Did Jesus teach Rapture? (303)

Copyright James Dixon 2024

Did our Lord teach rapture?

Of course he did. You’ll find it in many places in the four gospels.

One of the most exciting elements of the Jewish courtship is the taking of the bride. It is often called “the catching away”, “caught up”, which translates to “rapturo” in Greek..

In Matthew 25 and John 14, Jesus uses the Jewish wedding to illustrate the pre tribulation rapture, the nuisin, the taking of the bride, which officially ends the Jewish betrothal, and marks the beginning the wedding celebration,consisting of two feasts. The first at the grooms house, the second one at the Bride’s home.  (see Rev 19, Mt 8:11).

In this, first, shortly after the official betrothal “I choose thee” there is a short, public courtship (the two are never alone together).

Then the bridegroom makes an official announcement: “I go to prepare a place for you” and leaves his bride to go and build a house for her on his Father’s land , or as an attachment onto his father’s house.

The separation period generally lasts one or two years, and when the bride chamber is completed, the FATHER must inspect it and approve of it.

IF it meets HIS approval, he tells his son “go, fetch your bride son!”.

ONLY the father knows when this time will be.

After his Son leaves, his family prepares for the ŵedding, and the groom’s return with his bride.

While the betrothal period is often a year or more, the arrival of the bridegroom to take his bride is a surprise. Often in the dead of night.

For the Bride’s part, her Groom may appear at any time, so she must look for him, and be prepared to meet him.

When the groom does come, usually late at night, as the assembly gets near her neighborhood, a schofar, or trumpet is blown, alerting the neighbors and the bride. (Also see Paul’s description in 1 Thess 4:14-16).

The Bride has been looking for her groom, and patiently waiting. She hastily grabs her things to leave.

When the groom and the assembly arrives  just outside her home, a collective shout goes up, “come forth!” , and the bride meets her groom outside.

The assembly then returns to the Groom’s Father’s house for the wedding..

When they both get back to the Groom’s house, the city elders are called to witness the reading of the Ketubah, and the wedding commences shortly afterwards. (See Rev 2-3. “To him that overcometh I will”).

The wedding is unscheduled and unnannounced, so the celebration lasts a week to allow family and friends time to make arrangements to attend.

After the wedding week celebration, the assembly then proceeds BACK to the Bride’s home, and ANOTHER , longer feast begins. (Rev 19, Mt 8:11).

Jesus words: Mt 25:1 Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom.

2 And five of them were wise, and five were foolish.
3 They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them:
4 But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps.
5 While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept.
6 And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him. 7 Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps. 8 And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil; for our lamps are gone out. 9 But the wise answered, saying, Not so; lest there be not enough for us and you: but go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves. 10And 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. 11 Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us. 12 But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not.

¹³ Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh.

(In contrast, the Lord’s return with his saints is predictable to the very day)

Jesus again alludes to the Jewish wedding to describe the nuisin,  and his coming for his bride in John 14.

His disciples totally understood it, and it is evident in their epistles. (more on that in a future blog post).

John 14:3. Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.

2 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.

3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.

Rev 3:3 Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard, and hold fast, and repent. If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee.

REV 16:15 (“Behold, I am coming like a thief! Blessed is the one who stays awake, keeping his garments on, that he may not go about naked and be seen exposed!”)

In closing, thieves come unnannounced, without warning, and as a surprise. And they take things, and leave.

Blessings!

Copyright James Dixon 2024.