Firstfruits Rapture: Part 6

 

In this study, I will discuss 2 Thessalonians 2:3-4 and how it relates to the Firstfruits Rapture.

2 Thessalonians 2:3-4 Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition, who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God.

This translation shown above was taken from the King James Bible, (published in 1611), but if you look at many other Bible translations of this passage, you will see a different, (and more correctly made) translation. The translators of the King James Bible translated the Greek noun Apostasia [G646] into the English words “fallen away”, and this has influenced most modern Bible teachers to teach that there will be a great falling away of believers in Christianity in the last days, however, this is not what this passage is teaching. First of all, the Greek noun Apostasia actually means “the departure”, and this is how many Bible translators in past history have translated it. The Greek noun "Apostasia" actually means "departure", and has the opposite meaning of the noun "presence", or, "standing in the presence of". Another fact that makes the translation "a falling away" incorrect is that the definite particle translated as the word "a" in front of the words "falling away", should be the word "the"; therefore the correction translation for the Greek words "he apostasia" should be "the departure". The word "Apostasia" is derived from the Greek noun Apostasion [G647] which means “a declaration of divorce (or separation)”. When we look at how Jehovah God ended his relationship with ancient Israel, we see that He first divorced her, as declared in Jeremiah 3.

Jeremiah 3:8 And I saw, when for all the causes whereby backsliding Israel committed adultery I had put her away, and given her a bill of divorce; yet her treacherous sister Judah feared not, but went and played the harlot also.

After Jehovah divorced Israel, He used the ruthless Babylonian armies to devastate the 12 tribes of Israel, ending in their captivity in 587 B.C. By considering this historical principle, we can know that God uses a bill of divorce to separate Himself from a backslidden church, and this is the same principle that we see in 2 Thessalonians 2:3-4. Before Jesus will allow the man of sin to be revealed, the son of perdition, who will oppose and exalt himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sits in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God, Jesus will divorce Himself from the New Testament church and take out His Firstfruits harvest; thus, 2 Thessalonians 2:3-4 can be more accurately translated as follows.

2 Thessalonians 2:3-4 Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come except the aforementioned departure of the church occur first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition, who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sits in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God.

Just as God divorced Himself from the Old Testament church age and they experienced a regime change when they went into captivity by the Babylonians, and were ruled over by the king of Babylon, Jesus will also divorce Himself from the New Testament church age, and they will experience a regime change as they will go into captivity by the New World Order, that will be ruled over by the son of perdition.

The main difference between the early rain and the latter rain is, that during the latter rain, God will bring a great number of people into His kingdom, and as the Bible declares in Joel 2 and Acts 2, God will pour out His spirit upon all flesh in the last days, and a great many people will become saved.

Joel 2:28 And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions:

Acts 2:17-21 And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams: And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy: And I will show wonders in heaven above, and signs in the earth beneath; blood, and fire, and vapor of smoke: The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before that great and notable day of the Lord come: And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.

Ecclesiastes 1:9 The thing that hath been, it is that which shall be; and that which is done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun.

Firstfruits Rapture: Part 5

 

To begin this study, I would like to further detail the translation of the man child of Rev 12 that is caught up to the throne of God and is to rule all nations with a rod of iron.
 
Revelation 12:4 …and the dragon stood before the woman which was ready to be delivered, for to devour her child [G5043] as soon as it was born. And she brought forth a man [G5043] child [G5207], who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron: and her child [G730] was caught up unto God, and to his throne.
 
The first reference to a “child” here was translated from the Greek word Teknon [G5043], and is repeatedly used in the New Testament to refer to a child (or children) of God, as in the following verses.
 
Matthew 3:9 And think not to say within yourselves, “We have Abraham to our father”; for I say unto you, that God is able of these stones to raise up children [G5043] unto Abraham.
 
Romans 8:16 The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children [G5043] of God:
 
Romans 8:21 Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children [G5043] of God.
  
Romans 9:8 That is, They which are the children of the flesh, these are not the children [G5043] of God: but the children [G5043] of the promise are counted for the seed.
 
Galatians 4:28 Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are the children [G5043] of promise.
  
Ephesians 5:1 Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children [G5043].

The word "man" in "man child" was translated from the Greek word “Arrhen” G730, and always refers to a male, or male son.

Galatians 3:28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male [G730] nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.

The word “child” in "man child" was translated from the Greek word “Huios” G5207, which is also repeatedly used to refer to “children of God”, or "sons of God".
 
Romans 8:19 For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons [G5207] of God.

Matthew 5:9 Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children [G5207] of God.
 
Matthew 5:45 That ye may be the children [G5207] of your Father which is in heaven.

In presenting that the man child of Rev 12 represents the firstfruit believers that are caught up, I will now show how the Bible teaches that these "sons of God" were always foreknown of God, and were predestinated to be the firstborn (or firstfruits) among many brethren, and will rule all nations along with Christ after their Rapture.

Romans 8:28-29 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.

Rev 2:26-27 And he that overcometh, and keeps my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations: And he shall rule them with a rod of iron; as the vessels of a potter shall they be broken to shivers: even as I received of my Father.

Revelation 3:21 To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne.

Rev 14 also shows us that these Elect firstborn are the 144,000 that are redeemed from among men.

Revelation 14: 1 And I looked, and, lo, a Lamb stood on the mount Zion, and with him an hundred forty and four thousand, having his Father's name written in their foreheads. 2 And I heard a voice from heaven, as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of a great thunder: and I heard the voice of harpers harping with their harps: 3 And they sung as it were a new song before the throne, and before the four beasts, and the elders: and no man could learn that song but the hundred and forty and four thousand, which were redeemed from the earth. 4 These are they which were not defiled with women; for they are virgins. These are they which follow the Lamb whithersoever he goes. These were redeemed from among men, being the firstfruits unto God and to the Lamb. 5 And in their mouth was found no guile: for they are without fault before the throne of God.
 
Many Bible teachers teach these represent a literal 144,000 Jews, but the Bible will not support that, and I will show you why. First of all, 144,000 is not a literal representation, but rather a parabolic representation, just as the 10 virgins in the parable of the 10 virgins, do not literally represent 10 people. Secondly, it is clearly evident these 144,000 are not on planet Earth because they are standing on mount Zion with the Lord Jesus (in verse 1), thirdly, they are clearly in heaven because a voice is heard in heaven as the voice of many waters, and the voice of a great thunder, and the voice of harpers with their harps, (in verse 2); also, they are clearly in heaven because they are singing a new song before the throne, before the four beasts, and the elders (in verse 3), and finally, they have already been redeemed from the Earth (in verse 4). All these attributes cannot be attributed to anyone physically living in their former earthly bodies on the Earth.
 
In verses 4 and 5, we then see that “These were redeemed from among men, being the firstfruits unto God and to the Lamb. And in their mouth was found no guile: for they are without fault before the throne of God.” These group of believers are one and the same as the man child that was caught up to the throne of God in Rev 12, and if you read further into Rev 14, you will see that John continues to describe what is about to happen to those left behind, therefore proving these 144,000 are not physically living on the Earth.

The Firstfruits Rapture: Part 4

 

In this study I would like to discuss the 2 witnesses of Revelation 11 and how they fit into the doctine of the Firstfruits Rapture. As I had discussed in Part 3, it is at the definitive moment when Satan and his angels are defeated by Michael and his angels and cast down into the Earth, that a loud voice in heaven is heard proclaiming "Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night. And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb." [Rev 12:10-11] It will also be at this moment when the Son of Man is revealed, and the son of perdition is also revealed, and the man child is caught up to the throne of God [Rev 12]. All born again true believers will be caught up, however, all lukewarm and misguided Christians who have not become born again, as well as all Jews who have not accepted Christ as their Messiah, will be left behind in order to complete their Salvation, bear fruit, and prophesy for 42 months in fulfillment of prophesy as declared in the books of Daniel and Revelation. It will be at this time, when the "fullness of the Gentiles" will have come to pass and the witnesses will begin to prophesy in the spirit of Moses and Elijah. Let's first look at what Paul tells us in Romans chapter 11.

Romans 11: 16 For if the firstfruit be holy, the lump is also holy: and if the root be holy, so are the branches. 17 And if some of the branches be broken off, and thou, being a wild olive tree, were grafted in among them, and with them partakest of the root and fatness of the olive tree; 18 Boast not against the branches. But if thou boast, thou bearest not the root, but the root thee. 19 Thou wilt say then, The branches were broken off , that I might be grafted in. 20 Well; because of unbelief they were broken off, and thou standest by faith. Be not high minded, but fear: 21 For if God spared not the natural branches, take heed lest he also spare not thee. 22 Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God: on them which fell, severity; but toward thee, goodness, if thou continue in his goodness: otherwise thou also shalt be cut off. 23 And they also, if they abide not still in unbelief, shall be grafted in: for God is able to graft them in again. 24 For if thou wert cut out of the olive tree which is wild by nature, and wert grafted contrary to nature into a good olive tree: how much more shall these, which be the natural branches, be grafted into their own olive tree? 25 For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles be come in. 26 And so all Israel shall be saved; as it is written, There shall come out of Zion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob: 27 For this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins. 28 As concerning the gospel, they are enemies for your sakes: but as touching the election, they are beloved for the fathers' sakes. 29 For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance. 30 For as ye in times past have not believed God, yet have now obtained mercy through their unbelief: 31 Even so have these also now not believed, that through your mercy they also may obtain mercy. 32 For God hath concluded them all in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all.

There is a lot of information in this passage, so I will try to make a shorter summary of it. The holy root, (or olive tree), is referring to the Lord Jesus Christ who has had some of his branches broken off. The branches that were broken off is a reference to the Jews who rejected the Lord Jesus as their Messiah because of their unbelief. These branches were broken off when Christ died on the cross and rent the veil of the Temple in two, thus ending his covenant with the Old Testament nation of Israel. The wild olive tree that is grafted into the original root is a reference to all Gentiles who were once branches to a wild olive tree, but would now become grafted into the good and holy olive tree. In verse 22, Paul tells us that God dealt severely with the Jews because of their unbelief, but has dealt in a good way with the Gentiles because they believed in and accepted Christ as their Messiah. Paul then explains that if they, (the Jews), abide not still in unbelief, they will also be grafted into the holy olive tree, (that is why all modern Jews who come to Christ are considered as both Jews and Gentiles).

Now take note what verse 25 is telling us: that God does not want us to be ignorant of a "mystery", that blindness in part has come to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles comes in to the kingdom of Christ. Then in verse 26 we see that it is God’s will that all Israel become saved and that this will occur by their Savior who will come out of Zion, and who will turn away ungodliness from Jacob. This is God's main purpose for the great tribulation: that the remnant of the seed of the woman of Rev 12 attain their Salvation; that the nation of Israel come to "see" who their true Messiah is, (that they are no longer be blind to it). When Jesus Christ hung on the cross and prayed to the Father in Luke 23:34, “Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do”, Christ was actually praying for the Salvation of Israel. Praying on the behalf of the sins of a nation is what Yom Kippur is all about, and it comes from a statute that is declared in Leviticus 4:14-15.

Paul continues in verse 28 to explain, “As concerning the gospel, they are enemies for your sakes: but as touching the election, they are beloved for the Father’s sake.” The nation of Israel is beloved for the Father’s sake and it is God’s will to have mercy upon them, and upon all of the remnant of the woman's seed of Rev 12; the Lord has promised it, and as He is "the faithful One", He will save them, and not lose one of them.

Revelation 12:17 And the dragon was enraged with the woman, and he went to make war with the rest of her offspring, who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.

Jesus prayed this beautiful prayer to the Father.

John 17:12-19 While I was with them in the world, I kept them in thy name: those that thou gavest me I have kept, and none of them is lost, but the son of perdition; that the scripture might be fulfilled. And now come I to thee; and these things I speak in the world, that they might have my joy fulfilled in themselves. I have given them thy word; and the world hath hated them...Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth. As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world. And for their sakes I sanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth. Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word; That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may beone in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.

These that are left behind, the remnant of the woman's seed, will then begin to prophesy with the spirit of Moses and Elijah. In Matthew 17, Jesus explains that a prophet filled with the spirit of Elias, (which is Elijah), will go forth to turn the children of Israel to the Lord their God.

Matthew 17:10-13 And his disciples asked him, saying, Why then say the scribes that Elias must first come? And Jesus answered and said unto them, Elias truly shall first come, and restore all things. But I say unto you, That Elias is come already, and they knew him not, but have done unto him whatsoever they listed. Likewise shall also the Son of man suffer of them. Then the disciples understood that he spake unto them of John the Baptist.

Notice that Christ said Elijah would come, and that he has come. It is the spirit of Elijah, not Elijah himself. And it was the spirit of Elijah that was also in Elisha, as we see in 1 Kings 2.

2 Kings 2:15 And when the sons of the prophets which were to view at Jericho saw him, they said, The spirit of Elijah doth rest on Elisha. And they came to meet him, and bowed themselves to the ground before him.

Prophesying and being a witness for God is a fruit of the Holy Spirit that a true believer will produce, and it is the spirit, and the living power, and the testimony of Jesus Christ.

Revelation 19:10 ...for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.

The Firstfruits Rapture: Part 3

 

In Part 1 I began to discuss the concept of the Firstfruits Rapture while tying it into the first 5 verses of Revelation chapter 12. There we see a woman, (a great wonder in heaven), that is crying out from labor pains as she is getting ready to deliver a man child. We see a great red dragon whose tail has drawn a third part of the stars of heaven down, and have all been cast to the earth. We also see the dragon, (who is Satan), standing in front of the woman eagerly wanting to devour her child as soon as it is born, but the child is caught up unto God, and to His throne.
 
Revelation 12:1 And there appeared a great wonder in heaven; a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars: 2 And she being with child cried, travailing in birth, and pained to be delivered. 3 And there appeared another wonder in heaven; and behold a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his heads. 4 And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth: and the dragon stood before the woman which was ready to be delivered, for to devour her child as soon as it was born. 5 And she brought forth a man child, who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron: and her child was caught up unto God, and to His throne.

The Greek word translated as “caught up” in verse 5 is the verb: “Harpazo” [G726]; it is found 13 times in the New Testament and it means: to pluck out; take out; or catch up. It is the word used to convey the concept of being “Raptured”, as is used in 1 Thessalonians 4.

1 Thessalonians 4:17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up [G726] together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. 

Now let’s analyze verse 6 of Rev chapter 12.

Revelation 12:6 And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared of God, that they should feed her there a thousand two hundred and threescore days.

Bible teachers interpret the identity of this woman in many different ways, for example: some say that she is the Virgin Mary, some say she is national Israel, or the New Testament church, or the constellation Virgo, and I am sure there are many more interpretations. First of all, the identity of this woman needs to meet 4 criteria which are: she is a “great wonder in heaven”; she is “clothed with the sun”; she has “the moon under her feet”; and has a “crown with 12 stars upon her head”. By process of elimination I was able to eliminate all the interpreted identities mentioned above, but when I interpreted this woman to be Mother Earth, I noted that it was able to meet all the criteria. The planet Earth is a “great wonder in heaven”, it is clothed with the sun, has the moon under her dominion, and has the 12 constellations of the Zodiac above her head. Mother Earth is also able to meet the criteria of groaning with labor pains to deliver the man child, as we read in Romana 8.

Romans 8:22-23 For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now. And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.

Moving on to verse 6, we read:

Revelation 12:6 And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared of God, that they should feed her there a thousand two hundred and threescore days.

The event described in verse 6 is completely supernatural in nature and is very difficult to conceptualize with an everyday carnal mentality. To begin with, this event will be a global supernatural event, much like in the day when God passed judgment on Adam and Eve and supernaturally transformed planet Earth from what it was in the Garden of Eden and globally transformed it into the decaying and cursed planet that we are familiar with from our birth. The events described in Rev 12 are events that the world has never seen before in history, which also make it very difficult for me to convey. But to give you a slight concept of the supernatural nature of this event, I would like to quote from Matthew 17.

Matthew 17:1-4 Now after six days Jesus took Peter, James, and John his brother, and led them up on a high mountain by themselves, and he was transfigured before them; his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as the light; and behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, talking with him. Then Peter answered and said to Jesus, "Lord, it is good for us to be here; if you wish, let us make here three tabernacles: one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah."

In this passage, Moses and Elijah were clearly alive and visible to Peter, James, and John, however, they appear to be alive in a different dimension. This is exactly similar to the supernatural nature of what is occurring in Rev 12, where the woman has “fled” into a different dimension, a fifth dimension where she will be very much alive and protected in a place prepared for her by God, and where she will be fed there for 3.5 years; it is the same "place" that Jesus referring to in Luke 17.

Luke 17:34-38 I tell you, in that night there will be two men in one bed: the one will be taken and the other will be left. Two women will be grinding together: the one will be taken and the other left. Two men will be in the field: the one will be taken and the other left." And they answered and said to Him, "Where, Lord?" So He said to them, "Wherever the body is, there the eagles will be gathered together."

The ones that are taken are the Firstfruits of God; the man child; they will enter into a fifth dimension, into a place prepared for them by God, where they will be gathered around human bodies that are still living in the third and fourth dimensions, and here the woman, which is the fifth dimensional aspect of Mother Earth, will be fed there for 3.5 years. That is the best way that I have of explaining Rev 12:6, and now I will move on to analyze Rev 12:7-11.

Revelation 12: 7 And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels, 8 And prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven. 9 And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.10 And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night.11 And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.
 
In this passage we see there is a war taking place between Michael and his angels, against Satan and his angels, and when Satan and his angels are defeated, they are cast down into the earth. We can know that the word “heaven” here is referring to the vaulted expanse of the sky, which is where Satan has been ruling over the world for thousands of year as the “prince of the power of the air”.

Ephesians 2:2 Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now operates in the children of disobedience.

It is at this definitive moment, the moment when Satan and his angels are defeated by Michael and his angels, and the moment when they are cast out from the sky and down into the Earth, that a loud voice in heaven is heard making the following declarations: #1. Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ (verse 10). #2. The accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night (verse 10). #3. The true believers have overcome Satan by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.

It is at this moment when the Apocalypse will begin and the Son of Man will return as lightning to Rapture the Firstfruits. This is when the Son of Man will be revealed from heaven; the day of the revealing of the revelation; the Apocalypto[G601] of the Apocalypsis[G602].

Luke 17:29-30 But the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all. Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed[G601].

1 Corinthians 1:6-8 Even as the testimony of Christ was confirmed in you: So that ye lack in no gift; waiting for the revelation [Apokalypsis-G602] of our Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall also establish you unto the end, that ye may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.

1 Peter 1:6-7 Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations: That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the revelation [Apokalypsis-G602] of Jesus Christ.

1 Peter 1:13 Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation [Apokalypsis-G602] of Jesus Christ.

1 Peter 4:13 But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed [Apokalypsis-G602], ye may be glad also with exceeding joy.

We can know that the Lord will be revealed on the same day that the Satan is revealed from comparing the following 2 passages.
    
Luke 17:30-32 Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed. In that day, he which shall be upon the housetop, and his stuff in the house, let him not come down to take it away: and he that is in the field, let him likewise not return back; Remember Lot's wife.

Mark 13:14-16 But when ye shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing where it ought not, (let him that readeth understand,) then let them that be in Judaea flee to the mountains; and let him that is on the housetop not go down into the house, neither enter therein, to take anything out of his house; and let him that is in the field not turn back again for to take up his garment.
 
As you can see when comparing Luke 17:30-32 to Mark 13:14-16, the Son of Man and the abomination of desolation, (which is the day when Satan and his angels are defeated by Michael and his angels and are cast out into the earth) will both occur on the exact same day, and the man child will be caught up to the throne of God (the Rapture of the Firstfruits). This is the day when there will be great rejoicing in heaven, but also the day that a great Woe will begin to the inhabitants of the Earth.
  
Revelation 12:12 Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the inhabitants of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knows that he hath but a short time. 13 And when the dragon saw that he was cast unto the earth, he persecuted the woman which brought forth the man child. 14 And to the woman were given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness, into her place, where she is nourished for a time, and times, and half a time, from the face of the serpent.

The Firstfruits Rapture: Part 2

 

In this study I would like to continue to expand over some important points regarding the Firstfruits Rapture. For 25 years I held the belief that the Rapture would take place at the end of the world, but as I began to listen to prominent Bible teachers regarding the Firstfruits Rapture, and that it will occur 42 months prior to the end, many puzzle pieces to end times prophesy began to come together for me as I connected many Bible passages that also showed me why it is God’s will. So I will begin by quoting the following passage of Matthew 21 which shows the importance of bearing fruit.

Matthew 21:18-19 Now in the morning as he [Jesus] returned into the city, he hungered. And when he saw a fig tree in the way, he came to it, and found nothing thereon, but leaves only, and said unto it, Let no fruit grow on thee henceforward forever. And presently the fig tree withered away.

This fig tree represents a person that should be bearing fruit for the kingdom of God, but because it is not, Jesus condemns and destroys it. The 2 criteria that God requires all true believers to fulfill in order to be able to enter into the kingdom of God (with the exception of very young children), are repentance and bearing fruit. In Luke 13, Jesus explains the importance of repentance.

Luke 13:1 There were present at that season some that told him of the Galilaeans, whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. 2 And Jesus answering said unto them, Suppose ye that these Galilaeans were sinners above all the Galilaeans, because they suffered such things? 3 I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish. 4 Or those eighteen, upon whom the tower in Siloam fell, and slew them, think ye that they were sinners above all men that dwelt in Jerusalem? 5 I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.

Luke 13 teaches us the importance of bearing fruit.

Luke 13:6 He spake also this parable; A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard; and he came and sought fruit thereon, and found none. 7 Then said he unto the dresser of his vineyard, Behold, these three years I come seeking fruit on this fig tree, and find none: cut it down; why cumbereth it the ground? 8 And he answering said unto him, Lord, let it alone this year also, till I shall dig about it, and dung it: 9 And if it bear fruit, well: and if not, then after that thou shalt cut it down.

The principle being taught here in Luke 13 is crucial in understanding the concept of a Firstfruits Rapture. As explained in this passage, the man who comes seeking fruit it angry that the tree has not borne fruit and wants to destroy it, but caretaker of the vineyard wants to show mercy upon the tree by giving it extra attention, and fertilizing it, in order to help it bear fruit. This is the main purpose of God's will towards all professing Christians, such as those who have been a part of misguided congregations, the lukewarm Christians, as well as the Jews, is that "fertilizer" be applied in their lives in order to help them bear fruit and be able to enter into the kingdom of God. Very young Elect babies and children are excluded from this group because their innocence has prevented their names from being blotted out of the Lamb's book of life [Rev 3:5], and so therefore they remain firstfruits. This is why Jesus declares in Matthew 24:19 "And woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck in those days!" - because these Elect babies and children are firstfruits who will be caught up in the Firstfruits Rapture!

Another passage that supports a Firstfruits Rapture is found in Revelation 3.

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

Only the Firstfruits will be “kept” from this hour of temptation. This is the “hour” of the coming of the Son of man which Jesus repeatedly alludes to as the “hour” in which He will come as a thief in the night.

Matthew 24:42 Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour [G5610] your Lord doth come.

Matthew 24:44 Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour [G5610] as ye think not the Son of man cometh.

Matthew 24:50 The lord of that servant shall come in a day when he looketh not for him, and in an hour [G5610]] that he is not aware of.

Matthew 25:13 Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour [G5610] wherein the Son of man cometh.

The hour of trial that will come upon the world to test them that dwell upon the Earth will be a testing program that each person living in the world will either pass, (by repenting and bearing fruit), or will fail and most likely succumb to the great deception that is coming to the world.

The requirement for bearing fruit is also found in the parable of the ten talents of Matthew 25.

Matthew 25: 14 "For the kingdom of heaven is like a man traveling to a far country, who called his own servants and delivered his goods to them. 15 And to one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one, to each according to his own ability; and immediately he went on a journey. 16 Then he who had received the five talents went and traded with them, and made another five talents. 17 And likewise he who had received two gained two more also. 18 But he who had received one went and dug in the ground, and hid his lord's money. 19 After a long time the lord of those servants came and settled accounts with them. 20 So he who had received five talents came and brought five other talents, saying, 'Lord, you delivered to me five talents; look, I have gained five more talents besides them.' 21 His lord said to him, 'Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.' 22 He also who had received two talents came and said, 'Lord, you delivered to me two talents; look, I have gained two more talents besides them.' 23 His lord said to him, 'Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.' 24 Then he who had received the one talent came and said, 'Lord, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you have not sown, and gathering where you have not scattered seed. 25 And I was afraid, and went and hid your talent in the ground. Look, there you have what is yours.' 26 But his lord answered and said to him, 'You wicked and lazy servant, you knew that I reap where I have not sown, and gather where I have not scattered seed. 27 So you ought to have deposited my money with the bankers, and at my coming I would have received back my own with interest. 28 Therefore take the talent from him, and give it to him who has ten talents. 29 For to everyone who has, more will be given, and he will have abundance; but from him who does not have, even what he has will be taken away.

The scenario of being left behind is also described in Luke 17.

Luke 17:26 And as it was in the days of Noah, so it will be also in the days of the Son of Man: 27 They ate, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all. 28 Likewise as it was also in the days of Lot: They ate, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they built; 29 but on the day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven and destroyed them all. 30 Even so will it be in the day when the Son of Man is revealed. 31 In that day, he who is on the housetop, and his goods are in the house, let him not come down to take them away. And likewise the one who is in the field, let him not turn back. 32 Remember Lot's wife. 33 Whoever seeks to save his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life will preserve it. 34 I tell you, in that night there will be two men in one bed: the one will be taken and the other will be left. 35 Two women will be grinding together: the one will be taken and the other left. 36 Two men will be in the field: the one will be taken and the other left." 37 And they answered and said to Him, "Where, Lord?" So He said to them, "Wherever the body is, there the eagles will be gathered together." [New King James version]

The Firstfruits Rapture has a special purpose in God's divine plan of Salvation and those that are left behind will be the numbered in the millions, if not billions. Those that are ready will be as the wise virgins that were ready when the bridegroom arives, but there will still be hope in the world and it will still be the day of salvation.

Revelation 16:15 Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watches, and keeps his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame.

Matthew 24:13 But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.

Make sure you are bearing fruit and are not a lukewarm Christian.

Revelation 3:14-19 And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God; I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou were cold or hot. So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth. Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked: I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eye salve, that thou mayest see. As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.

John 15:4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.

John 15:8 Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples.

John 15:16 Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, He may give it you.

The Firstfruits Rapture: Part 1

In this study, I will explain the concept of the Firstfruits Rapture and present evidence to support its validity as a true Biblical doctrine. To understand what a firstfruit is, we need to go to the Old Testament to look at the harvesting process Jehovah commanded the Israelites to follow. Firstfruit were the crops and fruit that ripened first and ahead of the remainder of the main harvest. Firstfruit crops were a special group of crops and exclusively regarded by Jehovah God, and He gave very specific instructions on how these crops were to be handled, even declaring that a special feast should be observed for the firstfruits of wheat, called the feast of weeks.

Exodus 34:22 And thou shalt observe the feast of weeks, of the firstfruits of wheat harvest…
Leviticus 19:26 The first of the firstfruits of thy land thou shalt bring unto the house of the LORD thy God.

When the firstfruits were ripe and ready for reaping, the field workers would tie either a red string or a reed band around the firstfruits as a way to mark them for the reapers. These crops were not be cut with a sickle, but rather were to be pulled out of the ground, then bundled, and taken to the temple to be presented to the Lord. Pentecost is the Greek name used for the Feast or Festival of Weeks, and it is also called Shavuot.

Jehovah also gave very specific instructions on how the remainder of the harvest should be handled. The second phase of the harvesting process was the reaping of the main harvest. If it was a wheat harvest, the stalks of wheat would be taken to the threshing floor of a barn, where they would be beaten in order to separate the grains of wheat from the chaff, after which the crop was hurled into the air while a fan would blow the chaff away. The Gospel of Matthew makes a reference to this in describing how the Lord Jesus will purge the threshing floor at His coming, and will gather His wheat, and then burn up the chaff.

Matthew 3:12 Whose fan is in his hand, and he will thoroughly purge his floor, and gather his wheat into the garner; but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.

The last phase of the harvesting process regarded the four corners and the gleaning of the fields. Jehovah decreed that the four corners of the fields were not to be reaped, but were to remain untouched and left for the poor, the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow.

Leviticus 19:9-10 And when ye reap the harvest of your land, thou shalt not wholly reap the corners of thy field, neither shalt thou gather the gleanings of thy harvest. And thou shalt not glean thy vineyard, neither shalt thou gather every grape of thy vineyard; thou shalt leave them for the poor and stranger: I am the LORD your God.

Deuteronomy 24:21 When thou gatherest the grapes of thy vineyard, thou shalt not glean it afterward: it shall be for the stranger, for the fatherless, and for the widow.

The firstfruits are also described as precious fruit to the Lord, and in James 5, we find a passage referring to this.

James 5:7 Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for until he receive the early and latter rain.

Now I will begin to tie this information with what is found in Revelation chapter 12. This chapter begins by describing a “great wonder in heaven”; a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, with a crown with 12 stars. There are some people that teach this woman is the constellation Virgo, and that at acertain time each year, Virgo will show the Earth’s moon at her feet, and the 12 stars of the constellation Leo at her head. There are some that teach the woman represents the Virgin Mary, there are some that teach she represents national Israel, and others teach that she represents the NewTestament church. I am presenting the concept that the woman might possibly represent Mother Earth, which is clothed with the sun, has a moon that orbits around her and therefore the moon in under the dominion of the Earth, and has 12 constellations of the zodiac above her in the sky, and so she could be considered as being crowned with them, but let’s see what the first 5 verses of chapter 12 tells us.


Revelation 12:1 And there appeared a great wonder in heaven; a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head acrown of twelve stars: 2 And she being with child cried, travailing in birth, and pained to be delivered. 3 And there appeared another wonder in heaven; and behold a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his heads. 4 And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth: and the dragon stood before the woman which was ready to be delivered, for to devour her child as soon as it was born. 5 And she brought forth a man child, who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron: and her child was caught up unto God, and to his throne.

In verse 2 we see that this woman has gone into labor pains and is crying for someone to help her deliver this child. This crying out to be relieved of pain can be tied to the cries that Jehovah heard coming from Sodom and Gomorrah.

Genesis 18:20-21 And the LORD said, Because the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is very grievous; I will go down now, and see whether they have done altogether according to the cry of it, which is come unto me; and if not, I will know.

Next in Rev 12:3-4, we see a great red dragon that has 7 heads, 10 horns, and 7 crowns on his heads. The heads represent leaders, the horns represent powers or authorities, and the crowns represent dominions. The dragon’s tail draws one third of the stars of heaven down to the earth, and the dragon stands before the woman eagerly waiting to devour the child as soon as it is born. I believe this dragon is a Satanic alliance of fallen angels (and both good and fallen angels are sometimes described as stars in the Bible). In verse 5 we read that the woman gives birth to a man child that is caught up unto God and to his throne. This verse has created many debates over the identity of this man child. Some say that the man child is Jesus, and some say that the child represents 144,000 Jews, some say the man child represents born again Christians, but I say that the man child represents the firstfruits of the precious fruit of the Earth, which are all the born again New Testament true believers, and I will show you why.

First of all, we know from reading James 5 there are two harvests of precious fruit of the earth.

James 5:7 Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive the early and latter rain.

God here is telling us that the first harvest of precious fruit of the earth is reaped from the early rain, and that the second harvest is reaped from the latter rain. Some teach that the early rain is the Old Testament, but this cannot be supported because we can know from Matthew 27 that all of the Old Testament true believers were resurrected from the dead when Christ died on the cross and ascended into heaven; and we can know that Christ ascended into heaven as a resurrected spirit because Jesus told the thief on the cross that "today", he would be with Him in paradise.

Matthew 27:51-53 And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent; And the graves were opened; and a great number of bodies of the saints which slept, arose, and came out of the graves after His resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many.

Luke 23:43 And Jesus said unto him[the thief], Verily I say unto thee, Today shalt thou be with me in paradise.

Christ is also described as a firstfruit and the firstfruit, or root, always sanctifies the rest of the “lump”, or “branches”. Christ is also a firstborn, which is also a type of firstfruit.

Romans 11:16 For if the firstfruit be holy, the lump is also holy: and if the root be holy, so are the branches.

I heard a Bible teacher teach that Abraham was a firstfruit that sanctified the lump (or branches), and that so was David, and Moses, and Joshua, etc. And that we as born again true believers in Christ are also considered firstfruit, and he teaches that we are the man child, we are the body of Christ, we are all one with Christ, that we will rule the earth with a rod of iron with Christ, and that we as firstfruits are able to sanctify the lump, or branches. This is also supported by 1 Corinthians 7 where we see that a woman who is a true believer, and so here is representative of a firstfruit, can sanctify her unbelieving husband.

1 Corinthians 7:13-14 And the woman which hath an husband that believeth not, and if he be pleased to dwell with her, let her not leave him. For the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the husband: else were your children unclean; but now are they holy.

And of course, the Lord Jesus Christ is our ultimate firstfruit and firstborn, who is able to sanctify all of His branches, who are also His body.

Colossians 1:18 And He is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things He might have the preeminence.

Romans 12:5 So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another.