Daniel 12:4 “But you, Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book until the time of the end; many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall increase.”

For this article, I want to look at a couple of scripture references and get you thinking about the rapture from a different light.

1. 1Corinthians 15:52  “in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed” if this statement is true. Why do we Christians reference the first sound of a trumpet in Revelation as the rapture? (Revelation 4:1-3)

2. Jesus declared in Matthew 24:15, “Therefore when you see the ‘abomination of desolation,’ spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place” (whoever reads, let him understand).  Jesus himself tells us that we will see the abomination establish himself as God in the temple. This is the prophecy given to Daniel, and for us to know that this prophecy happens halfway through the period of the last seven years. If we are not here, how will we see this?

3. Men of Galilee; Acts 1: 9-11” Now when He had spoken these things, while they watched, He was taken up, and a cloud received Him out of their sight. And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as He went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel, who also said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven.”

4. Events that happen during the sounding of the seventh trumpet, the last trumpet!  Revelation 14: 14-19 “Then I looked, and behold, a white cloud, and on the cloud sat One like the Son of Man, having on His head a golden crown, and in His hand a sharp sickle. And another angel came out of the temple, crying with a loud voice to Him who sat on the cloud, “Thrust in Your sickle and reap, for the time has come for You to reap, for the harvest of the earth is ripe.” So He who sat on the cloud thrust in His sickle on the earth, and the earth was reaped. Then another angel came out of the temple which is in heaven, he also having a sharp sickle. And another angel came out from the altar, who had power over fire, and he cried with a loud cry to him who had the sharp sickle, saying, “Thrust in your sharp sickle and gather the clusters of the vine of the earth, for her grapes are fully ripe.” So the angel thrust his sickle into the earth and gathered the vine of the earth, and threw it into the great winepress of the wrath of God. Does this not sound just like the promise given to the Men of Galilee?  

We know that as Christians, we do not suffer the wrath of God. Jesus covered that for us. 1 Thessalonians 5:9 “ For God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ,” But that does not mean that our faith will not be tested through trial and tribulation. 1Peter 1:7 that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ. Notice that this harvest is the last event to happen just before the bowls of God’s wrath. (Revelation chapter 15) I said at the beginning of this article that you may not agree with me on the issue of rapture doctrine and that is ok. Rapture doctrine has no bearing on the fact that we are saved that issue was covered by the cross and our acceptance of Jesus as our savior. It’s really only about how you prepare yourself for your time of testing.  God Bless Keith