“Then the LORD said to Noah, “Come into the ark, you and all your household, because I have seen that you are righteous before Me in this generation.” “For after seven more days I will cause it to rain on the earth forty days and forty nights, and I will destroy from the face of the earth all living things that I have made.” Genesis 7:1,4 NKJV
A subject which has moved to the forefront the past few
years when discussing the rapture of the church, if you hold to the
pre-tribulation rapture position, concerns the possibility that there may be a “gap”
of time between the rapture and the beginning of the tribulation. While many
people believe there is no gap, and that the tribulation begins right after the
rapture takes place, many prominent biblical scholars feel there may be some
time between the two events. While some might feel there is insufficient
evidence to know the answer to that precisely, I believe it's possible there
are clues to be found in scripture.
The verses above are from the story of Noah and the circumstances surrounding
the command of God to enter the ark. We see there was a period of seven days
that separated his entering the ark and the door being shut, and the beginning
of the rain that fell for forty days and forty nights. If we consider the
possibility that the entering of the ark and the closing of the door might also
be a picture of the rapture of the church, could it be that this is a clue that
there will be a gap of time between the rapture and the beginning of Daniel’s
seventieth week known as the tribulation?
Another possible clue might be found by examining some of the specific
circumstances the Bible tells us will occur during the tribulation, and
consider if the rapture might well be the event that produces the environment
needed to force the world to make the moves we are told will occur. If you
remember what we discussed last week, the question we are left with is will the
Church be here to see these events? While
I would like to give you a definitive answer, the truth is that all I can do is
give you an opinion as scripture makes it plain that the rapture is an imminent
event which could occur at any time.
“For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying
and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark,” Matthew 24:38 NKJV
We can see that according to this verse, life on earth changed on
the day Noah entered the ark. I don't believe anyone would care to argue that
life on this earth will change dramatically immediately after the rapture. One
of the biggest questions one might have is how will the governments of the
world react to this event, especially in the area of enforcing peace in what
will most assuredly be chaos? It does
not seem at all farfetched to think that Israel’s enemies would choose to
attack while the world is distracted by the unexplainable disappearance of so
many people in the blink of an eye, not to mention the removal of the
restrainer of evil revealed in 2
Thessalonians 2:7.
When the Bible talks about government during the tribulation period, it tells
us a couple of things. In Daniel 7 we see described a time when the world will
be divided into 10 "kingdoms". The word for kingdom used here is "malkuw" which can be
translated "realm" (of territory). So in essence Daniel is saying
that during the tribulation the world will be divided into ten distinct regions
or territories. In Revelation 13 we are told that during the tribulation, the
coming world leader will amass so much power that all the nations (the ten
territories) will give their allegiance to him, thus establishing a one world
government. Looking at both of these prophecies makes one seriously question
the possibility the entire world could even talk about a one world government,
much less agree to it if the rapture and the beginning of the tribulation were simultaneous.
Another point to consider is that we are also told by Daniel that the tribulation begins with the enforcement of a peace treaty between Israel and its enemies. That would certainly seem to indicate that a serious conflict had occurred which necessitated this peace agreement. Most scholars agree that the Gog Magog War of Ezekiel 38,39 is this conflict, yet myself and others also feel that the events of Isaiah 17 are the excuse which the coalition of nations of Ezekiel use to justify their attempt to invade Israel. Their defeat by God gives the antichrist the opportunity to enforce the covenant spoken of by Daniel.
These are just a few of the arguments we can make for a gap between the rapture and the beginning of the tribulation, but returning to the question of will the Church be here to see it, I believe the most likely scenario has the rapture occurring before these conflicts. The simultaneous removal of the Church and the Holy Spirit, acting as the restrainer of evil in this world, in essence becomes the seminal event which produces the conditions which prompt the major conflicts of Isaiah 17 and Ezekiel 38,39 to take place. Only time will tell us if this is, in fact, what will happen.
As you might imagine, many have questioned the events of this past week with the missile that was fired from Damascus somehow making it all the way to the vicinity of Dimona without being intercepted. Surprising no one, the theme of the week was denial by everyone. Syria said it was an errant missile, Israel said Dimona was certainly not the intended target, etc, etc. The point everyone seems to forget is that despite being the most heavily defended airspace in the world, the missile was able to fly all the way to the Negev, some 300 km, without being intercepted.
“The cities of Aroer are forsaken; They will be for flocks Which lie down, and no one will make them afraid.” Isaiah 17:2 NKJV
Isaiah tells us clearly that the attack by Israel’s enemies is successful. As I see it, the events of this past week opened a window of opportunity for what we are told will happen to actually occur. I am confident in saying that while in Israel they are deciding who will be blamed for this failure and how they might fix whatever went wrong, in Iran they are ecstatic over the knowledge that the possibility of a successful attack is much higher than they previously thought. Yet along with that knowledge, I am sure Iran knows that the longer they wait, the window for success will surely close.
If my speculation today is correct, the obvious conclusion is that while the possibility of the events of Isaiah 17 and Ezekiel 38,39 seem to be clearly on the immediate horizon, so too is the rapture of the Church. The next few weeks appear to hold the potential to be very exciting times indeed for those who study prophecy.
If you are reading this today and have never made the choice to accept the free gift of salvation made possible by the sacrifice of God’s Son, Jesus Christ, I want to encourage you to do it today. Simply pray a prayer like this;
"Dear Lord Jesus, I know I am a sinner. I believe You died for my sins. I want to turn from my sins and open the door of my heart and life to you. I confess You as my personal Lord and Savior. Thank You for saving me. Amen."
If you make that choice, you have God’s promise that you will be delivered from this world in the rapture of all true believers, just as Noah and his family were when they entered the ark as God instructed them to do.
Keep watching.
For further information on the Gap Theory, I encourage you to read the following series by Pete Garcia.
https://www.rev310.net/post/
https://www.rev310.net/post/
