I had used my formerly posted argument in a comment to Paul Henebury’s blog. It concerned the Apostle Paul’s teachings about the need to have an understanding of being in Christ when considering the the Rapture’s timing. If you follow this blog you know that argument. This was his response on his blog.

So, we can see how a theologian who is responding to that comment has reacted to what I said using, I believe, a valid argument from Scripture. So, obviously he needs more information so I will proceed to a second overlooked teaching of Paul’s in hopes of causing him to understand where I am with scriptures teaching on the rapture.

In Romans 11, Paul is teaching us to be aware of God’s making use of Israel’s long lived transgression in order to bring blessing to us Gentiles. Obviously we Gentiles were not blessed as a people unless we were to find the Messiah sent for them, who would be Jesus and His salvation extended to us.

Paul makes clear that this blessing was originally for Israel, but it came to us as a result of their rejection. He then asks an important question: “how much more (of a blessing to we Gentiles who have received this blessing) will their (Israel’s own) fullness be? He then in verse 14 states his purpose, which is to make jealous and bring salvation to at least some of the Jews of Israel.

From this chapter it is also made clear that Paul is well informed that Israel will not be saved until God is done with His offer of salvation to the world and thus until every last Gentile, who will turn to Christ has done so. So when he asks: Romans 11:15 For if their [present] rejection [of salvation] is for the reconciliation of the world [to God], what will their acceptance [of salvation] be but [nothing less than] life from the dead? (AMP)

Paul makes clear in this chapter that he knows his Scripture. He knows as we do that once the Tribulation is complete that then this age of mortal man’s reign is over for both Gentiles and Jews. He further knows that God only saves Israel’s 1/3 remnant as Zachariah informs us after this very last Gentile, who will hear is safely in the fold. That means that it’s down to the wire. Listen:

Hosea 5:15 I will go away and return to My place [on high] Until they acknowledge their offense [and] bear their guilt and seek My face; In their distress they will earnestly seek Me, [saying,] (AMP)

Then we here just two verses later in the same chapter:

Hosea 6:2 “After two days He will revive us; On the third day He will raise us up That we may live before Him. (AMP)

What scripture is telling us is that once Israel calls on Jesus at the end of God’s two days; then He will return after that to set up His Day or our part in Christ’s millennial kingdom of 1000 years or one of God’s days.

Paul certainly knew this if we know it. So what exactly did he mean when he stated in Roman’s 11:15 that Israel’s salvation would mean for the world’s blessed or saved “life from the dead”? You guessed it: it has to be resurrection. For at this time this is the only blessing left for the saved of the world —most of whom are now, dead. If not dead they are in the midst of Tribulation. Because it is from the Tribulation (the Time of Jacob’s trouble) that Israel is finally saved, and that only after the last Gentile is saved; then therefore these saved Gentiles and Jews of this world can only be further blessed at this point in God’s timing at the end of Tribulation by the resurrection (life from the dead).

So in conclusion this presentation of information by Paul the Apostle is telling us if my understanding is correct —that the Gentiles who are blessed by Israel’s rejection will encounter their final blessing of resurrection when Israel’s final remnant is saved out of the time of Jacob’s trouble, and that blessing will encompass all saved Gentiles and Jews over a two thousand year span, who await their resurrection, and will be immediately followed by the Rapture of those who at the time remain alive.

Another obvious overlooked conclusion that we can draw from Paul’s teaching concerns his expectations for the return of Christ. We will look at that tomorrow.