In Part I, we walked through what the Bible says about the Rapture of the Church, what the event will look like, and why Scripture so clearly points to a pre-tribulation Rapture. We touched briefly on something that surprises most believers when they first hear it: the Rapture of the Church is not the only rapture in the Bible, and it is not even the first.
There are actually seven raptures spoken of in Scripture. Three of them have already happened. Four of them are still to come. And once you see all seven laid out in order, the Bible's pattern of how God deals with His faithful people becomes clear.
Rapture is not a strange new doctrine invented in the 1800s. It is something God has been doing throughout the history of His people, and something He has promised to keep doing right through the days of Tribulation.
If you have not yet read Part I, I strongly recommend starting there before continuing. That teaching lays the foundation for everything we are about to discuss.
In this teaching, we will go through each of the seven raptures one by one, with the Scripture for each. At the end, we will lay them all out on a single timeline so you can see the full picture of what God has done, and what He has yet to do.
Let's get into it.
Quick Recap - The 3 Views of the Rapture
Just to have all the info in one place, here is a quick summary of our foundation teaching on the views on the Rapture:
And we gave 6 reasons why we believe in pre-trib rapture:
- The Old Testament shows the pattern.
- Scriptural Evidence
- Jesus told us the day is unknown
- People would be looking for the wrong thing
- The Restrainer is Still Here
- The Pattern in Revelation
The 7 Raptures of the Bible
There are actually seven raptures in the Bible, 3 of which have already happened. Let's go through each one, and I will make a graphic timeline at the end.
Rapture 1:
- When: 5000 years ago
- Who: Enoch, the second from Adam
- Scripture: Heb 11:5 By faith Enoch was taken from this life, so that he did not experience death: “He could not be found, because God had taken him away.” For before he was taken, he was commended as one who pleased God.
Rapture 2:
- When: 2850 years ago
- Who: Elijah
- Scripture: 2Ki 2:11 As they were walking along and talking together, suddenly a chariot of fire and horses of fire appeared and separated the two of them, and Elijah went up to heaven in a whirlwind.
Rapture 3:
- When: 2000 years ago
- Who: Yeshua!
- Scripture: Act 1:9 After he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight. Act 1:10 They were looking intently up into the sky as he was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them.
These are the 3 raptures that have taken place. Now let's look at the 4 remaining raptures promised:
Rapture 4:
- When: Sometime before the Tribulation Starts
- Who: The Church
- Scripture: See our Foundation Teaching
Rapture 5:
- When: Sometime during the 7 Years of Tribulation, but most likely during the first 3.5 years, as in the last stage of Tribulation, God will send angels to preach the Gospel. To us, this implies there are no believers left on Earth in the last 3.5 years of Tribulation.
- Who: The Tribulation Saints
- Scripture: Rev 7:9 After this I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands... Rev 7:13 Then one of the elders asked me, “These in white robes—who are they, and where did they come from?” Rev 7:14 I answered, “Sir, you know.” And he said, “These are they who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.
Rapture 6:
- When: During the tribulation. They will be raptured after the church and after the tribulation saints. We also conclude it is during the first 3.5 year period for the same reason as we stated in Rapture 5.
- Who: The 144 000 Jewish believers in Jesus
- Scripture: Rev 14:1 Then I looked, and there before me was the Lamb, standing on Mount Zion, and with him 144,000 who had his name and his Father’s name written on their foreheads...Rev 14:3 And they sang a new song before the throne and before the four living creatures and the elders. No one could learn the song except the 144,000 who had been redeemed from the earth.
- Note - Chapter 7 indicates they are on Earth, but Chapter 14 indicates they are in Heaven, so they must be raptured.
Rapture 7:
- When: At the midpoint of the Tribulation
- Who: The two Jewish witnesses
- Scripture: Rev 11:3 And I will appoint my two witnesses, and they will prophesy for 1,260 days, clothed in sackcloth.” Rev 11:4 They are “the two olive trees” and the two lampstands, and “they stand before the Lord of the earth.” Rev 11:11 But after the three and a half days the breath of life from God entered them, and they stood on their feet, and terror struck those who saw them. Rev 11:12 Then they heard a loud voice from heaven saying to them, “Come up here.” And they went up to heaven in a cloud, while their enemies looked on.
Commentary on Rapture 7: The Two Jewish Witnesses
It is widely accepted that the two Jewish witnesses to come back are Elijah and Moses. Elijah is guaranteed, as he is prophesied to return :
Mal 4:5 “See, I will send the prophet Elijah to you before that great and dreadful day of the LORD comes.
Mal 4:6 He will turn the hearts of the parents to their children, and the hearts of the children to their parents; or else I will come and strike the land with total destruction.”
Moses is more up for debate. People argue it is him because of the strange circumstances around his death (He walked up a mountain and no one really knows what happened after that), but what is more of a clue is the type of signs and wonders these two witnesses perform. They oddly match the signs that Elijah and Moses both performed on Earth. Check below:
Rev 11:6 They have power to shut up the heavens so that it will not rain during the time they are prophesying; and they have power to turn the waters into blood and to strike the earth with every kind of plague as often as they want.
Does that not sound like Moses with Pharaoh? It seems Moses was in training back in Exodus for this appointed time of Tribulation! And here is the hint to Elijah:
Rev 11:5 If anyone tries to harm them, fire comes from their mouths and devours their enemies. This is how anyone who wants to harm them must die.
We know Elijah called down fire from Heaven to prove to pagan worshippers that Yehovah was God. He was also in training!
Another clue is the transfiguration - Moses and Elijah were both talking to Jesus on the mountain. The Bible indicates there is a special connection with these two.
The story that these two will have is really crazy:
Rev 11:7 Now when they have finished their testimony, the beast that comes up from the Abyss will attack them, and overpower and kill them.
Rev 11:8 Their bodies will lie in the public square of the great city—which is figuratively called Sodom and Egypt—where also their Lord was crucified.
Rev 11:9 For three and a half days some from every people, tribe, language and nation will gaze on their bodies and refuse them burial.
Rev 11:10 The inhabitants of the earth will gloat over them and will celebrate by sending each other gifts, because these two prophets had tormented those who live on the earth.
Rev 11:11 But after the three and a half days the breath of life from God entered them, and they stood on their feet, and terror struck those who saw them.
Rev 11:12 Then they heard a loud voice from heaven saying to them, “Come up here.” And they went up to heaven in a cloud, while their enemies looked on.
The Full Timeline
Putting all the raptures on a timeline gives us a perfect layout of time according to the Bible:
Conclusion
Seven raptures. Three behind us, four still ahead.
When you take a step back and look at all seven on the timeline, the pattern is clear. From Enoch in the earliest pages of Genesis, to Elijah in the days of the kings, to Yeshua's own ascension in the book of Acts, God has consistently shown that He is willing to call His faithful ones up to Himself. The
That should give us hope. The same God who took Enoch before he saw death, who sent a chariot of fire for Elijah, has personally promised that He is coming back for us. And after the Church is raptured, He will continue to gather His own throughout the days of Tribulation: the Tribulation Saints, the 144 000 Jewish believers, and the two witnesses at the midpoint.
But this teaching is not just meant to give us comfort. It is meant to change how we live right now.
If you are in Jesus, the promise is 100% certain - We are not appointed unto wrath, we are appointed to be caught up to meet Him in the air. There is no need to live in fear of the Tribulation, because the Church will not be there for it.
However, if you are lukewarm, take it seriously. Part I covered why some believers are explicitly promised to go through the Tribulation, and our 7 Churches teaching expands on this further. Do not assume that simply calling yourself a Christian guarantees you a place in the first rapture. Examine your walk. Make sure your lamp has oil in it.
If you have loved ones who do not know Jesus, take it to them. The window for the Church to share the Gospel is still open, but it will not stay open forever. Once the Church is removed, the world will be deceived, and as we covered in Part I, many will not turn to God even when the Rapture happens. Use the days you still have.
The full plan shows us that the dead in Messiah will rise first. Those of us who are still alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air. And after that, God's plan for the Tribulation Saints, the 144 000, and the two witnesses will unfold exactly as Scripture has told us it will.
Stay watching. Stay ready. Keep your lamp full of oil.
Be Blessed!
