The rapture of the Church ...

According to the Word of God the rapture of the Church will take place before the great tribulation and before Jesus returns to earth to reign. There are a lot of points to look at and I couldn't share it all in one post, but let's take some important points. We know that there will be a rapture, that the Church will meet the Lord in the air, it is specified that it is a meeting in the air and not on the earth, therefore of an abduction :

1 Thessalonians 4:16 For the Lord himself with a shout of command, and a voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God, shall come down from heaven, and the dead in Christ shall be raised first. 17 Then we, the living who remain, will be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord, in the air, and thus we will always be with the Lord. 18 Therefore comfort one another with these words.

We also know that Jesus will return to earth to bring his eternal righteousness and reign:

Revelation 19:11 Then I saw heaven open, and behold a white horse appeared. And the one that was mounted on it is called TRUE and TRUE, and he judges and fights with righteousness. 12 And his eyes were like a flame of fire; there were several diadems on his head, and he had a name written down that no one knows except himself. 13 He was clothed with a garment dyed with blood, and his name is called THE WORD OF GOD. 14 The armies that are in heaven followed him on white horses, clothed in fine pure white linen. 15 Out of his mouth came a sharp sword to strike down the nations; he will rule them with an iron scepter, and he will trample on the winepress of the wine of the indignation and the wrath of Almighty God. 16 And on his garment and on his thigh were written these words: THE KING OF KINGS AND THE LORD OF LORDS ...

We are therefore already seeing a difference between these two moments and it should not be overlooked. The Bible also speaks to us of a gathering, of a meeting when the Lord came to earth, and this fact can leave some people skeptical, which is normal especially since our translations are not perfect. This fact is one of the few that can really call into question the fact that the rapture will take place before the great tribulation and before the return of Jesus, since Paul says this:

2 Thessalonians 2: 1 Regarding the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our coming together to him, we beseech you, my brethren, 2 not to be quickly stirred in your thoughts, nor disturbed by an inspiration, not by a word or by any letter which it seems to come from us, as if the day of Christ was imminent. 3 Let no one deceive you in any way; for there must first come the apostasy and the man of sin, the son of perdition, 4 he who opposes and rises up against everything that is called God or that which is called God must be revealed. we worship, he goes so far as to sit like God in the temple of God proclaiming himself God. 5 Don't you remember how I told you these things when I was still with you? 6 And now you know what is holding him back so that he will not be revealed until his due time. 7 For the mystery of iniquity is already working, only the one holding it back now will do so until he is out of the way.

So Paul is talking about a gathering in Christ, and we might think he's talking about the rapture of the Church, but that wouldn't go with all the rest of the scriptures, so it's got to be examined. The Lord has announced everything to us in advance, and he has announced to us that after the great tribulation there will be a gathering of all the elect who will be on earth and all the elect who will be in heaven, and it is clear that Paul speaks of this gathering, where everything comes together in Christ, the Church and the people of Israel, and these two peoples will be one:

Mark 13:24 Now in those days after this tribulation the sun will be darkened, and the moon will no longer give its light; 25 The stars of heaven will fall, and the powers that are in the heavens will be moved. 26 And they shall then see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and great glory. 27 Then he will send his angels, and he will gather together his elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of heaven.

We therefore understand that Paul is referring to this gathering and not to the rapture, he adds that the one who prevents the antichrist from being manifested must be taken out of the way, and if we are to believe that what is remember it's the Body of Christ that's the Church, so that goes perfectly with what's to follow.

Daniel 9 tells us about the seventy weeks of years fixed on the people of Israel and he specifies that at the end of the seventy weeks, the Lord will come to establish his eternal righteousness on the earth, it is therefore about the return of Jesus to earth. It is clarified that when Jesus died on the cross sixty-nine weeks of years were fulfilled. It is obvious that the last week did not take place, otherwise Jesus would already be on earth, so we understand that this week has been put aside and the time set for Israel is on a hiatus. It is easy to understand the reason, since after the death of Jesus we enter the time of the Church and it is obvious that the time fixed on Israel will not be able to resume until the time of the Church is over. , that is to say before the rapture of the Church.

We know that the rapture will take place for the wedding feast of the Lamb, and if we examine the scriptures we notice that in Revelation 19 the wedding feast of the Lamb takes place before Jesus returns to earth. We also know that the Jewish wedding lasted seven days and that according to Daniel the antichrist will make a covenant of one week of a year, that is to say seven years or seven prophetic days. We see that at the moment when the Church is taken away, that which holds the antichrist is no longer and therefore the antichrist can enter into his seven-year covenant, knowing that at the end of the seven years Jesus returns to establish his Justice on earth. On the other hand, at the same time the marriage of the Lamb begins and lasts seven years, a prophetic week according to Daniel, this fits perfectly, especially since Jesus himself tells us that he will return after the wedding of the Lamb:

Luke 12:35 Let your loins be girded, and your lamps alight. 36 And be like people who wait for their master to return from the wedding feast, so that as soon as he knocks, you may open the door for him.

And Peter will feel that Jesus is talking to someone in particular, and he's going to ask him:

Luke 12:41 Peter said unto him, Lord, speakest thou this parable for us, or also for all?

And Jesus, wanting to keep the mystery of the prophecies and knowing that the time to reveal them had not yet arrived, will answer:

42 And the Lord said, Who then is the faithful and prudent steward, whom the master shall appoint over the servants of his house to give them food in due season?

We therefore understand that the mysteries of God are not revealed to everyone and not at any time, which is why Daniel had to seal his book until the times of the end.

These passages should be enough to convince us that the rapture of the Church will take place well before the reign of the antichrist, before the great tribulation and therefore before Jesus' return to earth. The Word tells us that the great tribulation particularly concerns the people of Israel who will be converted last, that is to say after all the people of the nations (Church) have entered into the Kingdom of God, as this passage indicates. :

Romans 11:25 For, my brethren, I do not want you to ignore this mystery, so that you do not regard yourselves as wise, part of Israel has fallen into hardness, until all the nations either enter. 26 And so all Israel shall be saved, as it is written, The Deliverer will come from Zion, and he will turn away faithlessness from Jacob; 27 and this is the covenant which I will make with them, when I take away their sins. 28 They are certainly enemies to the gospel because of you; but as far as election is concerned, they are loved because of their fathers. 29 For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance. 30 Now as you yourselves once rebelled against God, and now have obtained mercy because of their rebellion, 31 so they have now become rebellious, that they may also obtain mercy, through the mercy which hath you been made. 32 For God hath shut them up in rebellion, that he may have mercy on all.

This confirms the prophecy of Isaiah who says:

Isaiah 10:20 And it will come to pass in that day, that the remnant of Israel and the survivors of the house of Jacob will no longer lean on him who smitten them, but will lean with confidence on Yahweh, the Holy One. from Israel. 21 The remnant will be converted; the remnant of Jacob will be converted to the mighty God. 22 For when thy people, O Israel, be as the sand of the sea, only a remnant shall be converted; destruction is resolved, it will overflow justice. 23 For the destruction which he has resolved, the Lord Yahweh of hosts is going to execute it in the midst of all the earth.

We can also notice that when Jesus is going to speak about the great tribulation which will come on the earth he will speak particularly to the Jews telling them to pray that this day does not come on a Sabbath, because as the scriptures say it , the Jews will accept the antichrist until he enters the temple and proclaims himself God, asking to be worshiped, and it is there that surprised they will withdraw from him to seek God , but all those who refuse to worship the antichrist will be persecuted and even put to death, it is there that the great tribulation will begin and that finally Israel will be converted to Christ. This great tribulation will begin in the middle of the week, that is to say after three and a half years, and will end when Jesus returns, that is to say another three and a half years later. Then the Jews who refuse to worship the Antichrist will have to flee the country, which is why Jesus tells them to pray that this does not happen on a Sabbath, referring to the law that says not to leave his territory. on the Sabbath, and this does not concern Christians, but at this time the Jews will not yet be converted, it will only be the beginning of their questioning.

Matthew 24:15 Now when you see the abomination which will cause desolation, which was foretold by Daniel the prophet, to be established in the holy place, he who reads be careful! 16 So let them that are in Judea flee into the mountains; 17 and let not him that is on the roof come down to take away anything from his house; 18 Let not him that is in the field turn back to take his clothes. 19 Woe to pregnant women, and to those who nurse in those days! 20 Pray that your flight will not come in winter, nor on a Sabbath day.

The abomination that causes desolation refers to the antichrist who proclaims himself God by sitting in the temple of God as Paul also says in the passage at the beginning of this post. Finally let's take a look at what Daniel says about everything I just shared:

Daniel 9:23 The word went out from the beginning of your supplications, and I have come to declare it to you, for you are beloved. Pay attention to the word, and understand the vision. 24 Seventy weeks are fixed upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to abolish transgression, and to put an end to sins, to make atonement for iniquity, to bring everlasting righteousness, to seal the vision. and to prophecy and to anoint the Holy of Holies. 25 Thou shalt therefore know and understand that from the time when the word proclaimed that Jerusalem will be rebuilt until the Messiah the Leader, seven weeks and sixty-two weeks ago; and the places and the breaches will be rebuilt, but in times of trouble. 26 And after these sixty-two weeks the Messiah will be cut off, but not for him. The ruler's people who come will destroy the city and the sanctuary, and their end will come as a flood; it is determined that the devastation will last until the end of the war. 27 And he will confirm the covenant with many for a week, and in the middle of that week he will cease the sacrifice and the offering. Then on the wing of abominations there will be the one who causes desolation until the decreed annihilation is poured out on the author of that desolation.
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