In order to understand the words and analogies of Jesus, we must first understand the culture He was in. All of the disciples of Jesus were from Galilee. When it came to weddings, the Galileans had a bit of a different tradition than the rest of Israel. Once all of the details are factored in, Bible prophecy regarding the pre-tribulation rapture of the church, will make perfect sense.
To begin, let’s look at how a marriage covenant was obtained. In Galilee, the Marriages were always pre-arranged. Today, there are many in Israel that still practice this custom. The Father of the groom would normally select the future Bride (kallah in Hebrew) for his son. The price of the Bride would be discussed by both the Father of the future Bride and the Father of the Groom. It was not buying a Bride, like a slave, but was more of a dowry where she would be taken care of financially, should the couple divorce or the Bride become a widow.
The Consenting Bride
Next, in order to set the new covenant into place, there had to be a couple of things that occurred. First, the Bride to be also had to be a consenting Bride. Just as Jesus does not force anyone to accept Him as Lord and Savior, so the Bride also, is not forced to marry her future Groom, unless she consents. Second, the future Bride and Groom had to go through a spiritual cleansing called the mikvah. This was usually a stone pool that collected rain water because rain water was considered “pure.” There were seven steps going down into it. Seven represents the days it took for the heavens and the Earth to be created and is also the number of completion with God. There would be a covering to go around the pool because each individual would have to be naked, this way they had privacy. The idea was that humanity had a sinful nature at conception, but during the time in a Mother’s womb, babies cannot sin yet, they are at the early stages of “innocence” before birth. Again, the same mentality comes during this ritual. A future Bride and Groom go in naked, as they came at birth, cleansing themselves spiritually by announcing that they want God to view them as He did while they were still in their Mother’s womb, still having that sinful nature, but not having committed their first sin yet. This was a sacred ceremony that would insure they were ceremonial clean, before entering a spiritual covenant. The moment they stepped out, they would call themselves, born again. The same term Christians use after they accept Jesus and are baptized, which is also a spiritual ceremonial expression of receiving the Holy Spirit. It is interesting to note in Mark 16:16, it reads, “Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.“ Take note that the thief on the cross accepted Jesus, but was dying on a cross and couldn’t be baptized. This verse clearly discusses that baptism is a spiritual moment, but the main act is to focus on the belief. As the Bride to be, we are also asked to be baptized after we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior. Jesus was already baptized in Matthew 3:13-17,
13 Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptized by John. 14 But John tried to deter him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?”
15 Jesus replied, “Let it be so now; it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness.”Then John consented.
16 As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him. 17 And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.”
A Legal, Binding Contract
The betrothal was a legally binding covenant contract that showed the couple was officially married, but they were not allowed to share the physical benefits of marriage (sexual consumation) until the marriage ceremony, which would come a year later. In ancient times, the couple became married (during the betrothal) under a huppah. In present times, the huppah is used at the wedding celebration, but during the time of Jesus, the betrothal was the marriage contract and the huppah was used then because it was a covering over the two that were coming into a marriage contract. The huppahs are a spiritual representation of the Holy Spirit. Just as the Holy Spirit came upon Jesus in the Jordan River after His baptism, so the Holy Spirit comes into us after baptism. The top of the huppah also represented the glory of God coming down on the covenant. We also see this when Moses received the Ten Commandments. God asks the children of Israel to go cleanse themselves in water three days before, then Moses goes up and he receives the Covenant from God and God Himself descends and Moses is glowing from the shakinah glory of God.
Next, the Bride Groom would offer the Bride a ring and a gift and would also drink from a cup of wine, offering her, marriage. She too would drink from the same cup. Once she was finished, the covenant would be sealed and they would be considered a legally married couple, although they would be called “betrothed.” At this time, the Bride Groom would tell the Bride, “I shall not drink from the fruit of the vine, until I drink it with you, in my Father’s house.” This betrothal, would be a spiritual binding between the two and after a year, the physical consummation would occur. There would be a waiting period of one year to ensure the Bride was a virgin and that she was not pregnant, but pure.
At this time, the Bride Groom would return to His Father’s house during that year, which is called the erusin period, in order to add a room that would be their new dwelling place, at His Father’s house. The Bride would be busy with her Bridesmaids purchasing items to make her wedding dress, as well as the Bridesmaid’s dresses. Once the year was approaching, the Bride and her Bridesmaids had to be dressed and ready for the Bride Groom’s arrival, that would be imminent.
The Day Nor The Hour Is Known
Traditionally, the Bride Groom would not know what day or hour the wedding would occur, neither would the Bride. It was a day and time that only the Father of the Bridegroom knew, so the Bridegroom too, would have to wait, greatly anticipating his special day. Once the Father decided the wedding chamber was complete and ready, he would signal to his son that it was time to go get his Bride. This happened in the middle of the night. The Bridegroom would have a shofar that he would blow, like a trumpet and this would wake up the town’s people. They would have to also be anticipating his arrival and meet him outside, in order to be in the wedding procession. Once the Bridesmaids heard the shofar, they would have to make sure they had enough oil in their lamps to not only get the Bride up quickly, but to last as they walked back to the Bride Groom’s Father’s house, in the dark, to help light the way.
Once their eyes would meet, the Father would show the covenant contact was in his hands. The Bridegroom would walk his Bride over to a type of chair and allow her to sit. She would be lifted up and carried the rest of the way to the wedding chamber. Once they arrived, they would walk into their wedding bed chamber and be given their privacy to consummate their marriage, physically. The door to the wedding would be shut and any late comers, would literally be shut out from the wedding. The guests would meet and greet and once the consummation was complete, the Bridegroom would bring out their bed sheets. If there was blood, it was a time for the guests to rejoice because the Bride had kept herself a virgin and her hymen was indeed broken. The shedding of this blood, sealed their physical covenant. If there was no blood, there was no wedding. It was considered a permanent, eternal seal between then. So after it was confirmed she had waited for her Groom, the wedding celebration would continue for seven days! With Christians, we too have to be cleansed by the blood of the lamb as we enter our betrothal period with Jesus. It is His blood that cleanses us from our sin and places a white wedding garment, representing His cleansing of sin, both physically and spiritually before the wedding celebration occurs.
Connecting The Rapture
Now this brings me to the explanation of the rapture of the church, of Christ. Because all the disciples were Galileans, they all had attended many weddings and understood the phrases Jesus was telling them. At the last supper, Jesus would reveal to them that He was indeed the Passover lamb. God’s lamb that would be sacrificed for the sins of the world. In Matthew 26:29 Jesus told His disciples, “I tell you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it anew with you in My Father’s kingdom.”They understood this phase from a traditional wedding because it signified a common union between two parties, which is where we get the term, “communion.” Likewise, they were also beginning to understand that Jesus was telling them He was the Groom that would be leaving, but they would be reunited in the future (just like a Bride and Groom are reunited to actualize their marriage covenant. Jesus also instructed them to remember His sacrifice that He was about to make and to remember the new covenant that would be sealed with His own blood. In Luke 22:19-20 it reads, “And he took bread, and when He had given thanks, He broke it and gave it to them saying, ‘This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me. And likewise the cup after they had eaten, saying, ‘This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood.”
In Matthew 24:36, the disciples had previously asked Jesus how the end of the age would come and what would the signs be. Here, He tells them, 36 “But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only.” They also understood this phrase from a wedding ceremony because only the Father would determine the timing of a wedding and likewise, Jesus was saying that only the Father would know the day and hour of the end of the age too. In Matthew 24:43-44 Jesus says, 43 “But know this, that if the master of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched and not allowed his house to be broken into.44 Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.” They understood that they too, were to always be ready, just as a Bride has to be ready, this was insinuating to them that He was the Groom and they were the Bride.
The parable of the ten virgins is one that the disciples could relate to because they were so familiar with their own cultural weddings:
The Parable of the Wise and Foolish Virgins
This parable also speaks of a Galilean wedding.
25 “Then the kingdom of heaven shall be likened to ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. 2 Now five of them were wise, and five were foolish.3 Those who were foolish took their lamps and took no oil with them, 4 but the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. 5 But while the bridegroom was delayed, they all slumbered and slept.
6 “And at midnight a cry was heard: ‘Behold, the bridegroom is coming; go out to meet him!’ 7 Then all those virgins arose and trimmed their lamps. 8 And the foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ 9 But the wise answered, saying, ‘No, lest there should not be enough for us and you; but go rather to those who sell, and buy for yourselves.’ 10 And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding; and the door was shut.
11 “Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, ‘Lord, Lord, open to us!’ 12 But he answered and said, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, I do not know you.” It is wise to note that there are two groups mentioned in this parable. Both groups of virgins were dressed for a wedding, but only one group was ready.
In the last verse of this parable, Jesus was connecting the dots with the parable, letting the disciples know that like in a Galilean wedding, they too had to be ready for when He would return for them, to take them to Heaven where He would be preparing a dwelling place for them.
13 “Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming.”
The confusion and controversy comes with Jewish tradition and New Testament scriptures. In the Old Testament, Israel is always referred to as God’s wife, but because Israel kept following after other gods, she was called an unfaithful wife. The story of Hosea, in the Old Testament, is the story of Israel being unfaithful to God. God disciplined Israel many times for “cheating” on Him and following after other gods, which was idolatry. But He always forgave Israel because He had made an eternal covenant with Israel, through Abraham. When Jesus came, He was rejected by Israel as the Messiah and at that point, He made a new covenant that would bring God a willing Bride. This is the church, all believers in Jesus, beginning with the 12 disciples and it started on the day of Pentecost. It will continue until the rapture of the church, which is when Jesus will come for His willing Bride (all followers of Jesus). It was not replacing Israel, but adding Gentiles into the covenant, that was previously only meant for Israel. In this parable, I believe Israel is represented by the unwise virgins. The unwise virgins did not have any oil . In the Bible, the Holy Spirit is represented here by oil. So, when we read, ” one will be taken and the other left” we see how the church will be the one taken and Israel will be left for purification.
In Revelation 4, John is catapulted into the future and his vision begins with what I believe to be symbolic of the Rapture of believers. It reads in Revelation 4:1 “After this I looked and saw a door standing open in heaven. And the voice I had previously heard speak to me like a trumpet was saying, “Come up here, and I will show you what must happen after these things.” In this verse, John hears a voice (like a trumpet) command him to be caught up into Heaven. In 1 Corinthians 15:52 we read, “52in an instant, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed.” This verse coincides with what John was experiencing and what the followers of Jesus will experience in the Rapture. After chapter 4, the followers of Jesus (I am speaking of the church before the Tribulation begins) are not mentioned again. The turmoil is spoken about and the ones that become Christians during the Tribulation are named, Martyrs or Tribulation saints in the book of Revelation. These, are not the Bride of Christ (church).
This same future event is mentioned again by Paul, the Apostle in I Thessalonians 4:16-18, it reads, “16For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a loud command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will be the first to rise. 17After that, we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will always be with the Lord. 18Therefore encourage one another with these words.…”. If the church (followers of Jesus) were meant to go through the Tribulation, why would Paul tell the believers of Thessalonica to “encourage one another?” It would not be very encouraging to know that we would be forced into judgement along with the worldly and ungodly that rejected the Messiah, the Groom. Paul was saying this because it had become an issue in that region and many had forgotten exactly what Paul had told them, so this is why he had to write this epistle to them. It was to remind them, that as believers, they would not have to worry because they were as a Galilean Bride that would be meeting her Groom before the 7 day wedding celebration could begin.
The Bride Is Caught Up
Just like in a Galilean wedding, the Bride is caught up to meet her Groom, the church too will be caught up to meet the Groom ( Jesus). Just like the Bride had to be ready and watching for her Groom, Christians are watching and waiting for Jesus to come to take us ( the Bride) to the marriage super of the lamb. The seven days of celebrating for a traditional Galilean wedding is symbolic of the 7 years that the Tribulation will last, but will be the Marriage super of the Lamb, in Heaven.
Just as God took Elijah and Enoch (a type of foreshadow and rapture), He will also take the church believers before the wrath of God comes, during the Tribulation. Just as God saved Noah and his family before the flood God also took Lot out of Sodom and Gomorrah before God’s judgement came, He will in like manner, take out His church. The scriptures tells us that “For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ” I Thessalonians 5:9. God’s wrath will be on the non-believers that refused to believe His Word, not on His followers. In scripture, there has always been a pattern of rescue for the ones that follow His ways. You will not find an incidence where God abandons His people and includes them in judgement. Rest assured, God is merciful, but this age of grace will come to an end and just like the door of Noah’s ark and the Galilean wedding door were shut, so will the door of Heaven be shut after receiving the Bride of Christ. Make sure you are ready, waiting and watching for His soon return, for it is very soon!
In the book of Revelation, we read, “Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth” Revelation 3:10. Here, God is speaking to the church, His followers and believers in Christ. There are two major reasons for the Tribulation period. One is to judge non-believers for rejecting Jesus and the second reason is to purify Israel, to make her a worthy Bride for God. God had chosen Israel and made a Holy covenant with that nation, an eternal covenant that cannot be broken by man, nor God Himself. Although, Israel chose to “cheat” on God many times and God considered divorcing Israel, He chose to forgive Israel. Unfortunately, Israel will have to endure a serious purification (spiritual cleansing) during the Tribulation period, it is a time period known as the 70th week of Daniel and Jacob’s Trouble. Jeremiah 3:1-25 speaks about this situation, a must read!
“And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.” (John 14:3)
Believe, for He’s coming soon!
Sources: The Best Day of Forever: Jesus, a Galilean Wedding and the End of the World by Jay McCarl.
I also researched ancient Jewish weddings for the content of this post.
There is a movie called Before the Wrath by Brent Miller Jr. that puts this custom into a visual movie. It is so beautifully made, I highly recommend it.
Thank you to Jay McCarl for all his intense research efforts and sharing this book with believers everywhere!
Giving God The Glory 
You use Revelation 4:1 to justify the rapture of the Church. Then you quote 1 Thessalonians 4:16-18 to support Rev 4:1. How can you reconcile the contradictions in those two passages?
In Rev 4:1, Jesus stays in heaven (GK: ouranos) and John goes all the way into heaven ALONE. In 1 The 4:16-18, Jesus comes out of heaven and MEETS the church in the air (Gk: aer) that encircles the earth. Those contradictions can’t be reconciled so John is not symbolic of the rapture of the Church.
Don’t you find it suspect that if the Church is raptured in Rev. 4:1, that it is conspicuously absent from all the praise and worship in chapters 4 and 5 when the 4 living creatures and the 24 elders (who, by the admission of well-known pre-tribulation scholars, can’t be identified) are praising and worshiping God?
You said, “The door to the wedding would be shut and any late comers, would literally be shut out from the wedding.” and then cite the parable of the 10 virgins. In the parable, the 5 foolish (unsaved) virgins go to find oil while the 5 wise (saved) virgins go into the wedding feast with the bridegroom AND THE DOOR IS CLOSED. The 5 foolish virgins return and say, “Lord, Lord open up for us.” The bridegroom tells them, “Truly, truly I do not know you.”. Once the separation occurs, in your own words, latecomers are shut out of the wedding. Now explain the great multitude that comes out of the great tribulation and goes into heaven AFTER the supposed pre-trib rapture.
Jesus said in Luke 17:26-30 that as it was in the days of Noah and Lot, on the SAME day of the separation, God’s wrath begins and “all were destroyed.” When Noah entered the ark and God shut the door, the flood began on the same day and all outside the ark was destroyed (Genesis 7:13-22). On the same day that Lot departed Sodom, God rained down fire and brimstone from heaven and “all were destroyed”. Verse 30 says that it will be the SAME when the Son of Man is revealed.
What does that indicate? Once the rapture happens, the wrath of God begins and nobody will be saved during God’s wrath. Reconcile that with the great multitude. the ONLY answer is that the great tribulation is not God’s wrath.
The fifth seal tells us that God’s wrath doesn’t start until the LAST martyr goes under the altar in heaven. If one Christian is martyred in the great tribulation, the great tribulation is NOT God’s wrath.
The pre-trib rapture is destroyed. It is a false teaching perpetrated by false teachers (1 Peter 2:1).
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Hello,
Thank you for your comment. In regards to your questions, let me address them. In 1 Thessalonians 4:16-18, it appears that you are taking it out of its grammatical context. If you read this in the Greek, yes, it states “left behind”, but it is inferring the order of the rapture of people. The dead in Christ are taken up first, while the believers are alive and possibly watching, then, the ones alive (because they appear to be left behind from the dead going up) are taken immediately after. The text doesn’t say that believers are left to suffer, it is clearly stating that we will be together with the Lord forever more, from that moment forward. The dead in Christ cannot be “harpazo’d” or “taken away” from the judgment because they are already in a state of death. Only those alive are “taken away” from something that is coming (in this instance, the Tribulation). It is always referred to in scripture as a “snatching away” from coming judgement. Remember, the snatching away refers to a physical one. Dead bodies must be instantly changed into righteousness before being taken away, then our bodies who are alive, still have to be changed into righteousness too, before we can stand before God’s presence (in a physical form ). It was so with Noah and Lot. Yes, John receives the revelation alone, but it doesn’t mean that he doesn’t represent a group of people. Even if I assume it was just John, the church is never mentioned again throughout the judgement. There will be people who will later become believers (after the rapture) has taken place. These are the people who (as they are martyred) are mentioned in Revelation 6:9-11. There are believers who have been martyred throughout history who are asking God how much longer until they are avenged. They are told to wait until the complete number of believers who get martyred during the Tribulation, is complete in Revelation 6:11. In I Thessalonians 5:9 clearly states that believers are not appointed to God’s wrath. I’m Revelation 3:10, Jesus states that we (the church) will not go through the time of testing that the world will face. Remember, this time period is appointed at Israel, as a cleansing of bringing them back to Jesus, spiritually. We are protected from the trial and the hour of the judgment. Noah and Lot are removed before it even begun. The 5 unwise virgins are lacking oil. In scripture, the Holy Spirit is referred to as oil. So, it’s insinuating that these believers, did not have the Holy Spirit, who is the One that indwells us and gives us Godly wisdom, not man-made “wisdom.”
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Thanks for replying. You said that you’d address my questions and then didn’t.
Please reconcile that Jesus stays in heaven in Rev 4:1 and comes from heaven in 1Thes 4:16. John goes into heaven ALONE in Rev 4:1 and the church meets Jesus in the atmosphere that encircles the earth in 1 Thes. 4:17. Revelation 4:1 completely contradicts 1 Thes 4:13-17 if it is symbolic of the rapture.
You said, “There are believers who have been martyred throughout history who are asking God how much longer until they are avenged. They are told to wait until the complete number of believers who get martyred during the Tribulation, is complete in Revelation 6:11.”
God told them that His wrath won’t start until their number is complete.
You just grouped together martyrs who were martyred before the rapture with martyrs who were martyred during the tribulation. You admit that martyrs come out of the tribulation which means that God’s wrath has not started. It won’t start until the number of martyrs is complete. Since martyrs are martyred during the tribulation (your own words) their number is not complete and God’s wrath cannot start until their number is complete. Your own words tell us that the tribulation is not God’s wrath because the number of martyrs is not complete during the tribulation and God’s wrath cannot start until it is complete. Your own admission negates the pre-trib rapture because the pre-trib rapture teaches that the entire 70th week of Daniel (the tribulation/great tribulation) is the wrath of God.
If you believe that the parable of the ten virgins is indicative of the rapture, you’ve got a huge problem. Once the separation occurs, the door is closed and the opportunity for subsequent salvation ends. Once the rapture occurs, the door is closed and nobody can be saved afterwards. That’s just what Jesus said in Luke 17:26-30. Okay, so since a great multitude goes into heaven out of the great tribulation, the rapture has not occurred to that point (actually the great multitude is the church that just got raptured). The rapture will occur on the same day that the Wrath of God starts which happens when Jesus comes back to cut the great tribulation short. This again proves that the tribulation/great tribulation is not God’s wrath like pre-tribulation believers teach.
Yes, the church will not suffer God’s wrath. Jesus used Noah and Lot (Luke 17:26-30) as witnesses to the timing of the rapture in relation to the beginning of God’s wrath. The rapture will occur on the same day that God’s wrath begins. Once God’s wrath begins, nobody will be saved. Jesus said that all those outside the ark were destroyed and all who were in the valley of Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed. He said that it will be the same when He comes back (Matt 24:37-39). All those left behind will be be destroyed because they worshiped the antichrist.
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seek the truth and you will find it.. i see many people try to do the right thing but the deceptions are grand.. there are many deceptions so ill just name a few, if one does the studying like a berean they will find the truth.. 70th week of daniel happened 27-34 ad, it was the coming of the messiah and rejection of Him by the jewish people who did not believe in Him.
antichrist is exactly who it says it is in scripture, is a seat like the seat of the president not a particular person… there is no third temple.. we who believe are the temple, mathew 24, mark 13, luke 21 and the book of daniel tell the olivet discoaurse and how all these things happen in this generation so its not the futuristic deceptions of the rcc and the jesuits.. the enemy has been busy but He that is in you is greater than He that is in the world.
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My friend, the Third Temple is a literal building, which will be desecrated in Jerusalem. The enemy is a Master of deception, that is why knowing scripture is so important.
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The problem is you have not believed the Prophets who made it clear that Christ returns to Israel at their most dire time in history. God scattered His people several times only to bring them back again to the land that was always theirs and the nations still try to take it from them. The holocaust brought them back to Israel. Zechariah 12-14 and Revelation 6-9 along with many other verses depicts Christ rescuing the Nation of Israel whom He loves still even after all their rebellion and rejection of Him. The Nation must acknowledge their Messiah Jesus. He loves His people still.
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Yes, I agree that the Tribulation period is all about Israel’s purification. It will be how they finally acknowledge Jesus as their Messiah. But scripture also tells us that many will come to faith during this time. I believe everything the Prophets said because they were messages directly from God.
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Yes, I agree. I absolutely believe that Jesus will return when Israel goes through its most dire time. I also believe that God is not done with Israel. They are His blessed and chosen people forever.
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great story, so cool how God is so perfect, his appointed times (7 feasts of God) are perfect his wedding feast is perfect.. so when Yeshua returns the second time it is written that He will descend from heaven with the shout of the trumpet and the dead will rise and be with him and we who are alive will be caught up with them, and then Yeshua will destroy the babylonian system with the double edged sword.. at the battle of Armageddon, and then the false prophit and antichrist will be thrown into the lake of fire and satan locked up for 1000 years.
so in the air is not in heaven, there is no rapture, it is the spiritual realm, the high places of authority where satan rules from now that will be destroyed and we take over.. the new government will be on the shoulders of Yeshua .. that transition is the great earthquake as earthquakes are a change in government in scripture. so we take over as it is written in 4 times in daniel 7 and in revelation 20..
our homes that were prepared by Yeshua are here on earth in the high places of Gods kingdom ruled by our lord and savior until after satan is let back out and the final judgement.. then once all enemies are the footstool of Yeshua He hands back the rulership to His father and we live with Yahweh and Yeshua forever.. praise be to God almighty. now thats a great story and its happening in real time today.. we are being surrounded by the kings and Yeshua will return and deliver us as promised.
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Thank you so much for replying. I must ask, if there is no rapture to escape the wrath of God, then when believers are caught up in the air to meet Christ, you’re saying they will return immediately down to Earth at the 2nd coming? Please clarify this more. Thank you.🌸
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In Revelation 4, John is catapulted into the future and his vision begins with what I believe to be symbolic of the Rapture of believers. It reads in Revelation 4:1 “After this I looked and saw a door standing open in heaven. And the voice I had previously heard speak to me like a trumpet was saying, “Come up here, and I will show you what must happen after these things.” In this verse, John hears a voice (like a trumpet) command him to be caught up into Heaven. In 1 Corinthians 15:52 we read, “52in an instant, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed.” This verse coincides with what John was experiencing and what the followers of Jesus will experience in the Rapture. After chapter 4, the followers of Jesus (I am speaking of the church before the Tribulation begins) are not mentioned again. The turmoil is spoken about and the ones that become Christians during the Tribulation are named, Martyrs or Tribulation saints in the book of Revelation.✳️ These, are NOT the Bride of Christ (church).
In the book of Revelation, we read, “Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth” Revelation 3:10. Here, God is speaking to the church, His followers and believers in Christ. There are two major reasons for the Tribulation period. One is to judge non-believers for rejecting Jesus and the second reason is to purify ✳️ Israel, to MAKE HER a worthy Bride for God.
CONFUSED. These seem to be contradictory……
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Hello. Thank you so much for commenting. Please explain further how it appears to be contradictory so that I can clarify things for you.
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Excellent article and beautiful, lines up with scripture, except the pre-trib rapture.
Where in scripture and the Wedding does the pre-trib rapture take part?
I am familiar with 1 Thessalonians that says we are delivered from the wrath to come.
I am also familiar with the Lord Jesus and the Apostles saying we must endure tribulation in this world = John 16:33, Matt 24:9, Acts14:22, Rom 5:3
Tribulation we must go through – but not a single one in Christ will suffer God’s wrath.
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Thank you so much. The timing of the rapture is unknown as far as the day or the hour. It is more of a season before the Tribulation begins. When we begin to see the signs of His return, even more so, the rapture of the church. We know that we face troubles, tribulations (not to be confused with THE Tribulation 7 year period). Wrath is for judgement and purification of Israel.
So, in the wedding, the rapture is portrayed by the catching up of the Bride to meet her Groom at his home that he has prepared. Jewish and Mexican weddings practice this “catching away” of the Bride at the dance celebration. She’s placed in a chair and they push her up for all to see as others dance around her. The groom is also caught up in a chair. But the Galilean practice of it was always as the wedding procession marches to the Groom’s house for the wedding. The Bride is caught up and carried until she reaches his home, then is let down and reunited with the Groom she has been waiting for. It’s quite beautiful 😍.
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7 year tribulation is actually a deception , a snare of satan it was the covenant of the 70th week of daniel.. and the great tribulation was the 3.5 years from 66-70 ad the end times of the isreal nation.. desolated until the consummation meaning the wedding feast when Yeshua returns for His bride. there is so many end times deceptions but the scriptures reveal the truth.. if one searches for the truth he or she will be rewarded.. knock on the door and it will be opened for you.. if you care about decptions and want the truth, read scriptures and see for yourself, also an author who exposes the lies very well is david nakio , lead by the spirit of God
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There is a problem with this. The Bible states that the Third Temple will be built at the time of Israel’s purification, during the Tribulation, so your belief that the Tribulation has already happened, is mistaken. The Third Temple is waiting to be built- Today!
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How do you understand Matt. 24: 29-31 where it starts by saying, ” Immediately after the tribulation…. and Mark 13: 24-29 ” In those days immediately after the tribulation….. The bible clearly states at the 7th trumpet. We do meet with Christ in the clouds but we only stay there for a short time period, between 45-75 days during the day of wrath of the Lord. Daniel says blessed are those who make it to the 1335 day. ( The marriage supper of the Lamb) Where we come down with Christ to rule and reign in the Millennial kingdom on earth. We do not go to heaven other than meeting Christ in the clouds. After the Millennial reign and the White Throne judgement, the new city of Jerusalem is brought down to earth as described in Revelation Ch. 21. And God himself shall be with them and be their God!
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Hi Richard,
I would like to address your comment, thank you so much for reaching out to me. The scripture of Matt. 24:29-31 is speaking of “immediately after the tribulation of those days.” “These days” are understood to be the days following the Abomination of Desolation of the third temple in Jerusalem.
The “elect” are the remnant Jews who come to believe in Jesus as Messiah. These Jews are the ones, which will be considered lucky to make it to the 1335th day. These remnant Jews will have their own “rapture.” It is referenced in Dan. 12:1. Remember, the 7 year Tribulation is a time period of cleansing for the Jew. They will be the ones that will have to go through it. The church believers are not destined for God’s wrath.
I believe at the Second Coming, the church and these Jews return with Jesus, Then, the Millennial reign, then after the White Throne Judgement. I hope this helps answer your question. It is Daniel 12:1 that makes it clear, that the Jews that become redeemed through the Tribulation, will also escape or be raptured days before the Second Coming. This prevents them from God’s condemnation, at the Second Coming. For that will be a time of judgement and separating the goats from the sheep.
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Thank you for responding in return. Galatians 3:29 states that if you are in Christ then you are Abrahams offspring. that would make Dan. 12:1 a reference to all who are in Christ. Matt. 24:21-22 says that for the sake of the Elect those days will be cut short. Rev. 13:7 It was given power to wage war against God’s Holy people. Daniel 11: 31-35 talks about a time of purification. How can God’s people instruct others or be refined by purification if they are not there? I do not see where the bible refers to two raptures, only one at the seventh trumpet when Christ returns.
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Hi Richard,
I believe that we are all one in Christ and heirs, as stated in Galatians 3:29. But, I do believe that in Dan. 12:1 the Angel is telling Daniel a reference to the Jewish nation, when he states, “YOUR people.” Christ had not yet come when Daniel had this vision. He was clearly referring to the Jews during the Tribulation period. I also believe many will still come to Christ during the Tribulation and it is them, as well as Israel that will be purified.
This is the difference. We have heard the Gospel and believed. There are many that have heard it and NOT believed. It is these that when they DO turn, turned only AFTER the rapture occurred. It is out of fear. These are the Tribulation Saints. They will be purified through martyrdom via beheading for their faith.
There are several “raptures” of you will. Elijah was raptured. Enoch was too, even Phillip was! Philip was moved and appeared in a different location. The two witnesses will be raptured after they are dead and resurrect.
After the rapture of the church (Bride of Christ) the Holy Spirit will no longer be present on Earth. People who turn might not have access to a Bible. They will remember scripture and friends that continuously preached the Gospel, whom they rejected. They will realize when they see graveyards with empty graves, that their Christian friends and family were right about Jesus, Bible Prophecy and the future.
There will be an Angel that will proclaim the Gospel to the entire Earth, after the rapture because we won’t be here to do it anymore. Revelation 14:6 states this,
“Then I saw another angel flying overhead, with the eternal gospel to proclaim to those who dwell on the earth—to every nation and tribe and tongue and people.” I hope this clears things up.
But listen, whether I have understood the timing is irrelevant. What’s important is that you and I are saved. That’s it! We’re either for God or against Him. Jesus Himself stated, “Whoever believes in Him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe has already been condemned, because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son” John 3:18. It’s all about Jesus in the end, not timing/time lines. Be blessed, Richard🥰
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Thank you again for your insights. So easy to see how different interpretations lead to churches being split apart by different reasoning. You said that the important thing is that we are saved and I do agree but this is the same thing I am experiencing at my home church. A topic is entered, discussed, and as you and I have done, bantered over the interpretation and in the end, it seems nothing is resolved and parties are no better off than when they started, still believing what they did before the conversation started. There must be truth that can be determined. I feel we must know what we believe and why! You mentioned that Galations was new testament and Daniel vision was old but then allude to the fact that what Daniel was seeing was future in the tribulation period. This would make his future vision to include Galations even if it had not been written yet to include the Gentiles in the children of Abraham. Future visions would not be accurate if they did not include all aspects of what that entails which would make Daniel 12:1 to infer
that all of the children of Abraham would be included and not just the Jews. I have enjoyed our discussion but realize this is a topic that would require much time to asses and probably better done in person than through a medium such as texting. May the Holy Spirit guide you in your search for the truth. Thanks again
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Hi Richard,
I always enjoy discussions, especially when seeking truth. Interpretations can certainly disagree, but the one truth I stand on is that I find no where in scripture where God allowed judgement to befall His people that were obedient. He always rescued them. This is why I believe the Church is not destined for God’s Wrath during the Tribulation period. It goes against His nature. He just doesn’t punish obedience, only disobedience. I’ve enjoyed this interaction. May God bless you abundantly 🌸
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We just had a visiting teacher cover the “Galilean Wedding”.
I can’t get him or anyone to cite actual sources for the posit that a Galilean wedding was different from other Jewish weddings of Jesus time.
Every person just does the lesson and doesn’t say exactly where this comes from.
For instance the lesson says when Jesus said at the Last Supper,”I will not drink of this cup again until…”, He was referencing what the groom at a Galilean wedding would say. What original sources tell us that grooms said that, and do those sources demonstrate that was uniquely Galilean? I am surprised there are so many folks out there teaching what looks like a practically identical lesson and none of them cite original sources to show HOW we know that.
I believe scripture and love the references to the wedding of Christ and His Church. I am just looking for what your extra biblical sources are for the various parallels between the “Galilean Wedding” aspects and things Christ said and did that aren’t in the scriptures.
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Hi Jeff,
Thank you so much for your inquiry. I apologize,as I am a very busy woman! I completely love your zeal for wanting facts to back up these ancient customs. I have found that it is historically accurate to say that Galilean customs were slightly different from traditional Jewish ones. I would like to refer you to https://biblehub.com/library/lightfoot/from_the_talmud_and_hebraica/chapter_86_the_difference_of.htm
You can also see supporting statements from https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.haaretz.com/amp/archaeology/MAGAZINE-hard-evidence-of-religious-fervor-in-roman-era-galilee-1.5442517
It shows how Galileans did in fact differ, historically and archaeologically.
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Great Info. If you have sources about the Archeological Discoveries concerning the Galilean Wedding Tradition, please send me a link.
BrentCartwright.BC@gmail.com
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If you have sources for Galilean Wedding, please would you send them to me. I would so appreciate them. Thank you.
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Do you have a citation (other than Bible Study Tools / 10.1 The Jewish Wedding Analogy) for this part –> “They also understood this phrase from a wedding ceremony because only the Father would determine the timing of a wedding” (specifically, ‘only the Father would determine’…) .
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Hi Beth,
If you look at the meaning of the Nissuin in ancient Jewish culture, the Father of the Groom’s involvement is very dominant. There is a site where Biblical texts are examined. You can go to this link and find information on it as well: https://hermeneutics.stackexchange.com/questions/19249/what-does-it-mean-that-the-son-did-not-know-the-hour-of-his-return-in-matthew-24
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So God has two brides? How?
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This has to be one of the most beautiful things I’ve ever read. It’s amazing that Jesus was pretty much setting up a wedding with us along with his sacrifice. Thank you for this I love it God bless.
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Thank you Benji for reading this and seeing how it is linked. Stay tuned for a part two of this amazing link between a marriage feast and the rapture of the church!
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Hi Aaron!
Thank you for paying such great attention to detail. Yes, there are 2 Brides of Christ, both redeemed by His blood and heirs, equally. I will post another article explaining it in further detail. So, stay tuned and look for it ( hopefully by tomorrow). God bless.
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