When we talk about the harpazo
we find some people refer to that occurrence as the gathering together. If we remember that harpazo is a verb meaning “to
seize or snatch” we can understand that the verb describes the action of the event.
What the event is, is the episunagoge,
the rising up together or gathering together. When we segment the Bible we miss the
contextual understanding of these words. If we ignore the parts of the Bible we
don’t understand, we don’t gain understanding, instead we have a
misunderstanding of scripture. Clearly Paul wrote of two events in the same
sentence, the parousia which is the
coming of Jesus at the end of the tribulation, and the episunagoge the rising up together of the saints. While many people
have denied the episunagoge by way of harpazo we have seen the precedence of “seizing
by force” with regards to Enoch and Elijah. We have also seen the correlation
of the Feast of Trumpets to the “day of the remembrance of the harpazo”. We
also find a simple clue to the immortality Paul spoke of which we will explore.
What is this word episunagoge? Epi is “up or above”, sunago,
“a gathering”, like a synagogue. When do we see an “above gathering” in the
Bible? At the time of the harpazo. The dead in Christ rise first; remember, if
they were already gathered above, they wouldn’t have to rise up to go anywhere. But they have to go up, so they are seized
first, and then those who are alive are seized too. Whether we are dead or
alive in Christ we are going to rise up together.
1997 LSJ Gloss: ἐπισυναγωγή a gathering
Dodson: ἐπισυναγωγή a gathering together a gathering
(collecting) together, assembling.
Strong's: ἐπισυναγωγή a complete collection; especially a
Christian meeting (for worship)
Derivation: from G1996; KJV Usage: assembling (gathering) together.
Derivation: from G1996; KJV Usage: assembling (gathering) together.
Thayer: 1) a gathering together in one place 2) the
(religious) assembly (of Christians)
ἐπισυναγωγή episunagōgē ep-ee-soon-ag-o-gay' From G1996; a
complete collection; specifically a Christian meeting (for
worship) KJV Usage: assembling (gathering) together.
The first usage of this word is found in Leviticus. Yahweh
Elohim/Kurious Theos says not to rise up
together for blood.
Lev 19: 16G3756You
shall not G4198go G1388by
treachery G1722among G3588 G1484your
nation. G1473 G3756You
shall not G1997.1rise
up together G1909for G129blood G3588of G4139your
neighbor. G1473 G1473I am
G2962the lord
G3588 G2316your
God. G1473
Yahweh says he will consume the congregation of the wicked
that rose up against him in the wilderness. And he did.
Num 14:35G1473I G2962the lord
G2980spoke.
G2229Assuredly
G3779thus G4160I will
do G3588 G4864[2congregation
G3588 G41901to
this wicked], G3778 G3588to the
one G1997.1rising
up together G1909against
G1473me. G1722In G3588 G2048this
wilderness G3778 G1814.4they
shall be completely consumed, G2532and G1563there G599they
shall die.
Paul tells us of two events, the parousia and the
episunagoge. Because many people mix up the timeline of events, they assume
there is no harpazo of the saints because Jesus comes at the end of the
tribulation, then assume everyone must live through the tribulation. The error
is that in the harpazo Jesus does not come to earth, he does not appear, he
calls but does not arrive on the earth. At the time of the rising up together
or the gathering together, Jesus has not been crowned yet as the kingdoms of
the world belonging to our Lord and Christ, so he does not breach the earth to
seize us, he calls from the clouds and the angels do the seizing.
2 Thes 2: 1G2065And we
ask G1161 G1473you, G80brethren,
G5228concerning
G3588the G3952arrival
G3588 G2962of our
Lord G1473 G*Jesus G5547Christ,
G2532and G1473our G1997assembling
together G1909unto G1473him,
Translators should have added the word above to the English words assembling
together. It would have cleared up so many misunderstandings. They could
have even translated it as in Leviticus or Numbers, “rising up together”. Paul
is telling the Thessalonian church not to be worried about the rising up
together. The rising up together will
precede the events that lead up to the parousia at the end of the tribulation.
Paul gives some details of what occurs in between the two events. So the words rising up together would have made a
better translation for us today than assembling
together. The assembling together
sounds like a group meeting on the earth, rather than an above meeting in
heaven. Right now there are no humans meeting in heaven, but there are other
sons of God in heaven waiting for our arrival.
In Hebrews the writer is listing some things that we need
to do for one another and he adds the rising up together of themselves. In
other words a group going out to a particular place to do something. Clearly in
context it is speaking in a sense of worshipping, as in congregational worship.
When we worship on earth the angels and other sons of God draw near. But again
it was a known word of the time period and the people would have understood it
as rising up together.
Heb 10: 25G3361not G1459abandoning
G3588the G1997assembling
G1438of
ourselves, G2531as G1485the custom
G5100with
some, G235but G3870encouraging one
another, G2532and G5118by so
much G3123more G3745as
much as G991you
see G1448[3approaching
G35881the G22502day].
The root of episunagoge is episunago. Episunagoge is like
adding an ing to a word, in this case
it is gathering as opposed to gather, episunago. The first usage of episunago
is in Genesis and the context is the ark.
1996 LSJ Gloss: ἐπισυνάγω to collect and bring to
Dodson: ἐπισυνάγω I collect, gather together I collect,
gather together, assemble.
Strong's: ἐπισυνάγω to collect upon the same place Derivation:
from G1909 and G4863; KJV
Usage: gather (together).
Thayer: 1) to gather together besides, to bring together to
others already assembled 2) to gather together against 3) to gather
together in one place
ἐπισυνάγω episunagō ep-ee-soon-ag'-o From G1909 and G4863;
to collect upon the same place KJV Usage: gather
(together).
Gen 6: 16G1996By an
assembling, G4160you
shall make G3588the G2787ark; G2532and G1519by G4083a
cubit G4931you
shall complete G1473it G509from
above; G3588but
the G1161 G2374door G3588of the
G2787ark G4160you
shall make G1537from
out of G4104.4the side.
G2603.4[3with
ground G1377.14second
stories G25325and G5155.26third
stories G41601You
shall make G14732it].
The Masoretic Texts leave out this word but it shows up in
the Greek. By gathering together, above assembling,
you will make the ark. Noah may have had a bit of help from an above assembly
in building the ark, but he also had to assemble it from above. Either way,
there was an above assembly going on. Now look at Psalm 102. “Let this be
written for another generation” we can see by the context what generation this
is.
Psalm 102: 22G1722in G3588the G1996assembling
G2992of
peoples G2009.1together,
G2532and G935kings G3588 G1398to
serve G3588to the
G2962lord
Ps 102:16 For the Lord shall build up Sion, and shall
appear in his glory. 17 He has had regard to the prayer of the lowly,
and has not despised their petition. 18 Let this be written for
another generation; and the people that shall be created shall praise the
Lord. 19 For he has looked out from the height of his sanctuary; the
Lord looked upon the earth from heaven; 20 to hear the groaning of
the fettered ones, to loosen the sons of the slain; 21 to proclaim
the name of the Lord in Sion, and his praise in Jerusalem; 22 when
the people are gathered together, and the kings, to serve the Lord. http://ecmarsh.com/lxx/Psalms/index.htm
This is not a heavenly group, people are in chains on the
earth, and the dead are perishing, but he comes to Zion and then the people
will be above gathered. When does He come to Zion and when will people serve
the Lord? During the millennial kingdom. This next Psalm askes for them to be above
assembled out of the nations, indicating that at this time the sons of Jacob
were scattered among the nations. If we keep this in mind as to our studies a
few weeks ago, we understand that there will be a time when 144,000 will be
assembled up, or gathered up off the earth.
Psalm 106: 47G4982Deliver
G1473us, G2962O lord
G3588 G2316our
God, G1473 G2532and G1996assemble
G1473us G1537from
out of G3588the G1484nations!
G3588 G1843to
acknowledge G3588 G3686[3name
G14731your G3588 G392holy];
G3588 G1460.2to
boast G1722in G3588 G133your
praise.G1473
Jesus used this idea of gathering together as a hen.
Jerusalem killed the prophets and the ones Yahweh sent to help, but Jesus
wanted to gather them like a hen gathers her chicks.
Matt 23:37G*Jerusalem,
G*Jerusalem,
G3588the
one G615killing
G3588the G4396prophets,
G2532and G3036stoning
G3588the
ones G649sent G4314to G1473her. G4212How
often G2309I
wanted G1996to
assemble G3588 G5043your
children G1473 G3739in
which G5158manner
G1996[2assembles
G37331a hen]
G3588 G3556her
nestlings G1438 G5259under G3588the G4420wings,
G2532and G3756you
wanted not. G2309
Think of that picture, Jesus trying to wrap his arms
around the children in Jerusalem but being rejected instead. So the idea of above
assembling, gathering up, and coming up together here is that Jesus would have
loved to above gather the children of Jerusalem but they would not have him.
Paul tells us that the corruptible has to put on
incorruption and the mortal has to put on immortality. We have this idea
because some of the redeemed will have died and are awaiting the rising up
together, while some are alive on the earth. The mortals become deathless, the
ones who died and rise first become incorruptible. We have to understand that
if we are to all go to heaven, we cannot go in a corrupted or mortal way. We
have to be changed. As Revelation 5 shows us, the redeemed are watching the
seals being opened and just before they are opened they are singing and
praising the worthiness of the Lamb who died to redeem them. This is the above
congregation, the above synagogue, the above assembly. In order for the
redeemed to get to heaven, among the beasts and elders and the seven spirits
the other beings in the heavens, the human redeemed have to change out of the
decaying forms they carry, and it happens in the blink of an eye. So before
anyone rises up together to enter heaven, they have to change. If this rising
up together, or gathering together happened today, the redeemed mortals would
be changed into undying redeemed sons of God. The rising up together means
death is swallowed up. http://musingsofawinsomeheart.blogspot.com/2013/03/when-we-get-to-heaven-revelation-5_11.html
LSJ Gloss: ἀθανασία immortality
Dodson: ἀθανασία immortality immortality, imperishability,
freedom from death.
Strong's: ἀθανασία deathlessness Derivation: from a
compound of G1 (as
a negative particle) and G2288; KJV
Usage: immortality.
Thayer: 1) undying, immortality, everlasting
ἀθανασία athanasia ath-an-as-ee'-ah From
a compound of G1 (as
a negative particle) and G2288; deathlessness
KJV Usage: immortality.
1 Cor 15:53G1163For it
is necessary G1063 G3588 G5349this
corruption G3778 G1746to put
on G861incorruptibility,
G2532andG3588 G2349this
mortal G3778 G1746to put
on G110immortality.
54G3752But
whenever G1161 G3588 G5349this
corruptible G3778 G1746should
have put on G861incorruptibility,
G2532and G3588 G2349this
mortal G3778 G1746should
have put on G110immortality,
G5119then G1096shall
come to pass G3588the G3056word G3588 G1125having
been written, G2666[2was
swallowed down G3588 G22881Death]
G1519in G3534victory.
The rising up together changes the redeemed. Once they are
changed they live eternally. Jesus is the only one right now who had a body and
overcame death and is now living immortally.
1 Tim 6:16G3588the
one G3441alone G2192having
G110immortality,
G5457[3light
G36111living
in G6762unrivaled
excellent], G3739whom G1492[3beheld
G37621not
one G4442of
man], G3761nor G1492[2to
behold G14101is
able]; G3739to
whom G5092is honor
G2532and G2904[2might
G1661eternal].
G281Amen.
By contrast, the two witnesses have not put on immortality,
they were taken, still having corruptible bodies, into paradise. They are
waiting for the episunagoge along with the dead redeemed because when the dead
redeemed go up, Enoch and Elijah come down. They will return and be killed, and
then they will spend three days in the grave, like Jesus did. What do you think
they will be doing there? Probably the same thing Jesus did, witnessing to the
imprisoned spirits. Remember there are still two compartments for hades, but
the redeemed are no longer there, Jesus took the redeemed out of Hades when he
took back the keys to hell and death. Yet since Jesus’ death some people died
having never heard of Jesus. The witnesses will then rise up on the third day,
and the whole world will see. http://musingsofawinsomeheart.blogspot.com/2013/03/hades-gehenna-abyss-paradise.html
This same word we just looked at is used for the seventh
month and in the Greek, athanasia,
means “immortality”. This was the word the Hebrew scribes used to translate the
Hebrew word into the Greek around 300 BCE. Before the exile, the word for the
seventh month was Athanim. After captivity,
it became Tishri. The Hebrew
definition for Athanim/Athanin/Ethanim is enduring. We find it used only once
in 1 Kings.
OT:388 'Eythaniym —Ethanim = "enduring" the
seventh Jewish month, corresponding to our modern October to November so named
because permanent streams still flowed (from The Online Bible Thayer's Greek
Lexicon and Brown Driver & Briggs Hebrew Lexicon, Copyright © 1993,
Woodside Bible Fellowship, Ontario, Canada. Licensed from the Institute for
Creation Research.)
1 Kings 8:2 And all the men of Israel assembled themselves
unto king Solomon at the feast in the month Ethanim, which is the seventh
month. KJV
What feasts are in the seventh month? Trumpets/Rosh ha
Shanna, the Day of Atonement, and the Feast of Tabernacles. Or by translation; New
Years, repentance and reconciliation, and remembering the wandering in the
wilderness.
3 Kings 8:1 And it came to pass when Solomon had
finished building the house of the Lord and his own house after twenty years,
then king Solomon assembled all the elders of Israel in Sion, to bring the ark
of the covenant of the Lord out of the city of David, this is
Sion, 2 in the month of Athanin.
1 Kings 8:2G1722in G3376the month
G110.1Athanim
G1722during
G1859its
holiday, G1473 G1473this G1510.2.3is G3376[2month
G14421 the seventh].
G2532And G2064[5came
G39561all G35882the G42453elders
G*4of
Israel].
Moses was told that the calendar was to be a solar calendar
and if they went to a lunar calendar the Israelites would mix up the appointed
days. The Essenes kept track of the correct days with extensive calendars
correlating the solar days to the lunar days so that they could keep the
correct solar day. This meant that the feasts would fall on the same day of the
week every year in the solar cycle but would change in the lunar cycle. They
felt that many Jews were keeping the wrong days for holy days. On a solar
calendar the dates would not have changed, every year would be the same holy
day on the same day of the week. The lunar cycle can sometimes mix weekly
Sabbaths and holy days but the solar calendar did not.
The days are not just appointed on earth but in heaven as
well. The sons of God are celebrating holy days too. Jesus told us to pray “thy
will be done on earth as it is in heaven”. The heavenly pattern is a mirror to
the earthly pattern. This is why we have to understand the day of the rising up
together by seizing, or the episunagoge via harpazo. We also have to understand
the memorial of that day every year we are on the earth until the day we are
snatched up. http://musingsofawinsomeheart.blogspot.com/2016/06/feast-of-weeks-rainbows-pentecost-lost.html
When Moses then wrote Leviticus he was telling them to make
a memorial for the dead. When the calendar changed they made a few adjustments
to the holy day. They waited until they could see the crescent of the new moon
and that would indicate the first day of the month. The lunar calendar adds a
thirteenth month to adjust the cycles every two to three years. This is why the
dates vary widely from September to October.
Lev 23:24 Speak to the children of Israel, saying, In
the seventh month, on the first day of the month, ye shall have a rest, a
memorial of trumpets: it shall be to you a holy convocation. http://ecmarsh.com/lxx/Leviticus/index.htm
Remembering that the dead will put on incorruption and the
living would put on immortality seems to fit the theme of the month of
enduring. If the seventh month is called the month of enduring or immortality
that would be the thing we should remember upon its first day. Then if we take
into account all the other details of the day, we can understand that the
rising up together is an important yearly remembrance. Think of the pattern, on
the first of Athanim (immortality) we celebrate our future immortality,
remembering the dead. But if we are still on the earth, we then celebrate
atonement, repenting and making atonement for ourselves. After that we remember
Yahweh brought the children of Jacob out of Egypt and into the wilderness.
Therefore if the day of rising up together passes us by, we renew our hearts
through repentance for another year and remember how Yahweh saved his people
once before.
There will be an above congregation of humans in the
future. We don’t know when and we don’t know how to pick a date as the calendar
is not quite right. Therefore instead of date setting and trying to predict the
future according to a date, we should simply be teaching what we are to do
regarding feast days. In this case, since we don’t have the Essenes to help
keep the calendar for us, we will have to celebrate on possibly the wrong day.
No matter, remembering the rising up together by seizing once a year should be
something we do in our earthly congregations. We are to remember that we will
one day be a part of the heavenly congregation. As to when it will happen will
be a surprise, but that it will happen is sure. Yahweh would not have told us
to remember our immortality, and our rising up together via being seized by
force, in the month called immortality, if it wasn’t going to happen.
