The Raptures timing (I think) is made pretty clear: from the teachings and events recorded in Scripture.

We begin our journey with Paul. Many years ago, I saw this for the first time in Scripture and it was this thought of Paul’s coupled with a few others that set me on a course seeking for answers:

1 Corinthians 15:21 For since by man came death (speaking of Adam), by man ((speaking of Christ) came also the resurrection of the dead. (KJV)

This section of verses from which this comes, tells us that only by this one man (Christ Jesus) will any man be eligible for the resurrection, leading to eternal life. This life for all saved men would come only in Christ, even as only the one man Adam, had sinned and caused all us humans to fall. But, how can men living before Christ’s time know Him unto salvation and be in Him? Because that is what this says. So, I asked God that question. And a new journey began.

Matthew 12:40 For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale’s belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. (KJV)

So exactly where did Jesus go?

Luke 23:43 And Jesus said unto him [the thief on the cross], Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise. (KJV)

Hum, paradise? What intrigued me from these verses was the fact that, this places paradise in the heart or belly of the earth before Jesus death is not there now. And it is where Jesus had told us that Abraham and the saints resided in the Lazarus and the rich man account. But on that very day of Jesus death, the thief entered this space paradise with Jesus. Paradise had apparently been moved when Adam sinned in order to protect man from eating of the tree of life in its midst. We are told this in Genesis surrounding Adam’s story. This tree of life was in the midst of the garden. It was somehow put under protection of Angelic beings so that men could not eat of it (this tree) in its midst and thus live forever in their sin. This tree is also later seen in paradise in heaven after Jesus had risen. But, by Jesus statement on the cross, we are informed where paradise was located at the time of Jesus death. It was in the belly of the earth where He would reside for the next three days, and the thief would be with Him. “Today Thou shalt be with me in paradise”.

Peter tells us that Jesus went there to what was considered captured (a prison). He preached there. This must have been Paradise, where He was in the Spirit and while there He preached to the dead? This message, even reached the lost of Noah’s day (for all the dead are in this location, at that time), separated by the great gulf. According to Paul in 1 Cor. 15, Jesus redemption had to reach all the way back to Adam. For as in one man… so, if they heard His message certainly those in paradise (where He was) must have also heard. These to whom we are told that He preached were not necessarily in paradise, but if He was there, did not those in Paradise also hear Him?

We need more information to know if those in paradise heard His message and believed. He was the only One who would deliver them from the belly of the earth, And we do find that this He did. Paul explains that He did.

Understanding where paradise was (in the belly of the earth) impacts our understanding (doctrine) concerning these events. For Heaven would later receive paradise if we will but hear it. But at the time of the preaching, it was not there yet. Listen:

John 20:17 Jesus saith unto her, Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father: but go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and to my God, and your God. (KJV)

This is what Jesus stated to Mary, after His resurrection. It was then very soon after these three days and nights in the belly of the earth (paradise) that He spoke with Mary. He had not yet been to Heaven.

The proof of the relocation of Paradise into Heaven is seen in Paul’s later visit there. Listen:

2 Corinthians 12:2 I knew a man in Christ above fourteen years ago, (whether in the body, I cannot tell; or whether out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth;) such an one caught up to the third heaven. 3 And I knew such a man, (whether in the body, or out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth;) 4 How that he was caught up into paradise, and heard unspeakable words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter. (KJV)

These verses prove that paradise had been relocated into the third heaven soon after Jesus resurrection, thus, before the time, when Paul was caught up. Further, Scripture tells us how this all transpired:

Ephesians 4:8 Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men. (KJV)

These verses are the threads knitting the Scripture’s story together. They are informing us of this fact that all men from all of history will see the resurrection to eternal life but only through the one man Jesus Christ. All who have died and have gone before us on this earth and all who will come after us meaning all who are now in Christ and all who ever will be in Christ are saved and therefore in this same Christ: this one man. There should be no question about this fact. Scripture is clear.

◦ So will we the Church also see paradise if and when we die? Obviously one would think that to be the case since Jesus took the thief there, a saved man, on the very day of his death. In fact one could say that this nameless thief was the very first to be placed into Christ’s Church. Then, afterward we have the Old Testament souls from Paradise being placed in Christ upon His preaching to them while He was there in Paradise.

◦ These then up until that time were being held in prison in the center of the earth and they needed Their savior. They knew that He was present on earth. Lazarus the brother of Mary and Martha would have shared this news. And John the Baptist, who Jesus called Elijah, had certainly prepared the way for His coming to them (a crucified Savior). This is all just as the scriptures teach.

Now here was Jesus. They hear His preaching and soon are all delivered into the third heaven as Jesus has led captivity captive (Eph 4). This then is the beginning of Jesus Church, which He stated to His Disciples that He would build. It included all Old Testament saints. This further is explained by two verses:

Revelation 2:7 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God. (KJV)

Jesus says that He will give to eat of that tree. First we need to know that we in this life (in Him) are destined for paradise where He will feed us from the tree of life. Then: we must know that overcoming in this life means to live and to die obedient in the faith:

Acts 2:36 Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ. (KJV)

Peter made sure in his Acts sermons that Israel’s Jews knew that Christ was their savior and Messiah. From here on every man whether Jew or Gentile must be saved through Israel’s Christ, and they must be in Hin in order to meet the resurrection requirement (1 Cor 15.)

Acts 2:47 Praising God, and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved. (KJV)

Salvation is in no other.

Acts 2:41 So then, those who had received his word were baptized; and that day there were added about three thousand souls. (NASB2020)

These were added to the Church on the day of Pentecost. So we must see that this is also telling us that the Church had already begun even before Pentecost even as Peter and Paul have explained, how that paradise was the first to be saved making them (those in paradise) part of Jesus’ Church, even as the thief had been saved (placed in Christ) even before Pentecost. So then the wording 3000 “added” on that day: “Pentecost” now makes sense. Pentecost was only the beginning of being in the Church for those who were still alive. But those who had died and gone before were placed in His Church first by Christ. He took them to the third heaven when He ascended to the Father before Pentecost.

Jesus had said: “no one comes to the Father but by Me” Jesus made no distinction between Old Testament and New Testament persons. Or between a Church age and a Tribulation period. He made no distinction between Jew and Gentile. He stated it as Scripture reveals it.

Hosea 5:15 I will go away [and] return to My place Until they acknowledge their guilt and seek My face; In their affliction they will earnestly seek Me. (NASB1995)

During Tribulation’s coming men must be saved this same way, added to the church. So if every man who is saved during the Tribulation is “in Christ”, and therefore most of these if not all will die at the hand of Antichrist, because they will not take the mark and worship the beast, then as such these all must be raised (resurrected) with those who have died and are now in Paradise. And Paul says clearly that this will happen before the Rapture can occur. So The Rapture is post Tribulation.

1 Thessalonians 4:16 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of [the] archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. (NASB2020)

This then creates other questions which must be answered.

One being: who then will Christ and His Bride rule over if all of Tribulations saved are either dead or raptured? The answer is found in Matt. 25 concerning the Sheep and Goat judgment. These, who Christ is judging are all mortals left on earth after Christ has returned. They obviously know nothing of the Scriptures much less of Salvation. The sheep are allowed into the kingdom prepared for them because during the Tribulation, which in Jesus telling, had just passed, they had helped Jesus’ own brethren, who were unable to buy and sell during that time of the Antichrist rule. These had not been alive to help your dead relatives, as is often preached. These are those left on the earth after Jesus’ returns, and they will be ruled over for a thousand years by Christ and His Bride (His brethren). If this is not correct then you would have to conclude that Jesus had taught here concerning the judgment of nations that salvation was by works and not by believing in Him—the one man Jesus the Christ. These then also must come to be in Christ during the Millennium; otherwise they will join the rebellion at the end of the Millennium. For, to have them to be saved by works would be in total opposition (contradicting) to Scriptures teaching of all men’s need to be in Christ.

The next question that may be posed by this understanding is: who then can be raptured, if all who do not worship the beast are killed? The answer to this begins with Paul’s understanding of the Old Testament. In Romans 11 he tells us:

Romans 11:25 For I do not want you, brethren, to be uninformed of this mystery–so that you will not be wise in your own estimation–that a partial hardening has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in; (NASB1995)

The fullness of the Gentiles implies that the very last Gentile has been saved after God has given every opportunity, and then God will turn His focus to save all from the nation Israel. In fact Paul goes on to say:

Romans 11:26 and so all Israel will be saved; just as it is written, “THE DELIVERER WILL COME FROM ZION, HE WILL REMOVE UNGODLINESS FROM JACOB.” (NASB1995)

This “all” Jews saved does not refer to every Israelite or Jew who ever lived, but to all, who are alive belonging to Israel in that end time day, which is at a time following the salvation of the last Gentile to come to Christ out of the Tribulation.

During Tribulation Israel will actually be overcome yet one more time before Jesus returns.

Zach 13 implies a war where only 1/3 of Israel will survive because they will flee (it is believed) to Petra in Edom.

In Revelation 12, we see that when Satan is cast to earth, he immediately attempts war on Israel (the woman who birthed Christ). This will occur before Armageddon. And Israel will be taken to her pace of protection. These Jews (it is believed) are taken to Petra in Edom.

It is after the last Gentile has been saved and near the end of the Tribulation that all of Israel, which remains at Petra are again under extreme duress during Armageddon’s battle and they will call upon their Messiah to save them (Hosea 5:15). Remember Jesus had stated to The Jews when He was here on earth: “you will not see me again until you say: blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord.”

Jesus being the Word of God knew what He had prophesied before in O.T. Scriptures: and He being God knows the end from the beginning.

It is likely that from Petra during the battle of Armageddon a unified cry will go up to Jesus the Messiah. For here is what Jesus states being the Word of God concerning Himself in these days of Israel’s deliverance:

Isaiah 63:1 Who is this coming from Bozrah in Edom with his clothes stained bright red? Who is this dressed in splendor, going forward with great strength? “It is I, the LORD. I am coming to announce my victory. I am powerful enough to save [you].”

The people then ask: Vs.2 Why are your clothes red and your garments like those who trample grapes in a winepress?

Jesus answers: Vs. 3 “I have trampled alone in the winepress. No one was with me. In my anger I trampled on people. In my wrath I stomped on them. Their blood splattered my clothes so all my clothing has been stained. 4 I planned the day of vengeance. The year for my reclaiming [you] has come. 5 I looked, but there was no help. I was astounded that there was no [outside] support. So with my own power I won a victory. My anger supported me. 6 In my anger I trampled on people. In my wrath I made them drunk and poured their blood on the ground.” (GOD’S WORD)

This is the beginning of that hour. The hour of which it is said: that you will be kept from that hour Off God’s Wrath. You were never promised to escape Satan’s wrath. The Rapture has not yet happened, because, no one is with Him, and following the Rapture we will always be with the Lord.

These last several verses recount — before it has happened the coming of Jesus to save Israel’s remnant located in Edom. This is to occur on earth before Messiah is seen coming in the sky to rule. He returns in these same blood stained garments (see Revelation 19. Then all Israel will be saved.

It is highly likely that these last ones to be saved (these Jews) will be the only ones left to be Raptured when the resurrection occurs. Only because they were sealed and protected from Satan’s wrath. Others who would not worship the beast were killed.

Jesus prophesied these events in the O.T. And N.T. Scriptures. It is highly unlikely that they will not occur even as He revealed it to Paul. So what does Paul state? Paul here is speaking of Israel:

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)

We know that their salvation will come after the last Gentile is saved. Paul had told us this also in Romans 11. So those remaining of the nation Israel will be the last to be saved, and since there are no more, who are to be saved and added to His bride, then it makes perfect sense for Jesus to go back in His blood stained royal garments and gather his angels; then the elect are called forth in the first resurrection. This resurrection must be followed by the Rapture. Israel’s salvation will yield “life from the dead” or the first resurrection. Paul stated it just that way in his Epistles.

1 Thessalonians 4:15 For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. 16 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: (KJV)

Paul did not stop there for after this first Resurrection of the dead then he says:

1 Thessalonians 4:17 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. (KJV)

Scripture interprets Scriptures when they are put in their logical chronological order.

This blog was created to assist you in understanding your future, and God’s plan for it.

Jesus tells us that persecution and Tribulations will come but we are not to fear them, for He has overcome the world for us. We are to overcome in our little part of it for Him. We are to make Israel jealous (Rom. 11). That is our soul purpose during the Tribulation.