One of the hardest subjects we run across in our Bible is the event of the gathering of the church, the harpazo. It is written about in several different ways and in many different places, but the negativity surrounding this event is so great that many people shy away from teaching it. I suppose it is easier to just not tell people what the Bible says about being caught up rather than deal with all the controversy. However I would say controversy is a good thing. It makes us think. It forces us to formulate and articulate what we understand and then deal with information that is new to us. Around the year 2000, many people were “expecting” the Lord to gather his church from off the earth. They pinned this date on the expectation of our own human made and arranged calendar. Our calendar is quite mixed up as far as biblical years and holy days go. The Masoretes eliminated 243 years from the Bible in an attempt to make other people the Messiah since they rejected Jesus as Messiah. And although we count our years from the time of Christ’s birth, and use the BC (Before Christ) or AD (Anno Domini) as our markers we are still off by a few years and our holy days are mixed up due to the use a lunar calendar instead of a solar calendar.
About that same time period at the start of the new millennium there were other people that wrote a series of fictional books that took the subject of the gathering from a future perspective in hindsight, and attempted to make sense of what the world would look like after the gathering of the church. Since the harpazo did not happen at that time, some people became hostile and negative to the entire subject. In fact many people felt misled by the fictional book series, which seems rather silly as fiction means fictitious. Every time people have set dates for the gathering of the saints in the air, they have extensive logical arguments that are obviously wrong. Therefore between the fictional book series and their own incorrect dating, people decided that they would throw out the entire subject. We have one small problem with this. The subject has not been erased from the pages of the Bible, meaning that the subject still needs to be understood. Even though translators have tried to inject their own beliefs into the text, and people have distorted the subject, the rising up and away is still in the Bible.
While most people would concede that this subject is still in the Bible they tend to do a lot of argumentative gymnastics to attempt to place the event of the harpazo where they want it. Some claim that the dead all go to heaven, then at the time of the harpazo they come down from heaven, make a u-turn back up to heaven with the saints on the earth. That is a faulty argument that is not written in the scriptures. Some claim that this event happens before the tribulation. Some claim it happens after the tribulation. Some choose the middle of the tribulation. Some claim there is no harpazo/seizing in the clouds and therefore erase the event entirely. There is an answer to all of these controversies. Out of the 620 Bible studies I have written, 47 have been on the subject. Here is the key to our understanding, every section that mentions the gathering of the saints is not always “marked” by the word harpazo. The authors and scribes used many different terms besides harpazo, like “rising up and away”, or the “above congregation”. The word harpazo means “seized by force” and is used that way 46 times in scripture. However regarding the event of the church being caught up into the air, we see that it is used by Paul and Jesus. Word studies are one of the best way to track a subject through the scripture but the broad understanding of this subject is in many places.
I am not a date setter. However there is a timing of the event, and that is key to our own understanding of where we are in time. If the church’s gathering off the earth has not occurred yet then we know where we are as far as other scripturally prophetic events. When we talk about prophecy regarding the harpazo and the end times I will never refer to things people say on their own, meaning I don’t get entwined with people’s claims of prophecy. I only deal with the written logos. So for our purposes it doesn’t matter what “special prophecies” someone has, it has to line up with the word of God, given by the Holy Spirit. It doesn’t matter what someone dreamed about either. We are only dealing with the words written to us in the Bible. We have to learn to put our emotions aside when we study. If we are emotional about a subject it will sway our view or cloud our understanding. Put the emotions away and let the word of God speak.
Notes: In this blog the study of the Book of Revelation starts November 2017 and runs through September of 2018. This study is helpful in understanding our place in time and the sequence of future events.
To start our journey we have to first determine who will be redeemed. Any human can be redeemed if they so choose, but they must comply with the rules of redemption. To be redeemed one has to confess Jesus is Lord, and believe he rose up on the third day. Confessing this out loud before men leads to salvation.
Rom 10:10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
Once someone is saved then that one is going to be redeemed. Being redeemed is technically a release from ransom, meaning we were held for ransom by Satanas and Jesus Christ paid for us with his own blood. He will redeem us when he calls us from the clouds. That day, the day of the harpazo is called the “day of redemption”. In a list of instructions to the church at Ephesus, Paul tells us that we are sealed until the day of the redemption.
Eph 4:30 And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.
The day of redemption is the day that the Lord redeems us. What day does he redeem us? On the day that he gathers his church. We will even sing about being redeemed on that day. It is the day that the dead in Christ rise up and we which are alive and remain are caught up together with them to meet Jesus in the air. That is the day of redemption. Let’s ask the question again, who is redeemed? Anyone who confesses Jesus as Lord and believes that he rose up on the third day.
Who is not redeemed? Jesus rejecters. Animals. People who have not confessed Jesus as Lord, and believed that he rose up on the third day. People might be good but they must confess with their mouth. Who else is not redeemed? Angels. Jesus did not die for the redemption of angels. Jesus came to release humans from being ransomed. Angels are not ransomed and held under the rulership of Satanas against their will. Jesus’ blood washes away the sins of humans not angels. Angels sinned but they have no redemption from Jesus. Who else is not redeemed? Cherubim. Seraphim. Ophanim. Satanas. Drakōn. There are many other sons of the Elohim, all who are not redeemed as well. The only ones redeemed are manfaced who choose Jesus as their Lord.
Notice that John is writing to the seven churches and he mentions the seven Spirits which are before His throne. They are not redeemed. But the next statement John makes in his introduction is that this book is also from Jesus Christ. He then says that Jesus washed us from our sins in his own blood and made us kings and priests unto God the Father.
Rev 1:4 John to the seven churches which are in Asia: Grace be unto you, and peace, from him which is, and which was, and which is to come; and from the seven Spirits which are before his throne;
Rev 1:5 And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood,
Rev 1:6 And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.
Rev 1:7 Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen.
Rev 1:8 I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty.
Who is Jesus redeeming? Us. Who did Jesus wash with his blood? Us. Who is becoming kings and priests? Us. There is no question here as to who Jesus washed and who he makes kings and priests, right? The redeemed are sealed with the Holy Spirit and will be made kings and priests to God the Father. Simple enough.
Jesus then tells the seven churches what they must do to become overcomers. Notice that the church at Sardis was not confessing Jesus as Lord verbally. If we confess Jesus as Lord he will confess us before his Father and the angels. John then sees a door opening in heaven. The voice he heard sounded like a trumpet and it said to John “Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after this”. This what? Someone put in a chapter break here. This refers to the overcomers in the age of the church. After this age of the church, a door opens in heaven.
Rev 4:1 After this I looked, and, behold, a door was opened in heaven: and the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me; which said, Come up hither, and I will shew thee things which must be hereafter.
John then spends the rest of this chapter explaining what he sees. John sees someone sitting on the throne and at his right hand there is a book/scroll that is sealed with seven seals. An angel calls out as to who is worthy to open the book and loose the seals, but there was no man in heaven, or earth, or under the earth to open the book/scroll. This tells us that the only one who can open the book is a man, not an angel, or a cherubim or any other son of God. This also begs the question as to where is Jesus Christ, our Lord and Messiah? He doesn’t seem to be there. John is weeping but then is told by one of the elders not to weep because here he comes. Jesus shows up. But where was he? He wasn’t in heaven. He wasn’t on the earth. He wasn’t under the earth. It has been declared that he wasn’t in those places, so where else could he have been? Could he have been above the earth, in the air, meeting with the saints who were called up? This is about the only place he could have been. He was at the harpazo, calling up the saints, probably meeting the saints, as the bride groom ushering in his bride. What happens when the door that opened in heaven closes? There will be people wondering how they can get in. Will Jesus have to tell them that he never knew them?
Jesus is now in the same place everyone else is. There is a throne, and many other sons of God. Jesus doesn’t look like a fair skinned blond hair angelic man, he looks like a lamb that was slain. He looks like he was badly beaten. He looks like he had his beard ripped out, and his head punctured with a crown of thorns. He looks like his hands and feet were pierced clean through. He looks like he was whipped and his side punctured. Do not expect to see him looking like one of our paintings, he will look like he bore every sin for every human on the earth.
As Jesus walks up to the throne he takes the book from the right hand of the Father. Imagine how the Father feels seeing Jesus looking like a lamb that was murdered, and seeing the majority of the people Jesus redeemed looking pretty good. Jesus takes the book/scroll, the four living creatures who have a harp and a bowl of the prayers of the saints.
Rev 5:8 And when he had taken the book, the four beasts and four and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them harps, and golden vials full of odours, which are the prayers of saints.
There should not be a verse break here. The focus is the saints and their prayers which leads to the next statement.
The word and in verse 9 is more properly translated “that”. The word they does not appear in the text. The word sang is the word “sing”. Someone translated it in the past tense but it is in the present tense. “The prayers of the saints that sing a new song.” Why are the saints singing a new song? This is a song that no one can sing today because no one has been redeemed yet. But the living creatures have a bowl of prayers from the saints that are going to sing a new song. What will the saints be singing about? It seems funny that the translators changed tenses, added words, and divided the verse in the wrong place unless they were trying to hide something from us.
Rev 5:9 And that they sung sang a new song, saying,…
It is prayers in a bowl not songs. The prayers in the bowl are from the people singing. Not people who sang or once had sung a song. They are the prayers of the saints in the bowl from the saints that sing a brand new song. Who are the saints? The redeemed. The saints are not angels, cherubim, seraphim etc. The saints are the only one bought by Jesus’ blood. He paid our ransom. We had been kidnapped and forced to live under an evil ruler without a choice, but Jesus paid the ransom. No one else in heaven can sing this song. The beasts and elders are not singing about the saints, the saints are singing about themselves.
https://musingsofawinsomeheart.blogspot.com/2017/03/heavenly-temple-future-temple-promises.html
https://musingsofawinsomeheart.blogspot.com/2013/03/when-we-get-to-heaven-revelation-5_11.html
…Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation;
Rev 5:10 And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth.
This song is a parallel to Revelation 1:5-6 but as we see in many modern translations the translators changed the recipients who were redeemed from first person plural to third person plural. Sometimes they change both words “us” to “they” and sometimes they change one word “us” to “they”. There is also a change with the word “we” to “they in some texts. Again someone is trying to imply the saints are not singing but someone else is singing. Who is singing the song? The saints. If the saints are not in heaven why would someone sing about their redemption as well as their future positions?
So far as we can see there are no saints in heaven until now. If your religion told you that there are saints in heaven, they are incorrect. Jesus says the overcomers are in paradise, not heaven. Yet now the saints, the dead who were overcomers in paradise and the ones who were still living on the earth, are in heaven, singing about what Jesus did for them. They are not singing about what Jesus did for other sons of God. Who did Jesus redeem? The beasts and elders are not singing this song, the saints are singing. The beasts and elders are not made kings and priests, the saints are. No other beings can sing this song, except the redeemed manfaced.
https://musingsofawinsomeheart.blogspot.com/2013/03/when-we-get-to-heaven-revelation-5_11.html
We have to understand why Revelation 1:5-6 is written before Revelation
5:9-10. The fact that people would change or hide what was written in chapter five is uncovered by what is written in chapter 1. Chapter one declares a truth that is unalterable. Chapter 5 reiterates that truth. John is not writing to unbelievers, he is writing to believers in Christ. The redeemed are bought back from their kidnapper, ransomed by Jesus’ blood. In chapter 5 they are singing about the event. Therefore, to those who changed the tenses, added words, or attempted to alter who was singing, the Holy Spirit made sure that there was proof for us to reference.
As all the saints are singing this new song, the angels start speaking along with the beasts and elders. They are saying something different than the saints. They are saying:
Rev 5:12 Saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing.
Then John hears all creatures in heaven, on earth, and under the earth, and in the sea, saying:
Rev 5:13 And every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I saying, Blessing, and honour, and glory, and power, be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever.
We can see the picture that John is explaining to us, the new race of beings, manfaced, are now in heaven for the first time. They sing about being redeemed. The other sons of God are worshipping over the saints being redeemed. When is this taking place? What time frame is this in? This all takes place before the seals have been opened. It takes place after the door of heaven was opened. After the door is opened the saints await Jesus in this particular place with the Father seated on a throne. Then Jesus walks in and picks up the scroll. This is when the saints sing the new song, and the others worship. Jesus hasn’t opened one seal yet. The time frame is unalterable due to the other surrounding events.
This also tells us that today, if the saints have not been harpazo’d, then the seals have not been opened. Therefore the people who claim to be prophetic, suggesting that the saints will live through the tribulation are incorrect. Those who believe that the gathering of the church happens at the end of the tribulation are incorrect as well. Those who believe the saints are called up in the middle of the tribulation are also incorrect. Not one seal has been opened, which is the start of the trouble on the earth.
Being taken up is not a one time thing reserved for the saints. Enoch was taken up and Elijah was taken up, both with their bodies. This is why they both come back as the two witnesses with their bodies to be killed on the earth. Then they will be taken up again. Paul was taken up for a short time and wrote about it. Also the 144,000 will be taken up by Jesus. This is important, the 144,000 are young virgin males who have not lied. The 144,000 are not old people, non-virgins, women, or liars. Jesus is very specific about this. Also Jesus was harpazo’d as revealed in revelation 12.
Specifically we have seven events associated with being caught up. The first four, Enoch, Elijah, Jesus, and Paul, have occurred. The fifth event is the church. The two witnesses will both rise up from the dead and everyone will see it on the third day after their death, and then be caught up. This is the sixth event of being caught up. The seventh event is the 144,000 young virgin males who have not lied, who were sealed for their redemption. If one studies numbers in scripture that one will understand these seven events in their numbered order. In this understanding we have spiritual perfection of the rising up.
As we can see, there is more detail to the story than it first appears. By the words of John we have our time frame. This is unwavering. It simply puts to rest all the noise surrounding the subject. There is no “special revelation” needed regarding the harpazo because we already have the information we need. The timing is set before Jesus Christ opens the seals. If we study this without our emotions and emotional opinions we see that the plan is plainly laid out for us. We know who sows confusion and we know who doesn’t want us to understand the truth. But now that we do know the truth, we are responsible to teach others also.
