The RAPTURE
Even A Jewish Event?
Have Gentiles and Even Jews Missed an Important Point!
What exactly is the rapture?
How does this apply to you?
Should Gentiles take heed of the Jewish High Holy Days?
What might the Jewish faithful be unaware of concerning the High Holy Days and rapture?
Simple Explanation to Start: The Rapture is an event. If you are alive when this takes place, you will notice certain people are taken up (gone and disappear instantly) and all others left behind on earth. True? Keep reading for clarity and realization to truthfulness.
The significance initially relates to human behavior, understanding, and whether engaged in a faith relationship with Messiah. Those left behind will encounter pre-specified judgments and troublesome times—this is all documented for your review. Today—if before the Rapture—it is still possible to learn what the tribulation is (i.e. over seven years time) and why anyone might be left behind. Today some persons come to faith while others refuse. Others not aware of the details as to why such an event happens leaves them susceptible to endure a tribulation yet some possibly gain faith early on during the tribulation or otherwise inherit negative consequences that continue ever more.
An added perspective relates the rapture to an annual Jewish event, but this covers certain Jew and Gentile persons and may well be related to a Jewish High Holy Day (more about this is described below). Might that be important to understand? Keep reading!
The following relates to details in the scriptures recorded some two thousand plus years ago. Might old writings apply to today? To learn why may take reading the biblical books by Daniel and John. Or at least find nice resources that help explain those writings (references to Todd Hampson books are listed at the end of this page).
This page gives an outline of details and references—as a simple approach yet also to encourage opening your window to explore further for more details. The book by Dr. Fruchtenbaum (listed below) contributes many of the points outlined here. His book is extremely helpful and more detailed, plus addresses much more than just the rapture.
Links to This Page’s Sections:
Initial Outline Of What Leads Up To Rapture
The Jewish High Holy Day — Yom Teruah
Initial Outline Of What Leads Up To Rapture
Read each of the points here that lay out a background supporting an initial understanding of the rapture—quotations are from the Fruchtenbaum book:
— Colossians 1:18, “the Church is stated to be the Body of the Messiah.”[Note: The word ‘church’ is actually translated from ‘ekklesia’ in Greek which means a gathering and thus for true believers is the totality of all such persons across the globe. Take away names of denominations, organization titles, and simply identify true believers wherever they reside on earth.]
—“The invisible or Universal Church is composed of all true believers, whereas the visible church can be composed of both unbelievers and believers. … The eschatology of the invisible Church rightly belongs to the study of pretribulational events.” Some persons in church gatherings are actually not true in their beliefs. This is a significant point to warn against listening to misguided, ill-advised, and erroneous persons who say they are believers.
— “ … composition of this Body, that is, the Church, is given in Ephesians 2:11-16” [v13 ‘But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.’ In Hebrew this is ‘Yeshua Ha Mashiach’ and simply put is the Jewish Messiah for all humanity]
— “Body of the Messiah, is a combination of Jews and Gentiles united together by faith in Jesus” … “comprised of believers from Israel and believers from the Gentiles, united into a new entity: the Church.”
— “According to Romans 11:25-27, … calling out of the Gentiles will continue until the full number of Gentiles that God has ordained for the Church has been reached.” This fullness is one factor that requires completion before the rapture takes place. Only God knows when that will be reached.
— “The Gentile believers are enjoying the spiritual blessings of the Jewish covenants and are grafted into a Jewish olive tree that belongs to Israel” (Romans 11: 17-24)
— Please note Dr. Fruchtenbaum provides more details about the church than what is covered here. But this outline continues …
—The Book of Revelation written by John outlines time periods following Messiah’s first appearance. There are seven periods within the church age. Today humanity is living within the last of these seven periods and this makes possible—in the near term, soon—the rapture event.
— “…the Church is the Body of the Messiah composed of Jewish and Gentile believers and entrance is by Spirit baptism only.”
— John 14:1-3 is a first reference in Scripture to a rapture without specifying a specific time when the event will occur.
— A “second passage is I Thessalonians 4:13-18, which describes the program of the Rapture:” … this is part of a description as to how dead and living persons are connected to true believers (in the church past and present) that are taken up at the rapture.
By the way, the book of Daniel contains a ‘riddle’ (i.e., 70 weeks of 7 years) related to time and once examined closely identifies exactly when the Messiah first appears on Earth. This is one of many timeline events outlined by Daniel and John. This is one of a number of facts that leads to the time for the rapture to take place. The riddle however leaves open the exact time when the seven years of the tribulation comes.
1 — “The Lord himself shall descend from heaven. At some point in the future, Jesus will come out of the Heaven of heavens and descend into the atmospheric heavens.”
2 — “with a shout” from above is part of what initiates the rapture.
3 — “with the voice of the archangel” will be used at the start.
4 — “with the trump of God.” “… “the trumpet sounds, and this triggers the Rapture itself.” For those who hear the shout and the sound of the shofar (a natural ram’s horn as a trumpet), they are alerted in an instant the rapture has arrived.
5 — “the dead in Christ shall rise first.” “… limits the resurrection at the time of the Rapture to those who were baptized by the Holy Spirit into the Body” and this is given an account initially in the Book of Acts.
6 — living true believers are taken up next.
7 — All of this leads “to meet the Lord in the air: so shall we ever be with the Lord.”
Note: Those ‘Left Behind,’ not taken up to heaven, are truly unbelievers—for example, many reside in materialism, cults, worldly motivations (e.g., politics, economics) or simply without faith of a true believer.
Dr. Fruchtenbaum provides the logic and emphasis that the rapture comes before the tribulation begins. Look today at global problems and stress across all nations, be aware the tribulation is far worse but is a result of what is going on today! There are some religious leaders who indicate this occurs mid-tribulation or post-tribulation, but a closer examination of Scriptures makes the pre-tribulation the more reasonable account.
Also, a particular signing of a seven-year covenant begins the tribulation. Today we see events in the Middle East and in Israel. A need for peace is so obvious and a covenant (a treaty) drafted to make for a seven year peace agreement may well come soon. Other events, such as the battle described in the book of Ezekiel (chapters 38-39 prophecy), also comes prior to this covenant, but this may follow the rapture especially because of who is left on earth! An added study of the Bible covers more topics and elements to the overall timeline leading up to, through, and following the tribulation.
The Jewish High Holy Day — Yom Teruah
To address how rapidly the event takes place one can see in 1 Corinthians 15;51-52a “Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed—in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, …” The word ‘twinkling’ “emphasizes the quickness of the change. The rapture takes place instantly!
“The event is said to happen at the time of the last trump.” To this wording has been subject to what may well be a misunderstanding of what that trumpet is. Other references to trumpets in the scriptures are not the same as the yearly celebration of Yom Teruah (the Day of Trumpets; same day as Rosh Hashanah the new year celebration) where the trumpets celebration has four distinct blows of the shofar. The fourth (tekiah gedolah) is the last trumpet, but each year at the time of Yom Teruah is a last trumpet. Gentiles lead by pastors who read the New Testament and not include the earlier text of the Hebrew Scriptures (Old Testament) miss Yom Teruah as part of a yearly calendar designated by God (Leviticus 23:23-25; Numbers 29:1-6). The implication may well be the rapture will occur at one of the Yom Teruah dates. But then again, the rapture could come at any day.
The importance of this web page is to help illustrate what the rapture is. But a more complete description comes with awareness that true believers ascend into heaven and participate in a wedding ceremony. Meanwhile on earth comes a seven year period with awful events. As simple as anything to clarify what occurs, the rapture separates humanity into two different groups. The following focuses on one aspect of what is to come with the rapture.
The body of true believers, in heaven during the tribulation period, represent a bride. Remember that Scriptures written centuries ago may include traditions that may or may not apply today. So here are steps related to the first century Jewish tradition related to what leads to a wedding:
1) Courting the Bride (Messiah first comes to earth to seek out Israel)
2) Fetching the Bride (at a future time the Bride is gathered by the Bridegroom and brought to himself, to his home; true believers ascend to Messiah in heaven above)
3) The wedding (attended only by those immediate to the event; in heaven)
4) The wedding feast (attended by a broader audience, with additional guests; on earth follows the end of the tribulation)
Dr. Fructenbaum’s book (Footsteps of the Messiah) gives a longer account of these steps to the Jewish wedding. The prophetic parallels are more completely described by his book.
Further is finding details in the Bible itself. The book of Revelation places the body of believers in heaven at a point in time to participate in a wedding. The body of true believers represents the Bride and the Messiah is the Bridegroom. It’s very important to note these terms are used in the biblical text. The Bridegroom does not descent to earth for this event, so the Bride goes up to the Messiah and not the other way around.
The wedding in heaven occurs as the tribulation period unfolds on earth. The troubles of the tribulation on earth parallel the ten awesome (terrible) days that bridge between the High Holy Days of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. This relates to a parallel linkage of the Jewish High Holy Day calendar which also outlines the series of Messiah related events—those holy days are indeed His!
Simply put he rapture conveys the Bride (a fetching step) to the Bridegroom in preparation for this extra-terrestrial event. The fetching step is the rapture. It parallels the ancient pattern of the Jewish wedding. This pattern is not followed today, but then the Scriptures reflect what was common in the day or their writing. You have to put it in context. Then it’s clear what is happening!
While the rapture is imminent (it could happen just about anytime now) this is not an event upon which anyone should base their faith. Rapture or not, biblical faith is grounded in other more serious aspects of a relationship with the Lord (Note this is addressed in the Windowview Convergence Area).
Today a lawless self indulgence is evident across the face of the earth. Examples of what results from this includes current economic and political turmoil, nations opposed to other nations, wars and rumors of war, earthquakes, famines, religious diversity, and environmental degradation. The material life has lead to a lack of love, support, stewardship and thus the global changes we see. There is a global physical and moral decline. To be clear, these are characteristics of persons who will be left behind. Do you see these people? Might this help illustrate what the rapture is all about?
Rapture removal of those who have a relationship with the Messiah serves notice to all who remain behind. Certainly the absence of obvious true believers will be a sign post. Those who initially observe the the event have an immediate chance to seek a relationship with the Lord. This is relates to a promise that life now indeed offers atonement and salvation and thus life eternal. And details that lay out how life today can lead to living a future-special period of a thousand years in the presence of Messiah and then beyond that to an endless future. Might you be awakened to the reason for and significance of the rapture? Would you gain a vital new understanding? Take a look at Windowview’s areas, especially Harmony and Convergence! Explore and think about what you see!
Fruchtenbaum, Arnold. “The Footsteps of the Messiah. A Study of the Sequence of Prophetic Events.” Chapter 6: The Eschatology of the Invisible Church, pp. 141-163. Ariel Ministries, Fourth Edition, 2021.
Hampson, Todd. “The Non-Prophet’s Guide to The Book of Daniel.” Harvest House Publishers. 2023.
Hampson, Todd. “The Non-Prophet’s Guide to The Book of Revelation.” Harvest House Publishers. 2019.
Windowview’s Pathway video relates to coming to faith.
Windowview Timeline illustrates what leads up to, during, and following the tribulation.
Windowview Jew and Gentile Harmony Area
Windowview Convergence Area (summary content to the website)
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