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(From the study "Should Christians Support Israel?" ) In our modern times, it has become fashionable for those in political, academic, and media spheres to attack Israel's right to exist as a sovereign nation. Unfortunately, similar sentiments are often expressed in Christian circles. For instance, some have taken the position that due to Israel’s current state of unbelief, the attitude of the Christian towards them as a nation should be one of opposition ("unbelief" meaning they still have not accepted their true Messiah, Jesus Christ). Some have gone as far as to say that their current state of unbelief makes even the State of Israel’s national sovereignty illegitimate in God’s eyes. They claim that since Israel’s return to the land in the 1900s took place while in this state of unbelief, then that return is not in any way connected to Bible prophecy. From this train of thought, they often deny that the modern State of Israel has any significance at all in terms of Bible prophecy. What is the truth about this? Where does Israel fit into God’s future program for humanity and world events? Is the modern State of Israel prophetically significant? Does God have a future plan for national Israel? And if so, what does it include? Answering these questions will help us gain a perspective as to the proper attitude of a Bible-believing Christian towards Israel. As Christians today, one of the best ways we can gain further understanding concerning the proper perspective we should have towards Israel as a nation is by recognizing what the Bible has to say about their prophetic destiny. First, we will explore the topic of whether Israel’s current regathering from worldwide dispersion (or in other words, the establishment of the modern State of Israel in the 1900s) has any connection to Bible prophecy. The answers we uncover will logically guide our perceptions going forward. In other words, if we do find that the modern State of Israel has prophetic relevance, and we recognize what Scripture tells us about Israel’s future in God’s plan, then those understandings must logically guide how we as Christians think towards modern Israel. Israel's Two Worldwide Regatherings In order to recognize how prophetically significant the current State of Israel actually is according to Bible prophecy, we need to first have an understanding of what the Bible says about Israel’s regathering to their ancestral homeland. The Bible is full of these prophecies. In fact, Bible scholar Thomas Ice notes: Every Old Testament prophet, except Jonah, speaks of a permanent return to the Land of Israel by the Jews. [1] The Biblical focus on the people of Israel being permanently regathered to the land is a pervasive theme throughout the Old Testament. But one of the most ignored topics of Bible prophecy is the awareness that Scripture plainly declares that Israel will undergo two different regatherings from worldwide dispersion (or if you prefer, two distinct phases of worldwide regathering). Further, the Bible also declares that these two regatherings would take place under very different circumstances and for very different purposes . It turns out that these differences actually help us recognize just how significant the current State of Israel is within the Bible’s prophetic outline for Israel’s future. We will begin by first stating our proposition. We will then thoroughly demonstrate the reality of this proposition as being a clear Scriptural teaching throughout the remainder of this article and the one to follow. Our proposition is that the Bible contains a number of prophecies indicating that Israel would be regathered first in a state of unbelief in preparation for judgment (the judgment that culminates in the Tribulation ), and that afterwards, they would then be regathered a second and final time in faith (this taking place after the Tribulation), in preparation for blessings to be received in the Millennial Kingdom. This is significant because many people overlook the distinction of these two regatherings and only recognize one regathering. Some only recognize or expect a regathering in faith – and because of this, they deny the prophetic significance of the current secular regathering (in unbelief ) that has been taking place over the past hundred years or so. Let’s dive right into this and see for ourselves what the Bible has to say about it. The first thing to take note of is that from the very beginning of Israel's history, God had promised to scatter them among the nations worldwide if they refused to keep the terms of the Mosaic Covenant and later refused to recognize Him as Messiah when He visited them. For instance, Deuteronomy 28:64 says God would: Scatter thee among all people, from the one end of the earth even unto the other... -Deuteronomy 28:64 From this passage, it’s clear that the dispersion would be global, as God had promised to scatter them from one end of the earth to the other. Predictions like this one are spoken of in a number of places throughout the Old Testament. Although the nation was somewhat scattered during the Assyrian and Babylonian invasions, in which many were brought captive into those lands, these events were only a local dispersion and cannot act as the ultimate fulfillment of these prophecies describing a worldwide dispersion. Instead, these prophecies of worldwide dispersion find clear fulfillment in the events of 70 AD and following. At this point in time, God brought discipline upon unbelieving Israel through the invasion of the Roman general Titus Vespasian, whose armies would level Jerusalem and the Temple in order to quell the Jewish uprisings of the late 60s AD. During this time, many Jews were killed or sold into slavery and removed from the land. Then, during the 130s AD, the Bar Kokhba revolt would result in most of the remaining Jewish population of Judea being killed, sold into foreign slavery, or forced to flee the land. The area of Jerusalem was renamed Aelia Capitolina by the Romans. For the last two thousand years, the Jews have found themselves in this worldwide dispersion without a home country (this dispersion referred to as the Diaspora) exactly as foretold by God through the writings of Moses in Deuteronomy, and in many other places. But just as Israel’s disciplinary dispersion is prophesied in the Old Testament, so is her eventual restoration. As we already stated, the Bible specifically predicts two worldwide regatherings for national Israel. First, there would be a regathering in unbelief when Israel returns to part of her original land promise – a return in preparation for the eventual judgment of the Tribulation, through which the nation will be brought to faith. But this regathering will be followed by another future regathering in faith, after the discipline of the Tribulation leads the Jewish remnant to cry out unto Christ in their time of trouble – prompting His response. After He returns to save this righteous remnant and destroy their enemies, He will then regather the global outcasts of Israel and bring them back to the land in preparation for blessings in the Kingdom Age. In this final regathering, Israel will be restored not only to part of her land, but to all of her land, according to the original boundaries promised by God to the Patriarchs and reiterated to Joshua in the Old Testament (Genesis 15:18 and Joshua 1:4). These boundaries have never yet been completely under Israel’s control, but they will be in this future Kingdom Age. But here’s a key point to recognize: We know that there are only two worldwide regatherings of Israel, and that this second and final one will occur after the Tribulation, prior to the beginning of the Millennial Kingdom. We learn all of this from Isaiah 11:11-12. And it shall come to pass in that day, that the Lord shall set his hand again the second time to recover the remnant of his people, which shall be left, from Assyria, and from Egypt, and from Pathros, and from Cush, and from Elam, and from Shinar, and from Hamath, and from the islands of the sea. And he shall set up an ensign for the nations, and shall assemble the outcasts of Israel, and gather together the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth. -Isaiah 11:11-12 The setting of this passage is clearly eschatological, referring to the final regathering in faith after the Tribulation as the Millennial Kingdom is being established. Verses 1-5 of this chapter describe the Second Coming of Christ in judgment to rule the earth. Verses 6-9 depict the peaceful conditions of restoration under the New Covenant, and Verse 10 introduces Israel’s national repentance and return to their true Messiah. Verses 11-12 (which we just read) continue this theme, helping us understand the context of this final worldwide regathering. You will see this clearly in the other parallel passages we will examine in Part 2. But let’s recognize the important marker given to us in Verse 11 – the phrase “the second time.” In light of what we just discussed, it becomes clear that if this final worldwide regathering is the “second one,” then that means there was an earlier worldwide regathering – “the first one”. The Hebrew-Christian scholar Arnold Fruchtenbaum explains this further. [Isaiah] is speaking of the final worldwide regathering in faith in preparation for blessing. Isaiah numbers the final worldwide gathering in faith in preparation for the Messianic Kingdom as the second one. In other words, the last one is only the second one. If the last one is the second one, how many can there be before that? Only one. The first one could not have been the return from Babylon since that was not an international regathering from the four corners of the world, only a migration from one country (Babylonia) to another (Judea). The Bible does not allow for several worldwide regatherings in unbelief; it allows for one worldwide regathering in unbelief, followed by the last one, the one in faith, which is the second one. This text only permits two worldwide regatherings from the four corners of the earth. [2] Let’s take note that this “second time” regathering as a time of repentance indicates that national Israel must have existed in a state of unbelief prior to this (cf. Zechariah 12:10-14; 14:4; Romans 11:25-27). If this was not the case, then there would be nothing for Israel to repent of! Therefore, the “first time” regathering, which must be identified as taking place before this, must have involved Israel's regathering to the Land in unbelief. If there are only two regatherings, then this “first time” regathering of the Jews to the Land of Israel must be the modern one we’ve witnessed over the past hundred years or so – and it certainly has been a return in unbelief. Further yet, since the Bible describes Israel dwelling “in the land” throughout the end-times, and if there are only two regatherings, then there cannot be another dispersion before the future “second time” regathering. Logically then, this requires that the modern State of Israel will remain in possession of the Land perpetually from now until the fulfillment of end time prophecy. Otherwise, there would be more than two worldwide regatherings. Although the first regathering has already been occurring within modern times, we of course can recognize that many Jewish people will remain scattered among the nations awaiting the future “second time” regathering, according to prophecy. In other words, there have to be Jews still in worldwide diaspora who do not return during the first regathering, in order for a final worldwide regathering to occur later on. Another way of putting it is there must be Jews living both in Israel and in the worldwide diaspora among the nations throughout the end times. That of course is what we see currently taking place. The first regathering has been gradual and partial. The final regathering will be a full regathering of all remnant Jews, and seems to be more of an immediate event. So, the logical conclusion of all of this requires us to accept that the modern return of Israel to the Land (even while in a state of unbelief) is a divinely ordained event – and therefore, the modern State of Israel must be part of God’s prophetic program. Clearly, it is part of God's plan to bring the nation of Israel to future repentance and spiritual restoration. Fruchtenbaum arrives at the same conclusion. Therefore, the present Jewish state is relevant to Bible prophecy. [3] And so, from this key passage in Isaiah 11 that tells us of this second and final regathering, we can recognize the logical conclusion we are brought to: the modern State of Israel is prophetically significant! [1] Mark Hitchcock and Thomas Ice, Breaking the Apocalypse Code , Costa Mesa, CA: Word for Today, 2007, pp. 136-137. [2] Arnold Fruchtenbaum, Footsteps of the Messiah: A Study of the Sequence of Prophetic Events , rev. ed., Tustin, CA: Ariel, 2003, pp. 102-103. [3] Ibid.

(From the study "Understanding The Distinction Between Israel And The Church" ) Within the famed “seventy weeks prophecy“ found in Daniel 9:24-27 exists an often debated conundrum in Christian eschatology. This debate surrounds the mysterious shift between Verses 26 and 27, focusing on Verse 26’s reference to “the prince that shall come“ which is followed by Verse 27’s opening phrase “and he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week.“ Does this pronoun “he“ refer to the Messiah, Titus Vespasian, or a future Antichrist figure? Understanding Daniel's Prophecy In order to begin to answer this question, we must understand more about this prophecy as a whole. The context concerns Daniel while he was in Babylon during the Babylonian exile of the Jews (605-536 BC). Daniel understood from reading Jeremiah’s prophecies that the exile would last for seventy years (Daniel 9:2; Jeremiah 25:11; 29:10). He recognized that Israel's national restoration depended on their national repentance (Jeremiah 29:10-14), so Daniel personally interceded for Israel in prayer. He prayed specifically for the restoration of Jerusalem and the Temple, as they had been destroyed by the Babylonians (Daniel 9:3-19). Daniel apparently expected the immediate and complete fulfillment of Israel’s restoration with the conclusion of the seventy-year captivity. However, in these verses of Daniel 9, the future of the Jews and Jerusalem was shown to him by the angel Gabriel (who gave him the seventy weeks prophecy), revealing that Israel’s restoration would be progressive and only ultimately fulfilled at the time of the end (see also Daniel 12). Through this prophecy, God decreed that He would complete His Messianic redemption of the Jews and Jerusalem over the course of a seventy-week period (which as we now understand, includes both advents of Christ). This prophecy in Daniel 9 describes seventy “sevens” (or weeks) of years – in other words, 490 years that would be designated for the Jews and Jerusalem in order to complete six key objectives related to this full Messianic redemption (essentially, to wrap up this age of human history and introduce the Messianic Kingdom). Let’s begin by reading this passage in Daniel 9, beginning with Verse 24 and ending with the last verse of this chapter – Verse 27. We have added some parenthetical inserts in order to help you understand what each part of this prophecy is saying within the context of our topic here. We will then go over each verse in more detail to make sure it’s clear. Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city [meaning the Jews and Jerusalem], to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy [basically meaning “to finish this age”]. Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks [7 + 62, equaling a total of 69 weeks, or 483 years since each week is 7 years]: the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous times. And after threescore and two weeks [in other words, after the 62 weeks that follow the 7 weeks, or put another way, after the entire 69 weeks, or 483 years] shall Messiah be cut off [this happened in 33 AD with the crucifixion of Christ], but not for himself: and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined [this happened in 70 AD when the Romans destroyed Jerusalem]. And he [the topic of this article] shall confirm the covenant with many for one week [speaking of the final seventieth week]: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate. -Daniel 9:24-27 In order for us to properly engage the issue of the mysterious “he“ in Verse 27 and how it relates to the “prince that shall come“ in Verse 26, a verse-by-verse analysis of this entire prophecy is in order. Due to the constraints of space and time in this article, we will attempt to reduce our summaries of the preceding verses to the bare basics. Let’s begin. An Analysis of Verse 24 Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy. -Daniel 9:24 Verse 24 makes it clear to us that seventy weeks of years (70 x 7, or 490 years) are designated by God for the future of the Jews and Jerusalem in order to complete six key objectives. Since these objectives were not explicitly defined for us, it leaves the interpreter to find a plausible explanation of what they point toward. We believe it is clear that they point towards the culmination of the major Biblical themes of this age – judgment of sin, atonement, forgiveness, and spiritual restoration. It is critical to recognize that all of these objectives have not yet been fully completed. When we look at these themes while using the backdrop of Old and New Testament prophecy, it becomes clear that although some may have been fulfilled – or have begun being fulfilled – it is clear that in the ultimate sense, these events will be brought to complete fulfillment when Israel is brought to spiritual restoration and revival at the time of the Second Coming of Christ and the inauguration of the future Millennial Kingdom. An Analysis of Verse 25 Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks: the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous times. -Daniel 9:25 As we pointed out earlier, we have a total of seventy weeks of years, or 490 years. However, Verse 25 focuses on the first sixty-nine weeks of years, separating them from the seventieth. It breaks them down into a first seven weeks of years followed immediately by sixty-two weeks of years (or threescore and two weeks), totaling sixty-nine . It tells us that these sixty-nine weeks of years would be a countdown that begins with a commandment to restore and rebuild Jerusalem , and culminates with the appearance of the Messiah to Israel. It’s a countdown to the arrival of the Messiah, or what Christians would call the “First Coming.” In the our study entitled “The Daniel 9:25 Prophecy – An Exact Timeline For the Arrival Of The Messiah” , we conclusively proved in great detail that this sixty-nine week countdown began during the Hebrew month of Nisan in 444 BC with the decree of Artaxerxes (Nehemiah 1 and 2), and ended on March 30th of 33 AD at the Triumphal Entry of Jesus into Jerusalem. Several days following His Triumphal Entry, He was then crucified on April 3rd – a key element which we will see anticipated in the next verse (Verse 26). So, we should recognize that the sixty-nine weeks have concluded long ago. If you have any doubts about this, or would like to understand the evidence for yourself, feel free to consult the aforementioned study. An Analysis of Verse 26 And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself: and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined. -Daniel 9:26 Verse 26 discusses the events that occur after the completion of the sixty-nine weeks, which we said terminated on March 30th of 33 AD – the day of the Triumphal Entry, the day Jesus rode the donkey into Jerusalem. So, as stated earlier, we should recognize that the sixty-nine weeks have concluded long ago. So, this verse discusses the events that would follow the termination of the sixty-ninth week. It says that after the sixty-nine total weeks, the Messiah would then be “cut off,” and that Jerusalem and the Temple would be destroyed by a prince who would come. These events happened exactly as this prophecy predicts. First, as we have shown in the aforementioned study, several days following the Triumphal Entry, Jesus (the Messiah) was cut off. The Triumphal Entry took place on Monday, ending the sixty-nine weeks, and then Jesus was crucified on Friday of that same week – in 33 AD. Let’s briefly discuss this term “cut off” so there is no confusion. The Hebrew term for “cut off” here, is karath (Strong’s # H3772). This word literally means to be “cut off, cut down, or cut asunder,” and is often used to mean that one would be executed or killed. [1] Interestingly, this word also is used to imply the “cutting of a covenant,” in which two people would literally cut off a piece of animal flesh and pass between the pieces while making vows – as was done during the giving of the Abrahamic Covenant by God to Abraham in Genesis 15. [2] Is there any word that better summarizes the work of Christ on the cross? He was “cut off” and rejected by His people, the Jews, and was then executed. But this act of laying down His life was the cornerstone upon which the New Covenant was based! So, there should be no confusion regarding this expression “cut off.” It means the Messiah would be executed after the conclusion of the sixty-nine weeks – which, as we have shown in our companion study, Christ was (four days – as we count – following His Triumphal Entry). Second, Verse 26 then predicts that Jerusalem and the Temple would be destroyed by a prince who would come. This was fulfilled precisely as spoken in this Verse, as the city and the sanctuary were indeed destroyed by a prince who would come about thirty-seven years later in 70 AD. Our knowledge of the history of this time is well-preserved and well-known. History records in detail the actions of the Roman prince and general, Titus Vespasian , who led the assault on Jerusalem and the Temple, destroying them in 70 AD. [3] For more information on this, feel free to consult our companion study entitled, “The Luke 19:43-44 Prophecy: The Destruction Of Jerusalem Foretold” . During the Jewish rebellion against Rome in the late 60s AD, Titus’ father Vespasian, also formerly a general, had now become the emperor of Rome. He put Titus in charge of carrying out the assault on Jerusalem, which he accomplished in 70 AD – resulting in the massacre and destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple. [4] So, Titus Vespasian had just become a prince, since his father had just become the emperor – exactly as the prophetic text required. And like the prophecy states, the end came for Jerusalem in its destruction in 70 AD, and following that, war continued with its desolations, as history has confirmed. The entire countryside was leveled, as recorded in the writings of Josephus, and beginning at that time, the Jewish people over the next century would be sent into a worldwide Diaspora. [5] The fulfillments of this prophetic verse are very clear. At this point, we have discussed the first through sixty-ninth weeks, as well as the events that took place after the sixty-ninth week. We have not yet discussed a seventieth week. An Analysis of Verse 27 And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate. -Daniel 9:27 Verse 27 seems to make an unusual jump to describing the beginning of the mysterious seventieth week, but gives no description of how the events following the sixty-nine weeks link into the seventieth. Our understanding of the previous verse is clear that the sixty-nine weeks were completed, and tells us of events that would occur after their completion – forcing us to recognize a gap between the sixty-ninth and seventieth weeks. The sixty-nine weeks concluded on March 30th, 33 AD at the Triumphal Entry. Then after that, Jesus the Messiah was “cut off” four days later. Then still even further after that, the city and sanctuary were destroyed almost forty years later in 70 AD. So, any way you cut it, this passage mandates a gap of time following the sixty-nine weeks. But when we look at Verse 27 and notice its description of the final seventieth week, the question is, when should we understand this final week to occur? Did it occur in 70 AD? Or, is it yet future? The only point of continuity or linkage with the previous verse is the use of the pronoun “he,” which would seem to refer back to the antecedent – “prince that shall come” in Verse 26. We are told that a covenant will be confirmed (or enforced), which would appear to be the marker for the beginning of the final seventieth week – “and he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week”. We are then told of a marker that would appear to designate the middle of the seventieth week – “and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease…” There is often much confusion as to whether these events have already happened, or if we should understand them to be future events. Does the "He" in Verse 27 Refer to the Messiah in Verse 25 or "the Prince That Shall Come" in Verse 26? As mentioned at the outset, the identification of the pronoun “he” in this verse has been the topic of much debate. While some believe it refers to the “Messiah the Prince” originally mentioned in Verse 25, others believe it refers to the “prince that shall come” mentioned toward the end of Verse 26 (which we have already identified with Titus Vespasian). In normal laws of reference in language, a pronoun refers back to the last preceding person mentioned. In this case, the antecedent is “the prince that shall come” in Verse 26. Those who instead argue that “he” means the Messiah face a number of difficulties. For example, if this is taken to mean Christ confirming the New Covenant (as some have suggested), it immediately runs into major problems, as the New Covenant is obviously longer than seven years in duration. Further, those who apply this to Christ often apply the first half of the final seven years to Jesus’s earthly ministry. However, doing that would overlap the seventieth week with the sixty-ninth week, which we showed in our companion study to have been still in progress until 33 AD. Further yet, there are no noteworthy events to designate as markers that would conclude the seventieth week if you applied this to the years following 33 AD. Some also try to connect the “prince that shall come” in verse 26 with being the Messiah mentioned in verse 25, but that obviously falls apart since the passage says that Jerusalem and the Temple will be destroyed by the “people of the prince that shall come,” and history shows that Jerusalem was destroyed by the Romans, not the Jewish people. J. Dwight Pentecost, quoting Alva McClain, writes: The expression "prince that shall come" cannot possibly refer to "Messiah the Prince" for the simple reason that it is " the people of the prince that shall come" who are to destroy Jerusalem after the death of Messiah. And since it is now a matter of history that Jerusalem was destroyed in A.D. 70 by the Roman people, not by the Jewish people, it follows that "the prince that shall come" cannot be the Jewish Messiah… [6] But getting back to the “he“ in verse 27, the most problematic issue for a “Messiah view“ is probably the great number of parallel prophetic passages (to be mentioned shortly) that clearly identify the seventieth week as a future time period that terminates with the Second Coming of Christ – a period often called the Tribulation. Since the Tribulation and the Second Coming of Christ are clearly and obviously portrayed in scripture as future events, then this requires a futurist interpretation of this prophecy. This is the view that we of course embrace. So, we find that the better interpretation of the pronoun “he” is in reference to the “prince that shall come.” How Can the "He" in Verse 27 Refer to the Future Antichrist if We Already Identified Him With Titus Vespasian? The next obvious question becomes, if the pronoun “he” refers to “the prince that shall come,” who we already identified as Titus Vespasian, how can this prophecy be yet future, and how can it refer to the Antichrist? Let’s begin to explore the answer to this question. Many interpreters (especially Preterists ) have interpreted Verse 27 to have already been fulfilled in the first century AD with the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD. Preterism is a Christian eschatological view that interprets the end times prophecies of the Bible as being events which have already been fulfilled in the past, mainly in the first century. [7] The term Preterism comes from the Latin praeter , meaning “past.” Preterism is directly opposed to futurism, which sees the end times prophecies as having a still-future fulfillment. Another typical aspect of Preterism is the belief that Israel finds its continuation or fulfillment in the Christian Church following the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD. [8] In other words, this view falls into the camp of Replacement Theology , the idea that the Church has replaced Israel in God’s program. Preterists generally attribute the complete fulfillment of Daniel 9:27 to the actions of Titus Vespasian and the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD. Many Preterists have noted the similarities between the actions of Titus and the content of Verse 27 – “he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate.” Titus put an end to sacrifice and offering by destroying Jerusalem and the Temple. The Romans set up their pagan emblems on the eastern wing of the Temple and offered sacrifices to them. The Jewish/Roman historian Josephus, who was there, records all of this in The Wars of the Jews , Book 6, Chapter 6.3. [9] At quick glance, and when isolating this passage from the rest of the Biblical commentary on the seventieth week, this interpretation may appear convincing. Yet, when we utilize a systematic, precise, literal reading of all of the parallel Biblical passages that also discuss the seventieth week, we find that this Preterist view is indefensible. We must recognize that numerous future end times discourses in the New Testament were given based upon this template of Daniel 9:24-27. Jesus’ Olivet Discourse in Matthew 24, Paul’s teaching on the eschatological “Day of the Lord” in 2 Thessalonians 2, and the apocalyptic prophecies of Revelation 6-19 are all prime examples. Although we can't delve into an exploration of those in this article, any simple investigation will reveal that these passages all act as parallel or clarifying Biblical commentary on the events of the seventieth week, expounding upon this particular verse (Verse 27). Their plain, literal readings necessitate a future context of interpretation – meaning the events that Verse 27 describes cannot have found ultimate fulfillment in 70 AD, or any other time up until the present. These parallel prophecies, as well as other passages that clearly depict the seventieth week, describe it as a future end-times period that will involve the desecrating actions of the figure often called the Antichrist . The only Biblically coherent way to understand the seventieth week described here in Verse 27 is through the futurist interpretation. But let’s focus our attention on the question we posed earlier. If the pronoun “he“ in Verse 27 refers to the “prince that shall come,“ who we already identified as Titus Vespasian in Verse 26, then how can this prophecy be yet future? In order to further answer this question, we need to make note of several key peculiarities that we repeatedly note in prophetic scripture. First, we shouldn’t be surprised that between Verse 26 and Verse 27 exists a gap of time (if there is a significant gap here, then by that fact alone we cannot understand the “he“ in Verse 27 to refer to Titus Vespasian who is referred to in Verse 26). It is somewhat common in scripture for a prophecy to, in the course of a single line, or even in the space of a comma, jump from one fulfillment event to another, being hundreds or even thousands of years apart. We may refer to these as hidden intervals or gaps in prophecy. This is a common occurrence in Bible prophecy, often due to the hidden nature of the Church Age in God’s prophetic program. In an earlier article , we discussed how the Church was a mystery entity hidden throughout the Old Testament. Some have illustrated this concept as a series of mountain peaks, separated by a valley that lay in between. The first mountain peak represents the events of the First Coming of the Messiah, and the next taller mountain peaks represent the events of the Second Coming and then the Millennial Kingdom that immediately follows. In between the first two peaks sits a valley encompassing the Church Age, which was below the line of vision for the prophets. They could see the mountain peaks in the distance, and from their view, they seemed to follow each other sequentially without gaps or interruptions. But from their vantage point, they couldn’t tell that between the mountains was a valley. In other words, they couldn’t know that there was a two thousand-or-more-year Church Age that separated the events they saw. All of these things were beneath their line of sight. Their prophecies often discuss events fulfilled at Christ’s First Coming and seemingly flow right into events that will take place at His Second Coming (two prophetic “mountain peak” events). Through the benefit of hindsight, we can now see that they skip over the several thousand years we’ve experienced so far in the Church Age. If while initially reading them, you didn’t already know there was a mystery gap period (the Church Age) inserted in between, you’d think they were all continuous and uninterrupted prophecies. A prime example of this is the clear gap between Zechariah 9:9 and 9:10. Verse 9 is a clear prophecy related to Jesus’ First Coming, describing His Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem several days prior to His crucifixion. Verse 10 then immediately moves to a Second Coming context, prophetically describing the glorious return of Christ as the conquering Messiah who will defeat His enemies and establish His Millennial reign on earth. Verse 9: Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy King cometh unto thee: he is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass. Verse 10: And I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim, and the horse from Jerusalem, and the battle bow shall be cut off: and he shall speak peace unto the heathen: and his dominion shall be from sea even to sea, and from the river even to the ends of the earth. -Zechariah 9:9-10 From an Old Testament perspective prior to Christ, one would be hard-pressed to recognize a prophetic gap that separates these two verses. But by virtue of hindsight, the gap becomes clear. Between the events of Christ’s two comings lies the Church Age, a mystery intercalation in God’s program. Scholar Warren Wiersbe writes: The entire age of the Church fits between Zechariah 9:9 and 9:10, just as it does between Isaiah 9:6 and 7 and after the comma in Isaiah 61:2. [10] As Wiersbe notes, this prophetic gap is also obvious in Isaiah 9:6-7. Note how clearly the beginning of Verse 6 refers to the First Coming, but then immediately shifts to Second Coming events. Verse 6: For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Verse 7: Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this. -Isaiah 9:6-7 Isaiah’s prophecy of a child being born and a son being given obviously refers to Jesus’ Incarnation at His First Coming. But then the passage immediately transitions to a Second Coming context in everything that follows. While Wiersbe suggests that the transition takes place between the two verses, we must point out that the government has never yet been upon Jesus’s shoulder. This will not take place until He establishes His earthly reign following His Second Coming. Jesus has also never been called “Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace” by the Jewish nation to which He was sent and to whom this prophecy was given. This will not occur until all of Israel is brought to faith around the time of the Second Coming and establishment of the Millennial Kingdom. Therefore, the gap is actually located in Verse 6 between the phrases “unto us a son is given” and “and the government shall be upon his shoulder.” Verse 7 then continues to describe the establishment of Christ’s earthly reign in the Millennial Kingdom, which follows the Second Coming. So, again, without the benefit of hindsight, it would seem as if these prophecies flow together. But because we can look back on them with the clarity of New Testament revelation, it becomes obvious that a mystery time-gap separates them. Wiersbe also mentions Isaiah 61:2, possibly the most classic example of this “hidden gap” phenomena in all of scripture. Jesus Christ Himself interpreted this for us in Luke 4:16-19. This passage records how at the beginning of His ministry, Jesus stood up in the synagogue when it was His turn to read, and opened to the book of the prophet Isaiah. He proceeded to read Isaiah 61:1-2, proclaiming His mission at His First Coming. He finishes with His mandate: “To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.” What you probably wouldn’t realize without going back to Isaiah to read the original prophecy, is that Jesus stopped reading right in the middle of the sentence! The rest reads, “and the day of vengeance of our God…” Jesus stopped reading at the comma that preceded “and the day of vengeance of our God…” He left that last segment out. Why? Because we now understand that after that comma, the prophecy jumped from the time of the Messiah’s First Coming to some several thousand years or more into the future – past the present time in which we are now living, to the time of His Second Coming. The “day of vengeance” was not part of His mission during His First Coming, but it will be fulfilled at His Second Coming. So, in the original prophecy in Isaiah, we see that one comma separated several thousand years of history (to date), but this gap would have been unknown and undetectable to the original readers. This is exactly what we also see happening in Daniel 9:26-27, as thousands of years separate the two verses – and yet, from a casual reading, they seem to flow together. This explains how the timing context of Verse 26 can involve the first century, while the timing context of Verse 27 can involve the future seventieth week. But how can the personal context shift from Titus Vespasian in Verse 26 to the future Antichrist in Verse 27? If the “he” in Verse 27 refers back to the antecedent (Titus Vespasian, the prince that shall come) in Verse 26, then how can we say the Antichrist is meant? In scripture, there are also many examples of multiple reference prophecies . In these prophecies, it’s clear who the original subject is, but then at some point in the text, the prophecy clearly begins to transcend that local person and point to a person of far greater significance who will act as the ultimate fulfillment. One example of a multiple reference prophecy is found in the Book of Ezekiel (Ezekiel 28:12-19), which gives a description of someone called the King of Tyre. Although there was an actual historical person who was the King of Tyre, the description the Bible gives of this person at some point seems to go far beyond just describing this human leader. Though in context, Ezekiel was first speaking about the historical King of Tyre, at some point in the prophecy, he seemingly moved into the dateless past with a description of the original fall of Satan – the true power behind the earthly King of Tyre. This also seems to be happening here in Daniel 9:26-27. Verse 26 obviously refers to the actions of Titus Vespasian, and yet we understand from the many other parallel prophetic passages in scripture that the events of Verse 27 are yet-future. And so, even though the pronoun “he” from Verse 26 is carried into Verse 27 without any obvious change in context, we understand from these other parallel supporting texts that the “he” in Verse 27 clearly transcends Titus – and instead, refers to the coming Antichrist in the eschatological seventieth week. Furthermore, it is even possible that the events of Verse 27 as a whole do find a typological near-term fulfillment in the events of 70 AD. In other words, Titus Vespasian and the events of 70 AD may be in some ways a prophetic type (like a prototype) of the Antichrist and his future actions. And as usual with typology, the type is not identical in all ways to the antitype. That is perfectly compatible with the futurist interpretation, as futurists recognize the routine usage of multiple-stage fulfillment or multiple-reference prophecies in scripture, as we just outlined. You may also hear many of these simply referred to as dual reference or near/far-term fulfillment prophecies. Sometimes the event being prophesied of ripples forward many times in history before it is ultimately fulfilled – but only the ultimate fulfillment event perfectly mirrors the Biblical description. For instance, we find something similar in Daniel 11:31, another place in which the term abomination of desolation is referenced, which futurist scholars understand to have both near-term and far-term fulfillments. This is the essence of prophetic typology, and there is no limit to the number of types that can occur. It is often a reoccurring pattern that has the purpose of prefiguring an ultimate future far-term fulfillment event. In the near-term sense, this passage (Daniel 11:31) refers to the events that took place in 167 BC, in which a Seleucid-Greek ruler named Antiochus Epiphanes erected an idol of Zeus in the Jewish Temple in Jerusalem – and also sacrificed a pig on the altar. This historical abomination of desolation is the event that lead to the Maccabean Revolt, in which the Greeks were expelled from Judea, and the Temple was then cleansed and rededicated. This historical event is commemorated by the Jews each year at Hanukkah. But in the far-term sense, this passage in Daniel 11 also appears to transcend this and find ultimate fulfillment in the actions of the Antichrist during the future seventieth week. This is made clear for us in many ways, but maybe most obviously in the fact that Jesus referenced this event in Matthew 24:15 and spoke of it in the future tense. In other words, He implied that this historical event would be recapitulated in a final abomination of desecration that will constitute the ultimate fulfillment. Further yet, this future understanding is also confirmed in the fact that the Daniel 11 narrative (which flows into Daniel 12), like the Matthew 24 narrative, ends with the Second Coming of Christ. In other words, this chapter in Daniel is yet another example of a prophecy that begins to transcend the local near-term application and end with a far more significant and ultimate event that is clearly in the future. And like Daniel 9:26-27, you will find that Daniel 11 also skips over several thousand years of the Church Age, culminating in the Second Coming event described early in Chapter 12. This concept alone refutes the Preterist view that “all of this has already happened.” If it already happened, when did the Second Coming take place? Scripture is clear that these seventieth week events end with the Second Coming of Christ. So, this prophecy of an abomination of desolation that we see described in Daniel 11:31 did describe an actual historical event that has occurred in the past, yet we also understand it to be a type or a shadow of an ultimate fulfillment yet to come. Like we said, this may also be the case in Daniel 9:27 with the actions of Titus Vespasian in 70 AD. But at most, they only act as a shadow (a prophetic “ripple“) of something yet-future that will occur in the seventieth week. And as is the case in many of these instances, the near-term fulfillment doesn’t perfectly fit the prophecy. In other words, a shadow is hazy and indistinct. The actual object casting the shadow is detailed and well-defined. Even if we ignore the host of parallel passages necessitating an end times context, there are a number of other reasons why Daniel 9:27’s ultimate fulfillment could not have been found in the events of 70 AD. The most obvious reason is that the abomination of desolation refers most specifically to the desecrating action of a Gentile outsider erecting a false god in the Holy of Holies – and Titus did not do this. He did not even step foot into the Temple until it was already on fire and about to be destroyed. In fact, history records that Titus had actually ordered his men to preserve the Temple. Yet, due to their anger against the Jews, they disobeyed the order of their general and set fire to the Temple, destroying it and pillaging it of its gold. [11] The Jewish Encyclopedia records this ancient historical account, telling us: One of the Roman soldiers, weary of fighting, threw a burning piece of wood into the Temple. In vain did Titus give orders to extinguish the flames; his voice was drowned in the uproar. Titus himself, impelled by curiosity, entered the Sanctuary, but the smoke forced him to withdraw; and thus the destruction of the Temple of Jerusalem became associated with his name. [12] So, in some ways you can make the argument that the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple was a type of an abomination of desolation event, and yet it doesn’t completely fit the bill regarding everything the Bible tells us about the ultimate and final desolation. Parallel prophetic passages in the Bible tell us that the ultimate future abomination of desolation will involve the Antichrist physically standing in the Holy of Holies claiming to be God (2 Thessalonians 2:4). It is therefore impossible to apply the full and ultimate fulfillment of Daniel 9:27 to Titus Vespasian and the events of 70 AD. At most, it can represent a partial near-term fulfillment or a type that will be ultimately fulfilled by the Antichrist in the future seventieth week – the Tribulation. And so, although it can be confusing to read Daniel 9:26-27 in isolation and without the benefit of other clarifying parallel passages, we should not allow this to cause us to misinterpret the text as Preterists and others do. Along with the host of additional insights presented, we do also have the other clarifying passages that clearly detail this final week, and we must not view Daniel 9 in isolation. We must take into account the entire corpus of Biblical commentary on this subject before formulating our conclusion. [1] James Strong, Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible , Updated and Expanded Ed., Peabody, MA: Hendrickson Publishers, 2007, p. 1517. [2] Ibid. [3] Kate Lohnes, article “Siege of Jerusalem, Jewish-Roman war [70 CE],” Aug. 29, 2018, Encyclopedia Britannica . ( https://www.britannica.com/event/Siege-of-Jerusalem-70 - Retrieved 2/18/19) [4] Guy Edward Farquhar Chilver, article “Vespasian, Roman emperor,” Sept. 22, 2022, Encyclopedia Britannica . ( https://www.britannica.com/biography/Vespasian - Retrieved 2/18/19) [5] Flavius Josephus, The Wars of the Jews , in Josephus, The Complete Works , trans. William Whiston, Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1998. [6] J. Dwight Pentecost, Things To Come , Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1964, pp. 249-250. [7] Wikipedia contributors, “Preterism,” Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia . ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Preterism - Retrieved 2/25/19) [8] Ibid. [9] Josephus, The Wars of the Jews , VI, 6.1, p. 891. [10] Warren W. Wiersbe, “Zechariah” in The Bible Exposition Commentary: The Prophets , Colorado Springs: David C. Cook, 2002, pp. 447-476. [11] Ray C. Stedman, “What’s This World Coming To?” (An expository study of Matthew 24-26, the Olivet Discourse). Palo Alto, CA: Discovery Publications, 1970, Ch. 1. [12] Joseph Jacobs and Samuel Krauss, Jewish Encyclopedia , entry “Titus (full name, Titus Flavius Sabinus Vespasianus)” JewishEncyclopedia.com . ( http://jewishencyclopedia.com/articles/14412-titus - Retrieved 11/3/20)

(Based on information presented in The Missing Key in Dispensational Eschatology ) For many years, there have been strong disagreements among Christians concerning the chronology of the end-times. But even among fellow adherents to the interpretive camp known as Premillennial Dispensationalism, there are often variances in the way certain passages of scripture are interpreted. Often, those variances are embraced in an attempt to remain consistent with one’s own predetermined stance. At times, these views may result in awkward and “forced” conclusions that open the door for the attacks of our eschatological opponents, who seem to salivate at the opportunity to attack the Dispensational belief in a pretribulation Rapture. But these vulnerabilities turn out to be unnecessary when we simply allow the Bible to plainly speak, and avoid superimposing our own terminological assumptions onto its teachings. When we simply allow the Bible to interpret itself , the apparently difficult issues we must answer turn out to be just that: only apparent and not actual.   The Pattern of the Parousia   Over the past decade, I’ve engaged in an ongoing study where I’ve attempted to do exactly that. Although I was already convinced of the soundness of the pretribulation Rapture view, I was unsatisfied with some of the standard explanations related to some of these “difficult” passages, such as a number of the “Parousia (or Second Coming) teachings” of Jesus in the gospels (e.g. Mt . 24, 25; Mk. 13; Lk. 12, 17, 21). For instance, concerning the Olivet Discourse, many typical explanations concerning whether Jesus is speaking of the Rapture or the Second Coming “proper” (at the end of the Tribulation) are contextually illogical and contradictory. I also found these explanations to be inconsistent with the later epistolary writings, which often employ the same figures of speech and “imminence language” used by Jesus in those original teachings. A sound exegesis requires us to understand Jesus’s original “Parousia” teachings in the same way that the later New Testament writers understood them. Since these writers used the same eschatological idioms and expressions originally introduced by Jesus, it’s clear that they actually got their understanding of eschatology from those original teachings of Jesus. We must then ensure our understanding is consistent with theirs.   Ultimately, I discovered that when the plain text is allowed to speak – free from popular assumptions or personal definitions – it turns out to be quite capable of interpreting itself! This basic dispensational hermeneutic resulted in my identification of a biblical paradigm that at present is not widely recognized by students of eschatology, despite its pervasive and somewhat obvious presentation in the scriptures. While many excellent scholars have rightly acknowledged different aspects of this paradigm, few have acknowledged it in its fullness. And until now, it has never been systematically developed as a framework that can consistently be applied to the Bible’s eschatological content. My wholehearted conviction is that when it is consistently applied, this paradigm solves all of these problems. In fact, it is the only way to make sense of the many passages that have caused dispensational teachers to resort to awkward and inconsistent interpretations and explanations. I refer to this paradigm as the “missing key,” and it’s built upon three key claims (with one additional necessary insight noted afterwards).   Claim #1 – Scripture teaches that the Rapture and the broad period of the Day of the Lord are temporally connected (meaning connected in time or sequence; i.e. they don’t each occur randomly or independently of one another). Claim #2 – Scripture both explicitly and implicitly teaches that the Rapture and the beginning of the broad period of the Day of the Lord are simultaneous . Claim #3 – Scripture teaches that the Rapture and the broad period of the Day of the Lord are both imminent (a feature I refer to as “dual imminence”).   Note: “Imminence” is a term that describes an event that is perpetually looming and can occur at any moment. An imminent event has no preconditions or prerequisite signs or events. It occurs suddenly, without warning, and is completely unpredictable. Dispensationalists normally recognize the Rapture of the Church as being imminent, but often overlook the fact that the Bible presents the broad Day of the Lord as also being imminent.  In addition to these three key claims, I also identified one other important puzzle piece that acts as a critical differentiator in support of this paradigm. This additional insight involves two elements: 1.) that the beginning of the broad period of the Day of the Lord is not biblically equivalent to the beginning of the Tribulation period, and 2.) that an intervening gap of time between these two points will almost assuredly exist. All of this however, falls within the broad Day of the Lord. The combination of all of these observations yields the following visual representation: The three key claims, along with the additional insight noted above, in many ways overlap, undergird, and support one another, leading to the undeniable common-sense conclusion of the imminent and simultaneous occurrence of the Rapture and broad Day of the Lord. In other words, at the beginning of the broad Day, the righteous are removed and immediately a series of divine judgments begin to fall upon the wicked who are left behind. These judgments escalate progressively and culminate in the Second Coming “proper” at the end of the Tribulation.   It is astonishing to recognize the simplicity of this understanding and its pervasive nature throughout the scriptures. It is the clear pattern given to us by Jesus, which is then repeated and built upon in the subsequent epistles. Once you grasp this template, it becomes impossible to ignore. We even find it established in the Old Testament in the form of prophetic typology – which is later interpreted for us by Jesus Himself in the gospels. He would explicitly define these “types” as teaching tools as He began to disclose prophetic revelation concerning His future Parousia (coming). We will only be able to briefly examine two such examples in this article.   The Flood of Noah’s Day   The first typological example of simultaneous judgment and deliverance is Noah’s Flood, which Jesus uses as a pattern for His Parousia as He introduces His teachings on eschatology. When we look back at the original Genesis account, it is clear that the righteous (Noah and his family) entered the ark on the same day that the judgment began to fall on the wicked.   11 In the six hundredth year of Noah’s life, in the second month, on the seventeenth day of the month, on that day all the fountains of the great deep burst open, and the floodgates of the sky were opened. … 13 On this very same day Noah, Shem, Ham, and Japheth, the sons of Noah, and Noah’s wife and the three wives of his sons with them, entered the ark. -Genesis 7:11, 13 (NASB)   The righteous (Noah and his family) were removed and physically relocated into an environment of safety (the ark) just as the judgment of the Flood was beginning to fall upon the wicked. The scriptures are clear that this was a same-day occurrence. In other words, the rescue and judgments aspects were simultaneous.   In the Gospels, Jesus then uses this Flood account as a typological template to teach His disciples about His future return (the beginning of the broad Day of the Lord, or Parousia). This is recorded in Matthew 24 in His Olivet Discourse.   37 But as the days of Noah were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. 38 For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, 39 And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. -Matthew 24:37-39   An essentially identical saying is also recorded in an earlier teaching in Luke 17, a chapter that includes similar content to the later Olivet Discourse.   26 And just as it happened in the days of Noah, so will it also be in the days of the Son of Man: 27 people were eating, they were drinking, they were marrying, and they were being given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all. -Luke 17:26-27 (NASB)   It is critical to note that the focus of Jesus’s typological comparison in both of these accounts is primarily on two specific aspects , which are both explicitly demanded by the text itself:   the suddenness of the Flood judgment upon the wicked world, taking them off guard during a period of complete normalcy (think signless and unpredictable imminence) the simultaneous “same day” rescue of the righteous and judgment of the wicked   Jesus first conveys to us that in the times leading up to the Flood, people were absorbed in lifestyles of complete normalcy (eating, drinking, marrying, and being given in marriage) and were entirely unaware of the sudden judgment that was about to befall them. Their obliviousness is explicit in Jesus’s statement that the wicked of Noah’s day “knew not until the flood came.” His adamant emphasis on the routine activities of life communicates the relative mundaneness of the time immediately prior to the outpouring of the judgment. There were no signs or precursors. Things were not falling apart. It was life as usual. (Notice the total incompatibility of this description with an “end of the Tribulation” context!) Second, Jesus emphasizes that this normalcy continued until the day righteous Noah entered the ark, and then immediately (that same day), as the righteous were removed, the judgment fell suddenly on the unsuspecting, wicked world.   Jesus uses this Noahic judgment analogy to teach His disciples about the ultimate future judgment event – the broad Day of the Lord (of which the judgment phase in its entirety comprises His “coming” or Parousia). His entire point is to communicate that the broad Day will likewise come suddenly (without signs) during a time of complete normalcy, and that it will simultaneously bring salvation for the righteous and a period of judgment upon the wicked. He uses the Flood of Noah as a prophetic pattern for understanding the arrival of the broad Day at which time His Parousia begins. The two points identified are the two points of emphasis upon which Jesus built the comparison. We must limit our primary understanding of this comparison to the points Jesus emphasized since they are explicit in the text. His intended meaning is not vague or difficult to understand.   The Destruction of Sodom in the Days of Lot   The second Old Testament typological example of simultaneous deliverance and judgment is the destruction of Sodom in the days of Lot. Jesus uses this as an equivalent example to teach about His Parousia. The Genesis account of this judgment is clear that the righteous (Lot and part of his family) were removed from Sodom on the same day that the judgment began to fall on the wicked inhabitants of that city. We find this account in Genesis 19.   15 When morning dawned, the angels urged Lot, saying, “Up, take your wife and your two daughters who are here, or you will be swept away in the punishment of the city.” 16 But he hesitated. So the men grasped his hand and the hand of his wife and the hands of his two daughters, because the compassion of the Lord was upon him; and they brought him out and put him outside the city. … 22 Hurry, escape there, for I cannot do anything until you arrive there.” Therefore the town was named Zoar. 23 The sun had risen over the earth when Lot came to Zoar. 24 Then the Lord rained brimstone and fire on Sodom and Gomorrah from the Lord out of heaven, 25 and He overthrew those cities, and all the surrounding area, and all the inhabitants of the cities, and what grew on the ground. -Genesis 19:15-25 (NASB)   Righteous Lot and his two daughters (remember, his wife was turned into a pillar of salt) were removed and physically relocated into an environment of safety away from Sodom immediately prior to the beginning of the city’s destruction. God would not allow the angels to begin the judgment until Lot had safely arrived in Zoar. Once the righteous were removed, the Lord immediately rained down sudden judgment on Sodom that same day . It all took place within a twenty-four-hour period.   This is confirmed in the New Testament, as Jesus then uses this example (directly following His allusion to Noah’s Flood in Luke 17) to further teach His disciples about His coming.   26 And just as it happened in the days of Noah, so will it also be in the days of the Son of Man: … 28 It was the same as happened in the days of Lot: they were eating, they were drinking, they were buying, they were selling, they were planting, and they were building; 29 but on the day that Lot left Sodom, it rained fire and brimstone from heaven and destroyed them all. 30 It will be just the same on the day that the Son of Man is revealed. -Luke 17:26, 28-30 (NASB)   Like the previous example of Noah’s Flood, we see that Jesus’s comparison focuses on both the suddenness of Sodom’s judgment during a period of apparent normalcy and the simultaneous “same day” rescue of the righteous and judgment of the wicked. First, He teaches that in the times leading up to the destruction of Sodom, the setting was of complete normality (the people were engaged in normal living – eating, drinking, buying, selling, planting, etc.). They were completely unaware that any judgment was coming, and they were not yet experiencing the judgment. Life was as ordinary as ever and no warnings or signs were apparent. This continued until the day righteous Lot was removed from Sodom, and then immediately and suddenly the judgment fell on the unsuspecting, wicked inhabitants. (Like the Noah example, this is wholly incompatible with an “end of the Tribulation” context.)   And like the Noah example, we once again see from the text itself, that these concepts of “sudden” and “simultaneous” are the two points of emphasis that we must note. We cannot insert our own ideas about why Jesus uses these two examples of Noah and Lot. To infer meanings related to Nephilim (“days of Noah”) or homosexuality (Sodom) is to completely miss His point. The text clearly dictates His reasons, which are identical in each case. Jesus declares that it will be just the same on the day that the Son of Man is revealed. In other words, He’s using these judgment examples to teach His disciples of the similar aspects of the coming ultimate judgment event – the broad Day of the Lord, or the protracted period whose beginning phase is Christ’s Parousia, or coming. The onset of the broad Day will come suddenly (imminently), with no preconditions or preceding signs, and will bring simultaneous salvation for the righteous and a period of judgment upon the wicked. It will come at a time of complete normalcy (not Tribulation) upon an unsuspecting world that will be experiencing “life as usual” and will usher in a broad period of eschatological signs and judgments, climaxing in the Second Coming proper of Christ at the end of the Great Tribulation.   The “ righteous ” who are being rescued then can easily be identified. The contextual criteria allow for only one conclusion. Jesus’s description of the judgment beginning suddenly on an unaware population during a period of routine normalcy can only refer to the absolute beginning point  of this entire period of judgment (the beginning of the broad Day), not sometime during it . This can only refer to the rescue of the righteous Church at the pretribulational Rapture. The Rapture of the Church is the opening event that triggers this eschatological period. This is the only interpretive option possible, since the entire context of both examples is built upon imminence (suddenness, signlessness, and unpredictability). The only imminent rescue of a righteous group that coincides with an imminent beginning of judgment upon the wicked takes place at the absolute beginning of this broad eschatological period called the Day of the Lord (what we think of as the “end-times”). As was stated several times already, this can in no way be referring to the Lord’s coming at the end of the Tribulation, which is a time incompatible with imminence and a setting of “routine normalcy.” It also cannot be said that this final phase of His coming can suddenly take the world off-guard without signs. As J.F. Strombeck states, There can be no complacency nor unexpected destruction after the most terrible destruction of all time has begun. [1] To the contrary, it will conclude the most predictable and sign-filled time in history; a period which scripture tells us even the wicked recognize as the time of God’s wrath (Rev. 6:16-17) and will be expecting His return with such intensity that they are actually preparing to do battle with Him (Rev. 19:19). The wicked world cannot be “taken off guard” if they are knowingly preparing for and expecting His return.   Further, both of these examples (Noah and Lot) especially emphasize that the judgment began on the  same day , directly  after  the righteous were removed.  In other words,   the righteous in both examples experienced  none  of the judgments.  Once again, this was one of the two primary points of emphasis in the Lord’s comparison and is yet another reason the context cannot refer to the end of the Tribulation. This is obvious since Scripture states clearly that the righteous of the Tribulation period will  not  be spared from experiencing the intense misery of that time. Since this is the case, then the “rescued righteous” that Jesus referred to in the Noah and Lot examples must of necessity correspond to the righteous of the Church Age being removed in the imminent Rapture, just as the also-imminent broad Day and its sequence of judgments begin to befall the wicked (our paradigm of dual imminence + simultaneous occurrence). Also anchoring this “imminence” context is the observation that Jesus’s uses of the Noah and Lot examples are routinely accompanied by exhortations toward eschatological watchfulness ( “ watch, ” the Greek verb grégoreó ), in light of the unknown time of His coming. The call toward watchfulness for the Lord’s coming is commonly used alongside the “thief in the night” imagery (as well as the equivalent “master at the door”) and always refers to the Rapture and simultaneous beginning of the broad Day. This is seen plainly in Matthew’s recording of the Olivet Discourse, as Jesus elaborates on His usage of the Noahic example by following with a parable of the sudden, signless, and unpredictable coming of a thief in the night (Mt. 24:42-44). His message is simple: imminence! Since a thief gives no indication of the timing of his coming to plunder a house, a homeowner must perpetually watch for the thief himself. In like manner, Jesus’s followers are instructed to perpetually watch, not for some preceding signs, but for Him! This thief parable is consistently used to refer to the beginning of the Parousia when the righteous are removed and judgment simultaneously begins to fall upon the wicked. This is the only setting in which it can fit. The end of the Tribulation is unable to accommodate such a context.   We find confirmation of this understanding in the subsequent epistles and book of Revelation. An examination of these books reveals that this is precisely how writers like Paul, James, Peter, and John understood these teachings of Jesus (and therefore how we must also). They consistently apply the same parables and imminence expressions Jesus uses throughout these discourses to the Rapture of Church Age believers at the opening of the broad Day and its immediate outpouring of judgment. They also routinely distinguish this “beginning of the Parousia” context by employing consistent “imminence language,” including the equivalent expressions “near,” “soon,” “quickly,” “at hand,” “shortly,” “draws near,” and others. (Ja. 5:1-11; 1 Pet. 4:7; 2 Pet. 3:3-10; Rom. 13:11-12; 1 Thess. 1:9-10; 2:16; 4:15-5:11; 2 Thess. 1:6-10; 2:1-5; Rev. 1:1-3; 2:5, 16, 25; 3:3, 10-11, 15-16; 19-21; 16:15; 22:6, 7, 10, 12, 20, et al.). These observations galvanize this context, and the recognition of “imminence language” makes this simple.  Imminence only can refer to the  beginning  of this extended eschatological period, and the associated removal of the righteous at this time can only be the pretribulational Rapture of the Church.   Conclusion While we cannot have expected Jesus’s original audience on the days He issued these discourses to have understood much, if anything, about the Church or especially the Rapture (as these concepts weren’t yet fully disclosed in all of their eventual fullness), His message was easily understandable: the righteous living during that hour will be immediately removed as sudden judgment simultaneously begins to fall upon the wicked. That was the simple message! But today, having the benefit of full New Testament revelation, we can look back upon these early teachings of Jesus and easily recognize that He was planting “seed form” doctrine that would later be expounded upon more fully in John 14 and the epistles of Paul.   So, from Jesus’s usage of the Noah and Lot examples, we recognize a clear typological pattern established by these Old Testament judgment events that provides a basis for the “missing key” paradigm. No other view satisfies all of the contextual criteria. The Church will not experience any part of this time of judgment. Both the rescue of the righteous and the judgment of the wicked will commence simultaneously and imminently, just as was established in both of these Old Testament types. This is the only pattern Jesus gives us for understanding the end-times, and this evidently was the only pattern the subsequent New Testament authors anticipated. We therefore must embrace it as well. [1] J.F. Strombeck, First the Rapture , Moline, IL: Strombeck Agency, 1950, p. 69.

In our "Part 1" of this article series, we began to examine the typological treasures hidden in the wedding rituals of the ancient Hebrews, which God instituted. It is astonishing to recognize that everything that God has said about His marriage to His bride, the Church, was anticipated thousands of years earlier in the institution of these customs. That fact is a profound piece of evidence that the author of the Bible is not bound to the constraints of time as we are. Rather, it is profound proof of His reality, and demonstrates His origin to be from outside of time. The Hebrew wedding involved a number of important rituals typologically correlating with the marriage of Christ and the Church. We are investigating seventeen of them in these articles. While these are not necessarily in strict order, they do follow the general process of the ancient Hebrew wedding. Let’s continue our examination of these astonishing parallels. 5.) The Ketubah – The Marriage Covenant Once the bride price was paid, and the bride had accepted, the marriage covenant ( ketubah ) was established. The ketubah included documentation of the mohar , dowry, and the mutual obligations between the bridegroom and bride. [1] The ketubah also details the husband’s obligation to provide his wife with the necessities she needs – food, clothing, shelter, etc. These are obligations originally demanded in the Torah (Exodus 21:10). [2] Additionally, the ketubah lays out the financial resources and possessions each person brings into the relationship, the responsibilities of each family to the other, and finally the penalties to be paid should either side break off the covenant. [3] We understand that the Old Covenant, or giving of the Mosaic Law to Israel on Sinai, was a marriage covenant or ketubah . So then, we understand that the New Covenant (or New Testament – the B’rit Chadashah ) acts as the ketubah for Christ’s bride the Church. Let's examine how. Jesus Himself sets the conditions for the marriage: If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father’s commandments, and abide in his love. These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full. This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you. Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. -John 15:10-13 Jesus speaks of the required obligations: A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. -John 13:34 Jesus outlines His commitment to the relationship: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen. -Matthew 28:20 These are only a few of the many elements contained within the New Testament – our betrothal contract – that Jesus gave to His bride. Key Parallel: The ketubah was the marriage contract that contained details regarding the mutual obligations of the bridegroom and bride. As a Bridegroom, Christ gave the Church a legal document containing all of the provisions of the New Covenant – the contract detailing our marriage relationship with Him. 6.) Kiddushin – Sanctification From the establishment of the ketubah and forward, the man and woman were regarded legally as husband and wife, although the marriage ceremony had not yet been performed and therefore the marriage could not yet be consummated (Malachi 2:14; Matthew 1:18-19). [4] At this time, the bride was declared to be consecrated or sanctified – set apart – exclusively for her bridegroom. This is reflected in one of the Hebrew words for betrothal – kiddushin , which literally means sanctification or consecration. [5] [6] In the same manner, the Church has been declared as being consecrated, sanctified, and set apart exclusively for Christ. Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church , and gave himself for it; That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish . -Ephesians 5:25-27 Key Parallel: From the time the marriage was covenanted at the establishment of the ketubah, the woman was considered consecrated, sanctified, and set apart only for her bridegroom. The Church, as the bride, is declared to be sanctified, cleansed, and set apart exclusively for her bridegroom Christ. 7.) Kesef – Bought With A Price Within the Hebrew tradition, being “bought” is not thought of as though the woman was being purchased like property, but rather the transaction is meant to confer a “change of status.” There are two ways of purchasing something in Jewish law: by cash (kesef) or by barter (chaliphin) . When something is purchased by barter, what has transpired is simply an exchange of property. However, when a transaction is made for cash, the transaction can also affect a change of status. The Talmud records emphatically that a woman cannot be married through a barter transaction, because this would imply a change in ownership, and would give the woman the status of a chattel (a possession, or personal property). [7] However, for a cash (kesef) transaction, one does not actually have to use cash. Any article of value can be used, such as a coin, a ring, a jewel, etc., and it must be given for its monetary value and not as barter. The bridegroom is changing the bride’s status from that of a single woman to that of a married one. The money is merely a legal consideration that makes the woman’s new status binding. [8] Jewish tradition teaches that in God’s marriage to Israel in the Old Testament, the wealth of the Egyptians was the “cash” used to seal the betrothal upon the exodus from slavery (Exodus 12:36). Here too, God was not “buying” the Israelites, but transforming their status to that of the Chosen People. [9] So, during the betrothal period, the Hebrew brides were considered to be “bought with a price” (the bride price, or mohar ). [10] In like manner, the Church is considered “bought with a price,” that price being the perfect blood of the atoning death of Christ. For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s. -1 Corinthians 6:20 Key Parallel: The ancient Hebrew brides were considered “bought” with the mohar – the bride price – once the ketubah was agreed upon. The Church, as the bride of Christ, is considered “bought with a price,” that price being the spotless, sinless blood of our Bridegroom Christ. 8.) Mattan – Love Gifts During the betrothal period, it was common for the bridegroom to present his future bride with special gifts (mattan) , displaying his appreciation for her. They were also intended to help her remember him while he was away during the long betrothal period. [11] Ask me never so much dowry and gift [mattan – Strong’s # H4976], and I will give according as ye shall say unto me: but give me the damsel to wife. -Genesis 34:12 In like manner, Jesus presented His bride, the Church, with a number of unique gifts only applicable to her. Some of the gifts that Jesus gave us are the nine Gifts of the Spirit that are accessible only to those who are filled with His Spirit (1 Corinthians 12). These gifts given to the Church are of a supernatural nature, reminding us of the supernatural marriage to be performed one day with a supernatural Bridegroom. Key Parallel: During the long betrothal separation, the ancient Hebrew bridegrooms would present their future brides with special gifts that showed his affection for her. They would help her to remember him while he was away making preparations for the wedding. Jesus, our Bridegroom, left His bride the Church a number of supernatural gifts that only she has access to. These gifts help us operate in the Spirit during the long betrothal absence, and will stay with us until He comes for us again. [1] Aryeh Kaplan, Made in Heaven: A Jewish Wedding Guide , Brooklyn, NY: Moznaim Pub., 1983, pp. 95-99. [2] Ibid., pp. 113-114. [3] Avi Ben Mordechai, Signs in the Heavens , Millennium 7000 Communications, Int’l, 1996, p. 272. [4] The Jewish Encyclopedia , Vol. III, ed. Isidore Singer, New York: Funk and Wagnalls Co., 1907, pp. 126, 127. [5] George F. Moore, Judaism , Vol. II, Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1946, p. 121. [6] Kaplan, p. 173. [7] Kaplan, pp. 45-46. [8] Ibid. [9] Ibid, p. 46. [10] Richard Booker, Here Comes The Bride: Jewish Wedding Customs And The Messiah , Houston, TX: Sounds of the Trumpet, 1995, p. 7. [11] Louis M. Epstein, The Jewish Marriage Contract , New York: Jewish Theological Seminary of America, 1927, pp. 78-79.

(From the book The Missing Key in Dispensational Eschatology ) In addition to the two-fold nature of the future Day of the Lord that we examined in the previous article , an equally important awareness is that it also has a “double sense” – it is both broad and narrow in terms of its duration. The broad sense refers to an extended time period that begins with the Rapture (a key insight that lies outside of the scope of this article series), and then covers the post-Rapture/pre-Tribulation gap period, the Tribulation period, and the Millennium. The narrow sense refers to one specific and climactic day of ultimate significance – the day that involves Christ’s actual physical return to the earth at His Second Coming at the end of the Tribulation. We’ve also provided the following chart in order to present a visual aid of both the Day of the Lord’s two-fold nature (darkness/judgment + light/blessing) and double sense (broad + narrow). This key and fundamental insight of a “double sense” is often ignored, misunderstood, or overlooked by many Biblical commentators. However, we should point out that for the present context of our study, it will be an essential concept to understand correctly. So, let’s begin to carefully examine this issue. First, we must recognize that just as we today often use single words in a variety of ways in common language, single words in scripture are also used in a variety of ways. For example, consider all of the ways the word “apple” may be used in English. You may be referring to an actual fruit. You may be referring to a computer (the brand Apple, Inc.). You may be referring to New York City (nicknamed the “Big Apple”). Or, you may be using the term figuratively (the “apple” of your eye). You may even be referring to the laryngeal prominence on the front of the human neck (called the “Adam’s apple”). Word usage in the Bible is no different. We understand how a word is being used by the context. Furthermore, a basic hermeneutical (interpretive) guideline is that the Bible is the best interpreter of itself. We can often rely on scripture itself to define the parameters of how a given term is used, and therefore, how we are to understand it. This is especially true of the term “day,” and therefore, by extension, “the Day of the Lord.” Concerning this issue, Walvoord writes: The word “day” is used in the Bible in various ways. Sometimes it is used to refer to daylight; for instance, the hours between dawn and sunset. Sometimes it is used to refer to a twenty-four-hour day. The Jewish day began at sunset and continued to the next day at sunset. That also is referred to as a day. Sometimes the word day is used in the Bible as a period of time, just as we use it in English. We speak of the day of our youth; what do we mean by that? We do not mean that we were young only one day, but we mean the extended period of time in which we were young. [1] So, we should recognize that the word “day” in scripture has both a narrow sense (meaning an actual twenty-four-hour day, or sometimes even just the daylight period of it) and a broad sense (meaning an epoch or extended period of time). Genesis 1:5 is a clear example of the narrow sense of the word “day.” And God called the light Day , and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day . -Genesis 1:5 This verse speaks of the daylight period of a literal twenty-four-hour day, and also the evening and morning, or darkness and light segments of a literal twenty-four-hour day. If you continue reading Genesis Chapter 1, the verses to follow tell us about the next six days of creation in which God brought His work to completion. But then in Genesis 2:4, we read the following summary. These are the generations of the heavens and of the earth when they were created, in the day that the Lord God made . -Genesis 1:5 As we clearly see in the verses between Genesis 1:5 and 2:3, the text informs us that God performed the creation in seven literal twenty-four-hour days. Yet, Genesis 2:4 sums up these “narrow-sense” creation days as a “broad day” period. In other words, it refers to the whole creation week period figuratively, as a “day.” Psalm 59:16 is another example of “day” being used in a more unconstrained, figurative sense, as to mean “a period of time.” But I will sing of thy power; yea, I will sing aloud of thy mercy in the morning: for thou hast been my defence and refuge in the day of my trouble . -Psalm 59:16 Here, the Psalmist was not trying to convey that his trouble was confined to a literal twenty-four-hour period, but rather that God has been his defense and refuge during any and all periods of trouble in his life. The New Unger’s Bible Dictionary confirms this understanding, providing the following definition of the Biblical word day (the Hebrew word yom ). Day, used both in the particular sense of a natural day, and in the general sense of a set time or period of time. … Day is often used by sacred writers, in a general sense, for a definite period of time – an era or season, when something remarkable has taken place or is destined to do so. [2] Many modern prophecy commentators are quick to recognize the narrow sense of the Day of the Lord, understanding the obvious scriptural emphasis on the climactic, literal twenty-four-hour day that will involve Christ’s return. On this culminating day of the judgment phase, He will return to the earth with His bride the Church, defeat His enemies, and rescue the righteous remnant of Israel. However, these commentators often miss the broad sense of the Day of the Lord, not recognizing that scripture clearly uses this term to describe a wider period of time that encompasses all of the major eschatological events the Bible foretells (from the Rapture to the end of the Millennial Kingdom). This usage is similar to the way we might use the term “Christmas” in our modern culture. Christmas has both a broad sense and a narrow sense. When referring to Christmas, we often mean the entire Christmas season. But yet, there is also that one, specific, climaxing day – Christmas Day, December 25th. A somewhat similar Biblical example is the Passover. According to Leviticus 23:5, the specific day of Passover is to be the 14th day of the first month. However, we also learn that the Passover season as a whole involves a broader period that involves the selection of a Passover lamb on the 10th, the Passover Seder that takes place on the 15th (which begins the week-long Feast of Unleavened Bread), and the Feast of First Fruits that takes place on the first Sunday following Passover. These can all connotatively be referred to as the Passover season – and yet, there is that one denotative, specific day of Passover, which is the 14th, when the lambs are killed. In fact, a study of the Passion Week chronology in the gospels reveals that the Bible also uses the term “Unleavened Bread” in this way also. Sometimes it denotatively refers to the actual day when the feast or Seder took place (the 15th), but other times it is used more connotatively to refer to this entire festival week. Many commentators have ended up in error by not maintaining a precise understanding of the connotative and denotative usages of Biblical terms – and as a result, the Bible will appear contradictory. Like the two-fold nature of the Day of the Lord, this understanding of the double sense of the Day of the Lord is also a concept well-recognized by scholars of all eschatological persuasions. For example, John Walvoord recognized the broad period of the Day of the Lord as beginning with the Rapture and extending until the end of the Millennium. When the rapture occurs, this work of God [the Church] will be brought to its close and the Day of the Lord will begin. … the period in general would extend from the rapture until the end of the millennium. [3] Renald Showers also noted the broad and narrow sense of the Day of the Lord. We should note that the biblical expression “the Day of the Lord” has a double sense (broad and narrow) in relationship to the future. The broad sense refers to an extended period of time involving divine interventions related to at least the 70th week of Daniel and the thousand-year Millennium. … The narrow sense refers to one specific day – the day on which Christ will return to earth from heaven with His angels. [4] In similar fashion, A.B. Davidson stated: Though the “Day of the Lord,” as the expression implies, was at first conceived as a definite and brief period of time, being an era of judgment and salvation, it many times broadened out to be an extended period. From being a day it became an epoch. [5] So, again, we should recognize that the Day of the Lord’s double sense is not some new or deviant belief. Rather, it has been long recognized by careful Bible interpreters. In the previous article of this series, we examined a number of prophetic passages from the Old Testament prophets that demonstrated the reality of the Day of the Lord as a prolonged period consisting of a darkness/judgment phase and a light/blessing phase. That understanding also substantiates the claims of this article, in which the double sense is our current topic. In that article, we showed scriptural evidence that the Day of the Lord in one sense is broad in its duration. But we will now focus our attention on the scriptural support for the other sense – a narrow period of one specific day of culmination. The existence of a specific climaxing day is clear in light of a careful examination of the prophetic body of scripture. Many scriptures can be presented that focus on this day that we call the Second Coming, the climax of the darkness/judgment phase, in which the Lord returns to destroy His enemies. Let’s examine several. Behold, the day of the Lord cometh , and thy spoil shall be divided in the midst of thee. For I will gather all nations against Jerusalem to battle; and the city shall be taken, and the houses rifled, and the women ravished; and half of the city shall go forth into captivity, and the residue of the people shall not be cut off from the city. Then shall the Lord go forth, and fight against those nations, as when he fought in the day of battle. And his feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east, and the mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst thereof toward the east and toward the west, and there shall be a very great valley; and half of the mountain shall remove toward the north, and half of it toward the south. -Zechariah 14:1-4 This excerpt seems to clearly focus its identification of the Day of the Lord on the events of the narrow sense (the literal twenty-four-hour day in which the Second Coming proper occurs and the Lord defeats the enemies of Israel). A similar example is found in Joel 3. In this chapter, it is obvious that Verses 12-16 focus on the narrow period of the Day of the Lord (the actual twenty-four-hour day of Christ’s return). It reads: Let the heathen be wakened, and come up to the valley of Jehoshaphat: for there will I sit to judge all the heathen round about. Put ye in the sickle, for the harvest is ripe: come, get you down; for the press is full, the fats overflow; for their wickedness is great. Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision: for the day of the Lord is near in the valley of decision. The sun and the moon shall be darkened, and the stars shall withdraw their shining. The Lord also shall roar out of Zion, and utter his voice from Jerusalem; and the heavens and the earth shall shake: -Joel 3:12-16 We also find a prime example in Amos 5:18-20 (which we also noted in the previous article), in which the text explicitly denies that there is any light found for the wicked during the Day of the Lord. Woe unto you that desire the day of the Lord! to what end is it for you? the day of the Lord is darkness, and not light. As if a man did flee from a lion, and a bear met him; or went into the house, and leaned his hand on the wall, and a serpent bit him. Shall not the day of the Lord be darkness, and not light? even very dark, and no brightness in it? -Amos 5:18-20 Clearly, this refers most specifically to the narrow sense of the Day of the Lord, as it focuses on darkness and judgment. We’ve just spent time showing the many Biblical mentions of the light/blessing phase of the broad period. Either the Bible is contradictory, or this passage in Amos must be understood to be focusing specifically on the wicked who experience the narrow sense of that Day. This turns out to be a potent confirmation that scripture uses two senses to describe the Day of the Lord. Clearly, this context of darkness is addressed to a specific audience, which Verse 1 of this chapter demands to be the unbelieving nation of Israel on earth during this time of judgment. We can also note that the Old Testament has a special term used to describe this narrow period. We find this term in Joel 2:31, as Joel foretells the darkening of the heavenly bodies prior to the coming of the “great and terrible Day of the Lord.” The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and terrible day of the Lord come . -Joel 2:31 This also is a potent confirmation that the Bible speaks of two senses when it describes the Day of the Lord. A reading of Revelation and other prophetic passages foretell the celestial phenomena (such as that which is mentioned in this verse) that will take place during the Day of the Lord. Since Joel here described the Day of the Lord as following these celestial events, are we to then believe that they, as well as the other judgments are not part of that Day? Without recognizing the double senses of the Day of the Lord, one would be forced to adopt such a conclusion. It is clear that the “great and terrible Day of the Lord” is a special term the Old Testament uses to specifically describe this narrow period – the climaxing day of the Second Coming. We find a similar expression in Malachi 4:5. Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord : -Malachi 4:5 Similarly, when Malachi writes that God will send Elijah before the coming of the great and dreadful Day of the Lord, it should be understood to mean that Elijah would return prior to the narrow Day – not prior to the broad Day. Elijah will likely return as one of the Two Witnesses in Revelation (11:3-12, et al.), which takes place during the Tribulation period (part of the broad Day). The understanding that this term (“the great and terrible/dreadful Day of the Lord”) is a reference to the culminating day when Christ returns to earth in power and glory goes all the way back to the interpretation of the ancient Jewish rabbis, as preserved in The Babylonian Talmud . Tractate Shabbath, Folio 118a tells us plainly: This is understood to refer to the advent of the Messiah. [6] Referring to the Joel 2:31 passage, Bible scholar E.W. Bullinger rightly observes that this “great and terrible” day is the narrow day, or the culminating day of a broader period. It is called “the great and terrible day of the Lord,” as though it were the climax of the whole period known as “the day of the Lord.” [7] Similarly, Renald Showers wrote: We should note that the Scriptures apply the expression “the great and terrible day of the Lord” to the narrow Day, not the broad Day. The implication is that the narrow Day will differ from the rest of the broad Day, not only in duration, but also in significance. Although the earlier part of the judgment phase of the broad Day will involve a great outpouring of divine wrath upon the domain of Satan and mankind, the narrow Day will be the grand climax of that judgment phase. [8] And so, we should understand that the narrow period of the Day of the Lord (the great and terrible Day of the Lord) is the grand day of climax of the judgment phase of the wider broad Day period. Conclusion Throughout our three-part review of the Biblical presentation of the Day of the Lord, we have noted several important aspects that will be critical for us to understand this subject. First, we noted that the Day of the Lord refers to the times of God’s divine interventions into the course of human history in order to judge sin, judge His enemies, accomplish His purposes for mankind, and display His sovereignty as the God of the universe. Second, we recognized that the Day of the Lord is applicable to past historical events in which God intervened in history, but even more notably to a future grand climax of human history in which this final and ultimate Day of the Lord is anticipated. Unlike the past events where God primarily intervened by using human instruments, this final eschatological Day of the Lord will climax in the actual, physical return of Jesus Christ to earth to judge and defeat His enemies. Third, we noted that the future Day of the Lord has a two-fold nature. First, there will be a phase characterized by darkness and judgment. This phase will involve the time period beginning with the Rapture, the post-Rapture gap period that follows it, the Tribulation period, and will culminate with the Second Coming. A significant recognition is the fact that the Rapture is the opening event of the broad Day of the Lord (which is outside the scope of this article series). While the saints are being raptured in glory, the darkness/ judgment phase of the broad Day immediately falls on the wicked inhabitants of the earth. Following this darkness/judgment phase, there will be a second phase characterized by light and blessing. This phase will involve the Millennial reign of Christ on earth. Figuratively, this compares to an actual twenty-four-hour day in the sense that it involves a period of darkness followed by a period of light. Fourth, we then noted that the future Day of the Lord has a double sense in terms of duration. In its broad sense, it refers to a prolonged period beginning with the Rapture, the post-Rapture gap period that follows it, the Tribulation period, and the Millennial Kingdom. But in its narrow sense, it refers to a specific day of culmination in which Christ returns in glory to judge His enemies. This narrow period is sometimes called “the great and terrible Day of the Lord,” referring to the time immediately surrounding the Second Coming. It is the climactic day that separates the darkness phase from the light phase. At the root of most misunderstandings of eschatology is a deficient understanding of how the Bible self-defines its own terms. Since the Day of the Lord by definition describes God's program for the end times, then understanding all of these aspects is invaluable for equipping us with a sound understanding of the chronology of Biblical eschatology. It will help us avoid the common pitfalls that so frequently hinder a sound understanding of the end times. [1] John Walvoord, “The Day of the Lord,” Jan. 1, 2008, Bible.org . ( https://bible.org/seriespage/5-day-lord - Retrieved 3/27/22) [2] Merrill F. Unger, The New Unger’s Bible Dictionary , ed. R.K. Harrison, Chicago: Moody Publishers, rev. 1988, pp. 1283, 1286. [3] John Walvoord, The Nations, Israel, and the Church in Prophecy , Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1988, p. 86. [4] Renald Showers, Maranatha: Our Lord Come! Bellmawr, NJ: Friends of Israel, 1995, p. 35. [5] A.B. Davidson, “The Theology of the Old Testament,” in International Theological Library , New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1936, p. 381. [6] The Babylonian Talmud , London: Soncino Press, 1938, “Shabbath,” 118a, in footnote, p. 580. [7] E.W. Bullinger, The Apocalypse or “The Day of the Lord, ” London: Eyre and Spottiswoode, 1935, p. 248. [8] Showers, pp. 36-37.

(From the study "Understanding The Distinction Between Israel And The Church" ) In previous articles on the Rapture , we have defined the Rapture, alluded to the different views regarding the Rapture’s timing, and discussed the Rapture’s imminence. In all of these articles, we've advocated that scripture describes the timing of the Rapture as pretribulational (meaning it takes place prior to the Tribulation, or the final seven years that are characterized by God’s eschatological wrath). In this article, we will seek to go deeper into the numerous Biblical reasons that suggest the certainty of this doctrine. We believe that there is more than enough evidence in scripture to form a strong opinion on this issue and to rest in complete assurance that this is a Biblical truth. We will offer seven convincing proofs of the pre-tribulational timing of the Rapture. 1 – The Mutual Exclusivity of Israel and the Church When a literal or plain interpretation of scripture is consistently applied, a downstream result is the understanding that national Israel and the Church are distinct entities in God’s prophetic program. We can also then understand that God deals with them mutually exclusively. Our outline for this perspective is given in Daniel 9. This chapter records how in the mid-500s BC, the prophet Daniel was given the seventy-weeks prophecy, which declared seventy weeks or heptads of years that would take place for national Israel and Jerusalem. It is critical that we recognize that according the text, these seventy weeks are specifically designated for the Jews and Jerusalem – not the Gentiles or the Church (Verse 24 – “Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city ”). These seventy weeks amount to a total of 490 years (70 x 7). This acts as the framework for all future Bible prophecy. A beginning point and ending point are provided for marking the first through the sixty-ninth weeks of years. The sixty-ninth week of years ended with the Triumphal Entry of Jesus into Jerusalem in 33 AD, just days prior to His crucifixion. According to the prophecy, it is clear that this prophetic time-clock for national Israel stopped with the completion of the sixty-ninth week, leaving one future week – the seventieth week – to still be completed. But after the sixty-ninth week, something “unexpected” happened. After Israel killed her Messiah, rejecting His offer of the Messianic Kingdom (which had been promised and prophesied of throughout the Old Testament), this prophetic seventy-week program of God for Israel was paused, and God instead introduced an interim program called the Church, as the Spirit was poured out on the Day of Pentecost of that same year – 33 AD (Acts 2). Subsequently, the gospel was to be spread to all nations, as God’s focus temporarily shifted from that of national Israel to His new work called the Church, which focused on all nations. And so, at the Triumphal Entry, the time-clock for Israel’s seventy-week countdown was paused and a gap period we call the Church Age was inserted. In 70 AD, the final harbinger of this shift took place as Jerusalem was destroyed and the Jews were eventually scattered to the uttermost parts of the earth in what is termed the Diaspora. The Church Age has been in effect since 33 AD, and will last until the closing event of this age – the Rapture, or supernatural catching away of the Church to heaven described in scripture (Romans 11:25; I Thessalonians 4:14-18; et al.). We understand that God’s time clock for the Church will stop with the Rapture, and either immediately or soon after, His time clock for national Israel will again begin, as there remains one final week of years – the seventieth week – to be completed. During this time, Israel will once again become the primary focus of God’s plan during this final seven-year “week” of time often called the Tribulation, or Daniel’s seventieth week. This final week for Israel, the Tribulation (Revelation 6-19), will be a time of great trouble for the world as God’s wrath is poured out – but will be especially focused upon Israel, especially the second half of this seven-year period. One primary purpose of the Tribulation is to drive the nation of Israel to repentance through great affliction. Sometimes God has to knock us down in order to get us to look up at Him – and that’s what’s happening to Israel during the Tribulation. Through this experience of unimaginable distress, Israel will finally be brought to faith (Zechariah 12:10; Romans 11:25). When Christ does return to the earth at the end of the Tribulation, Israel will be ready to receive Him as their Messiah. This now-righteous remnant of Israel will be rescued from the nations that have gathered to destroy her, and Christ will set up His Millennial or Messianic Kingdom on earth (Zechariah 12:2-3; Chapter 14). How does all of this inform our perspectives of the timing of the Rapture? We see that when the first sixty-nine weeks for Israel were active, the Church was not on the scene. But the same year the sixty-nine weeks ended – 33 AD – the Church then began almost immediately after on Pentecost. Israel’s clock stopped and the Church’s clock began. The Church was God’s interim program that He inaugurated after national Israel rejected her Messiah. This is the time we are living in presently – which we call the Church Age. Again, the Rapture of the Church will be the event that stops the Church’s clock - permanently. But as we’ve discussed here, when the seventieth week begins, Israel’s clock will resume until its completion at the Second Coming – which will take place at the end of the seventieth week. So, the first sixty-nine weeks and the seventieth week (in other words, all seventy weeks ) are designated specifically for Israel, and have nothing at all to do with the Church. In fact, the Church and the seventieth week are completely incompatible. They are mutually exclusive according to this prophetic calendar. This itself is one of the reasons that necessitate the pretribulational removal of the Church from earth in order for God to begin Israel’s final week. God will not reinitiate His program for Israel until His program for the Church has been concluded (at the pretribulational Rapture). No other Rapture view makes a clear distinction between Israel and the Church. 2 – The Church is Exempt From Eschatological Wrath The Tribulation is the culminating subset within the judgment phase of the broad Day of the Lord. The idea of this whole period being the wrath of God is shown most plainly in Revelation 6, as the Sixth Seal opens and even the wicked earth dwellers finally recognize that they’ve been experiencing God’s wrath. The people of earth cry out in fear. And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb: For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand? -Revelation 6:16-17 The wrath (the judgment phase of the broad Day of the Lord – which includes the Tribulation) didn’t just begin with the opening of the Sixth Seal - it began with the opening of the First Seal. Why? Because Jesus is the one in heaven opening the seals and releasing these wrathful judgments (Revelation 6 and following)! They are all part of the “wrath of the Lamb.” But here is what we’re really getting at: the Bible clearly teaches that believers escape before the time of God’s wrath. They don’t experience any of the judgments of this period. In other words, the Church is caught up in the Rapture prior to any of the judgments of God’s wrath that get poured out upon the earth. Consider the following points. In 1 Thessalonians 1:9-10, Paul tells the Church that Jesus delivered us from the wrath to come. And to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come. -1 Thessalonians 1:9-10 Notice that this says Jesus deliver ed us (past tense) from the wrath to come (future tense). When we were saved and we entered into the body of Christ or the Church, that salvation brought with it an exemption from the coming time of wrath. It doesn’t say God will bring us through the wrath in the future – it says He has already saved us from it altogether. Then, in 1 Thessalonians 5:9, Paul says: For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ, -1 Thessalonians 5:9 So, we again find it clearly taught that we are not appointed to wrath. The Tribulation is the culmination of God’s time of wrath for those that dwell on the earth (as we will see even more clearly in the following passage). If we are not appointed to wrath, then our being on earth during the coming time of wrath is irreconcilable. And most convincing yet, in Revelation 3:10, the Lord Himself promised to keep us from the time of the Tribulation altogether. Jesus, speaking to the Church at Philadelphia says: Because you have kept my word about patient endurance, I will keep you from the hour of trial that is coming on the whole world, to try those who dwell on the earth. -Revelation 3:10 There’s simply no way to interpret this to mean God will preserve us through the Tribulation. It specifically says God will keep us from even the time of the Tribulation. We won’t be here to experience it. Notice also that it says the hour of trial is coming on the whole world and will affect all those who dwell on the earth. The only way then for the Church to be untouched by this hour of trial is for them to be removed from the earth prior to it. Of course, the Church – like anyone else – will endure normal tribulations of life (lowercase “t”), but the Church is exempt from the Tribulation (uppercase “T”) – and the entire judgment phase of the broad Day. We will experience none of it. 3 – The Rapture is a Comfort In 1 Thessalonians 4:18, after giving us the promise of the Rapture in the previous several verses, Paul then follows this up by saying: Wherefore comfort one another with these words. -1 Thessalonians 4:18 We find that the Rapture is intended to be a comfort to us. Only a pre-tribulational Rapture is truly a comfort, since it is the only view that includes a rescue of the Church out of this world prior to the outpouring of God’s wrath during the broad Day of the Lord. This will be a time of unparalleled distress on earth. If the Rapture doesn’t take place until sometime during this period of Tribulation, or especially until the end of the Tribulation, how could it provide us with any comfort? It would be like saying, “Be comforted that those of you who endure through the worst distress in all of earth’s history, who do not get decapitated by the Antichrist, will get raptured at the end of it.” Obviously, that’s not a comforting promise at all - nor does it make any sense. And so, this description of the Rapture as a comfort supports the earlier passages that detail our exemption from this coming time of wrath altogether – all requiring a pretribulational Rapture. When we study the Tribulation in the broad Day of the Lord, we can all be comforted by the teaching that we will be rescued prior to it. We will experience none of its judgments. All other Rapture views require Christians to participate in at least part of this time period. 4 – The Church is Not Mentioned in Revelation Chapters 5-19 The Church is conspicuously absent from the portion of the book of Revelation that discusses the eschatological judgments taking place on the earth during the broad Day of the Lord (Chapters 5-19). However, before this, the word “Church” is prominently mentioned (twenty-two times in Chapters 1-3). It’s not mentioned again (in the context of being on earth during God’s wrath) for the remainder of the book. Revelation 1 provides for us an outline of the book as a whole. John is told to: Write the things which thou hast seen, and the things which are, and the things which shall be hereafter; -Revelation 1:19 This allows us to recognize the three divisions of the book. It is divided into the “things which thou hast seen,” the “things which are,” and the “things which shall be hereafter.” David Hocking writes: In Revelation 1:19 we have an outline of the book given to us: "Write the things which thou hast seen, and the things which are, and the things which shall be hereafter." This threefold outline includes the vision of our resurrected Lord in chapter 1 as "the things which thou hast seen"; the messages to the seven churches in chapters 2 and 3 as "the things which are" (meaning – existing in John’s day); and from chapter 4, verse 1, to the end of the book – "the things which shall be hereafter." The word "hereafter" (Greek: meta tauta) or "after these things" (following the "things which thou hast seen" and the "things which are") is an important clue to the order of things in this book. We read in Revelation 4:1: "After this" (Greek: meta tauta) and at the end of the verse the word "hereafter" (Greek: meta tauta). It would appear, therefore, that the third part of the outline of the Book of Revelation begins with Revelation 4:1 and continues to the end of the book. These events follow the "things which are" or the messages to the seven churches existing in John’s day. [1] Revelation 4:1, where the apostle John is “caught up” to heaven at the sound of a trumpet, seems to be a type or shadow of the Rapture. John, as a representative of the Church at large, was brought up into heaven to see what would take place meta tauta , or “after these things.” After what things? After the “things which are,” or the Church Age. In other words, he’s shown what takes place after the Rapture. What happens after this in Revelation is the beginning of the broad Day of the Lord, and that’s what John records. From heaven, John and the elders are able to witness the judgments of this period occurring “below” on earth. Chapters 6-19 describe the judgments of the Day of the Lord, and the Church is completely absent of mention. Further, the Twenty-Four Elders, which many Biblical scholars conclude can only be a picture of the glorified Church, is already in heaven in Chapter 4 before the seven-sealed scroll is opened, producing the Day of the Lord judgments that begin on earth. [2] So, we continue to find that the concept of the Church on earth is incompatible with the broad Day of the Lord and Tribulation period. Some have mistakenly concluded that the various mentions of “Tribulation saints” in these chapters of Revelation are equivalent to the Church. This is not the case. There will be saints present during the Tribulation in the same way that there were Old Testament saints present before the Church existed. This does not refer in any way to the Church. Again, the Church is nowhere mentioned by name after Chapter 3, yet is mentioned many times by name in the first three chapters. One point that helps clarify this distinction is that Jesus told us the gates of hell would not prevail over the Church (Matthew 16:16-17). Yet, in the Tribulation, Satan’s man of the hour – the Antichrist – is said to prevail over the saints on the earth at that time and conquer them (Daniel 7:21; Revelation 13:7). Clearly, either the Bible is contradictory or the believers being discussed in these two passages are different. There will be many who come to faith in Jesus during the Tribulation, but they should not be confused with the Church, and Revelation never refers to them as the Church. The explicit mentions of the Church abruptly stop at Chapter 3. 5 – The Imminence of the Rapture The Rapture is continuously described in the Bible as an imminent event – meaning it can occur at any moment, with no preconditions. There are no signs or warnings – it takes place suddenly. This logically requires that nothing has to happen before the Rapture can take place. If there were necessary preconditions or events, it couldn’t be truly imminent. This is why scripture constantly tells us to wait and watch for the Rapture, and gives us the impression that it can happen at any moment. It is always to be seen as the “next event” on the prophetic horizon concerning God’s end-times program. Renald Showers gives an excellent overview of the English term “imminence.” The English word "imminent" comes from the Latin verb "immineo, imminere," which means to "overhand" or "project." In light of this, the English word "imminent" means "hanging over one’s head, ready to befall or overtake one; close at hand in its incidence." Thus, an imminent event is one that is always hanging overhead, and is constantly ready to befall or overtake a person. Other things may happen before the imminent event, but nothing must take place before it happens. If something else must take place before an event can happen, that event is not imminent. The necessity of something else taking place first destroys the concept of imminency. [3] This characteristic of imminency demands that the Rapture take place prior to the broad Day of the Lord (which the Tribulation is a subset of). If on the other hand, the Rapture couldn’t occur until the middle or end of the Tribulation, then that would contradict this characteristic of imminence since other predicted events must take place first. Wayne A. Brindle writes: The term "imminence" (or imminency) as applied to the Rapture of the Church means that Christ may return at any moment for His Church, and no biblically predicted event must necessarily precede it. Those who believe that Christ will return for His Church before the Tribulation normally hold that the Rapture is imminent – that it may occur at any time and that it is the next predicted event in God’s prophetic timetable. [4] Just a few of the many “imminency passages” in the New Testament include the following. The Bible says that Jesus’ return is at hand , and we are to wait eagerly for it (Romans 8:19-25; 1 Corinthians 1:7; Philippians 4:5; Jude 21). “At hand” conveys the idea of imminence. If other events (such as the Tribulation and the arrival of the Antichrist) had to occur first before the Rapture could take place, then imminence language such as “at hand” could not be used to describe it. James encourages us to “be patient and stand firm, because the Lord’s coming is near ” (James 5:8). Revelation 1:3 and 22:10 also say that “the time is near.” Again, “near” is another example of imminence language. If the Rapture could not take place until the end of the Tribulation, for example, then it could not be described as being “near,” or able to befall at any moment. Other prophetic events would have to precede it chronologically. Much more can be said on this issue of imminence, which is taught all throughout the New Testament. (We addressed this subject of imminence more deeply in our previous article .) The pretribulational Rapture is the only view that allows for the Rapture to be imminent in its timing. All the other views require a number of prophetic events to take place first before the Rapture can occur. To be looking for the imminent return of Christ on an “any day” basis (as the New Testament teaches), you have to believe in a pretribulational Rapture. Think about that for a moment. No other Rapture view believes that Jesus can come back today. 6 – The Many Scriptural Differences Between the Rapture and the Second Coming Many unreconcilable distinctions exist between the Bible’s description of the Rapture and its description of the Second Coming at the end of the Tribulation. These distinctions indicate that the two are different events happening at different times, which would specifically contradict the idea of a posttribulational Rapture. The central passages dealing with the Rapture are John 14:1-3, 1 Corinthians 15:51-58, and 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18. The central passages dealing with the Second Coming to earth are Zechariah 14:1-21, Matthew 24:29-31, Mark 13:24-27, Luke 21:25-27, and Revelation 19. A careful examination of these texts will show that there is enough reason to conclude that the Rapture and the Second Coming to earth are not the same event. Let’s examine a brief list of some of the major points of contrast. Meeting Christ in the air versus returning with Christ The Rapture verses say that when Jesus comes, He comes in the air. Believers are caught up from the ground into the air to be with Christ, and are taken to the Father’s house in heaven. But in the Second Coming verses, the opposite order occurs, with Jesus coming down to the earth while bringing His saints with Him, and His feet will touch down on the Mount of Olives. Furthermore, let’s look at the location of believers during these events. In the Rapture verses, the believers are brought up from the earth to heaven to be with Jesus. But in the Second Coming verses, when Jesus comes back to earth from heaven with the believers with him, there are believers (Tribulation saints) still on the earth. If the Rapture and the Second Coming are the same event, then if Jesus brought all the believers up at the Rapture, how could there be believers still on the Earth at the Second Coming? A significant time lapse would’ve had to occur between the Rapture and Second Coming for so many people to come to belief in Jesus as Savior. So, again, these contradictory descriptions force us to understand these to be two separate and distinct events. A mystery event versus an event known and expected throughout Old Testament Prophecy In the Rapture verses, the catching away or gathering of the saints to Christ is described as a mystery that Paul was revealing. In John 14 (the “Upper Room Discourse”) and possibly even in a vaguer sense in His Olivet Discourse, Jesus had introduced the basic concept of the Rapture in “seed form.” He expressed it as a rescue of the righteous, who would be brought to the Father’s house in heaven prior to a time of imminent distress. But it was Paul who later expounded upon this promise, revealing it as a doctrine that we can now more fully understand. Paul described the full unveiling of this Rapture doctrine as a “mystery” (1 Corinthians 15:51-52). A mystery in the Greek Biblical sense means a concept that was previously unknown, but now revealed (Strong’s # G3466 – mustérion ). [5] Post-tribulationists suggest that Jesus's description of a future “gathering of His elect” at His Second Coming (in Matthew 24) refers to the Rapture. Many people confuse this gathering of the elect with the Rapture, as the language sounds similar. But if Paul, who wrote much later on, was the first to reveal in detail this mystery doctrine of the gathering of the Church at the Rapture, than the gathering described by Jesus at the Second Coming would seem to be referring to something else. Paul couldn’t have revealed it as a mystery if it was already described in detail by Jesus long before. It turns out that this gathering of the elect described by Christ in Matthew 24 is a familiar prophetic event to anyone who knows their Old Testament well – it refers to the re-gathering of Israel in faith in preparation for blessing after the Tribulation as the Millennial Kingdom is about to be established (cf. Isaiah 27:12-13; 43:5-7; et al.). And so, the mystery nature of the Rapture of the Church contradicts the well-known nature of the prophetic gathering of Israel at the Second Coming, helping us recognize their distinction as separate events. These are just a few of the many Biblical differentiators between the Rapture and the Second Coming, helping us recognize that they are two different events happening at two different times. 7 – Confirmation in Typology While we do not use Biblical typology to determine doctrine, it can be a powerful voice of confirmation when it aligns with and supports a clear Biblical teaching. This is certainly the case concerning the prominence of pre-tribulational Rapture typology in scripture. One of the most powerful examples is found in the ancient Hebrew wedding, whose rituals God instituted . All throughout the Gospels, Jesus relied on the ancient Jewish wedding pattern for many of His parables, climaxing in His "Bridegroom's promise" in the Upper Room in John 14 (as reviewed in our previous four-part article series on this topic ). We will provide a brief synopsis of the relevant points that align solely with a pre-tribulational Rapture timing. First, when the prospective bridegroom was of age, he would begin the process of finding a bride. Once he found a young woman of interest, the young man would leave his home and travel to the home of the prospective bride’s father. There, he would work on the details of the proposal and agreement. When the agreement was reached, and the father consented, the prospective bride would be offered a cup of wine by the prospective bridegroom. If she drank from the cup, she was accepting his marriage proposal. If she refused it, she was refusing him. After drinking from the cup, a legal contract between the two would be in place (the ketubah ). At this time, they were called husband and wife, although it was only yet the betrothal period and the actual wedding ceremony and consummation had not yet taken place. Their official status was “betrothed,” and not yet fully married. After this was done, the bridegroom made the statement to his bride-to-be that he would leave her to go back to his father’s house and prepare a place for her. This addition onto the father’s house was referred to as the cheder , meaning the bridechamber, but could also be called the chuppah , a bridal canopy. His promise was that he would one day return to receive her. During this period of betrothal, the bride was considered sanctified, consecrated, and set apart for her future husband, as she had been bought with a great price. This price to the Jews did not signify that the bride was purchased as an item like a piece of furniture or a servant, but rather that by the exchanging of something of value, a change of status was conferred upon her. In other words, she goes from single to betrothed-to-be-married. During this time of betrothal separation, which typically lasted about one to two years, the bride spent her time preparing for her wedding and awaiting her bridegroom’s promised imminent return. She would faithfully keep watch, lest he returned while she was unaware and unready. Meanwhile, the bridegroom returned to his father’s house and began construction of the bridechamber, which was typically a room added onto his father’s house. The construction is examined and approved only by the father. When the father was satisfied with the construction, he would give his son permission to go and receive his bride. When it was time for the bridegroom to go and receive his bride, there was great celebration and rejoicing. The groom would select several of his trusted friends to act as the “friends of the bridegroom,” or what we today would call the “best man.” They would act as the witnesses required for the marriage to be legal. The bridegroom and his friends would form a wedding party to travel to the home of the bride, along with virgin bridesmaids that would run ahead. In the form of a torchlit procession, typically at night, they would approach the home of the bride. Although the bride was expecting her groom to come for her, she did not know the exact time of his coming. To maintain her readiness, she may keep an oil lamp lit throughout the night. As the procession approached the home of the bride, at a distance, a shofar (a ram's horn trumpet) would be blown, and there would be shouts to alert the bride that “the bridegroom cometh!” She would be prepared and ready, and would use these last moments to gather her belongings and be ready to immediately leave with her bridegroom. The arrival of the groom at the bride’s house signaled his intention of “taking her to wife.” This act of “taking” or in a sense romantically abducting the bride was referred to as nesuin , which literally means “taking.” She would be lifted up, placed onto a bridal litter, and carried off to the bridegroom’s fathers house with great joy and celebration. Once back at the father’s house, the ceremony was performed. Many guests would be assembled for the week-long wedding celebration. On this day, the bridegroom and the bride would be treated like a king and queen at their coronation. Every expense was taken to ensure their joy. Following the ceremony, the bridegroom and his bride would retire in seclusion to the bridechamber, where they would consummate the marriage through sexual intimacy. When the marriage was consummated, the friend of the bridegroom would joyfully deliver the news to the guests outside, and the week-long wedding celebration would begin. The new couple would emerge at the end of the seven-day celebration feast and the bride would be unveiled for all to see, as she is introduced to the community. Throughout the scriptures, the terminology and themes of the ancient Jewish wedding ritual are consistently applied to the relationship between the Messiah and His bride the Church. We can say that the ancient Hebrew wedding is a type of the ultimate wedding – the one between Jesus Christ and the Church. Let’s explore these similarities in parallel to what we just went through. Jesus, like the prospective bridegroom, left His Father’s house (in heaven) and travelled to the home of His prospective bride (He came to earth in the form of a man – the Incarnation). And just like the bride did not initially choose the groom, we did not choose Christ (John 15:16). At the Last Supper meal, Jesus presented a cup of wine, and assuming the position of a Bridegroom, He told His bride-to-be that by the drinking of the cup, she is agreeing to His marriage proposal (1 Corinthians 11:25-26). He established this tradition of the Lord’s Supper to commemorate and celebrate the marriage covenant. And just as the earthly bridegroom would leave after the bride’s agreement, in order to go prepare a place for her, and then later return, our heavenly Bridegroom instructed us to do this in remembrance of Him until He returns for us. Then, Jesus, before His crucifixion, made the promise of a bridegroom to His disciples who would soon become the foundation of His future Church. He had been warning the disciples of His coming departure and death, and gave them a comforting promise. Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. 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 unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also. -John 14:1-3 This was Jesus’ first explicit promise of what the disciples would later learn to recognize as the Rapture , or the nesuin – the romantic abduction or snatching away of the bride – and He presented it using the phraseology of a Bridegroom. The word “mansion” here in Greek refers to a lodging, a dwelling-place, or a room, as in the room that would be added onto the father’s house. When asked about the timing of His return, like any Jewish bridegroom, Jesus said: But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only. -Matthew 24:36 In other words, like the bridegroom, Jesus promised to go back to His Father's house, prepare a bride-chamber, and then return at an unknown time to receive His bride. She must be ready on an ongoing basis, as His return remains imminent. Like the Hebrew brides who would await their bridegrooms during the betrothal period (typically one to two years), the Church has been eagerly awaiting the return of her Bridegroom for about two thousand years. Just as the bridegroom would come for the bride at any time, often at night, and with a shout and sound of a trumpet, in like manner, the Lord will return as a Bridegroom for the Church. Jesus’s parable in Matthew 25 emphasizes the practice of the Hebrew bridegrooms often approaching at night, with a cry or a shout alerting the bride of His arrival. And at midnight there was a cry [or a shout] made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him. -Matthew 25:6 Many of these same idioms are included by Paul in his description of the Rapture in the following passage. 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. -1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 Like the ancient Hebrew brides who would remain hidden away in the bride-chamber for the marriage week, scripture describes a bridal week for the Church in which we will be in the wedding chamber with our Bridegroom, Christ. As we described earlier, there remains a final seven-year period of time (the Tribulation) that is connected with the Jewish people specifically (Daniel 9). As we know, the doctrine of the pre-tribulational Rapture advocates that the catching away of the Church will happen prior to this seven-year period. So, according to that pattern, while the Jewish people’s final “week” is taking place on earth, we (Jesus and His bride, the Church), will celebrate our marriage “week” in our heavenly chuppah (or cheder ), hidden away from view! Of course, only a pretribulational Rapture would align with this pattern! Though the Church was unknown to the Old Testament audience, we find some interesting prophetic allusions that may refer to the heavenly chuppah or cheder . The theme of the Lord returning in power and glory to visit judgment on the earth is spoken of in Joel 2, referring prophetically to the “Day of the Lord.” It then speaks of a bridegroom coming out of his chamber and a bride from her chuppah . And the Lord shall utter his voice before his army: for his camp is very great: for he is strong that executeth his word: for the day of the Lord is great and very terrible; and who can abide it? … Blow the trumpet in Zion, sanctify a fast, call a solemn assembly: Gather the people, sanctify the congregation, assemble the elders, gather the children, and those that suck the breasts: let the bridegroom go forth of his chamber, and the bride out of her closet [chuppah]. -Joel 2:11, 15-16 And just as every Hebrew wedding celebrated with a great wedding feast, in like manner, following the seven years in our heavenly chuppah while the Tribulation was taking place on earth, Jesus Christ will return to earth (at the Second Coming) with His unveiled bride – the Church – to also celebrate with a marriage supper. At this time, the angels will gather the scattered remnant from all over the earth who had survived the Tribulation, and they will enter the Kingdom and celebrate the Marriage Supper of the Lamb, Christ, and His bride (Revelation 19:9, 11-14). It is astonishing to recognize that everything that God has said about His marriage to His bride, the Church, was anticipated thousands of years earlier in the institution of these customs. As you can see, only a pretribulational Rapture can fit in with this prophetic patterning. Conclusion These were only seven of the many proofs that can be offered in favor of a pretribulational view of the Rapture's timing. Many more can can be presented, but time and space limit our ability to fully explore them here. This understanding arises from the consistent application of a literal, plain interpretation of the Bible. All other views end up compromising a consistent literal interpretive method at some point. As the eminent theologian John Walvoord said: The only view that interprets prophecy literally and consistently is that of the pretribulational, premillennial position. [6] Maranatha! [1] David Hocking, “The Rapture In Revelation,” Pre-Trib.org . ( https://www.pre-trib.org/pretribfiles/pdfs/Hocking-TheRaptureinRevelati.pdf - Retrieved 8/20/19) [2] Ibid. [3] Renald Showers, Maranatha: Our Lord Come! Bellmawr, NJ: Friends of Israel, 1995, p. 127. [4] Wayne A. Brindle, “Imminence” in The Popular Encyclopedia Of Bible Prophecy , eds. Tim Lahaye and Ed Hindson, Eugene, OR: Harvest House, 2004, p. 144. [5] Strong’s Concordance , entry “3466, mustérion,” BibleHub.com . ( https://www.biblehub.com/greek/3466.htm - Retrieved 7/12/19) [6] John F. Walvoord, Prophecy in the New Millennium , Grand Rapids, MI: Kregel, 2001, p. 122.

(From the study "Understanding The Distinction Between Israel And The Church" ) It is somewhat common in scripture for a prophecy to, in the course of a single line, or even in the space of a comma, jump from one fulfillment event to another, being hundreds or even thousands of years apart. This is a common occurrence in Bible prophecy due to the hidden nature of the Church Age in prophetic God’s program. Between the “mountain peaks” of Bible prophecy is the “valley” of the Church Age, which was hidden from view to the Old Testament prophets. Their prophecies often discuss events fulfilled at Christ’s First Coming and seemingly flow right into events that will take place at His Second Coming (two prophetic "mountain peak" events). Through the benefit of hindsight, we can now see that they skip over the several thousand years we’ve experienced so far in the Church Age. If while initially reading them, you didn’t already know there was a mystery gap period (the Church Age) inserted in between, you’d think they were all continuous and uninterrupted prophecies. A prime example of this is the clear gap between Zechariah 9:9 and 9:10. Verse 9 is a clear prophecy related to Jesus’ First Coming, describing His Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem several days prior to His crucifixion. Verse 10 then immediately moves to a Second Coming context, prophetically describing the glorious return of Christ as the conquering Messiah who will defeat His enemies and establish His Millennial reign on earth. Verse 9: Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy King cometh unto thee: he is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass. Verse 10: And I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim, and the horse from Jerusalem, and the battle bow shall be cut off: and he shall speak peace unto the heathen: and his dominion shall be from sea even to sea, and from the river even to the ends of the earth. -Zechariah 9:9-10 From an Old Testament perspective prior to Christ, one would be hard-pressed to recognize a prophetic gap that separates these two verses. No such gap is obvious in the text. But by virtue of hindsight, the gap becomes clear. Between the events of Christ’s two comings lies the Church Age, a mystery intercalation in God’s program. Scholar Warren Wiersbe writes: The entire age of the church fits between Zechariah 9:9 and 9:10, just as it does between Isaiah 9:6 and 7 and after the comma in Isaiah 61:2. [1] As Wiersbe notes, this prophetic gap is also obvious in Isaiah 9:6-7. Note how clearly the beginning of Verse 6 refers to the First Coming, but then immediately shifts to Second Coming events. Verse 6: For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Verse 7: Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this. -Isaiah 9:6-7 Isaiah’s prophecy of a child being born and a son being given obviously refers to Jesus’ incarnation at His First Coming. But then the passage immediately transitions to a Second Coming context in everything that follows. While Wiersbe suggests that the transition takes place between the two verses, we must point out that the government has never yet been upon Jesus’ shoulder. This will not take place until He establishes His earthly reign following His Second Coming. Jesus has also never been called “Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace” by the Jewish nation to which He was sent and to whom this prophecy was given. This will not occur until all of Israel is brought to faith around the time of the Second Coming and establishment of the Millennial Kingdom. Therefore, the gap is actually located in Verse 6 between the phrases "unto us a son is given" and "and the government shall be upon his shoulder." Verse 7 then continues to describe the establishment of Christ's earthly reign in the Millennial Kingdom, which follows the Second Coming. So, again, without the benefit of hindsight, it would seem as if these prophecies flow together. But because we can look back on them with the clarity of New Testament revelation, it becomes obvious that a mystery time-gap separates them. Wiersbe also mentions Isaiah 61:2, possibly the most classic example of this “hidden gap” phenomena in all of scripture. Jesus Christ Himself interpreted this for us in Luke 4:16-19. This passage records how at the beginning of His ministry, Jesus stood up in the synagogue when it was His turn to read, and opened to the book of the prophet Isaiah. He proceeded to read Isaiah 61:1-2, proclaiming His mission at His First Coming. He finishes with His mandate: “To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.” What you probably wouldn’t realize without going back to Isaiah to read the original prophecy, is that Jesus stopped reading right in the middle of the sentence! The rest reads, “and the day of vengeance of our God…” Jesus stopped reading at the comma that preceded “and the day of vengeance of our God…” He left that last segment out. Why? Because we now understand that after that comma, the prophecy jumped from the time of the Messiah’s First Coming to some several thousand years or more into the future – past the present time in which we are now living, to the time of His Second Coming. The “day of vengeance” was not part of His mission during His First Coming, but it will be fulfilled at His Second Coming. So, in the original prophecy in Isaiah, we see that one comma separated several thousand years of history (to date), but this gap would have been unknown and undetectable to the original readers. We need to recognize that the Church was a mystery entity hidden throughout the Old Testament. Some have illustrated this concept as a series of mountain peaks, separated by a valley that lay in between. The first mountain peak represents the events of the First Coming of the Messiah, and the next taller mountain peaks represent the events of the Second Coming and then the Millennial Kingdom that immediately follows. In between the first two peaks sits a valley encompassing the Church Age, which was below the line of vision for the prophets. They could see the mountain peaks in the distance, and from their view, they seemed to follow each other sequentially without gaps or interruptions. But from their vantage point, they couldn’t tell that between the mountains was a valley. In other words, they couldn’t know that there was a two thousand-or-more-year Church Age that separated the events they saw. All of these things were beneath their line of sight. This truth is taught consistently in the scriptures, as we see from the words of Jesus Himself in Matthew 13. Jesus’s disciples asked Him why He spoke in parables. His response alluded to this coming “valley,” or period of time we now call the church, as being a time which the Old Testament prophets could not see. And the disciples came, and said unto him, Why speakest thou unto them in parables? He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them [the unbelieving] it is not given. For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath. Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand. And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Esaias, which saith, By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive: For this people’s heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them. But blessed are your eyes, for they see: and your ears, for they hear. For verily I say unto you, That many prophets and righteous men have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them; and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them. -Matthew 13:10-17 In other words, due to God's foreknowledge of Israel's national unbelief, there was a mystery age inserted in between the two mountain peaks that the prophets were not permitted to foresee. Knowing that the nation of Israel would reject His Messiah, God had planned a hidden age that was not disclosed until later on in Jesus’s earthly ministry. When it became clear that the nation would reject Him as their King, it was only then that Jesus began to reveal this truth of a mystery age that would occur prior to the introduction of His Kingdom. This is taught also in 1 Peter. Of which salvation the prophets have enquired and searched diligently , who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you: -1 Peter 1:10 Peter states that the prophets did not have the full disclosure of the salvation that would occur during the Church Age. They were given prophecies of the First Coming, which portrayed the Messiah as the “Suffering Servant.” They were given prophecies of the Second Coming, which portrayed the Messiah as the “Conquering King” who would introduce the Kingdom reign. While the prophets were shown these distinct “mountain peaks” of prophecy, they were unable to see the “valley” of the Church Age that lay between them. Therefore, they could not fully understand how the hazy and seemingly-contradictory prophesies of the Old Testament would come to pass. But when Israel as a nation rejected her Messiah at His First Coming, the Kingdom Age was postponed, and God introduced His mystery plan for a new entity called the Church! Although the Church began with the Jewish followers of Jesus as they received this New Covenant Spirit outpouring on Pentecost, this outpouring was soon extended to the Gentiles (Acts 10 and following), as this mystery hidden Church Age was inaugurated. The hidden nature of the Church Age is evident in the disciples’ confusion regarding what would “come next” after Jesus's resurrection. To the Jewish mind, the Church was an unknown and unexpected entity. It was completely concealed. As Jews, the disciples instead looked forward to the Messianic Age that was promised, in which their Messiah would rule on earth as a descendant of David. This is made clear for us in the following exchange between Jesus and His disciples. And, [Jesus] being assembled together with them [the disciples] , commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which, saith he, ye have heard of me. For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence. When they therefore were come together, they asked of him, saying, Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel? And he [Jesus] said unto them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power. But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth. -Acts 1:4-8 Here, following Jesus’s death, burial, and resurrection, the disciples were still confused as to what was to follow. They had it in their minds that the next thing to transpire was Jesus, as the Messiah, introducing the earthly Messianic Kingdom. They had no concept that His true purpose – hidden in the Old Testament – was His bride the Church, the centerpiece of His plan from the beginning (Revelation 13:8)! When they asked Him if Israel’s restoration through the Messianic Kingdom was to follow, Jesus essentially brushed off their question, letting them know that the earthly Kingdom was irrelevant for them at that moment. Christ didn’t deny that such a Kingdom would one day come, but it wasn’t the focus at that time. Instead, their true identity and purpose was far greater: to participate in the formation of the Church – the body and bride of Christ – which would introduce the spiritual aspects of the New Covenant. This idea of an intervening period of a Church Age that would unite Jew and Gentile as one in the body of Christ was a totally unexpected possibility for them. This truth, however, is most clearly revealed in the writings of Paul, who more than any other was given the privilege of expounding upon the doctrine of the Church, which he consistently referred to as a “mystery.” That word in Greek is mystērion (Strong’s # G3466), and has a slightly different meaning than our same word does in English. In the Greek New Testament, mystērion is a term normally used to refer to “that which has been kept secret by God in the past, but which He has now chosen to reveal.” [2] We see this in Paul's letter to the Romans: Now to him that is of power to stablish you according to my gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery [mystērion] , which was kept secret since the world began, But now is made manifest, and by the scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the everlasting God, made known to all nations for the obedience of faith: -Romans 16:25-26 Paul states that the gospel of Jesus Christ, which would be made available to all nations (a description of the Church Age) was a mystery that was kept secret since the world began – but had not yet been made manifest (or revealed). He also teaches this truth in his Epistle to the Ephesians: Whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery [mystērion] of Christ which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit; That the Gentiles should be fellowheirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel: -Ephesians 3:4-5 Paul teaches that the Church (comprised of Jews and Gentiles becoming one body in Christ through the gospel) was a mystery that was not made known to earlier generations. It was only now revealed through the apostles and prophets of the Church Age. Later in this letter, Paul refers to the bride of Christ (the Church) in this same way. For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh. This is a great mystery [mystērion] : but I speak concerning Christ and the church. -Ephesians 5:31-32 The very existence of the Church was a great mystery that was unknown to previous audiences. The Church Age is an intercalation in God's dealings with Israel. It is a mystery that was hidden. Once again, Paul confirms this in his letter to the Colossians: Whereof I am made a minister, according to the dispensation of God which is given to me for you, to fulfil the word of God; Even the mystery [mystērion] which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints: To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory: -Colossians 1:25-27 So, we can recognize the pervasive teaching of the hidden nature of the Church (and the Church Age) throughout the Old Testament. Between the “mountain peaks” of prophetic revelation laid a valley called the Church Age that was undisclosed to the Old Testament prophets. Conclusion Why did God disclose prophecy in this way? We suggest that God had to construct the prophetic narrative in a way that could fit either of two scenarios: One in which Israel rejects her Messiah (necessitating an intervening Church Age). One in which Israel accepts her Messiah (and theoretically, the Day of the Lord and glorious inauguration of the Messianic Kingdom could have immediately followed). Of course, God foreknew which option Israel would choose (and even revealed as much in prophetic passages such as Isaiah 53 and Psalm 22). But He disclosed prophecy in a way that allowed Israel to control their own destiny without the overt assumption that they would fail. When they ultimately did fail by rejecting their Messiah, they brought to light the true issue: humanity's need for the Messiah's death on the cross and the redemption it purchased. There could be no contiguous Kingdom without first the sacrifice of the Savior. But God's prophetic plan allowed for the insertion of an intervening gap of time in which the death and resurrection of the Messiah, as well as the subsequent Church Age could occur. In this way, we can appreciate how God foreknew humanity's need of redemption and the eventual failure of the nation of Israel at the initial coming of her Messiah. None of this was a last-minute surprise to God. His plan was multidimensional, and seamlessly accounted for these eventualities! Only He could have put together such a plan! [1] Warren W. Wiersbe, “Zechariah” in The Bible Exposition Commentary: The Prophets , Colorado Springs: David C. Cook, 2002, pp. 447-476. [2] Expository Dictionary of Bible Words , ed. Stephen D. Renn, Peabody, MA: Hendrickson Publishers, 2005, p. 659.

(From the book The Missing Key in Dispensational Eschatology) In a previous article, we detailed a number of reasons that strongly point towards the generalized timing of the Rapture as being pretribulational (meaning it takes place prior to the Tribulation, or Daniel’s seventieth week – the final seven-year “week” of the Daniel 9:24-27 prophetic outline). While that appears certain in scripture, what is not certain is the length of time by which the Rapture precedes the Tribulation. In other words, does the Rapture take place immediately prior to the beginning of the Tribulation, or is there a period of time in between? And if the latter is true, is it a long time (a number of years or even decades) or a short time (a period of weeks or months)? We will examine these questions in this article. The notion of the Rapture taking place immediately prior to – or at the beginning of – the Tribulation does not appear to be a Biblically sustainable view, most simply due to the fact that the Rapture fundamentally is an imminent and unpredictable event, while the Tribulation has a definite beginning point that clearly relies upon at least one Biblically-prominent prerequisite sign or event. Logically, if God’s whole idea for the Rapture is to be an imminent event of unknown timing, ready to befall at any moment, why would He tether it to the beginning of the Tribulation, which does have a well-identified beginning point, and seems to follow at very least one definite preceding sign? Since the fundamental makeup of these two events are in opposition to one another, it does not make much sense to conjoin them. What prerequisite sign or event does the Bible seem to describe as preceding the Tribulation? We will discuss that shortly. But first, before delving deeper, our first order of business must be to identify the definitive beginning point of the Tribulation. The Beginning Point of the Tribulation At the outset, let's keep in mind that the Tribulation is a subset within the broad Day of the Lord (the broad Day begins with the Rapture, ends with the Millennial Kingdom, and includes everything in between, such as the Tribulation and the post-Rapture gap period – see chart). What is the Scriptural marker for the beginning of the Tribulation? The Bible tells us clearly that the beginning of the Tribulation, or Daniel’s final (seventieth) week, is initiated by the confirmation of a covenant by the Antichrist (presumably with Israel). This is made clear in Daniel 9, as the angel introduces to Daniel the prophetic scaffolding for God’s future program concerning Israel – the prophecy outlining seventy weeks of years. Dispensationalists agree that in this prophecy, each “week” describes a period of seven years. After detailing the first sixty-nine weeks, the angel then specifies the marker that will initiate the final seventieth week (which we often call the Tribulation). And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate. -Daniel 9:27 The identification of the pronoun “he” in this verse has been the topic of much debate. While some believe it refers to the “Messiah the Prince” originally mentioned in Verse 25, most dispensationalists believe it refers to the “prince that shall come” mentioned toward the end of Verse 26. In normal laws of reference in language, a pronoun refers back to the last preceding person mentioned (the antecedent). In this case, the antecedent is “the prince that shall come” in Verse 26 (See a previous article for more information). Pentecost summarizes this as follows. It is evident from Daniel 9:27 that the seventieth week begins with a covenant that is made with "many" for one week, or for seven years. This "one week," following the method of interpretation established for the sixty-nine weeks, demonstrates the fact that the period in question will be of seven years duration. The question that must be faced is the identity of the one who makes the covenant that marks the inception of this seven year period. Daniel identifies him as "he" in 9:27. This must refer back to the "prince that shall come" in the previous verse. McClain, identifying this individual, writes: … there are two different princes mentioned: first, "Messiah the Prince"; and second, "the prince that shall come." The expression "prince that shall come" cannot possibly refer to "Messiah the Prince" for the simple reason that it is "the people of the prince that shall come" who are to destroy Jerusalem after the death of Messiah. And since it is now a matter of history that Jerusalem was destroyed in A.D. 70 by the Roman people, not by the Jewish people, it follows that "the prince that shall come" cannot be the Jewish Messiah but is some great prince who will arise out of the Roman Empire. Concerning this individual, Arno Gaebelein says: "Out of the Roman empire there shall arise in the future a prince. This prince or chief of the fourth empire is identical with the little horn of Daniel 7." He is further to be identified with the "king of fierce countenance" of Daniel 8:23, with the "wilful king" of Daniel 11:36, with the "man of sin" of 2 Thessalonians 2, and with the "beast out of the sea" of Revelation 13:1-10. … This covenant deceives many in Israel into believing that this "man of sin" is God (2 Thess. 2:3). It is the proclamation of this false covenant that marks the beginning of the seventieth week. [1] As mentioned, the identification of this confirmation of a covenant by the Antichrist is a well-established marker among dispensationalists. Does this give us any clues concerning the potential for a post-Rapture gap period? The Day of the Lord Events that Precede the Tribulation We will now pick up with our earlier question concerning the existence of a prerequisite sign or event that the Bible seems to describe as preceding the Tribulation, yet taking place during the broad Day of the Lord (necessarily locating it as a post-Rapture/pre-Tribulation event). In this subsection, we will show that there of necessity must be a post-Rapture gap of time in which at least one such event will occur that helps to set the stage for the beginning of the Tribulation period. While we will focus our attention on the one event that we consider scripturally conclusive, we will follow our discussion of that event with a number of additional potential events that may also fall into this gap. The Antichrist’s Emergence The arrival of the Man of Sin onto the world scene clearly takes place after the Rapture, but before the Tribulation – yet during the Day of the Lord. This convincing point illustrates one of the most fundamental and obvious reasons why a gap must occur. Consider the logical conclusion demanded by the following facts (each of which are commonly accepted in dispensational thought): The emergence of the Antichrist can only take place after the removal of the “Restrainer” of 2 Thessalonians 2:6-8 (when the indwelling presence of the Spirit in the hearts of Christians is removed from the world at the Rapture). The emergence of the Antichrist onto the world scene and his subsequent rise to power is pictured in the going forth of the white horseman of the First Seal Judgment in Revelation 6:1-2. These Seal Judgments are events that take place during the broad Day of the Lord, and not the Church Age – confirming the first bullet point. The emergence of the Antichrist (the First Seal) must precede the beginning of the Tribulation (his confirmation of a covenant), since the confirmation of that covenant logically requires the Antichrist to already exist in a position of power necessary to perform this confirmation. The logical conclusion demanded by the sum of these facts yields the following chronological chart: The conclusion of these facts demands that since the emergence of the Antichrist takes place after the Rapture but before the Tribulation, there must be a gap period that intervenes between these two points – and this gap must be within the broad Day of the Lord. For a logical walk through the above bullet points, consider the following review. Since the Antichrist’s confirmation of the Daniel 9:27 covenant is the marker that begins the Tribulation, then the Antichrist’s emergence onto the global scene and his legendary rise to world power must precede this marker. The Antichrist of course does not confirm this covenant on “Day 1” of his political career. He instead must be given sufficient time to ascend to the position necessary to wield the influence required to be the authority looked to by the parties of this covenant. This rise is pictured in the First Seal. Walvoord affirms the likelihood that the Antichrist’s rise will take place prior to the Tribulation. It is probable that the person who heads the revived Roman Empire [the Antichrist] comes into power before the beginning of the entire seven-year period of Daniel 9:27, and as such, enters into covenant with the Jewish people. [2] This is indicated by the text of Revelation 6:1-2 (the opening of the First Seal), which, as discussed earlier in this study, most dispensationalists agree pictures the emergence of the Antichrist onto the world scene and his rise to power. Of course, this is not an instantaneous event, but rather depicts a protracted period of time, as is made evident in the text. And I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seals, and I heard, as it were the noise of thunder, one of the four beasts saying, Come and see. And I saw, and behold a white horse: and he that sat on him had a bow; and a crown was given unto him: and he went forth conquering, and to conquer. -Revelation 6:1-2 The phrase “he went forth conquering, and to conquer” describes the Antichrist embarking upon his infamous rise to power (a protracted period), which eventually places him into the position to confirm the covenant that marks the beginning of the Tribulation. Obviously then, this opening of the First Seal must precede the Tribulation, but must take place during the Day of the Lord, since it is part of the unleashing of the wrath of God on the earth. Revelation describes Jesus Christ in heaven opening the sealed scroll, releasing these judgments – and the Church is pictured as being there with Him as He’s doing so (represented by imagery including John, the Golden Lampstands, and the Twenty-Four Elders) – another confirmation that this follows the Rapture. Another reason why this First Seal could not take place prior to the Rapture centers on “the Restrainer” of 2 Thessalonians 2:6-8. Paul teaches the Thessalonians about the present unnamed force in the earth that currently restrains the emergence of the Antichrist – and will do so until He is “taken out of the way.” And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time. For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way. And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming: -2 Thessalonians 2:6-8 As discussed in an earlier chapter, dispensational scholars normally identify this “Restrainer” as the abiding presence of the Holy Spirit in the hearts of Christians (or in other words, the current presence of the Church on earth). When the Church is removed at the Rapture, the restraining activity of this force will also be removed, thereby allowing the subsequent rise of the Antichrist. If we understand Paul’s words, then we must recognize the impossibility of the Day of the Lord’s onset while the Church (along with the Spirit’s indwelling presence) is still present on the earth. In order for the end times scenario to kick off, allowing the commencement of the broad Day and the emergence of the Antichrist (the First Seal), the Church must first be removed. Hence, Paul described this as yet another reason that the Thessalonians could rest in the assurance of his earlier teachings that this dark period would not overtake them (1 Thessalonians 5:2-4). So, scripture makes it obvious that the emergence of the Antichrist onto the world scene and his subsequent rise to power is a protracted occurrence that must take place after the Rapture but before the beginning of the Tribulation. Therefore, there must be an intervening gap period between the Rapture and the Tribulation where the Antichrist’s emergence and ascendance to world power transpires. And since the Antichrist’s emergence is the First Seal Judgment (a Day of the Lord event), then this gap period must also be a subset within the broad Day of the Lord. So, we are confident that the emergence of the Antichrist is one of the necessary prerequisite signs or events that must take place prior to the Tribulation. However, there are a number of others that also will likely (or at least potentially) take place during this intervening period. While we are less dogmatic on these points (to follow), we will list several more, and provide a brief description of each. The Rise of the Final World Kingdom In Daniel Chapter 7, we are given a glimpse into the development of the world’s final kingdom (commonly recognized by dispensationalists as a revived Roman Empire) before the Second Coming. This fourth and final Gentile kingdom will initially emerge as a global government that will “devour the whole earth” (Verse 23). We are then told that “ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings that shall arise” (Verse 24). This verse continues on to tell us that these ten kings will then be followed by the Antichrist (“and another shall rise after them; and he shall be diverse from the first, and he shall subdue three kings”). Let’s read through this passage. Thus he said, The fourth beast shall be the fourth kingdom upon earth, which shall be diverse from all kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth, and shall tread it down, and break it in pieces. And the ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings that shall arise: and another shall rise after them; and he shall be diverse from the first, and he shall subdue three kings. And he shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time. But the judgment shall sit, and they shall take away his dominion, to consume and to destroy it unto the end. -Daniel 7:23-26 It seems clear from this excerpt (cf. Revelation 13 and 17) that the Antichrist emerges out of this final one-world kingdom. If the Antichrist can’t rise to prominence until this final kingdom is in place, but the Antichrist arises prior to the confirmation of the covenant, then that is potentially another indicator of a gap period. In other words, the Antichrist will not be in a position to confirm the covenant with Israel until after the establishment of this world system, and after he uses this system to rise to prominence. All of this will take time to develop. The question is, how much of this final world empire can come into existence prior to the Rapture? The Rise of the Harlot World Religious System Another development that may begin during the post-Rapture gap is the rise of the Harlot world religious system, which is described as “riding” the beast (or Antichrist) to the height of its power. In Revelation 17:3, we find the Harlot sitting on the beast (the Antichrist). In Revelation 17:7, we find the Antichrist carrying the Harlot. This suggests that the Antichrist, prior to his time as the supreme world ruler, plays somewhat of complimentary or even subservient role to the Harlot. In other words, the Antichrist and Harlot appear to have somewhat of a symbiotic relationship as they both climb to the heights of their power. At some stage, the Antichrist and the ten kings of the final world empire will turn on the Harlot and consume her, and will then assume full power over the world under the supreme rule of the Antichrist (Revelation 17:16-17). While some of this will likely play out during the Tribulation, there is a good chance that its beginning and formative stages will take place during the gap period. Again, this entire scenario will take some time to develop and much of it could certainly precede the Antichrist’s confirmation of the covenant. Bill Salus gives a good summary of our conclusions. Revelation 6:2 says that the Antichrist goes forth "conquering and to conquer." The dual usage of the word conquer implies that the Antichrist embarks upon a process, which eventually over an unspecified time-period, accomplishes his three-fold career. This conclusion is further supported by Revelation 17:3, 7, which predicts that at the initial stages of the Antichrist’s career, he forms an unholy alliance with the Harlot world religion. These verses denote that the Antichrist allows the Harlot to "sit" on him, while he "carries" her to the heights of her position of the predominant world religion. The Antichrist plays a subservient role to the Harlot, until he is ready to exert his dominance over the world. As the Antichrist ascends to the heights of his political career, at some point along the way he earns the respect of Israel and the other party to the false covenant. They entrust him with the important responsibility of "confirming" the covenant between them. It is not until then, that the seven-years of tribulation begins. [3] Some Other Potential Gap Events For your further consideration, several other events that could potentially take place within the post-Rapture gap period may include the following: The Psalm 83 war (if it is in fact a prophecy and not just an imprecatory prayer) The Isaiah 17 conflict with its destruction of Damascus The Iran disaster of Jeremiah 49:34-39 The Magog invasion of Ezekiel 38 The rebuilding of the Third Temple in Jerusalem The potential rebuilding of the literal city of Babylon on the Euphrates River and the beginning of its rise to end time prominence The sealing and beginning of the ministry of the 144,000 Jewish evangelists The Second Seal Judgment The Third Seal Judgment The Fourth Seal Judgment The martyrdom of the Fifth Seal saints (who are apparently unaware of any covenant being confirmed, as is evident in their “How long, O Lord” question in Revelation 6:10) Though not taking a dogmatic position on any of these, we mention them as additional Biblical events that could potentially take place within this gap period. It would seem unreasonable to propose that all or many of these events, in addition to the later events of Revelation (later Seal, Trumpet, and Bowl judgments), could all be squeezed into the seven-year Tribulation. Many of these are portrayed in Scripture as clearly requiring some time to develop. Hence, the consideration of a gap period provides a more realistic timeframe for these events to play out. How Long Could the Gap Last? What could be the duration of this post-Rapture/pre-Tribulation gap period? Will it last for just a few months, or could it last a number of years? While we can’t be sure of its exact length, an educated guess would seem to suggest that it could last for years, or potentially even decades, since it will likely take some time for world events to unfold, preparing the way for the events of the seventieth week. While we can’t be certain of this timing, Scripture does seem to give us a solid bookend to the upper limits of this period’s potential duration. If we look at Jesus’s Olivet Discourse in Matthew 24, we see how in the first half of the chapter, Jesus extensively detailed the sequence of signs that would characterize the chronology of the judgment phase of the broad Day of the Lord (His Parousia, or “coming”), from its inception until its climax at His Second Coming to the earth. After concluding His description of this protracted series of signs, Jesus then gave the following overview that provided the answer to the disciples’ “what will be the sign of your coming” question in verse 3. From the fig tree learn its lesson: as soon as its branch becomes tender and puts out its leaves, you know that summer is near. So also, when you see all these things, you know that he is near, at the very gates. Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place. -Matthew 24:32-34 (ESV) Jesus used the parabolic figure of a fig tree’s seasonal maturation to communicate to His disciples that once this designated sequence of signs begins, its concluding event (Christ's Second Coming to the earth in glory) is not far off. He specifies that the same generation that witnesses the beginning of these signs will also be there to witness their conclusion (Jesus says this terminal generation will see “all” these signs). By saying this, He is limiting the duration of this period to less than one generation. Therefore, since all of the signs Jesus spoke of take place after the Rapture and during the broad Day of the Lord, then we may confidently conclude that the post-Rapture gap plus the seven-year Tribulation will last for less than one generation of time. Darryl Bock writes: The generation that sees the beginning of the end, also sees its end. When the signs come, they will proceed quickly; they will not drag on for many generations. It will happen within a generation. [4] How long then is a generation? The Bible provides several different intervals to define a generation, depending on the context (typically forty years, but may be as many as eighty). It may be interesting to note that the period between the Day of Pentecost in Acts 2 (the beginning of the Church Age) and the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple was about forty years. Some may consider this historical period to act as a one-generation transition or overlap period between the beginning of the Church Age and the final closing of the previous dispensation under the Mosaic Law (the final destruction of the Temple system, etc.). If this idea is valid, could a similar period take place marking the transition from the Church Age back to Israel’s final week of that former dispensation? Could this period also involve the rebuilding of the Temple-based system of Judaism, just as the aforementioned period involved its dismantling? While these are only interesting speculations, they may provide us with an educated guess as to the upper limits of this total period (the post-Rapture gap plus the Tribulation), eliminating any conjecture that this period could last for hundreds or thousands of years. The total potential duration between the Rapture and Second Coming will be less than a generation. [1] J. Dwight Pentecost, Things To Come, Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1964, pp. 249-250. [2] John Walvoord, Revelation, rev. and ed. by Philip E. Rawley and Mark Hitchcock, Chicago: Moody Publishers, 2011, p. 207. [3] Bill Salus, The Next Prophecies, La Quinta, CA: Prophecy Depot Publishing, 2018, p. 53. [4] Darryl L. Bock, “Luke Vol. 2, 9:51-24:53,” in Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament, Baker Academic, 1996, pp. 1691-1692.

In "Part 1", "Part 2", and "Part 3" of this article series, we began to examine the typological treasures hidden in the wedding rituals of the ancient Hebrews, which God instituted. It is astonishing to recognize that everything that God has said about His marriage to His bride, the Church, was anticipated thousands of years earlier in the institution of these customs. That fact is a profound piece of evidence that the author of the Bible is not bound to the constraints of time as we are. Rather, it is profound proof of His reality, and demonstrates His origin to be from outside of time. The Hebrew wedding involved a number of important rituals typologically correlating with the marriage of Christ and the Church. We are investigating seventeen of them in these articles. While these are not necessarily in strict order, they do follow the general process of the ancient Hebrew wedding. Let’s continue our examination of these astonishing parallels. 14.) Kallah – The Bride On the wedding day, the bridegroom – and especially the bride (kallah) – would be elaborately clothed. From ancient times, Jewish couples would be treated like royalty on this day. The bride and groom were both given bridal crowns to wear. [1] Go forth, O ye daughters of Zion, and behold king Solomon with the crown wherewith his mother crowned him in the day of his espousals, and in the day of the gladness of his heart. -Song of Solomon 3:11 So, even from this ancient account in the Song of Solomon, we recognize that it was customary for the bride and groom to wear crowns on the day of their wedding. The wedding day is the bride’s special day, and she is treated accordingly. It is also a very ancient custom for a Jewish bride to sit on a “throne” at her reception. [2] From ancient to modern times, every Jewish bride is bedecked like a queen. The Jewish Midrash speaks of twenty-four adornments mentioned in Isaiah 3:18-24 that were customary for the ancient Hebrew brides to be beautified with on their wedding day. [3] Everything was done to make the bride as lovely as possible for this special day. I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels. -Isaiah 61:10 The bridal imagery in the following excerpt from Ezekiel 16 is also indicative of the majestic preparation and adornment of the ancient Hebrew brides, describing the marriage between God and Israel. Now when I passed by thee, and looked upon thee, behold, thy time was the time of love; and I spread my skirt over thee, and covered thy nakedness: yea, I sware unto thee, and entered into a covenant with thee, saith the Lord God, and thou becamest mine. Then washed I thee with water; yea, I thoroughly washed away thy blood from thee, and I anointed thee with oil. I clothed thee also with broidered work, and shod thee with badgers’ skin, and I girded thee about with fine linen, and I covered thee with silk. I decked thee also with ornaments, and I put bracelets upon thy hands, and a chain on thy neck. And I put a jewel on thy forehead, and earrings in thine ears, and a beautiful crown upon thine head. Thus wast thou decked with gold and silver; and thy raiment was of fine linen, and silk, and broidered work; thou didst eat fine flour, and honey, and oil: and thou wast exceeding beautiful, and thou didst prosper into a kingdom. And thy renown went forth among the heathen for thy beauty: for it was perfect through my comeliness, which I had put upon thee, saith the Lord God. -Ezekiel 16:8-14 So, we understand that on her wedding day, an ancient Hebrew bride was treated like she was a queen at her coronation. One of the most exciting of the wedding preparations for the bride is choosing her wedding dress. As in most modern cultures, the traditional color of the wedding gown for the ancient Hebrews has always been white, denoting purity from sin. [4] [5] Concerning Christ and His bride the Church, we find the same bridal imagery described. We find that both Christ and the Church will be wearing crowns. The following passage from Revelation 14 describes the Bridegroom, Christ, coming out of the bridal chamber to visit judgment upon the earth – and He is wearing a crown. And I looked, and behold a white cloud, and upon the cloud one sat like unto the Son of man, having on his head a golden crown, and in his hand a sharp sickle. -Revelation 14:14 The Church is also promised a crown at this time. Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing. -2 Timothy 4:8 And when the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away. -1 Peter 5:4 We also find that like the ancient Hebrew couple on their wedding day, the description of the Church’s future is portrayed as being royal. But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light; -1 Peter 2:9-10 The following passage tells us of the royal nature of the Bridegroom, Christ. And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, King Of Kings, And Lord Of Lords. -Revelation 19:16 So, the identity of the Bridegroom is that of the highest royalty conceivable. If the Church is His bride, then the Church is going to be the bride of the most royal and magnificent wedding that has ever taken place. The Church is marrying the pinnacle of royalty! Like the Hebrew brides, the Church will also sit on a throne. To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne. -Revelation 3:21 We also find that the bride, the Church, is given her white wedding dress. Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honor to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready. And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints. -Revelation 19:7-8 Key Parallel: The ancient Hebrew couple being wed was treated like royalty on their wedding day. They sat on “thrones” at their reception. They were dressed in magnificent wedding apparel and were given crowns. The bride was bedecked in a beautiful white wedding gown. The bride of Christ, the Church, is also royalty, as she will be married to the “King of Kings and Lord of Lords.” This will be a royal wedding of the highest magnitude! She will wear a crown, be seated on a throne, and have on a white wedding gown. 15.) Chuppah – Concealed in the Wedding Chamber Upon their arrival at the father’s house, the bridegroom would take his bride to the wedding chamber (chuppah – Strong’s # H2646) in the cheder (Strong’s # H2315), or the room he had prepared (Psalm 19:5, Joel 2:16). [6] These terms chuppah and cheder may be used interchangeably, but for our purposes here, we will define chuppah as the wedding chamber in which the marriage would be consummated through physical union. The tradition of the chuppah is one that has changed and evolved significantly over time, but is still in use today in a modern form in contemporary Jewish weddings. Today, the tradition of the chuppah is represented by a canopy under which the bride and groom stand during the wedding ceremony (often in the form of a cloth upheld by four poles). [7] [8] But in ancient times, it was in this chamber that the couple would spend seven days hidden away while the wedding celebration continued for that entire week (Judges 14:12). This is referred to as the “seven days of the chuppah.” [9] There, in the privacy of the chuppah, the bride and groom entered into physical union for the first time. The bridegroom’s best man would wait outside the door of the wedding chamber. When the marriage was consummated through their intimate union, the bridegroom would tell the best man through the door, and he would go and announce it to the assembled guests. Now you understand John the Baptist in John 3:29: He that hath the bride is the bridegroom: but the friend of the bridegroom [or the best man], which standeth and heareth him, rejoiceth greatly because of the bridegroom’s voice: this my joy therefore is fulfilled. -John 3:29 Upon hearing the good news, the wedding guests remained in the groom’s father’s house for the next seven days, celebrating with a great wedding feast. [10] The modern practice of yichud is the custom of the married couple enjoying a short period of privacy after the ceremony. [11] This custom also seems to look back to the ancient practice of having seven days concealed in the chuppah. The Shiv’at Y’mei Mishteh, or Seven Days of Feasting, are said to have been ordained by Moses, and are a custom that is thought to go back to patriarchal times. These feasting days serve as a focal point for communal rejoicing and for the couple to begin their married life together while in the lap of the community. This practice is still observed by traditional Jews today. In modern Jewish practice, during the Seven Days of Feasting, the bride and groom do not work, nor may they be involved in business transactions of any kind. They only eat, drink, and rejoice with each other. Each day, close relatives or friends host the married couple for a festive meal, which is punctuated by singing and rejoicing. [12] This modern practice is taken from the ancient Hebrew wedding tradition of the seven days of concealment in the chuppah, while the wedding guests celebrated in the father’s house for the entire week. Like the ancient Hebrew brides, Scripture seems to describe a bridal week for the Church in which we will be in the wedding chamber with our Bridegroom, Jesus. Biblical eschatology (or the study of the end times) describes a final seven-year period of time that is connected with the Jewish people specifically (Daniel 9). This chapter in Daniel describes time in periods of “weeks,” which is a common Hebraic expression for a period of seven (in this case, years). This time period is also described thoroughly in Revelation, and some refer to it as the Tribulation. This final seven-year “week” of time, especially the last half of it (called the “Great Tribulation” by Jesus in Matthew 24:21), is a time of unparalleled distress, and is characterized by the wrath or indignation of God. Pre-Tribulational eschatology, (which turns out to be the eschatological perspective that best aligns with the typology of the Jewish wedding) asserts that Scripture teaches that the Rapture, or catching away of the Church, will happen prior to this seven-year period. So, according to that pattern, while the Jewish people’s final “week” is taking place on earth, Jesus and His bride, the Church, will celebrate their marriage “week” in our heavenly chuppah, hidden away from view! Though the Church was unknown to the Old Testament audience, we seem to find some prophetic allusions that may refer to the heavenly chuppah in the following passages. And the Lord shall utter his voice before his army: for his camp is very great: for he is strong that executeth his word: for the day of the Lord is great and very terrible; and who can abide it? ... Blow the trumpet in Zion, sanctify a fast, call a solemn assembly: Gather the people, sanctify the congregation, assemble the elders, gather the children, and those that suck the breasts: let the bridegroom go forth of his chamber, and the bride out of her closet [chuppah]. -Joel 2:11, 15-16 The theme of the Lord coming out of His chambers to visit judgment on the earth is spoken of here, referring prophetically to the “Day of the Lord.” It then speaks of a bridegroom coming out of his chamber and a bride from her chuppah. It's difficult to imagine this passage referring to any group other than the Church when it describes a bride coming out of her chuppah. Passages later in Scripture describe the Lord, whom the New Testament calls the Bridegroom, returning with His bride, the Church, at the Second Coming. Let’s examine another prophetic Old Testament passage that points to a select group of God’s people avoiding the Tribulation in the Day of the Lord by being concealed. Seek ye the Lord, all ye meek of the earth, which have wrought his judgment; seek righteousness, seek meekness: it may be ye shall be hid in the day of the Lord’s anger. -Zephaniah 2:3 We know from later New Testament passages that the Church is not appointed to God’s Tribulation wrath, and will be kept from that time period altogether – making the Church a likely candidate for this group of people. The following passage written by Paul to the Church identifies this same period of the “Day of the Lord,” and specifically identifies the Church as being exempt from it. For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. … But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief. … For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ, -1 Thessalonians 5:2, 4, 9 Some feel that these Old Testament passages may refer to the remnant of Israel being hidden in the wilderness before the Second Coming. While this is certainly a possibility (and the Old Testament does seem to refer to this in other instances), we believe there are some reasons why this is not the case in the passages presented. Instead, it would seem to refer to the Church being hidden away as the pure, righteous bride that is exempted from the wrath of the Bridegroom. Let’s quickly examine this before moving on. One of the most glaring reasons why the group being hidden cannot be Israel, is because the passages are clear in describing these hidden ones as a righteous group who is exempted from the wrath. To the contrary, Israel at this time can hardly be considered righteous, which is the very reason why she must enter and endure the Tribulation. One of the purposes of the Tribulation is to drive the Jews to repentance, so that toward the end of it there will be a remnant who finally cries out unto Jesus Christ, finally acknowledging Him as their Messiah, which then prompts His return to save them from destruction. This hardly fits in with the narrative of a righteous group playing the role of a pure virgin bride being hidden away from the wrath. The Old Testament is clear that Israel up until that point was playing the role of the harlot unfaithful wife, not the unmarried pure virgin bride. Meanwhile, the New Testament clearly depicts the Church as the righteous and pure virgin bride of Christ who will avoid the coming wrath. If the Jews were the “hidden group” referenced by these passages, then how could they be called righteous before entering the chuppah, when we are told in passages such as Zechariah 13:8-9 that it will require the refining fire of the Tribulation to produce the righteousness of the Jewish remnant at the end of the Tribulation? But one of the main purposes of the Tribulation is to drive Israel to repentance. They were not righteous until the judgments drove them toward repentance. In fact, their repentance and turning to their true Messiah turns out to be a pre-condition for Christ’s return to earth (the Second Coming) with His bride to set up His Millennial reign. I [God speaking] will go and return to my place, till they acknowledge their offence, and seek my face: in their affliction they will seek me early. -Hosea 5:15 Note: This word “early” actually means “earnestly.” [13] So, we’ve taken a brief detour through eschatology to explore and understand this aspect of end times prophecy that fits in (from a timing perspective) with the typology of the Jewish wedding rituals, and seems to clearly reveal the Church as that righteous bride being hidden away before the time of trouble, who then returns with her Bridegroom when it is passed. Before moving on to the next point, let’s do a quick review of the key parallels involving the chuppah. Key Parallel: The ancient Hebrew brides were “abducted” by their bridegrooms, and carried by procession to the father’s house. Upon arrival at the father’s house, the ancient Hebrew bridegrooms would take their brides into the privacy of the wedding chamber – the chuppah – for seven days. In the privacy of the chuppah, they would consummate the marriage through intimate union. The bride would then stay concealed in the chuppah for the remainder of the week, as the guests celebrated. The bride of Christ will be raptured, or lifted up off the earth to be carried away to our heavenly wedding chamber where we will spend “one week” (seven years), concealed and hidden away with our Bridegroom. While the bride of Christ is in the bridal chamber with Jesus, the rest of the world will face seven years of Tribulation. 16.) Mishteh – The Wedding Feast After seven days in the wedding chamber, the ancient Hebrew bride and bridegroom would emerge and participate in a wedding feast (mishteh – Strong’s # H4960) with their guests. The bride’s veil would be removed so that everyone could see her, and she would be presented to the guests and to the community. The end of this feast would conclude the wedding celebration. [14] In like manner, following the seven years in our heavenly chuppah while the Tribulation is taking place on earth, Jesus Christ will return to earth (the Second Coming) with His unveiled bride, the Church, to vanquish His enemies, establish His Kingdom, and also celebrate with a marriage supper. And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God. And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war. His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself. And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God. And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean. -Revelation 19:9, 11-14 Here in Revelation 19, we see that following the seven-year Tribulation, Jesus will return at His Second Coming with His unveiled bride to earth to execute judgment on earth and then participate in the “marriage supper of the Lamb.” We know His bride is with Him, as we see her described as being “clothed in fine linen, white and clean,” which was the description of the bride given only a few verses earlier in Verse 8. And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints. -Revelation 19:8 As mentioned earlier, we also find Old Testament prophetic mention of Christ at His Second Coming being described as a bridegroom coming out of his bridal chamber, bringing His bride with Him. Blow the trumpet in Zion, sanctify a fast, call a solemn assembly: Gather the people, sanctify the congregation, assemble the elders, gather the children, and those that suck the breasts: let the bridegroom go forth of his chamber, and the bride out of her closet [chuppah]. -Joel 2:15-16 Key Parallel: The ancient Hebrew bridal couple would emerge after seven days hidden away in the chuppah and participate in a wedding feast with their guests. After the seven years in the heavenly chuppah, Jesus Christ will come out of His wedding chamber as a Bridegroom, bringing His bride the Church with Him – to also celebrate with a marriage supper. 17.) Yachad - A New Life Together The Hebrew word yachad meaning “togetherness” or “unitedness” (Strong’s # H3162), is an ideal description for the just-married couple as they begin their new life together as one. [15] The Old Testament describes this togetherness as follows. Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh. -Genesis 2:24 Since the very beginning of the Biblical tradition, the thought regarding the marital union was always one of unity and togetherness. The two people become one, through marriage. Following the seven-day marriage celebration, and marriage feast, the bridegroom and his bride would go to the home that the bridegroom had previously prepared. They would begin their new life together as husband and wife. As a future married couple, Christ and the Church will also be brought together as one. Paul, in his letter to the Ephesians, actually quotes the passage we just looked at from Genesis and applies it to Christ and the Church. Notice how Paul first describes the unity and togetherness of Christ and the Church, and then reveals that the Genesis 2:24 passage’s deeper meaning is to act as a type of Christ and the Church. Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish. So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself. For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church: For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones. For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh. This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church. -Ephesians 5:25-32 At the end of the final seven-year “week,” just as the bridegroom and his bride would leave the marriage supper to go to the home the bridegroom had prepared, so Jesus and His bride will depart for their new home, the New Jerusalem (though this may be post-Millennial). And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God. And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. -Revelation 21:2-4 The New Jerusalem was beautifully adorned as a bride, John said, because it will be the eternal home of Christ’s bride. The author of Hebrews told us that the patriarchs looked for a city whose builder and maker was God, and that a heavenly city was being prepared (Hebrews 11:10, 16). He goes on to say that the Church is seeking the “heavenly Jerusalem” and “the city to come” (Hebrews 12:22 and 13:14). The Scriptures noted throughout this study make it clear that the bride is the Church and that the city called the new Jerusalem is being prepared for the bride of Christ. The bride of Christ will then be with her Bridegroom for all of eternity. And so shall we ever be with the Lord. -1 Thessalonians 4:17b Key Parallel: After the marriage week and the feast, the ancient Hebrew couples would begin their new lives together in the home that the bridegroom had prepared. They would exhibit togetherness and unity – being considered “one” through marital union. The relationship between Christ and the Church is one of togetherness and unity. We are considered part of His body, and we are to cleave together as one. Following the final “week” on earth and subsequent marriage feast, Christ and His bride will finish out the Millennium and then continue into the Eternal State together forever. Conclusion As we close out our four-part article series on this topic, keep in mind all of the incredible typological parallels between the ancient Hebrew wedding traditions and the marriage of Jesus Christ and His bride, the Church. In this series, we aimed at representing the key parallels, but we certainly acknowledge that many additional wedding subtleties are also embedded within the Biblical text – possibly some waiting to yet be discovered! From the pattern of the ancient Hebrew wedding practices, we see that, like the bridegroom of ancient times, Jesus came to the home of His future bride for the betrothal, established a covenant with His bride, sealed it with a glass of wine, paid for the bride price with His blood, sanctified her, and sent His bride gifts of the Holy Spirit. We, the betrothed (Christ’s Church) currently await the return of our Bridegroom to abduct us away to the wedding chamber (at the Rapture) to spend seven years hidden away with Him (while the Tribulation occurs on earth). We will then celebrate the Marriage Supper of the Lamb and following the Millennial reign on earth, depart with our Bridegroom to our eternal home, the New Jerusalem! Our present task at hand is all about readiness! Just like the ancient Hebrew brides waited and prepared during the long betrothal period for their bridegroom’s return, we must also wait and prepare for the soon return of our Bridegroom, Christ! Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready. -Revelation 19:7-9 [1] Emil G. Hirsch, Frank Knight Sanders, and Kaufmann Kohler, Jewish Encyclopedia, entry “Crown,” JewishEncyclopedia.com. (http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/articles/4778-crown - Retrieved 5/15/18) [2] Aryeh Kaplan, Made in Heaven: A Jewish Wedding Guide, Brooklyn, NY: Moznaim Pub., 1983, p. 91. [3] Ibid., p. 59. [4] Ibid., p. 60. [5] Yehuda Shurpin, “Why Do Jewish Brides Wear White? Isn’t It a Non-Jewish Thing?” Chabad.org. (https://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/3136016/jewish/Why-Do-Jewish-Brides-Wear-White-Isnt-It-a-Non-Jewish-Thing.htm - Retrieved 5/15/18) [6] Avi Ben Mordechai, Signs in the Heavens, Millennium 7000 Communications, Int’l, 1996, p. 277. [7] Eliezer Segal, “The Huppah: From Eden to Today,” Feb. 14, 1992, in Jewish Free Press. (http://people.ucalgary.ca/~elsegal/Shokel/920214_Huppah.html - Retrieved 5/13/18) [8] Kaplan, p. 133. [9] Kaufmann Kohler, Jewish Encyclopedia, entry “Huppah,” JewishEncyclopedia.com. (http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/articles/7941-huppah - Retrieved 5/13/18) [10] The Universal Jewish Encyclopedia, ed. Isaac Landman, New York: Universal Jewish Encyclopedia Co., Inc., 1948, pp. 5, 10, 373, 399, 504. [11] Kaplan, p. 206. [12] Michael Kaufman, “After the Wedding Ceremony,” My Jewish Learning. (https://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/after-the-wedding-ceremony/ - Retrieved 5/13/18) [13] Benson Commentary, entry “Hosea 5:15,” BibleHub.com. (http://biblehub.com/commentaries/hosea/5-15.htm - Retrieved 02/05/18) [14] The Universal Jewish Encyclopedia, pp. 5, 504. [15] Strong’s Concordance, entry “3162, yachad,” BibleHub.com. (http://biblehub.com/hebrew/3162.htm - Retrieved 5/22/18)

(From the book The Missing Key in Dispensational Eschatology) In the previous article, we examined the Biblical Day of the Lord, understanding that it has both historical applications as well as a future, ultimate fulfillment. This and the next article will both focus on the future, ultimate eschatological (end-times) Day of the Lord. The next thing we need to recognize about the future Day of the Lord is that it has a two-fold nature – including a period of darkness and judgment as well as a period of light and blessing. This basic understanding is often overlooked even by good Dispensational scholars, resulting in the inability to accurately and precisely understand much of what scripture communicates to us further ahead in the New Testament. The darkness/judgment phase will occur first, and will characterize the total nature of the Day of the Lord from the standpoint of God’s enemies. They will not enjoy the subsequent phase that involves light and blessing. This gloomy phase of the Day of the Lord includes what Christians often call the Tribulation (the final seventieth week of the Daniel 9:24-27 prophecy), and culminates with the Second Coming of Christ to issue decisive defeat to His enemies, introducing His earthly kingdom reign. Let’s take a look at several scripture passages that depict this darkness/judgment phase. Behold, the day of the Lord cometh, cruel both with wrath and fierce anger, to lay the land desolate: and he shall destroy the sinners thereof out of it. -Isaiah 13:9 Blow ye the trumpet in Zion, and sound an alarm in my holy mountain: let all the inhabitants of the land tremble: for the day of the Lord cometh, for it is nigh at hand; A day of darkness and of gloominess, a day of clouds and of thick darkness, as the morning spread upon the mountains…. -Joel 2:1-2 Woe unto you that desire the day of the Lord! to what end is it for you? the day of the Lord is darkness, and not light. As if a man did flee from a lion, and a bear met him; or went into the house, and leaned his hand on the wall, and a serpent bit him. Shall not the day of the Lord be darkness, and not light? even very dark, and no brightness in it? -Amos 5:18-20 The great day of the Lord is near, it is near, and hasteth greatly, even the voice of the day of the Lord: the mighty man shall cry there bitterly. That day is a day of wrath, a day of trouble and distress, a day of wasteness and desolation, a day of darkness and gloominess, a day of clouds and thick darkness, -Zephaniah 1:14-15 All of these passages clearly depict the judgment phase, describing it as being a day of wrath, trouble, distress, desolation, darkness, gloominess, woe, clouds, thick darkness, and fierce anger, where even mighty men will cry bitterly. It describes it as a time when God will destroy sinners. But the subsequent aspect of the Day of the Lord involves a phase of light and the outpouring of God’s blessing under the rule and reign of the Messiah, Jesus Christ. This takes place during the Millennial Kingdom. As we will see, it directly follows on the heels of Christ’s return to defeat His enemies, which will conclude the darkness/judgment phase. We will also find that this pattern of the prolonged period of the Day of the Lord takes place in similar fashion to an actual twenty-four-hour day – a period of light that follows a period of darkness. In all of the eschatological passages we will examine, the Biblical writer first describes the Day of the Lord by that name, foretelling its initial phase of darkness/judgment. The passages then continue on to discuss the light/blessing phase that follows – denoting it’s inclusion in the same prolonged period by using the phrase “in that day”. In other words, the phrase “in that day” continues the foregoing narrative, and should be understood to refer to its antecedent – the Day of the Lord. So then according to the text, the Day of the Lord does not end with the climax of the darkness/judgment phase. It continues on into the light/blessing phase, as indicated by the continuing usage of the phrase “in that day.” It is not describing a different day, but rather a different phase of the same day (similar to how a phase of daylight follows a phase of darkness in an actual twenty-four-hour day). Let’s now take a look at several scripture passages that clearly depict this. A passage we just looked at, Joel 2:1-2, depicts the darkness/judgment phase, which continues to be the subject of the remainder of that chapter – although it also discusses elements that likely will follow in the blessing phase (such as the outpouring of the Spirit upon Israel). Joel Chapter 3 then refocuses on the culmination of the darkness phase, which involves the gathering of the enemies of God against Jerusalem. It foretells the fierce judgment that will be executed upon them at what we now know is the time of the Second Coming of Christ. But in Verses 16-21 of Chapter 3, we see a clear transition taking place, as Joel then begins to foretell the subsequent Millennial period of great divine blessings that will occur following the judgment phase – with that period still being referred to as “in that day.” Let’s examine this notable shift from darkness/judgment to the positivity of this subsequent light/blessing phase in Verses 16-21 of Joel 3. The Lord also shall roar out of Zion, and utter his voice from Jerusalem; and the heavens and the earth shall shake: but the Lord will be the hope of his people, and the strength of the children of Israel. So shall ye know that I am the Lord your God dwelling in Zion, my holy mountain: then shall Jerusalem be holy, and there shall no strangers pass through her any more. And it shall come to pass in that day, that the mountains shall drop down new wine, and the hills shall flow with milk, and all the rivers of Judah shall flow with waters, and a fountain shall come forth out of the house of the Lord, and shall water the valley of Shittim. Egypt shall be a desolation, and Edom shall be a desolate wilderness, for the violence against the children of Judah, because they have shed innocent blood in their land. But Judah shall dwell for ever, and Jerusalem from generation to generation. For I will cleanse their blood that I have not cleansed: for the Lord dwelleth in Zion. -Joel 3:16-21 Note: For clarity, we of course recommend that you go back in your own Bibles to fully examine these chapters and note the features we are identifying. As we can see, after Joel discusses the darkness/judgment phase, the prophetic narrative then shifts to discuss the light/blessing phase, in which events that take place during the Millennial Kingdom are described. Yet, it continues to describe these events with the phrase “in that day,” showing the continuation of the Day of the Lord throughout the Millennium (the light/blessing phase). Similarly, in Zechariah Chapter 14, after foretelling the darkness/judgment phase when the nations gather for war against Jerusalem, culminating in the Second Coming of Christ to destroy these enemies, Zechariah then begins to detail a subsequent time where the darkness will turn into light. He tells us of a number of great blessings that will be poured out “in that day” as God establishes His reign over the earth in the Millennium. In other words, the first part of “that day” will be darkness, but the latter part will be light – just like an actual twenty-four-hour day. And it shall come to pass in that day, that the light shall not be clear, nor dark: But it shall be one day which shall be known to the Lord, not day, nor night: but it shall come to pass, that at evening time it shall be light. And it shall be in that day, that living waters shall go out from Jerusalem; half of them toward the former sea, and half of them toward the hinder sea: in summer and in winter shall it be. And the Lord shall be king over all the earth: in that day shall there be one Lord, and his name one. In that day shall there be upon the bells of the horses, Holiness Unto The Lord; and the pots in the Lord’s house shall be like the bowls before the altar. -Zechariah 14:6-9, 20 So, like the previous example in Joel, we find this passage in Zechariah first discussing the darkness/judgment phase but then moving on to discuss the light/blessing phase, with both clearly described as being “in that day” (or in the Day of the Lord). Likewise, the book of Zephaniah starts out by describing the coming darkness/judgment phase of the Day of the Lord (another passage we read earlier). But then, midway through Chapter 3, the focus begins to transition from the judgment of God’s enemies at the end of the darkness/judgment phase to the blessing, regathering, and restoration of Israel during the light/blessing phase – all still being described as “in that day.” Let’s make note of this positive shift beginning here in Verse 11. In that day shalt thou not be ashamed for all thy doings, wherein thou hast transgressed against me: for then I will take away out of the midst of thee them that rejoice in thy pride, and thou shalt no more be haughty because of my holy mountain. I will also leave in the midst of thee an afflicted and poor people, and they shall trust in the name of the Lord. The remnant of Israel shall not do iniquity, nor speak lies; neither shall a deceitful tongue be found in their mouth: for they shall feed and lie down, and none shall make them afraid. Sing, O daughter of Zion; shout, O Israel; be glad and rejoice with all the heart, O daughter of Jerusalem. The Lord hath taken away thy judgments, he hath cast out thine enemy: the king of Israel, even the Lord, is in the midst of thee: thou shalt not see evil any more. In that day it shall be said to Jerusalem, Fear thou not: and to Zion, Let not thine hands be slack. The Lord thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; he will save, he will rejoice over thee with joy; he will rest in his love, he will joy over thee with singing. I will gather them that are sorrowful for the solemn assembly, who are of thee, to whom the reproach of it was a burden. Behold, at that time I will undo all that afflict thee: and I will save her that halteth, and gather her that was driven out; and I will get them praise and fame in every land where they have been put to shame. At that time will I bring you again, even in the time that I gather you: for I will make you a name and a praise among all people of the earth, when I turn back your captivity before your eyes, saith the Lord. -Zephaniah 3:11-20 And so, from all of these clear scriptural examples that provide us with a detailed prophetic description of the future Day of the Lord, we can readily understand that this period includes first a darkness/judgment phase then followed by a light/blessing phase. Furthermore, it is clear that, just as is true in a literal twenty-four-hour day, the darkness phase will be followed by the light phase. This plain reality has been acknowledged by theologians of various interpretive camps for years. In the Dispensational camp, leading scholars have long noted this two-fold nature and its figurative similarity to a literal day. For example, John Walvoord writes: In 1 Thessalonians 5 the Day of the Lord is used in the sense of an extended period of time, but having the characteristics of a twenty-four hour day. That is, it is a day which begins at midnight or in the darkness, advancing to dawn and then daylight. It will close again with another period of darkness after daylight has passed. That apparently is the symbolism involved in the Day of the Lord. … The Day of the Lord, according to the Old Testament, is a time of God’s judgment and a time of God’s dealing with the world in its sin. … The Millennium – the whole kingdom reign of Christ on earth – in which Christ personally directs the government of the world, is also included in the Day of the Lord. [1] Similarly, Renald Showers asserted: The Day of the Lord in the future will be at least twofold in nature. Just as each day of creation and the Jewish day consisted of two phases – a time of darkness (“evening”) followed by a time of light (“day”) [Gen. 1:4-6] – so the future Day of the Lord will consist of two phases, a period of darkness (judgment) followed by a period of light (divine rule and blessing). [2] Likewise, Tony Garland notes: The phrase “Day of the Lord” is uniformly connected with darkness and judgment, whereas the phrases “this day” and “that day” do appear to be associated with the positive era subsequent to the initial dark elements of the day. The two-fold nature of the day is characterized by a time of intense darkness followed by incredible blessings. This dual nature results from both a sequential division (judgment bringing in the Kingdom of God on earth followed by the blessings of the millennial reign of Christ) and a spiritual division (the enemies of God will experience only the judgment whereas the people of God will experience the blessings of the millennial reign). [3] Many non-Dispensational scholars have also recognized this two-phased construction of the Day of the Lord. For instance, J. Barton Payne noted a period of judgment that is followed by a period of restoration. [4] Likewise, A.B. Davidson stated: Hence the “Day of the Lord” acquires a double-sided character. It is a day of salvation and judgment, or a day of salvation through judgment … a day of salvation behind this. Sometimes one side is prominent and sometimes another … Sometimes both sides of the Divine manifestation are brought forward, as in Joel. [5] John A.T. Robinson also admits that this period has both a judgment and a victory component. In itself, “the Day of the Lord” is a general and comprehensive expression for the consummation of God’s purpose, alike in victory and in judgment. [6] In addition, we should note that the scriptural teaching about God’s nature is that He is light, and there is no darkness in Him (1 John 1:5, et al.). If this is the case, then it would seem inconsistent to imagine His day (the Day of the Lord) consisting entirely of darkness, and having no periods of light. Further yet, it is difficult to imagine a future Day of the Lord that does not include His direct rule over the earth – which will only take place during the Millennium (the light/blessing phase). The Millennium is certainly part of the “consummation of God’s purpose,” as noted in the previous quote by Robinson. And as we’ve mentioned a number of times, this understanding aligns perfectly with the typology of an actual twenty-four-hour day, which consists of both dark and light phases. Thus, we should recognize that the two-fold nature of the future Day of the Lord is neither a new doctrine, nor a fringe, irrational doctrine. Rather, it is a basic insight of a careful and thorough exposition of the Bible – one that is and has been held by Christian scholars across the interpretive spectrum. [1] John Walvoord, “The Day of the Lord,” Jan. 1, 2008, Bible.org. (https://bible.org/seriespage/5-day-lord - Retrieved 3/27/22) [2] Renald Showers, Maranatha: Our Lord Come! Bellmawr, NJ: Friends of Israel, 1995, p. 33. [3] Tony Garland, Revelation Commentary, under “2.13 - Related Passages and Themes,” PreceptAustin.org. (https://www.preceptaustin.org/revelation-intro-parallels (Retrieved 3/21/22) [4] J. Barton Payne, The Theology of the Older Testament, Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1962, p. 464. [5] A.B. Davidson, “The Theology of the Old Testament,” in International Theological Library, New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1936, pp. 377-378. [6] John A.T. Robinson, Jesus and His Coming, Philadelphia: The Westminster Press, 1979, p. 19.

(From the book The Missing Key in Dispensational Eschatology) The Day of the Lord is a Biblical term that, within Bible prophecy discussion, is often either not defined at all, or is defined in a way that limits its scope in a way inconsistent with its actual usage in scripture. What is the basic definition of the Day of the Lord, according to its scriptural usage? Put simply, the Day of the Lord denotes God’s times of intervention in human history. As the Creator of the universe, God had specific purposes in mind for its creation – and as a result, when the sinful tendencies of mankind interfere with the sovereign plan of God, there is a point at which He intervenes in order to accomplish these purposes. Old Testament scholar and theologian J. Barton Payne described the Day of the Lord as follows. The comprehensive phase, by which the Old Testament describes God’s intervention in human history for the accomplishment of His testament is yom Yahwe, “the day of Yahweh.” … The “day” is thus characterized by an observable accomplishment of the general aims of divine providence. It refers to that point in history at which the sovereign God lays bare His arm on the behalf of His testament and of its heirs… [1] Similarly, theologian Renald Showers defined the Day of the Lord in the following way. In the Scriptures the expression “the Day of the Lord” (together with other synonymous expressions, such as “that day,” “the day of God,” etc.) is strongly related to God’s rule of the earth and, therefore, to His sovereign purpose for world history and specific events within that history. The Day of the Lord refers to God’s special interventions into the course of world events to judge His enemies, accomplish His purpose for history, and thereby demonstrate who He is – the sovereign God of the universe. [2] The scriptures clearly indicate that its mentions of the Day of the Lord (like much of the Bible’s prophetic content) often focus on a near-term or local application, as well as a future ultimate eschatological sense. In an article on the Day of the Lord in The Popular Encyclopedia Of Bible Prophecy, Richard L. Mayhue writes: A survey of the prophets indicates the term [Day of the Lord] was used in reference to both near historical fulfillments and far future eschatological events. [3] We can take note of these usages in the Old Testament books of the prophets where the term “Day of the Lord” appears – including Obadiah, Joel, Amos, Isaiah, Zephaniah, Ezekiel, Zechariah, and Malachi – showing how these authors spoke of the Day of the Lord in both a near-term historical sense but also a far-term future eschatological sense that clearly transcended any immediate local application. In the past “Days of the Lord,” God typically used foreign nations to execute His sovereign interventions against His enemies – in the form of war and military invasions. For instance, He raised up Assyria to invade, conquer, and exile the apostate Northern Kingdom of Israel in the 700s BC, as we see in, for example, Amos 5:18-20. God also similarly raised up Babylon to bring His judgment against the Southern Kingdom of Judah in the centuries to follow – as we see in passages such as Lamentations 1-2, Ezekiel 7:19, 13:5, and Zephaniah 2:2-3. He also used Babylon to bring judgment against Egypt and its allies in the 500s BC, as shown in Jeremiah 46:10 and Ezekiel 30:2. In similar fashion, Medo-Persia was later used to judge Babylon for its wickedness, as we see in Isaiah 13:6 and 9. But these past historical interventions are just foreshadows of the future ultimate Day of the Lord – in which God will intervene not only by using human instruments to execute His divine wrath, but He Himself as the risen Messiah, Jesus Christ, will actually arrive on the scene and fight against His enemies, bringing about His earthly reign – the Millennial Kingdom. George Ladd wrote: The prophets viewed the immediate historical future against the background of the final eschatological consummation, for the same God who was acting in history would finally establish his Kingdom in the future. [4] When we get to the New Testament, we then see that the New Testament writers consistently interpreted these Old Testament prophetic “Day of the Lord” texts in light of this ultimate eschatological fulfillment to take place in the future, and connected them with the noteworthy end-time events that Christians today refer to as the Tribulation and the Millennial Kingdom. These both are major eschatological events that consummate the age of human rule over the earth and usher in the judgments and blessings of God as He brings about His sovereign purposes for the earth. Showers provides a number of scriptural indicators that require the Day of the Lord to apply most ultimately to this future culminating time period where God brings about one final intervention in human history. First, Isaiah 2:10-22 describes a Day of the Lord that will involve the sixth seal described by the Apostle John in Revelation 6:12-17. Because this sixth seal will take place during the [future] 70th Week of Daniel 9, the Day of the Lord that will involve that seal must also take place during that future time period. Second, Isaiah 34:1-8 and Obadiah 15 describe a Day of the Lord when God will judge all nations or Gentiles of the world. None of the past Days of the Lord involved divine judgment of all the nations. Up to this point in history, there has not been a judgment of all nations during the same time period. In light of this, we must conclude that the Day of the Lord of Isaiah 34 and Obadiah must be future. Third, Joel 3:1-16 and Zechariah 14:1-3, 12-15 refer to a Day of the Lord that will involve God’s judgment of the armies of all the nations of the world, when those armies gather in Israel to wage war against that nation and the city of Jerusalem and when the Messiah comes to war against them. According to Revelation 16:12-16, those armies will not begin to gather until the sixth bowl is poured out during the [future] 70th Week of Daniel 9. In addition, Revelation 19:11-21 indicates that Christ will wage war against them when He comes from heaven to earth. This, too, forces the conclusion that the Day of the Lord of Joel 3 and Zechariah 14 is future. Fourth, in 1 Thessalonians 5:1-11, the Apostle Paul referred to a Day of the Lord that was future beyond the time when he wrote his epistle and that would bring sudden, inescapable destruction upon the unsaved of the world. That Day of the Lord had not taken place before Paul wrote his Thessalonian epistle, and it seems evident that nothing of its nature has transpired since. Thus, the Day of the Lord of 1 Thessalonians 5 is also future. [5] It is also crucial for us to recognize that just as the historically-fulfilled “Days of the Lord” were not necessarily literal, twenty-four-hour days (but rather periods of judgment), our interpretation of the future ultimate eschatological Day of the Lord also cannot be limited to a twenty-four-hour day. Rather, scripture clearly describes it in its broadest sense as a prolonged period of time. John Walvoord, one of the most prominent Dispensational scholars of the twentieth century wrote: According to the Bible, the day of the Lord is a time when God deals in direct judgment of the world in contrast to a time of grace when he does not. There were frequent days of the Lord in the Old Testament when God dealt with Israel because of their straying and would bring in an invader or would introduce drought or famine or some other catastrophe. These periods had a beginning and an ending, but obviously were more than a twenty-four-hour day. It was an extended period of time, long or short, depending on the circumstances. [6] And so, we can readily understand the ultimate eschatological nature of the Day of the Lord in scripture. It has both past historical and ultimate future applications – but always refers to the periods of time when God Himself intervenes in history in order to bring about His sovereign plan for the world. In the next several articles on this topic, as we uncover deeper nuances of how this concept is expressed in the Bible, our concern will not involve the past historical applications, but instead will look deeper into the future, ultimate, eschatological Day of the Lord. [1] J. Barton Payne, The Theology of the Older Testament, Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1962, pp. 464-465. [2] Renald Showers, Maranatha: Our Lord Come! Bellmawr, NJ: Friends of Israel, 1995, p. 30. [3] Richard L. Mayhue, “The Day of the Lord,” in The Popular Encyclopedia Of Bible Prophecy, eds. Tim Lahaye and Ed Hindson, Eugene, OR: Harvest House, 2004, p. 73. [4] George Ladd, The Presence of the Future, Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1974, p. 68. [5] Showers, pp. 31-32. [6] John Walvoord, “The Day of the Lord,” in Journal of Ministry and Theology, 4:2, Fall, 2000, p. 10.

(From the study "The Identity Of The Nephilim") In this article, we will undertake an examination of the Hebrew word “Nephilim” that we see used several times in the Bible, in order to gain a basic understanding of who these beings were. There are two passages in the Bible that explicitly mention the Nephilim by that name. However, there are a multitude of passages that refer to the greater subject of the Nephilim – many often being overlooked by those who are unfamiliar with this topic. But the two passages in which the Hebrew word Nephilim explicitly appear are Genesis 6:4 and Numbers 13:33. Let’s take a look at the first of those two – Genesis 6:4. The context of this passage is the time before the Flood of Noah, in which the wickedness of the pre-Flood world is being described. Genesis 6:1-4 reads: And it came to pass, when men began to multiply on the face of the earth, and daughters were born unto them, That the sons of God saw the daughters of men that they were fair; and they took them wives of all which they chose. And the Lord said, My spirit shall not always strive with man, for that he also is flesh: yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty years. There were giants [many versions simply say “Nephilim”] in the earth in those days; and also after that, when the sons of God came in unto the daughters of men, and they bare children to them, the same became mighty men which were of old, men of renown. -Genesis 6:1-4 In the King James Version, as well as certain other English Bibles, we find this Hebrew word “Nephilim” loosely translated as “giants.” However, because it’s unknown for certain what this Hebrew word means, some English Bibles have left it untranslated, simply carrying over the Hebrew and transliterating it into English – yielding the word “Nephilim.” The second mention of Nephilim in the Bible is found in Numbers 13:33, as the Israelites were getting ready to enter into the Promised Land of Canaan. However, many of the spies Moses sent to search out the land returned with the conclusion that they were unable to conquer it. To support this conclusion, they referenced the giant inhabitants of the land, whom they called Nephilim, and descendants of the Nephilim. The spies reported feeling like grasshoppers in comparison to this evil race of giants. Numbers 13:32-33 reads: And they brought up an evil report of the land which they had searched unto the children of Israel, saying, The land, through which we have gone to search it, is a land that eateth up the inhabitants thereof; and all the people that we saw in it are men of a great stature. And there we saw the giants [Nephilim], the sons of Anak, which come of the giants [Nephilim]: and we were in our own sight as grasshoppers, and so we were in their sight. -Numbers 13:32-33 Let’s now explore the possible meaning of the word Nephilim. This term is often translated as “those who fall,” “the fallen,” or “those who descended from heaven to earth.” However, Dr. Michael Heiser, an adjunct Professor of Biblical Studies at Liberty University who holds a PhD in Hebrew and Semitic studies, disagrees with this interpretation. In his critique of an author who defined Nephilim as “those who fall,” Heiser explains: Sitchin assumes "Nephilim" comes from the Hebrew word "naphal" which usually means "to fall." He then forces the meaning "to come down" onto the word, creating his "to come down from above" translation. In the form we find it in the Hebrew Bible, if the word Nephilim came from Hebrew naphal, it would not be spelled as we find it. The form Nephilim cannot mean "fallen ones" (the spelling would then be nephulim). Likewise, Nephilim does not mean "those who fall" or "those who fall away" (that would be nophelim). The only way in Hebrew to get Nephilim from naphal by the rules of Hebrew morphology (word formation) would be to presume a noun spelled naphil and then pluralize it. I say "presume" since this noun does not exist in biblical Hebrew – unless one counts Genesis 6:4 and Numbers 13:33, the two occurrences of Nephilim – but that would be assuming what one is trying to prove! However, in Aramaic, the noun naphil(a) does exist. It means "giant," making it easy to see why the Septuagint (the ancient Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible) translated Nephilim as gigantes ("giant") … It is most likely that Nephilim is an Aramaic term imported into Hebrew during the final editing of the Hebrew Bible in Babylon (where Aramaic was the lingua franca) and then the ending was corrected to Hebrew rules of word formation. [1] Based on Heiser's explanation, it would seem clear that the word “Nephilim” is a term originating from Aramaic, meaning “giant,” which was brought into Hebrew and given the “-im” ending, indicating plurality. The translators of the King James Version seem to have been aware of this, as they translated Nephilim as “giants” and did not call them “the fallen,” or anything similar. In addition, the majority of ancient Bible versions – including the Septuagint, Theodotion’s translation of the Hebrew Bible into Greek, the Latin Vulgate, the Samaritan Pentateuch, Targum Onkelos, and Targum Neofiti – all interpret the word to mean “giants.” [2] Of course, we understand that the term “giant” refers to a man of extraordinary size and strength. We may therefore conclude that the evidence clearly shows that the Hebrew word Nephilim referred to giants. [1] Michael Heiser, “The Nephilim,” SitchinIsWrong.com. (https://sitchiniswrong.com/nephilim/nephilim.htm - Retrieved 4/10/21) [2] Jacques Van Ruiten, Primaeval History Interpreted: The Rewriting of Genesis I-II in the Book of Jubilees, Brill, 2000, p. 189.