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Rapture/Harvest/Gathering Events

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Matthew 24

The Coming of the Son of Man (Mark 13:24–27; Luke 21:25–28 ) 
29 “Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. 30 Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. 31 And He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other. 

Note that Jesus is in the clouds.  He has not come to the earth and He sends out His angels.  This is very much like the Rapture scenario in 1 Thessalonians 4:16-18
     16 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. 18 Therefore comfort one another with these words.  

36 “But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only. 37 But as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. 38 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, 

As an aside it would do us well to understand verse 36 holds a Jewish idiom associated with the fall 'Feast of Trumpets' which begins at the first sighting of the New-Moon crescent. Since no one knows exactly when the crescent will be sighted, it is referred to as the time “no one knows the day or hour” that the festival begins. There is a two day window of time left open. Perhaps Jesus was giving us a 'heads up' 'look up' time?

39 and did not know until the flood came and took them all away, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. 40 Then two men will be in the field: one will be taken and the other left. 41 Two women will be grinding at the mill: one will be taken and the other left. 42 Watch therefore, for you do not know what hour your Lord is coming. 43 But know this, that if the master of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched and not allowed his house to be broken into. 44 Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect. 

45 “Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his master made ruler over his household, to give them food in due season? 46 Blessed is that servant whom his master, when he comes, will find so doing. 47 Assuredly, I say to you that he will make him ruler over all his goods. 48 But if that evil servant says in his heart, ‘My master is delaying his coming,’  49 and begins to beat his fellow servants, and to eat and drink with the drunkards, 50 the master of that servant will come on a day when he is not looking for him and at an hour that he is not aware of, 51 and will cut him in two and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites. There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.  

Best to be about the Father's business when He comes.  There will be no time to get ready. One must be ready.
Cross Reference Genesis 7:4 For yet seven days, and I will cause it to rain upon the earth forty days and forty nights; and every living substance that I have made will I destroy from off the face of the earth.

The LORD God gave Noah a warning of when He was going to move. He was preparing Noah to get on the ark, to be ready.  He is warning us now that He is about to move again.  Jesus Christ is our Ark.

Perhaps the Jewish idiom mention in verse 36 is for us.  Even so, staying ready every moment of everyday would be wise.

Groups in this passage:
  1. The Bride is paying attention to the LORD's warnings
  2. Lukewarm/Sleepy Left Behind Church who did not heed.
  3. Jewish Remnant will see evidences of this which will cause many to repent and believe
  4. Unrepentant, destined for Wrath
ihgm.org

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Matthew 25:1-13 

1 Then let be likened the Kingdom of Heaven to ten virgins those who took their lamps and went out for the meeting of the bridegroom and the bride.
2 Now five of them were wise and five foolish.
3. And those foolish (virgins) took their lamps but did not take with them oil. 
4. But those wise (virgins) took oil in vessels with their lamps.
5. When delayed now the bridegroom they slumbered all of them and slept. 
6. And in the middle of the night there was an outcry. Behold the Bridegroom come. Go out for his meeting.
7. Then arose all those virgins and prepared their lamps.
8. And were saying those foolish (virgins) to the wise give us (some) your oil for behold our lamps have gone out.
9. Answered these wise (virgins) and said why there is not enough for us and for you. 
Rather go to those who sell and buy for yourselves.
10. And while they went to buy came the Bridegroom. 
And those who were ready entered with him into the banquet-hall and was locked the door.
11. Later now came also those other virgins and were saying "Our LORD, our LORD open (the door) for us."
12. But he answered and said to them "Amen I say to you that I not know you." 
13. Wake up. Therefore for not know you that day neither the hour.  (Peshitta Aramaic translation, edited)
Groups noted in this translations would be:
1, Bride (who is already with the Groom)
2, Lukewarm/Sleepy Left Behind Church (Five wise virgins) who apparently were not ready for the first call, but were prepared for the 2nd
4, Went along for show to get what they could.  They were never committed and did not make it in. (Five foolish virgins)

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Mark 13:33 - 37

32 "But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. 33 Take heed, watch and pray; for you do not know when the time is. 34 It is like a man going to a far country, who left his house and gave authority to his servants, and to each his work, and commanded the doorkeeper to watch. 35 Watch therefore, for you do not know when the master of the house is coming—in the evening, at midnight, at the crowing of the rooster, or in the morning— 36 lest, coming suddenly, he find you sleeping. 37 And what I say to you, I say to all: Watch!”     

Two Groups:
  1. The Bride ~ is not asleep. 
  2. Lukewarm/Sleepy Left Behind Church ~ needs reminding
The Apostle Mark is driving home a point here to "Take heed watch and pray for you know not when the time is." Why? Because you don't know when he's coming and you don't want to be found sleeping or you're going to miss it. What is the warning? 'lest coming suddenly he find you sleeping'  Be looking and alert, watching and praying.

Those who are watching will not be taken unawares.

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Luke 17:20 - 37

The Coming of the Kingdom 
(Gen. 6:5—8:22; 19:12–14 ) 
20 Now when He was asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, He answered them and said, “The kingdom of God does not come with observation; 21 nor will they say, ‘See here!’ or ‘See there!’ For indeed, the kingdom of God is within you.” 22 Then He said to the disciples, “The days will come when you will desire to see one of the days of the Son of Man, and you will not see it. 23 And they will say to you, ‘Look here!’ or ‘Look there!’ Do not go after them or follow them. 24 For as the lightning that flashes out of one part under heaven shines to the other part under heaven, so also the Son of Man will be in His day. 25 But first He must suffer many things and be rejected by this generation. 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. 
Luke written to the bride     
Note verse 26 is written in past tense past tense and we find out this passage only it's not in Matthew it's not in Mark only in Luke    
     Luke mentions a wife specifically which is not mentioned anywhere in the other two synoptic Gospels. Why? Because this is a warning to the bride. But what warning is this?

As the word of God points out "Remember Lot's wife." this is a definite warning. Why? Because of what happened to Lot's wife.  The Angels had led them out of the city. She had almost escaped. She was outside of Sodom and Gomorrah running with Lot and two of their daughters. But she looked back. She was actually escaping but then looked back longingly for the things she was leaving behind. And as a result did not fully make it.  She was left behind. In the end she was turned into a pillar of salt.
The warning then for the Bride of Christ is don't look back for anything. Be looking to Jesus only.    

Luke first admonishes the reader in verse 31 not to desire to gather your things when escaping. "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".  He affirms this with Lot's wife.  Why? Something is going on where time is critical and not a millisecond to lose.  Hence Lot's wife. Don't even look back, just GO! 

Groups in this passage:
  1. The Bride is paying attention to the LORD's warnings
  2. Lukewarm/Sleepy Left Behind Church who did not heed.
  3. Jewish Remnant will see evidences of this which will cause many to repent and believe
  4. Unrepentant, destined for Wrath

To the Bride; Do not think about your stuff, do not want to go back for anything, 
do not come back from the field to go back into your house. 
Just go with Jesus when He calls. Look UP, not back. 
There is nothing left here for you now.  
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.”  

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Luke 21:34 - 38

 34 “But take heed to yourselves, lest your hearts be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness, and cares of this life, and that Day come on you unexpectedly. 35 For it will come as a snare on all those who dwell on the face of the whole earth. 36 Watch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man.” 

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John 12:9 - 41

The Plot to Kill Lazarus 
9 Now a great many of the Jews knew that He was there; and they came, not for Jesus’ sake only, but that they might also see Lazarus, whom He had raised from the dead. 10 But the chief priests plotted to put Lazarus to death also, 11 because on account of him many of the Jews went away and believed in Jesus. The Triumphal Entry 12 The next day a great multitude that had come to the feast, when they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem, 13 took branches of palm trees and went out to meet Him, and cried out: “Hosanna! 'Blessed is He who comes in the name of the LORD!’ The King of Israel!” 14 Then Jesus, when He had found a young donkey, sat on it; as it is written: 15 “Fear not, daughter of Zion; Behold, your King is coming, Sitting on a donkey’s colt.” 16 His disciples did not understand these things at first; but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that these things were written about Him and that they had done these things to Him. 17 Therefore the people, who were with Him when He called Lazarus out of his tomb and raised him from the dead, bore witness. 18 For this reason the people also met Him, because they heard that He had done this sign. 19 The Pharisees therefore said among themselves, “You see that you are accomplishing nothing. Look, the world has gone after Him!” 

The Fruitful Grain of Wheat 
20 Now there were certain Greeks among those who came up to worship at the feast. 21 Then they came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida of Galilee, and asked him, saying, “Sir, we wish to see Jesus.” 22 Philip came and told Andrew, and in turn Andrew and Philip told Jesus. 23 But Jesus answered them, saying, “The hour has come that the Son of Man should be glorified. 24 Most assuredly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much grain. 25 He who loves his life will lose it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. 26 If anyone serves Me, let him follow Me; and where I am, there My servant will be also. If anyone serves Me, him My Father will honor. Jesus Predicts His Death on the Cross 27 “Now My soul is troubled, and what shall I say? ‘Father, save Me from this hour’? But for this purpose I came to this hour. 28 Father, glorify Your name.” Then a voice came from heaven, saying, “I have both glorified it and will glorify it again.” 29 Therefore the people who stood by and heard it said that it had thundered. Others said, “An angel has spoken to Him.” 30 Jesus answered and said, “This voice did not come because of Me, but for your sake. 
 
He said "your", meaning?
There are two groups with Jesus; 
  • The Apostles and Jewish followers
  • The Gentiles
Jesus identifies what they heard as a  'voice'. The ones who heard the 'voice' of God were the ones with Jesus.

The third group are people that stood at a farther distance from Jesus. They said it had thundered others said that it sounded like angels but they spoke like a language that they couldn't decipher   These others were there because they wanted to see miracles as noted in verse 9. Verse 37 reveals even with the signs they did not believe. They came to see Miracles but they hadn't believed
There is a fourth group as well.  This would be the jealous Pharisees.
This was yet another fulfilling of Prophecy noted in verse 40 “He has blinded their eyes and hardened their hearts, Lest they should see with their eyes, Lest they should understand with their hearts and turn, So that I should heal them.” 

 The four groups 
  1. Believing group of disciples
  2. Group of Gentiles that are coming to worship and are looking, wanting to see Jesus 
  3. Unbelieving people who want to see miracles 
  4. Jealous Pharisees who will ultimately have Him crucified.
31 Now is the judgment of this world; now the ruler of this world will be cast out. 32 And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all peoples to Myself.” 33 This He said, signifying by what death He would die. 34 The people answered Him, “We have heard from the law that the Christ remains forever; and how can You say, ‘The Son of Man must be lifted up’? Who is this Son of Man?” 35 Then Jesus said to them, “A little while longer the light is with you. Walk while you have the light, lest darkness overtake you; he who walks in darkness does not know where he is going. 36 While you have the light, believe in the light, that you may become sons of light.” These things Jesus spoke, and departed, and was hidden from them. Who Has Believed Our Report? 37 But although He had done so many signs before them, they did not believe in Him, 38 that the word of Isaiah the prophet might be fulfilled, which he spoke: “Lord, who has believed our report? And to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed?” 39 Therefore they could not believe, because Isaiah said again: 40 “He has blinded their eyes and hardened their hearts, Lest they should see with their eyes, Lest they should understand with their hearts and turn, So that I should heal them.”  41 These things Isaiah said when he saw His glory and spoke of Him.  

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John 21

 Breakfast by the Sea 
1 After these things Jesus showed Himself again to the disciples at the Sea of Tiberias, and in this way He showed Himself: 2 Simon Peter, Thomas called the Twin, Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two others of His disciples were together. 3 Simon Peter said to them, “I am going fishing.” They said to him, “We are going with you also.” They went out and immediately got into the boat, and that night they caught nothing. 4 But when the morning had now come, Jesus stood on the shore; yet the disciples did not know that it was Jesus. 
5 Then Jesus said to them, “Children, have you any food?” They answered Him, “No.” 6 And He said to them, “Cast the net on the right side of the boat, and you will find some.” So they cast, and now they were not able to draw it in because of the multitude of fish. 7 Therefore that disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, “It is the Lord!” Now when Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on his outer garment (for he had removed it), and plunged into the sea. 8 But the other disciples came in the little boat (for they were not far from land, but about two hundred cubits), dragging the net with fish. 9 Then, as soon as they had come to land, they saw a fire of coals there, and fish laid on it, and bread. 10 Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish which you have just caught.” 11 Simon Peter went up and dragged the net to land, full of large fish, one hundred and fifty-three; and although there were so many, the net was not broken. 12 Jesus said to them, “Come and eat breakfast.” Yet none of the disciples dared ask Him, “Who are You?”—knowing that it was the Lord. 13 Jesus then came and took the bread and gave it to them, and likewise the fish. 14 This is now the third time Jesus showed Himself to His disciples after He was raised from the dead.  

Three groups represented here when Jesus engages with them.  
  1. The Bride - Disciple John.  After catching the fish he sees and recognizes the LORD.
  2. The Lukewarm/Sleepy Left Behind Church - Peter heard it from John.  He did not readily know.
  3. The rest in the other little boat. A few are named in the beginning, but only noted as being not far off, only 200 cubits (98 yards)
Verse 2 reveals there are seven disciples.
Apostle John in writing here focuses on the seven, the number seven symbolizes completion or perfection. Perhaps some relation to the seven churches of Revelation. John being Philadelphia which is ready. Peter being Smyrna, nearly ready, And then the other five.

Simon Peter states he's going fishing and the others say they are going with him. After fishing all night they caught nothing, but in the morning Jesus stood on the shore and there He was but the disciples didn't know it was Him. Jesus asks "Children have you any food?"  He identifies the complete seven as His children.

There is something interesting here where He tells them to cast their nets on the right side. Why the right? They had not caught anything all night so how could this matter.  However, they were obedient and did the bidding of the One on shore.  This small effort resulted in a catch so large, 153 fish, that the Apostle John remembered it enough to include it in his writings. John recognizes this it Jesus and identifies Him.  Peter then realizes after hearing John.
We see John representing the Bride here then we do not see him during the rest narrative until the end. The focus now is on Peter 

Peter representing the second group The Left Behind church group. He had apparently taken off his outer garment sometime before this encounter and now puts it on quickly, jumps in the water and makes his way to shore.  He was unprepared to go see Jesus. The rest arrive and the LORD says to bring some the fish. Peter drags the entire catch to Him. Jesus only asked for a few, but Peter, bless him, brought it all! What was he trying to prove?

For believers, the LORD 'does business' with each one of us. He will identify spiritual places that need to be cleansed from our lives.  He is tender in His ways as well as very precise.  He brings understanding and healing.  He restores.  And such is what He was doing with Peter at the end of this chapter.  

Listen for His whispers in your own life and be obedient to the smallest detail to the best of your ability.  He will greatly bless you.

15 So when they had eaten breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me more than these?” He said to Him, “Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.” He said to him, “Feed My lambs.” 16 He said to him again a second time, “Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me?” He said to Him, “Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.” He said to him, “Tend My sheep.” 17 He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me?” Peter was grieved because He said to him the third time, “Do you love Me?” And he said to Him, “Lord, You know all things; You know that I love You.” Jesus said to him, “Feed My sheep. 18 Most assuredly, I say to you, when you were younger, you girded yourself and walked where you wished; but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will gird you and carry you where you do not wish.” 19 This He spoke, signifying by what death he would glorify God. And when He had spoken this, He said to him, “Follow Me.”
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