Reinstituting the Tabernacle Sacrifices in the City of David

Israel’s conducting of the sacrifices as mandated by G-d ceased with the destruction by the Romans of the Temple in 70 A.D. (See https://www.mechon-mamre.org/jewfaq/qorbanot.htm). It was and has continued to be believed that it is improper to conduct sacrifices without the Temple.  While perfectly understandable from the perspective of Evangelical Christians, who believe the declaration of John the Baptist that Jesus is “the Lamb of G-d who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29)—eliminating the need for sacrifice until the time of the Millennial reign of the Messiah (Revelation 20:4) when the next Temple will accommodate G-d’s program of sacrifice (Ezekiel 40-48), G-d’s mandate for sacrifice is unconditional and does not require a temple.  Accordingly, the Kohanim should immediately reinstitute the sacrifice system in Israel. 

1.      In connection with G-d’s giving of the Ten Commandments to Moses, He declared: “You shall make an altar of earth for Me, and you shall sacrifice on it your burnt offerings and your peace offerings, your sheep and your oxen; in every place where I cause My name to be remembered, I will come to you and bless you.  If you make an altar of stone for Me, you shall not build it of cut stones, for if you wield your tool on it, you will profane it.” Exodus 20:24-25. The mandate was unconditional, and there is no mention of a temple. 

2.      In Exodus 12:14 we see that G-d instituted the Passover sacrifice—an event that was to be celebrated “as a feast to Y—H; throughout your generations you are to celebrate it as a permanent ordinance.” In Exodus 34:25 we see that was to be conducted annually.  Again, this mandate is unconditional, and there is no mention of a temple. 

3.      The Tabernacle sacrifices were instituted later: 

* Exodus 29 – Records the sacrifices associated with the Tabernacle.

* Leviticus 3, 4, 7, 10, 17, 22 – G-d provides details regarding the Tabernacle sacrifices.

* Leviticus 9 – The Tabernacle sacrifices begin--in a tabernacle structure--not a temple.

4.      With regard to the place of the sacrifices, in Deuteronomy 12:5-6 Moses declared, “But you shall seek the Lord at the place which the Lord your God will choose from all your tribes, to establish His name there for His dwelling, and there you shall come. There you shall bring your burnt offerings, your sacrifices, your tithes, the contribution of your hand, your votive offerings, your freewill offerings, and the firstborn of your herd and of your flock.”  Here again is another unconditional mandate, and notably there is no requirement that the sacrifices be conducted in a temple.  G-d reiterated many times that the sacrifices were to be conducted in the place where He chooses for His Name to dwell.  See Deuteronomy 12:10-11, 12:13-14, 12:17-18, 16:2 and 16:5-6. 

5.      Where is the place that G-d chose? 

a.  Mount Ebal - Deuteronomy 27:2-7 & Joshua 8:31 - Specifically declared 

b.  Shiloh - Jeremiah 7:12 - Where Eli and Samuel resided

c.  Ramah - 1 Samuel 7:15-17 - Not directed expressly; however, Samuel offered sacrifices there, and it is unlikely that Samuel would have done so without authorization from G-d.

d.  In Jerusalem - 2 Chronicles 6:6 – “I have chosen Jerusalem so that My name might be there.”

e.  Very specifically, in the Tabernacle of David in the City of David in Jerusalem – Not directly mandated; however, it appears to have been accepted by G-d: 

o   “So they brought in the ark of the Lord and set it in its place inside the tent which David had pitched for it; and David offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before the Lord.  When David had finished offering the burnt offering and the peace offering, he blessed the people in the name of the Lord of hosts” (2 Samuel 6:17-18; see also 1 Chronicles 16:1). 

§  Note that David’s decision is highly likely to have been guided by the Spirit of G-d. 

o   I Samuel 16:13 – “So Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him [David] in the midst of his brothers; and the Spirit of the Lord rushed upon David from that day forward. And Samuel set out and went to Ramah” (emphasis added). 

o   Psalm 27:6b – (a Psalm of David) –“… And I will offer sacrifices in His tent with shouts of joy; I will sing, yes, I will sing praises to Y—H.” 

o   Psalm 76:2 – (a Psalm of Asaph) – “His tabernacle is in Salem; His dwelling place also is in Zion.” 

§  2 Samuel 5:7 – “Nevertheless, David captured the stronghold of Zion, that is, the city of David.” 

§  Isaiah 40:9-10 – “Go up on a high mountain, Zion, messenger of good news, Raise your voice forcefully, Jerusalem, messenger of good news; Raise it up, do not fear. Say to the cities of Judah, ‘Here is your God!’ Behold, the Lord God will come with might, With His arm ruling for Him. Behold, His compensation is with Him, And His reward before Him.” 

f.  Note that for some unknown reason, Solomon offered sacrifices to G-d in Gibeon (about 5 miles north of the Temple Mount), before he built the First Temple - 1 Kings 3:2-5 - apparently accepted by G-d, because G-d spoke favorably to Solomon after this offering.

g.  Later, the Ark of the Covenant is moved under the direction of Solomon from the City of David to the Temple Mount and into the Temple that Solomon had built, using the plans of his father, King David: 

o   1 Kings 8:1 – “Then Solomon assembled the elders of Israel and all the heads of the tribes, the leaders of the fathers’ households of the sons of Israel, to King Solomon in Jerusalem, to bring up the ark of the covenant of the Lord from the city of David, which is Zion.” 

o   I Kings 8:62-64 – “Then the king and all Israel with him offered sacrifice before the Lord. And Solomon offered for the sacrifice of peace offerings, which he offered to the Lord, twenty-two thousand oxen and 120,000 sheep. So the king and all the sons of Israel dedicated the house of the Lord.  On the same day the king consecrated the middle of the courtyard that was in front of the house of the Lord, because there he offered the burnt offering, the grain offering, and the fat of the peace offerings; for the bronze altar that was before the Lord was too small to hold the burnt offering, the grain offering, and the fat of the peace offerings.” 

o   There is no question that this relocation was significant, considering that after placing the Ark of the Covenant in the Temple, “[a]nd it happened that when the priests came from the holy place, the cloud filled the house of the Lord, so that the priests could not stand to minister because of the cloud, for the glory of the Lord filled the house of the Lord.”  1 Kings 8:10-11. 

6.      Note that it was David’s idea to build a temple in the first place. 2 Samuel 7.  G-d even said to Nathan that a temple was not what G-d requested, 2 Samuel 7:7, but He informed David that one of David’s descendants would build a temple. 2 Samuel 7:13 (a prophetic passage--looking forward to the Messiah yet simultaneously indicating that Solomon would build the Temple). 

7.      Note, too, that Solomon built the First Temple—probably at the Temple Mount area—not because of G-d’s instruction, but because of Solomon’s decision (although perhaps guided by G-d). 1 Kings 8. 2 Chronicles 6:19-20. 

8.      The Messiah will rebuild the fallen Tabernacle of David. See Acts 15, Amos 9:11-12.  This Tabernacle of David appears to be distinct from the Temple as described by Ezekiel where sacrifices will be conducted (see Ezekiel 40-48). 

Thus, considering the relevant passages of Scripture, it is clear that G-d's mandate for sacrifices is unconditional, and the place ordered by G-d for His Name to dwell is Jerusalem.  King David’s decision to place the Ark of the Covenant and conduct sacrifices at the area of Mount Zion and the City of David was not objected to by G-d, may indeed have been guided by G-d, and is foretold by the prophet, Isaiah.  Since Israel has significant control over this area, action should be taken immediately by the Kohanim to reinstitute the sacrifice system in the area of Mount Zion and the City of David.

If G-d wants Ezekiel's temple (the likely 3rd temple design) (Ezekiel 40-48) to be constructed on the Temple Mount, He will sovereignly clear the way for this to occur.  However, until that happens, there is no reason to delay the implementation of the mandate of sacrifice, given from the Almighty Creator and Sovereign of the Universe.

 

The Problem with Being a “Torah Observant Christian”

Many Christians embrace the idea of complying with the Torah, calling themselves “Torah Observant.”

In this regard, I note that prominent Jewish leaders have compiled a list of the Torah obligations – 613 to be exact (although there are actually more that are excluded without explanation).

Here is a website regarding the list: https://www.the613commandments.com/The-List-of-the-613-Commandments.html; here is another website that categorizes commandments in the list: https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/the-613-mitzvot-commandments .

Problems with Application of the List of Torah Commandments to Gentiles

While the list is useful for analysis, there are substantial problems with the list of commandments as these leaders have compiled and presented them, and there are also substantial problems with the concept of the application of such laws to Gentiles as well as with compliance therewith—particularly by Gentiles; here are some of the problems:

1. There is no temple. God commands that a temple be built in Exodus 25:8. Jewish rabbis and scholars provide excuses for the lack of a temple, saying “We don’t know where it goes,” “We don’t know the exact measurements,” etc.  These are manmade excuses because God didn’t say, in Exodus 25:8 “… unless you cannot find the right location or if you don’t know the exact measurements.”  

2. The absence of a temple presents a real problem, because according to the list of 613 commandments, approximately 130 are related to the temple, priests and sacrifices.  Thus, without the temple, over 130 Torah commandments are not being followed.  This means that over 20% of the Torah isn’t being observed by anyone on earth! 

3. Approximately 13 of the laws are regarding slaves, and slavery has been abolished in the U.S., as well as in many other nations.  Thus, these laws are moot. 

4. Approximately 7 of the laws relate to employment of employees. In the U.S. (as well as in other nations), there are extensive employment laws issued by the federal government, state governments, and even local governments.  You must comply with these laws or be subject to fines.  Actually, many but not all of the Torah laws are followed in principle in the U.S.; however, if you employ people, you would under the Torah be expected, for example, to pay a poor person daily for his or her wages. (Deut. 24:15) 

5. Approximately 13 of the laws are regarding debtors and creditors.  Of course, here again, the U.S. and all of the states have laws that address these issues, so compliance could be curious.  Notwithstanding the differences, the Torah requirements are higher; for example, if you give loans to poor and destitute Jewish people (do you?), the loan must be without interest (Exodus 22:25).  The same appears to apply regarding poor people of your nation (but it still may only apply to poor Jews) (Leviticus 25:37).  In addition, you are to sustain them—allowing them to live with you (Leviticus 25:35). 

6. There are laws of inheritance that may conflict with state law; however, in the U.S., you may be able to make your will conform to Torah requirements (Numbers 27:6-11).  Yet, when God gave the law of inheritance He said to Moses, “you shall speak to the sons of Israel …” (Numbers 27:8), so, as explained more fully below, application of this Law outside of Israel is dubious. 

7. There are approximately 40 laws regarding judges, courts, evidence, cases, penalties—many of which directly conflict with the laws of our state and federal government.  For example, how do the “Torah Observant Christians” implement Deuteronomy 16:18: “You shall appoint for yourself judges and officers in all your towns which the Lord your God is giving you, according to your tribes, and they shall judge the people with righteous judgment.”  Even if the “Torah Observant Christians” are grafted in, it’s difficult to know what “tribe” they are from. 

8. There are approximately 20 laws that relate to kings from Israel and wars.  These laws have no application to nations other than Israel.  Interestingly, for example, God specifically directed, regarding the king, that “he shall not acquire many wives for himself, so that his heart does not turn away …” (Deuteronomy 17:17). The implication, of course, is that polygamy is acceptable under the Torah—provided that the king in particular should limit his number of wives.  Solomon, of course, violated this command. 

9. The Jewish scholars and rabbis have watered down many of the requirements—to soften their application today.  For example, they cite Deuteronomy 13:9 for the following proposition: “Do not cease hating an idolater.”  However, here’s what Deuteronomy 13:6-9 actually says: “If your brother, your mother’s son, or your son or daughter, or the wife you cherish, or your friend who is like your own soul, entices you secretly, saying, ‘Let’s go and serve other gods’ (whom neither you nor your fathers have known, of the gods of the peoples who are around you, near you, or far from you, from one end of the earth to the other end), you shall not consent to him or listen to him; and your eye shall not pity him, nor shall you spare or conceal him. Instead, you shall most certainly kill him; your hand shall be first against him to put him to death, and afterward the hand of all the people.”  Thus, the Mitzvot is watered down to make it palatable for today’s society.  

10. Speaking of Deuteronomy 13:9, note that the Jewish Virtual Library described the “idolater” as a “missionary”—which includes Christians. This is why Stephen was stoned.  Technically, in Israel, the rabbis should stone you like Stephen if you talk about Jesus.  So if you are a “Torah Observant Christian,” you may not want to associate with truly “Torah Observant” orthodox Jews in Israel. 

11. Also speaking of Deuteronomy 13:9, are you prepared to comply with this law and kill your brother, step-brother, your son, your daughter, your wife or your cherished friend should they violate this law?  Why not?  It is Torah.  If you desire to be “Torah Observant Christians,” it is imperative that you kill those of your friends and family members who worship any other god.  Yes, you will be arrested, imprisoned and perhaps executed, but God didn’t afford any exceptions here for the truly “Torah Observant Christians.” 

12. Many of the laws seem to apply only to Jews.  For example, Deuteronomy 10:19 says “So show your love for the stranger, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt.”  Were you a stranger in the land of Egypt if you were a Gentile?  No.  Of course, we have many NT principles to follow that address loving people.  So do we follow it because it’s Torah (even though it appears to apply only to Jews), or do we follow the NT principles? 

Similarly, Exodus 23:20-33 talks about the nation of Israel driving out particular groups of people from their land.  Technically, today, this may likely include people who identify as Palestinians, Jordanians, Syrians, Lebanese, and Turks. Are the “Torah Observant Christians” taking action to drive these people out of Israel?  Does this law apply to the US and other nations too, or just Israel?  Does it apply to the lands owned or occupied by the “Torah Observant Christians”? 

Similarly, when Moses admonished the nation of Israel regarding all of the commandments, he said: “These are the statutes and the judgments which you shall carefully follow in the land which the Lord, the God of your fathers, has given you to possess as long as you live on the earth” (Deuteronomy 12:1).  Presumably, the land so described is the land of Israel (as God described it—not as it may exist today).  For the “Torah Observant Christian” who says, but this includes the land where we live, I say, “keep reading”; for the succeeding verses state as follows: “You shall utterly destroy all the places where the nations whom you are going to dispossess serve their gods, on the high mountains, on the hills, and under every leafy tree. And you shall tear down their altars and smash their memorial stones to pieces, and burn their Asherim in the fire, and cut to pieces the carved images of their gods; and you shall eliminate their name from that place. You shall not act this way toward the Lord your God.  But you shall seek the Lord at the place which the Lord your God will choose from all your tribes, to establish His name there for His dwelling, and you shall come there.  You shall bring there your burnt offerings, your sacrifices, your tithes, the contribution of your hand, your vowed offerings, your voluntary offerings, and the firstborn of your herd and of your flock.  There you and your households shall eat before the Lord your God, and rejoice in all your undertakings in which the Lord your God has blessed you” (Deuteronomy 12:2-7).  In further clarification, Deuteronomy 12:10 states, “When you cross the Jordan and live in the land which the LORD your god is giving you as an inheritance ….” Thus, this Law is clearly addressing a particular people group in a particular geographic location.

Similarly, regarding many of the celebrations, Leviticus 23 is prefaced with God saying to Moses: “Speak to the sons of Israel and say to them, ‘The LORD’s appointed times which you shall proclaim as holy convocations—My appointed times are these:” [and then God delineates the Sabbath, the Passover, and the Feast of Unleavened Bread].  Further, regarding the Sabbath, which the “Torah Observant Christians” particularly embrace, it is interesting to note the context of the Sabbath commandment.  First in Exodus 20:2, we see the following Words of God: “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.”  Gentiles were not brought out of the land of Egypt—only Israel.  When Moses repeated the commandments to Israel in Deuteronomy 5, he added the following words to the Sabbath day commandment: “And you shall remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, and the Lord your God brought you out of there by a mighty hand and an outstretched arm; therefore the Lord your God commanded you to celebrate the Sabbath day” (Deuteronomy 5:15).  Thus, it seems that the Sabbath day commandment is uniquely designed for Israel. 

Of course, many of the “Torah Observant Christians” point out the amazing text from Paul that indicates the Gentiles are “grafted in” to the olive tree of Israel (Romans 11:17-24)—with the attendant notion that we must, therefore, follow the rules applicable to Israel.  Ironically, this same group questions whether Paul’s writings constitute Scripture (based on a curious interpretation of 2 Peter 3:16), so this leaves the “Torah Observant Christians” in a quandary. 

13. The comprehensive list of Torah commandments omits, without explanation, a number of commandments.  One of the most critical is found in Exodus 20 and immediately follows the 10 Commandments: “You shall make an altar of earth for Me, and you shall sacrifice on it your burnt offerings and your peace offerings, your sheep and your oxen; in every place where I cause My name to be remembered, I will come to you and bless you. And if you make an altar of stone for Me, you shall not build it of cut stones, for if you wield your chisel on it, you will profane it” (Exodus 20:24-25).  Thus, separate and apart from the command to build a temple is a direct command to build an altar. If an altar is present, the sacrifices can be resumed, and a host of the Torah can be observed. 

The Jerusalem Council

Many of the considerations noted above were no doubt in the minds and discussions of the church leaders who met at the Council of Jerusalem as they recognized the amazing fact that God was extending His grace to Gentiles.  Surely, Jesus instructed had his disciples, “Go … and make disciples of all the nations” (Matthew 28:19) and “you shall be My witnesses … as far as the remotest part of the earth” (Acts 1:8). So they understood the Gospel would go to them.  The Council of Jerusalem met, though, to address a key consideration—to what extent does the Law of Moses apply to the Gentiles.  Present at the Council were the apostles (with Peter being expressly mentioned, as well as James, who is also called “James the Less,” who is also referred to as the “brother” of Jesus [Galatians 1:19], and traditionally considered to be the cousin of Jesus, who was the leader of the church in Jerusalem and who may also be the author of the Book of James—note that James the son of Zebedee had been executed by Herod—see Acts 12:2; also from Galatians 2:9 we know that the Apostle John was also present), Paul, Barnabas, Silas, the church elders, and people from the church of Jerusalem.  The conclusion of the Council was to have a letter issued to the Gentiles (Acts 15:23) in various churches; the letter states as follows: “For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us to lay upon you no greater burden than these essentials: that you abstain from things sacrificed to idols and from blood and from things strangled and from fornication; if you keep yourselves free from such things, you will do well. Farewell” (Acts 15:28-29).  

Many of the “Torah Observant Christians” suggest that the Jerusalem Council letter was the “starting point” for the Gentiles.  Of course, this is absolutely ludicrous, considering that the letter never said such and nothing thereafter suggested otherwise either.  In fact, the contrary is true.  In Acts 21, Paul revisits the James and the elders in Jerusalem.  They expressed concern to Paul that many of the Jewish believers who were zealous for the Law heard rumors that Paul was “teaching all the Jews who are among the Gentiles to abandon Moses” (Acts 21:21).  Thus, the rumors of concern were not that Paul was teaching everyone that there is no need to comply with Moses—just that he was teaching Jews to abandon Moses.  They told Paul this, because they were concerned that Paul would be apprehended and killed by the zealous Jews, and they devised a plan to demonstrate publicly that Paul was observing the Law (which backfired).  Amazingly, though they wanted Paul to demonstrate publicly that he kept the Law, they stated to Paul, “But regarding the Gentiles who have believed, we sent a letter, having decided that they should abstain from meat sacrificed to idols and from blood and what is strangled, and from sexual immorality” (Acts 21:25).  Thus, again the leaders of the Church in Jerusalem reaffirmed the letter issued by the Council at Jerusalem and added nothing further to it—despite the fact that they were expressing concerns regarding compliance by Jews with the Law. 

Further Explanation from Paul's Epistles

Paul's letters at times directly addressed the issue of the application of the Law of Moses to Gentiles.  For instance, in Galatians, Paul wrote to address the concern that people were telling the churches in Galatia that there was a need to observe the Law.  Paul advocated that the Law provided no application for those saved by grace through faith:

• "... a person is not justified by works of the Law but through faith in Christ Jesus, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, so that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the Law; since by works of the Law no flesh will be justified" (Galatians 2:16).
• "I do not nullify the grace of God, for if righteousness comes through the Law, then Christ died needlessly” (Galatians 2:21).
• "Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh? (Galatians 3:3).
• “Just as Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness. Therefore, recognize that it is those who are of faith who are sons of Abraham.  The Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, ‘All the nations will be blessed in you.’ So then, those who are of faith are blessed with Abraham, the believer” (Galatians 3:6-9).
• “Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law, having become a curse for us—for it is written: “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree”— in order that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham would come to the Gentiles, so that we would receive the promise of the Spirit through faith” (Galatians 3:13-14).
• “But before faith came, we were kept in custody under the Law, being confined for the faith that was destined to be revealed. Therefore the Law has become our guardian to lead us to Christ, so that we may be justified by faith. But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian” (Galatians 3:23-25).
• “But now that you have come to know God, or rather to be known by God, how is it that you turn back again to the weak and worthless elementary principles, to which you want to be enslaved all over again?  You meticulously observe days and months and seasons and years. I fear for you, that perhaps I have labored over you in vain” (Galatians 4:9-11).
• “Look! I, Paul, tell you that if you have yourselves circumcised, Christ will be of no benefit to you. And I testify again to every man who has himself circumcised, that he is obligated to keep the whole Law. You have been severed from Christ, you who are seeking to be justified by the Law; you have fallen from grace” (Galatians 5:2-4).

Of course, the other epistles also address these issues with similar statements. The point of Paul's statements is simply that there is no need to follow the Law of Moses when we have been saved by grace through faith and have God's Spirit in us.

The Commandments of Jesus

For those that simply need a list of commandments to follow, I note that in addition to the Jerusalem Council letter, Gentiles have plenty of other commandments to observe.  The basis for the following by Gentiles of these commands can be found in the Great Commission; Jesus instructed His disciples to teach new disciples to observe the commandments that He gave to them.  Galen Currah provides a compilation of the commandments of Jesus: https://pittsboropres.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/300_commands_of_jesus.pdf.  Reviewing the list, Gentile Christians should see that if they are only “Jesus Observant,” they will be the greatest lights the world has ever seen.

Certain Moral Laws of God

Of course, too, the moral laws have universal application.  For instance, in Leviticus 18 God explains that all nations (i.e., people) defile themselves if they violate specific moral directives, and God proceeds to list those.  Accordingly, Leviticus 18 (which is substantially encompassed by the "immorality" described in the Jerusalem Council letter) provides a summary of certain key moral commands.  Other passages similarly address the moral law of God, and unless they are specifically for Jews, they apply to all nations of people at all times.

Conclusion

In sum, as explained by Scripture, the Torah applies to Jews and not to Gentiles.  The most fundamental portions of the Torah are encompassed within the commandments of Jesus.  But Gentile Christians should focus not on the Torah, but on the Jerusalem Council letter, the epistles (which are largely written to Gentile believers) and the commandments of Jesus for the standards by which they should conduct themselves.

Scriptural Considerations Supporting a Pre-Tribulation Rapture

The idea of the rapture originates from Paul's first letter to the Thessalonian church; in chapter 4 we find the following statement regarding the event:

"For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who remain, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord."  1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 (emphasis added to highlight the focus of the wording at issue).

Interestingly, the Greek word translated here as "caught up" has its root in the word "harpazô" (see https://biblehub.com/greek/726.htm), which means “to seize, catch up, snatch away.”  This is the same word used to describe Philip's being "carried away" from the Ethiopian eunuch in Acts 8:39. Jerome's Vulgate (approx. 400 AD), the Latin translation of the Greek New Testament, uses a term for "caught up" that has its root in the word "rapio" to describe the event, and this is the word from which we get the word "rapture." 

The rapture concept has captivated Christians--even to the point of making movies, such as the Left Behind series--to demonstrate the magnitude of the event on the world in connection with the Great Tribulation and the antichrist.  These hold to the idea that a rapture like event occurs prior to the Great Tribulation (and actually even before the start of the "final 7-year period" discussed in item 5, below)--allowing the saints to escape the judgment of God that falls upon Earth and its inhabitants.  However, many believe that there is no such event.  Others believe that while a rapture event occurs, its timing is set for the middle of the "final 7-year period"--which marks the start of the Great Tribulation.  Still others believe that a rapture-like event occurs, rather, at the end of the Great Tribulation. 

While there are a number of views, a host of considerations reflected in Scripture suggest, collectively quite strongly, that the Church as the Bride of Christ will be raptured prior to the pouring out of the Wrath of God during the Tribulation:

A Plan for the Church/Bride of Christ that Is Different 
from God’s Plan for The Jews

1.           Different Plans for Jews and Gentiles. Fundamentally, there is a dichotomy in Scripture between Jews and Gentiles.  If you consider the general notion that God has a plan for both groups, it becomes increasingly clear that the plan for the Gentiles, i.e., the Church (or the Bride), is different in both time and nature from the plan for His chosen people--the Jews.  The difference in the plans is likely driven by the fact that the Jews rejected Jesus while the Church embraced Him.  Curiously, though the Jews rejected Jesus, God loves them nevertheless (because they were charged with bringing His Word to the nations) (Romans 3:1-2), and He accordingly appears to want to offer them an additional opportunity in the Tribulation to accept Him.  (Curiously, it seems that during the Tribulation, the Gentiles become particularly hardened towards God, while many of the Jews have a change of heart towards God.)  Notably, in this regard, when Jesus was talking with the Jews, He stated, as recorded in John 10:16, "I have other sheep that are not of this fold; I must bring them also, and they will listen to My voice; and they will become one flock, with one shepherd." (See also Ezekiel 34:21 in relation to the prior verses about Israel.) The distinction between the 2 groups is also noted in Acts 15 where the Council at Jerusalem determines that the Gentiles are not obligated to observe the Law of Moses--except as to 4 specific guidelines.  The distinction is also described by the Apostle Paul in Ephesians 3:1-6 wherein he explains the "mystery ... that the Gentiles are [made] fellow heirs and fellow members of the body, and fellow partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel ..." (Eph. 3:6) (see also 1 Corinthians 12:13 and Hosea 2:23).  The distinction is perhaps most notably detailed by Paul in Romans 11--crescendoing in verses 25b-26a - "... that a partial hardening has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in; and so all Israel will be saved ...."  (See the salvation of Israel by Jesus, the Messiah, described in Isaiah 49.) The distinction in the treatments of the 2 groups and the plans applicable to each flows through the considerations below.  In keeping with this concept, it makes sense in view of the totality of the considerations below that the plan for the Church would involve its removal from Earth before the wrath of God is poured out on Earth and its inhabitants during the Tribulation period.

 

2.           A Different Standard for Salvation During the Tribulation. Incredibly, there is a change in the gospel during the Tribulation period—adding to the need to believe in Jesus the additional requirement to “endure to the end” (i.e., reject the mark of the new world government on your hand and forehead, and refuse to worship the antichrist beast or his image--event to the point of death - Rev. 20:4). (See Matt. 24:13-14 and Rev. 14:9-12.) The new standard actually conflicts with the current plan of salvation, because it adds a requirement of works--whereas our current plan is that we are saved by grace through faith ... not a result of works, so that no one may boast" (Ephesians 2:8-9).  This new requirement means that a person otherwise saved by believing in Jesus (John 3:16) would lose his/her salvation by failing to complete the required work of rejecting the mark of the government (which is also inconsistent with God’s promises of eternal security).  Rather than accepting the idea that God's plan of salvation could be changed mid-stream for hundreds of millions of people, adding a new requirement just because of the timeframe during which such people lived, it makes more sense to conclude that the gospel has changed or a new plan has been offered because believers in the gospel of Jesus Christ have been removed from the Earth--raptured--enjoying the blessings of their faith, while those who rejected Jesus Christ are presented with this new plan--this second opportunity that requires works.  Salvation during the Tribulation is more difficult precisely because these people rejected the gospel of Jesus Christ, and now, having the witness of the raptured believers in Jesus, and therefore needing less faith to believe in Jesus, must take responsibility to affirmatively reject the mark (risking or facing death as a consequence).

 

3.           A Different Seal of God. Further with regard to the Holy Spirit, we know that He is the "seal of God" in us (2 Corinthians 1:21-22, Ephesians 1:13, Ephesians 4:30, 2 Timothy 2:19).  In addition, as discussed above, salvation during the Tribulation is achieved by rejecting the mark of the beast government to the point of death as opposed to believing in Jesus alone; while the Holy Spirit is a seal for believers now, the mark of the beast is the anti-seal that marks non-believers in Jesus as followers of the antichrist during the Tribulation.  Further, during the Tribulation, believers will be marked with a new distinct seal of God on their foreheads (see Revelation 7:1-3).  In Revelation 9:1-6, we see God instructing locusts to attack only those with the mark of the beast on their foreheads--passing over those who have the seal of God on their foreheads.  Thus, inasmuch as a new seal is used to mark Tribulation believers, it suggests the absence of the Holy Spirit--who is given to believers today as a seal, and the institution of a new plan for sealing believers.  Such a new plan is indicative of the fact that the Church (having been sealed by the Holy Spirit) is not present for the Tribulation.

 

4.           Two Prophetically Described "Crop" Gatherings. There are 2 distinct "crop" (i.e., people) gatherings described in Amos 7:1-6: (1) the King’s crop (which, contextually, would represent the Church as the Bride of Christ--believers in Jesus who are raptured prior to the arrival of the “locusts”—the trials of the Tribulation), followed by (2) the spring crop, which would accordingly represent the Jewish saints who die during or otherwise survive the Tribulation, having rejected the mark of the beast and having refused to worship the image of the beast; interestingly, the prophet Amos speaks of the second group distinctly as “Jacob”—i.e., the Jews. 

The Focus on Jews, Jerusalem and Israel during the 
Tribulation and Millennial Reign of Christ

 

5.           Daniel 9's Final "Week" as Reserved for Jews and Jerusalem Only. The final 7-year period that is described in the Daniel 9 prophecy (i.e., 70 periods of 7 years, 69 of which--or 483 years--were completed when Jesus died on the cross, but there remains 1 period of 7 years to be fulfilled in the future) was determined, according to Gabriel, only for Jews and Jerusalem. If that period is for the Jews, then believers (and particularly non-Jews) should be removed from that period.  Thus, the 7-year period that encompasses the Tribulation would be for the Jews and Jerusalem only.  It is interesting to note in this regard that the only persons who are marked with the seal of God during the Tribulation are from the "sons of Israel."  See Revelation 7:1-8.  If only they are sealed, then there appears to be no way for persons outside of the "sons of Israel" to be so marked by God.  They are later described as the first fruits to God. See Revelation 14:1-5.  The fact that these 144,000 are only from Israel suggests that the time of the Tribulation is particularly set aside for Israel.

 

6.           The 2^nd of the Amos “Crop” Gatherings as Representing Jews. As noted in item 4, above, the second crop that is arriving at the time of the locusts (i.e., the trials of the Tribulation) appears to be the Jews inasmuch as they are described as “Jacob”; the prophet asks God to help Jacob survive the locusts. (See Judges 7:12, Joel 1 and Isaiah 33:4—invaders of Israel described like “locusts”—culminating in the Battle of Armageddon – Rev. 16:13-16—which also takes place in Israel.) (Note that the ultimate "spring harvest" gathering could well be the gathering of the elect--new Jewish believers--that Jesus described as being conducted by His angels in Matthew 24:31.) 

7.     The Millennial Reign of Christ Focuses on Jews and in Israel. Texts regarding the Millennial reign of Christ (see e.g., Zech. 8) make clear that the whole focus of that period is Jews, Israel and Jerusalem.  In this regard, we find the following curious statement in Zechariah 8:23--"The Lord of armies says this: ‘In those days ten people from all the nations will grasp the garment of a Jew, saying, “Let us go with you, for we have heard that God is with you."'" This verse begs the questions: (a) "Isn't Jesus also with non-Jewish believers?" and (b) "Shouldn't people living during the Millennial reign of Christ also be saying the same thing to believers from the Church--the Bride of Christ?" The only explanation for why people aren't also grasping the garments of believers as part of the Church and saying the same thing to them is that believers from the Church are either (i) not present with the Jews during the Millennium--instead resting with Jesus (and as noted elsewhere in these notes) in the New Jerusalem--having been previously raptured from the Earth, or (ii) they are somehow spiritually distinct from the rest of humanity as those that reign with Christ (see Revelation 5:9-10) and are accordingly unquestionably connected with Jesus.  [In this regard, I also note that those who reign with Christ include people who were martyred for their rejection of the mark of the beast and refusal to worship the beast in the Tribulation (Rev. 20:4).]  It is further notable in this regard that Jesus will arrive at His Second Coming at the Mount of Olives (see Zechariah 14:4) and will rule as Messiah from Jerusalem--and more specifically, from the Tabernacle of David (Isaiah 16:5) as opposed to ruling from any other or every other location.  In addition, Isaiah 4, a chapter about the Millennial reign of the Messiah, speaks only about "survivors in Israel" (of course, they have survived the Tribulation and the Day of the Lord--omitting any consideration regarding the believers in Jesus, constituting the Church, as having also survived the Tribulation) and speaks of Yahweh's presence in Mount Zion--in Israel.  Many other chapters in Scripture, prophesying about the Millennium, similarly refer to Yahweh's ruling from Zion in Israel.  While these considerations may not necessarily fully substantiate that the Bride of Christ was raptured prior to the Tribulation, they strongly suggest that people constituting the Bride of Christ are uniquely spiritually distinct from those that live during the Millennium--where the focus is Israel and Jews.

The Concept of Avoiding God’s Wrath

8.           Promise to Believers of Avoiding Wrath. God's Word provides a repeated promise (Rom. 5:9, 1 Thes. 1:10 and 5:9) that believers will not face God’s wrath—which should logically include the 7 bowls of wrath in the Tribulation (Rev. 16:16).  If believers are to avoid wrath as promised by God, then it doesn't make sense that they would have to face the wrath of God in the Tribulation.  Many people say that the Tribulation is not the wrath of God, arguing that hell itself represents the wrath of God; however, Revelation 16 makes very clear that these 7 bowls are the expressly described as the wrath of God.

 

9.           A Picture of Sequestration as a Parallel. In connection with the promise that the Church will not face God's wrath, there is a picture of God’s sequestration of His children from the Tribulation in chambers (Isaiah 26:20-21), which is similar to those described by Jesus in John 14:1-3 as reserved for His followers.

 

10.        A Picture of Removing the Faithful from Judgment as a Parallel. Similarly, there is a general picture in Scripture of God removing people who believe in Him from harm's way--such as, for example, Rahab and her family saved from the destruction of Jericho, Lot and his family saved from the destruction of Sodom, and Noah and his family saved from the flood of the world.  See also Isaiah 57:1-2.  Notably, none of these famous salvation examples are descendants of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob--meaning that they are Gentiles who experienced protection from the judgment of God by believing the instruction given to them regarding the avoidance of such judgment.

 

11.        The "King's Crop" Gathering Escapes the Locusts. As noted in items 4 and 6, above, there are 2 distinct "crop" (i.e., people) gatherings described in Amos 7:1-6. The first of the gatherings or harvests is called “the King’s crop” (seems to represent the Church); this crop is taken prior to the arrival of the locusts—which appears to represent the trials or judgment of God applied to the Earth during the Tribulation.  Thus, Amos' prophetic vision suggests that the King’s crop escapes the judgment of God on the Earth.

A Gathering to Jesus that Contextually Precedes the Tribulation 

12.        The First of the Amos "Crop" Gatherings. As noted in items 4, 6 and 11, above, there are 2 distinct "crop" (i.e., people) gatherings described in Amos 7:1-6. The first of the gatherings or harvests is called “the King’s crop” (seems to represent the Church); this crop is gathered prior to the arrival of the locusts—which appears to represent the trials occurring at the time of the Great Tribulation.  Thus, the King’s crop appears to be preferential—escaping the judgment of the locusts.  This is a strong indication of the fact of a gathering to the King of the Church prior to the Tribulation.

 

13.        John's Revelation Experience as a Parallel. John’s rapture experience in Revelation 4:1-2 presents a picture of the rapture of believers who observe but do not experience the Tribulation--perhaps also like the translation of Enoch before the great flood.  John was told "Come up here," and immediately he was in the spirit.  Note that the 2 witnesses, after they have been put to death by the antichrist, are resurrected and then told to "come up here"--just like John and presumably just like the other raptured believers (Rev. 11:12).  Similarly, John's experience of Rev 4:1-2 also parallels the rapture experience described in 1 Thes. 4:16-17.  In these instances, the gathering occurs prior to the Tribulation.

 

14.        A Gathering Event that Contextually Precedes the Day of the Lord. Speaking of 1 Thes. 4:16-17, this passage provides perhaps the greatest description in Scripture regarding the rapture: "For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who remain, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord."  In the very next chapter, Paul talks about the "Day of the Lord," which is the culmination of the Tribulation, so contextually, the rapture/gathering of the Church as believers in Jesus precedes the Tribulation.

 

15.        The Marriage Supper of the Lamb as Preceding Jesus' Second Coming. The Marriage Supper of the Lamb (attended by those who were saved by believing in Jesus) (see Rev. 19:7-10) contextually precedes the description of the Second Coming of Christ (see Rev. 19:11-19)--suggesting that believers are in heaven with Jesus before He returns to earth.  If believers are not raptured, then how do they get to participate in the Marriage Supper of the Lamb?  The contextual indication is that the Church, having been gathered to Jesus, attends the Marriage Supper of the Lamb before Jesus executes His Second Coming. 

The Stunning Scriptural Omissions

 

16.        Church Not Mentioned as Being in the Tribulation. There is no mention of the Church in the Book of Revelation during John’s vision. Instead, the focus is on Israel, the antichrist and God’s judgment.  The marked absence of references to the Church suggests that the Church isn't involved in the vision--which encompasses the Tribulation.

 

17.        No Warnings in the Epistles Regarding Surviving the Tribulation. There is a marked absence of warnings to the Church in the epistles regarding the Tribulation and how to survive it.  If the Church were to endure the hardship of the Tribulation, the epistles would have provided guidance regarding how to handle it.  Similarly, Jesus told His Jewish listeners in Matthew 24 just how they should respond to the time of the Tribulation--apparently because only the Jews and Israel would be the focus of that time period.

The Church May Be in New Jerusalem During the Tribulation 

18.        Indications of the Church Being in the New Jerusalem during the Tribulation. Many texts suggest that the Church, which is the Bride of Christ, seems to be in the New Jerusalem (see Rev. 21:2, 10-11, 22:17)--escaping the Great White Throne Judgment (Rev. 20:11-15), which appears to be reserved for those living in the earth during the Millennial reign of Christ--who had not been saved prior to the Second Coming of Christ.

The Holy Spirit May Not Be Present in the Tribulation

19.        Holy Spirit May Be the “Restrainer” of 2 Thessalonians 2. 2 Thessalonians 2:4-8 indicates that the antichrist does not appear until the one who restrains is taken out of the way. Many hypothesize that the "restrainer" is the Holy Spirit as present in believers who are raptured--thereby leaving with the believers to heaven.  The departure of the presence of the Holy Spirit from the Earth would enable the antichrist to press forward with his plans, unabated by the presence of God in people.  (See Isaiah 48:9.)

 

20.        The Holy Spirit May Not Be the Seal of God in the Tribulation. As noted in item 3, above, during the Tribulation, believers will be marked with a new distinct seal of God on their foreheads (see Revelation 7:1-3).  The need for this special seal to mark believers could be because God no longer uses the Holy Spirit to seal believers as described in 2 Corinthians 1:21-22, Ephesians 1:13, Ephesians 4:30, and 2 Timothy 2:19.  Thus, the absence of the Holy Spirit--who is given to believers today as a seal, and the institution of a new plan for sealing believers indicate that the Church (having been sealed by the Holy Spirit) is not present for the Tribulation. 

Other Contextual Indications of a Pre-Tribulation Rapture
 

21.        The "Apostasy" Event Preceding the Arrival of the Antichrist. 2 Thessalonians 2:3 refers to a "falling away" or "apostasy" that occurs before the arrival of the antichrist. The word from which "falling away" is translated is the Greek word "apostasia"; many commentators advocate that, among other things, (a) "falling away" is not the best translation of the word "apostasia"; (b) the best translation of the Greek word is "departure"; (c) in this regard, earlier translations (such as Wycliffe, Tyndale, Geneva, etc.) used the word "departure"; (d) there is a definite article (we use "the" to identify it) used with the "departure"--indicating that it is an event as opposed to a process (which is the nature of the falling away described in Matthew 24:10 and 1 Timothy4:1-3); and (e) Paul's reference to a "departure" event would be consistent with his prior teaching to them and could accordingly be pointing back to his 1st letter to the Thessalonians, wherein he, as provided in 1 Thes. 4:13-17, describes an event wherein the dead in Christ and those who are alive in Christ are gathered together with Christ in the air--and thereby "departing" the earth. See https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1081&context=pretrib_arch and https://backtobasicsradio.com/falling-away/.  Of course, the arrival of the antichrist occurs in conjunction with the Tribulation, so the departure in this context occurs before the Tribulation.

 

22.        Contextual Clues in 1 Thessalonians 4. In 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18, there are contextual clues, in addition to the clues noted above, that point to a pre-tribulation rapture. First, Paul is comforting the Thessalonian church by telling them there is a basis for hope such that believers should not be concerned about those believers who have already died--reminding them that the dead in Christ will rise first (i.e., even before us--the believers who are alive and "remain").  Fascinatingly, Paul concludes the discussion with this amazing statement: "Therefore comfort one another with these words" (1 Thes. 4:18).  Why would we as believers be "comforted" by this event if we were expected to go through the Tribulation--and perhaps be martyred? What would be comforting at all about the Tribulation?  The Tribulation involves the mass martyrdom of those who believe in Christ AND reject the mark of the antichrist.  It is marked by the greatest physical damage to humanity and the Earth since creation.  There could only be "comfort" if the dead in Christ and those believers that remain are collectively "caught up" prior to the Tribulation. Second, in detailing this event, Paul explains  that "God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus" (1 Thes. 4:14); "bring" where?  We understand "bringing" to be picking up and carrying to a place.  The idea that God would "bring" the dead in Christ to a place is consistent with a rapture like experience.  If, for example, the dead in Christ were merely brought to life just to live during the Millennial reign of Christ, there would be no "bringing"--there would be only a resurrection. Third, Paul doesn't state here that each believer dies and is singularly carried to heaven; rather it appears to be an event that affects ALL who have died in Christ along with ALL who are alive in Christ and remain.  Finally and notably, Paul makes no mention at all of the Tribulation in connection with this event; rather, as noted above, Paul discusses the Day of the Lord (the culmination of the Tribulation) in the succeeding chapter--after the rapture event.  Thus, the entire context of the principal rapture text of 1 Thessalonians 4 suggests a pre-Tribulation rapture.

 

23.        The Promise to the Church in Philadelphia. In Revelation chapters 2-3, letters are written to various churches.  These churches could represent collections of saints in existence at the time of the writing of Revelation, collections of saints through church history, collections of saints existing in the last days, or all of the above.  Assuming, as many students of Scripture do, that the churches represent groups of saints at periods of time in history, it might be that the saints in the church in Philadelphia are those present immediately prior to the time of the Tribulation.  In this regard, it is interesting to note what is said to this church in Revelation 3:10-12 - "Because you have kept My word of perseverance, I also will keep you from the hour of the testing, that hour which is about to come upon the whole world, to test those who live on the earth. I am coming quickly; hold firmly to what you have, so that no one will take your crown. The one who overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the temple of My God, and he will not go out from it anymore; and I will write on him the name of My God, and the name of the city of My God, the new Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from My God, and My new name." Thus, three very notable statements are made to this group of saints: (1) they will be kept from the "hour of testing" that is no doubt the Great Tribulation, considering the note that it impacts the entire world; (2) He is coming quickly--which is a specific and unique reminder to this group that Jesus is coming soon; and (3) Jesus will write on the members of this group, among other things, the name of "the new Jerusalem," which, as noted in item 18, above, is the likely location of the Bride of Christ.  In further support of this concept, the statements made to the following church, the church in Laodicea, are suggestive of statements that might be made to the saints that exist during the time of the Tribulation: "The one who overcomes, I will grant to him to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat with My Father on His throne" (Revelation 3:21); this promise is consistent with the promise given to those who, in the Tribulation, reject the mark of the beast and do not worship him and are therefore martyred for their faith as described in Revelation 20:4 - "Then I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was given to them. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony of Jesus and because of the word of God, and those who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received the mark on their foreheads and on their hands; and they came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years."  Thus, if the collection of saints existing prior to the Tribulation constitutes the church in Philadelphia, then they have a promise of being delivered by Jesus from the hour of testing.  There are, therefore, strong suggestions that the church in Philadelphia--the collection of saints present prior to the Tribulation--are rescued from the Tribulation by Jesus--most likely in a rapture event.

Thus, there is substantial Scriptural support for the idea that the Church as the Bride of Christ will be raptured prior to the wrath of the Tribulation period.

 (Updated 9/24/2021)