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What does Paul really teach about the rapture? Does he gives us ANY timing information? 1 The. 4 & 5 16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: 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. 18 Wherefore comfort one another with these words. 5:1 But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you. 2 For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. I am sure we all can read these verses, and most understand that some day God is going to catch up all who are alive and in Christ, and I must add, IN FELLOWSHIP with Him. (I don’t think a born again person out of fellowship with Him will be caught up: that would be people with sin on their conscience that is unconfessed. Some may disagree.) Notice 5:1: “times” and “seasons.” Paul makes it clear he has already told them the times and seasons of the rapture in relation to the Day of the Lord, so here he wrote, “you have no need that I write…”. Why mention the Day of the Lord just 3 verses after the classic rapture verse? It is because the Day of the Lord has a close association with the rapture. We will see that the rapture will be the trigger for the start of the Day of the Lord. 3 For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape. Paul is giving us timing information here, but not direct. He is telling us that the rapture or catching up will be when people are saying “peace and safety.” Are people of the world thinking “peace” today? I think most are. Are most people in the world feeling safe today? Maybe not so much right now with the Cornoavirus. But concerning war, I think most are feeling safe from war at the present time. Question: will people be feeling “peace and safety” after the entire 70th week has passed? World population will be cut DRASTICALLY. The entire world may be in darkness. I think it is fair to say, most will be scared nearly to death, wondering what is coming next. In my mind, “peace and safety” are FAR more likely to be thought and spoken today than after the days of great tribulation are over. Just my opinion. 4 But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief. 5 Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness. Why would Paul associate the rapture or catching up of the church with The day of the Lord which will come as a thief ? This is his second reference to this. Again, it is because there is a very close association between the two. 8 But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation. 9 For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ, 10 Who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him. 11 Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also ye do. Now Paul assures us that God is not setting any appointments for us with His wrath. Paul is associating “wrath” with the Day of His wrath or the Day of the Lord. These terms are interchangeable. If people are not appointed to wrath, then they are to “obtain salvation.” What is Paul’s meaning here? Remember, the theme of this passage is the rapture. It is very clear: Paul is showing us a paradigm: comparing those IN Christ with the sinner not in Christ. Either people have an appointment with His wrath, or they don’t. WE don’t. THEY do. Either people will get caught up (the rapture) (“obtain salvation”) and get to “live together with Him" (So shall we ever be with the Lord) or they get left behind to face wrath. Notice in 4:18 we are to spread comfort, and in 5:11. Both are the result of knowing about the rapture. It is VERY clear Paul is still talking about the rapture, but is giving us timing information. 3 For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape. What is this “sudden destruction” That will come upon all those left behind? Note that the “peace and safety” time of the rapture is the very same time as the "sudden destruction." WE get caught up, THEY get sudden destruction. Notice what happened when God resurrected the elders of the Old Covenant. Matthew 27: 51 And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent; 52 And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose, What is happening here? These are the elders of the Old Testament: some, like Adam, would have been dead for many centuries! The particles that once made up their bodies - most especially those from before the flood – could have been scattered for many miles, or be several miles deep. When God brings those particles together in an instant of time, these verses show us that this event caused a great earthquake. Here the earthquake came with Jesus died, God pulled their bodies together when Jesus died, the graves were opened when Jesus died, but they arose when Jesus arose. No one could be raised to a resurrection body before Jesus as He was the firstfruits. Note that when God raised the two witnesses, again there was an earthquake. (I believe the two witnesses will be resurrected with all the Old Testament saints.) The earthquake came from all the Old Testament saints, not the two witnesses. Again people from before the flood will be resurrected. It will be a most terrible earthquake - as shown at the 7th vial. These verses show us a precedent: when the long dead are resurrected, it is going to cause an earthquake. I believe these verses give us proof that when God raises the dead in Christ (bodies buried around the world) that it is going to cause a great, worldwide earthquake. I think this is going to be Paul’s “sudden destruction.” It will begin the moment those alive and in Christ are called up. They may just begin to feel the ground shake when they are caught up. Where then in Revelation could we place the rapture? It must come just before the DAy of the Lord begins. That would be at the 6th seal. It is no surprise then that the 5th seal is for church age martyrs, and they are told they must wait for judgment for the very last martyr killed as they were – as church age martyrs. What would cause a certain church age martyr to be the FINAL church age martyr? Of course, the rapture event that will END the church age, so no more church age martyrs. So in reality they were told that judgment is not going to start until after the rapture of the church ends the church age and brings in the Day of the Lord. Now we can see why Paul wrote of the Day of the Lord just three verses after the rapture: it will be the rapture events that will TRIGGER the Day of the Lord and start God’s wrath on earth. WE have no appointments with His wrath so are caught up, but THEY get the sudden destruction start of His wrath. Therefore I submit that Paul DOES give us timing for his rapture: just before wrath, and as the trigger for wrath. In Revelation that would be at or a moment before the 6th seal start of the Day of His wrath. Does this fit with a posttrib rapture? No. Plain and simple.

Matthew 24: 29 Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken: Jesus took His listeners from their time through the church age, then to the midpoint of the week when He mentioned the abomination. Here He is after the tribulation. of course this is future to us today. Then He begins talking about the TIMING of His coming. He does this with parables. The Fig Tree Jesus begins with the parable of the fig tree and all the trees. If the fig tree represents Israel, then "all the trees" represent the nations of the world. Today we see an alliance of Russian with Syria in the Middle East. We see Israel back in their land. We see war in Syria. We see "upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity." In Matthew we read "when you see all these things..." We have seen almost everything in that chapter except for His coming! I just discovered a "live" earthquake feed online: it seems almost every minute another small earthquake. It seems the "trees" are lined up for the end. Next, He talked about the goodman of the house NOT knowing when the thief was coming. Then, " Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh." And what is the timing for this? Jesus is still "immediately after the tribulation..." Next, Jesus talked about "a faithful and wise servant, whom his lord hath made ruler over his household." Will that servant watch, or will he begin to grow impatient as if the Master had delayed His coming? Jesus gave another warning: "The lord of that servant shall come in a day when he looketh not for him, and in an hour that he is not aware of. Remember, this is still "after the tribulation of those days" Jesus is talking about. Jesus main point so far is to be ready at all times. Don't even think Jesus has delayed His coming! Jesus next parable is the parable of the Ten Virgins. The timing therefore on it has not changed: Jesus did not put in chapter headings! He is STILL talking about the time after the tribulation of those days and His coming. It seems Many people today think He will come on the last day of the week. They are mistaken. So the parable of the Ten Virgins is for no other time than the time after the tribulation of those days and before His coming. For the pretribbers, that would be His coming for Armageddon. Many people think this parable is for the rapture. No, it is not. The bride is not even mentioned! This is about the guests for the wedding. It is pointed right at the Jews who have survived the 70th week. The Antichrist Beast has probably not yet gathered the armies of the world to Israel, but is just about to. Jesus next parable is the parable of the talents. It is pointed right at the Jews. Did you notice that there is nothing in these parables of being born again? It seems to be works based here. It is not for the church. It is for that short time after the trib and before His coming. In Verse 19 Jesus said, "After a long time the lord of those servants cometh..." The wicked servant was cast into outer darkness. Next, Jesus said, "When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory..." It is the judgment of the nations. Now it is AFTER Jesus has come. I offer a challenge: can anyone find a verse in these chapters that definitely points to the church?

If you will, ponder the following Bible verses and let's see if we can glean the 'season' of which we are presently in, and what is now occurring. It's staring us right in the face. Lu 17:27 They did eat, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, and the flood came, and destroyed them all. Lu 17:28 Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded; Mt 24:37 But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. Mt 24:38 For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, Mt 24:39 And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. The above scripture is reference to the conditions that will be present when Christ returns for His bride at the Rapture, in my opinion. Some have assumed Jesus would return when the world is in absolute turmoil, depressed and in despair. The above conditions are of great economic prosperity and a boom in money, employment, construction, finances and outlook. Everything is peaches and cream economically and financially, business as usual. Look at the global turn around since Trump has assumed office; numerous record setting Dow Jones, employment increasing not only nationally but globally, things are becoming more affordable, world governments, banks and businesses are benefiting from the stock market, and general overall global and individual confidence abounds. Luke 17: 18 - they planted, (Strong's 5452, Phyteuo; to set out in the earth, i.e. implant; to instill doctrine). Sound like what President Trump is establishing right now with his agenda, as no president has before him? Just one more indicator that the Rapture is close, very close.

No one knows the day nor the hour of our catching away. To keep my comments as brief as possible I'm omitting supporting scripture. The Lord could have come for his church at anytime from the day of His ascension, and there are no preconditions or prophecy that needs to be fulfilled. With that factual statement, and a pretribulational Rapture viewpoint, I'd like to discuss your eschatology. I suspect it's entirely possible true believers might witness the destruction of Damascus, Syria, the destruction of Elam, the Ezekiel 38: 39: invasion, one of them, some of them, or all of them before our catching away. With my pretribulational view, born again believers are not appointed to the wrath of God, contrary to some opinions, is the entire seven weeks of Jacobs trouble, the seven year tribulation. So, sometime prior to the seven year tribulation having the P.T. viewpoint, born again believers (the church) is out of here. We know for a fact after the Antichrist confirms a covenant with Israel, in 1260 days (3 1/2 years in the Jewish calendar), the A.C. will commit the abomination of desolation in the temple, setting himself up as god. By this point we know that all Jews and Israelite's will be fleeing the country for their lives. There will be no IDF around to protect them. It appears to me the Ezekiel 38: invasion is separate and distinct and prior to the start of the great tribulation and not part of it. Now, at the conclusion of the Ezekiel 38: 39: invasion, Israel will be burning Gog / Magog's weapons of war for seven years. This places the invasion of Gog / Magog a minimum of 3 1/2 years prior to the start of the great tribulation, no? I personally suspect the timing of the Rapture might possibly occur during the interval between the destruction of Gog / Magog and the signing of the covenant? That's only my speculative thoughts, what's yours??? One other thing that seems to be changing from my long time eschatological studies and view. I've always thought the evil thought and hook in they jaw of Gog / Magog that draws the coalition to invade Israel was either oil, or all the benefit from the chemicals of the Dead Sea. Recently Israel has discovered a mammoth field of natural gas and oil off their shores. We know Russia's major export and economic engine is petroleum, but has great difficulty getting it out of the ground and transporting it to market. One thing that has recently come to light is, Russia is having major difficulties in food production and feeding its people. God has blessed Israel with producing and exporting some of the best produce and fruit the world has ever seen. It's produced in Israel and on land just on the East side of the Jordan River. The hook in Gog's jaw seems to symbolize the mouth, and what does the mouth do, eat? So in addition to the vast wealth being created by the vast natural gas reserves, could an additional reason for the invasion be to take control of Israels food and production? With Russia's presence, airports, military buildup and sea ports now established in Syria, they have effectively taken control of Syria and have the means, incentive and opportunity of robbing Israel by force. A good flash point or trigger for the invasion would be the IDF dropping a nuclear bomb on Damascus, Syria because of an immediate security threat to their nation by ISIS, terror organizations or a Muslim coalition? From the reports I've seen, the vast majority of the civilian population has fled Damascus and mostly the jihadists, Hezbollah, terrorists, Muslim brotherhood and those hostile toward Israel. So... With current events and biblical prophecy, how do you all see this panning out? One thing is for certain, with each passing day the picture becomes more clear and sharper.