Subject: when will the rapture take place |
Bible Note: JeffW Great! Good you do think there is going to be a final tribulation or "great" tribulation. Okay let us now go back and look at your reference in Daniel 12:1 (NASB) 1 "Now at that time Michael, the great prince who stands guard over the sons of your people, will arise. And there will be a time of distress such as never occurred since there was a nation until that time; and at that time your people, everyone who is found written in the book, will be rescued. Now to whom was Daniel written to? Was it the church or was it the Jewish people? Notice the wording “a time of distress such as never occurred since there was a nation.” Does the word nation here mean any nation or all nations or just the nation of the Hebrews? Again we have to go back to whom the book was written to. Hopefully we are seeing a pattern Daniel is addressing the Jew and his prophecy concerns the Jew. Now jumping forward to Matt 24 Jesus is saying Matthew 24:14 (NASB) 14 "This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all the nations, and then the end will come. Now this seems to be a talking about the church age since the gospel will be preached in the whole world. But then we see in the next verse Matthew 24:15 (NASB) 15 "Therefore when you see the ABOMINATION OF DESOLATION which was spoken of through Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place (let the reader understand), Now if Daniel’s 70th week has already occurred as you have stated then something is wrong. Or could it be a prophecy that is actually a double prophecy, which we often see in scripture, one that is fulfilled within the flow of prophecy but is also fulfilled later? I think this is the case with Daniel’s week. In any case we know Jesus’ return is after the “Great” tribulation and we know from the wording of the scripture verse 16 it appears all the action if you will is taking place in Judea. But what we don’t know is when the rapture is taking place since this is talking about Jesus’ return not the rapture of the church. However a few things are interesting here. Daniel prophesied it and he was a Jewish prophet writing to the Jew. There is going to be some abomination of desolation take place in the Jewish territory and when they flee from Judea they are to hope it is not in winter or Sabbath. Notice everything is aimed at the Jew and church is conspicuously absent. Perhaps the rapture of the church has taken place. By the way I do agree we here in this country don't know the meaning of tribulation. However Christians in the Sudan, and other northern African nations do. Also in China and other nations when your being persecuted it is hard to argue was this worst than the first century or not. Be blessed EdB |