Jim Goodrick (4 June 2010) Rapture “Knowing the Day and the Hour ( but not the date )”

There are a lot of Christians that have studied the Rapture, trying to shed more light as to the timing. The study by Jim Goodrick addresses these issues and offers a different view to consider.
A good article with a lot of links.

Nando

http://www.fivedoves.com/letters/june2010/jimg64-1.htm

Jim Goodrick (4 June 2010)
“Knowing the Day and the Hour ( but not the date )”

John and Doves

There have been many good posts mentioning the date of the Rapture. Those posts are sent in good faith and I respect the spirit in which they are sent. They would have been correct if there were exact Scriptures pointing to a certain day and a certain hour. Whatever those exact Scriptures are, they have yet to be discerned.

Knowing the Day and the Hour, but not the Date

I am convinced of these things:

1. We CAN know the day and the hour of the Rapture from exact Scripture verses. 1 Thessalonians 5: 4
“But ye brethren are not in darkness that that day should overtake you as a thief.”
Notice Jesus does Not come as a thief for His Bride.

2. There are two Raptures :

A.The Midnight Rapture of the Bride in Matthew 25 . ( not as a thief )
B.The Cockcrowing Rapture of Revelation 16: 15. ( as a thief )

In Revelation 16:15 ( into the Great Tribulation, and long after the Midnight Rapture ) Jesus will come and Rapture the surviving left-behind Believers, who have since repented and are now Spirit-led.

3. We were meant to know the day and the hour of the Midnight Rapture since there are so many references to watching, and to signs enumerated. Mark 13: 37 ” What I say unto you, I say unto all, “Watch “.

4. I personally do Not believe in immanency. I do Not believe that the Rapture can happen any day, at any time.
It must come according to exact Scripture verses given. There may also be an increase in the gift of prophesying,
wherein Believers will pass along messages from the Holy Ghost confirming an exact day and hour of our Translation / Rapture.

Bridegroom comes First; “Son of man” later.

If you look closely, all the references to Not knowing the day nor the hour are references to “the Son of man” .
“The Son of man” is a title Jesus uses when He returns to earth to set up His Millennial kingdom from Jerusalem.

The Cockcrowing Rapture ( Rev. 16:15 ) will not be given a day nor an hour to look for their Rapture, since all the Scripture verses pertain to that group refer to “the Son of man”.

The Midnight Rapture is very specific about the hour in Matthew 25: 6 ……
“And at Midnight there was a cry made, ” Behold, the Bridegroom cometh”.

The 5 wise virgins were already betrothed to the Bridegroom by being Spirit-led.
The virgins who were left behind were told that THEY would not know the day nor the hour that the “Son of man” would come. ( the Lord uses a different title here … “Son of man”, rather than “Bridegroom” ).
The 5 wise virgins already knew the day and the hour and were already with the Bridegroom by the time our Lord used the phrase ” Son of man” when speaking to the 5 foolish virgins.

Scripture Reveals Scripture

The “meaningful-day” of the Midnight Rapture itself is hidden from plain sight, but can be revealed within Scripture,
if there is true Holy Spirit enlightenment. A “meaningful -day” would be a day of notoriety, yet without a year to specify. The year itself does not appear to be in Scripture.

Most of the answers to the above queries can be found in 1 and 2nd Thessalonians.
In order to get enlightenment and a clear understanding , we must :
“Quench not the Spirit, Despise not prophesyings : prove all things; hold fast that which is good.”
1 Thessalonians 5: 19–21.

Those four admonitions pertain mostly to the gifts of the Holy Spirit . I believe that is because when Scripture does reveal a “meaningful-day”, it will be confirmed by those who have the Holy Ghost Gift of prophesying, as to what year.

Prophecy refers to the written word of God ( in the Bible )
Prophesy refers to Holy Ghost inspired messages, given to those who have the gift of prophesy.
1 Corinthians 14: 1-39

In conclusion, we see Scripture verify the fact that we Believers are definitely to know both the Day and the Hour of our Rapture. We do not know the Date ( the exact year ). That will only be revealed when someone with the proven Gift of prophesy brings forth a Holy Ghost inspired message to Believers, telling us what year ( the exact date) of our departure. That is why we are advised to assemble ourselves together all the more as we see the day approaching.
Hebrews 10:25. That is why we come to 5 Doves each day. Thank you John and all Doves.

It is our own personal belief that the Holy Ghost message ( word of prophesy ) will be given only a short time before we go. Perhaps it will be given just seven days ahead of the Rapture, just like Noah had a seven day alert before he ascended upon the waters in the Ark … “yet seven days “. Genesis 7 : 1- 4

Rapture Rationalizing

When the actual date of the Midnight Rapture is revealed, we are cautioned against taking advantage of that time in
2 Thessalonians 3.

Strong Commands are given four different times in 2 Thessalonians 3 : verses 4, 6, 10, + 12 )

In 2 Thessalonians 3: 10 , we are warned that there will be some who will not want to work
— knowing the Rapture is near — and will just want to slide into home plate.

“This we commanded you, that if any would not work, neither should he eat ”
2 Thess. 3: 10 and 1 Thess. 4:11

This does not apply to those who have made a sincere effort to find a job and cannot get one;
This command is for those with jobs to remain on their jobs, as we see it.
The command is repeated again in 2 Thess. 3: 12 ” that with quietness they work, and eat their own bread” .
So it is a strong command, since it is repeated twice.

There is another very strong command in 2 Thess. 3:6 and that is that we are to withdraw our fellowship from those who walk in disobedience.
“Now we command you brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you withdraw yourselves from every brother that walketh disorderly, and not after the tradition which he received of us.”

And again 2 Thess. 3: 14,15 repeats itself : ” And if any man obey not our word by this epistle, note that man, and have no company with him, that he may be ashamed. Yet count him not as an enemy, but admonish him
as a brother .”

Our understanding of that verse is this : that while the disorderly brother may not be walking uprightly now — and may even miss the Midnight Rapture — he may still be translated at the Cockcrowing rapture, if he both repents and changes his ways. For now though, he must be avoided, while he is in an unrepentant state.

The final lap of our spiritual race demands separation and holiness: “let us lay aside every weight and every sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us “. Hebrews 12: 1

So all of us are to keep busy working –“occupying until He comes”, and we are not be “busybodies” 2 Th. 3:11.
We are all to keep on keeping on, doing what we are regularly doing, and not making any major changes in our lives.

For the elderly group, maintaining their responsibilities will include taking their medications, having their operations etc. This is not a time for abrupt changes, especially if one is not LED of the Holy Ghost.

This is a time to acknowledge the “inner witness” of the Holy Spirit, confirming or rejecting what options we present to the Lord. An “inner witness” is like a sensor inside of us, giving off direction-signals within our spirit.
Living lives of holiness helps us to keep our receptor-antennas receiving those indications.

Perhaps the younger people will want to quit studying and live it up, “nurturing their hearts as in a day of slaughter” James 5: 5. Will many run up credit card bills that their relatives will have to pay off ? Will those on diets, binge ?
Will people party and drink ? …. “Is this the time, Gahazi ? …. 2 Kings 5: 26

We must keep our lamps burning at all times. We must keep in harmony with the Holy Ghost. We must be Spirit led, guided, Spirit-filled, always obeying the still small voice of the Holy Spirit right up to the Last Hour. We must double-up our efforts, and not slack-off.

The Bible tells us that we must be responsible at all times : “Occupy till He comes” Luke 19:13. We must keep on keeping on. Knowing the Day and the Hour should not move us, but only comfort us, knowing that finally there is Light at the end of the tunnel.

“But none of these things move me; neither count I my life dear unto myself.
So that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry which I have received of the Lord Jesus ,
to testify the Gospel of the grace of God.” Acts 20:24

“And the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God, and into the patient waiting for Christ.” 2 Thess. 3: 5

In Him,
Jim Goodrick

2 Thess. 3 Commentary by Matthew Henry
“It is the presence of God that makes heaven to be heaven, and makes earth to be like heaven…..
No matter where we are, nor who is absent, if we have the presence of God. ”
http://www.blueletterbible.org/commentaries/comm_view.cfm?AuthorID=4&contentID=1798&commInfo=5&topic=2%20Thessalonians

– – – – –
This article is the first in a series of three articles, Lord willing :
1. Knowing the day and the hour ( but not the date )
2. Why was Enoch raptured at age 365 ?
3. Rapture Processional : Midnight and Meridians ( and Myriads )
___________________________________________________________

Regarding the above study :
Marty Goetz has beautiful songs pertaining to :
” I shall not be moved ” ( He is my Defense) Psalm 62: 6
“Let us Run, run, run .. keeping our eyes on the Son”
“The love of God ” http://www.martygoetz.com
http://www.martygoetz.com/products/viewProduct.php?productID=20.php

Other studies on the Rapture :

Enoch and Elijah …raptures proven in Scripture http://216.117.216.152/ch5p1.html

Sheaves ….” evening, midnight, cockcrowing and morning” Mark 13:35 http://216.117.216.152/ch5sheaves.html

The Seventh Trumpet … the Midnight Rapture ….one long day http://216.117.216.152/trumpet.html

The Blessed Hope …false doctrine of immanency http://216.117.216.152/hope.html

Coming to Terms …. explaining the words that concern the raptures http://216.117.216.152/terms.html

2 Thessalonians 2 …. man of sin sitting in temple first, before the rapture http://216.117.216.152/2Thess.html

The Midnight Hour ….. precisely at midnight http://216.117.216.152/midnight.html

The Cockcrowing Rapture ……” one will be taken and the other left ” http://216.117.216.152/ccr.html

Ye Shall Have Tribulation 10 Days …. the liturgical calendar for events http://216.117.216.152/tendays.html

The Maiden on the Shore by J A Seiss …” I come quickly” http://216.117.216.152/maiden.html