A few years ago, the Holy Spirit opened my eyes to the very moment in the book of Revelation where the Rapture event is revealed, where it takes place in John’s book. This knowledge came to me a couple years before I began Faith and Fasting in 2016.
This was during a season of intense renewal in my life, I had begun daily surrendering myself and asking the Holy Spirit to fill me completely. We purified our home and were learning spiritual warfare and the power of fasting. It was an amazing time of growth in the Lord that continues unfolding His ways and voice in our home.
After a while, I’d forgotten the Rapture revelation, set it on the shelf by the time this blog began. However, night before last, the Lord gave me a dream about the Rapture (which I blogged yesterday), and with it He prompted me to write and proclaim to you what He had previously revealed.
Let’s pray together before we continue:
Lord, we surrender ourselves to You right now. Fill us, Holy Spirit, make us completely Yours. Open the eyes of our minds, hearts and spirits, and show us great and wonderful things from Your word.
Comfort, purify and guide us for the years to come, that we may be found ready, like the bridesmaids with their oil lamps full, instead of like the unprepared who missed the wedding celebration (Matthew 25)!
You ARE the oil, Holy Spirit. We love you! Jesus, we adore You. Father, we’ll be home soon, and we can’t wait! Come quickly, Lord Jesus! Amen.
For years now, there has been controversy about the event called the Rapture. Some say it does not exist. Some say it will happen in the middle of the end time chaos called the tribulation, and some say it could happen at any moment!
I am not sure exactly where I fit into those categories, but I do know there is a Rapture. Hopefully, you will see that my approach is linked to what has already been revealed in God’s word. I’ll leave it up to you to determine with the Lord if this word is from the Holy Spirit.
To begin a Rapture teaching study, we must begin with the two places in Paul’s letters where he refers to the people of God being instantly changed, or transformed. We find the first passage in I Corinthians 15. Let’s read:
1 Corinthians 15:51-52
Behold, I show you a mystery (secret, hidden thing): We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed (transformed), In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye (an instant), at the last trump (sound a trumpet makes): for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.
In two parallel passages, Paul writes to the Thessalonians about the same event:
1 Thessalonians 4:16-17
For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice (tone, noise, sound) of the archangel, and with the trump (trumpet, reverberation) 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.
To comfort his readers, Paul goes on to say in the next chapter that this end time season will seem sudden to most, but they who are soberly watching and waiting for it will not be shocked:
1 Thessalonians 5:2-4
For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night. For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction comes upon them, as travail (birth pains) upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape. But you, brethren (fellow believers), are not in darkness (blindness, obscurity), that that day should overtake you as a thief.
Let’s talk about these passages.
The 1 Corinthian 15 passage is a huge key to the moment of “rapture”. What are the clues?
Clue #1: Paul says he is revealing a mystery, which as you see in the parentheses is defined in the Greek Bible dictionary as a secret or hidden thing being unveiled. And Paul reveals the mystery is this: we in Christ will suddenly all be changed!
Clue #2: Immediately following, in the middle of 1 Corinthians 15:52, he plainly says WHEN it will take place:
At the last Heavenly trumpet blast.
So, basically, in this one short passage, he unfolded the mystery of God’s people, dead and alive, being instantaneously changed happens at the last sound of God’s divine trumpets.
Well, all we have to do is find that last trumpet in Scripture. So, when is it?
This brings us to two passages in Revelation, written by John the apostle while he was exiled on the island of Patmos.
In the first, we see the same two clues as Paul did in Corinthians. 1) A hidden mystery about to be revealed, and 2) in the moment of the last trumpet.
Let’s take a look:
Revelation 10:7
But in the days of the voice (tone, sound) of the seventh angel, when he shall begin to sound (trumpet, sound a blast), the mystery (secret, hidden thing) of God should be finished (complete, performed), as he has declared to his servants the prophets.
The clues in this passage of John’s match those of Paul! The mystery revealed, performed by the last divine trumpet blast. And Paul already told us what would happen in that moment: we will be transformed in the blink of an eye.
We have nothing left but to unearth which trumpet is the last! In Revelation, there are seven trumpets which come out of the seventh seal.
There are NO trumpets mentioned again after the seventh trumpet. The seventh trumpet of Revelation is the last.
We find it in Revelation 11:15. Here it is:
Revelation 11:15
And the seventh angel sounded (trumpet, sound a blast); 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 forever and ever.
Friends, the Holy Spirit opened my eyes to this passage which I’d read in years past, but had never really seen before. Filled, and seeing with the eyes of the Spirit, I finally saw: this verse reveals the very moment we join the Lord in Heaven!
Notice, after that seventh and last trumpet blast, the verse says suddenly, “there were great voices in Heaven”. Sort of sounds as if Heaven had just added millions of new voices, doesn’t it?
Guys, that’s the moment. We will be gone in the blink of an eye, caught up with the Lord and transformed, meet the Lord together in the air!
And we will rejoice, declare together with all voices in Heaven, the kingdoms of this world are now His, because we will come from every kingdom, every tribe and tongue, over whom He shall reign forever!
Last Days Timeline – Final Thoughts
So, you say, if Revelation 11:15 is the moment we are taken up, where is this in the tribulation timeline? What will we go through before we are taken? And what will we escape? Great questions!
If you continue reading Revelation after that verse, you will see we will have been taken up before the end time world leader “beast” who demands everyone take the mark on their hand or forehead. Thank God!
If you think about it, this makes sense. Scripture has warned those who take the mark of the beast will be damned forever. The beast cannot force the people of God to take the mark, because it is impossible for them to be damned. So, of course, God makes sure we are not here for that most evil time.
However, a lot will have happened before the moment of our Rapture in Revelation 11:15. Six of the seven seals will have been opened. Six of the seven trumpets will have sounded, followed by all of the destruction and woes they announce.
At this point, understand Revelation is an ongoing study for me. I will not begin in this post to attempt the whole of it. However, I will comment broadly on understanding its content, and then on one specific thing that is timely and pertinent.
We need to all remember that Revelation is a series of visions given to John. We must treat them as we treat all dreams and visions, as heavily symbolic, not necessarily literal.
Too many scholars have tried to force fit this symbolic book into a series of literal events. I believe it is a mixture of some literal language mixed with a larger amount of symbolism. And in my honest opinion, those not surrendered and filled with the Holy Spirit, and additionally, those not skilled in the interpretation of dreams and visions should not attempt to interpret it.
Now, as to the specific thing I do want to comment on:
In the sixth trumpet, the next to last, notice that plagues are mentioned. Revelation 9:20 says, “And the rest of the men which were not killed by these plagues yet repented not of the works of their hands…”
Two things. One, most people will not connect the destruction happening around them as a sign from God of the need to repent and change. And two, we will be in the midst of plagues, plural.
Is anyone else thinking what I’m thinking, about COVID-19? It is a plague upon mankind, possibly one of many more to come. Or, could it possibly be the last of many in history?
Either way, we are in the last decades, friends. There has never been a better time to purify our lives before Him, sober our minds and be watchful, to surrender ourselves to His Holy Spirit daily. He will comfort, companion and guide us every day to come.
There has also never been a better time for us to pray for and witness to our unsaved friends and family. Realize, it will become harder for them to hear if the culture continues to deny God and continues choosing self-serving idols over our loving Creator.
But, family, what a Revelation! The day of Christ coming for us is inches away on the human history timeline. What a day of reunion and rejoicing that will be, for those of us who have entrusted our hearts to Him!
Stay in Him, our wonderful Savior. He is our refuge and strength, as He has always been for His people.
I pray you are focused, strengthened and encouraged by this word today. Church, bride of Christ, Israel of God… we are in this together.
Until next time, may the Lord bless you and keep you, make His face shine upon you, and give you peace (Numbers 6).
Come quickly, Lord Jesus!
–oneseekingtruth
FAITH AND FASTING 