Much of the World is currently living in fear: ‘Will I be exposed to the Coronavirus? Will I be able to keep my hands clean enough? Will I have enough money to pay my bills? Will I have enough food and water?  Will I be able to pay the mortgage and the car payment? Will I be homeless? Will my children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren be ok? Will the wrong political party use this uncertainty for their advantage?’

‘Will I have enough toilet paper?’

As Christians, we should be able to see this as a time of excitement and anticipation rather than of fear and trepidation. Many of us have been believing that we are living in the End Times, the time just prior to Jesus Christ’s return for His Church at the Rapture. What we are seeing around us are ‘signs of the times,’ events and circumstances that are unfolding just as Jesus said they would.

We, more than any others, should be able to recognize the ‘signs of the times,’ but, unfortunately, many of us do not.

In 1 Chron 12, we read of, ‘the sons of Issachar who had understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do…’

Jesus upbraided the Pharisees, the religious leaders of the day, because they failed to recognize the prophesied signs pointing to His birth in Bethlehem and then His later miraculous ministry. He said, “Whenever you see a cloud rising out of the west, immediately you say, ‘A shower is coming’; and so it is. And when you see the south wind blow, you say, ‘There will be hot weather’; and there is. Hypocrites! You can discern the face of the sky and of the earth, but how is it you do not discern this time?’” (Luke 12:54-56).

Paul wrote, “But concerning the times and the seasons, brethren, you have no need that I should write to you. For you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night. For when they say, ‘Peace and safety!’ then sudden destruction comes upon them, as labor pains upon a pregnant woman. And they shall not escape. But you, brethren, are not in darkness, so that this Day should overtake you as a thief. You are all sons of light and sons of the day. We are not of the night nor of darkness. Therefore let us not sleep, as others do, but let us watch and be sober” 1 Thes 5:1-6).

As Jesus and His disciples were near the Temple, they asked Him what would be the sign of the end of the Age and His return. He gave them several things which would herald His coming and the End Times.  Among other signs, He said there would be wars and rumors of wars, great earthquakes in various places, and famines and pestilences. He then said, “Now when these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near.”

Jesus was not speaking of His Second Coming, when He will come back to Earth. That will not occur until all the events of the seven-year Tribulation and the reign of the Antichrist culminate in His return at the Battle of Armageddon, when all the armies of the Earth will be arrayed against Him. Here, in Luke 21, he is speaking of our redemption in the Rapture, when the true Church, the Body of the Lord Jesus Christ, will be removed in an instant.  That will happen at any moment from now without any other prophecy needing previous fulfillment.

One of the signs to look for, that when it only begins to happen, are pestilences. A pestilence is defined as: a usually fatal epidemic disease, especially bubonic plague. The Wuhan Coronavirus is a pestilence.

The World is drowning in fear and darkness. Jesus said that we are the light of the World; we have the answer for the fear in the World. Jesus said, “Fear not for I am with you; I will never leave you or forsake you; I Am with you always, even to the end of the World.” Through Peter, He told us to always be ready to give an explanation of the hope that is within us. Paul said that our ‘blessed hope’ is our soon-coming deliverance in the Rapture. That is the hope we are to be able to explain to others: though the World’s economies and governments are clearly falling apart, we can have hope and peace for the present and for eternity; we are the children of God.

God is sovereign; He is in control of everything; we have nothing to fear.

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Phil 4:6-7).

Even though we see turmoil all around, “…but now He has promised, saying, ‘Yet once more I shake not only the earth, but also heaven.'” Now this “Yet once more,” indicates the “removal of those things that are being shaken, as of things that are made, that the things which cannot be shaken may remain” (Heb 12:26-27).

Coronavirus is shaking the World and has its full attention. We are all watching whether or not we become sick, and we are all watching as the bottom falls out of the World’s stock markets and economies. We may be looking at a Worldwide recession or even another great depression. We are seeing the World shaken by things which could eventually destroy its entire economy.

The things that cannot be shaken, however, are our faith in Him, our eternal salvation, our homes with Him in Heaven as well as on the New Earth and in the New Jerusalem, and His love and care for each of us, His children, whom He loves to the utmost.

We are watching and waiting for our deliverance in the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. The rest of the World is watching and waiting for their hoped-for deliverer who will turn out to be none other than the Antichrist himself.

To any who are watching with an eye on eternity, it is becoming clearer every day that what we are watching is the type of Worldwide event that could easily lead to the one-World government, economy and religion of the Antichrist.

“… for when they say, ‘Peace and safety!’ then sudden destruction comes upon them…” (1 Thes 5).

Just a few weeks ago, many around the World were believing they were living in peace and safety.

We are in the End Times. The Coronavirus may be the thing that leads into the Worldwide economic upheaval that opens the door to the Rapture and the rise of the Antichrist. Or… this, too, shall pass, with the World’s economy coming back to some semblance of normality, leaving us with some weeks, months or years before the end. We don’t know for certain; what we do know for certain is that God has the entire World and especially us, His children, in the palm of His hand. 

‘Rejoice in the Lord when you encounter trials, rejoice in the Lord, knowing you are in His hand. Since He cares for the flowers and He cares for the birds… don’t you know that you’re far more precious to Him than any one of those… rejoice in the Lord, knowing you are in His hand.’ (one of my choruses)

The World is drowning in fear and darkness. We are the light of the World. We have the answer for the fear in the World. Jesus said, “Fear not for I am with you; I will never leave you or forsake you; I Am with you always, even to the end of the World.”

Rest your hope in Him; look up for His soon return, in the clouds, for you; always remember, you are the light of the World while it lies in darkness and hopelessness. Know how to explain the hope you have; they will only come to salvation in the Lord Jesus Christ if you have the love and the courage to tell them the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth. That means sin, death, hell, Jesus Christ, His shed blood on the cross, forgiveness, resurrection, the Love of God, Heaven and Eternity.

Find and study clear, concise explanations of the Gospel; memorize them; you won’t always have your Bible with you.

“Be diligent [study] to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth” (2 Tim 2:15).

Study: there will be a test; there will be many tests; this is just one, just the latest but He will whisper to us the answers; He will never leave us.

1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 – “Yeshua himself will descend from Heaven, with a loud shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the shofar call of Yahweh. The dead in Yeshua will rise first, then we who are still alive will be caught up in the clouds to meet Yeshua in the air.”

Did you know that Rabbi Paul’s writing in Thessalonians 4 is a typical rabbinical teaching style called a Midrash? Did you know that this Midrash parallels the exodus of the Hebrew slaves out of Egypt? Let’s examine how this is so:

The Journey Begins

Exodus 3:7-8 – “Then Yahweh said, ‘I have surely seen the affliction of my people who are in Egypt and have heard their cry because of their taskmasters. I know their sufferings, and I have come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land to a good and broad land, a land flowing with milk and honey.’”

Exodus 33:1 – “Yahweh said to Moses, ‘Leave, you and the people you brought up from the land of Egypt; and move on from here toward the promised land’” [i.e. Israel].”

Ezekiel 37:12-13 – “Therefore prophesy; say to them that Adonai Elohim says, ‘My people! I will open your graves and make you get up out of your graves, and I will bring you into the land of Israel. Then you will know that I am Yahweh — when I have opened your graves and made you get up out of your graves, my people!’”

The Hebrew slaves have been in Egypt for over four hundred years. Ezekiel refers to their redemption out of Egypt as being brought out of the grave – in other words, resurrected. Upon resurrection, they then leave Egypt as the Egyptians witness their departure (Exodus 12):

• They received 14 days’ notice about their redemption, if you will, their “”
• They were witnessed as they departed.
• And, in turn, witnessed to the Egyptians that their God, Yahweh, was greater than any other god.
• It took them several months to get to Mount Sinai – they arrived in the third month (Exodus 19:1).

The resurrection of the Hebrew Slaves did not result an instantaneous disappearance. The resurrected Hebrew slaves represent the Dead in Yeshua in Paul’s Thessalonians Midrash (1 Thessalonians 4:16).

At Mount Sinai

Exodus 19:10-11 – “Yahweh said to Moses, ‘Go to the people and consecrate them today and tomorrow, and let them wash their garments; and let them be ready for the third day, for on the third day I will come down on Mount Sinai in the sight of all the people.’”

Exodus 19:16-19 – “On the third day, when it was morning, that there were thunder and lightning flashes and a thick cloud upon the mountain and a very loud shofar sound, so that all the people who were in the camp trembled. Moses brought the people out of the camp to meet God . . . As the sound of the shofar grew louder and louder, Moshe spoke; and God answered him with a thundering voice.”

Exodus 19:20 – “Yahweh came down on Mount Sinai, to the top of the mountain; and he called Moses to the top of the mountain, and Moses went up.”

Upon arriving at Mount Sinai (Exodus 19:9-20):

• They received three days; notice that Yahweh was to descend.
• Yahweh descends in a cloud and a shofar blasts so loudly that all the people trembled.
• Moses is called up to the top of the mountain.
• They witness Moses’ ascension, if you will, his “rapture” into the cloud.

Moses’ rapture was not an instantaneous disappearance, either. Moses represents Those Who Are Still Alive in Paul’s Thessalonians Midrash (1 Thessalonians 4:17).

The Parallels

In Exodus:

— The “dead” Hebrew slaves in the graves of Egypt were “resurrected.”

— The “resurrected” Hebrew slaves are a witness of Yahweh’s power over death to the Egyptians.

— They are gathered together, taken to Mount Sinai, consecrated, and become a people holy to Yahweh.

— Yahweh comes down from Heaven in a cloud and his voice is heard, sounding like thunder.

— Moses then ascends into the clouds.

In Thessalonians:

— The dead in Yeshua resurrected and are consecrated (made incorruptible) at the moment of resurrection.

— Yeshua comes down from Heaven in a cloud with a loud shout, sounding like thunder.

— The shofar (or trumpet), also known as the voice of Yahweh, sounds a long blast.

— The newly resurrected people rise up into the clouds.

— Then those who are already alive rise up into the clouds to meet them.

The Resurrections and Raptures

The Hebrew slaves’ resurrection from their Egyptian “graves” did not result in an instantaneous disappearance – it took time for them to walk away in full view of the Egyptians. It took more time to arrive at Mount Sinai.

Moses rapture was not an instantaneous disappearance, either – it took time for him to ascend while the people watched, several days after they had all arrived at Mount Sinai. His rapture did not take place at the same time as the dead slaves’ resurrection – he was still alive, having already been out of Egypt for forty years.

Matthew 27:52-53 – “The tombs also were opened. And many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised, and coming out of the tombs after his resurrection they went into the holy city and appeared to many.”

Of the Bride, Paul tells us that the dead in Yeshua rise first. Perhaps they too have a time of witnessing and traveling before they reach their destination – the clouds to meet Yeshua. Perhaps, only then do those who are still alive ascend.  The pattern of the Hebrew slaves’ resurrection and Moses subsequent rapture gives reason to believe that the pattern of the resurrection and subsequent rapture of the Bride will not result in an instantaneous disappearance, either. The scriptures in Matthew lend further support for this pattern. What do you say?

Conclusions

Both Peter and Paul employ a very typical rabbinical approach to scripture in applying Older Covenant passages to current or future events. John does the same thing throughout the Book of Revelation. This teaching style is called a Midrash. Rabbi Paul effectively takes the same approach to the Exodus narrative as Rabbi Peter takes to the Joel 2:28-29 prophecy:

• Peter applies Joel 2:28-29 to the giving of the Spirit at Shavuot (Acts 2:17-21).
• Paul applies the pattern of the exodus of the Hebrew slaves out of the graves of Egypt, their trip to Mount Sinai, and the subsequent ascent of Moses to meet with Yahweh on the mountain to the future rapture (1 Thessalonians 4:16-18).

Midrash on the Jewish Wedding: https://www.raptureready.com/2020/03/15/midrash-on-the-jewish-wedding-by-jeff-van-hatten/

Website: https://raptureparty.net

Email: jeff@raptureparty.net