The Many Caught Up
There are three different divisions that defines the “rapture”, as pre-trib; mid-trib;
post-trib. The pre-trib say that the rapture will happen before the tribulation. The
mid-trib says that the rapture will happen in the middle of the tribulation. The post-
trib says the rapture will happen at the end of the tribulation.
But in reality the correct answer is all of the above. In fact there have been many
caught up through out time.
The word rapture is not found in the Bible in that form, but the word rapture means –
catching away, translated, caught up, pluck, pull, take.
Enoch was the first to be taken by God (Genesis 5:21-23), which says “and Enoch
lived sixty and five years, and fathered Methuselah. And Enoch walked with God
after he fathered Methuselah three hundred years, and fathered sons and
daughters. And all the days of Enoch were three hundred sixty and five years. And
Enoch walked with God and he was not; for God took him”; and in (Hebrews 11:5-6)
it says, “by faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and was not
found, because God had translated him; for before his translation he had this
testimony, that he pleased God. But without faith, it is impossible to please Him, for
he that comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that
diligently seek Him”. Enoch walked with God for three hundred years; Enoch was
the 7th generation from Adam, and Adam was still alive in his time, by faith he
sought God with all his heart, and that pleased God.
Elijah was the next to be taken up. Elijah had completed his work, he prophesied
that it would not rain for three and a half years, and at the end of that time, his
prophecy was that rain would come, and he called the prophets of baal to call upon
their god, and that he would call upon the Lord Yahweh, now after they failed, and
he had them pour water on his sacrifice, and the Lord Yahweh licked up the water
and consumed the sacrifice, the prophets of baal were afraid. Then Elijah killed all
those prophets of baal, but when Jezebel threatened to kill him, he fled and desired
to be die. God called him to anoint Elisha (II Kings 2:1-11) says “and it came to
pass, when the Lord Yahweh would take up Elijah into heaven by a whirlwind, that
Elijah went with Elisha from Gilgal. And Elijah said to Elisha, tarry here, I pray you;
for the Lord Yahweh has sent me to Bethel. And Elisha said to him, as the Lord
Yahweh lives, and as you soul lives, I will not leave you, so they went down to
Bethel. And the sons of the prophets that were at Bethel came forth to Elisha, and
said to him. Know you that the Lord Yahweh will take away your master from your
head today? And he said, Yea, I know it; hold you your peace. And Elijah said to
him, Elisha tarry here, I pray you; for the Lord Yahweh has sent me to Jericho, and
he said, as the Lord Yahweh lives, and as your soul lives, I will not leave you, so
they came to Jericho. And the sons of the prophets that were at Jericho came to
Elisha, and said to him, know you that the Lord Yahweh will take away your master
from your head today? And he answered, Yea, I know it; hold you your peace. And
Elijah said to him, tarry I pray you, here; for the Lord Yahweh has sent me to
Jordan. And he said, as the Lord Yahweh lives, and as your soul lives, I will not
leave you. And they two went on. And fifty men of the sons of the prophets went,
and stood to view afar off; and they two stood by the Jordan. And Elijah took his
mantle, and wrapped it together, and smote the waters, and they were divided here
and there, so that they two went over on dry ground. And it came to pass, when
they were gone over, that Elijah said to Elisha ask what I shall do for you, before I be
taken away from you. And Elisha said, I pray you, let a double portion of your spirit
be upon me. And he said, you have asked a hard thing, nevertheless, if you see me
when I am taken from you; it shall be to you, but if not, it shall not be so. And it
came to pass, as they still went on, and talked, that behold, there appeared a
chariot of fire, and horses of fire, and parted them both asunder; and Elijah went up
by a whirlwind into heaven”.
I read all of that so that you could see that many prophets in different locations knew
that Elijah would be take up into heaven; even Elisha himself knew.
Before Jesus Himself was crucified, He promised in John 14:2-3 “in My Father’s
house are many mansions, if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a
place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive
you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also”.
After Jesus’ resurrection, He was caught up (Acts 1:2,9-11) says “until the day in
which He was taken up, after that He through the Holy Spirit had given
commandments to the apostles whom He had chosen. To whom also He showed
Himself alive after His passion by many infallible proofs, being seen of them forty
days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God. And when He
had spoken these things, while the beheld, He was taken up; and a cloud received
Him out of their sight. And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as He went
up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel. Which also said, you men of
Galilee, why stand you gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up
from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as you have seen Him go into
heaven”.
The pre-trib believers are standing on I Thessalonians 4:16-18) which says “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. 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. Wherefore
comfort one another with these words”.
Some take the pre-trib rapture as an escape, but Jesus said “not every one that
says to Me, Lord, Lord shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that does the
will of My Father which is in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day Lord, Lord have
we not prophesied in Your name? And in Your name have cast out devils? And in
Your name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess to them, I never
knew you, depart from Me, you that works iniquity” (Matthew 7:21-23). And again in
Luke 6:46 “ and why call you Me, Lord, Lord and do not the things which I say”?
Jesus warns that we have to be ready when He comes. In the parable of the ten
virgins (Matthew 25:1-13) the kingdom of heaven is likened to ten virgins, which took
their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom. And five of them were wise, and
five were foolish. But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. While the
bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept. And at midnight there was a cry
made. Behold, the bridegroom comes, go you out to meet him. Then all those
virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said to the wise, give us of
our oil, for our lamps are gone out. But the wise answered, saying, not so, less
there be not enough for us and you, but go you rather to them that sell and buy for
yourselves. And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came, and they that were
ready went in with him to the marriage and the door was shut. Afterward come also
the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us. But he answered and said, verily I
say to you, I know you not. Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the
hour whereon the Son of Man comes”.
We are to attend the wedding supper of the Lamb, after all we are His bride. We
than are to return with Him (Revelation 19) as He puts His feet on the Mount of
Olives.
We have to work while there is light, the Bible confirms that God does not want any
to perish, but that all will come to the truth (II Peter 3:9). We have been
commissioned to go (Matthew 28:19-20) “go you therefore, and teach all nations,
baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you and, lo, I
am with you always, even to the end of the world”.
The wrath of God is not appointed for us, (Nahum 1:2) says “the Lord Yahweh takes
vengeance on His adversaries and He reserves wrath for His enemies”. John 3:36
says “he that believes on the Son has everlasting life, and he that believes not the
Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him”. Romans 5:9 says “much
more then, being now justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through
Him”. Ephesians 5:6 says “let no man deceive you with vain words, for because of
these things comes the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience”.
Colossians 3:6 says “for which things sake the wrath of God comes on the children
of disobedience”. And I Thessalonians 5:4-9 says “but you, brethren, are not in
darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief. You are all the children of
light, and the children of the day, we are not of the night, nor of darkness.
Therefore let us not sleep, as do others, but let us watch and be sober. For they
that sleep, sleep in the night, and they that be drunken are drunken in the night.
But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith, and love;
and for a helmet, the hope of salvation. For God has not appointed us to wrath, but
to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ”.
Many believe that because the early church suffered tribulations, that we must also
do the same, but the tribulations that they went through was the wrath of man, not
the wrath of God.
There will be a mid-trib (Revelation 7:9) “after this I beheld, and, lo, a great
multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and
tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes
and palms in their hands. And cried with a loud voice, saying, salvation to our God
which sits upon the throne, and to the Lamb”. And when John was asked who these
were, the angel says “these are they which came out of great tribulation, and have
washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb”.
The two witnesses will be caught up (Revelation 11:1) God gives power to two
witnesses and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days
clothed in sackcloth. These are the two olive trees, and the two candlesticks
standing before the God of the earth. These have power to shut heaven, and when
they have finished their testimony, the beast will overcome them, and kill them. And
their dead bodies shall lie in the street for three days and a half. Then the Spirit of
life from God entered into them, and they stood upon their feet. God calls them,
come up here, and they ascended up to heaven in a cloud, and their enemies
beheld them.
Study by: Harriet Bond
Date: March 2, 2010
There are three different divisions that defines the “rapture”, as pre-trib; mid-trib;
post-trib. The pre-trib say that the rapture will happen before the tribulation. The
mid-trib says that the rapture will happen in the middle of the tribulation. The post-
trib says the rapture will happen at the end of the tribulation.
But in reality the correct answer is all of the above. In fact there have been many
caught up through out time.
The word rapture is not found in the Bible in that form, but the word rapture means –
catching away, translated, caught up, pluck, pull, take.
Enoch was the first to be taken by God (Genesis 5:21-23), which says “and Enoch
lived sixty and five years, and fathered Methuselah. And Enoch walked with God
after he fathered Methuselah three hundred years, and fathered sons and
daughters. And all the days of Enoch were three hundred sixty and five years. And
Enoch walked with God and he was not; for God took him”; and in (Hebrews 11:5-6)
it says, “by faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and was not
found, because God had translated him; for before his translation he had this
testimony, that he pleased God. But without faith, it is impossible to please Him, for
he that comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that
diligently seek Him”. Enoch walked with God for three hundred years; Enoch was
the 7th generation from Adam, and Adam was still alive in his time, by faith he
sought God with all his heart, and that pleased God.
Elijah was the next to be taken up. Elijah had completed his work, he prophesied
that it would not rain for three and a half years, and at the end of that time, his
prophecy was that rain would come, and he called the prophets of baal to call upon
their god, and that he would call upon the Lord Yahweh, now after they failed, and
he had them pour water on his sacrifice, and the Lord Yahweh licked up the water
and consumed the sacrifice, the prophets of baal were afraid. Then Elijah killed all
those prophets of baal, but when Jezebel threatened to kill him, he fled and desired
to be die. God called him to anoint Elisha (II Kings 2:1-11) says “and it came to
pass, when the Lord Yahweh would take up Elijah into heaven by a whirlwind, that
Elijah went with Elisha from Gilgal. And Elijah said to Elisha, tarry here, I pray you;
for the Lord Yahweh has sent me to Bethel. And Elisha said to him, as the Lord
Yahweh lives, and as you soul lives, I will not leave you, so they went down to
Bethel. And the sons of the prophets that were at Bethel came forth to Elisha, and
said to him. Know you that the Lord Yahweh will take away your master from your
head today? And he said, Yea, I know it; hold you your peace. And Elijah said to
him, Elisha tarry here, I pray you; for the Lord Yahweh has sent me to Jericho, and
he said, as the Lord Yahweh lives, and as your soul lives, I will not leave you, so
they came to Jericho. And the sons of the prophets that were at Jericho came to
Elisha, and said to him, know you that the Lord Yahweh will take away your master
from your head today? And he answered, Yea, I know it; hold you your peace. And
Elijah said to him, tarry I pray you, here; for the Lord Yahweh has sent me to
Jordan. And he said, as the Lord Yahweh lives, and as your soul lives, I will not
leave you. And they two went on. And fifty men of the sons of the prophets went,
and stood to view afar off; and they two stood by the Jordan. And Elijah took his
mantle, and wrapped it together, and smote the waters, and they were divided here
and there, so that they two went over on dry ground. And it came to pass, when
they were gone over, that Elijah said to Elisha ask what I shall do for you, before I be
taken away from you. And Elisha said, I pray you, let a double portion of your spirit
be upon me. And he said, you have asked a hard thing, nevertheless, if you see me
when I am taken from you; it shall be to you, but if not, it shall not be so. And it
came to pass, as they still went on, and talked, that behold, there appeared a
chariot of fire, and horses of fire, and parted them both asunder; and Elijah went up
by a whirlwind into heaven”.
I read all of that so that you could see that many prophets in different locations knew
that Elijah would be take up into heaven; even Elisha himself knew.
Before Jesus Himself was crucified, He promised in John 14:2-3 “in My Father’s
house are many mansions, if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a
place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive
you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also”.
After Jesus’ resurrection, He was caught up (Acts 1:2,9-11) says “until the day in
which He was taken up, after that He through the Holy Spirit had given
commandments to the apostles whom He had chosen. To whom also He showed
Himself alive after His passion by many infallible proofs, being seen of them forty
days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God. And when He
had spoken these things, while the beheld, He was taken up; and a cloud received
Him out of their sight. And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as He went
up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel. Which also said, you men of
Galilee, why stand you gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up
from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as you have seen Him go into
heaven”.
The pre-trib believers are standing on I Thessalonians 4:16-18) which says “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. 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. Wherefore
comfort one another with these words”.
Some take the pre-trib rapture as an escape, but Jesus said “not every one that
says to Me, Lord, Lord shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that does the
will of My Father which is in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day Lord, Lord have
we not prophesied in Your name? And in Your name have cast out devils? And in
Your name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess to them, I never
knew you, depart from Me, you that works iniquity” (Matthew 7:21-23). And again in
Luke 6:46 “ and why call you Me, Lord, Lord and do not the things which I say”?
Jesus warns that we have to be ready when He comes. In the parable of the ten
virgins (Matthew 25:1-13) the kingdom of heaven is likened to ten virgins, which took
their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom. And five of them were wise, and
five were foolish. But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. While the
bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept. And at midnight there was a cry
made. Behold, the bridegroom comes, go you out to meet him. Then all those
virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said to the wise, give us of
our oil, for our lamps are gone out. But the wise answered, saying, not so, less
there be not enough for us and you, but go you rather to them that sell and buy for
yourselves. And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came, and they that were
ready went in with him to the marriage and the door was shut. Afterward come also
the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us. But he answered and said, verily I
say to you, I know you not. Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the
hour whereon the Son of Man comes”.
We are to attend the wedding supper of the Lamb, after all we are His bride. We
than are to return with Him (Revelation 19) as He puts His feet on the Mount of
Olives.
We have to work while there is light, the Bible confirms that God does not want any
to perish, but that all will come to the truth (II Peter 3:9). We have been
commissioned to go (Matthew 28:19-20) “go you therefore, and teach all nations,
baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you and, lo, I
am with you always, even to the end of the world”.
The wrath of God is not appointed for us, (Nahum 1:2) says “the Lord Yahweh takes
vengeance on His adversaries and He reserves wrath for His enemies”. John 3:36
says “he that believes on the Son has everlasting life, and he that believes not the
Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him”. Romans 5:9 says “much
more then, being now justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through
Him”. Ephesians 5:6 says “let no man deceive you with vain words, for because of
these things comes the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience”.
Colossians 3:6 says “for which things sake the wrath of God comes on the children
of disobedience”. And I Thessalonians 5:4-9 says “but you, brethren, are not in
darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief. You are all the children of
light, and the children of the day, we are not of the night, nor of darkness.
Therefore let us not sleep, as do others, but let us watch and be sober. For they
that sleep, sleep in the night, and they that be drunken are drunken in the night.
But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith, and love;
and for a helmet, the hope of salvation. For God has not appointed us to wrath, but
to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ”.
Many believe that because the early church suffered tribulations, that we must also
do the same, but the tribulations that they went through was the wrath of man, not
the wrath of God.
There will be a mid-trib (Revelation 7:9) “after this I beheld, and, lo, a great
multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and
tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes
and palms in their hands. And cried with a loud voice, saying, salvation to our God
which sits upon the throne, and to the Lamb”. And when John was asked who these
were, the angel says “these are they which came out of great tribulation, and have
washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb”.
The two witnesses will be caught up (Revelation 11:1) God gives power to two
witnesses and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days
clothed in sackcloth. These are the two olive trees, and the two candlesticks
standing before the God of the earth. These have power to shut heaven, and when
they have finished their testimony, the beast will overcome them, and kill them. And
their dead bodies shall lie in the street for three days and a half. Then the Spirit of
life from God entered into them, and they stood upon their feet. God calls them,
come up here, and they ascended up to heaven in a cloud, and their enemies
beheld them.
Study by: Harriet Bond
Date: March 2, 2010
