The Catching Away of the Believers – The Why and When the Rapture of the Church Will Happen

Ten years ago, in 2015, I did my own personal research project on one of the most controversial topics among believers today: the ‘catching away,’ or as it’s most commonly referred to, the rapture of the church. It’s a topic that’s caused much division in the Body of Christ and has even split churches.

I decided to go to God’s written word, the Bible, and settle the issue once and for all in my own mind, and hopefully, have the opportunity to share what I learned with others.

Is the rapture scriptural? If it is, when is it going to happen? Is it a pre-trib, mid-trib, or post-trib event?

What I found in just one night of research was way more than I was expecting to find. God, through scripture, revealed the truth about this important topic to me, and I’d like to share it with you, and hopefully, remove any doubts you may also have about it.

Be prepared to be blessed!!!

Luke 17:26-30

“And as it was in the days of Noe, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man. They did eat, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark, and the flood came, and destroyed them all. Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded; But the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all. Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed.”

Most of us have read these verses hundreds of times, but have you ever wondered why Noah and Lot were excluded from having to suffer the same judgments as their fellow countrymen, and what it was about them that made them stand out so much in God’s eyes? Surely, there was a reason why God chose to spare them from His wrath, but what was that reason?

I’d never heard this topic preached about or even talked about before by anybody, and I think the reason it’s NOT talked about is because for many churches today, talking about the end times is taboo, and they stay away from it.

In my opinion, the emphasis is misplaced when the focus of the ‘catching away’ of the true believers in Jesus Christ, in the rapture, is focused solely on WHEN it’s going to happen (pre-mid-post) instead of WHY it’s going to happen. What I mean by that is if we can understand WHY Noah and Lot, and their families, were removed from harm’s way ahead of time, BEFORE God brought judgment down, then the question as to the WHY and WHEN we too should expect that same protection should answer itself based on that information.

You see, God is the same “yesterday, and today, and forever” (Hebrews 11:8). He never changes. His methodologies never change. God is going to protect us the same way He did Noah and Lot, and I’m going to show you every scripture that backs that up. It’s not hidden knowledge. It’s right there in black and white. It’s simple to understand, clear for all to see, and it’s so obvious once you do see it. All you have to do is look for it.

“Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened” (Matthew 7:7-8).

So let’s go ahead and look at WHY God spared Noah and Lot, and their families, and WHY he’s also going to do the same for us.

[NOTE:  All the CAPS in the scriptures quoted are my edits/emphasis. You’ll notice them throughout this study.]

THE FOUNDATION FOR THIS STUDY IS FOUND IN THE FOLLOWING VERSE:

“For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the RIGHTEOUSNESS of God in him” (2 Corinthians 5:21).

KEY POINT #1… We’ve been made RIGHTEOUS through Jesus.

We all know the story of the flood found in Genesis 7. Noah was warned by God that He was going to destroy the world by a flood and that he was to build an ark so that he and his family would be kept safe from it, and as we all know, that’s exactly what happened.

Considering that up until the flood, it had never rained before, Noah probably didn’t have any idea what God was even talking about, but through blind faith [isn’t that what faith is?], he obeyed and did as God instructed him to do anyway, and he and his family were indeed kept protected from the flood. The ark was their place of refuge.

But we still haven’t answered the question as to WHY Noah and his family were spared. How was Noah able to have such a special relationship with God?

WAS NOAH WITHOUT SIN???

Of course not! Romans 3:23 tells us, “ALL have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.”

So why did God set him and his family apart from all the other sinners? The answer is found in the very first verse of chapter 7: “And the Lord said unto Noah, Come thou and all thy house into the ark; for thee have I seen RIGHTEOUS before me in this generation” (Genesis 7:1).

But wait. Doesn’t that contradict scripture because in Romans 3:10 it says, “there is NONE righteous, NOT EVEN ONE.”

No, it doesn’t contradict scripture because if you look at KEY POINT #1 again near the top of this page, it says that we’ve been MADE RIGHTEOUS THROUGH JESUS [2 Corinthians 5:21]. Romans 3:10 is talking about the lost who are outside of Christ. They’ve rejected Him, so therefore, they ARE NOT righteous. They aren’t members of the Body of Christ. You and I were the same way before our salvation, but now we’re ALSO righteous THROUGH CHRIST.

SIDE NOTE: The flood was before the Cross, so it was through Noah’s faith, trust, and obedience to and in God that made him righteous, and this is what made him stand out from the crowd, and why he found favor with God.  Today, AFTER the cross, it’s only through the blood of Jesus that we are saved and made righteous.

Noah’s righteousness was the ticket to safety for him and his family. He witnessed to his friends and neighbors [and his enemies] and even those who helped him build the ark of what was coming, and they could have made their own preparations to get ready for it. But instead of doing that, they chose to ignore the warnings, and they paid the ultimate price because of their unbelief.

As soon as God closed the door to that ark, THERE’D NO LONGER BE AN ESCAPE FOR THOSE OUTSIDE THE ARK FROM GOD’S WRATH, and they all perished. Isn’t that what 1 Thessalonians 5:3 says is going to happen again? “For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; AND THEY SHALL NOT ESCAPE.”

Notice the parallel between when God closes the door to the ark in Genesis 7, and when the Lord closes the door at the marriage of the Lamb in Matthew 25:10: “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.

KEY POINT #2…”the bridegroom came, AND THEY THAT WERE READY WENT IN WITH HIM TO THE MARRIAGE: AND THE DOOR WAS SHUT.” Keep in mind that our ARK today is Jesus. All of us who are IN Christ will be caught up and will go in with Him to the marriage feast at the time of the rapture, and the door to the ARK [JESUS], and heaven, will be shut. Anyone not found in Jesus will suffer the same fate as those outside the ark in Noah’s day.

Now let’s look at Revelation 4:1 and see when the door [to the marriage] opens, and then we can tie this all together so it makes sense: “After this I looked, and, behold, A DOOR WAS OPENED IN HEAVEN: and the first voice which I heard was AS IT WERE OF A TRUMPET TALKING WITH ME; which said, COME UP HITHER, and I will shew thee things which must be hereafter.”

God is giving us a glimpse at how the rapture is going to occur. The door will open, a voice will be heard, which sounds like a trumpet, and the call to COME UP HITHER will sound forth, and all who are in Christ will hear it, and we’ll meet Him in the air. This is all going to happen in the twinkling of an eye. In other words, the door in Rev 4:1 is going to open and close almost simultaneously. “For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be” (Matthew 24:27).

Regarding the flood, I want to point out the obvious, and that is that God brought the flood AFTER Noah and his family entered the ark. Nowhere in scripture will we find that God told Noah and his family to be prepared to tread water for 40 days and 40 nights. And nowhere did He tell them that as soon as the water reached waist-high that they could then board the ark. As a matter of fact, Noah and his family were on the ark a whole week BEFORE God closed the door and BEFORE the first drop of rain even fell. They never even got their feet wet!

“And the Lord said unto Noah, Come thou and all thy house into the ark; for thee have I seen righteous before me in this generation” (Genesis 7:1). And in Genesis 7:4, “For yet seven days, and I will cause it to rain upon the earth forty days and forty nights; and every living substance that I have made will I destroy from off the face of the earth.”

The notion that we believers, made RIGHTEOUS through Christ, have to endure 7 years of God’s wrath, or even a small part of it, goes totally against scripture.

“My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge…” (Hosea 4:6).

Further, 1st Thessalonians 5:9 says, “For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ.” It doesn’t get any clearer than that, does it? Either obtain salvation and escape God’s wrath, or don’t get saved and suffer God’s wrath. It’s pretty much a no-brainer for me.

Well, what about Lot? Why was he also spared when God destroyed Sodom?

The story of Sodom and Gomorrah is found in Genesis 19, and for the sake of time and space, I’m going to condense it. Again, you can read it for yourselves if you’re not already familiar with it.

To make a long story short, two angels were sent by God to get Lot and his family out of Sodom before God destroyed it. They weren’t crazy about having to leave their home, and it says the angels literally took them by the hand and practically had to drag them out. They told Lot to get away quickly, and they allowed Lot to take his family to a place called Zoar, which was a bit of a hike, but it was doable for them, and they left.

SIDE NOTE: There were actually FIVE cities that God was going to destroy. Sodom and Gomorrah were just two of them. I don’t remember two of the others, but the fifth one was called Zoar, but since God allowed them to take refuge there, he spared it.

Now look at what God told Lot through the angels: “And he said to him, ‘See, I have favored you concerning this thing also, in that I will not overthrow this city for which you have spoken. Hurry, escape there. For I cannot do anything until you ARRIVE there” (Genesis 19:21-22).

DO YOU SEE THAT? God waited to destroy the other four cities until Lot and his family had arrived in Zoar and were safely tucked in.

WHY did God choose to save Lot and his family? For the same reason He saved Noah’s. The answer is found in 2 Peter 2:6-8. Pay special attention to verse 8:

“And turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrha into ashes condemned them with an overthrow, making them an ensample unto those that after should live ungodly; And delivered just Lot, vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked: ⁸ (For that RIGHTEOUS man dwelling among them, in seeing and hearing, vexed his RIGHTEOUS soul from day to day with their unlawful deeds;)”

The common thread that set Noah and Lot apart from everybody else is that they were RIGHTEOUS. Noah didn’t have to tread water, and Lot didn’t have to dodge fireballs. God waited until they were both safely in their places of refuge before His wrath was let loose.

KEY POINT #3…GOD DOESN’T JUDGE THE RIGHTEOUS WITH THE WICKED!!!

FINALLY, the icing on the cake!!!

The following is a conversation between God and Abraham as recorded in Genesis 18. This is going to, once and for all, put to rest ANY doubts about the timing of the rapture. It’s going to show, without a doubt, that it’s BEFORE the tribulation period. Not only are we going to look at that, but as an added bonus, we’re also going to solidify, again, beyond a shadow of a doubt, ‘who’ the restrainer is in 2 Thessalonians 2:7: “For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only He who now RESTRAINS will do so until He is taken out of the way.” There’s even disagreement on that among some of us.

This conversation between God and Abraham takes place before God destroys Sodom and Gomorrah. I’m going to quote all eleven verses so that you can read them for yourself, and also so that we can keep everything in context. I love this conversation. Abraham cracks me up in this exchange between him and God. If you read it as many times as I have, you’ll see that it’s actually kind of funny how Abraham keeps whittling the number down. I can picture him getting really squeamish and maybe even squinting a little bit as he keeps pressing God in the matter at hand. Abraham was a bold man!

Genesis 18:22-33

“And the men turned their faces from thence, and went toward Sodom: but Abraham stood yet before the Lord. And Abraham drew near, and said, Wilt thou also destroy the righteous with the wicked? Peradventure there be fifty righteous within the city: wilt thou also destroy and not spare the place for the fifty righteous that are therein? That be far from thee to do after this manner, to slay the righteous with the wicked: and that the righteous should be as the wicked, that be far from thee: Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?

“And the Lord said, If I find in Sodom fifty righteous within the city, then I will spare all the place for their sakes. And Abraham answered and said, Behold now, I have taken upon me to speak unto the Lord, which am but dust and ashes:  Peradventure there shall lack five of the fifty righteous: wilt thou destroy all the city for lack of five? And he said, If I find there forty and five, I will not destroy it.  And he spake unto him yet again, and said, Peradventure there shall be forty found there. And he said, I will not do it for forty’s sake.  And he said unto him, Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak: Peradventure there shall thirty be found there. And he said, I will not do it, if I find thirty there.

“And he said, Behold now, I have taken upon me to speak unto the Lord: Peradventure there shall be twenty found there. And he said, I will not destroy it for twenty’s sake. ³² And he said, Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak yet but this once: Peradventure ten shall be found there. And he said, I will not destroy it for ten’s sake. And the Lord went his way, as soon as he had left communing with Abraham: and Abraham returned unto his place.”

Is this not a beautiful example of everything we’ve been talking about? If you had doubts about whether or not there is going to be a rapture, or when it takes place, have you been reassured that it IS going to take place and that it WILL happen BEFORE the tribulation period?

Notice in verse 32 when the Lord said, “I will not destroy it (Sodom) for ten’s sake.” Actually, God did even BETTER than that. If you recall in Genesis 19:21 concerning God sparing Zoar because of Lot and his family being sent there, “And he (God) said to him (Lot), ‘See, I have favored you concerning this thing also, in that I will not overthrow this city for which you have spoken.’” Zoar was scheduled for termination along with the other four cities, but because Lot was allowed to go there for refuge, God spared it. So for even just ONE righteous person, God wouldn’t destroy it.

And the ‘restrainer’?  Read verses 21 and 22 again, and you’ll find the answer in verse 22:21. “And he said to him, ‘See, I have favored you concerning this thing also, in that I will not overthrow this city for which you have spoken. ²² Hurry, escape there. FOR I CANNOT DO ANYTHING UNTIL YOU ARRIVE THERE.”

KEY POINT #4…As long as there is even just ONE righteous believer on the earth, God CANNOT destroy it, because as Abraham pointed out, GOD WOULD NEVER DESTROY THE RIGHTEOUS WITH THE WICKED!

Hopefully, this article answers everybody’s questions about whether the ‘catching away’ of believers is scriptural or not, and also solidifies in everyone’s mind about when it takes place, which is before God’s wrath is poured out on unbelievers.

God bless and Maranatha.

 

 

 

 

In 33 AD, Jesus was crucified, resurrected, and then ascended to heaven. It was the 4,000th year from creation (approximately 3968 BC), which is four days for the Lord, as a day for the LORD is as 1,000 years for man (per Psalm 90:4 & 2 Peter 3:8). See The Hepta Week Cycle For Six Millennia of Mankind :: By Randy Nettles – Rapture Ready. Jesus ascended to heaven forty days after his resurrection, per Acts 1:3. Ten days later, the Holy Spirit descended on Jesus’ disciples on the day of Shavuot (otherwise known as Pentecost).

Hosea 6:2 says this about the LORD’s return, “After two days He will revive us; On the third day He will raise us up, that we may live in His sight.” So, the question is, “from when do the ‘two days’ (2,000 years) begin?” The answer is found in the preceding verses. Hosea 5:15 says, “I will go and return to my place, until they acknowledge their offence, and seek my face: in their affliction they will seek me early.”

Where did the Lord Jesus go after His death and return to his place? He went back to heaven from whence He came. What is the affliction He is referring to in this verse? It is the Tribulation (Jacob’s trouble or Daniel’s 70th week). When will Jesus return (Second Coming)? He will return after two days for the LORD or 2,000 years. 

2,000 years from 33 AD is 2033 AD. Just saying!

How long does Daniel’s 70th week last? It lasts for ‘a week’ (per Daniel 9:27) or seven years. If the Rapture doesn’t happen this year in 2025, then the pre-tribulation Rapture must occur in 2026 – that is, IF Jesus returns to Earth in 2033. According to my linked article above, in 2033 AD, it will have been 6,000 years (or six days for the LORD) since creation. The ministry of the Holy Spirit (regarding restraining evil) is about finished, and when the fullness of the ‘Gentiles’ (or nations) has come in per Romans 11:25, Jesus will return to the sky above the Earth and fulfill Paul’s prophecies of the Rapture, as mentioned in 1 Corinthians 15:52 and 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17.

2 Thessalonians 2:7 says, “For the secret power of lawlessness is already at work; but the one who now holds it back will continue to do so till he is taken out of the way.” I believe the restrainer in this verse is the Holy Spirit working through the New Testament church.

The Holy Spirit was sent to indwell the followers/believers of Jesus Christ on the day of Shavuot/Pentecost, thus starting His Church. Is it possible that the Holy Spirit will be removed (from his restraining work), as the Church is physically removed from the Earth, on the day of Shavuot/Pentecost (the fourth Feast of the Lord) at the Rapture? If so, the Church’s beginning and end will have occurred on a Feast of Shavuot/Pentecost.

In many ways, the number 33 represents Jesus, as I wrote about in The Number 33, Jesus, and Pi :: By Randy Nettles – Rapture Ready. The word “firstfruits” is mentioned 33 times in the Bible (NKJV and ESV), 26 times in the O.T., and 7 times in the N.T. It would be mentioned 33 times in the KJV except that the word “first ripe” is used instead of “first fruits” in Hosea 9:10. If you add God’s perfect number 7 to 26 (the Hebrew gematria for Yahweh or LORD), the sum is 33.

1 Corinthians 15:20-23 says, “But now Christ is risen from the dead, and has become the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For since by man came death, by Man also came the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive. But each one in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, afterward those who are Christ’s at His coming.” 

Jesus ultimately fulfilled the Feast of Passover and Unleavened Bread (the Feasts of the Lord are first mentioned in Leviticus 23:4-8) at the time of his crucifixion and burial. See Ancient Calendars, Feast Days, & Daniel 12:11 – Part 2 :: By Randy Nettles. Jesus then fulfilled the Feast of Firstfruits, as described in Leviticus 23:9-14, when he was resurrected from the dead and became the ‘firstfruits’ of those who have died (In Christ).

THE WAVE OFFERING OF THE BARLEY SHEAF

At the time of the early spring harvest of barley, the first task was to bring a small barley sample or ‘first fruits’ into the house of the Lord. The priest was to wave a sheaf of barley grain unto the Lord during the day of the Feast of Firstfruits (Leviticus 23:10-14), in effect thanking the Lord for his bounty and asking for the Lord’s blessing upon the coming harvest.

During the remaining days of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, after the waving of the barley sheaf, the barley bread that was to be consumed was to be made without leaven. In the Torah, leaven represents sin. Exodus 12:15 says the Israelites were to ‘put away’ leaven out of their houses for the seven days of Unleavened Bread. The unleavened bread represents Jesus’ body, which was without sin. This is why the Feast of First Fruits must be within the seven days of the Feast of Unleavened Bread. Jesus told the Jews he was the true bread from heaven (manna). He said, “For the bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world” (John 6:33).

Also on the Feast of Firstfruits, a male lamb of the first year, without blemish, was to be offered as a burnt offering, along with a grain offering and a drink offering of wine. Of course, the ‘male lamb without blemish’ represents Jesus, and the grain and wine represent the ‘Last Supper,’ which we commemorate when we observe communion.

The very name ‘first fruits’ implies that there is more to come after the first is given. This tradition of the waving of the first fruit barley sheaf was incorporated into this Feast to be a statute forever throughout the Israelites’ generations in all their dwellings. The waving of the barley sheaf was a symbolic representation of Jesus, the firstborn from the dead (Colossians 1:18, Revelation 1:5).

At the time the priest waved the sheaf of barley grain in the Temple at Jerusalem, God was ‘waving’ the resurrected and glorified Jesus in heaven, signifying the bountiful harvest of souls to come at the second harvest known as the Rapture. Jesus was the first fruits of the first crop of the dead (in Christ) that was brought into the house of the Lord.

Jesus also resurrected others from death during this time. “The graves were opened, and many bodies of the saints which slept arose and came out of the graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many” (Matthew 27:52-53). I believe these are the Messianic Jews who died during the time of Jesus’ ministry. After the resurrection, when Jesus returned to the Father, He took these believers with Him to heaven. They are awaiting their eternal spiritual bodies like all the rest of the ‘dead in Christ.’

By resurrecting many saints on this Feast of First Fruits, Christ proved that His power over death was not limited to Himself alone. Many ancient Christian writers refer to this miraculous resurrection of the dead. This event, together with more than five hundred eyewitnesses to the risen Christ, as per 1 Corinthians 15:4-6, assisted in the rapid spread of the Christian faith. Jesus is the ultimate fulfillment of the Feast of First Fruits.

Although there have been several resurrections of dead people before Jesus, they all died again. Jesus is the only one who has been raised from the dead and is living now in heaven with a resurrected body that is made for eternity. He is the first of His kind in this regard, with many more to follow Him in the near future. The next resurrection of the “dead in Christ” (and living believers as well) with a translated eternal body will be at the Rapture.

THE WAVE OFFERING OF THE TWO LOAVES OF WHEAT BREAD

The fourth Feast of the Lord, Shavuot (Feast of Weeks/Feast of Harvest), is celebrated 50 days from the Feast of First Fruits (inclusive reckoning) in late spring or early summer. Seven Sabbaths must be observed before Shavuot begins the next day on the first day of the week (Sunday). Shavuot, or Pentecost to the Greek-speaking Gentiles, celebrates the end of the barley harvest and the beginning of the wheat harvest. The name Pentecost comes from the Greek word “penta,” meaning 50.

“And you shall count unto you from the morrow after the Sabbath, from the day that you brought the sheaf of the wave offering; seven Sabbaths shall be complete. Even unto the morrow after the seventh Sabbath shall you number fifty days; and you shall offer a new grain offering unto the Lord. You shall bring from your dwellings two wave loaves of two-tenths of an ephah. They shall be of fine flour; they shall be baked with leaven. They are the firstfruits to the Lord” (Leviticus 23:15-17).

“Then you shall sacrifice one kid of the goats as a sin offering, and two male lambs of the first year as a sacrifice of a peace offering. The priest shall wave them with the bread of the firstfruits as a wave offering before the Lord, with the two lambs. They shall be holy to the Lord for the priest” (Leviticus 23:19-20).

Since the Feast of First Fruits always occurs on a Sunday, so must Shavuot. It is another day-of-the-week-specific Feast and can occur on different dates in the Hebrew calendar. Originally, Shavuot was celebrated because it was the beginning of the summer harvest. But in A.D. 135, after the final defeat of the Jewish nation (under the leadership of Simon ben Kosiba, popularly known as Bar Kokhba) by Roman legions, the Sanhedrin changed the focus of Shavuot from the summer harvest to the giving of the Ten Commandments and the Law of Moses. The Bible never mentions the giving of the Law as occurring on Shavuot.

They did this because Shavuot was one of the three Feasts in which all male Jews were required to observe and gather together, and the defeated and dispersed nation of Israel would no longer have any national harvests to celebrate. From that time on, the Jewish leaders decided that Shavuot would occur 50 days after the Feast of Unleavened Bread (Nisan 15) instead of the Feast of First Fruits. So now, in their eyes, Shavuot can come any day of the week and takes place on the 6th day (or within a few days) of the third Hebrew month of Sivan. This dating method for Shavuot is not biblically correct.

I believe the ‘Day of Pentecost’ mentioned in Acts 2 was the very same Feast of the Lord, known as Shavuot, and not some other minor festival. The Greek word for Pentecost, ‘Pentekoste,’ means ‘fiftieth,’ in reference to the fiftieth day after the waving of the Omer. It is only used three times in the N.T. This was the same day the Holy Spirit ‘sat upon’ the disciples (per Acts 2:3) and empowered them to speak in foreign languages, enabling them to communicate with all the Jews from different countries who spoke in various languages.

After Peter’s speech to the multitudes, the Jews asked Peter what they should do. Peter told them, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call” (Acts 2:38-39). On this fourth Feast of the Lord, on the four thousandth year since creation, the Church of Jesus Christ was born.

Keep in mind that the Feasts of the Lord of Israel are but “a shadow of things to come, but the substance (body) is of Christ” (Colossians 2:17). They are called Feasts of the LORD (or Feasts of Yahweh) and not Feasts of the Jews. In Leviticus 23:1-2, the LORD told Moses, “These are My Feasts.”

In the first few centuries after the death of Christ, the early Church began to distance itself from the Jews regarding Passover and the Resurrection. The Jewish Passover had no meaning for the Gentile Christians except through reflection on Jesus’ death on the cross, and likewise His resurrection, which they viewed as occurring on the Sunday after His death. In 325 AD, the Council of Nicaea set the dating method for when to observe Easter (resurrection Sunday). Easter, in turn, sets the timing for “Good Friday” (supposedly the day of the week of Christ’s death) and also the day of Pentecost, which is the day Christians celebrate the giving of the Holy Spirit and the birth of the Church.

This act by the Council of Nicaea officially separated Shavuot from Pentecost, and they became two different holidays or festivals. What a shame! Shavuot remained a Feast of the Lord day for the Jews, with no connection to the Church’s birth, and Pentecost became a Christian holiday with no connection to the agricultural Feast of Shavuot. They rarely occur on the same date, as the starting date for counting the 50 days of the Omer usually begins earlier than the countdown from Easter to Pentecost.

The Church of Jesus Christ was born on the day of Shavuot/Pentecost after seven sevens (weeks) had passed from His resurrection. On this annual Jewish Feast day, the Jews were required to bring a new grain (wheat) offering to the LORD, which consisted of two loaves of bread made from fine flour and baked with leaven. “They are the first fruits unto the LORD” (Leviticus 23:17). This is quite different from the Feast of Firstfruits, where it was required to bring a sheaf of barley, and the worshipers were to eat only unleavened bread during the Feast of Unleavened Bread.

We have seen the typology of the Feast of Firstfruits in that Jesus was the first fruits of the dead to be resurrected. Jesus led a sinless life. Leaven, which represents sin, was not allowed in the barley bread to be eaten during that Holy week. However, after seven sevens (49 days), on the following day of Shavuot, the two wheat loaves that were to be waved before the Lord were baked with leaven. This is the only Feast of the Lord where leaven is allowed. Why?

I believe the two leavened loaves of wheat bread are a typology of the Church that was born on that “Pentecost” day on Sivan 7, 33 AD. Both Jews and Gentiles were baptized on that day and became members of Jesus’ congregation (Church) that started the spiritual kingdom of God on earth. All were sinners. However, these new believers were filled with the Holy Spirit of God and became a new creation, from mere grain to baked loaves, from Jews and Gentiles to Christians.

BY THE TESTIMONY OF TWO WITNESSES

There have been two ‘raptures’ of living believers according to the Bible. Enoch’s rapture is mentioned in Genesis 5:24, and Elijah’s is mentioned in 2 Kings 2:11. According to Jewish tradition, Enoch was born on the day that would become Pentecost, just like the church, and his name means ‘dedicated’ or ‘consecrated.’ Elijah means ‘Yahweh is God,’ a declaration that summarizes the prophet’s lifework of calling Israel back to exclusive covenant loyalty. The antediluvian, Enoch, lived before the people were divided into nations (at the Tower of Babel), so he is considered a Gentile (a non-Jew). Elijah, of course, was a Jew. Hence, a Gentile and a Jew (two loaves of leavened bread) were raptured because they pleased God.

Enoch’s rapture more resembles the Church’s Rapture than Elijah’s. There were no witnesses to Enoch’s rapture (as far as we know), as there were with Elijah’s. Enoch was ‘taken’ because he pleased God. “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” (Hebrews 11:5). Elijah was taken by a whirlwind unto heaven (2 Kings 2:11), whereas Enoch simply vanished (as far as we know), or as Genesis 5:24 says, “And Enoch walked with God: and he was not; for God took him.”

The Bible doesn’t say why Elijah was raptured. Jack Kelley speculated on this, “I think Elijah, being the only other one raptured into heaven, serves primarily as the fulfillment of the ‘two witnesses’ principle where a thing is established by the testimony of two witnesses (Deut. 19:15). Enoch and Elijah give witness to the fact that it’s possible to be taken alive into Heaven.” {1} Enoch, Elijah, And The Rapture – Grace thru faith.

THE LATTER AND FORMER RAIN

Hosea 6:1-3 says, ”Come and let us return unto the Lord: for he has torn, and he will heal us; he has smitten, and he will bind us up. After two days he will revive us: in the third day he will raise us up, and we shall live in his sight. Then shall we know, if we follow on to know the Lord: his going forth is prepared as the morning; and he shall come unto us as the rain, as the latter and former rain unto the earth.

Jesus came the first time as the ‘latter rain.’ The latter rain comes to Israel during the early spring season (during the time of the first three Feasts of the Lord), and the ‘former rain’ comes during the fall season. The reason for this is that Israel has two calendars, the ecclesiastical and civil calendars. Regarding the former rain, Hosea is referring to the civil calendar, which begins in the fall (Tishri 1). Jesus will return to Earth (Second Coming) during the former rains that occur during the last three fall Feasts of the Lord.

Shavuot or Pentecost comes between the early spring and fall seasons, just as the Rapture comes between the First and Second Comings. Jesus will fulfill all seven Feasts of the Lord. Most scholars believe Jesus fulfilled Pentecost by sending the Holy Spirit, but did He, or was Pentecost fulfilled by the Holy Spirit Himself?

Both Jesus and the Father are described as sending the Holy Spirit. In John 16:7, Jesus says, “But I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I am leaving; for if I do not leave, the Helper will not come to you; but if I go, I will send Him to you.” This verse (along with John 15:26) suggests that Jesus sends the Holy Spirit.

However, in John 14:26, it is written, “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and remind you of all that I said to you.” This implies that the Father sends the Holy Spirit. So, it can be concluded that both Jesus and the Father have roles in sending the Holy Spirit at Shavuot/Pentecost. This makes sense, after all, Jesus said He and the Father are one (John 10:30).

We know that the Father sent the Son (John 5:37 and 1 John 4:14) and the Holy Spirit (John 14:26) to save the world from sin and to convict them of their sins. Basically, the Father is the sender, and the Son and Holy Spirit are the ones being sent. It is my belief that the Holy Spirit is the One who fulfilled the Feast of Shavuot/Pentecost. If this is true, Jesus will fulfill Shavuot (or Pentecost) at the Rapture and the fall Feasts of the Lord (Trumpets, Atonement, and Tabernacles) at the Second Coming. Jesus must fulfill all seven Feasts of Yahweh.

Jesus told his disciples he had to go away in order for the Holy Spirit to come (John 16:7). Jesus’ ministry ended ten days before the Feast of Pentecost. The Holy Spirit’s ministry began on Pentecost and will continue until His ministry (one of many) of restraining evil will end at the Rapture. During their time on Earth, Jesus glorified the Father, and the Holy Spirit glorified the Son.

The Tribulation is Daniel’s 70th Week or Jacob’s Trouble. It is the continuation of the last seven years of the Mosaic Law. It was interrupted by the time of the Gentiles, known as the Church Age (the age of grace). Long ago, God told Moses (regarding the Jews and Gentiles), “They have moved me to jealousy with that which is not God; they have provoked me to anger with their vanities: and I will move them to jealousy with those which are not a people; I will provoke them to anger with a foolish nation” (Deuteronomy 32:21). That foolish ‘nation’ (Gentiles or people) is the Church.

THE THREE GATHERINGS UNTO THE LORD

There were three times a year that the Israelites were to gather together to keep the Feasts of the Lord. “Three times in a year shall all thy males appear before the Lord thy God in the place which he shall choose; in the feast of unleavened bread, and in the feast of weeks, and in the feast of tabernacles” (Deuteronomy 16:16).

These Feasts of the Lord were appointed to coincide with the harvest seasons of Israel. The Feast of Unleavened Bread takes place during the barley harvest season. The Feast of Weeks, or Shavuot, takes place during the wheat harvest season. The Feast of Tabernacles takes place during the olive and fruit harvest season.

Jesus was the ‘firstfruits’ to be raised from the dead with a translated heavenly body. This occurred within the seven days of the Feast of Unleavened Bread (on the Feast of Firstfruits). The second ‘firstfruits’ to be raised from the dead will occur at the Rapture, perhaps on Shavuot/Pentecost (?), if the typology holds. The third ‘firstfruits to be raised from the dead will occur after the Second Coming, when the Tribulation and Old Testament saints will be raised from the dead. This should coincide with the Feast of Tabernacles (at the end of Daniel’s 70th week), when the autumn harvest of fruit and olives typically occurs.

“The Book of Ruth is a beautiful analogy of the relationship between Naomi, a model of Israel, Ruth, a model of the Church, and Boaz, the Kinsman-Redeemer. It’s read in the synagogues on Shavuot. “The modeling here is dramatic, with Naomi in the role of Israel, destitute and alone, Ruth as the Church, the Gentile bride, Boaz as the Messiah, and the story itself as a prediction of the relationship that would involve all three of them. In the process of redeeming Israel, the Messiah takes a Gentile bride. In doing so, He saves both from their destitute condition and restores Israel’s Land. The identification of the Church with Pentecost began in the prophecies of Ruth.” {2} The Feast Of Pentecost – Grace thru faith.

Regarding the Rapture, Jesus said, “But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only” (Matthew 24:36). Many prefer the Feast of Trumpets (especially the one on 9/23/2025) for the Rapture because it occurs on Tishri 1 during the time when the new moon of fall occurs, and no one knows exactly what day or hour the crescent moon will appear (or be seen). However, this occurs at the start of every Jewish month and is not restricted to Tishri 1.

However, all the Feasts of the Lord have Hebrew calendar dates, except for Firstfruits and Shavuot, as specified in Leviticus 23. The ‘day and hour‘ (the calendar date), for a particular year, which no one knows in advance, is Shavuot/Pentecost, as it is dependent on when the Feast of Firstfruits occurs, and Firstfruits doesn’t have a date until Nisan 1 is determined. Nisan 1 can be delayed by a month (when an intercalary month was added) if the crops aren’t in a state of ripeness.

The spiritual wheat crop has been maturing for nearly two millennia now, and soon, it will be ready to harvest. The date for Shavuot/Pentecost in 33 AD was Sunday, Sivan 7 on the Jewish calendar, corresponding to 5/24/33 on the Julian calendar. Interestingly, the date for Pentecost in 2026 is also Sunday, Sivan 7 on the Jewish calendar, corresponding to 5/24/2026, on the Gregorian calendar.

Scripture says ‘no one knows the day or the hour’ of the Rapture (some say the Second Coming). The only way someone can know the exact timing (day and hour) of the Rapture is if God reveals it to them. If God didn’t reveal the timing of the Rapture to His Son, Jesus (during his first advent), or His angels, then He certainly isn’t going to reveal it to anybody else. So, that leaves only typologies and speculation (hopefully, speculation based on Scripture) for reckoning the date of the Rapture.

I believe, like the late great Bible teacher, Jack Kelley, that the Rapture doesn’t have to occur on a Feast of the Lord day, but if it does, the best choice would be Shavuot/Pentecost; although I certainly wouldn’t mind being wrong, and the Rapture occurring on Trumpets, 9/23-24/2025. We’ll see soon enough, I suppose. Ironically, or not, the Feast of Trumpets occurs on practically the same date in 2033 as it does in 2025, which is 9/24/2033.

Amen, even so, come, Lord Jesus.

Randy Nettles

9/21/2025

rgeanie55@gmail.com