I pray this blog has strengthened your faith and highlighted the encouragement of the Pre-Tribulation Rapture! This study has set my heart on fire to spread this “blessed hope” even further. To anyone reading who doesn’t know Christ, may you experience His free gift right now. While it’s disappointing that the Rapture is rarely discussed in some churches, we shouldn’t lose heart; let’s continue to uplift each other with the truth that we will soon be home with the Lord.

While my previous post focused on the “when” of the Rapture, today’s post explores the “why.” To understand this, we have to look at the Bible through the lens of God’s chosen people, Israel. After listening to Amir Tsarfati recently, I was struck by his reminder that the early Church fathers were Jews who relied solely on the Hebrew Scriptures. Though the specific event of the Rapture is a mystery revealed later, its timing is anchored in Old Testament prophecies that Jesus carefully expounded during His earthly ministry.

The first of these prophecies that had to come to past to usher in the “end times” was:

Isaiah 43:5-6  Fear not: for I am with thee: I will bring thy seed from the east, and gather thee from the west;  (6)  I will say to the north, Give up; and to the south, Keep not back: bring my sons from far, and my daughters from the ends of the earth;

Jeremiah 16:14-15  Therefore, behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that it shall no more be said, The LORD liveth, that brought up the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt;  (15)  But, The LORD liveth, that brought up the children of Israel from the land of the north, and from all the lands whither he had driven them: and I will bring them again into their land that I gave unto their fathers.

Jeremiah 23:3  And I will gather the remnant of my flock out of all countries whither I have driven them, and will bring them again to their folds; and they shall be fruitful and increase.

Jeremiah 23:7-8  Therefore, behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that they shall no more say, The LORD liveth, which brought up the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt;  ( 8 )  But, The LORD liveth, which brought up and which led the seed of the house of Israel out of the north country, and from all countries whither I had driven them; and they shall dwell in their own land.

Jeremiah 29:14  And I will be found of you, saith the LORD: and I will turn away your captivity, and I will gather you from all the nations, and from all the places whither I have driven you, saith the LORD; and I will bring you again into the place whence I caused you to be carried away captive.

Jeremiah 31:7-8  For thus saith the LORD; Sing with gladness for Jacob, and shout among the chief of the nations: publish ye, praise ye, and say, O LORD, save thy people, the remnant of Israel.  ( 8 )  Behold, I will bring them from the north country, and gather them from the coasts of the earth, and with them the blind and the lame, the woman with child and her that travaileth with child together: a great company shall return thither.

Ezekiel 28:25-26  Thus saith the Lord GOD; When I shall have gathered the house of Israel from the people among whom they are scattered, and shall be sanctified in them in the sight of the heathen, then shall they dwell in their land that I have given to my servant Jacob.  (26)  And they shall dwell safely therein, and shall build houses, and plant vineyards; yea, they shall dwell with confidence, when I have executed judgments upon all those that despise them round about them; and they shall know that I am the LORD their God.

Amos 9:14-15  And I will bring again the captivity of my people of Israel, and they shall build the waste cities, and inhabit them; and they shall plant vineyards, and drink the wine thereof; they shall also make gardens, and eat the fruit of them.  (15)  And I will plant them upon their land, and they shall no more be pulled up out of their land which I have given them, saith the LORD thy God.

The rebirth of Israel is a direct fulfillment of ancient prophetic scripture, occurring right before our eyes. It’s a staggering transformation, especially when you consider the state of the land just 150 years ago. In 1867, Mark Twain traveled through the region and recorded these famous observations in The Innocents Abroad:

“….. A desolate country whose soil is rich enough, but is given over wholly to weeds… a silent mournful expanse…. a desolation…. we never saw a human being on the whole route…. hardly a tree or shrub anywhere. Even the olive tree and the cactus, those fast friends of a worthless soil, had almost deserted the country.”

God was “tilling the soil,” so to speak, for the return of the Jews. A quick image search of the land from the late 1800s versus today reveals a “before and after” that defies logic. Seeing that dust and rock turn into a blossoming garden is proof that we are living in the days the prophets spoke about. It is prophecy unfolding in real-time!

If God could create the world in six days, imagine how easily He could orchestrate the events of May 1948! It was a historic day of celebration as the Jews returned to a land divine Providence had made ready. In the Gospels, Jesus points to Israel as the “fig tree,” and His instructions were clear: we must understand the lesson of the Fig Tree to know the season we are in:

Matthew 24:32-33  Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When his branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh:  (33)  So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors.

What is the “takeaway” for us today? It’s found in Jesus’ own words. He promised that the generation witnessing the restoration of the “fig tree” would still be here to see His return. This isn’t just history; it’s a direct sign that we are living in the season of Christ’s soon arrival!

Matthew 24:34-35  Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled.  (35)  Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.

Believe it or not, we are that generation! This isn’t just a guess; it’s based on the word of Christ, who promised that even if the world passes away, His truth remains forever. What a privilege! From 1948 to this very moment, we have been living in the season where seeing His return is a distinct reality for those of us alive today.

If you aren’t excited yet, this next point will certainly do the trick. It’s a powerful piece of the prophetic puzzle found in:

Revelation 3:10  Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth.

Here is a “golden nugget”: in Strong’s Concordance, the Greek word for “from” is ek, meaning “out of.” This is our promise that Jesus will preserve the Church out of the hour of trial coming upon the earth. Like the note in my Bible says, this is a reason for hope, not fear! This couldn’t be a past event for the Philadelphian church because a truly global judgment, equivalent to the Flood, hasn’t happened since John penned these words. We see earthquakes and pestilence today, but we have yet to see the specific, severe judgment that tries the whole world at once. As Christ’s Bride, the Church, we have no need to worry because we will be kept out of the Great Tribulation coming upon the whole world.

If the Rapture and the Second Coming are new concepts to you, I hope this series has been a blessing. You aren’t here by accident, friend. God has orchestrated this moment for you to hear His word and respond to His call of salvation. You were meant to be here for such a time as this! Please click here and the link will open up in a separate tab to You Can Be Born Again and Know It!