Re: Garry B (19 Sept 2021) “Scripture
States that the Resurrection/Rapture Happens in
Conjunction With”
Garry: I have a differing
view of your mid-tribulation resurrection/rapture proposal
in Daniel 12:1-2. I will confine my comments to the
books of Daniel, Matthew, and Revelation.
Daniel 12 is restated in
Revelation 12 when Michael “stands up” in Daniel
12:1. We read about his actions after he stands up
in Revelation 12:7. He stands up in Daniel 12:1
because he and his angels begin fighting the Dragon as
stated in Revelation 12. Michael stands up in
the middle of Daniel’s 70th week at the time
referred to as “great tribulation” (Matthew
24:21) “At that time” commences at the
mid-point of Daniel’s 70th week.
“At that time” has no relationship to the
resurrection/rapture. It is a declaration that the
time is the beginning of “great tribulation”. The
context is the mid-point of the 70th
week. The “time of trouble” is the “great
tribulation” spoken of by Jesus in Matthew
24:21. The “time of trouble” is the time of
Jacob’s trouble. (Jeremiah 30:7) Jacob is
represented by the Jews living in Israel. “At
that time” “thy people” shall be delivered. In the
book of Daniel, we know that Daniel’s people are
Jewish. Daniel 9:15 is very clear about who “thy
people” are contextually. Daniel’s people are the
people whom God brought out of Egypt (verse 15).
They are the “men of Judah” (verse 7), they are the
inhabitants of Jerusalem (verse 7), they are all Israel
(verse 11). This deliverance begins mid-week
with the Jewish remnant (the “woman”), who have Jesus,
when the Lord God gives them refuge “in the place prepared
of God”. (Revelation 12:6) Deliverance will come to
the Jewish remnant who shall be saved. (Romans 9:27,
11:26-27; Joel 2:32)
Daniel 12:2 speaks to the FIRST
RESURRECTION and the SECOND RESURRECTION. The first
resurrection is the resurrection of righteousness. (1
Thessalonians 4:17; 1 Corinthians 15:20-24, 52; Revelation
20:4-5) Verse 2 speaks to the
resurrection/rapture (Jew and Gentile) which is prior to
the period of condemnation or Daniel’s 70th
week. (Romans 8:1) The resurrection of condemnation
follows the 1,000 year reign of Christ.
The resurrection of the dead was
FIRST revealed in the oldest book in the bible. Job
had an expectation of his own resurrection. (Job
14:13-14) The book of Job is a symbolic
picture of Israel going through “great tribulation”.
Read it. That is why it has 42 chapters matching the
42 months of great tribulation. Job represents the
“remnant” who shall be saved. (Revelation 12:17; 14:12;
20:4-5)
The second order of the FIRST
RESURRECTION (1 Corinthians 15:23(c)) is when Jesus
collects His own. The third order of the first
resurrection will begin following the Second Advent. (1
Corinthians 15:24; Revelation 20:4-5). Both orders
are pilgrimage assemblies associated with the second and
third pilgrimage feasts, on days known only to our Lord
God. (Exodus 23:14-17)
Commenting on your interpretation
of Luke 21:28: My redemption is not in my
future. I was redeemed by my Lord Jesus in 1972 when
I invited Jesus to be the Lord of my life. Luke is
speaking to the Jewish remnant in Christ who are in
Daniel’s 70th week waiting for the Second
Coming of their future Lord Yeshua Ha Mashiach.
Daniel’s 70th week is
a Jewish sabbatical week designed to get the unbelieving
Jewish nation to get the (1) testimony and (2) faith of
Yeshua/Jesus. (Revelation 12:17, 14:12) That is the
sole purpose of Daniel’s week. There will not
be any believing Church Age Christians in Daniel’s 70th
week for scores of reasons.
When God in Christ confirms “the
covenant” which is the suspended or deferred Abrahamic
promises, God will once again focus on the Jewish nation.
He will bring them into the “bond of His covenant” just as
stated in Ezekiel 20:37. The second time around the
remnant will “get it”. They will get Jesus.
When God in Christ shifts His
focus to the Abrahamic promises and His remnant Israel,
the Church Age covenant of salvation by grace based on
faith will terminate. It will terminate at the
resurrection/rapture outlined in 1 Thessalonians 4:17; 1
Corinthians 15:52) God is ordered. His Church
Age salvation program differs from His future Jewish
nation salvation program. Their program will be
based on faith in Jesus and keeping His
commandments. That is faith and works.
(Revelation 12:17, 14:12) God would never
permit a period where salvation is by grace and faith for
one group and faith and works for another. This
would lead to confusion. Our God is a God of order,
not confusion. (1 Corinthians 14:33) So,
compare Ephesian 2:8-9; Romans 10:9-10 with Revelation
12:17, 14:12 and recognize the differences. Our
salvation is different now in this age from the way it
will be in Daniel’s 70th week as described in
the Book of Revelation.
Daniel’s week begins, following
the resurrection/rapture event, with God putting Israel
into the furnace of affliction where he will purge out the
rebels. (Isaiah 48:10; Ezekiel 20:37-38) The two
witnesses will preach in Jerusalem during the first 42
months, then be killed, resurrected, and raptured at the
mid-point. As a result of their testimony (and the
144,000), there will be a believing Jewish remnant in the
world with the faith and testimony of Jesus at the
mid-point of Daniel’s 70th week. This
mid-tribulation believing remnant nation is referred to as
“thy people” of Daniel 12 and Revelation 12.
Let me encourage you to study my
position with the biblical citations. See if it
makes sense to you. Let’s have a brotherly
discussion based on the Scriptures of Truth.
In Christ, Greg Wilson