Elijah being taken up gives us the thirty day window for the rapture
2Kings 2:1 Now when the Lord was about to take Elijah up to heaven by a whirlwind, Elijah and Elisha were on their way from Gilgal. 2 And Elijah said to Elisha, “Please stay here, for the Lord has sent me as far as Bethel.” But Elisha said, “As the Lord lives, and as you yourself live, I will not leave you.” So they went down to Bethel.
When you are studying something in the word, like the rapture in this case, you have to start at the beginning. Bethel was where Abram first built an altar to the Lord. It is the beginning for the Father of Faith.
3 And the sons of the prophets who were in Bethel came out to Elisha and said to him, “Do you know that today the Lord will take away your master from over you?” And he said, “Yes, I know it; keep quiet.”
There is always a temptation to make a big noise, don't do that. This is not about you, this is not about you making a name for yourself, or getting a big ministry. You are on a journey to discover the truth and you must be like a pit bull, you latch on and will not let go. If the pit bull were to start barking, "hey look what I'm doing", then the prey gets away.
4 Elijah said to him, “Elisha, please stay here, for the Lord has sent me to Jericho.” But he said, “As the Lord lives, and as you yourself live, I will not leave you.” So they came to Jericho. 5 The sons of the prophets who were at Jericho drew near to Elisha and said to him, “Do you know that today the Lord will take away your master from over you?” And he answered, “Yes, I know it; keep quiet.”
Jericho was the first city taken when they entered the good land. So from the spot where Abram began his journey of faith in the Good land we know go to where the nation of Israel began their journey of faith. When they took Jericho they had to follow very specific but very strange instructions. They marched around the city every day for a week without saying a word. Then on the last day they marched around the city seven times and this time it concludes with a shout of victory. There is also a very specific warning, don't take any spoil from this city. Once again, this is not about you, not about you getting rich. There will always be that person, like Balaam, or Judas who thinks that prophecy is simply their ticket to getting rich. Finally, in judgment remember mercy. Remember Rahab and her family. She was a prostitute, she sold her body for money, but she has repented and she now believes.
6 Then Elijah said to him, “Please stay here, for the Lord has sent me to the Jordan.” But he said, “As the Lord lives, and as you yourself live, I will not leave you.” So the two of them went on. 7 Fifty men of the sons of the prophets also went and stood at some distance from them, as they both were standing by the Jordan. 8 Then Elijah took his cloak and rolled it up and struck the water, and the water was parted to the one side and to the other, till the two of them could go over on dry ground.
And there you go, now you can see how everyone missed this, what a great reveal concerning the rapture. Elijah began at the beginning, but now he is "rewinding". He sees that what has been is what shall be. He is revealing to us that the rapture did not take place after the children of Israel crossed the Jordan, it took place before they crossed the river Jordan! In this picture you have Elijah depicting the saints who are raptured and Elisha depicting the tribulation saints. It is the tribulation saints that take the mantle from Elijah and then cross the river Jordan. This is just like Joshua taking the Mantle from Moses and leading the tribulation saints over the Jordan.
9 When they had crossed, Elijah said to Elisha, “Ask what I shall do for you, before I am taken from you.” And Elisha said, “Please let there be a double portion of your spirit on me.” 10 And he said, “You have asked a hard thing; yet, if you see me as I am being taken from you, it shall be so for you, but if you do not see me, it shall not be so.” 11 And as they still went on and talked, behold, chariots of fire and horses of fire separated the two of them. And Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven. 12 And Elisha saw it and he cried, “My father, my father! The chariots of Israel and its horsemen!” And he saw him no more.
We then see Elisha acting in the Spirit and Power that Elijah did, just as we saw Joshua acting in the Spirit and Power that Moses did. According to tradition Moses died on the 7th of Adar. The children of Israel mourned for 30 days and then crossed over after sending the spies to spy out Jericho for three days. The crossing of the Jordan does not depict the rapture, it depicts Jesus' triumphant entry into Jerusalem. Eating with Mary, Martha and Lazarus depicts the spies who have come from Jericho, from Rahab's house, giving the charge that Rahab and her family is to be saved. All of us sold ourselves to do sin, all believers have confessed, repented, and believe in the redeeming blood of Jesus. It takes place at the end of the 30 days of mourning for Moses. We know that the rapture takes place during the 30 days of mourning because Jesus tells us this.
Luke 13:22 He went on his way through towns and villages, teaching and journeying toward Jerusalem. 23 And someone said to him, “Lord, will those who are saved be few?” And he said to them, 24 “Strive to enter through the narrow door. For many, I tell you, will seek to enter and will not be able. 25 When once the master of the house has risen and shut the door, and you begin to stand outside and to knock at the door, saying, ‘Lord, open to us,’ then he will answer you, ‘I do not know where you come from.’ 26 Then you will begin to say, ‘We ate and drank in your presence, and you taught in our streets.’ 27 But he will say, ‘I tell you, I do not know where you come from. Depart from me, all you workers of evil!’ 28 In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when you see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God but you yourselves cast out. 29 And people will come from east and west, and from north and south, and recline at table in the kingdom of God. 30 And behold, some are last who will be first, and some are first who will be last.”
There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth, that indicates mourning. This story ties into the story of Lazarus because the rich man wants Abraham to send back someone from the dead and he says they have Moses. He tells us the people who are raptured are those who believe Moses and if you don't believe Moses then you won't believe even if someone were to come back from the dead. Jesus resurrection confirmed this word. But so did Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead. When Jesus raises Lazarus from the dead they are all mourning, weeping and gnashing their teeth. (This expression gnashing your teeth is an indication of feeling shame and guilt for the things you didn't do. If only I had...This is what they say to Jesus when they said "If you had been here he wouldn't have died"). Therefore we know from the story of Lazarus being raised that the rapture takes place in those thirty days of mourning prior to Nisan 7 but after Adar 7.