By Eric Teitelman, House of David Ministries—-
The Apostle Paul told the church, “Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed—in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed” (1 Corinthians 15:51-52, NKJV).
This verse provides the strongest argument for an instantaneous future transformation of the believer from corruptible to imperishable bodies. The word commonly used to describe this mysterious event is “Rapture,” taken from the Latin verb rapio meaning “to catch up” or “take away.” The Latin was translated from the Greek word harpazō (ἁρπάζω), and Koine Greek rapiemur (ἁρπαγησόμεθα), meaning we shall be “caught up” or “taken away.”
I have heard people say the word itself is not in the Bible; therefore, it is not an actual event. True, this precise word is not in scripture because the Bible was written in Greek, not Latin. But Paul tells us that a sudden rapiemur or harpazō, catching away of the believers, will take place at the time of the resurrection. And it will happen very suddenly without any prevenient warning or sign at the blowing of the last trumpet.
So, the question is not whether the rapture is an actual event. It is real. We should be asking, “when is it likely to occur?” I say likely, because Yeshua declared, “But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only” (Matthew 24:36). However, Paul gave us a bread crumb of information when he said, “the last trumpet.” So, a better question to ask is, “when is the last trumpet going to be blown according to scripture?”
To answer this question, we will first study the New Testament, specifically the book of Revelation. And then, compare verses in Revelation to the Old Testament, primarily the book of Daniel.
TIMING OF THE RAPTURE
It is written, “Then the seventh angel sounded: And there were loud voices in heaven, saying, “The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever!” (Revelation 11:15).
This verse in Revelation could hint at the timing of the rapture, given there are no other trumpets mentioned after this chapter. This would place the rapture near, but not necessarily at the end of the tribulation.
However, there is no mention of the resurrection or the rapture. Therefore, I believe the seventh angel is merely declaring that Christ has taken His rightful possession of the kingdoms of this world. This verse in Revelation is commonly linked to the Festival of Trumpets and the return of Christ. Affirming this understanding, the rabbis tell us that on the Festival of Trumpets, we are crowning God as King of all creation—the coronation of our Messiah.
A few days later, on the Day of the Lord, Yeshua returns to the Mount of Olives to destroy the nations that came against His people, Israel. At that time, He will also establish His eternal Kingdom. We read, “Behold, the day of the Lord is coming… For I will gather all the nations to battle against Jerusalem… And in that day His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, Which faces Jerusalem on the east… Thus the Lord my God will come, And all the saints with You… And the Lord shall be King over all the earth. In that day it shall be—The Lord is one, And His name one” (Zechariah 14:1-9).
Post tribulation theologians surmise that the resurrection and rapture will occur immediately before the return of Christ, where the church will be instantly caught up to meet the Lord in the air and then nearly as quickly return with Him to Jerusalem. Continue Reading….
