Recently I was presented a question on a social media site as: Is the word Rapture a True or False teaching?
Those that know me, know that I love great, thoughtful questions. This is one, if someone really wants to know.
Isaiah 51:16 And I have put My words in thy mouth, and have covered thee in the shadow of My hand, that I may plant the heavens, and lay the foundations of the earth, and say unto Zion: ‘Thou art My people.’
This is where I started. I should include some other parts of the conversation, but more than that, the question and answer should include all of the information in the Tanakh.
So here we go.
How is the word in question “rapture” defined.
Exactly what is the rapture? The rapture is not the removal of the faithful prior to the destruction of the Heavens and the Earth?
What exactly are you talking about?
The word ‘Rapture” in not in the Tanakh(Old Testament). And those leaders in the new testament also declare that the word is not in the bible.
Rapture (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rapture)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia presents this starter:
In Christian eschatology the rapture refers to the predicted end time event when all Christian believers—living and resurrected dead—will rise into the sky and join Christ for eternity
Billy Graham Evangelistic Association: https://billygraham.org/answer/what-is-the-rapture/
Answers as:
There are many Christians who believe that the second coming of Jesus Christ will be in two phases. First He will come for believers, both living and dead, in the “rapture”; read 1 Thessalonians 4:13-17. In this view, the rapture—which is the transformation and catching up of all Christians, dead or alive, to meet Christ in the air—will be secret, for it will be unknown to the world of unbelievers at the time of its happening.
So this is the religion and origin of the word. Is it the actual source of the idea. No!
In the TANAKH(TA=Torah(Law and Teachings), NA=Nevi’im(Prophets), KH=Ketuvim(Writings)), the word rapture does not exist. However, the action from which the idea comes, is declared. Like in:
Isaiah 51:16 And I have put My words in thy mouth, and have covered thee in the shadow of My hand, that I may plant the heavens, and lay the foundations of the earth, and say unto Zion: ‘Thou art My people.’
{Let us take a moment here to think about verse 16 above. “cover thee in the shadow of My hand” this is taken and protected but from what? A new heavens and a new earth? So, something happened to the Old Heavens and the Earth. So who is in the shadow of HIS HAND, Zion:’Thou art My people’, hence these are the Children of the Almighty.}
I prefer the prophets, but many others like (From Writings) Psalms. So let us look at Psalms 121, the Song of Acents.
Psalms 121: 5 The LORD declared; the LORD is thy shade upon thy right hand. 6 The sun shall not smite thee by day, nor the moon by night.
This chapter is used in the High Holy Days Liturgy in Judaism. I have for the longest time, wonder about the phrase: “Nor the moon by night”. How can the Moon smite thee by night?
Then I found:
Isaiah 30: 25 And there shall be upon every lofty mountain, and upon every high hill streams and watercourses, in the day of the great slaughter, when the towers fall. 26 Moreover the light of the moon shall be as the light of the sun, and the light of the sun shall be sevenfold, as the light of the seven days, in the day that the LORD bindeth up the bruise of His people, and healeth the stroke of their wound.
Yes, I am bouncing around in the Tanakh. You should observe that, there is no single place which spells out all of the prophecies and teachings. Even more important, it would be good to keep in mind that except for Moses, every prophet of the ALMIGHTY receives visions and dreams which must be interpreted by the Prophet.
How do Prophets get the Word?
“Numbers 13: 6 And He said: ‘Hear now My words: if there be a prophet among you, I the LORD do make Myself known unto him in a vision, I do speak with him in a dream. 7 My servant Moses is not so; he is trusted in all My house; 8 with him do I speak mouth to mouth, even manifestly, and not in dark speeches; and the similitude of the LORD doth he behold; wherefore then were ye not afraid to speak against My servant, against Moses?’”
Here is how the LORD test Jeremiah, a Prophet all his life, the LORD says,
“Jeremiah 1:
5 Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee, and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee; I have appointed thee a prophet unto the nations.” And,
“9 Then the LORD put forth His hand, and touched my mouth; and the LORD said unto me: Behold, I have put My words in thy mouth;”
Even so a test by the LORD, is performed.
“Jeremiah 1:
11 Moreover the word of the LORD came unto me, saying: ‘Jeremiah, what seest thou?’ And I said: ‘I see a rod of an almond-tree.’
12 Then said the LORD unto me: ‘Thou hast well seen; for I watch over My word to perform it.’
13 And the word of the LORD came unto me the second time, saying: ‘What seest thou?’ And I said: ‘I see a seething pot; and the face thereof is from the north.’
14 Then the LORD said unto me: ‘Out of the north the evil shall break forth upon all the inhabitants of the land.
15 For, lo, I will call all the families of the kingdoms of the north, saith the LORD; and they shall come, and they shall set every one his throne at the entrance of the gates of Jerusalem, and against all the walls thereof round about, and against all the cities of Judah.” . . . .
I call your attention to the two tests in 11 – 15, for The LORD is keeping the Law that on the witness of TWO or more shall you know the matter, is fulfilled.
In this we are shown that not only is Jeremiah a Prophet of the ALMIGHTY, with words placed in his mouth by the LORD, and interpretation is required. Only with Moses is a Direct Communication given so that clear meaning is understood.
Back to the events from which, these ideas came into our discussion.
This first is not exactly rapture material, because the righteous perish, at least that is what appears to happen to those remaining. Yet, they are in the shadow of HIS Hand, indicates protected or being hidden, even taken away before the New Heavens and New Earth come is consistent(Isaiah 51:16). So Isaiah 51:16 could be viewed as a rapture.
I did not include the Psalms 121 in that, as it does not qualify as a Prophecy.
Isaiah 13:
5 They come from a far country, from the end of heaven, even the LORD, and the weapons of His indignation, to destroy the whole earth.
6 Howl ye; for the day of the LORD is at hand; as destruction from the Almighty shall it come.
7 Therefore shall all hands be slack, and every heart of man shall melt.
8 And they shall be affrighted; pangs and throes shall take hold of them; they shall be in pain as a woman in travail; they shall look aghast one at another; their faces shall be faces of flame.
9 Behold, the day of the LORD cometh, cruel, and full of wrath and fierce anger; to make the earth a desolation, and to destroy the sinners thereof out of it,
So in verse 9 above, “to make the earth a desolation, and to destroy the sinners thereof out of it,” So, where are the Righteous? They are not on the earth now.
Isaiah 57:
1 The righteous perisheth, and no man layeth it to heart, and godly men are taken away, none considering that the righteous is taken away from the evil to come.
2 He entereth into peace, they rest in their beds, each one that walketh in his uprightness.
**wicked deeds are here until verse 18**
Treatment of the Righteous follows:
18 I have seen his ways, and will heal him; I will lead him also, and requite with comforts him and his mourners.
19 Peace, peace, to him that is far off and to him that is near, saith the LORD that createth the fruit of the lips; and I will heal him.
Treatment of the wicked follows:
20 But the wicked are like the troubled sea; for it cannot rest, and its waters cast up mire and dirt.
21 There is no peace, saith my God concerning the wicked.
For me this generates a different observation. That being, that we do not Know what this will look like to those still on the earth.
Zephaniah the prophet wrote not only a short three chapter book, the WORD he writes is very concise and to the point.
Zephaniah 1: 2 I will utterly consume all things from off the face of the earth, saith the LORD. (– That is to the POINT!)
3 I will consume man and beast, I will consume the fowls of the heaven, and the fishes of the sea, and the stumblingblocks with the wicked; and I will cut off man from off the face of the earth, saith the LORD.
4 And I will stretch out My hand upon Judah, and upon all the inhabitants of Jerusalem; and I will cut off the remnant of Baal from this place, and the name of the idolatrous priests with the priests;
5 And them that worship the host of heaven upon the housetops; and them that worship, that swear to the LORD and swear by Malcam;
6 Them also that are turned back from following the LORD; and those that have not sought the LORD, nor inquired after Him. (–So the intent and cause has been spell out.)
7 Hold thy peace at the presence of the Lord GOD; for the day of the LORD is at hand, for the LORD hath prepared a sacrifice, He hath consecrated His guests.”
{Because this is doing something different and I will need to spend time studying this one. For example, in running the parts of this verse through translators I find this verse like this: “Quiet, at the presence of the LORD GOD, for the Day of the LORD at hand, For the LORD hath healed the sacrifice of his holy ones” Specifically DoItInHebrew.com translates the Last as :”For the LORD hath healed the sacrifice of his holy books”. This also makes sense, when we review the “Book The Lord is Keeping”. In short Exodus 32:32 Yet now, if Thou wilt forgive their sin–; and if not, blot me, I pray Thee, out of Thy book which Thou hast written.’ 33 And the LORD said unto Moses: ‘Whosoever hath sinned against Me, him will I blot out of My book. This last would validate the bold line above.}
From 8 until the 18, we are retold what is coming.
18 Neither their silver nor their gold shall be able to deliver them in the day of the LORD’S wrath; but the whole earth shall be devoured by the fire of His jealousy; for He will make an end, yea, a terrible end, of all them that dwell in the earth.
When we look at Chapter 2, we see “3 Seek ye the LORD, all ye humble of the earth, that have executed His ordinance; seek righteousness, seek humility. It may be ye shall be hid in the day of the LORD’S anger.” An escape is given here.
Zephaniah. is only three chapters so while we are here, let us look at this: “3: 8 Therefore wait ye for Me, saith the LORD, until the day that I rise up to the prey; for My determination is to gather the nations, that I may assemble the kingdoms, to pour upon them Mine indignation, even all My fierce anger; for all the earth shall be devoured with the fire of My jealousy.” Again destruction, explicitly identified. This chapter has a lot more detail about after the earth is devoured.
Lots of warnings there, if one would hear.
Daniel 12:
1 And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince who standeth for the children of thy people; and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time; and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book.
2 And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to reproaches and everlasting abhorrence.
3 And they that are wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn the many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever.
Here we have a vision of Daniel’s where those “Found in the book” are delivered. The book is found in “Exodus 32:32 Yet now, if Thou wilt forgive their sin–; and if not, blot me, I pray Thee, out of Thy book which Thou hast written.’
33 And the LORD said unto Moses: ‘Whosoever hath sinned against Me, him will I blot out of My book.
34 And now go, lead the people unto the place of which I have spoken unto thee; behold, Mine angel shall go before thee; nevertheless in the day when I visit, I will visit their sin upon them.’”
I included verse 34, because of the Statement: “nevertheless in the day when I visit, I will visit their sin upon them.” This the day when I visit” seems very much the end of days.
So does HE mean it? What do you think?
Isaiah 55:
11 So shall My word be that goeth forth out of My mouth: it shall not return unto Me void, except it accomplish that which I please, and make the thing whereto I sent it prosper.
I would have to say that what is described could be called a rapture, though it is not named as such. It appears that to held in the Shadow of HIS hand, is very well protected, for the destruction of the Heavens and the Earth.
General Observation.
This you should know to meet this: “Zephaniah 1:6 Them also that are turned back from following the LORD; and those that have not sought the LORD, nor inquired after Him.”
The Covenants in the Written Torah(Written by the Hand Of Moses), are the LORD’S Contract with HIS PEOPLE. First are the Children of Jacob, Isaac and Abraham that are meant to demonstrate the LORD to a world which does not know the ALMIGHTY, but really the Convenants a for anyone that 1) Accepts their GOD as GOD, 2) Keep All Of HIS LAWS and TEACHINGS, 3) If you are a Male, Circumcised( also a contract), this last is placing in your Flesh a declaration that You Are the LORD’S and HE IS YOUR GOD. That is the original meaning.
Religion should be only about showing others these five things: 1) Who is GOD; 2) What does HE WANT; 3) How am I to treat those near me(family, friends, community, . . .; 4) How am I to Treat those that are Not near me; 5) Knowledge That I am Responsible to protect everyone from what I DO. As in, I dig a pit and do not fence or cover the pit and something falls in and dies, I am responsible because I did not protect others from Me.
It just so happens that those same five things are the Sum Total of the Written TORAH, by the Hand Of Moses. Everything else is How and why to DO IT.
This information you will not get from any religion I have ever seen or heard. Hence, My statement that religion is by man to control man and has only a passing touch of truth to make it palatable(o.k. a little harsh, they start with the Word Of GOD in the Written TORAH, and then change the meanings and remove what is not liked and add the things they want to be there. This has been the process. ) The Written Torah does not change and THE LAWS and TEACHINGS do not Change, last, what Will happen to good and bad will happen, because it was each persons choice regarding What Life or Death they will receive.
It is time to change your outcome. How? Like this:
Isaiah 55:7 Let the wicked forsake his way, and the man of iniquity his thoughts; and let him return unto the LORD, and He will have compassion upon him, and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon.
This was one many in the Prophets. Moses also declares these things throughout the Written Torah.
Don’t have a Tanakh? Try this one: Tanakh Hebrew/English
Is anyone listening? You still have breath and life, you can return and repair your deeds. You just need to Do It Right, while you have time.
I can not save you, no one can., you must Return and do that which is Right.
I can show you the way, if you want to know.
IT is to our benefit to HEARKEN until the LIVING GOD OF ISHRAEL/ISRAEL, and to our pain and shame to do otherwise.
My prayer is that The LORD grant you eyes that see, ears that hear and an understanding heart, then you return unto HIM soon!(Isaiah 6: 9 And He said: ‘Go, and tell this people: hear ye indeed, but understand not; and see ye indeed, but perceive not. 10 Make the heart of this people fat, and make their ears heavy, and shut their eyes; lest they, seeing with their eyes, and hearing with their ears, and understanding with their heart, return, and be healed.’)
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Shalom,
Yaakov