Commentary: -
1 Thessalonians 4:16-18 and
1 Corinthians 15:51-53
The term rapture comes from the Greek word harpazo, which means "to seize, catch away, catch up, pluck, pull, take by force" (
1 Thessalonians 4:17). The Hebrew equivalent is the word natzal. It is the time when the Lord will come for His own, when Jesus will descend through the stratosphere and take those of us who have trusted in Him to be with Himself. It is imminent, it can happen at any moment; it can happen today, it can happen ten years from now. We do not know when it will be, but it could happen at any time. And so, the prophecy of the Feast of Trumpets will be fulfilled in the Rapture of the Church. It has not yet been fulfilled. We are still in the period between Pentecost and Trumpets in God's prophetic calendar.
However, one of the biggest misunderstandings of the Rapture I found is that it is confused with the Second coming of Christ or what I would like to call the "
2nd Rapture". This confusion usually stems from a person not fully grasping the necessary different steps in marriage and how it relates to Christ and His Bride (i.e. the church). For the 1st Rapture is the actual call to the marriage itself and the 2nd Rapture (i.e. The Second Coming) is the call to the marriage supper (See commentary in Last Half of Tribulation).
But, whatever position you hold on the Rapture, I think it is safe to assume that most of us here will all agree that the Lord's Rapture of His church is analogous to marriage in some way and that there is some kind of call announcing it.
In fact, there is a great New Testament passage that talks about marriage and a call being made. It is the parable of the Ten Virgins (
Matthew 25:1-13). A parable that is about a bridegroom putting out the call for marriage and ten virgins being properly ready for that call so that they could take part in his wedding ceremony. For these virgins did not know the hour of his call for they were surprised
Genesis 41:45 and
Psalm 81:3, Joseph had blown the trumpet on the new moon during the feast day through out the land of Egypt just after receiving permission to marry Asenath.
So when Joseph went out through the land of Egypt:
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Genesis 41:45-46 (Joseph had received Asenath to marry)
And Pharaoh called Joseph's name Zaphnathpaaneah; and he gave him to wife Asenath the daughter of Potipherah priest of On. And Joseph went out over all the land of Egypt. And Joseph was thirty years old when he stood before Pharaoh king of Egypt. And Joseph went out from the presence of Pharaoh, and went through out all the land of Egypt.
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Psalm 81:3-5 (Joseph had blown the trumpet on feast day within the new moon)
Blow up the trumpet in the new moon, in the time appointed, on our solemn feast day. For this was a statute for Israel, and a law of the God of Jacob. This he ordained in Joseph for a testimony, when he went out through the land of Egypt: where I heard a language that I understood not.
Wow, isn't that amazing? Here we have the receiving of the bride and the blowing of the trumpet on the new moon within the feast of days. A wedding and a trumpet call both being made!
Now, is there any significance to this Feast of Days and this New Moon in relation to the Rapture?
I believe there is. In accordance with the ancient Jews:
The feast of days mentioned here in the Bible is the Jewish Feast of Trumpets.
It is also called the Yom Teruah, and it is the day that is marked on most calendars as Rosh Hashanah and is followed ten days later by the Day of Atonement. Yom Teruah means “Day of Shouting” and can refer to the shout of a trumpet or a voice. It’s a day of remembrance and shouting, or Zicharon Teruah meaning remembrance shouting.
Now, before looking further into the theological meaning of the Feast of the Trumpets, it might be well to clarify how this feast became known as Rosh Hashanah, "the beginning of the year," though it was observed on the first day of the seventh month.
The answer to this apparent contradiction is found in the fact that the Jews had both a religious and civil calendar. The religious calendar, which regulated the festivals, began in the spring, in accordance with God’s command at the time of the Exodus: "This month shall be for you the beginning of months; it shall be the first month of the year for your" (
Exodus 12:2) (
Deuteronomy 16:1). The first month in the religious year was the month in which the Israelites left Egypt and celebrated Passover, the feast of their redemption. It was originally called Abib "the month of the ears," but after the Babylonian exile was named Nisan. It began at our new moon of our March or April.
The civil and agricultural year, as well as the sabbatical and jubilee years, began in the autumn with the seventh month, which after the Babylonian exile became known as Tishri. If it seems strange that the Jews should begin their civil year on the seventh month, it may be well to remember that even in our society the fiscal year for many organizations begins in other months than January.
However, the seasonal cycle of nature came to an end with the fall harvest, which marked also the beginning of a new agricultural cycle with the return of the early rains that softened the ground for plowing which was done in October and November. This contributed to place the beginning of the civil and agricultural year on the month of Tishri, though it was the seven month with respect to Nisan. Thus the Jews had a double reckoning, the religious year beginning with the first month and the civil year beginning with the seven month; And the beginning of this seventh month or start of the agricultural new year is celebrated with the Feast of Trumpets.
According to Jewish customs: Here are some interesting parallels of the Feast of Trumpets that can be found in the Rapture:
- Feast of Trumpets is called the Last Trump (For there are three shofarim or horns: The first trump is Pentecost, the last trump is the Feast of Trumpets, and the great trump is the Day of Atonement).
But is there any kind of Biblical connection to this Feast of Trumpets within Corinthians or Thessalonians? Yes, there is a connection found in 1st Corinthians. However, first we need to explain the spiritual meaning behind the New Moon on the Feast of Trumpets, though; For
Colossians 2:16-17 says that the new moon will teach us about the Messiah. So if this is the case, shouldn't there be a passage about the new moon in Scripture that talks about the Messiah then? Well, there is not a passage that gives us an answer to this question directly but there is one that does so indirectly, though. How so?
Well, if we were to look in the book of Malachi, we would find that the sun is idiomatic of the Son of God.
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Malachi 4:2
But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings; and ye shall go forth, and grow up as calves of the stall.
Also, Jesus Himself had said that He is the light of the world (
John 8:12).
So, just as the moon can be seen at night when it is reflecting the light of the sun, true believers today can be seen reflecting the light of Christ to a dark and dying world.
•
2 Corinthians 4:6
For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
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Matthew 5:16
Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.
For even Genesis says, that we were made in God's image (
Genesis 1:27). So even the physical appearance of man is a reflected image of God. This is a type or a parallel just as being a true born again Christian is a type of the new moon.
In other words, the meaning of the new moon is symbolic of a person becoming new or born again in Jesus. So just as the new moon starts a new year, a person can start a new life in Christ.
2 Corinthians 5:17
Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
So okay, now that we established that the new moon is representative of a person being born again in Christ, how does this piece of information relate to 1st Corinthians? Well, if we were to look and compare Scripture again, we would see a very interesting word that appears in both 1st Peter and 1st Corinthians. That word is "
incorruptible".
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1 Peter 1:23
Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.
•
1 Corinthians 15:51-52
Behold, I shew 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 trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.
In other words, the word "
incorruptible" lets us know that being born again is tied and related to the Rapture. But how does this relate to the celebration of the Feast of Trumpets, though? Well, the ancient Jews celebrated the Feast of Trumpets for two days because they did not know the exact day or hour the new moon would appear. So just as the saints in the Old Testament did not know the day or hour the new moon would happen on the Feast of Trumpets, the New Testament saints today do not know the day or hour the Rapture is going to happen; And just as the traditional Biblical Jew is the only one to participate in the Feast of Trumpets, the true born again Christian during the right time is the only one who will participate in the 1st Rapture.
Commentary -
John 14:3,
Matthew 25:10, and
Hebrews 9:28 ESV
There are some interesting things to notice that are different about the Rapture (i.e. The Appearing) and the Second Coming.
At the rapture, only those who are looking for him will see him:
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Hebrews 9:28 ESV
So Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him.
Now contrast that with the second coming to the earth:
•
Revelation 1:7
Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen.
At the rapture, Jesus comes FOR His church :
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1 Thessalonians 4:17
Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.
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John 14:3
And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.
However, at the second coming (after the tribulation period) , Christ comes WITH His saints:
•
Jude 1:14
And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints.
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Revelation 19:14
And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean.
At the rapture, the LORD calls His church up to a wedding/marriage:
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Matthew 25:10
And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut.
But at the second coming to earth, He is returning from a wedding:
•
Luke 12:36
And ye yourselves like unto men that wait for their lord, when he will return from the wedding; that when he cometh and knocketh, they may open unto him immediately.