In accordance with 1 Thessalonians 4: 16 - 17 those who had
fallen asleep in Christ together with those who were alive were taken to heaven:
·
For the
Lord himself will descend from heaven . . .
·
. . . and
the dead in Christ will rise first then we who are alive and remain shall be
caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air.
This event had been eagerly awaited - Romans 8: 23 - 24:
·
. . . we
ourselves groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for adoption, the redemption
of our body. For we were saved in
this hope . . .
It is known as the Rapture and it happened for those who
looked for the blessed hope and
denied ungodliness and worldly lusts
and lived soberly, righteously and godly
in the present age in accordance with Titus 2: 13.
NOTE:
The word 'rapture', in its 'modern' English meaning
and understanding, does not occur in the Bible. It is an imaginative
translation of the 'blessed hope' of
Titus 2: 13 and is closely linked to words like 'beatitude, bliss, delectation,
delight ecstasy, euphoria' etc. The original meanings of the Greek (harpazo) or Latin (rapere) was 'seize', 'transport', 'carry off', 'snatch up'.
The Rapture happened as explained in 1 Corinthians 15: 52, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye
. . . The return of Jesus was like a thief in the night and only those who
watched and prayed - for you do not know
when the time is - were saved. The Son of Man came at an hour when they
didn't expect him. (Matthew 24: 44, Mark 13:37)
There was a reason for Jesus coming twice and it is
explained in the parable in Luke 19: 11 - 27. Those who did do their best, did
so because they were being faithful and believed him when he said he is coming
back as king. Jesus leaving and coming back is a test to see who really
believed what he said, and remained faithful.
Jesus did not stay away for long as can be seen from the
promises:
·
The Lord
is at hand - Philippians 4: 5
·
He who is
coming will come and will not tarry - Hebrews 10: 37
·
Behold,
the Judge is standing at the door - James 5: 9
·
Behold, I
am coming quickly - Revelation 22: 7
The Corinthian Christian community was eagerly waiting (1 Corinthians 1: 7) as were the Thessalonians as
they knew the Rapture would happen in their lifetimes:
·
. . . we
who are alive . . . (1 Thessalonians 4: 17)
·
. . . we
shall all be changed . . . (1 Corinthians 15: 51)
Jesus confirms this with:
·
. . . this
generation will by no means pass away till all things are fulfilled . . .
(Luke 21: 32 and Matthew 24: 34)
The Rapture happened before the Tribulation which started in
67/68 CE, during Vespasian's campaign through the Galilee during the Third
Roman-Hebrew War. The followers of Jesus fled before the Roman army before
being 'raptured':
But when they
persecute you in this city, flee to another.
For assuredly, I say to you, you will not have gone through the cities
of Israel before the Son of Man comes. (Matthew 10: 23)
Josephus confirms the Jews fled from town to town
before the advancing Roman armies until those left behind were trapped in
places like Taricheae and Gamla.
NOTE
In the New Testament, most of the seventy-three
mentions of the word 'Israel' describe an ethnic or religious group of
people. The author of Matthew (unlike
Luke) clearly understood Israel under early Roman rule to be a separate
political entity which consisted in main of the province of Galilee. At times it also included parts of other
territories like the Golan. Local
Hebrews always regarded it as an independent country which they called Israel
after the early northern kingdom and it was known as the Kingdom of Israel
under Agrippa II, the last Jewish king.
Besides the mention of Israel by Jesus as a geographical entity in
Matthew 10: 23 it is also done in places like Matthew 2: 21. (Then
he arose, took the young Child and His mother, and came into the land of
Israel.)
The Tribulation started when Titus launched his assault on
Jerusalem in 70/71 CE - from the time Jerusalem was surrounded by armies (Luke 21: 20) it was the days of vengeance (Luke 21: 22).
For those not taken up to the clouds in the Rapture it was
truly a 'tribulation' - the horror of Luke 21: 23 -24:
·
But woe to
those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days! For there will be great distress in the land
and wrath upon this people.
·
And they
will fall by the edge of the sword, and be led away captive into all
nations. And Jerusalem will be trampled
by Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.
This is confirmed by Josephus in his Wars of the Jews:
·
. . . so
they were first whipped, and then tormented with all sorts of tortures before
they died . . .
·
. . .
nailed those they caught to the crosses, by way of jest . . .
·
. . .
Titus commanded that the hands of many of those that were caught should be cut
off . . .
·
. . . the
Syrians cut up those that came as supplicants, and searched their bellies . . .
and tellingly
She then attempted a most unnatural thing; and snatching up her son,
who was a child sucking at her breast, she said, "O thou miserable infant!
for whom shall I preserve thee in this war, this famine, and this
sedition? As to the war with the Romans,
if they preserve our lives, we must be slaves!
This famine also will destroy us, even before that slavery comes upon
us; yet are these seditious rogues more terrible than both the other. Come on; be thou my food, and be thou a fury
to these seditious varlets and a byword to the world , which is all that is now
wanting to complete the calamities of us Jews." As soon as she had said this, she slew her
son; and then roasted him, and ate the one half of him, and kept the other half
by her concealed.
There is no mention of the Apostles after 67 CE and no
writings by them either - Paul vanishes around 63 CE - so it has to be assumed
they were all taken in the Rapture. (The alternative involves the acceptance of
dubious sources or extremely complex reasoning.) Simple logic dictates for the
witnesses to the Resurrection (the Apostles), who remained faithful and
believed the 'King' would return, to be spared the horror. They were among the hundred and forty-four thousand who were
redeemed from earth (Revelation 14: 3), because they were the first-fruits to God and to the Lamb
(Revelation 14: 4). They were as holy as the sacrifices at Pentecost and Jesus
would not have left them to the mercies of the Romans.
All 12 the Tribes of Jacob mourned as the 'end of times'
signs appeared - the sign of the cross was everywhere as thousands were
crucified - and they died horrible deaths before the Temple was destroyed.
(Matthew 24: 29 - 30). Those who did not know God was left on earth and were punished with everlasting destruction from
the presence of the Lord. (2 Thessalonians 1: 8 - 9)
