Gò0dNews for Everyone
Like a Thief in the Rapture?
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by Eddie Turner
ore than once in the Bible, Jesus spoke of “the day” and “the hour” of his return. The reason he didn’t provide a specific day and hour is that he didn’t know exactly when God would be sending him back to earth. And he assured us that his reappearance will catch human beings on the earth completely off guard the way a thief whose intent to rob someone during the night might do.“For you yourselves are fully aware that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night” 1 Thessalonians 5:2. There is, however, another verse that strongly suggests not everyone will experience his return in this manner. In fact, he warned people to avoid that day at all costs. “Remember, then, what you received and heard. Keep it, and repent. If you will not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what hour I will come against you” Revelation 3:3. I don’t know about you, but I believe it’s quite clear that Jesus doesn’t want his followers anywhere near the earth when he returns. If this causes some confusion, you may have associated the rapture with not knowing the day and the hour. If you have, don’t sweat it. This notion is really quite common. Why? It’s because of a similar event that will take place on the day Jesus returns. “That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other left” Matthew 24:39-40. In order to fully grasp this text, and the rest of the Bible for that matter, we must understand that the rapture and Christ’s return are two separate events—one we are to prepare for, and one we are to avoid. If you’ve studied Revelation, you’re probably familiar with the number 144,000. This is the number of Jewish men and women who will serve as ministers to those left behind during the tribulation that is to come. Jesus’ followers who are alive at the time of the rapture will be spared God’s wrath during this period. These are called raptured saints, whereas those who make a decision to trust in Jesus after the rapture are called tribulation saints. And it’s the latter group whose members (some of them anyway) will have survived to witness Christ’s return. These are the ones who are taken according to the verse from Matthew we just read. They’re the very last ones. Those remaining who refused to repent or “wake up” will not be taken. Instead, they will feel as though they had just been robbed of their pride when the Son of Man appears unexpectedly. So, now that we know that Christ’s return is the event that cannot be anticipated, we can turn our attention to an event that we can. Yes, I’m talking about the rapture. You don’t have a to be a total Bible nerd like me to know that God is big on numbers. Because of numbers, we know how much time God spent creating the earth, how long the rains poured during the flood, and how long Noah and his family had to remain inside the ark until the ground was solid enough to walk on. The entire framework of the tribulation period is also built on numbers. And like the examples I just gave, these numbers represent 24-hour days. Because the Bible ties specific events to these numbers, we know without question when we can begin counting
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the days of the tribulation period. And we can see how accurate our count is when we’ve reached the middle and several other points along the way. So, shouldn't the rapture also be mapped out with a number? I believe it should. I also believe it is. In this next verse from Daniel, the angel who showed him all those weird visions helps Daniel to understand the tribulation framework by giving him the number of days from the events that serve as the midpoint to the end. In case your math is rusty, 1,290 days is 3.5 years which is half of the 7 years the Bible defines as the tribulation period. You may also recall from your studies that it is the antichrist who is the abomination described here. He puts an end to the sacrifice in the newly rebuilt Jewish temple and kicks all of the Jewish people out, causing it to become desolate. But what about this other number? “From the time that the regular sacrifice is abolished and the abomination of desolation is set up, there will be 1,290 days. How blessed is he who keeps waiting and attains to the 1,335 days!” Daniel 12:11-12. When I first saw this number, I realized I must have read those verses 20 times and not noticed it. And when I tried to fit this block of time into the 7 years, nowhere I inserted it made sense. That’s when the word “blessed” jumped out at me. I had seen this verse before. “But the one who endures to the end, he will be saved” Matthew 24:13. Patience and endurance are two attributes that Jesus often paired together. According to him, having both is vital to those awaiting their blessing on the day of redemption. This day, of course, refers to the rapture. It's when we, who have placed our trust in Jesus, are redeemed by the blood he spilled on our behalf. Blessed are those who stand firm to the day we are rescued from God’s wrath which is reserved for everyone whose names are not written in the book of life. This message is loud and clear. So, how do these 1,335 days fit into the tribulation period? I believe this number is counted from day one of the seven years just like the other numbers in the Bible. This places the rapture 45 days after the midpoint when the people of Israel evacuate their temple and flee from the antichrist into the mountains. Why the mountains? Because Jesus said so. “Therefore when you see the abomination of desolation which was spoken of through Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place (let the reader understand), then those who are in Judea must flee to the mountains” Matthew 24:15-16.
