I believe that it is very possible that the Church will be taken alive to Heaven on Pentecost on the very same feast day when the Bride of Christ was born. The Church like Enoch was born on Pentecost and tradition tells us Enoch was taken on Pentecost. Enoch was taken because he walked with God before the judgment of the flood. The bride of Christ will also not reap the coming judgment of God because she is the Bride of Christ. Only after Jesus takes his rightful role as King of Israel and takes a Gentile bride can Israel’s promised restoration come.
I know many want to believe the Rapture is on the Feast of Trumpets but remember the Feast of Trumpets will be another fulfillment through Jesus for Israel. The Feast of Trumpets starts the last week for Israel foretold by Daniel and it ends it seven years later with the second coming of Christ. Some like to think the Rapture will occur on the same date that God deals with Israel again. However, scripture really gives no indication that the Rapture has to occur precisely seven years before the second coming of Christ. The Rapture could occur months or even a few years before the final seven years for the Jews.
One thing is certain in my mind. The 70th week and the lifting of the blindness of Israel cannot even take place until the fullness of the Gentiles comes in (Ro 11:25). In this passage Paul was speaking of the grafting in of a Gentile Bride into the Commonwealth of Israel. This Bride born from above is born of the Spirit she is not born of any flesh, be it Jew or Gentile. However, anyone not Jewish by natural birth (she is spiritual) is typed as a Gentile by definition. Therefore, the Bride is not Jewish even though there are people who were natural Jews within the Bride. This Bride gives no sin offering of her own as required by the law. Her sins are covered by the blood of God’s Jewish sacrificial Lamb. That is the reason why Pentecost is celebrated with leavened bread (leaven represents sin), the Church is full of sinners covered by the blood of Christ.
The follow are a couple of excerpts from Jack Kelly’s excellent article on Pentecost and the Rapture.
Pentecost and the Rapture of the Church | GraceThruFaith
Pentecost and the Rapture of the Church
A Bible Study by Jack Kelley
Pentecost comes in the early summer (May-June). This year it’s May 31. It’s the only Holy Day between the 3 Spring Feasts (Passover, Unleavened Bread, and First Fruits) and the 3 in the fall (Rosh Hashanna, Yom Kippur, and Tabernacles). Its Hebrew name is Shavuot. Pentecost is a Greek word and translates “50 days” since it comes 50 days after the Feast of First Fruits, the day we should know as Resurrection Morning . The Feast of First Fruits is celebrated on the day following the first Sabbath after Passover and Pentecost on the day after the Sabbath seven weeks later, (Lev. 23:15-16) giving rise to its nickname “Feast of Weeks.” Since the Jewish Sabbath is Saturday, both these Holy days are Sundays.
What’s a Pentecost?Jews celebrate Pentecost (I’ll just use its Greek name to avoid any more confusion than necessary) as the day Moses received the Law on Mt. Sinai in the wilderness and the nation Israel was born. (Exodus 19-20) Christians celebrate it as the day the Holy Spirit fell on the Disciples in Jerusalem and the Church was born (Acts 2). If you agree with my view that the parables of Matthew 13 describe the church on Earth and that the parable of the yeast predicts there will be sin in the church, you’ll be interested in the fact that unlike all the other Jewish Feasts that call for unleavened bread, Pentecost requires bread baked with yeast (Lev. 23:17). Pentecost also began the annual wheat harvest, perhaps pointing to another of Matthew’s Kingdom parables, the Wheat and the Tares.
By tradition Enoch, one of the patriarchs from Genesis 5, was born on the day later to be known as Pentecost. Enoch’s name means “teaching”, a primary function of the Church. For this reason many scholars see him as a “type” of the church as well. Genesis 5:21-23 indicates that Enoch was very close to God and was actually taken live (raptured) into Heaven before the Great Flood. Pre-Trib scholars see this event as hinting of a yet future disappearance of the Church before the Great Tribulation. These same traditions also hold that Enoch disappeared from Earth on his birthday. So here’s a model in Genesis 5 of a man identified with the church being born and raptured on the day that would become Pentecost, the day the church was born.
This Bride gives no sin offering of her own as required by the law. Her sins are covered by the blood of God’s Jewish sacrificial Lamb. That is the reason why Pentecost is celebrated with leavened bread (leaven represents sin), the Church is full of sinners covered by the blood of Christ.
Now that makes a lot of sense! I have always wondered about the leavened bread that is at Pentecost. Thanks for answering this question that has nagged me for years!
Don ,
A question about The Rapture that I wish someone would address, we know The Church is removed
from earth, what about small children who are too young to understand anything about Jesus and
the plan of salvation ???? Does God leave them or take them ?? I’ve always wondered about their fate at The Rapture .
Don,
I personally think that those children that are sanctified by a believing parent will go in the Rapture and those that are not will not go.
I believe the Bible teaches that the whole world is under condemnation so it is not a right of even the innocent in this fallen creation to escape natural death. I think the promise of a snatching away before God’s wrath is poured out is made specifically to spirit indwelt believers and their children.
To Don Fritts,
That is an interesting topic.
Children that are ‘too young’ to understand (not sure of the exact age range) might by nature be believers in God. I believe that true rebellion against God starts when we become aware as children of what our adult parents talk about and believe or our surroundings dictate.
I have a previous life study in psychology so this has been an interesting topic personally.
Of course, regardless of age, since God has already seen the beginning from the end, he knows who will and won’t love him, regardless of age.
This reminds me of the topic…What about the remote island people who have never heard of Jesus Christ ?
The only thing we can be sure about on these subjects is that the Lord is a just Lord and will do what is righteous.
I think the whole point is that nobody was promised to escape the things coming to try all that dwell on the earth other than believers washed in the blood of the Lamb. Children or anyone else that do not come to Jesus for salvation not covered by the faith of theri parents are not promised deliverance from physical death on earth because of their own innocence or ignorance.
Also do not assume that just because people miss the Rapture that they will not be saved. If you are really that worried about those on remote Islands become a missionary that will give them the gospel or help support one.
David ,
God is the only One who knows the age at which a child or young person attains the maturity
necessary to accept or reject Jesus. Jesus did tell us such as little children will inherit
the Kingdom of Heaven. I do not believe it is the same age for every person ,, only God can
know for each individual. I think Don gave a good answer to my question. BLESSINGS!!! As you
stated, God is just and He will judge all fairly.
The late Dr. Gene Scott ( a one of a kind strange dude, but good Bible Teacher) believed the
rapture would occur on The Festival of Trumpets. He also was adamant that Jesus was born on
The Festival of Trumpets, Sept. 29 , 2 B.C. I have heard Chuck Missler express a viewpoint
that The Rapture could occur on Pentecost.
Many believe that. I believe Jesus was born on the feast of Tabernacles for good reason and have written about it.
The main reason people use the Feast of Trumpets for the Rapture is that it is next unfulfilled Jewish Feast day. Another reason is that they believe Jesus is coming 7 years after the Rapture. I do not think that will turn out to be the case.
I would agree that the final seven years will probably start on the Feast of Trumpets but I think the rapture occurs some time sooner.
If I had a second choice besides Pentecost for the Rapture I would pick Resurrection Sunday. Duplicating the Body of Jesus that rose early on the third day.
By the way Dr. Gene Scott, Dr. Missler and everyone else has the same information that everyone else has access to. So trying to predict the Rapture on a certain holiday from what we have is conjecture at beast.
Don ,
Totally agree with you that trying to pick a specific Old Testament Jewish Feast Day for the
rapture is conjecture and speculation. I do appreciate your insight on these matters of interest to many of us. BLESSINGS !!!!!!!
I wonder if Revelation 12:5 might be a clue as to when the body of Christ will be raptured. I say this because our Lord Jesus was ascended up to heaven at the right hand of God around the time of Pentecost, i.e. 43 days after Passover(see Acts 1:1-3 KJV – 3 days for the Passion plus 40 days in which He was seen alive). So in like manner, as the Head of the Church was taken up to heaven at the beginning of the church age at 43 days after Passover, then the Body will be taken up on the same day at the close of the church age. The words “caught up” in Rev. 12:5 is the Greek word “HARPAZO” (Strong’s #726) which the Apostle Paul also used as the word to describe the rapture of the church in I Thessalonians 4:17 as well as the same word he used when he described an one being “caught up” into heaven (2Cor. 12:4 and 2Cor. 12:16). There were two witnesses at our Lord’s ascension, then there will be two witnesses also at the close of the church age who both go into the Tribulation period. I think these two witnesses described in Revelation will give witness to the rapture of the church.
My understanding is that Song of Solomon 2:10-13 does indeed strongly suggest that the Rapture will occur on PENTECOST. What we don’t know is WHICH YEAR.
If all the tares will remain until the end and then will be gathered out and burned up before the wheat is gathered…then why would you believe that you want to be one of those? It sounds like the church has confused the plucking out of the tares with a desire to be pulled out. The tares/weeds will be pulled out in the end times just before the wheat is gathered and doesn’t sound like a good thing. The word rapture doesn’t exist in the Bible.
C Y
Don’t use the name of God as your own!!!!!!!! If you want to comment here.
The Tares are gathered to be burned at the end of the age. The Wheat are those that live until the end of the age. The Bride of Christ will be taken at least seven years before the end of the age.
Rapture is a Latin word for the Greek word harpazo and the word Rapture is in the Latin Bible and the word was passed down from that translation. Harpazo means to be “caught away” or snatched away so the Rapture is in the Bible. I surmise that you actually knew that. You just came here to spread the usual post-toastie disinformation. You people really need to come up with new arguments because your old ones are tired and worn out and ridiculous.
Needs proofs of the Rapture?
http://www.thepropheticyears.com/reasons/rapture.htm
Many teachers and students of prophecy who believe in a pre-tribulation Rapture are also adamant about the fall feasts being fulfilled completely and chronologically like the spring feasts. Using the spring feast pattern, for the Rapture to fulfill Trumpets, it would be a post-trib event occurring with the Lord’s return, because Trumpets if followed ten days later by the judgment of Yom Kippur, and then five days later Tabernacles will be fulfilled when the Lord will ride into Jerusalem. I do not believe the Rapture will be a post-trib event.
The more I’ve studied the feasts, the more convinced I have become that, if the Rapture does occurs on a feast, it will be Pentecost. For example, Exodus 19 (the first Pentecost) is a marriage ceremony, has a loud trumpet with the Lord coming down and some people going up. Also, it has been the feast that began the age of the law as well as the age of grace, and it seems that there will be a transition into another “age” when the Church is called out. In a sense, Pentecost is continuously being fulfilled in that everyone who believes in Jesus is part of the “wheat” harvest of the Church which will continue until the Rapture. The sound of the trumpet of Pentecost is from God while the trumpets of Rosh ha Shanah are blown by men. And it’s easy to see how no man can know the day or the hour, since the true date of observing Pentecost has gotten to be nearly impossible to figure out! Just a few examples.
Of course, Jack may be right. The Rapture may not be tied to any feast. Today may be the day. Maranatha!