we read: The (Holy) Spirit and the Bride say Come! In the Amplified it adds, in brackets after the Bride it adds (the Church, the true Christians), say Come! I have not done this before, but I felt that the expression the Church did not properly reflect the Bride - the true Christians wording did. So I ‘blacked out’ the words the Church.
Then I realised something wonderful - our names are individually written in the Lamb’s Book of Life. There is a place for our names - yours and mine - to be written into the Bride of Christ!
For me the pre-tribulation Rapture is a revealed Truth, and one that I have held dear since my youth. However, I would add simply that for others who have a different view, Jesus command was for us to WATCH and WARN - we do not have to be right!! But we now see the Day approaching and our hearts are EXPECTANT! He gave great revelations to Mary - and the Holy Spirit is revealing Truth to us as we open His Word!!
Hallelujah! Maranatha!!
Denis (in Canberra, Australia)