The Existence & Timeline of the Rapture

In the previous part, I showed that the rapture does not come as a thief in the night for believers who are in Christ; despite the general idea among many professing Christians within the Church. This doctrine of Jesus coming as a thief is often accompanied by the idea of a “secret gathering”. Jesus Christ will come like a burglar sneaking in during the night and take away the Church from the earth without drawing any attention (other than that, the believers will have disappeared suddenly). We also saw that it is, in fact, the opposite that is the truth; the Day of the Lord is coming as a thief, bringing death and destruction to unbelievers. Paul stated that this day will not come as a thief to the children of God (1 Thessalonians 5:1-5).

In a passage from the Book of Joel, we can read that the Day of the Lord is accompanied by the sounding of a “trumpet” and an alarm:

Joel 2:1 | KJV [book]

Blow ye the trumpet in Zion, and sound an alarm in my holy mountain: let all the inhabitants of the land tremble: for the day of the LORD cometh, for it is nigh at hand;

In Matthew 24, we read that at the Lord’s return, there are signs to be seen, and angels gathering the Church (the elect) with the sound of a “trumpet”:

Matthew 24:30-31 | KJV [book]

And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.

So is Paul revealing to the Corinthians that the resurrection & glorification of believers comes with the sound of a “trumpet”:

1 Corinthians 15:52 | KJV [book]

In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.

Note

This verse (1Co 15:52) declares this trumpet as the “last trump”. Something “last” must be a part of a multitude (at least two). Therefore we must conclude that there is more than one trumpet.

As Paul is also reveling to the Thessalonians that the resurrection is accompanied by a “trumpet”, a “shout from heaven” and the “voice of an angel”:

1 Thessalonians 4:16 | KJV [book]

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: 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.

Let us sum up the elements that are present at the Lord’s return according to Paul to the Thessalonians:

• Descension of Jesus Christ from heaven
• A shout
• The voice of an angel
• A trumpet
• Resurrection of the dead
• Gathering of saints (caught up)
• Clouds

Let us take a closer look at the trumpet, aka “the trump of God” or “last trump”. The book of Revelation is the only part in the New Testament in which a multitude of trumpets are mentioned.

PRINCIPLES

We must interpret the word of God with the word itself. Every type, symbol, shadow, representation, or metaphor is defined within the scriptures (the whole canon: 66 books of the Bible). When looking for meaning of spiritual symbolism, we are required to use the definitions God has provided and study the context of the instances in which the definitions have been given and/or used.

There are seven trumpets in total, which are sounded by seven angels. The seventh, and therefore the last trumpet, marks the end of “the mystery of God”:

Revelation 10:7 | KJV [book]

But in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he shall begin to sound, the mystery of God should be finished, as he hath declared to his servants the prophets.

The sounding of the 7th trumpet in the Book of Revelation is accompanied by “voices” in heaven:

Revelation 11:15 | KJV [book]

And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever.

We have now seen that:

• the Day of the Lord
• the gathering of the elect
• the return of Jesus Christ
• the resurrection of the dead
• the glorification of believers
• the finishing of the mystery of God

are accompanied by the sounding of a (last) trumpet, great voice(s) and/or shout from heaven, and angels & signs in heaven. As there are no other events in scripture in which this is taking place, we can draw the conclusion all these things take place at the same time and are impossibly a secret happening; On the contrary, it is evident that God is drawing all attention with the numerous audio & visual signs from the whole world. More scripture is going to be fulfilled by the Lord at His second coming:

Revelation 1:7 | KJV [book]

Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen.

The gathering of the saints at the Lord’s return is a public event, and the whole world will witness this.

We saw in the previous post that the resurrection of the dead and the gathering of God’s elect takes place at the sound of the “last trumpet”, with great voices (shouts) from heaven, signs & angels.

FACT

Two or more of these happenings/signs are always mentioned in the passages regarding the Lord’s return:

• Sound of a (last) trumpet
• Voice(s) or shout from heaven
• Cloud(s)
• Angel(s)
• Signs in the sky or heaven
• Son of Man (Jesus Christ) appearing
  and descending from heaven
• Resurrection of the dead
• Gathering of the elect

As the Book of Revelation is the only book in the New Testament that describes a multitude of trumpets in a future event, can we safely conclude that the last trump is the seventh trumpet of Revelation:

Revelation 8:1-2 | KJV [book]

And when he had opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven about the space of half an hour. And I saw the seven angels which stood before God; and to them were given seven trumpets.

As you probably already know, these trumpets are given in the middle of a great turmoil in which judgments of God are coming on the earth upon the unbelieving world in the form of plagues and catastrophes. With each trumpet sounding, another event is taking place, until the 7th, and the last trumpet declares the Kingdom of God.

Seven Trumpets of Revelation:

• 1st: Grass & ⅓ trees burned
• 2nd: ⅓ sea blood, ⅓ ships & life destroyed
• 3rd: ⅓ waters bitter
• 4th: ⅓ sun & moon not shine
• 5th: Locust army
• 6th: Great army & ⅓ mankind killed
• 7th: Kingdom God declared

Matthew 24, Mark 13, and Luke 21 give an account of Jesus describing a period of “tribulation”, which is also described as “sorrows” or “commotions”:

Matthew 24:6-8 | KJV [book]

And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places. All these are the beginning of sorrows.

And when these tribulations (sorrows) have come to an end, the sign of Jesus Christ (Son of Man) appears in the sky, and He is coming in the clouds with great glory. With the sound of a trumpet, He will gather His elect from everywhere with His angels:

Matthew 24:29-31 | KJV [book]

^[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: ^[30] And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. ^[31] And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.

Let’s repeat the first part of that passage:

“Immediately after the tribulation of those days”

You may notice it clearly states “after” the tribulation. So it is also in the Gospel of Luke chapter 21, near the end of the Sermon after the summation of all tribulation:

Luke 21:25-28 | KJV [book]

^[25] And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring; ^[26] Men’s hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken. ^[27] And then shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. ^[28] And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh.

See how the Lord is stating that the redemption is not taking place before these events have come to pass.

As well in Mark 13 we see that the Jesus is returning after the tribulation of those days:

Mark 13:24-26 | KJV [book]

^[24] But in those days, after that tribulation, the sun shall be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, ^[25] And the stars of heaven shall fall, and the powers that are in heaven shall be shaken. ^[26] And then shall they see the Son of man coming in the clouds with great power and glory.

FACT

The Lord Jesus Christ clearly states in the Gospels of Matthew, Luke and Mark that He is coming after a period of great tribulation. He can therefore not return before this period of tribulation, since that would make Him a liar.

We learned in the previous posts that the Lord is going to return at the sound of the last trumpet after the tribulation described in the Gospels of Matthew (24), Mark (13), and Luke (21). This trumpet is the 7th of a total of 7, mentioned in the book of Revelation; declaring the Kingdom of God.

7 Trumpets of Revelation:

• 1st: Grass & trees   Rev 8:7
• 2nd: ships & sea   Rev 8:8-9
• 3rd: waters bitter   Rev 8:10-11
• 4th: sun & moon   Rev 8:12-13
• 5th: Locust army   Rev 9:1-12
• 6th: Great army   Rev 9:13-21
• 7th: Kingdom God   Rev 11:15-19

Just before the sounding of the last trumpet in Revelation 11 we see the following events taking place…

▫️ Resurrection of dead people

Revelation 11:11 | KJV [book]

And after three days and an half the Spirit of life from God entered into them, and they stood upon their feet; and great fear fell upon them which saw them.

▫️Great voice from heaven and ascension to heaven in a cloud:

Revelation 11:12 | KJV [book]

And they heard a great voice from heaven saying unto them, Come up hither. And they ascended up to heaven in a cloud; and their enemies beheld them.

No other event in the book of Revelation describes a “resurrection” and “ascension” into heaven of God’s people. A rapture includes all saints (we saw in the previous posts), so there are those who need to be resurrected before it can take place. Ascension is another word for going up, and so does God commands it with “Come up hither” (Rev 11:12)

And at the sound of the 7th and last trumpet in Revelation 11….

▫️Great voices in heaven and the Kingdom of God declared:

Revelation 11:15 | KJV [book]

And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever.

After the 7th trumpet when God’s servants (2 witnesses) in this passage are resurrected & “raptured”, and the Kingdom is Declared, the wrath of God is announced to the world:

Revelation 11:18 | KJV [book]

And the nations were angry, and thy wrath is come, and the time of the dead, that they should be judged, and that thou shouldest give reward unto thy servants the prophets, and to the saints, and them that fear thy name, small and great; and shouldest destroy them which destroy the earth.

We have seen in this part that the sounding 7th trumpet of Revelation is accompanied by a resurrection of dead saints (2 witnesses), voice(s) from heaven, ascension to heaven (rapture) in/with a cloud, the declaration of the Kingdom of God and the announcement of the coming final wrath of God.

We have learned in the previous part that the only “rapture event” mentioned in the Book of Revelation is at the seventh trumpet and evolves around the two witnesses being brought to life and taken up to heaven:

Revelation 11:11 | KJV [book]

And after three days and an half the Spirit of life from God entered into them, and they stood upon their feet; and great fear fell upon them which saw them.

These who are being resurrected, are called “the 2 Witnesses”:

Revelation 11:3 | KJV [book]

And I will give power unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days, clothed in sackcloth.

Many professing Christians have beliefs about these 2 Witnesses, being Moses and Elijah, or even Enoch; they come from various doctrines and views based on assumptions. In the many visions given to prophets and apostles, God provides definitions and explanations; so that we don’t have to assume or guess certain things.

God says the following about the two witnesses:

Revelation 11:4 | KJV [book]

These are the two olive trees, and the two candlesticks standing before the God of the earth.

▫️The 2 Olive Trees

God calls Israel an olive tree:

Jeremiah 11:16 | KJV [book]

The LORD called thy name, A green olive tree, fair, and of goodly fruit: with the noise of a great tumult he hath kindled fire upon it, and the branches of it are broken.

Paul wrote that the Jews were broken off the olive tree, and the Gentiles were grafted in:

Romans 11:17 | KJV [book]

And if some of the branches be broken off, and thou, being a wild olive tree, wert graffed in among them, and with them partakest of the root and fatness of the olive tree;

And that the Jews are going to be grafted back in:

Romans 11:17 | KJV [book]

²⁴ For if thou wert cut out of the olive tree which is wild by nature, and wert graffed contrary to nature into a good olive tree: how much more shall these, which be the natural branches, be graffed into their own olive tree? ²⁵ For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in. ²⁶ And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob: ²⁷ For this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins.

We see now that there are two main branches, the Church and the Jews, who are going to be saved, prophesied in Romans 11.

In all the above cases, are we talking about a multitude of people. As the whole olive tree means the entire Kingdom of God, are the branches sections, but always talking about groups of people rather than individuals.

The word “olive tree” in Revelation chapter 11 has in the Greek 2 different usages:

G1636 | ἐλαία | elaia

1. an olive tree
2. an olive, the fruit of an olive tree

We see that the Greek language allows the word “elaia” to be used to point to the whole olive tree, but also to a part of the tree, even up to the olive fruit. So therefore, the English translation of verse 14 of Revelation chapter 11 can also be written as:

“These are the two olive branches and the two candlesticks standing before the God of the earth. “

The “wild olive tree” (agrielaios) and “good olive tree” (kallielaios) in Romans 11 are derived from “elaia” and say in Greek “wild olive” and “good olive” without being specifically a tree. In Romans 11, the “wild olive” and the “good olive” are as main branches sharing one root, which is Jesus Christ:

John 15:1-6 | KJV [book]

¹ I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman. ² Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit. ³ Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you. ⁴ Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. ⁵ I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing. ⁶ If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.

FACTS

• The Jews are called an olive branch
• The Gentiles are called an olive branch
• Anyone in the church is called a branch
• Jesus Christ is called an olive tree
• Jesus Christ is called the root
• The olive tree is the body of Christ
• The Church is in Christ an olive tree

▫️The 2 Candlesticks

There has been a lot of confusion and misconception about what “the two candlesticks” mean, just as with the “olive trees” we saw earlier. It is luckily not a mystery what the meaning truly is; God has provided us the definition in His word (like always), so that we should have no doubt:

Revelation 1:20 | KJV [book]

The mystery of the seven stars which thou sawest in my right hand, and the seven golden candlesticks. The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches: and the seven candlesticks which thou sawest are the seven churches.

A candlestick represents a church, a certain group of believers within the body of Christ. “The Church” is the whole body of Christ, and a “candlestick” is as a subdivision.

FACTS

• A candlestick represents a church
• A church is a group of believers
• A church is a part of “The Church”
• The Church is “The Body of Christ”
• A candlestick is a subdivision of The Body
• A candlestick is a multitude in Christ

The following be too deep and/or too fast for some, but nonetheless, it may be of importance for the understanding of the whole picture; In Revelation 1:20 we see only seven candlesticks. We have to interpret it in the spiritual sense besides the fact that there were seven physical churches addressed in the passage: “Seven” is a number of completion; it is as a “whole number”. It symbolizes perfection, and, therefore also purification. Seven churches is as the persecuted body of Christ, being purified unto perfection.

The word “candlestick” is an “unlucky translation” from the Greek to English:

G3087 | λυχνία | lychnia

1.  a (candlestick) lamp stand, candelabrum

A candle was hardly used in the old world, and the Jews mainly used oil lamps. A modern “candlestick” is a separate object, as well a “lampstand” (another word used in translations). Both the Greeks and the Jews didn’t use such things as we now see today, in which you place a wax candle on a stick. They had oil lamps that were integrated as one object like this example:

^{Ancient oil lamp, found in Palestine and donated to the museum in 1933 by Ármin Beregi
Source: WikiMediaCommons,  photo: by Szilas}

If we look at the modern Greek translation of the word “λυχνία” (lychnia), we see it can be both used for “lamp” or “valve”. In the case of a “valve” the following definition is given…

Valve | λυχνία :

“a device for controlling the passage of fluid or air through a pipe, duct, etc., especially an automatic device allowing movement in one direction only.”  ^[Source]

God commanded Moses to create a “candlestick”, called a Menorah, with seven branches, beaten out of gold and hollow inside so that it could contain oil. The lamps were burning olive oil, which is a symbol of the Holy Spirit.

Exodus 25:31-40 | KJV [book]

³¹ And thou shalt make a candlestick of pure gold: of beaten work shall the candlestick be made: his shaft, and his branches, his bowls, his knops, and his flowers, shall be of the same. ³² And six branches shall come out of the sides of it; three branches of the candlestick out of the one side, and three branches of the candlestick out of the other side: ³³ Three bowls made like unto almonds, with a knop and a flower in one branch; and three bowls made like almonds in the other branch, with a knop and a flower: so in the six branches that come out of the candlestick. ³⁴ And in the candlestick shall be four bowls made like unto almonds, with their knops and their flowers. ³⁵ And there shall be a knop under two branches of the same, and a knop under two branches of the same, and a knop under two branches of the same, according to the six branches that proceed out of the candlestick. ³⁶ Their knops and their branches shall be of the same: all it shall be one beaten work of pure gold. ³⁷ And thou shalt make the seven lamps thereof: and they shall light the lamps thereof, that they may give light over against it. ³⁸ And the tongs thereof, and the snuffdishes thereof, shall be of pure gold. ³⁹ Of a talent of pure gold shall he make it, with all these vessels. ⁴⁰ And look that thou make them after their pattern, which was shewed thee in the mount.

^{A drawing of the Menorah as seen on the Arch of Titus in Rome, Italy.
Source: Wikimedia Commons}

From this perfect description given by God to Moses, we can learn that the seven candlesticks in Revelation aren’t seven separate objects, but are seven branches of one lamp stand.

Revelation 1:13 | KJV [book]

And in the midst of the seven candlesticks one like unto the Son of man, clothed with a garment down to the foot, and girt about the paps with a golden girdle.

And the lampstand itself represents Jesus, with seven branches springing out of Him. It is like a tree. Therefore, God had Moses put in ornaments of almonds and flowers. Jesus stated that He was a “vine with branches”:

John 15:5 | KJV [book]

I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.

As we can see in the passage of Zechariah now, one candlestick with seven lamps:

Zechariah 4:2 | KJV [book]

And said unto me, What seest thou? And I said, I have looked, and behold a candlestick all of gold, with a bowl upon the top of it, and his seven lamps thereon, and seven pipes to the seven lamps, which are upon the top thereof:

And those seven lamps are called “the seven eyes of God”, which are witnesses (eyes) on the whole earth:

Zechariah 4:10 | KJV [book]

For who hath despised the day of small things? for they shall rejoice, and shall see the plummet in the hand of Zerubbabel with those seven; they are the eyes of the LORD, which run to and fro through the whole earth.

And so are we witnesses (eyes), for Christ, all over the world, we as The Church of God:

Luke 24:47-48 | KJV [book]

And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. And ye are witnesses of these things.

And so to look back at the passage of Zechariah we can also know who the two “olive trees” are:

Zechariah 4:10, 14 | KJV [book]

¹⁰ Then answered I, and said unto him, What are these two olive trees upon the right side of the candlestick and upon the left side thereof?
…
¹⁴ Then said he, These are the two anointed ones, that stand by the Lord of the whole earth.

The only two persons who were anointed in the Old Testament were priests and kings. The anointing, which is a symbol of the Holy Spirit, inaugurated a priest or king in the Kingdom of God (Israel). Under the New Covenant, it is we (with Christ) who are the kings and priests in the Kingdom of God:

Revelation 1:6 | KJV [book]

And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.

and…

Revelation 1:10 | KJV [book]

And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth.

It is God Who anoints us, according to Paul’s epistle to the Corinthians:

2 Corinthians 1:20-22 | KJV [book]

For all the promises of God in him are yea, and in him Amen, unto the glory of God by us. Now he which stablisheth us with you in Christ, and hath anointed us, is God; Who hath also sealed us, and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts.

So now, you may see by now that the candlesticks and the olive trees are the Church. It may be a bit fast or complicated for some, but this part is only written to give a foundation for what I will declare here. (A more comprehensive study will be posted in the future!)

The two witnesses in Revelation 11 are the “spiritual representation” of The Church:

Revelation 11:9-12 | KJV [book]

⁹ And they of the people and kindreds and tongues and nations shall see their dead bodies three days and an half, and shall not suffer their dead bodies to be put in graves. ¹⁰ And they that dwell upon the earth shall rejoice over them, and make merry, and shall send gifts one to another; because these two prophets tormented them that dwelt on the earth. ¹¹ And after three days and an half the Spirit of life from God entered into them, and they stood upon their feet; and great fear fell upon them which saw them. ¹² And they heard a great voice from heaven saying unto them, Come up hither. And they ascended up to heaven in a cloud; and their enemies beheld them.

Chapter 11 of the Book of Revelation includes a lot of metaphors, types & symbols, and spiritual language that may be hard to understand for some. It takes time and effort to study all the definitions and get a clear view of what is being said and what it implies to the body of Christ. For the sake of clarity have highlighted some aspects of this chapter and will go into depth in a separate study. The aim now is to conclude when the body of Christ will be “raptured”, hence the subject of this study.

Let us sum up what we know about the two witnesses in comparison to the body (The Church):

FACTS

• A candlestick (branch) represents a church
• The two witnesses are two candlesticks
  ‾
• An olive tree represents the body of Christ
• The two witnesses are olive trees (branches)
  ‾
• Believers in Christ are anointed
• The two witnesses are God’s anointed
  ‾
• Believers give testimony & preach Gospel
• The two witnesses give testimony & prophecy
  ‾
• Believers live & go throughout the whole world
• two witnesses are seen by the whole earth
  ‾
• Believers are hated & killed by the world
• two witnesses are hated by the world & killed

There is much more to compare, but we will do this in a separate study.

Let us “translate” this passage with the definitions we have learned; Just before the seventh angel sounds the last trumpet, The Church (body of Christ) who is martyred (globally speaking) is going to be resurrected and raptured into heaven, and the whole world will see this. The seventh trumpet is sounded right after the rapture and marks the end of the tribulation period but the beginning of the Day of the Lord. The rapture takes place just before God’s final wrath is poured out on the earth by Jesus Christ:

Revelation 11:15-18 | KJV [book]

¹⁵ And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever. ¹⁶ And the four and twenty elders, which sat before God on their seats, fell upon their faces, and worshipped God, ¹⁷ Saying, We give thee thanks, O Lord God Almighty, which art, and wast, and art to come; because thou hast taken to thee thy great power, and hast reigned. ¹⁸ And the nations were angry, and thy wrath is come, and the time of the dead, that they should be judged, and that thou shouldest give reward unto thy servants the prophets, and to the saints, and them that fear thy name, small and great; and shouldest destroy them which destroy the earth.

There are many different theories, doctrines, and opinions about the two witnesses and who they are, and most of you probably will not agree with what I have just stated here. I will post a more detailed study on this matter shortly (God willing). Don’t be pulled off, and you could ignore this part about the two witnesses if it goes against everything that you believe and holds on to;

Yet there’s more to come about the rapture’s timing, and I hope you’ll be able to look into this objectively. Hopefully, you may see why these specific subjects are related to the correct doctrine regarding the rapture, and why it is essential to gain understanding even of eschatology (by the Grace of God).

In this part of the study, I will show you that the Old Testament account of the destruction of Jericho (Joshua 6) gives us a clear picture of end-times events, including the rapture.

NOTE

As we may have learned in the previous part, the rapture’s timing is closely tied to the two witnesses of Revelation 11. If you still need to go through it and understand it, I encourage you to do this beforehand; otherwise, you might not completely understand this part of the teaching. If you strongly disagree with the previous parts, you’ll likely not agree with this one also.

Before the siege of Jericho in the Book of Joshua chapter 6, Joshua, who God has anointed to lead the people of God into the promised after the passing away of Moses, sends two spies into Jericho to observe the city and report back:

Joshua 2:1 | KJV [book]

And Joshua the son of Nun sent out of Shittim two men to spy secretly, saying, Go view the land, even Jericho. And they went, and came into an harlot’s house, named Rahab, and lodged there.

To get a deeper understanding of the spiritual significance, we are going to break down this verse a little:

• The definition of the name “Joshua” (Yehoshua) is “Jehovah (God) is salvation”
• Joshua and Jesus are the same names, though in different languages
• Joshua is a type or figure of Jesus Christ, as a foreshadowing of the Messiah
• Joshua orders two spies to go into the Canaan city “Jericho”
• Jericho is a part of the land promised by God to His people
• The name “Jericho” means “its moon”. The Canaanites worshiped all kinds of gods, and the (crescent) moon god Yarikh (or Jerah) seems to be related to this city
• In the same region today (Palestine), they still value the crescent moon through the symbolism of the Pagan religion “Islam”
• “Rahab” (the harlot’s name) means “broad, large, wide, etc.”

▫️ The Harlot City

Rahab, who decided to hide the spies and risk her own life and that of her family, said the following:

Joshua 2:9 | KJV [book]

And she said unto the men, I know that the LORD hath given you the land, and that your terror is fallen upon us, and that all the inhabitants of the land faint because of you.

She knew (by faith) that these two spies were bad news, and that God would bring the city down and hand them over to His people.

There are many passages in the scriptures in which God calls idolatry “adultery” and those who involve themselves in (corporately) worshiping other gods “harlots”. In Isaiah, the city of Jerusalem, which had become the center of idolatry in the remaining part of Israel, is called a harlot:

Isaiah 1:21 | KJV [book]

How is the faithful city become an harlot! it was full of judgment; righteousness lodged in it; but now murderers.

Jericho is a type of “harlot city” (though not exactly the same as Isaiah 1:21), where many gods are worshiped except the one true God.

In the scriptures, a city is often depicted as a mother. “Spiritual Jerusalem”, for example, which is the Church, is also defined as “the mother of us all”:

Galatians 4:26 | KJV [book]

But Jerusalem which is above is free, which is the mother of us all.

It’s, therefore, no surprise that the spiritual counterpart of a “faithful city” (Spiritual Jerusalem) is called a “mother”; “Spiritual Babylon” is the city of all harlots, and she gives birth to all idolatry: The mother of all false religions:

Revelation 17:5 | KJV [book]

And upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.

(Spiritual) Babylon is also called “The Great City”:

Revelation 11:8 | KJV [book]

And their dead bodies shall lie in the street of the great city, which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified.

This Great City, Mother of all Harlots, is (Spiritual) Babylon and is going to be destroyed just before the 7th and the last trumpet sounds in Revelation 11:15. This is the same city where, just like the two spies of Joshua, the two witnesses are sent before its destruction. The two spies who were sent by Joshua and lodged at Rahab’s house are precursors of the two witnesses who the Lord sends to go to Spiritual Babylon to bring their testimony – The Gospel:

Revelation 11:3, 7 | KJV [book]

³ And I will give power unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days, clothed in sackcloth.

⁷ And when they shall have finished their testimony, the beast that ascendeth out of the bottomless pit shall make war against them, and shall overcome them, and kill them.

And God calls His people who are still involved in idolatry, who have made (Spiritual) Babylon “their home”, to come out:

Revelation 18:4 | KJV [book]

And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues.

And we see, that even before the last trumpet is going to announce the wrath of God, He calls those who are caught up in idolatry “my people”. Until the very end, God calls for repentance, and His people may return and not suffer the destruction that will come upon her (them).

And so Rahab the Harlot, through an act of faith, believed God, was she saved from the wrath of upon Jericho, Giving us a foreshadowing of things to come:

Hebrews 11:31 | KJV [book]

By faith the harlot Rahab perished not with them that believed not, when she had received the spies with peace.

Romans 5:1 | KJV [book]

Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:

But we have to consider that Rahab was not saved until the walls of Jericho came down! She remained in the city until it was taken entirely and because of the red cord on the window, her house and family were spared, Just as the blood on the door posts in Egypt then, and the The Blood of Christ now save us from the wrath to come:

Romans 5:9 | KJV [book]

Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.

FACTS:

• There are 2 Spiritual Cities: Spiritual Jerusalem, which is “the mother” of The Church (Bride of Christ), and Spiritual Babylon, which is “the mother” (harlot) of all false religion(s)
• Jesus Christ was crucified in physical Jerusalem, but also in the Spiritual City of false religion, also called (Spiritual) Sodom & Egypt (Rev11:8)
• Spiritual Babylon, Spiritual Sodom, and Spiritual Egypt are all the same entity, also called The Great City 
• This body of false religion is a global city; it means it’s in the whole world (just as The Church, The Body of Christ)
• God is calling His people who are trapped in false religion out of that Great City (Rev18:4)
• Escaping Spiritual Babylon is done by faith, justified by the Blood of Christ
• Those who are in false religion do not have true faith
• Those who don’t have faith will face the wrath of God (like Jericho etc.)

▫️ The Seven Trumpets

Joshua and the children of Israel approached the city of Jericho, and God declared that He would give it to their hands, including its king & mighty men:

Joshua 6:1-5 | KJV [book]

¹ Now Jericho was straitly shut up because of the children of Israel: none went out, and none came in. ² And the LORD said unto Joshua, See, I have given into thine hand Jericho, and the king thereof, and the mighty men of valour. ³ And ye shall compass the city, all ye men of war, and go round about the city once. Thus shalt thou do six days. ⁴ And seven priests shall bear before the ark seven trumpets of rams’ horns: and the seventh day ye shall compass the city seven times, and the priests shall blow with the trumpets. ⁵ And it shall come to pass, that when they make a long blast with the ram’s horn, and when ye hear the sound of the trumpet, all the people shall shout with a great shout; and the wall of the city shall fall down flat, and the people shall ascend up every man straight before him.

We see in the 1st verse that the children of Israel surrounded the city, and the inhabitants of the city, which is a type of Babylon, are all together in one place. So at the end of time, Mystery Babylon (That Great City) is gathered together in a place called “Armageddon”:

Revelation 16:16 | KJV [book]

And he gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon.

God gives Joshua the commandment to instruct the priests to blow trumpets for seven days:

Joshua 6:4 | KJV [book]

And seven priests shall bear before the ark seven trumpets of rams’ horns: and the seventh day ye shall compass the city seven times, and the priests shall blow with the trumpets.

So also in the Book of Revelation we have 7 events in where trumpets are blown:

7 Trumpets of Revelation:

• 1st: Grass & trees   Rev 8:7
• 2nd: ships & sea   Rev 8:8-9
• 3rd: waters bitter   Rev 8:10-11
• 4th: sun & moon   Rev 8:12-13
• 5th: Locust army   Rev 9:1-12
• 6th: Great army   Rev 9:13-21
• 7th: Kingdom God   Rev 11:15-19

The first six trumpets of Revelation bring a judgment from God upon the world, but Babylon remains in existence during these plagues. And when the 7th trumpet is about to be blown, the judgment of God also brings That Great City down, awaiting the wrath:

Revelation 14:8 | KJV [book]

And there followed another angel, saying, Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication.

Even so Jericho’s walls remain standing until the 7th and last trumpet:

Joshua 6:5 | KJV [book]

And it shall come to pass, that when they make a long blast with the ram’s horn, and when ye hear the sound of the trumpet, all the people shall shout with a great shout; and the wall of the city shall fall down flat, and the people shall ascend up every man straight before him.

So do we see in Revelation that at the sound of the 7th trumpet, there are shouts as great voices, and the people of God receive take possession of what God has delivered into their hands, but now, of course by Jesus Christ (as the firstborn who receives the inheritance):

Revelation 11:15 | KJV [book]

And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever.

Those who blow the trumpets at Jericho are the priests (Levites):

Joshua 6:4 | KJV [book]

And seven priests shall bear before the ark seven trumpets of rams’ horns: and the seventh day ye shall compass the city seven times, and the priests shall blow with the trumpets.

When the trumpets of Revelation sound, we, who are the Church, are the priests before God; as scripture clearly says:

Revelation 1:6 | KJV [book]

And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.

Revelation 5:10 | KJV [book]

And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth.

With Jesus Christ as our High Priest after the order of Melchisedec:

Hebrews 7:17 | KJV [book]

For he testifieth, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec.

So are we as the priests who sound the trumpets at Jericho?

Let us first have a closer look at what the “trumpet” represents before answering that question:

Revelation 1:10 | KJV [book]

I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day, and heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet,

Revelation 4:1 | KJV [book]

After this I looked, and, behold, a door was opened in heaven: and the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me; which said, Come up hither, and I will shew thee things which must be hereafter.

Isaiah 58:1 | KJV [book]

Cry aloud, spare not, lift up thy voice like a trumpet, and shew my people their transgression, and the house of Jacob their sins.

We see God’s ” voice ” as a “trumpet” at certain times. The same “voice” they who were with Moses heard at Mount Sion:

Hebrews 7:17 | KJV [book]

And the sound of a trumpet, and the voice of words; which voice they that heard intreated that the word should not be spoken to them any more:

It is the “word of God” that is “spoken as a trumpet” in certain situations. And those who are filled with the Spirit of God “speak the word of God” here on this earth. The true Church, the same as the people of God with Joshua who sounded the trumpets before Jericho, share the Gospel of Jesus to the world and Spiritual Babylon.

Hebrews 7:17 | KJV [book]

6 Now, brethren, if I come unto you speaking with tongues, what shall I profit you, except I shall speak to you either by revelation, or by knowledge, or by prophesying, or by doctrine? 7 And even things without life giving sound, whether pipe or harp, except they give a distinction in the sounds, how shall it be known what is piped or harped? 8 For if the trumpet give an uncertain sound, who shall prepare himself to the battle? 9 So likewise ye, except ye utter by the tongue words easy to be understood, how shall it be known what is spoken? for ye shall speak into the air.

In this passage, Paul explains that speaking the word of God in tongues in public in the Church that cannot be understood, is not profitable; and is as a trumpet used at wartime that is not sound properly. Trumpets were used to instruct the soldiers in battle (advance, retreat, etc.), and to be understood was crucial, a matter of life & death!

When we correctly handle the word of God and preach it, we are, as it were, sounding a trumpet.

We see, however, that in the Book of Revelation, it is the seven angels who have the seven trumpets:

Revelation 8:2 | KJV [book]

And I saw the seven angels which stood before God; and to them were given seven trumpets.

Revelation 8:6 | KJV [book]

And I saw the seven angels which stood before God; and to them were given seven trumpets.

But we also know that “7 angels” are mentioned as the “7 angels of the seven churches”:

Revelation 1:20 | KJV [book]

The mystery of the seven stars which thou sawest in my right hand, and the seven golden candlesticks. The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches: and the seven candlesticks which thou sawest are the seven churches.

And as we learned in the previous part: The candle stick with seven lights represents the whole body of Christ. The stars are the lights on the candle sticks, giving light as stars in the darkness.

The light is the word of God:

Psalms 119:105 | KJV [book]

Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.

And that light gives by the word of God, the knowledge of the glory of God:

2 Corinthians 4:6 | KJV [book]

For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

And we are that light as well (but only by Jesus Christ because He is that light and that glory)

Ephesians 5:8 | KJV [book]

For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light:

Hopefully, I pray to God that you may see now how the seven angels of the churches (who are the seven stars) bring the word of God through light and by the sounding of trumpets. The same who represent the Church also sound God’s trumpets in the Book of Revelation.

Yet there are seven churches mentioned in Revelation, they represent the whole Church, and so do the seven angels. The seven needs to be seen as a “cardinal number” (there were literally seven churches) as well an ordinal number (7 spiritual “parts” who form the whole body of Christ).

The conclusion is that we take part, as the whole body of Christ, in the sounding of the seven trumpets of God, as priests like those at Jericho; And when the last trumpet sounds, the walls come tumbling down, and That Great City (Babylon) is defeated and destroyed. We partake in the whole process and cannot be raptured out before it’s done or halfway; that would not be in line with the examples God laid for us in the scriptures, just like Joshua and Jericho.

▫️ Separation at the very last moment

Even so, like Rahab in Jericho, was Lot and his family in Sodom until the very last moment, when the two angels (similar to the two spies in Jericho) lead them out. Lot barely escaped and was not raptured before the angels came to get him out:

Luke 17:28-30 | KJV [book]

Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded; But the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all. Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed.

On the same day, Sodom was destroyed.

When the Son of Man (Jesus) is revealed, He comes down with great wrath. This is why God keeps on calling people to come out of Babylon (her) until the very last moment, before the 7th trumpet sounds:

Revelation 18:4 | KJV [book]

And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues.

And eventually, “the city” is destroyed by fire, and the “honorable vessels” are brought into the house of God:

Joshua 6:4 | KJV [book]

And the young men that were spies went in, and brought out Rahab, and her father, and her mother, and her brethren, and all that she had; and they brought out all her kindred, and left them without the camp of Israel. And they burnt the city with fire, and all that was therein: only the silver, and the gold, and the vessels of brass and of iron, they put into the treasury of the house of the LORD.

The fire is a purification, like the cleansing of the temple from vessels that don’t belong:

2 Timothy 2:19-21 | KJV [book]

Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his. And, Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity. But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of earth; and some to honour, and some to dishonour. If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for the master’s use, and prepared unto every good work.

And this cleansing is done until the very last moment, till the Lord’s return. Just as the vessels are being separated between honorable and dishonorable, so is the wheat (honorable) and the tares (dishonorable) separated at the very last moment; the barn represents the house of God and the burning as the Day of the Lord and the Lake of Fire.

Revelation 14:14-16 | KJV [book]

And I looked, and behold a white cloud, and upon the cloud one sat like unto 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 that sat on the cloud, Thrust in thy sickle, and reap: for the time is come for thee to reap; for the harvest of the earth is ripe. And he that sat on the cloud thrust in his sickle on the earth; and the earth was reaped.

The Son of man (Jesus Christ) separates at His return. This separation is impossible if the wheat (honorable vessels) was removed in a “secret” rapture. Jesus returns at the last trump of God, a shout and the voice of an angel, in the same way, that Joshua conquered Jericho and burned the city at the 7th and last trumpet, and a great shout:

1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 | KJV [book]

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: 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.

What is “the conclusion” of this lengthy study? For this, I’m going to quote a passage from the Lord explaining exactly how it all comes to pass:

Matthew 24:4-13 | KJV [book]

⁴ And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you. ⁵ For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many. ⁶ And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. ⁷ For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places. ⁸ All these are the beginning of sorrows.

⁹ Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name’s sake. ¹⁰ And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another. ¹¹ And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many. ¹² And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. ¹³ But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.

¹⁴ And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.

To start with verse 4, I want to press this on your heart: “Take heed that no man deceive you“; The Lord knew and forewarned us what would happen regarding this one of the most debated topics in recent Church history. Every born-again believer in Christ has to duty to discern everything he or she consumes; and only by the word of God may we be able to do this, by the Grace of God to open our eyes & ears to the truth, through the Holy Spirit working in us. We tend to defend certain doctrines we have once learned and do not quickly look a 2nd time, or a 3rd; that’s within our sinful nature to do as less work as possible; in other cases, we may have preached or taught certain doctrines to others that at a particular time seemed, by the revelation of God in His word, that things don’t fit as we thought it would. The fear of losing face, shame, or losing a position may keep us from embracing the truth. The latter, I believe, is one of the several reasons why there are teachers and preachers not speaking the truth; and a part will do the “things” to suppress or remove the voices that prophecy against these doctrines & dogmas. Those who read this and are convicted, don’t turn away your eyes and ears! The Lord is gracious to convict us all, and we should embrace it full-heartedly while it is yet day (light):

Hebrews 3:15 | KJV [book]

While it is said, To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts, as in the provocation.

When the Lord says that no man should deceive us, we always need to include ourselves in this, besides the hordes of false teachers & prophets:

Jeremiah 17:9 | KJV [book]

The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?

And especially when it comes to bad news.

When the Lord says in verse 9 of Matthew 24: “Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name’s sake.“, our heart wants to speak against it. There is no greater tribulation than to suffer and be killed; it troubles us deep inside. I know for a fact, knowing myself, that many reject the idea of the possibility of having to go through these tribulations and want to believe that the Lord would never allow His servants to go through this; bet He honestly states the opposite:

John 16:33 | KJV [book]

These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.

The fact that Jesus says we will have tribulation should make us think twice before making claims He would not let us go through “The Great Tribulation”.

When the flood destroyed the world, Noah was with his family on a ship right in the middle of one of the greatest catastrophes in our history; He wasn’t raptured out and surely did not have a pleasant boat ride, as so to speak, but they were spared nonetheless. When the plagues came upon Egypt, Moses, and God’s people were right in the middle; while those plagues didn’t affect them, the Pharaoh hardened his heart and made it a tough time for them. Rahab and her family were in Jericho when the walls came down, and the city was set on fire; they lost their home but nonetheless were spared. Vexed by the world’s great sins, Lot lost his home, his wife, and his sons-in-law; only he and his two daughters survived the wrath on Sodom and surrounding cities. The apostles received the prophecies of our Lord Jesus Christ that the Kingdom of God had arrived, yet they suffered greatly and were killed, preaching the Gospel of the Kingdom. And when the Romans attacked & leveled Jerusalem in 70ad many believers escaped the city, but had to leave their homes behind. Time & time again, we see in the scriptures that the world is afflicting God’s people, but also that the faithful remnant always escapes the wrath of God.

1 Thessalonians 5:9 | KJV [book]

For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ,

Let us look again to the passage of Matthew 24:

Matthew 24:4-13 | KJV [book]

⁴ And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you. ⁵ For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many. ⁶ And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. ⁷ For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places. ⁸ All these are the beginning of sorrows.

⁹ Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name’s sake. ¹⁰ And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another. ¹¹ And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many. ¹² And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. ¹³ But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.

¹⁴ And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.

The Lord is marking a starting point of the beginning of the tribulations, makes a summation of what will happen, and marks the end as well.

When the Gospel has been preached throughout the world, we see that that will mark the end of the troubles for the Church. In the part of the two witnesses we saw that a certain amount of believers are killed for the testimony of Christ, which is also in line with this passage of Matthew 24 (as well in Luke 21 and Mark 13).

God will wait with His final wrath until all the trumpets have been blown, resembling the preaching of God’s word. His grace towards the unbeliever is that great, that we, who were once that sinner, may have to go through tribulation. For each believer, life and the walk with Christ look different; it is impossible to say whether we must go through such hardships. One thing we have to remember though that suffering is promised, and ordained by God besides faith:

Philippians 1:29 | KJV [book]

For unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for his sake;

And as suffering is given on behalf of Christ, so should we have tribulation. Paul writes to the Thessalonians:

1 Thessalonians 3:4 | KJV [book]

For verily, when we were with you, we told you before that we should suffer tribulation; even as it came to pass, and ye know.

In faith we look forward to the great prize that awaits us after the tribulations:

Romans 8:18-23 | KJV [book]

For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.

May the Lord give us the faith and strength to overcome it all, as He overcame it for us.

▫️ The moment of the rapture on Earth’s timeline? 

You may undoubtedly have come to the conclusion that this study is about something other than date setting, or making prophecies about earthly timelines. The knowledge and wisdom for us to receive are written down in the scriptures. The timing is clear and has been described in detail – which only a part has been addressed here –  but it’s from God’s perspective, not ours.

The Lord says this about it:

Mark 13:32 | KJV [book]

But of that day and that hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father.

Let us have that faith and await patiently for the Lord’s return, praying and watching always:

 Hebrews 11:1 | KJV [book]

Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

And comfort one another:

1 Thessalonians 4:17-18 | KJV [book]

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. Wherefore comfort one another with these words.

May the Lord our God bless & keep you all!