Tanak Foundations-Concepts on the Natzal (Rapture)-Part 34

Now we are going to go to the Book of Job. Job may be the oldest book of the Bible and it is believed by some to have been written before the Exodus out of Egypt. The children of Israel were not in Egypt 430 years. That is calculating from Abraham to the time they came out of Egypt (Gen 15.1-18; Exo 12.40). Job may be a grandson of Jacob ( “Iyov” in Gen 46.8-13) and a son of Issachar and may be the Job we are talking about. At some point, he may have left Egypt, possibly as an administrator for Pharaoh (Gen 47.5-6).

There are two main passages in Job that deal with the resurrection. We have already discussed in other teachings how the book of Job is very eschatological. In other words, in the oldest book of the Bible God is already telling us how everything will play out. This book will tell us about the redemption of man, the coming of Messiah, the resurrection of the dead, the Naztal (Rapture/gathering), the False Messiah, the False Prophet, the war with Gog and Magog and the restoration of Israel.

Job 14.7-15 says, “For there is hope for a tree, when it is cut down, that it will sprout again, and its shoots will not fail. Though its roots grow old in the ground and its stump dies in the dry soil, at the scent of water it will flourish and put forth sprigs like a plant. But man dies and lies prostrate. Man expires and where is he? As water evaporates from the sea, and a river becomes parched and dried up, so man lies down and does not rise, until the heavens be no more, he will not awake nor be aroused out of his sleep. Oh, that thou wouldst hide me in Sheol, that you would conceal me until thy wrath (Birth-pains) returns to thee, that you would set a limit for me and remember me! If a man dies, will he live again? All the days of my struggle I will wait, until my change comes (from mortal to immortal-1 Cor 15.51; Isa 13.2, 18.3, 26.19-20; Eph 5.14). You will call (with a shout) and I will answer you; you will long for the work of your hands (his body).” This passage can be directly linked to Rosh Ha Shanah.

In a general resurrection verse, Job 19.23-27 says, “Oh that my words were written! Oh that they were inscribed in a book (and they will be). That with an iron stylus and lead they were engraved in the rock forever. And as for me, I know that my redeemer (the Goel) lives, and at the last (in the latter days, Day of the Lord) he (Messiah) will take his stand on the earth (the banner, the standard, the signal of Isa 11.10, 13.2, 18.3). Even after my skin is destroyed yet from my flesh (he is resurrected) I shall see God; whom I myself shall behold and whom my eyes shall see and not another. My heart (“kilya” or “kidney”) faints (yearns) within me.”

When we started this study we looked at some of the arguments concerning the concept of the Naztal (Rapture) and when it would happen. Does it happen at the beginning, during or after the Birth-pains or “tribulation?” We have shown that most people are not aware of the concept called the Natzal or the Jewish concept of the “gathering.” There are certain questions that come up like, “If the tares are removed first, doesn’t that mean the believers are still here?” Some believe that the Wedding Supper is in heaven during the seven year tribulation, but is that correct? So, let’s answer these two questions.

When Rosh Ha Shanah, year 6001 comes, it will begin what is called the “Day of the Lord” for a thousand years. All the righteous dead will be resurrected, then those who are living will be caught up with them and changed. Then we have the Birth-pains while the kingdom and the believers are in heaven. At the end of the Birth-pains, Yeshua returns and the kingdom moves to the earth and there will be a judgment in Jerusalem, the capital city. It is a Yom Ha Din (Day of Judgment) and Yom Kippur. The unrighteous (the tares) who survived the Birth-pains and are living on the earth at the time will be gathered first and brought to Jerusalem for judgment, then the righteous who have believed during the Birth-pains will be gathered to enter into the Messianic Kingdom, pictured by the festival of Sukkot (Matt 13.24-30, 25.31-46).

On the second question, the coronation and wedding of the Messiah will happen in heaven, but the wedding supper takes place on earth as a part of the festival of Sukkot (Isa 25.6; Matt 8.11; Rev 19.7-10). It happens at the end of the bridal week (Birth-pains). The unbelievers are going to another supper called “the Feast of Leviathan” (Ezek 29.3-7, 32.2-8; Rev 19.11-18; Matt 24.27-28; Luke 17.37).

Christianity teaches that the “Church” goes in the “Rapture” and the unbelievers (non-Christians) are “left behind.” We have seen this concept in countless books and movies. First, we are not talking about good guys versus bad guys. We are talking about the righteous and the unrighteous. All of us, compared to God, are bad guys. Our hearts (desires) are wicked and we are the center of our lives (Jer 17.9). That has to change at some point in our lives, and we attain righteousness by “emunah” (confidence, action) or “faith” in Yeshua.

At the same time, the Torah will be written on our hearts (a desire to keep the Torah, not believe it has been done away with-Jer 31.31-34) and it is what a believer lives by once he believes (1 John 2.3-4, 3.4; Matt 7.21-23; Rom 3.20, 3.31; John 14.15 and there are many more we could show you). The word Torah means the instruction and guidance of God and when we don’t obey it, it is called sin. Paul writes, “Do we make void the Torah through emunah (faith)? God forbid: we establish the Torah (by obeying it-Rom 3.1).”

There are many in religious organizations that are not believers according to the biblical definition. They believe in God, but they are not righteous as a free gift from God. Even Satan and the demons believe in God, but he is not righteous (Jam 2.19). They have a belief “in Jesus” and certain “creeds” so they think they are “born again.” But to be born again means they have been born from above, not the will of the person (John 1.13). But many believe that they are righteous before God with no desire to follow the Torah, and when they die, they will be in the resurrection of the righteous. But that is not what the Scriptures present as a true believer. We will come back to this a little later and look at Matt 7.21-23.

Getting back to the believers, on Rosh Ha Shanah, year 6001, all the righteous at the time will go to be with the Lord. If they have already died, they will be resurrected. If they are alive, they will be changed into glorified bodies and both groups will be with the Lord. After Rosh Ha Shanah, we have the ten days leading up to Yom Kippur and the beginning of the Birth-pains. From this point on to the end of the Birth-pains many will be saved. The righteous ones we see alive when Yeshua returns are the ones saved during the Birth-pains after Rosh Ha Shanah, year 6001 (Rev 7.9-17).

The doctrine of the Natzal (Rapture, gathering) originated with Yehovah and we have shown how this doctrine is entwined with the festival of Rosh Ha Shanah. Some believe that the “Rapture” surfaced in the 1800’s, but we have shown that it is an ancient teaching. Many times God has delivered his people through great trials (Exodus, Philistines, Syrians, Assyrian invasion, Greeks, etc) and other trials when they weren’t (Babylonians, Romans, World War II and the Holocaust). Many believers in Yeshua got caught up in these events. So, the question is, “Why did they have to go through their trials and tribulations, but the righteous are taken out before the Birth-pains and don’t go through theirs?”

Here are three reasons why and we have mentioned these before. First, the righteous are assembled for the coronation of the Messiah which takes place in heaven, so they must be there according to the Word of God. Second, the righteous are being assembled for the wedding of the Messiah, which also takes place in heaven so the righteous must be there according to the Word of God. Third, God has a restraining power in the earth that keeps Ha Satan from revealing his man, the False Messiah. Once all the righteous are taken away to attend these events in heaven, then the False Messiah can be revealed. The righteous will be delivered from all the wrath of the Birth-pains, but it is not because we are so worthy of it on our own. It is because of the events that will be happening according to God’s plan according to his mercy.

As we said, the unrighteous who make it through the Birth-pains will be gathered to Jerusalem for judgment because it is a Yom Ha Din Yom Kippur (Matt 24.26-27; Luke 17.22-37; Joel 3.12-17; Rev 14.14-20, 19.17-18). We have two gatherings. We have the gathering of the righteous dead and the righteous living at the beginning of the Birth-pains. Then we have the seven years of the Birth-pains, giving the living chata’im on earth a chance to turn to God, and many will not.

At the end of the Birth-pains the Messiah comes to Jerusalem on Yom Kippur and it’s “Neilah” or the “closing of the gates” of heaven. There are no more opportunities to turn to the Lord and Yeshua. They can’t say, “Oh, I see him and now I believe!” They must make that decision before he comes. The angels will be sent out and they will gather the unrighteous first and bring them to Jerusalem, then The righteous will be gathered (Matt 13.30).

Now, Jerusalem is shaped like the Hebrew letter “Shin.” This letter represents the name of God (YHVH pronounced Yehovah according to over 2300 Hebrew manuscripts, some of which are the best in the world). There are three valleys in Jerusalem. They are the Hinnom Valley on the west that loops around to the south of the city, then there is the Tyropean Valley in the middle of the city and the Kidron Valley on the east. The three valleys meet to the south of Jerusalem. The word “valley” in Hebrew is “Gei” so the valley to the south of the city is called “Gei Hinnom” and that is where the word “Gehenna” comes from. You can get a topographical map and see how these valleys form the letter Shin.

Where the three valley’s come together is the place called “Tophet” (“accursed place”). It is seen as the most cursed place on earth. It is believed that this is where the “valley of decision” is (Joel 3.9-17). That is where all of the unrighteous who have been gathered on Yom Kippur will be slain. This will take place over several days. Right after the first angels were sent out, another group of angels will be sent out to gather the righteous to Jerusalem. Everyone is being gathered for the festival of Sukkot on Tishri 15-22 and going to a dinner.

The slain will be the dinner (food) for the animals and birds in a meal called “the Feast of Leviathan” in the “valley of decision” (Tophet). Remember, Leviathan is a name for the False Messiah and these are his followers. The unrighteous will be the meal for the vultures (Ezek 29 and 32; Matt 24.27; Luke 17.37). Then the righteous will be going to the wedding supper, which is also a part of the Festival of Sukkot on earth.

The “last trump” is not the last trumpet blown during the “trumpet judgments” in Revelation. It is the trumpet blown at Rosh Ha Shanah at the beginning of the Day of the Lord, Tishri 1, and we have explained how this became an idiom for Rosh Ha Shanah earlier in this study. The trumpet blown on Yom Kippur at the end of the Birth-pains is called the “Shofar Ha Gadol” or the “Great Trumpet” (Matt 24.29-31; Isa 27.13).

In the conclusion, we will pick up here.

Posted in All Teachings, Articles, Idioms, Phrases and Concepts, Prophecy/Eschatology, The Festivals of the Lord, The Tanak, Tying into the New Testament

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