Summary of Bible references on the Rapture

I heard this yesterday and thought it was very insightful. Leah represents the church, Rachel represents Israel, the two brides of Christ. Leah is having kids because she is witnessing, Rachel is not witnessing and is barren. There is a rivalry between the two. But at the end of the age Rachel changes her attitude, she decides she doesn't want to be in rivalry with Leah but would rather be part of the bigger family, enjoying that she is Reuben's aunt. This reconciliation results in both of them being blessed, Leah has Issachar and Rachel has Joseph.

Leah has seven children, just like the seven churches in Revelation. Six are men one is a daughter that gets raped. We have six churches that have issues, but the seventh is the apostasy, Jesus is no longer in their midst. Perhaps Dinah represents Laodicea, the weakest of the seven churches.

Exodus 32:1 And when the people saw that Moses delayed to come down out of the mount, the people gathered themselves together unto Aaron, and said unto him, Up, make us gods, which shall go before us; for as for this Moses, the man that brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we wot not what is become of him.

2 And Aaron said unto them, Break off the golden earrings, which are in the ears of your wives, of your sons, and of your daughters, and bring them unto me.

3 And all the people brake off the golden earrings which were in their ears, and brought them unto Aaron.

4 And he received them at their hand, and fashioned it with a graving tool, after he had made it a molten calf: and they said, These be thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt.

5 And when Aaron saw it, he built an altar before it; and Aaron made proclamation, and said, To morrow is a feast to the Lord.

6 And they rose up early on the morrow, and offered burnt offerings, and brought peace offerings; and the people sat down to eat and to drink, and rose up to play.

7 And the Lord said unto Moses, Go, get thee down; for thy people, which thou broughtest out of the land of Egypt, have corrupted themselves:

8 They have turned aside quickly out of the way which I commanded them: they have made them a molten calf, and have worshipped it, and have sacrificed thereunto, and said, These be thy gods, O Israel, which have brought thee up out of the land of Egypt.

There are a lot of crisis circling this administration: inflation, recession, fentanyl deaths, threats of nuclear war, etc. Gives a whole new meaning to this prophecy by the Lord.

Matthew 24:28 For wheresoever the carcase is, there will the eagles be gathered together.

The vultures are circling Biden and they see a corpse.

Luke 17:34 I tell you, in that night there shall be two men in one bed; the one shall be taken, and the other shall be left.

35 Two women shall be grinding together; the one shall be taken, and the other left.

36 Two men shall be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left.

37 And they answered and said unto him, Where, Lord? And he said unto them, Wheresoever the body is, thither will the eagles be gathered together.

Wow, this is a really interesting verse. If there is a dead carcase in the field how would you find it? You simply look in the sky and you will see the Eagles (vultures) circling the body. But Jesus doesn't say "vulture" He says eagle, and even though vulture is used in the Bible and certainly they had vultures, the distinction is also quite interesting. Yes, eagles are the same family as vultures, but the big difference is that many countries will have references to the eagle, the US has it as it's national symbol, Germany has the eagle on its flag referring back to the Roman empire, which also had an imperial eagle, and Russia has a two headed eagle.

However, this word for body also has a dual meaning. Yes, it can refer to a carcase, but it is also used for the church being the body of Christ.

So this verse reminds me of Revelation 12 where the woman about to give birth is being circled by the dragon who wants to devour her child.

At the end of the age the Satanists will want to bring in the kingdom of AntiChrist, but who is standing in the way? It is the body of Christ. So then you will see them circling like vultures right before the rapture. Already we are hearing that many other countries are concerned about what is happening in the US with the dollar and the economy because they know if the US is destroyed there will be no one left to restrain the totalitarian regime from taking over.

Too Much

God does so much with the calendar and numbers it is jaw dropping, like looking at the best crossover or ankle breaking move. This is why I don't even try to get involved.

For example, by many measures this is the month of Elul, an anagram for My Beloved is Mine and I am my beloved's. However, the stars in the sky have moved 15 degrees since the time of Moses, so although based on the equinox it is the month of Elul, based on the stars it is the month of Av, which would make this full moon the Jewish "valentine's day", Tuba Av. So at the end of the age, at the fullness of time it is as though the Lord has created a new 15th of Av. Since it is the 12th month of the year it is the last and final month and this full moon is also called the harvest moon. That is fitting. However, since this is a leap year you could also say it is the 13th month. There are two ways to write thirteen, ten plus three, which signifies the outworking of pride. That signifies rebellion and depravity. However covenant oneness and love also have the numerical value of 13, so it is a dual meaning. Just as one will be taken and one will be left, we will see some with covenant oneness and love being taken in the rapture, and others with pride, arrogance, rebellion and depravity being left. When will this full moon be? 9/10 and 9/11. Think about that, as some are taken up fire falls and the economy collapses like those twin towers. This will also be one week before the feast of new wine. You may remember that the Lord tells the foolish virgins to go buy oil from those who sell. Well, they start selling the new oil at the time of the feast of new oil.

It is two weeks before the start of the new year and the start of a new Shemitah. It seems certain that the 70th week in Daniel is referring to a shemitah, a seven year cycle. So not only does God do all this but He told you about it more than two thousand years ago. This two week period is very interesting because the account of Noah describes a two week period prior to the AntiChrist being revealed and Jesus said the end of the age would be like the days of Noah. First, Noah released the dove, signifying the Holy Spirit, and the Raven signifying the spirit of Antichrist. The Dove returns to the ark, presumably with the body of Christ while the raven flies to and fro across the face of the water. When the saints are raptured the fallen angels are cast out to the earth. Then a week later Noah releases the dove again and it returns with the olive branch in its mouth. This tells me that the two witnesses, the two olive trees that Zechariah talks of, are now beginning the work of ministery. A week later Noah releases the dove and it doesn't return. Jesus ministry began with the dove descending from heaven and resting on Him, this tells me that the ministry of the two witnesses is beginning with the Holy Spirit descending and resting on them. The Antichrist will have a counterfeit ministry which like Jesus will begin on the feast of trumpets. At the same time the two witnesses will also have a ministry.

https://rumble.com/v1ivls1-18-wheelers-stopped-09062022.html

18 Wheelers Stopped 09/06/2022

New wine skins

Matthew 9:17 Neither do people pour new wine into old wineskins. If they do, the skins will burst; the wine will run out and the wineskins will be ruined. No, they pour new wine into new wineskins, and both are preserved.”

The church is filled with new wine and so we are a new wine skin. The festivals in the Old Testament are old wine skins. The Lord cannot pour the Holy Spirit into the Old wine skins or they will burst. So the Lord never said it would be the days of Noah but "as in the days of Noah". When you pour new wine into new wine skins it is just like what you did with the old wine that is already in wine skins. So we can look at the past to learn what we will do in the future, but it won't be same wineskins.

Once again the apostate Christian church has two major festivals: Easter and Christmas. These weren't directly given to the church, they are a compromise with the world. The festival we were clearly given was the Lord's table, instituted at the Passover and told to keep that. The cross of Christ is a major part of the gospel message. Not only so but Jesus birth is recorded, it is an extraordinary story and it talks of God incarnated into man. The festival of new wine is not an Old Testament festival, so that is a new wine skin that was prophesied of in the Old Testament.

So we have been given the Lord's table to celebrate, and we certainly would remember the cross of Christ and the incarnation of Jesus.

What I find very interesting is that Christmas is a combination of all the worst pagan practices, the full expression of the apostasy of the church. The same is true of Easter. Neither are in the Bible and both are an attempt to distract from the Bible.

So in Colossians Paul told us the festivals are a shadow of things to come. I would argue that Passover, unleavened bread and firstfruits were all fulfilled at the time of the Lord's crucifixion and resurrection. Most everyone agrees with that. However, I also think that Shavuot was fulfilled by the Lord's ascension. The next big convocation will be Feast of Trumpets which I believe will be the start of the 70th week for Israel. So then what about the church? We know that Pentecost was fulfilled at the beginning of the church age. I do not see that as Shavuot but rather feast of new wine which is 50 days after Shavuot. This was when the new wine was put into the new wine skins. Therefore the next festival to be fulfilled for the church is the feast of new wine. This feast is 50 days later. Five is the number for grace and 50 is ten times 5 or the "ultimate expression of grace worked into God's people".

Zechariah 4:1 And the angel that talked with me came again, and waked me, as a man that is wakened out of his sleep. 2 And said unto me, What seest thou? And I said, I have looked, and behold a candlestick all of gold, with a bowl upon the top of it, and his seven lamps thereon, and seven pipes to the seven lamps, which are upon the top thereof: 3 And two olive trees by it, one upon the right side of the bowl, and the other upon the left side thereof. 4 So I answered and spake to the angel that talked with me, saying, What are these, my lord? 5 Then the angel that talked with me answered and said unto me, Knowest thou not what these be? And I said, No, my lord. 6 Then he answered and spake unto me, saying, This is the word of the Lord unto Zerubbabel, saying, Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the Lord of hosts.

The rapture will wake up the sleeping saints. What will they see? The two olive trees.

Matthew 25:8 And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil; for our lamps are gone out. 9 But the wise answered, saying, Not so; lest there be not enough for us and you: but go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves.

The feast of new oil is when the oil is harvested and sold. So we know that this is at the time of the feast of new oil.

10 And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut.

On the day He comes to be glorified

2 Thessalonians 1:10 on the day he comes to be glorified in his holy people and to be marveled at among all those who have believed. This includes you, because you believed our testimony to you.

Our job is to speak the truth, the light, the salt. We need to release our burden, but once we do be at peace. The Lord will be glorified when He comes, He will be glorified in His holy people, He will be glorified in those who believed the word of the apostles.

https://rumble.com/v1j08lr-september-stock-market-crash-09072022.html

September Stock Market Crash 09/07/2022

From the Prophecy Club --

I continue to resist accepting the inevitable that one day America will be these scriptures:

REV 18:1 And after these things I saw another angel come down from heaven, having great power; and the earth was lightened with his glory.
2 And he cried mightily with a strong voice, saying, Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and is become the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird.

I want to believe we can at least pray a softening or delay to this great judgment.

• “…it has already started…”
• “…it has started…”
• “…it started…”
• “…it has begun…”
• “…the first phase of the war has begun…”
• “…for this is the beginning of the war…”
• “…it is beginning…”
• “…so they have begun altering it…”
• “…it has been allowed….”
• “…it has already begun…”
• “…The Delusion Has Begun”
• “…all these things have already started…”
• “Today is the day of the endings’ beginning.”
• “…the ending of the beginning starts today!”
• “You have seen the beginning,”

A Dream and a Word of Our Collapsing Economy Vicki Goforth Parnell
6-24-22 to 7-1-22, Posted 8-31-22

I give my interpretation in the Friday program probably called “King Donald” returns to Office or something on that order.

I dreamed last night, that our economy, the US economy, collapsed. People were panicking. Others were committing suicide over financial losses, by jumping from buildings, by guns, by driving cars and vehicles off cliffs, and other various ways. We were in desperation, our nation, and we stayed this way for a little time. The length was days, weeks maybe, a few months, people were destitute, on the streets, no homes, no jobs because there was nothing to pay anyone with, unless you knew how to barter.

Barter stations begin building up, like a flea market set up. Those who knew to prepare, to barter, had many items while others had nothing. The foolish who knew to prepare but didn't, were in the worst dire straits than even some of the ungodly who may not have acknowledged you, Jesus, Father God, as God and Savior, Jesus, but they had watched the signs, watched the people of God with many having the understanding to prepare so that your little children would be able to barter with someone for their needs.

The government was still intact having hoarded gold and silver. But the presidency had changed hands and now we were governed by a woman president who set about to destroy our nation even further by signing one “EO” one executive order after another, undoing much good and creating chaos as bills and laws changed to where no one clearly understood any of the laws and bills. The lawyers that were connected with the government or who had their own ability to still be up and running, were furiously trying to determine the rights and laws for the remaining people. Even the law officers who were left. Robbery and murder escalated, rape and promiscuity increased. Oh, Jesus, what a dream. A nation in total chaos, while disaster and plagues are hitting us and our world. Illnesses, new and old, were running rampant.

And then everything freezes, and I hear a voice speak these words that I cannot say, I cannot share them in this dream. Then slowly the dream begins advancing again, but in slow motion. I see the White House. I see an exchange of power, the woman, Kamala Harris and her aide, her helping hand Elizabeth Dole (I don't know who she is, I haven't looked her up) but I see her name above her head. She is an older white woman with brown hair, and they are being removed from the White House. Our nation is in chaos. The citizens pay very little attention to who is in the White House until an announcement goes over nationwide that a King [Donald Trump] is returned with armed forces in tow and the announcing of all that he has done is publicized. [Dumitru’s Internal Revolution] When the public finally realizes what's happened, happiness is felt for the first time for many who are not saved, and even some who are, for the first time since the economy collapsed. Some held this King [Donald Trump] as our savior, some don't care, while others go deeper into prayer realizing exactly what this means: the time of war coming to our nation is now upon us. [Dumitru’s Internal Revolution] And then I awoke. Oh, Jesus, what a dream. [Brackets my interpretation]


Reprinted from last week as a reminder… we must pray!

Dana Coverstone

A Solemn September Assembly!
Pastor Dana Coverstone dream, July 10th, 2020

I saw the calendar turned to the month of September. A hand then reached up and pulled the month of September off the bound calendar and placed it on the ground in front of the altar in our secret place prayer room. I saw the altar, the horns on the altar and the pictures of the Second Coming and Healing on the wall.

I was then instructed to stand on the month and pray for the church to have a strong backbone, for corruption in the Church to be exposed and for a great harvest in the coming months. [This has NOT happened! Yet!] After I had prayed for several minutes, I was instructed to get help as I was not enough. So, I spoke into the air for believers to come to my side and pray with me and the calendar below me was getting bigger exponentially. I then saw that I was not alone on Tuesday, September 1 but had been joined by several others. Some were praying in tongues, some were praying out loud, some very quiet, some kneeling, some laying prostrate, every model of prayer you can imagine.

The cry then went out again that more were needed to pray so everyone, including myself were saying loudly that more were needed and to come quickly.

Then I saw a handwriting words in front of the word September, those words being “A solemn” and the word “Assembly” written after it. It stated clearly “A Solemn September Assembly” and a clear call to pray during that month. The numbers of people were growing, and I saw that the contours of the calendar were fitting into the outline of the United States of America. The prayers were getting more aggressive. The numbers were growing when I saw storm clouds over the country. I also saw fires around the country and in the country – fires of revival [Once again, we have seen no fires of revival. This has NOT happened! Yet! Is this going to happen this year?] and fires of opposition to the Body of Christ. I saw incredible warfare in the heavens, and it was impacting those on the ground with weariness in the saints from the fight. Believers were holding up each other up and standing together without any division and fighting together in prayer, and the battle was severe and intense and brutal. There were wounds and exhaustion among the believers that I saw as well. The heavens were alive with the same kind of battle, and it seemed like it lasted forever. But finally, the battle was over, and my eyes were drawn to the last few days of September and the believers who had been praying. They were broken and wounded, but they were standing victoriously.

Then the heavens opened, and I saw the Lord, and He was standing with angels behind Him. He said clearly, “Arise my bride, arise my bride and prepare to pray. Arise my bride, arise my bride and prepare for battle. Arise my bride, arise my bride and prepare to see My face. For I am coming soon, and my reward is with Me.” Then there was the sound like a thousand shofars blowing all at once, and I could even feel the wind of it on my face. I then awoke.

More on Jesus birth in the gospels

In Revelation 12 it describes the man child who is to rule the nations with a rod of iron. Therefore it is commonly taught that the man child refers to Jesus. However, the term for "caught up to heaven" is harpazo whereas the term for Jesus ascension was different, He was not snatched up to safety. Also the gospels say that the believers are to rule and reign with Jesus. The Bride of Christ "completes" Him according to Genesis.

In Genesis 1:28 God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground.”

This word is to both the male and the female, God said to "them" to "rule over" the creatures of the earth. Because of this many see that the man child refers to those who are "harpazo'd" at the end of this age. I would call them the firstfruits, some refer to them as "the church". But if you read Revelation 2-3 it is clear that although individuals in the various churches are raptured only one of the seven churches, the church in Philadelphia is raptured as a church.

So then this got me wondering if this man child being born can be a picture of both Jesus and the Bride, then perhaps the birth of Jesus in the gospels can also enlighten us to the rapture as well as the Lord's birth.

Matthew

I have already shared earlier in this blog how the first three gospels all have different agendas with Matthew appearing to give the gospel to the Jews who will be here for the full tribulation and then taken as a nation. I find the discussion of the Lord's birth very interesting from that perspective.

18 This is how the birth of Jesus the Messiah came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit. 19 Because Joseph her husband was faithful to the law, and yet did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly.20 But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21 She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.” 22 All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: 23 “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”). 24 When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. 25 But he did not consummate their marriage until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus.

This does not even talk about Jesus birth, rather their discussion is about Mary being righteous and should not be rejected by Joseph! First the chapter is about the genealogy showing that Joseph's line goes all the way to David but that he was of the line that God cut off from the Messiah yet through his association to Mary he gets brought back into the blessing.

Then it is talking about God speaking to Joseph that he should not be afraid to take her as his wife because this was from the Holy Spirit.

This word is to the Jews to see that the rapture was from God and they need to join themselves to the Christians. If you combine this with Revelation 12 the woman fleeing into the wilderness correlates with Mary while the Jews correlate with Joseph.

Mark

The agenda in Mark is for those Christians who are left behind after the rapture.

1 The beginning of the good news about Jesus the Messiah, the Son of God, 2 as it is written in Isaiah the prophet:
“I will send my messenger ahead of you,
who will prepare your way”—
3 “a voice of one calling in the wilderness,
‘Prepare the way for the Lord,
make straight paths for him.’”
4 And so John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. 5 The whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem went out to him. Confessing their sins, they were baptized by him in the Jordan River. 6 John wore clothing made of camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey. 7 And this was his message: “After me comes the one more powerful than I, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie. 8 I baptize you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”

John the Baptist is "Elijah who is to come" during the tribulation, one of the two olive trees. We have two groups who are left behind, the Jews and these Christians and there are two olive trees for them. I lean towards the interpretation that the other olive tree is Moses since we saw Moses and Elijah on the mount of transfiguration. Who better to speak to the Jews than Moses. This would also explain why we are told that John the Baptist is Elijah who is to come and yet there is no hint as to who the other olive tree is since this gospel is for Christians.

The tribulation will be a time of great revival where those Christians who are left behind are baptized with the Holy Spirit and the Lord's word that "greater works than these will you do" will be fulfilled. This gospel says nothing about Jesus birth (the rapture) but rather begins with Elijah preaching a gospel of repentance. If you were left behind the first thing you need to do is repent.

Luke will require much more discussion, so I'll handle that in the next post.

More on the birth of Jesus, part 2

Luke

Here we find an amazingly detailed account.

1 Many have undertaken to draw up an account of the things that have been fulfilled among us, 2 just as they were handed down to us by those who from the first were eyewitnesses and servants of the word. 3 With this in mind, since I myself have carefully investigated everything from the beginning, I too decided to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, 4 so that you may know the certainty of the things you have been taught.

I was reading Mary's song and wondered "how did Luke know this is what Mary said"? I would think by the time Luke was writing Elizabeth and Zechariah were both dead. That means that Mary had to have told him, and that is what he says here, that those who were "from the first eyewitnesses and servants of the word" handed down the account to him. Mary was not simply an eyewitness, she was a servant of the word. Yes, Zechariah and Elizabeth are most likely dead by the time Luke wrote this but that doesn't mean Zechariah wasn't listening and couldn't have written down what Mary said and then passed that down to us. But that gives you a very interesting picture of who those who are raptured are. This makes perfect sense. If God has given you some treasure like Mary's song you need to share that with the whole body. If you write it down and pass it on then you have released that burden and the Lord is free and clear to take you from the earth, but if you don't He'll need to leave you if you have some valuable treasure the church needs.

The Birth of John the Baptist Foretold
5 In the time of Herod king of Judea there was a priest named Zechariah, who belonged to the priestly division of Abijah; his wife Elizabeth was also a descendant of Aaron. 6 Both of them were righteous in the sight of God, observing all the Lord’s commands and decrees blamelessly. 7 But they were childless because Elizabeth was not able to conceive, and they were both very old.

We learn even more about these ones who are raptured, they are priests, righteous in the sight of God and they observe all of His commands and decrees. Yet they were childless which in this age of prosperity gospel looking for outward signs of blessings would be taken as a sign of not being blessed by God. To be poor is to lack something. To not have a child means you have no future, no hope.

8 Once when Zechariah’s division was on duty and he was serving as priest before God, 9 he was chosen by lot, according to the custom of the priesthood, to go into the temple of the Lord and burn incense. 10 And when the time for the burning of incense came, all the assembled worshipers were praying outside. 11 Then an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing at the right side of the altar of incense. 12 When Zechariah saw him, he was startled and was gripped with fear. 13 But the angel said to him: “Do not be afraid, Zechariah; your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to call him John. 14 He will be a joy and delight to you, and many will rejoice because of his birth, 15 for he will be great in the sight of the Lord. He is never to take wine or other fermented drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit even before he is born. 16 He will bring back many of the people of Israel to the Lord their God. 17 And he will go on before the Lord, in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the parents to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous—to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.”

This is quite revealing as to the situation. Zechariah has been praying, and he is part of an assembly of those who are devout and praying. But what exactly were they praying for? Zechariah might have been praying for a son but that is unlikely since he seemed incapable of believing that he would have a son. However, it might have been that they were praying that God's people would be brought back to the Lord. This is John's mission and we see it carried out at the start of the gospel of Mark. His mission is to bring those who were left behind at the rapture back to the Lord. His mission is to turn the hearts of the parents to the children (those who were being indoctrinated by Satanists who had infiltrated the school system) and to turn the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous (all these ones infected by the apostasy to question and reject the word of God).

18 Zechariah asked the angel, “How can I be sure of this? I am an old man and my wife is well along in years.” 19 The angel said to him, “I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I have been sent to speak to you and to tell you this good news. 20 And now you will be silent and not able to speak until the day this happens, because you did not believe my words, which will come true at their appointed time.”

I think this is fabulous message of hope to us. These great men of faith like Zechariah struggled with doubt and unbelief. Consider today how many pastors who may be men of faith are afraid to mention the Lord's imminent return and "are not able to speak until the day this happens".

21 Meanwhile, the people were waiting for Zechariah and wondering why he stayed so long in the temple. 22 When he came out, he could not speak to them. They realized he had seen a vision in the temple, for he kept making signs to them but remained unable to speak.

When you struggle with unbelief you cannot tell people of your visions. Think of Ken Peters, he got a vision of the tribulation in 1980 and couldn't go public with it until 2000 because he didn't know the word well enough to believe it. When I was 13 I heard from the Lord that I would see Him return. I thought no one knew the day or the hour, I didn't know the word, but I was concerned that this word might have contradicted the Bible so I never spoke a word about it, though I may have made some signs to people that something had happened. It wasn't until a few years later when I learned about Simeon and Anna that I realized this word did not violate the Bible.

23 When his time of service was completed, he returned home. 24 After this his wife Elizabeth became pregnant and for five months remained in seclusion. 25 “The Lord has done this for me,” she said. “In these days he has shown his favor and taken away my disgrace among the people.”

Isn't that something! They were Jesus freaks. The rapture will take away our disgrace among the people. Right now in Christianity there are many "respectable Christians" it is only the "Jesus freaks" that are considered the embarrassing relative no one wants to talk about.

More on the birth of Jesus, part 3

26 In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, 27 to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. 28 The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.”

We talk so much about this story that it is surprising to me how it is not covered in any other gospel. No other gospel talks about Mary prior to Jesus' birth. Isn't that amazing? This is the only gospel that focuses on people like Zechariah, Elizabeth and Mary! What do we learn about her, "you are highly favored, the Lord is with you". I suspect this was a revelation. Outwardly it may have seemed like she was a poor hillbilly kid, didn't grow up in a palace, no gold chains or big cars to "prove she is highly favored" or that "the Lord is with her". Luke wants us to see the people who are raptured prior to the tribulation.

29 Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be.

I like this. Mary is greatly troubled when it seems like someone is trying to butter her up. We know from the beginning of this chapter that she is a "servant of the word". She does not need a pat on the back, she does not need "this kind of greeting", this was from God. He is disgusted with what he sees with all these Pharisees practicing their faith to be seen of men. The rapture is a very strong testimony from God concerning who He says is highly favored and who He is with. In Revelation 3 it says that Philadelphia is raptured as a church and then the synagogue of Satan comes before then and confesses that God is truly with them.

30 But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. 31 You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. 32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, 33 and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.”

This is the essence of what we are preaching.

34 “How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?”

This is different from what Zechariah said. Zechariah was wondering how this could be since he and his wife were old. That is unbelief. Mary wants to know how this will be since she is a virgin. There is no unbelief there, rather she has received the word by faith which is why she is asking this question. In the same way those who are preaching that the rapture will take place want to know how this will be, that is not unbelief, rather that is a valid question for someone who has received this word by faith.

35 The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. 36 Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be unable to conceive is in her sixth month. 37 For no word from God will ever fail.”

No word of God will ever fail

38 “I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May your word to me be fulfilled.” Then the angel left her.

What a wonderful contrast. Zechariah has been a servant of God his whole life and this girl has been a servant of God for a far shorter period of time. Still she is able to receive the word by faith while Zechariah struggles with unbelief. Faith comes by hearing, not by time, and hearing comes by the word of God, not by simply being involved in religious activities. Both of these belong in our history of faith, both of these represent those who were faithful servants of the Lord and who were raptured. But as Luke says the key component is to be a servant of the word.