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(From the study "Understanding The Distinction Between Israel And The Church" ) In previous articles on the Rapture , we have defined the Rapture, alluded to the different views regarding the Rapture’s timing, and discussed the Rapture’s imminence. In all of these articles, we've advocated that scripture describes the timing of the Rapture as pretribulational (meaning it takes place prior to the Tribulation, or the final seven years that are characterized by God’s eschatological wrath). In this article, we will seek to go deeper into the numerous Biblical reasons that suggest the certainty of this doctrine. We believe that there is more than enough evidence in scripture to form a strong opinion on this issue and to rest in complete assurance that this is a Biblical truth. We will offer seven convincing proofs of the pre-tribulational timing of the Rapture. 1 – The Mutual Exclusivity of Israel and the Church When a literal or plain interpretation of scripture is consistently applied, a downstream result is the understanding that national Israel and the Church are distinct entities in God’s prophetic program. We can also then understand that God deals with them mutually exclusively. Our outline for this perspective is given in Daniel 9. This chapter records how in the mid-500s BC, the prophet Daniel was given the seventy-weeks prophecy, which declared seventy weeks or heptads of years that would take place for national Israel and Jerusalem. It is critical that we recognize that according the text, these seventy weeks are specifically designated for the Jews and Jerusalem – not the Gentiles or the Church (Verse 24 – “Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city ”). These seventy weeks amount to a total of 490 years (70 x 7). This acts as the framework for all future Bible prophecy. A beginning point and ending point are provided for marking the first through the sixty-ninth weeks of years. The sixty-ninth week of years ended with the Triumphal Entry of Jesus into Jerusalem in 33 AD, just days prior to His crucifixion. According to the prophecy, it is clear that this prophetic time-clock for national Israel stopped with the completion of the sixty-ninth week, leaving one future week – the seventieth week – to still be completed. But after the sixty-ninth week, something “unexpected” happened. After Israel killed her Messiah, rejecting His offer of the Messianic Kingdom (which had been promised and prophesied of throughout the Old Testament), this prophetic seventy-week program of God for Israel was paused, and God instead introduced an interim program called the Church, as the Spirit was poured out on the Day of Pentecost of that same year – 33 AD (Acts 2). Subsequently, the gospel was to be spread to all nations, as God’s focus temporarily shifted from that of national Israel to His new work called the Church, which focused on all nations. And so, at the Triumphal Entry, the time-clock for Israel’s seventy-week countdown was paused and a gap period we call the Church Age was inserted. In 70 AD, the final harbinger of this shift took place as Jerusalem was destroyed and the Jews were eventually scattered to the uttermost parts of the earth in what is termed the Diaspora. The Church Age has been in effect since 33 AD, and will last until the closing event of this age – the Rapture, or supernatural catching away of the Church to heaven described in scripture (Romans 11:25; I Thessalonians 4:14-18; et al.). We understand that God’s time clock for the Church will stop with the Rapture, and either immediately or soon after, His time clock for national Israel will again begin, as there remains one final week of years – the seventieth week – to be completed. During this time, Israel will once again become the primary focus of God’s plan during this final seven-year “week” of time often called the Tribulation, or Daniel’s seventieth week. This final week for Israel, the Tribulation (Revelation 6-19), will be a time of great trouble for the world as God’s wrath is poured out – but will be especially focused upon Israel, especially the second half of this seven-year period. One primary purpose of the Tribulation is to drive the nation of Israel to repentance through great affliction. Sometimes God has to knock us down in order to get us to look up at Him – and that’s what’s happening to Israel during the Tribulation. Through this experience of unimaginable distress, Israel will finally be brought to faith (Zechariah 12:10; Romans 11:25). When Christ does return to the earth at the end of the Tribulation, Israel will be ready to receive Him as their Messiah. This now-righteous remnant of Israel will be rescued from the nations that have gathered to destroy her, and Christ will set up His Millennial or Messianic Kingdom on earth (Zechariah 12:2-3; Chapter 14). How does all of this inform our perspectives of the timing of the Rapture? We see that when the first sixty-nine weeks for Israel were active, the Church was not on the scene. But the same year the sixty-nine weeks ended – 33 AD – the Church then began almost immediately after on Pentecost. Israel’s clock stopped and the Church’s clock began. The Church was God’s interim program that He inaugurated after national Israel rejected her Messiah. This is the time we are living in presently – which we call the Church Age. Again, the Rapture of the Church will be the event that stops the Church’s clock - permanently. But as we’ve discussed here, when the seventieth week begins, Israel’s clock will resume until its completion at the Second Coming – which will take place at the end of the seventieth week. So, the first sixty-nine weeks and the seventieth week (in other words, all seventy weeks ) are designated specifically for Israel, and have nothing at all to do with the Church. In fact, the Church and the seventieth week are completely incompatible. They are mutually exclusive according to this prophetic calendar. This itself is one of the reasons that necessitate the pretribulational removal of the Church from earth in order for God to begin Israel’s final week. God will not reinitiate His program for Israel until His program for the Church has been concluded (at the pretribulational Rapture). No other Rapture view makes a clear distinction between Israel and the Church. 2 – The Church is Exempt From Eschatological Wrath The Tribulation is the culminating subset within the judgment phase of the broad Day of the Lord. The idea of this whole period being the wrath of God is shown most plainly in Revelation 6, as the Sixth Seal opens and even the wicked earth dwellers finally recognize that they’ve been experiencing God’s wrath. The people of earth cry out in fear. And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb: For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand? -Revelation 6:16-17 The wrath (the judgment phase of the broad Day of the Lord – which includes the Tribulation) didn’t just begin with the opening of the Sixth Seal - it began with the opening of the First Seal. Why? Because Jesus is the one in heaven opening the seals and releasing these wrathful judgments (Revelation 6 and following)! They are all part of the “wrath of the Lamb.” But here is what we’re really getting at: the Bible clearly teaches that believers escape before the time of God’s wrath. They don’t experience any of the judgments of this period. In other words, the Church is caught up in the Rapture prior to any of the judgments of God’s wrath that get poured out upon the earth. Consider the following points. In 1 Thessalonians 1:9-10, Paul tells the Church that Jesus delivered us from the wrath to come. And to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come. -1 Thessalonians 1:9-10 Notice that this says Jesus deliver ed us (past tense) from the wrath to come (future tense). When we were saved and we entered into the body of Christ or the Church, that salvation brought with it an exemption from the coming time of wrath. It doesn’t say God will bring us through the wrath in the future – it says He has already saved us from it altogether. Then, in 1 Thessalonians 5:9, Paul says: For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ, -1 Thessalonians 5:9 So, we again find it clearly taught that we are not appointed to wrath. The Tribulation is the culmination of God’s time of wrath for those that dwell on the earth (as we will see even more clearly in the following passage). If we are not appointed to wrath, then our being on earth during the coming time of wrath is irreconcilable. And most convincing yet, in Revelation 3:10, the Lord Himself promised to keep us from the time of the Tribulation altogether. Jesus, speaking to the Church at Philadelphia says: Because you have kept my word about patient endurance, I will keep you from the hour of trial that is coming on the whole world, to try those who dwell on the earth. -Revelation 3:10 There’s simply no way to interpret this to mean God will preserve us through the Tribulation. It specifically says God will keep us from even the time of the Tribulation. We won’t be here to experience it. Notice also that it says the hour of trial is coming on the whole world and will affect all those who dwell on the earth. The only way then for the Church to be untouched by this hour of trial is for them to be removed from the earth prior to it. Of course, the Church – like anyone else – will endure normal tribulations of life (lowercase “t”), but the Church is exempt from the Tribulation (uppercase “T”) – and the entire judgment phase of the broad Day. We will experience none of it. 3 – The Rapture is a Comfort In 1 Thessalonians 4:18, after giving us the promise of the Rapture in the previous several verses, Paul then follows this up by saying: Wherefore comfort one another with these words. -1 Thessalonians 4:18 We find that the Rapture is intended to be a comfort to us. Only a pre-tribulational Rapture is truly a comfort, since it is the only view that includes a rescue of the Church out of this world prior to the outpouring of God’s wrath during the broad Day of the Lord. This will be a time of unparalleled distress on earth. If the Rapture doesn’t take place until sometime during this period of Tribulation, or especially until the end of the Tribulation, how could it provide us with any comfort? It would be like saying, “Be comforted that those of you who endure through the worst distress in all of earth’s history, who do not get decapitated by the Antichrist, will get raptured at the end of it.” Obviously, that’s not a comforting promise at all - nor does it make any sense. And so, this description of the Rapture as a comfort supports the earlier passages that detail our exemption from this coming time of wrath altogether – all requiring a pretribulational Rapture. When we study the Tribulation in the broad Day of the Lord, we can all be comforted by the teaching that we will be rescued prior to it. We will experience none of its judgments. All other Rapture views require Christians to participate in at least part of this time period. 4 – The Church is Not Mentioned in Revelation Chapters 5-19 The Church is conspicuously absent from the portion of the book of Revelation that discusses the eschatological judgments taking place on the earth during the broad Day of the Lord (Chapters 5-19). However, before this, the word “Church” is prominently mentioned (twenty-two times in Chapters 1-3). It’s not mentioned again (in the context of being on earth during God’s wrath) for the remainder of the book. Revelation 1 provides for us an outline of the book as a whole. John is told to: Write the things which thou hast seen, and the things which are, and the things which shall be hereafter; -Revelation 1:19 This allows us to recognize the three divisions of the book. It is divided into the “things which thou hast seen,” the “things which are,” and the “things which shall be hereafter.” David Hocking writes: In Revelation 1:19 we have an outline of the book given to us: "Write the things which thou hast seen, and the things which are, and the things which shall be hereafter." This threefold outline includes the vision of our resurrected Lord in chapter 1 as "the things which thou hast seen"; the messages to the seven churches in chapters 2 and 3 as "the things which are" (meaning – existing in John’s day); and from chapter 4, verse 1, to the end of the book – "the things which shall be hereafter." The word "hereafter" (Greek: meta tauta) or "after these things" (following the "things which thou hast seen" and the "things which are") is an important clue to the order of things in this book. We read in Revelation 4:1: "After this" (Greek: meta tauta) and at the end of the verse the word "hereafter" (Greek: meta tauta). It would appear, therefore, that the third part of the outline of the Book of Revelation begins with Revelation 4:1 and continues to the end of the book. These events follow the "things which are" or the messages to the seven churches existing in John’s day. [1] Revelation 4:1, where the apostle John is “caught up” to heaven at the sound of a trumpet, seems to be a type or shadow of the Rapture. John, as a representative of the Church at large, was brought up into heaven to see what would take place meta tauta , or “after these things.” After what things? After the “things which are,” or the Church Age. In other words, he’s shown what takes place after the Rapture. What happens after this in Revelation is the beginning of the broad Day of the Lord, and that’s what John records. From heaven, John and the elders are able to witness the judgments of this period occurring “below” on earth. Chapters 6-19 describe the judgments of the Day of the Lord, and the Church is completely absent of mention. Further, the Twenty-Four Elders, which many Biblical scholars conclude can only be a picture of the glorified Church, is already in heaven in Chapter 4 before the seven-sealed scroll is opened, producing the Day of the Lord judgments that begin on earth. [2] So, we continue to find that the concept of the Church on earth is incompatible with the broad Day of the Lord and Tribulation period. Some have mistakenly concluded that the various mentions of “Tribulation saints” in these chapters of Revelation are equivalent to the Church. This is not the case. There will be saints present during the Tribulation in the same way that there were Old Testament saints present before the Church existed. This does not refer in any way to the Church. Again, the Church is nowhere mentioned by name after Chapter 3, yet is mentioned many times by name in the first three chapters. One point that helps clarify this distinction is that Jesus told us the gates of hell would not prevail over the Church (Matthew 16:16-17). Yet, in the Tribulation, Satan’s man of the hour – the Antichrist – is said to prevail over the saints on the earth at that time and conquer them (Daniel 7:21; Revelation 13:7). Clearly, either the Bible is contradictory or the believers being discussed in these two passages are different. There will be many who come to faith in Jesus during the Tribulation, but they should not be confused with the Church, and Revelation never refers to them as the Church. The explicit mentions of the Church abruptly stop at Chapter 3. 5 – The Imminence of the Rapture The Rapture is continuously described in the Bible as an imminent event – meaning it can occur at any moment, with no preconditions. There are no signs or warnings – it takes place suddenly. This logically requires that nothing has to happen before the Rapture can take place. If there were necessary preconditions or events, it couldn’t be truly imminent. This is why scripture constantly tells us to wait and watch for the Rapture, and gives us the impression that it can happen at any moment. It is always to be seen as the “next event” on the prophetic horizon concerning God’s end-times program. Renald Showers gives an excellent overview of the English term “imminence.” The English word "imminent" comes from the Latin verb "immineo, imminere," which means to "overhand" or "project." In light of this, the English word "imminent" means "hanging over one’s head, ready to befall or overtake one; close at hand in its incidence." Thus, an imminent event is one that is always hanging overhead, and is constantly ready to befall or overtake a person. Other things may happen before the imminent event, but nothing must take place before it happens. If something else must take place before an event can happen, that event is not imminent. The necessity of something else taking place first destroys the concept of imminency. [3] This characteristic of imminency demands that the Rapture take place prior to the broad Day of the Lord (which the Tribulation is a subset of). If on the other hand, the Rapture couldn’t occur until the middle or end of the Tribulation, then that would contradict this characteristic of imminence since other predicted events must take place first. Wayne A. Brindle writes: The term "imminence" (or imminency) as applied to the Rapture of the Church means that Christ may return at any moment for His Church, and no biblically predicted event must necessarily precede it. Those who believe that Christ will return for His Church before the Tribulation normally hold that the Rapture is imminent – that it may occur at any time and that it is the next predicted event in God’s prophetic timetable. [4] Just a few of the many “imminency passages” in the New Testament include the following. The Bible says that Jesus’ return is at hand , and we are to wait eagerly for it (Romans 8:19-25; 1 Corinthians 1:7; Philippians 4:5; Jude 21). “At hand” conveys the idea of imminence. If other events (such as the Tribulation and the arrival of the Antichrist) had to occur first before the Rapture could take place, then imminence language such as “at hand” could not be used to describe it. James encourages us to “be patient and stand firm, because the Lord’s coming is near ” (James 5:8). Revelation 1:3 and 22:10 also say that “the time is near.” Again, “near” is another example of imminence language. If the Rapture could not take place until the end of the Tribulation, for example, then it could not be described as being “near,” or able to befall at any moment. Other prophetic events would have to precede it chronologically. Much more can be said on this issue of imminence, which is taught all throughout the New Testament. (We addressed this subject of imminence more deeply in our previous article .) The pretribulational Rapture is the only view that allows for the Rapture to be imminent in its timing. All the other views require a number of prophetic events to take place first before the Rapture can occur. To be looking for the imminent return of Christ on an “any day” basis (as the New Testament teaches), you have to believe in a pretribulational Rapture. Think about that for a moment. No other Rapture view believes that Jesus can come back today. 6 – The Many Scriptural Differences Between the Rapture and the Second Coming Many unreconcilable distinctions exist between the Bible’s description of the Rapture and its description of the Second Coming at the end of the Tribulation. These distinctions indicate that the two are different events happening at different times, which would specifically contradict the idea of a posttribulational Rapture. The central passages dealing with the Rapture are John 14:1-3, 1 Corinthians 15:51-58, and 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18. The central passages dealing with the Second Coming to earth are Zechariah 14:1-21, Matthew 24:29-31, Mark 13:24-27, Luke 21:25-27, and Revelation 19. A careful examination of these texts will show that there is enough reason to conclude that the Rapture and the Second Coming to earth are not the same event. Let’s examine a brief list of some of the major points of contrast. Meeting Christ in the air versus returning with Christ The Rapture verses say that when Jesus comes, He comes in the air. Believers are caught up from the ground into the air to be with Christ, and are taken to the Father’s house in heaven. But in the Second Coming verses, the opposite order occurs, with Jesus coming down to the earth while bringing His saints with Him, and His feet will touch down on the Mount of Olives. Furthermore, let’s look at the location of believers during these events. In the Rapture verses, the believers are brought up from the earth to heaven to be with Jesus. But in the Second Coming verses, when Jesus comes back to earth from heaven with the believers with him, there are believers (Tribulation saints) still on the earth. If the Rapture and the Second Coming are the same event, then if Jesus brought all the believers up at the Rapture, how could there be believers still on the Earth at the Second Coming? A significant time lapse would’ve had to occur between the Rapture and Second Coming for so many people to come to belief in Jesus as Savior. So, again, these contradictory descriptions force us to understand these to be two separate and distinct events. A mystery event versus an event known and expected throughout Old Testament Prophecy In the Rapture verses, the catching away or gathering of the saints to Christ is described as a mystery that Paul was revealing. In John 14 (the “Upper Room Discourse”) and possibly even in a vaguer sense in His Olivet Discourse, Jesus had introduced the basic concept of the Rapture in “seed form.” He expressed it as a rescue of the righteous, who would be brought to the Father’s house in heaven prior to a time of imminent distress. But it was Paul who later expounded upon this promise, revealing it as a doctrine that we can now more fully understand. Paul described the full unveiling of this Rapture doctrine as a “mystery” (1 Corinthians 15:51-52). A mystery in the Greek Biblical sense means a concept that was previously unknown, but now revealed (Strong’s # G3466 – mustérion ). [5] Post-tribulationists suggest that Jesus's description of a future “gathering of His elect” at His Second Coming (in Matthew 24) refers to the Rapture. Many people confuse this gathering of the elect with the Rapture, as the language sounds similar. But if Paul, who wrote much later on, was the first to reveal in detail this mystery doctrine of the gathering of the Church at the Rapture, than the gathering described by Jesus at the Second Coming would seem to be referring to something else. Paul couldn’t have revealed it as a mystery if it was already described in detail by Jesus long before. It turns out that this gathering of the elect described by Christ in Matthew 24 is a familiar prophetic event to anyone who knows their Old Testament well – it refers to the re-gathering of Israel in faith in preparation for blessing after the Tribulation as the Millennial Kingdom is about to be established (cf. Isaiah 27:12-13; 43:5-7; et al.). And so, the mystery nature of the Rapture of the Church contradicts the well-known nature of the prophetic gathering of Israel at the Second Coming, helping us recognize their distinction as separate events. These are just a few of the many Biblical differentiators between the Rapture and the Second Coming, helping us recognize that they are two different events happening at two different times. 7 – Confirmation in Typology While we do not use Biblical typology to determine doctrine, it can be a powerful voice of confirmation when it aligns with and supports a clear Biblical teaching. This is certainly the case concerning the prominence of pre-tribulational Rapture typology in scripture. One of the most powerful examples is found in the ancient Hebrew wedding, whose rituals God instituted . All throughout the Gospels, Jesus relied on the ancient Jewish wedding pattern for many of His parables, climaxing in His "Bridegroom's promise" in the Upper Room in John 14 (as reviewed in our previous four-part article series on this topic ). We will provide a brief synopsis of the relevant points that align solely with a pre-tribulational Rapture timing. First, when the prospective bridegroom was of age, he would begin the process of finding a bride. Once he found a young woman of interest, the young man would leave his home and travel to the home of the prospective bride’s father. There, he would work on the details of the proposal and agreement. When the agreement was reached, and the father consented, the prospective bride would be offered a cup of wine by the prospective bridegroom. If she drank from the cup, she was accepting his marriage proposal. If she refused it, she was refusing him. After drinking from the cup, a legal contract between the two would be in place (the ketubah ). At this time, they were called husband and wife, although it was only yet the betrothal period and the actual wedding ceremony and consummation had not yet taken place. Their official status was “betrothed,” and not yet fully married. After this was done, the bridegroom made the statement to his bride-to-be that he would leave her to go back to his father’s house and prepare a place for her. This addition onto the father’s house was referred to as the cheder , meaning the bridechamber, but could also be called the chuppah , a bridal canopy. His promise was that he would one day return to receive her. During this period of betrothal, the bride was considered sanctified, consecrated, and set apart for her future husband, as she had been bought with a great price. This price to the Jews did not signify that the bride was purchased as an item like a piece of furniture or a servant, but rather that by the exchanging of something of value, a change of status was conferred upon her. In other words, she goes from single to betrothed-to-be-married. During this time of betrothal separation, which typically lasted about one to two years, the bride spent her time preparing for her wedding and awaiting her bridegroom’s promised imminent return. She would faithfully keep watch, lest he returned while she was unaware and unready. Meanwhile, the bridegroom returned to his father’s house and began construction of the bridechamber, which was typically a room added onto his father’s house. The construction is examined and approved only by the father. When the father was satisfied with the construction, he would give his son permission to go and receive his bride. When it was time for the bridegroom to go and receive his bride, there was great celebration and rejoicing. The groom would select several of his trusted friends to act as the “friends of the bridegroom,” or what we today would call the “best man.” They would act as the witnesses required for the marriage to be legal. The bridegroom and his friends would form a wedding party to travel to the home of the bride, along with virgin bridesmaids that would run ahead. In the form of a torchlit procession, typically at night, they would approach the home of the bride. Although the bride was expecting her groom to come for her, she did not know the exact time of his coming. To maintain her readiness, she may keep an oil lamp lit throughout the night. As the procession approached the home of the bride, at a distance, a shofar (a ram's horn trumpet) would be blown, and there would be shouts to alert the bride that “the bridegroom cometh!” She would be prepared and ready, and would use these last moments to gather her belongings and be ready to immediately leave with her bridegroom. The arrival of the groom at the bride’s house signaled his intention of “taking her to wife.” This act of “taking” or in a sense romantically abducting the bride was referred to as nesuin , which literally means “taking.” She would be lifted up, placed onto a bridal litter, and carried off to the bridegroom’s fathers house with great joy and celebration. Once back at the father’s house, the ceremony was performed. Many guests would be assembled for the week-long wedding celebration. On this day, the bridegroom and the bride would be treated like a king and queen at their coronation. Every expense was taken to ensure their joy. Following the ceremony, the bridegroom and his bride would retire in seclusion to the bridechamber, where they would consummate the marriage through sexual intimacy. When the marriage was consummated, the friend of the bridegroom would joyfully deliver the news to the guests outside, and the week-long wedding celebration would begin. The new couple would emerge at the end of the seven-day celebration feast and the bride would be unveiled for all to see, as she is introduced to the community. Throughout the scriptures, the terminology and themes of the ancient Jewish wedding ritual are consistently applied to the relationship between the Messiah and His bride the Church. We can say that the ancient Hebrew wedding is a type of the ultimate wedding – the one between Jesus Christ and the Church. Let’s explore these similarities in parallel to what we just went through. Jesus, like the prospective bridegroom, left His Father’s house (in heaven) and travelled to the home of His prospective bride (He came to earth in the form of a man – the Incarnation). And just like the bride did not initially choose the groom, we did not choose Christ (John 15:16). At the Last Supper meal, Jesus presented a cup of wine, and assuming the position of a Bridegroom, He told His bride-to-be that by the drinking of the cup, she is agreeing to His marriage proposal (1 Corinthians 11:25-26). He established this tradition of the Lord’s Supper to commemorate and celebrate the marriage covenant. And just as the earthly bridegroom would leave after the bride’s agreement, in order to go prepare a place for her, and then later return, our heavenly Bridegroom instructed us to do this in remembrance of Him until He returns for us. Then, Jesus, before His crucifixion, made the promise of a bridegroom to His disciples who would soon become the foundation of His future Church. He had been warning the disciples of His coming departure and death, and gave them a comforting promise. Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also. -John 14:1-3 This was Jesus’ first explicit promise of what the disciples would later learn to recognize as the Rapture , or the nesuin – the romantic abduction or snatching away of the bride – and He presented it using the phraseology of a Bridegroom. The word “mansion” here in Greek refers to a lodging, a dwelling-place, or a room, as in the room that would be added onto the father’s house. When asked about the timing of His return, like any Jewish bridegroom, Jesus said: But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only. -Matthew 24:36 In other words, like the bridegroom, Jesus promised to go back to His Father's house, prepare a bride-chamber, and then return at an unknown time to receive His bride. She must be ready on an ongoing basis, as His return remains imminent. Like the Hebrew brides who would await their bridegrooms during the betrothal period (typically one to two years), the Church has been eagerly awaiting the return of her Bridegroom for about two thousand years. Just as the bridegroom would come for the bride at any time, often at night, and with a shout and sound of a trumpet, in like manner, the Lord will return as a Bridegroom for the Church. Jesus’s parable in Matthew 25 emphasizes the practice of the Hebrew bridegrooms often approaching at night, with a cry or a shout alerting the bride of His arrival. And at midnight there was a cry [or a shout] made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him. -Matthew 25:6 Many of these same idioms are included by Paul in his description of the Rapture in the following passage. For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. -1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 Like the ancient Hebrew brides who would remain hidden away in the bride-chamber for the marriage week, scripture describes a bridal week for the Church in which we will be in the wedding chamber with our Bridegroom, Christ. As we described earlier, there remains a final seven-year period of time (the Tribulation) that is connected with the Jewish people specifically (Daniel 9). As we know, the doctrine of the pre-tribulational Rapture advocates that the catching away of the Church will happen prior to this seven-year period. So, according to that pattern, while the Jewish people’s final “week” is taking place on earth, we (Jesus and His bride, the Church), will celebrate our marriage “week” in our heavenly chuppah (or cheder ), hidden away from view! Of course, only a pretribulational Rapture would align with this pattern! Though the Church was unknown to the Old Testament audience, we find some interesting prophetic allusions that may refer to the heavenly chuppah or cheder . The theme of the Lord returning in power and glory to visit judgment on the earth is spoken of in Joel 2, referring prophetically to the “Day of the Lord.” It then speaks of a bridegroom coming out of his chamber and a bride from her chuppah . And the Lord shall utter his voice before his army: for his camp is very great: for he is strong that executeth his word: for the day of the Lord is great and very terrible; and who can abide it? … Blow the trumpet in Zion, sanctify a fast, call a solemn assembly: Gather the people, sanctify the congregation, assemble the elders, gather the children, and those that suck the breasts: let the bridegroom go forth of his chamber, and the bride out of her closet [chuppah]. -Joel 2:11, 15-16 And just as every Hebrew wedding celebrated with a great wedding feast, in like manner, following the seven years in our heavenly chuppah while the Tribulation was taking place on earth, Jesus Christ will return to earth (at the Second Coming) with His unveiled bride – the Church – to also celebrate with a marriage supper. At this time, the angels will gather the scattered remnant from all over the earth who had survived the Tribulation, and they will enter the Kingdom and celebrate the Marriage Supper of the Lamb, Christ, and His bride (Revelation 19:9, 11-14). It is astonishing to recognize that everything that God has said about His marriage to His bride, the Church, was anticipated thousands of years earlier in the institution of these customs. As you can see, only a pretribulational Rapture can fit in with this prophetic patterning. Conclusion These were only seven of the many proofs that can be offered in favor of a pretribulational view of the Rapture's timing. Many more can can be presented, but time and space limit our ability to fully explore them here. This understanding arises from the consistent application of a literal, plain interpretation of the Bible. All other views end up compromising a consistent literal interpretive method at some point. As the eminent theologian John Walvoord said: The only view that interprets prophecy literally and consistently is that of the pretribulational, premillennial position. [6] Maranatha! [1] David Hocking, “The Rapture In Revelation,” Pre-Trib.org . ( https://www.pre-trib.org/pretribfiles/pdfs/Hocking-TheRaptureinRevelati.pdf - Retrieved 8/20/19) [2] Ibid. [3] Renald Showers, Maranatha: Our Lord Come! Bellmawr, NJ: Friends of Israel, 1995, p. 127. [4] Wayne A. Brindle, “Imminence” in The Popular Encyclopedia Of Bible Prophecy , eds. Tim Lahaye and Ed Hindson, Eugene, OR: Harvest House, 2004, p. 144. [5] Strong’s Concordance , entry “3466, mustérion,” BibleHub.com . ( https://www.biblehub.com/greek/3466.htm - Retrieved 7/12/19) [6] John F. Walvoord, Prophecy in the New Millennium , Grand Rapids, MI: Kregel, 2001, p. 122.

(From the study "Understanding The Distinction Between Israel And The Church" ) It is somewhat common in scripture for a prophecy to, in the course of a single line, or even in the space of a comma, jump from one fulfillment event to another, being hundreds or even thousands of years apart. This is a common occurrence in Bible prophecy due to the hidden nature of the Church Age in prophetic God’s program. Between the “mountain peaks” of Bible prophecy is the “valley” of the Church Age, which was hidden from view to the Old Testament prophets. Their prophecies often discuss events fulfilled at Christ’s First Coming and seemingly flow right into events that will take place at His Second Coming (two prophetic "mountain peak" events). Through the benefit of hindsight, we can now see that they skip over the several thousand years we’ve experienced so far in the Church Age. If while initially reading them, you didn’t already know there was a mystery gap period (the Church Age) inserted in between, you’d think they were all continuous and uninterrupted prophecies. A prime example of this is the clear gap between Zechariah 9:9 and 9:10. Verse 9 is a clear prophecy related to Jesus’ First Coming, describing His Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem several days prior to His crucifixion. Verse 10 then immediately moves to a Second Coming context, prophetically describing the glorious return of Christ as the conquering Messiah who will defeat His enemies and establish His Millennial reign on earth. Verse 9: Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy King cometh unto thee: he is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass. Verse 10: And I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim, and the horse from Jerusalem, and the battle bow shall be cut off: and he shall speak peace unto the heathen: and his dominion shall be from sea even to sea, and from the river even to the ends of the earth. -Zechariah 9:9-10 From an Old Testament perspective prior to Christ, one would be hard-pressed to recognize a prophetic gap that separates these two verses. No such gap is obvious in the text. But by virtue of hindsight, the gap becomes clear. Between the events of Christ’s two comings lies the Church Age, a mystery intercalation in God’s program. Scholar Warren Wiersbe writes: The entire age of the church fits between Zechariah 9:9 and 9:10, just as it does between Isaiah 9:6 and 7 and after the comma in Isaiah 61:2. [1] As Wiersbe notes, this prophetic gap is also obvious in Isaiah 9:6-7. Note how clearly the beginning of Verse 6 refers to the First Coming, but then immediately shifts to Second Coming events. Verse 6: For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Verse 7: Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this. -Isaiah 9:6-7 Isaiah’s prophecy of a child being born and a son being given obviously refers to Jesus’ incarnation at His First Coming. But then the passage immediately transitions to a Second Coming context in everything that follows. While Wiersbe suggests that the transition takes place between the two verses, we must point out that the government has never yet been upon Jesus’ shoulder. This will not take place until He establishes His earthly reign following His Second Coming. Jesus has also never been called “Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace” by the Jewish nation to which He was sent and to whom this prophecy was given. This will not occur until all of Israel is brought to faith around the time of the Second Coming and establishment of the Millennial Kingdom. Therefore, the gap is actually located in Verse 6 between the phrases "unto us a son is given" and "and the government shall be upon his shoulder." Verse 7 then continues to describe the establishment of Christ's earthly reign in the Millennial Kingdom, which follows the Second Coming. So, again, without the benefit of hindsight, it would seem as if these prophecies flow together. But because we can look back on them with the clarity of New Testament revelation, it becomes obvious that a mystery time-gap separates them. Wiersbe also mentions Isaiah 61:2, possibly the most classic example of this “hidden gap” phenomena in all of scripture. Jesus Christ Himself interpreted this for us in Luke 4:16-19. This passage records how at the beginning of His ministry, Jesus stood up in the synagogue when it was His turn to read, and opened to the book of the prophet Isaiah. He proceeded to read Isaiah 61:1-2, proclaiming His mission at His First Coming. He finishes with His mandate: “To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.” What you probably wouldn’t realize without going back to Isaiah to read the original prophecy, is that Jesus stopped reading right in the middle of the sentence! The rest reads, “and the day of vengeance of our God…” Jesus stopped reading at the comma that preceded “and the day of vengeance of our God…” He left that last segment out. Why? Because we now understand that after that comma, the prophecy jumped from the time of the Messiah’s First Coming to some several thousand years or more into the future – past the present time in which we are now living, to the time of His Second Coming. The “day of vengeance” was not part of His mission during His First Coming, but it will be fulfilled at His Second Coming. So, in the original prophecy in Isaiah, we see that one comma separated several thousand years of history (to date), but this gap would have been unknown and undetectable to the original readers. We need to recognize that the Church was a mystery entity hidden throughout the Old Testament. Some have illustrated this concept as a series of mountain peaks, separated by a valley that lay in between. The first mountain peak represents the events of the First Coming of the Messiah, and the next taller mountain peaks represent the events of the Second Coming and then the Millennial Kingdom that immediately follows. In between the first two peaks sits a valley encompassing the Church Age, which was below the line of vision for the prophets. They could see the mountain peaks in the distance, and from their view, they seemed to follow each other sequentially without gaps or interruptions. But from their vantage point, they couldn’t tell that between the mountains was a valley. In other words, they couldn’t know that there was a two thousand-or-more-year Church Age that separated the events they saw. All of these things were beneath their line of sight. This truth is taught consistently in the scriptures, as we see from the words of Jesus Himself in Matthew 13. Jesus’s disciples asked Him why He spoke in parables. His response alluded to this coming “valley,” or period of time we now call the church, as being a time which the Old Testament prophets could not see. And the disciples came, and said unto him, Why speakest thou unto them in parables? He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them [the unbelieving] it is not given. For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath. Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand. And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Esaias, which saith, By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive: For this people’s heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them. But blessed are your eyes, for they see: and your ears, for they hear. For verily I say unto you, That many prophets and righteous men have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them; and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them. -Matthew 13:10-17 In other words, due to God's foreknowledge of Israel's national unbelief, there was a mystery age inserted in between the two mountain peaks that the prophets were not permitted to foresee. Knowing that the nation of Israel would reject His Messiah, God had planned a hidden age that was not disclosed until later on in Jesus’s earthly ministry. When it became clear that the nation would reject Him as their King, it was only then that Jesus began to reveal this truth of a mystery age that would occur prior to the introduction of His Kingdom. This is taught also in 1 Peter. Of which salvation the prophets have enquired and searched diligently , who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you: -1 Peter 1:10 Peter states that the prophets did not have the full disclosure of the salvation that would occur during the Church Age. They were given prophecies of the First Coming, which portrayed the Messiah as the “Suffering Servant.” They were given prophecies of the Second Coming, which portrayed the Messiah as the “Conquering King” who would introduce the Kingdom reign. While the prophets were shown these distinct “mountain peaks” of prophecy, they were unable to see the “valley” of the Church Age that lay between them. Therefore, they could not fully understand how the hazy and seemingly-contradictory prophesies of the Old Testament would come to pass. But when Israel as a nation rejected her Messiah at His First Coming, the Kingdom Age was postponed, and God introduced His mystery plan for a new entity called the Church! Although the Church began with the Jewish followers of Jesus as they received this New Covenant Spirit outpouring on Pentecost, this outpouring was soon extended to the Gentiles (Acts 10 and following), as this mystery hidden Church Age was inaugurated. The hidden nature of the Church Age is evident in the disciples’ confusion regarding what would “come next” after Jesus's resurrection. To the Jewish mind, the Church was an unknown and unexpected entity. It was completely concealed. As Jews, the disciples instead looked forward to the Messianic Age that was promised, in which their Messiah would rule on earth as a descendant of David. This is made clear for us in the following exchange between Jesus and His disciples. And, [Jesus] being assembled together with them [the disciples] , commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which, saith he, ye have heard of me. For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence. When they therefore were come together, they asked of him, saying, Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel? And he [Jesus] said unto them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power. But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth. -Acts 1:4-8 Here, following Jesus’s death, burial, and resurrection, the disciples were still confused as to what was to follow. They had it in their minds that the next thing to transpire was Jesus, as the Messiah, introducing the earthly Messianic Kingdom. They had no concept that His true purpose – hidden in the Old Testament – was His bride the Church, the centerpiece of His plan from the beginning (Revelation 13:8)! When they asked Him if Israel’s restoration through the Messianic Kingdom was to follow, Jesus essentially brushed off their question, letting them know that the earthly Kingdom was irrelevant for them at that moment. Christ didn’t deny that such a Kingdom would one day come, but it wasn’t the focus at that time. Instead, their true identity and purpose was far greater: to participate in the formation of the Church – the body and bride of Christ – which would introduce the spiritual aspects of the New Covenant. This idea of an intervening period of a Church Age that would unite Jew and Gentile as one in the body of Christ was a totally unexpected possibility for them. This truth, however, is most clearly revealed in the writings of Paul, who more than any other was given the privilege of expounding upon the doctrine of the Church, which he consistently referred to as a “mystery.” That word in Greek is mystērion (Strong’s # G3466), and has a slightly different meaning than our same word does in English. In the Greek New Testament, mystērion is a term normally used to refer to “that which has been kept secret by God in the past, but which He has now chosen to reveal.” [2] We see this in Paul's letter to the Romans: Now to him that is of power to stablish you according to my gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery [mystērion] , which was kept secret since the world began, But now is made manifest, and by the scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the everlasting God, made known to all nations for the obedience of faith: -Romans 16:25-26 Paul states that the gospel of Jesus Christ, which would be made available to all nations (a description of the Church Age) was a mystery that was kept secret since the world began – but had not yet been made manifest (or revealed). He also teaches this truth in his Epistle to the Ephesians: Whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery [mystērion] of Christ which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit; That the Gentiles should be fellowheirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel: -Ephesians 3:4-5 Paul teaches that the Church (comprised of Jews and Gentiles becoming one body in Christ through the gospel) was a mystery that was not made known to earlier generations. It was only now revealed through the apostles and prophets of the Church Age. Later in this letter, Paul refers to the bride of Christ (the Church) in this same way. For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh. This is a great mystery [mystērion] : but I speak concerning Christ and the church. -Ephesians 5:31-32 The very existence of the Church was a great mystery that was unknown to previous audiences. The Church Age is an intercalation in God's dealings with Israel. It is a mystery that was hidden. Once again, Paul confirms this in his letter to the Colossians: Whereof I am made a minister, according to the dispensation of God which is given to me for you, to fulfil the word of God; Even the mystery [mystērion] which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints: To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory: -Colossians 1:25-27 So, we can recognize the pervasive teaching of the hidden nature of the Church (and the Church Age) throughout the Old Testament. Between the “mountain peaks” of prophetic revelation laid a valley called the Church Age that was undisclosed to the Old Testament prophets. Conclusion Why did God disclose prophecy in this way? We suggest that God had to construct the prophetic narrative in a way that could fit either of two scenarios: One in which Israel rejects her Messiah (necessitating an intervening Church Age). One in which Israel accepts her Messiah (and theoretically, the Day of the Lord and glorious inauguration of the Messianic Kingdom could have immediately followed). Of course, God foreknew which option Israel would choose (and even revealed as much in prophetic passages such as Isaiah 53 and Psalm 22). But He disclosed prophecy in a way that allowed Israel to control their own destiny without the overt assumption that they would fail. When they ultimately did fail by rejecting their Messiah, they brought to light the true issue: humanity's need for the Messiah's death on the cross and the redemption it purchased. There could be no contiguous Kingdom without first the sacrifice of the Savior. But God's prophetic plan allowed for the insertion of an intervening gap of time in which the death and resurrection of the Messiah, as well as the subsequent Church Age could occur. In this way, we can appreciate how God foreknew humanity's need of redemption and the eventual failure of the nation of Israel at the initial coming of her Messiah. None of this was a last-minute surprise to God. His plan was multidimensional, and seamlessly accounted for these eventualities! Only He could have put together such a plan! [1] Warren W. Wiersbe, “Zechariah” in The Bible Exposition Commentary: The Prophets , Colorado Springs: David C. Cook, 2002, pp. 447-476. [2] Expository Dictionary of Bible Words , ed. Stephen D. Renn, Peabody, MA: Hendrickson Publishers, 2005, p. 659.

(From the book The Missing Key in Dispensational Eschatology) In a previous article, we detailed a number of reasons that strongly point towards the generalized timing of the Rapture as being pretribulational (meaning it takes place prior to the Tribulation, or Daniel’s seventieth week – the final seven-year “week” of the Daniel 9:24-27 prophetic outline). While that appears certain in scripture, what is not certain is the length of time by which the Rapture precedes the Tribulation. In other words, does the Rapture take place immediately prior to the beginning of the Tribulation, or is there a period of time in between? And if the latter is true, is it a long time (a number of years or even decades) or a short time (a period of weeks or months)? We will examine these questions in this article. The notion of the Rapture taking place immediately prior to – or at the beginning of – the Tribulation does not appear to be a Biblically sustainable view, most simply due to the fact that the Rapture fundamentally is an imminent and unpredictable event, while the Tribulation has a definite beginning point that clearly relies upon at least one Biblically-prominent prerequisite sign or event. Logically, if God’s whole idea for the Rapture is to be an imminent event of unknown timing, ready to befall at any moment, why would He tether it to the beginning of the Tribulation, which does have a well-identified beginning point, and seems to follow at very least one definite preceding sign? Since the fundamental makeup of these two events are in opposition to one another, it does not make much sense to conjoin them. What prerequisite sign or event does the Bible seem to describe as preceding the Tribulation? We will discuss that shortly. But first, before delving deeper, our first order of business must be to identify the definitive beginning point of the Tribulation. The Beginning Point of the Tribulation At the outset, let's keep in mind that the Tribulation is a subset within the broad Day of the Lord (the broad Day begins with the Rapture, ends with the Millennial Kingdom, and includes everything in between, such as the Tribulation and the post-Rapture gap period – see chart). What is the Scriptural marker for the beginning of the Tribulation? The Bible tells us clearly that the beginning of the Tribulation, or Daniel’s final (seventieth) week, is initiated by the confirmation of a covenant by the Antichrist (presumably with Israel). This is made clear in Daniel 9, as the angel introduces to Daniel the prophetic scaffolding for God’s future program concerning Israel – the prophecy outlining seventy weeks of years. Dispensationalists agree that in this prophecy, each “week” describes a period of seven years. After detailing the first sixty-nine weeks, the angel then specifies the marker that will initiate the final seventieth week (which we often call the Tribulation). And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate. -Daniel 9:27 The identification of the pronoun “he” in this verse has been the topic of much debate. While some believe it refers to the “Messiah the Prince” originally mentioned in Verse 25, most dispensationalists believe it refers to the “prince that shall come” mentioned toward the end of Verse 26. In normal laws of reference in language, a pronoun refers back to the last preceding person mentioned (the antecedent). In this case, the antecedent is “the prince that shall come” in Verse 26 (See a previous article for more information). Pentecost summarizes this as follows. It is evident from Daniel 9:27 that the seventieth week begins with a covenant that is made with "many" for one week, or for seven years. This "one week," following the method of interpretation established for the sixty-nine weeks, demonstrates the fact that the period in question will be of seven years duration. The question that must be faced is the identity of the one who makes the covenant that marks the inception of this seven year period. Daniel identifies him as "he" in 9:27. This must refer back to the "prince that shall come" in the previous verse. McClain, identifying this individual, writes: … there are two different princes mentioned: first, "Messiah the Prince"; and second, "the prince that shall come." The expression "prince that shall come" cannot possibly refer to "Messiah the Prince" for the simple reason that it is "the people of the prince that shall come" who are to destroy Jerusalem after the death of Messiah. And since it is now a matter of history that Jerusalem was destroyed in A.D. 70 by the Roman people, not by the Jewish people, it follows that "the prince that shall come" cannot be the Jewish Messiah but is some great prince who will arise out of the Roman Empire. Concerning this individual, Arno Gaebelein says: "Out of the Roman empire there shall arise in the future a prince. This prince or chief of the fourth empire is identical with the little horn of Daniel 7." He is further to be identified with the "king of fierce countenance" of Daniel 8:23, with the "wilful king" of Daniel 11:36, with the "man of sin" of 2 Thessalonians 2, and with the "beast out of the sea" of Revelation 13:1-10. … This covenant deceives many in Israel into believing that this "man of sin" is God (2 Thess. 2:3). It is the proclamation of this false covenant that marks the beginning of the seventieth week. [1] As mentioned, the identification of this confirmation of a covenant by the Antichrist is a well-established marker among dispensationalists. Does this give us any clues concerning the potential for a post-Rapture gap period? The Day of the Lord Events that Precede the Tribulation We will now pick up with our earlier question concerning the existence of a prerequisite sign or event that the Bible seems to describe as preceding the Tribulation, yet taking place during the broad Day of the Lord (necessarily locating it as a post-Rapture/pre-Tribulation event). In this subsection, we will show that there of necessity must be a post-Rapture gap of time in which at least one such event will occur that helps to set the stage for the beginning of the Tribulation period. While we will focus our attention on the one event that we consider scripturally conclusive, we will follow our discussion of that event with a number of additional potential events that may also fall into this gap. The Antichrist’s Emergence The arrival of the Man of Sin onto the world scene clearly takes place after the Rapture, but before the Tribulation – yet during the Day of the Lord. This convincing point illustrates one of the most fundamental and obvious reasons why a gap must occur. Consider the logical conclusion demanded by the following facts (each of which are commonly accepted in dispensational thought): The emergence of the Antichrist can only take place after the removal of the “Restrainer” of 2 Thessalonians 2:6-8 (when the indwelling presence of the Spirit in the hearts of Christians is removed from the world at the Rapture). The emergence of the Antichrist onto the world scene and his subsequent rise to power is pictured in the going forth of the white horseman of the First Seal Judgment in Revelation 6:1-2. These Seal Judgments are events that take place during the broad Day of the Lord, and not the Church Age – confirming the first bullet point. The emergence of the Antichrist (the First Seal) must precede the beginning of the Tribulation (his confirmation of a covenant), since the confirmation of that covenant logically requires the Antichrist to already exist in a position of power necessary to perform this confirmation. The logical conclusion demanded by the sum of these facts yields the following chronological chart: The conclusion of these facts demands that since the emergence of the Antichrist takes place after the Rapture but before the Tribulation, there must be a gap period that intervenes between these two points – and this gap must be within the broad Day of the Lord. For a logical walk through the above bullet points, consider the following review. Since the Antichrist’s confirmation of the Daniel 9:27 covenant is the marker that begins the Tribulation, then the Antichrist’s emergence onto the global scene and his legendary rise to world power must precede this marker. The Antichrist of course does not confirm this covenant on “Day 1” of his political career. He instead must be given sufficient time to ascend to the position necessary to wield the influence required to be the authority looked to by the parties of this covenant. This rise is pictured in the First Seal. Walvoord affirms the likelihood that the Antichrist’s rise will take place prior to the Tribulation. It is probable that the person who heads the revived Roman Empire [the Antichrist] comes into power before the beginning of the entire seven-year period of Daniel 9:27, and as such, enters into covenant with the Jewish people. [2] This is indicated by the text of Revelation 6:1-2 (the opening of the First Seal), which, as discussed earlier in this study, most dispensationalists agree pictures the emergence of the Antichrist onto the world scene and his rise to power. Of course, this is not an instantaneous event, but rather depicts a protracted period of time, as is made evident in the text. And I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seals, and I heard, as it were the noise of thunder, one of the four beasts saying, Come and see. And I saw, and behold a white horse: and he that sat on him had a bow; and a crown was given unto him: and he went forth conquering, and to conquer. -Revelation 6:1-2 The phrase “he went forth conquering, and to conquer” describes the Antichrist embarking upon his infamous rise to power (a protracted period), which eventually places him into the position to confirm the covenant that marks the beginning of the Tribulation. Obviously then, this opening of the First Seal must precede the Tribulation, but must take place during the Day of the Lord, since it is part of the unleashing of the wrath of God on the earth. Revelation describes Jesus Christ in heaven opening the sealed scroll, releasing these judgments – and the Church is pictured as being there with Him as He’s doing so (represented by imagery including John, the Golden Lampstands, and the Twenty-Four Elders) – another confirmation that this follows the Rapture. Another reason why this First Seal could not take place prior to the Rapture centers on “the Restrainer” of 2 Thessalonians 2:6-8. Paul teaches the Thessalonians about the present unnamed force in the earth that currently restrains the emergence of the Antichrist – and will do so until He is “taken out of the way.” And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time. For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way. And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming: -2 Thessalonians 2:6-8 As discussed in an earlier chapter, dispensational scholars normally identify this “Restrainer” as the abiding presence of the Holy Spirit in the hearts of Christians (or in other words, the current presence of the Church on earth). When the Church is removed at the Rapture, the restraining activity of this force will also be removed, thereby allowing the subsequent rise of the Antichrist. If we understand Paul’s words, then we must recognize the impossibility of the Day of the Lord’s onset while the Church (along with the Spirit’s indwelling presence) is still present on the earth. In order for the end times scenario to kick off, allowing the commencement of the broad Day and the emergence of the Antichrist (the First Seal), the Church must first be removed. Hence, Paul described this as yet another reason that the Thessalonians could rest in the assurance of his earlier teachings that this dark period would not overtake them (1 Thessalonians 5:2-4). So, scripture makes it obvious that the emergence of the Antichrist onto the world scene and his subsequent rise to power is a protracted occurrence that must take place after the Rapture but before the beginning of the Tribulation. Therefore, there must be an intervening gap period between the Rapture and the Tribulation where the Antichrist’s emergence and ascendance to world power transpires. And since the Antichrist’s emergence is the First Seal Judgment (a Day of the Lord event), then this gap period must also be a subset within the broad Day of the Lord. So, we are confident that the emergence of the Antichrist is one of the necessary prerequisite signs or events that must take place prior to the Tribulation. However, there are a number of others that also will likely (or at least potentially) take place during this intervening period. While we are less dogmatic on these points (to follow), we will list several more, and provide a brief description of each. The Rise of the Final World Kingdom In Daniel Chapter 7, we are given a glimpse into the development of the world’s final kingdom (commonly recognized by dispensationalists as a revived Roman Empire) before the Second Coming. This fourth and final Gentile kingdom will initially emerge as a global government that will “devour the whole earth” (Verse 23). We are then told that “ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings that shall arise” (Verse 24). This verse continues on to tell us that these ten kings will then be followed by the Antichrist (“and another shall rise after them; and he shall be diverse from the first, and he shall subdue three kings”). Let’s read through this passage. Thus he said, The fourth beast shall be the fourth kingdom upon earth, which shall be diverse from all kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth, and shall tread it down, and break it in pieces. And the ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings that shall arise: and another shall rise after them; and he shall be diverse from the first, and he shall subdue three kings. And he shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time. But the judgment shall sit, and they shall take away his dominion, to consume and to destroy it unto the end. -Daniel 7:23-26 It seems clear from this excerpt (cf. Revelation 13 and 17) that the Antichrist emerges out of this final one-world kingdom. If the Antichrist can’t rise to prominence until this final kingdom is in place, but the Antichrist arises prior to the confirmation of the covenant, then that is potentially another indicator of a gap period. In other words, the Antichrist will not be in a position to confirm the covenant with Israel until after the establishment of this world system, and after he uses this system to rise to prominence. All of this will take time to develop. The question is, how much of this final world empire can come into existence prior to the Rapture? The Rise of the Harlot World Religious System Another development that may begin during the post-Rapture gap is the rise of the Harlot world religious system, which is described as “riding” the beast (or Antichrist) to the height of its power. In Revelation 17:3, we find the Harlot sitting on the beast (the Antichrist). In Revelation 17:7, we find the Antichrist carrying the Harlot. This suggests that the Antichrist, prior to his time as the supreme world ruler, plays somewhat of complimentary or even subservient role to the Harlot. In other words, the Antichrist and Harlot appear to have somewhat of a symbiotic relationship as they both climb to the heights of their power. At some stage, the Antichrist and the ten kings of the final world empire will turn on the Harlot and consume her, and will then assume full power over the world under the supreme rule of the Antichrist (Revelation 17:16-17). While some of this will likely play out during the Tribulation, there is a good chance that its beginning and formative stages will take place during the gap period. Again, this entire scenario will take some time to develop and much of it could certainly precede the Antichrist’s confirmation of the covenant. Bill Salus gives a good summary of our conclusions. Revelation 6:2 says that the Antichrist goes forth "conquering and to conquer." The dual usage of the word conquer implies that the Antichrist embarks upon a process, which eventually over an unspecified time-period, accomplishes his three-fold career. This conclusion is further supported by Revelation 17:3, 7, which predicts that at the initial stages of the Antichrist’s career, he forms an unholy alliance with the Harlot world religion. These verses denote that the Antichrist allows the Harlot to "sit" on him, while he "carries" her to the heights of her position of the predominant world religion. The Antichrist plays a subservient role to the Harlot, until he is ready to exert his dominance over the world. As the Antichrist ascends to the heights of his political career, at some point along the way he earns the respect of Israel and the other party to the false covenant. They entrust him with the important responsibility of "confirming" the covenant between them. It is not until then, that the seven-years of tribulation begins. [3] Some Other Potential Gap Events For your further consideration, several other events that could potentially take place within the post-Rapture gap period may include the following: The Psalm 83 war (if it is in fact a prophecy and not just an imprecatory prayer) The Isaiah 17 conflict with its destruction of Damascus The Iran disaster of Jeremiah 49:34-39 The Magog invasion of Ezekiel 38 The rebuilding of the Third Temple in Jerusalem The potential rebuilding of the literal city of Babylon on the Euphrates River and the beginning of its rise to end time prominence The sealing and beginning of the ministry of the 144,000 Jewish evangelists The Second Seal Judgment The Third Seal Judgment The Fourth Seal Judgment The martyrdom of the Fifth Seal saints (who are apparently unaware of any covenant being confirmed, as is evident in their “How long, O Lord” question in Revelation 6:10) Though not taking a dogmatic position on any of these, we mention them as additional Biblical events that could potentially take place within this gap period. It would seem unreasonable to propose that all or many of these events, in addition to the later events of Revelation (later Seal, Trumpet, and Bowl judgments), could all be squeezed into the seven-year Tribulation. Many of these are portrayed in Scripture as clearly requiring some time to develop. Hence, the consideration of a gap period provides a more realistic timeframe for these events to play out. How Long Could the Gap Last? What could be the duration of this post-Rapture/pre-Tribulation gap period? Will it last for just a few months, or could it last a number of years? While we can’t be sure of its exact length, an educated guess would seem to suggest that it could last for years, or potentially even decades, since it will likely take some time for world events to unfold, preparing the way for the events of the seventieth week. While we can’t be certain of this timing, Scripture does seem to give us a solid bookend to the upper limits of this period’s potential duration. If we look at Jesus’s Olivet Discourse in Matthew 24, we see how in the first half of the chapter, Jesus extensively detailed the sequence of signs that would characterize the chronology of the judgment phase of the broad Day of the Lord (His Parousia, or “coming”), from its inception until its climax at His Second Coming to the earth. After concluding His description of this protracted series of signs, Jesus then gave the following overview that provided the answer to the disciples’ “what will be the sign of your coming” question in verse 3. From the fig tree learn its lesson: as soon as its branch becomes tender and puts out its leaves, you know that summer is near. So also, when you see all these things, you know that he is near, at the very gates. Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place. -Matthew 24:32-34 (ESV) Jesus used the parabolic figure of a fig tree’s seasonal maturation to communicate to His disciples that once this designated sequence of signs begins, its concluding event (Christ's Second Coming to the earth in glory) is not far off. He specifies that the same generation that witnesses the beginning of these signs will also be there to witness their conclusion (Jesus says this terminal generation will see “all” these signs). By saying this, He is limiting the duration of this period to less than one generation. Therefore, since all of the signs Jesus spoke of take place after the Rapture and during the broad Day of the Lord, then we may confidently conclude that the post-Rapture gap plus the seven-year Tribulation will last for less than one generation of time. Darryl Bock writes: The generation that sees the beginning of the end, also sees its end. When the signs come, they will proceed quickly; they will not drag on for many generations. It will happen within a generation. [4] How long then is a generation? The Bible provides several different intervals to define a generation, depending on the context (typically forty years, but may be as many as eighty). It may be interesting to note that the period between the Day of Pentecost in Acts 2 (the beginning of the Church Age) and the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple was about forty years. Some may consider this historical period to act as a one-generation transition or overlap period between the beginning of the Church Age and the final closing of the previous dispensation under the Mosaic Law (the final destruction of the Temple system, etc.). If this idea is valid, could a similar period take place marking the transition from the Church Age back to Israel’s final week of that former dispensation? Could this period also involve the rebuilding of the Temple-based system of Judaism, just as the aforementioned period involved its dismantling? While these are only interesting speculations, they may provide us with an educated guess as to the upper limits of this total period (the post-Rapture gap plus the Tribulation), eliminating any conjecture that this period could last for hundreds or thousands of years. The total potential duration between the Rapture and Second Coming will be less than a generation. [1] J. Dwight Pentecost, Things To Come, Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1964, pp. 249-250. [2] John Walvoord, Revelation, rev. and ed. by Philip E. Rawley and Mark Hitchcock, Chicago: Moody Publishers, 2011, p. 207. [3] Bill Salus, The Next Prophecies, La Quinta, CA: Prophecy Depot Publishing, 2018, p. 53. [4] Darryl L. Bock, “Luke Vol. 2, 9:51-24:53,” in Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament, Baker Academic, 1996, pp. 1691-1692.

In "Part 1", "Part 2", and "Part 3" of this article series, we began to examine the typological treasures hidden in the wedding rituals of the ancient Hebrews, which God instituted. It is astonishing to recognize that everything that God has said about His marriage to His bride, the Church, was anticipated thousands of years earlier in the institution of these customs. That fact is a profound piece of evidence that the author of the Bible is not bound to the constraints of time as we are. Rather, it is profound proof of His reality, and demonstrates His origin to be from outside of time. The Hebrew wedding involved a number of important rituals typologically correlating with the marriage of Christ and the Church. We are investigating seventeen of them in these articles. While these are not necessarily in strict order, they do follow the general process of the ancient Hebrew wedding. Let’s continue our examination of these astonishing parallels. 14.) Kallah – The Bride On the wedding day, the bridegroom – and especially the bride (kallah) – would be elaborately clothed. From ancient times, Jewish couples would be treated like royalty on this day. The bride and groom were both given bridal crowns to wear. [1] Go forth, O ye daughters of Zion, and behold king Solomon with the crown wherewith his mother crowned him in the day of his espousals, and in the day of the gladness of his heart. -Song of Solomon 3:11 So, even from this ancient account in the Song of Solomon, we recognize that it was customary for the bride and groom to wear crowns on the day of their wedding. The wedding day is the bride’s special day, and she is treated accordingly. It is also a very ancient custom for a Jewish bride to sit on a “throne” at her reception. [2] From ancient to modern times, every Jewish bride is bedecked like a queen. The Jewish Midrash speaks of twenty-four adornments mentioned in Isaiah 3:18-24 that were customary for the ancient Hebrew brides to be beautified with on their wedding day. [3] Everything was done to make the bride as lovely as possible for this special day. I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels. -Isaiah 61:10 The bridal imagery in the following excerpt from Ezekiel 16 is also indicative of the majestic preparation and adornment of the ancient Hebrew brides, describing the marriage between God and Israel. Now when I passed by thee, and looked upon thee, behold, thy time was the time of love; and I spread my skirt over thee, and covered thy nakedness: yea, I sware unto thee, and entered into a covenant with thee, saith the Lord God, and thou becamest mine. Then washed I thee with water; yea, I thoroughly washed away thy blood from thee, and I anointed thee with oil. I clothed thee also with broidered work, and shod thee with badgers’ skin, and I girded thee about with fine linen, and I covered thee with silk. I decked thee also with ornaments, and I put bracelets upon thy hands, and a chain on thy neck. And I put a jewel on thy forehead, and earrings in thine ears, and a beautiful crown upon thine head. Thus wast thou decked with gold and silver; and thy raiment was of fine linen, and silk, and broidered work; thou didst eat fine flour, and honey, and oil: and thou wast exceeding beautiful, and thou didst prosper into a kingdom. And thy renown went forth among the heathen for thy beauty: for it was perfect through my comeliness, which I had put upon thee, saith the Lord God. -Ezekiel 16:8-14 So, we understand that on her wedding day, an ancient Hebrew bride was treated like she was a queen at her coronation. One of the most exciting of the wedding preparations for the bride is choosing her wedding dress. As in most modern cultures, the traditional color of the wedding gown for the ancient Hebrews has always been white, denoting purity from sin. [4] [5] Concerning Christ and His bride the Church, we find the same bridal imagery described. We find that both Christ and the Church will be wearing crowns. The following passage from Revelation 14 describes the Bridegroom, Christ, coming out of the bridal chamber to visit judgment upon the earth – and He is wearing a crown. And I looked, and behold a white cloud, and upon the cloud one sat like unto the Son of man, having on his head a golden crown, and in his hand a sharp sickle. -Revelation 14:14 The Church is also promised a crown at this time. Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing. -2 Timothy 4:8 And when the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away. -1 Peter 5:4 We also find that like the ancient Hebrew couple on their wedding day, the description of the Church’s future is portrayed as being royal. But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light; -1 Peter 2:9-10 The following passage tells us of the royal nature of the Bridegroom, Christ. And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, King Of Kings, And Lord Of Lords. -Revelation 19:16 So, the identity of the Bridegroom is that of the highest royalty conceivable. If the Church is His bride, then the Church is going to be the bride of the most royal and magnificent wedding that has ever taken place. The Church is marrying the pinnacle of royalty! Like the Hebrew brides, the Church will also sit on a throne. To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne. -Revelation 3:21 We also find that the bride, the Church, is given her white wedding dress. Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honor to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready. And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints. -Revelation 19:7-8 Key Parallel: The ancient Hebrew couple being wed was treated like royalty on their wedding day. They sat on “thrones” at their reception. They were dressed in magnificent wedding apparel and were given crowns. The bride was bedecked in a beautiful white wedding gown. The bride of Christ, the Church, is also royalty, as she will be married to the “King of Kings and Lord of Lords.” This will be a royal wedding of the highest magnitude! She will wear a crown, be seated on a throne, and have on a white wedding gown. 15.) Chuppah – Concealed in the Wedding Chamber Upon their arrival at the father’s house, the bridegroom would take his bride to the wedding chamber (chuppah – Strong’s # H2646) in the cheder (Strong’s # H2315), or the room he had prepared (Psalm 19:5, Joel 2:16). [6] These terms chuppah and cheder may be used interchangeably, but for our purposes here, we will define chuppah as the wedding chamber in which the marriage would be consummated through physical union. The tradition of the chuppah is one that has changed and evolved significantly over time, but is still in use today in a modern form in contemporary Jewish weddings. Today, the tradition of the chuppah is represented by a canopy under which the bride and groom stand during the wedding ceremony (often in the form of a cloth upheld by four poles). [7] [8] But in ancient times, it was in this chamber that the couple would spend seven days hidden away while the wedding celebration continued for that entire week (Judges 14:12). This is referred to as the “seven days of the chuppah.” [9] There, in the privacy of the chuppah, the bride and groom entered into physical union for the first time. The bridegroom’s best man would wait outside the door of the wedding chamber. When the marriage was consummated through their intimate union, the bridegroom would tell the best man through the door, and he would go and announce it to the assembled guests. Now you understand John the Baptist in John 3:29: He that hath the bride is the bridegroom: but the friend of the bridegroom [or the best man], which standeth and heareth him, rejoiceth greatly because of the bridegroom’s voice: this my joy therefore is fulfilled. -John 3:29 Upon hearing the good news, the wedding guests remained in the groom’s father’s house for the next seven days, celebrating with a great wedding feast. [10] The modern practice of yichud is the custom of the married couple enjoying a short period of privacy after the ceremony. [11] This custom also seems to look back to the ancient practice of having seven days concealed in the chuppah. The Shiv’at Y’mei Mishteh, or Seven Days of Feasting, are said to have been ordained by Moses, and are a custom that is thought to go back to patriarchal times. These feasting days serve as a focal point for communal rejoicing and for the couple to begin their married life together while in the lap of the community. This practice is still observed by traditional Jews today. In modern Jewish practice, during the Seven Days of Feasting, the bride and groom do not work, nor may they be involved in business transactions of any kind. They only eat, drink, and rejoice with each other. Each day, close relatives or friends host the married couple for a festive meal, which is punctuated by singing and rejoicing. [12] This modern practice is taken from the ancient Hebrew wedding tradition of the seven days of concealment in the chuppah, while the wedding guests celebrated in the father’s house for the entire week. Like the ancient Hebrew brides, Scripture seems to describe a bridal week for the Church in which we will be in the wedding chamber with our Bridegroom, Jesus. Biblical eschatology (or the study of the end times) describes a final seven-year period of time that is connected with the Jewish people specifically (Daniel 9). This chapter in Daniel describes time in periods of “weeks,” which is a common Hebraic expression for a period of seven (in this case, years). This time period is also described thoroughly in Revelation, and some refer to it as the Tribulation. This final seven-year “week” of time, especially the last half of it (called the “Great Tribulation” by Jesus in Matthew 24:21), is a time of unparalleled distress, and is characterized by the wrath or indignation of God. Pre-Tribulational eschatology, (which turns out to be the eschatological perspective that best aligns with the typology of the Jewish wedding) asserts that Scripture teaches that the Rapture, or catching away of the Church, will happen prior to this seven-year period. So, according to that pattern, while the Jewish people’s final “week” is taking place on earth, Jesus and His bride, the Church, will celebrate their marriage “week” in our heavenly chuppah, hidden away from view! Though the Church was unknown to the Old Testament audience, we seem to find some prophetic allusions that may refer to the heavenly chuppah in the following passages. And the Lord shall utter his voice before his army: for his camp is very great: for he is strong that executeth his word: for the day of the Lord is great and very terrible; and who can abide it? ... Blow the trumpet in Zion, sanctify a fast, call a solemn assembly: Gather the people, sanctify the congregation, assemble the elders, gather the children, and those that suck the breasts: let the bridegroom go forth of his chamber, and the bride out of her closet [chuppah]. -Joel 2:11, 15-16 The theme of the Lord coming out of His chambers to visit judgment on the earth is spoken of here, referring prophetically to the “Day of the Lord.” It then speaks of a bridegroom coming out of his chamber and a bride from her chuppah. It's difficult to imagine this passage referring to any group other than the Church when it describes a bride coming out of her chuppah. Passages later in Scripture describe the Lord, whom the New Testament calls the Bridegroom, returning with His bride, the Church, at the Second Coming. Let’s examine another prophetic Old Testament passage that points to a select group of God’s people avoiding the Tribulation in the Day of the Lord by being concealed. Seek ye the Lord, all ye meek of the earth, which have wrought his judgment; seek righteousness, seek meekness: it may be ye shall be hid in the day of the Lord’s anger. -Zephaniah 2:3 We know from later New Testament passages that the Church is not appointed to God’s Tribulation wrath, and will be kept from that time period altogether – making the Church a likely candidate for this group of people. The following passage written by Paul to the Church identifies this same period of the “Day of the Lord,” and specifically identifies the Church as being exempt from it. For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. … But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief. … For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ, -1 Thessalonians 5:2, 4, 9 Some feel that these Old Testament passages may refer to the remnant of Israel being hidden in the wilderness before the Second Coming. While this is certainly a possibility (and the Old Testament does seem to refer to this in other instances), we believe there are some reasons why this is not the case in the passages presented. Instead, it would seem to refer to the Church being hidden away as the pure, righteous bride that is exempted from the wrath of the Bridegroom. Let’s quickly examine this before moving on. One of the most glaring reasons why the group being hidden cannot be Israel, is because the passages are clear in describing these hidden ones as a righteous group who is exempted from the wrath. To the contrary, Israel at this time can hardly be considered righteous, which is the very reason why she must enter and endure the Tribulation. One of the purposes of the Tribulation is to drive the Jews to repentance, so that toward the end of it there will be a remnant who finally cries out unto Jesus Christ, finally acknowledging Him as their Messiah, which then prompts His return to save them from destruction. This hardly fits in with the narrative of a righteous group playing the role of a pure virgin bride being hidden away from the wrath. The Old Testament is clear that Israel up until that point was playing the role of the harlot unfaithful wife, not the unmarried pure virgin bride. Meanwhile, the New Testament clearly depicts the Church as the righteous and pure virgin bride of Christ who will avoid the coming wrath. If the Jews were the “hidden group” referenced by these passages, then how could they be called righteous before entering the chuppah, when we are told in passages such as Zechariah 13:8-9 that it will require the refining fire of the Tribulation to produce the righteousness of the Jewish remnant at the end of the Tribulation? But one of the main purposes of the Tribulation is to drive Israel to repentance. They were not righteous until the judgments drove them toward repentance. In fact, their repentance and turning to their true Messiah turns out to be a pre-condition for Christ’s return to earth (the Second Coming) with His bride to set up His Millennial reign. I [God speaking] will go and return to my place, till they acknowledge their offence, and seek my face: in their affliction they will seek me early. -Hosea 5:15 Note: This word “early” actually means “earnestly.” [13] So, we’ve taken a brief detour through eschatology to explore and understand this aspect of end times prophecy that fits in (from a timing perspective) with the typology of the Jewish wedding rituals, and seems to clearly reveal the Church as that righteous bride being hidden away before the time of trouble, who then returns with her Bridegroom when it is passed. Before moving on to the next point, let’s do a quick review of the key parallels involving the chuppah. Key Parallel: The ancient Hebrew brides were “abducted” by their bridegrooms, and carried by procession to the father’s house. Upon arrival at the father’s house, the ancient Hebrew bridegrooms would take their brides into the privacy of the wedding chamber – the chuppah – for seven days. In the privacy of the chuppah, they would consummate the marriage through intimate union. The bride would then stay concealed in the chuppah for the remainder of the week, as the guests celebrated. The bride of Christ will be raptured, or lifted up off the earth to be carried away to our heavenly wedding chamber where we will spend “one week” (seven years), concealed and hidden away with our Bridegroom. While the bride of Christ is in the bridal chamber with Jesus, the rest of the world will face seven years of Tribulation. 16.) Mishteh – The Wedding Feast After seven days in the wedding chamber, the ancient Hebrew bride and bridegroom would emerge and participate in a wedding feast (mishteh – Strong’s # H4960) with their guests. The bride’s veil would be removed so that everyone could see her, and she would be presented to the guests and to the community. The end of this feast would conclude the wedding celebration. [14] In like manner, following the seven years in our heavenly chuppah while the Tribulation is taking place on earth, Jesus Christ will return to earth (the Second Coming) with His unveiled bride, the Church, to vanquish His enemies, establish His Kingdom, and also celebrate with a marriage supper. And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God. And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war. His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself. And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God. And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean. -Revelation 19:9, 11-14 Here in Revelation 19, we see that following the seven-year Tribulation, Jesus will return at His Second Coming with His unveiled bride to earth to execute judgment on earth and then participate in the “marriage supper of the Lamb.” We know His bride is with Him, as we see her described as being “clothed in fine linen, white and clean,” which was the description of the bride given only a few verses earlier in Verse 8. And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints. -Revelation 19:8 As mentioned earlier, we also find Old Testament prophetic mention of Christ at His Second Coming being described as a bridegroom coming out of his bridal chamber, bringing His bride with Him. Blow the trumpet in Zion, sanctify a fast, call a solemn assembly: Gather the people, sanctify the congregation, assemble the elders, gather the children, and those that suck the breasts: let the bridegroom go forth of his chamber, and the bride out of her closet [chuppah]. -Joel 2:15-16 Key Parallel: The ancient Hebrew bridal couple would emerge after seven days hidden away in the chuppah and participate in a wedding feast with their guests. After the seven years in the heavenly chuppah, Jesus Christ will come out of His wedding chamber as a Bridegroom, bringing His bride the Church with Him – to also celebrate with a marriage supper. 17.) Yachad - A New Life Together The Hebrew word yachad meaning “togetherness” or “unitedness” (Strong’s # H3162), is an ideal description for the just-married couple as they begin their new life together as one. [15] The Old Testament describes this togetherness as follows. Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh. -Genesis 2:24 Since the very beginning of the Biblical tradition, the thought regarding the marital union was always one of unity and togetherness. The two people become one, through marriage. Following the seven-day marriage celebration, and marriage feast, the bridegroom and his bride would go to the home that the bridegroom had previously prepared. They would begin their new life together as husband and wife. As a future married couple, Christ and the Church will also be brought together as one. Paul, in his letter to the Ephesians, actually quotes the passage we just looked at from Genesis and applies it to Christ and the Church. Notice how Paul first describes the unity and togetherness of Christ and the Church, and then reveals that the Genesis 2:24 passage’s deeper meaning is to act as a type of Christ and the Church. Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish. So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself. For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church: For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones. For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh. This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church. -Ephesians 5:25-32 At the end of the final seven-year “week,” just as the bridegroom and his bride would leave the marriage supper to go to the home the bridegroom had prepared, so Jesus and His bride will depart for their new home, the New Jerusalem (though this may be post-Millennial). And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God. And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. -Revelation 21:2-4 The New Jerusalem was beautifully adorned as a bride, John said, because it will be the eternal home of Christ’s bride. The author of Hebrews told us that the patriarchs looked for a city whose builder and maker was God, and that a heavenly city was being prepared (Hebrews 11:10, 16). He goes on to say that the Church is seeking the “heavenly Jerusalem” and “the city to come” (Hebrews 12:22 and 13:14). The Scriptures noted throughout this study make it clear that the bride is the Church and that the city called the new Jerusalem is being prepared for the bride of Christ. The bride of Christ will then be with her Bridegroom for all of eternity. And so shall we ever be with the Lord. -1 Thessalonians 4:17b Key Parallel: After the marriage week and the feast, the ancient Hebrew couples would begin their new lives together in the home that the bridegroom had prepared. They would exhibit togetherness and unity – being considered “one” through marital union. The relationship between Christ and the Church is one of togetherness and unity. We are considered part of His body, and we are to cleave together as one. Following the final “week” on earth and subsequent marriage feast, Christ and His bride will finish out the Millennium and then continue into the Eternal State together forever. Conclusion As we close out our four-part article series on this topic, keep in mind all of the incredible typological parallels between the ancient Hebrew wedding traditions and the marriage of Jesus Christ and His bride, the Church. In this series, we aimed at representing the key parallels, but we certainly acknowledge that many additional wedding subtleties are also embedded within the Biblical text – possibly some waiting to yet be discovered! From the pattern of the ancient Hebrew wedding practices, we see that, like the bridegroom of ancient times, Jesus came to the home of His future bride for the betrothal, established a covenant with His bride, sealed it with a glass of wine, paid for the bride price with His blood, sanctified her, and sent His bride gifts of the Holy Spirit. We, the betrothed (Christ’s Church) currently await the return of our Bridegroom to abduct us away to the wedding chamber (at the Rapture) to spend seven years hidden away with Him (while the Tribulation occurs on earth). We will then celebrate the Marriage Supper of the Lamb and following the Millennial reign on earth, depart with our Bridegroom to our eternal home, the New Jerusalem! Our present task at hand is all about readiness! Just like the ancient Hebrew brides waited and prepared during the long betrothal period for their bridegroom’s return, we must also wait and prepare for the soon return of our Bridegroom, Christ! Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready. -Revelation 19:7-9 [1] Emil G. Hirsch, Frank Knight Sanders, and Kaufmann Kohler, Jewish Encyclopedia, entry “Crown,” JewishEncyclopedia.com. (http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/articles/4778-crown - Retrieved 5/15/18) [2] Aryeh Kaplan, Made in Heaven: A Jewish Wedding Guide, Brooklyn, NY: Moznaim Pub., 1983, p. 91. [3] Ibid., p. 59. [4] Ibid., p. 60. [5] Yehuda Shurpin, “Why Do Jewish Brides Wear White? Isn’t It a Non-Jewish Thing?” Chabad.org. (https://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/3136016/jewish/Why-Do-Jewish-Brides-Wear-White-Isnt-It-a-Non-Jewish-Thing.htm - Retrieved 5/15/18) [6] Avi Ben Mordechai, Signs in the Heavens, Millennium 7000 Communications, Int’l, 1996, p. 277. [7] Eliezer Segal, “The Huppah: From Eden to Today,” Feb. 14, 1992, in Jewish Free Press. (http://people.ucalgary.ca/~elsegal/Shokel/920214_Huppah.html - Retrieved 5/13/18) [8] Kaplan, p. 133. [9] Kaufmann Kohler, Jewish Encyclopedia, entry “Huppah,” JewishEncyclopedia.com. (http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/articles/7941-huppah - Retrieved 5/13/18) [10] The Universal Jewish Encyclopedia, ed. Isaac Landman, New York: Universal Jewish Encyclopedia Co., Inc., 1948, pp. 5, 10, 373, 399, 504. [11] Kaplan, p. 206. [12] Michael Kaufman, “After the Wedding Ceremony,” My Jewish Learning. (https://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/after-the-wedding-ceremony/ - Retrieved 5/13/18) [13] Benson Commentary, entry “Hosea 5:15,” BibleHub.com. (http://biblehub.com/commentaries/hosea/5-15.htm - Retrieved 02/05/18) [14] The Universal Jewish Encyclopedia, pp. 5, 504. [15] Strong’s Concordance, entry “3162, yachad,” BibleHub.com. (http://biblehub.com/hebrew/3162.htm - Retrieved 5/22/18)

(From the book The Missing Key in Dispensational Eschatology) In addition to the two-fold nature of the future Day of the Lord that we examined in the previous article, an equally important awareness is that it also has a “double sense” – it is both broad and narrow in terms of its duration. The broad sense refers to an extended time period that begins with the Rapture (a key insight that lies outside of the scope of this article series), and then covers the post-Rapture/pre-Tribulation gap period, the Tribulation period, and the Millennium. The narrow sense refers to one specific and climactic day of ultimate significance – the day that involves Christ’s actual physical return to the earth at His Second Coming at the end of the Tribulation. We’ve also provided the following chart in order to present a visual aid of both the Day of the Lord’s two-fold nature (darkness/judgment + light/blessing) and double sense (broad + narrow). This key and fundamental insight of a “double sense” is often ignored, misunderstood, or overlooked by many Biblical commentators. However, we should point out that for the present context of our study, it will be an essential concept to understand correctly. So, let’s begin to carefully examine this issue. First, we must recognize that just as we today often use single words in a variety of ways in common language, single words in scripture are also used in a variety of ways. For example, consider all of the ways the word “apple” may be used in English. You may be referring to an actual fruit. You may be referring to a computer (the brand Apple, Inc.). You may be referring to New York City (nicknamed the “Big Apple”). Or, you may be using the term figuratively (the “apple” of your eye). You may even be referring to the laryngeal prominence on the front of the human neck (called the “Adam’s apple”). Word usage in the Bible is no different. We understand how a word is being used by the context. Furthermore, a basic hermeneutical (interpretive) guideline is that the Bible is the best interpreter of itself. We can often rely on scripture itself to define the parameters of how a given term is used, and therefore, how we are to understand it. This is especially true of the term “day,” and therefore, by extension, “the Day of the Lord.” Concerning this issue, Walvoord writes: The word “day” is used in the Bible in various ways. Sometimes it is used to refer to daylight; for instance, the hours between dawn and sunset. Sometimes it is used to refer to a twenty-four-hour day. The Jewish day began at sunset and continued to the next day at sunset. That also is referred to as a day. Sometimes the word day is used in the Bible as a period of time, just as we use it in English. We speak of the day of our youth; what do we mean by that? We do not mean that we were young only one day, but we mean the extended period of time in which we were young. [1] So, we should recognize that the word “day” in scripture has both a narrow sense (meaning an actual twenty-four-hour day, or sometimes even just the daylight period of it) and a broad sense (meaning an epoch or extended period of time). Genesis 1:5 is a clear example of the narrow sense of the word “day.” And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day. -Genesis 1:5 This verse speaks of the daylight period of a literal twenty-four-hour day, and also the evening and morning, or darkness and light segments of a literal twenty-four-hour day. If you continue reading Genesis Chapter 1, the verses to follow tell us about the next six days of creation in which God brought His work to completion. But then in Genesis 2:4, we read the following summary. These are the generations of the heavens and of the earth when they were created, in the day that the Lord God made. -Genesis 1:5 As we clearly see in the verses between Genesis 1:5 and 2:3, the text informs us that God performed the creation in seven literal twenty-four-hour days. Yet, Genesis 2:4 sums up these “narrow-sense” creation days as a “broad day” period. In other words, it refers to the whole creation week period figuratively, as a “day.” Psalm 59:16 is another example of “day” being used in a more unconstrained, figurative sense, as to mean “a period of time.” But I will sing of thy power; yea, I will sing aloud of thy mercy in the morning: for thou hast been my defence and refuge in the day of my trouble. -Psalm 59:16 Here, the Psalmist was not trying to convey that his trouble was confined to a literal twenty-four-hour period, but rather that God has been his defense and refuge during any and all periods of trouble in his life. The New Unger’s Bible Dictionary confirms this understanding, providing the following definition of the Biblical word day (the Hebrew word yom). Day, used both in the particular sense of a natural day, and in the general sense of a set time or period of time. … Day is often used by sacred writers, in a general sense, for a definite period of time – an era or season, when something remarkable has taken place or is destined to do so. [2] Many modern prophecy commentators are quick to recognize the narrow sense of the Day of the Lord, understanding the obvious scriptural emphasis on the climactic, literal twenty-four-hour day that will involve Christ’s return. On this culminating day of the judgment phase, He will return to the earth with His bride the Church, defeat His enemies, and rescue the righteous remnant of Israel. However, these commentators often miss the broad sense of the Day of the Lord, not recognizing that scripture clearly uses this term to describe a wider period of time that encompasses all of the major eschatological events the Bible foretells (from the Rapture to the end of the Millennial Kingdom). This usage is similar to the way we might use the term “Christmas” in our modern culture. Christmas has both a broad sense and a narrow sense. When referring to Christmas, we often mean the entire Christmas season. But yet, there is also that one, specific, climaxing day – Christmas Day, December 25th. A somewhat similar Biblical example is the Passover. According to Leviticus 23:5, the specific day of Passover is to be the 14th day of the first month. However, we also learn that the Passover season as a whole involves a broader period that involves the selection of a Passover lamb on the 10th, the Passover Seder that takes place on the 15th (which begins the week-long Feast of Unleavened Bread), and the Feast of First Fruits that takes place on the first Sunday following Passover. These can all connotatively be referred to as the Passover season – and yet, there is that one denotative, specific day of Passover, which is the 14th, when the lambs are killed. In fact, a study of the Passion Week chronology in the gospels reveals that the Bible also uses the term “Unleavened Bread” in this way also. Sometimes it denotatively refers to the actual day when the feast or Seder took place (the 15th), but other times it is used more connotatively to refer to this entire festival week. Many commentators have ended up in error by not maintaining a precise understanding of the connotative and denotative usages of Biblical terms – and as a result, the Bible will appear contradictory. Like the two-fold nature of the Day of the Lord, this understanding of the double sense of the Day of the Lord is also a concept well-recognized by scholars of all eschatological persuasions. For example, John Walvoord recognized the broad period of the Day of the Lord as beginning with the Rapture and extending until the end of the Millennium. When the rapture occurs, this work of God [the Church] will be brought to its close and the Day of the Lord will begin. … the period in general would extend from the rapture until the end of the millennium. [3] Renald Showers also noted the broad and narrow sense of the Day of the Lord. We should note that the biblical expression “the Day of the Lord” has a double sense (broad and narrow) in relationship to the future. The broad sense refers to an extended period of time involving divine interventions related to at least the 70th week of Daniel and the thousand-year Millennium. … The narrow sense refers to one specific day – the day on which Christ will return to earth from heaven with His angels. [4] In similar fashion, A.B. Davidson stated: Though the “Day of the Lord,” as the expression implies, was at first conceived as a definite and brief period of time, being an era of judgment and salvation, it many times broadened out to be an extended period. From being a day it became an epoch. [5] So, again, we should recognize that the Day of the Lord’s double sense is not some new or deviant belief. Rather, it has been long recognized by careful Bible interpreters. In the previous article of this series, we examined a number of prophetic passages from the Old Testament prophets that demonstrated the reality of the Day of the Lord as a prolonged period consisting of a darkness/judgment phase and a light/blessing phase. That understanding also substantiates the claims of this article, in which the double sense is our current topic. In that article, we showed scriptural evidence that the Day of the Lord in one sense is broad in its duration. But we will now focus our attention on the scriptural support for the other sense – a narrow period of one specific day of culmination. The existence of a specific climaxing day is clear in light of a careful examination of the prophetic body of scripture. Many scriptures can be presented that focus on this day that we call the Second Coming, the climax of the darkness/judgment phase, in which the Lord returns to destroy His enemies. Let’s examine several. Behold, the day of the Lord cometh, and thy spoil shall be divided in the midst of thee. For I will gather all nations against Jerusalem to battle; and the city shall be taken, and the houses rifled, and the women ravished; and half of the city shall go forth into captivity, and the residue of the people shall not be cut off from the city. Then shall the Lord go forth, and fight against those nations, as when he fought in the day of battle. And his feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east, and the mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst thereof toward the east and toward the west, and there shall be a very great valley; and half of the mountain shall remove toward the north, and half of it toward the south. -Zechariah 14:1-4 This excerpt seems to clearly focus its identification of the Day of the Lord on the events of the narrow sense (the literal twenty-four-hour day in which the Second Coming proper occurs and the Lord defeats the enemies of Israel). A similar example is found in Joel 3. In this chapter, it is obvious that Verses 12-16 focus on the narrow period of the Day of the Lord (the actual twenty-four-hour day of Christ’s return). It reads: Let the heathen be wakened, and come up to the valley of Jehoshaphat: for there will I sit to judge all the heathen round about. Put ye in the sickle, for the harvest is ripe: come, get you down; for the press is full, the fats overflow; for their wickedness is great. Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision: for the day of the Lord is near in the valley of decision. The sun and the moon shall be darkened, and the stars shall withdraw their shining. The Lord also shall roar out of Zion, and utter his voice from Jerusalem; and the heavens and the earth shall shake: -Joel 3:12-16 We also find a prime example in Amos 5:18-20 (which we also noted in the previous article), in which the text explicitly denies that there is any light found for the wicked during the Day of the Lord. Woe unto you that desire the day of the Lord! to what end is it for you? the day of the Lord is darkness, and not light. As if a man did flee from a lion, and a bear met him; or went into the house, and leaned his hand on the wall, and a serpent bit him. Shall not the day of the Lord be darkness, and not light? even very dark, and no brightness in it? -Amos 5:18-20 Clearly, this refers most specifically to the narrow sense of the Day of the Lord, as it focuses on darkness and judgment. We’ve just spent time showing the many Biblical mentions of the light/blessing phase of the broad period. Either the Bible is contradictory, or this passage in Amos must be understood to be focusing specifically on the wicked who experience the narrow sense of that Day. This turns out to be a potent confirmation that scripture uses two senses to describe the Day of the Lord. Clearly, this context of darkness is addressed to a specific audience, which Verse 1 of this chapter demands to be the unbelieving nation of Israel on earth during this time of judgment. We can also note that the Old Testament has a special term used to describe this narrow period. We find this term in Joel 2:31, as Joel foretells the darkening of the heavenly bodies prior to the coming of the “great and terrible Day of the Lord.” The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and terrible day of the Lord come. -Joel 2:31 This also is a potent confirmation that the Bible speaks of two senses when it describes the Day of the Lord. A reading of Revelation and other prophetic passages foretell the celestial phenomena (such as that which is mentioned in this verse) that will take place during the Day of the Lord. Since Joel here described the Day of the Lord as following these celestial events, are we to then believe that they, as well as the other judgments are not part of that Day? Without recognizing the double senses of the Day of the Lord, one would be forced to adopt such a conclusion. It is clear that the “great and terrible Day of the Lord” is a special term the Old Testament uses to specifically describe this narrow period – the climaxing day of the Second Coming. We find a similar expression in Malachi 4:5. Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord: -Malachi 4:5 Similarly, when Malachi writes that God will send Elijah before the coming of the great and dreadful Day of the Lord, it should be understood to mean that Elijah would return prior to the narrow Day – not prior to the broad Day. Elijah will likely return as one of the Two Witnesses in Revelation (11:3-12, et al.), which takes place during the Tribulation period (part of the broad Day). The understanding that this term (“the great and terrible/dreadful Day of the Lord”) is a reference to the culminating day when Christ returns to earth in power and glory goes all the way back to the interpretation of the ancient Jewish rabbis, as preserved in The Babylonian Talmud. Tractate Shabbath, Folio 118a tells us plainly: This is understood to refer to the advent of the Messiah. [6] Referring to the Joel 2:31 passage, Bible scholar E.W. Bullinger rightly observes that this “great and terrible” day is the narrow day, or the culminating day of a broader period. It is called “the great and terrible day of the Lord,” as though it were the climax of the whole period known as “the day of the Lord.” [7] Similarly, Renald Showers wrote: We should note that the Scriptures apply the expression “the great and terrible day of the Lord” to the narrow Day, not the broad Day. The implication is that the narrow Day will differ from the rest of the broad Day, not only in duration, but also in significance. Although the earlier part of the judgment phase of the broad Day will involve a great outpouring of divine wrath upon the domain of Satan and mankind, the narrow Day will be the grand climax of that judgment phase. [8] And so, we should understand that the narrow period of the Day of the Lord (the great and terrible Day of the Lord) is the grand day of climax of the judgment phase of the wider broad Day period. Conclusion Throughout our three-part review of the Biblical presentation of the Day of the Lord, we have noted several important aspects that will be critical for us to understand this subject. First, we noted that the Day of the Lord refers to the times of God’s divine interventions into the course of human history in order to judge sin, judge His enemies, accomplish His purposes for mankind, and display His sovereignty as the God of the universe. Second, we recognized that the Day of the Lord is applicable to past historical events in which God intervened in history, but even more notably to a future grand climax of human history in which this final and ultimate Day of the Lord is anticipated. Unlike the past events where God primarily intervened by using human instruments, this final eschatological Day of the Lord will climax in the actual, physical return of Jesus Christ to earth to judge and defeat His enemies. Third, we noted that the future Day of the Lord has a two-fold nature. First, there will be a phase characterized by darkness and judgment. This phase will involve the time period beginning with the Rapture, the post-Rapture gap period that follows it, the Tribulation period, and will culminate with the Second Coming. A significant recognition is the fact that the Rapture is the opening event of the broad Day of the Lord (which is outside the scope of this article series). While the saints are being raptured in glory, the darkness/ judgment phase of the broad Day immediately falls on the wicked inhabitants of the earth. Following this darkness/judgment phase, there will be a second phase characterized by light and blessing. This phase will involve the Millennial reign of Christ on earth. Figuratively, this compares to an actual twenty-four-hour day in the sense that it involves a period of darkness followed by a period of light. Fourth, we then noted that the future Day of the Lord has a double sense in terms of duration. In its broad sense, it refers to a prolonged period beginning with the Rapture, the post-Rapture gap period that follows it, the Tribulation period, and the Millennial Kingdom. But in its narrow sense, it refers to a specific day of culmination in which Christ returns in glory to judge His enemies. This narrow period is sometimes called “the great and terrible Day of the Lord,” referring to the time immediately surrounding the Second Coming. It is the climactic day that separates the darkness phase from the light phase. At the root of most misunderstandings of eschatology is a deficient understanding of how the Bible self-defines its own terms. Since the Day of the Lord by definition describes God's program for the end times, then understanding all of these aspects is invaluable for equipping us with a sound understanding of the chronology of Biblical eschatology. It will help us avoid the common pitfalls that so frequently hinder a sound understanding of the end times. [1] John Walvoord, “The Day of the Lord,” Jan. 1, 2008, Bible.org. (https://bible.org/seriespage/5-day-lord - Retrieved 3/27/22) [2] Merrill F. Unger, The New Unger’s Bible Dictionary, ed. R.K. Harrison, Chicago: Moody Publishers, rev. 1988, pp. 1283, 1286. [3] John Walvoord, The Nations, Israel, and the Church in Prophecy, Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1988, p. 86. [4] Renald Showers, Maranatha: Our Lord Come! Bellmawr, NJ: Friends of Israel, 1995, p. 35. [5] A.B. Davidson, “The Theology of the Old Testament,” in International Theological Library, New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1936, p. 381. [6] The Babylonian Talmud, London: Soncino Press, 1938, “Shabbath,” 118a, in footnote, p. 580. [7] E.W. Bullinger, The Apocalypse or “The Day of the Lord,” London: Eyre and Spottiswoode, 1935, p. 248. [8] Showers, pp. 36-37.

(From the book The Missing Key in Dispensational Eschatology) In the previous article, we examined the Biblical Day of the Lord, understanding that it has both historical applications as well as a future, ultimate fulfillment. This and the next article will both focus on the future, ultimate eschatological (end-times) Day of the Lord. The next thing we need to recognize about the future Day of the Lord is that it has a two-fold nature – including a period of darkness and judgment as well as a period of light and blessing. This basic understanding is often overlooked even by good Dispensational scholars, resulting in the inability to accurately and precisely understand much of what scripture communicates to us further ahead in the New Testament. The darkness/judgment phase will occur first, and will characterize the total nature of the Day of the Lord from the standpoint of God’s enemies. They will not enjoy the subsequent phase that involves light and blessing. This gloomy phase of the Day of the Lord includes what Christians often call the Tribulation (the final seventieth week of the Daniel 9:24-27 prophecy), and culminates with the Second Coming of Christ to issue decisive defeat to His enemies, introducing His earthly kingdom reign. Let’s take a look at several scripture passages that depict this darkness/judgment phase. Behold, the day of the Lord cometh, cruel both with wrath and fierce anger, to lay the land desolate: and he shall destroy the sinners thereof out of it. -Isaiah 13:9 Blow ye the trumpet in Zion, and sound an alarm in my holy mountain: let all the inhabitants of the land tremble: for the day of the Lord cometh, for it is nigh at hand; A day of darkness and of gloominess, a day of clouds and of thick darkness, as the morning spread upon the mountains…. -Joel 2:1-2 Woe unto you that desire the day of the Lord! to what end is it for you? the day of the Lord is darkness, and not light. As if a man did flee from a lion, and a bear met him; or went into the house, and leaned his hand on the wall, and a serpent bit him. Shall not the day of the Lord be darkness, and not light? even very dark, and no brightness in it? -Amos 5:18-20 The great day of the Lord is near, it is near, and hasteth greatly, even the voice of the day of the Lord: the mighty man shall cry there bitterly. That day is a day of wrath, a day of trouble and distress, a day of wasteness and desolation, a day of darkness and gloominess, a day of clouds and thick darkness, -Zephaniah 1:14-15 All of these passages clearly depict the judgment phase, describing it as being a day of wrath, trouble, distress, desolation, darkness, gloominess, woe, clouds, thick darkness, and fierce anger, where even mighty men will cry bitterly. It describes it as a time when God will destroy sinners. But the subsequent aspect of the Day of the Lord involves a phase of light and the outpouring of God’s blessing under the rule and reign of the Messiah, Jesus Christ. This takes place during the Millennial Kingdom. As we will see, it directly follows on the heels of Christ’s return to defeat His enemies, which will conclude the darkness/judgment phase. We will also find that this pattern of the prolonged period of the Day of the Lord takes place in similar fashion to an actual twenty-four-hour day – a period of light that follows a period of darkness. In all of the eschatological passages we will examine, the Biblical writer first describes the Day of the Lord by that name, foretelling its initial phase of darkness/judgment. The passages then continue on to discuss the light/blessing phase that follows – denoting it’s inclusion in the same prolonged period by using the phrase “in that day”. In other words, the phrase “in that day” continues the foregoing narrative, and should be understood to refer to its antecedent – the Day of the Lord. So then according to the text, the Day of the Lord does not end with the climax of the darkness/judgment phase. It continues on into the light/blessing phase, as indicated by the continuing usage of the phrase “in that day.” It is not describing a different day, but rather a different phase of the same day (similar to how a phase of daylight follows a phase of darkness in an actual twenty-four-hour day). Let’s now take a look at several scripture passages that clearly depict this. A passage we just looked at, Joel 2:1-2, depicts the darkness/judgment phase, which continues to be the subject of the remainder of that chapter – although it also discusses elements that likely will follow in the blessing phase (such as the outpouring of the Spirit upon Israel). Joel Chapter 3 then refocuses on the culmination of the darkness phase, which involves the gathering of the enemies of God against Jerusalem. It foretells the fierce judgment that will be executed upon them at what we now know is the time of the Second Coming of Christ. But in Verses 16-21 of Chapter 3, we see a clear transition taking place, as Joel then begins to foretell the subsequent Millennial period of great divine blessings that will occur following the judgment phase – with that period still being referred to as “in that day.” Let’s examine this notable shift from darkness/judgment to the positivity of this subsequent light/blessing phase in Verses 16-21 of Joel 3. The Lord also shall roar out of Zion, and utter his voice from Jerusalem; and the heavens and the earth shall shake: but the Lord will be the hope of his people, and the strength of the children of Israel. So shall ye know that I am the Lord your God dwelling in Zion, my holy mountain: then shall Jerusalem be holy, and there shall no strangers pass through her any more. And it shall come to pass in that day, that the mountains shall drop down new wine, and the hills shall flow with milk, and all the rivers of Judah shall flow with waters, and a fountain shall come forth out of the house of the Lord, and shall water the valley of Shittim. Egypt shall be a desolation, and Edom shall be a desolate wilderness, for the violence against the children of Judah, because they have shed innocent blood in their land. But Judah shall dwell for ever, and Jerusalem from generation to generation. For I will cleanse their blood that I have not cleansed: for the Lord dwelleth in Zion. -Joel 3:16-21 Note: For clarity, we of course recommend that you go back in your own Bibles to fully examine these chapters and note the features we are identifying. As we can see, after Joel discusses the darkness/judgment phase, the prophetic narrative then shifts to discuss the light/blessing phase, in which events that take place during the Millennial Kingdom are described. Yet, it continues to describe these events with the phrase “in that day,” showing the continuation of the Day of the Lord throughout the Millennium (the light/blessing phase). Similarly, in Zechariah Chapter 14, after foretelling the darkness/judgment phase when the nations gather for war against Jerusalem, culminating in the Second Coming of Christ to destroy these enemies, Zechariah then begins to detail a subsequent time where the darkness will turn into light. He tells us of a number of great blessings that will be poured out “in that day” as God establishes His reign over the earth in the Millennium. In other words, the first part of “that day” will be darkness, but the latter part will be light – just like an actual twenty-four-hour day. And it shall come to pass in that day, that the light shall not be clear, nor dark: But it shall be one day which shall be known to the Lord, not day, nor night: but it shall come to pass, that at evening time it shall be light. And it shall be in that day, that living waters shall go out from Jerusalem; half of them toward the former sea, and half of them toward the hinder sea: in summer and in winter shall it be. And the Lord shall be king over all the earth: in that day shall there be one Lord, and his name one. In that day shall there be upon the bells of the horses, Holiness Unto The Lord; and the pots in the Lord’s house shall be like the bowls before the altar. -Zechariah 14:6-9, 20 So, like the previous example in Joel, we find this passage in Zechariah first discussing the darkness/judgment phase but then moving on to discuss the light/blessing phase, with both clearly described as being “in that day” (or in the Day of the Lord). Likewise, the book of Zephaniah starts out by describing the coming darkness/judgment phase of the Day of the Lord (another passage we read earlier). But then, midway through Chapter 3, the focus begins to transition from the judgment of God’s enemies at the end of the darkness/judgment phase to the blessing, regathering, and restoration of Israel during the light/blessing phase – all still being described as “in that day.” Let’s make note of this positive shift beginning here in Verse 11. In that day shalt thou not be ashamed for all thy doings, wherein thou hast transgressed against me: for then I will take away out of the midst of thee them that rejoice in thy pride, and thou shalt no more be haughty because of my holy mountain. I will also leave in the midst of thee an afflicted and poor people, and they shall trust in the name of the Lord. The remnant of Israel shall not do iniquity, nor speak lies; neither shall a deceitful tongue be found in their mouth: for they shall feed and lie down, and none shall make them afraid. Sing, O daughter of Zion; shout, O Israel; be glad and rejoice with all the heart, O daughter of Jerusalem. The Lord hath taken away thy judgments, he hath cast out thine enemy: the king of Israel, even the Lord, is in the midst of thee: thou shalt not see evil any more. In that day it shall be said to Jerusalem, Fear thou not: and to Zion, Let not thine hands be slack. The Lord thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; he will save, he will rejoice over thee with joy; he will rest in his love, he will joy over thee with singing. I will gather them that are sorrowful for the solemn assembly, who are of thee, to whom the reproach of it was a burden. Behold, at that time I will undo all that afflict thee: and I will save her that halteth, and gather her that was driven out; and I will get them praise and fame in every land where they have been put to shame. At that time will I bring you again, even in the time that I gather you: for I will make you a name and a praise among all people of the earth, when I turn back your captivity before your eyes, saith the Lord. -Zephaniah 3:11-20 And so, from all of these clear scriptural examples that provide us with a detailed prophetic description of the future Day of the Lord, we can readily understand that this period includes first a darkness/judgment phase then followed by a light/blessing phase. Furthermore, it is clear that, just as is true in a literal twenty-four-hour day, the darkness phase will be followed by the light phase. This plain reality has been acknowledged by theologians of various interpretive camps for years. In the Dispensational camp, leading scholars have long noted this two-fold nature and its figurative similarity to a literal day. For example, John Walvoord writes: In 1 Thessalonians 5 the Day of the Lord is used in the sense of an extended period of time, but having the characteristics of a twenty-four hour day. That is, it is a day which begins at midnight or in the darkness, advancing to dawn and then daylight. It will close again with another period of darkness after daylight has passed. That apparently is the symbolism involved in the Day of the Lord. … The Day of the Lord, according to the Old Testament, is a time of God’s judgment and a time of God’s dealing with the world in its sin. … The Millennium – the whole kingdom reign of Christ on earth – in which Christ personally directs the government of the world, is also included in the Day of the Lord. [1] Similarly, Renald Showers asserted: The Day of the Lord in the future will be at least twofold in nature. Just as each day of creation and the Jewish day consisted of two phases – a time of darkness (“evening”) followed by a time of light (“day”) [Gen. 1:4-6] – so the future Day of the Lord will consist of two phases, a period of darkness (judgment) followed by a period of light (divine rule and blessing). [2] Likewise, Tony Garland notes: The phrase “Day of the Lord” is uniformly connected with darkness and judgment, whereas the phrases “this day” and “that day” do appear to be associated with the positive era subsequent to the initial dark elements of the day. The two-fold nature of the day is characterized by a time of intense darkness followed by incredible blessings. This dual nature results from both a sequential division (judgment bringing in the Kingdom of God on earth followed by the blessings of the millennial reign of Christ) and a spiritual division (the enemies of God will experience only the judgment whereas the people of God will experience the blessings of the millennial reign). [3] Many non-Dispensational scholars have also recognized this two-phased construction of the Day of the Lord. For instance, J. Barton Payne noted a period of judgment that is followed by a period of restoration. [4] Likewise, A.B. Davidson stated: Hence the “Day of the Lord” acquires a double-sided character. It is a day of salvation and judgment, or a day of salvation through judgment … a day of salvation behind this. Sometimes one side is prominent and sometimes another … Sometimes both sides of the Divine manifestation are brought forward, as in Joel. [5] John A.T. Robinson also admits that this period has both a judgment and a victory component. In itself, “the Day of the Lord” is a general and comprehensive expression for the consummation of God’s purpose, alike in victory and in judgment. [6] In addition, we should note that the scriptural teaching about God’s nature is that He is light, and there is no darkness in Him (1 John 1:5, et al.). If this is the case, then it would seem inconsistent to imagine His day (the Day of the Lord) consisting entirely of darkness, and having no periods of light. Further yet, it is difficult to imagine a future Day of the Lord that does not include His direct rule over the earth – which will only take place during the Millennium (the light/blessing phase). The Millennium is certainly part of the “consummation of God’s purpose,” as noted in the previous quote by Robinson. And as we’ve mentioned a number of times, this understanding aligns perfectly with the typology of an actual twenty-four-hour day, which consists of both dark and light phases. Thus, we should recognize that the two-fold nature of the future Day of the Lord is neither a new doctrine, nor a fringe, irrational doctrine. Rather, it is a basic insight of a careful and thorough exposition of the Bible – one that is and has been held by Christian scholars across the interpretive spectrum. [1] John Walvoord, “The Day of the Lord,” Jan. 1, 2008, Bible.org. (https://bible.org/seriespage/5-day-lord - Retrieved 3/27/22) [2] Renald Showers, Maranatha: Our Lord Come! Bellmawr, NJ: Friends of Israel, 1995, p. 33. [3] Tony Garland, Revelation Commentary, under “2.13 - Related Passages and Themes,” PreceptAustin.org. (https://www.preceptaustin.org/revelation-intro-parallels (Retrieved 3/21/22) [4] J. Barton Payne, The Theology of the Older Testament, Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1962, p. 464. [5] A.B. Davidson, “The Theology of the Old Testament,” in International Theological Library, New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1936, pp. 377-378. [6] John A.T. Robinson, Jesus and His Coming, Philadelphia: The Westminster Press, 1979, p. 19.

(From the book The Missing Key in Dispensational Eschatology) The Day of the Lord is a Biblical term that, within Bible prophecy discussion, is often either not defined at all, or is defined in a way that limits its scope in a way inconsistent with its actual usage in scripture. What is the basic definition of the Day of the Lord, according to its scriptural usage? Put simply, the Day of the Lord denotes God’s times of intervention in human history. As the Creator of the universe, God had specific purposes in mind for its creation – and as a result, when the sinful tendencies of mankind interfere with the sovereign plan of God, there is a point at which He intervenes in order to accomplish these purposes. Old Testament scholar and theologian J. Barton Payne described the Day of the Lord as follows. The comprehensive phase, by which the Old Testament describes God’s intervention in human history for the accomplishment of His testament is yom Yahwe, “the day of Yahweh.” … The “day” is thus characterized by an observable accomplishment of the general aims of divine providence. It refers to that point in history at which the sovereign God lays bare His arm on the behalf of His testament and of its heirs… [1] Similarly, theologian Renald Showers defined the Day of the Lord in the following way. In the Scriptures the expression “the Day of the Lord” (together with other synonymous expressions, such as “that day,” “the day of God,” etc.) is strongly related to God’s rule of the earth and, therefore, to His sovereign purpose for world history and specific events within that history. The Day of the Lord refers to God’s special interventions into the course of world events to judge His enemies, accomplish His purpose for history, and thereby demonstrate who He is – the sovereign God of the universe. [2] The scriptures clearly indicate that its mentions of the Day of the Lord (like much of the Bible’s prophetic content) often focus on a near-term or local application, as well as a future ultimate eschatological sense. In an article on the Day of the Lord in The Popular Encyclopedia Of Bible Prophecy, Richard L. Mayhue writes: A survey of the prophets indicates the term [Day of the Lord] was used in reference to both near historical fulfillments and far future eschatological events. [3] We can take note of these usages in the Old Testament books of the prophets where the term “Day of the Lord” appears – including Obadiah, Joel, Amos, Isaiah, Zephaniah, Ezekiel, Zechariah, and Malachi – showing how these authors spoke of the Day of the Lord in both a near-term historical sense but also a far-term future eschatological sense that clearly transcended any immediate local application. In the past “Days of the Lord,” God typically used foreign nations to execute His sovereign interventions against His enemies – in the form of war and military invasions. For instance, He raised up Assyria to invade, conquer, and exile the apostate Northern Kingdom of Israel in the 700s BC, as we see in, for example, Amos 5:18-20. God also similarly raised up Babylon to bring His judgment against the Southern Kingdom of Judah in the centuries to follow – as we see in passages such as Lamentations 1-2, Ezekiel 7:19, 13:5, and Zephaniah 2:2-3. He also used Babylon to bring judgment against Egypt and its allies in the 500s BC, as shown in Jeremiah 46:10 and Ezekiel 30:2. In similar fashion, Medo-Persia was later used to judge Babylon for its wickedness, as we see in Isaiah 13:6 and 9. But these past historical interventions are just foreshadows of the future ultimate Day of the Lord – in which God will intervene not only by using human instruments to execute His divine wrath, but He Himself as the risen Messiah, Jesus Christ, will actually arrive on the scene and fight against His enemies, bringing about His earthly reign – the Millennial Kingdom. George Ladd wrote: The prophets viewed the immediate historical future against the background of the final eschatological consummation, for the same God who was acting in history would finally establish his Kingdom in the future. [4] When we get to the New Testament, we then see that the New Testament writers consistently interpreted these Old Testament prophetic “Day of the Lord” texts in light of this ultimate eschatological fulfillment to take place in the future, and connected them with the noteworthy end-time events that Christians today refer to as the Tribulation and the Millennial Kingdom. These both are major eschatological events that consummate the age of human rule over the earth and usher in the judgments and blessings of God as He brings about His sovereign purposes for the earth. Showers provides a number of scriptural indicators that require the Day of the Lord to apply most ultimately to this future culminating time period where God brings about one final intervention in human history. First, Isaiah 2:10-22 describes a Day of the Lord that will involve the sixth seal described by the Apostle John in Revelation 6:12-17. Because this sixth seal will take place during the [future] 70th Week of Daniel 9, the Day of the Lord that will involve that seal must also take place during that future time period. Second, Isaiah 34:1-8 and Obadiah 15 describe a Day of the Lord when God will judge all nations or Gentiles of the world. None of the past Days of the Lord involved divine judgment of all the nations. Up to this point in history, there has not been a judgment of all nations during the same time period. In light of this, we must conclude that the Day of the Lord of Isaiah 34 and Obadiah must be future. Third, Joel 3:1-16 and Zechariah 14:1-3, 12-15 refer to a Day of the Lord that will involve God’s judgment of the armies of all the nations of the world, when those armies gather in Israel to wage war against that nation and the city of Jerusalem and when the Messiah comes to war against them. According to Revelation 16:12-16, those armies will not begin to gather until the sixth bowl is poured out during the [future] 70th Week of Daniel 9. In addition, Revelation 19:11-21 indicates that Christ will wage war against them when He comes from heaven to earth. This, too, forces the conclusion that the Day of the Lord of Joel 3 and Zechariah 14 is future. Fourth, in 1 Thessalonians 5:1-11, the Apostle Paul referred to a Day of the Lord that was future beyond the time when he wrote his epistle and that would bring sudden, inescapable destruction upon the unsaved of the world. That Day of the Lord had not taken place before Paul wrote his Thessalonian epistle, and it seems evident that nothing of its nature has transpired since. Thus, the Day of the Lord of 1 Thessalonians 5 is also future. [5] It is also crucial for us to recognize that just as the historically-fulfilled “Days of the Lord” were not necessarily literal, twenty-four-hour days (but rather periods of judgment), our interpretation of the future ultimate eschatological Day of the Lord also cannot be limited to a twenty-four-hour day. Rather, scripture clearly describes it in its broadest sense as a prolonged period of time. John Walvoord, one of the most prominent Dispensational scholars of the twentieth century wrote: According to the Bible, the day of the Lord is a time when God deals in direct judgment of the world in contrast to a time of grace when he does not. There were frequent days of the Lord in the Old Testament when God dealt with Israel because of their straying and would bring in an invader or would introduce drought or famine or some other catastrophe. These periods had a beginning and an ending, but obviously were more than a twenty-four-hour day. It was an extended period of time, long or short, depending on the circumstances. [6] And so, we can readily understand the ultimate eschatological nature of the Day of the Lord in scripture. It has both past historical and ultimate future applications – but always refers to the periods of time when God Himself intervenes in history in order to bring about His sovereign plan for the world. In the next several articles on this topic, as we uncover deeper nuances of how this concept is expressed in the Bible, our concern will not involve the past historical applications, but instead will look deeper into the future, ultimate, eschatological Day of the Lord. [1] J. Barton Payne, The Theology of the Older Testament, Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1962, pp. 464-465. [2] Renald Showers, Maranatha: Our Lord Come! Bellmawr, NJ: Friends of Israel, 1995, p. 30. [3] Richard L. Mayhue, “The Day of the Lord,” in The Popular Encyclopedia Of Bible Prophecy, eds. Tim Lahaye and Ed Hindson, Eugene, OR: Harvest House, 2004, p. 73. [4] George Ladd, The Presence of the Future, Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1974, p. 68. [5] Showers, pp. 31-32. [6] John Walvoord, “The Day of the Lord,” in Journal of Ministry and Theology, 4:2, Fall, 2000, p. 10.

(From the study "The Identity Of The Nephilim") In this article, we will undertake an examination of the Hebrew word “Nephilim” that we see used several times in the Bible, in order to gain a basic understanding of who these beings were. There are two passages in the Bible that explicitly mention the Nephilim by that name. However, there are a multitude of passages that refer to the greater subject of the Nephilim – many often being overlooked by those who are unfamiliar with this topic. But the two passages in which the Hebrew word Nephilim explicitly appear are Genesis 6:4 and Numbers 13:33. Let’s take a look at the first of those two – Genesis 6:4. The context of this passage is the time before the Flood of Noah, in which the wickedness of the pre-Flood world is being described. Genesis 6:1-4 reads: And it came to pass, when men began to multiply on the face of the earth, and daughters were born unto them, That the sons of God saw the daughters of men that they were fair; and they took them wives of all which they chose. And the Lord said, My spirit shall not always strive with man, for that he also is flesh: yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty years. There were giants [many versions simply say “Nephilim”] in the earth in those days; and also after that, when the sons of God came in unto the daughters of men, and they bare children to them, the same became mighty men which were of old, men of renown. -Genesis 6:1-4 In the King James Version, as well as certain other English Bibles, we find this Hebrew word “Nephilim” loosely translated as “giants.” However, because it’s unknown for certain what this Hebrew word means, some English Bibles have left it untranslated, simply carrying over the Hebrew and transliterating it into English – yielding the word “Nephilim.” The second mention of Nephilim in the Bible is found in Numbers 13:33, as the Israelites were getting ready to enter into the Promised Land of Canaan. However, many of the spies Moses sent to search out the land returned with the conclusion that they were unable to conquer it. To support this conclusion, they referenced the giant inhabitants of the land, whom they called Nephilim, and descendants of the Nephilim. The spies reported feeling like grasshoppers in comparison to this evil race of giants. Numbers 13:32-33 reads: And they brought up an evil report of the land which they had searched unto the children of Israel, saying, The land, through which we have gone to search it, is a land that eateth up the inhabitants thereof; and all the people that we saw in it are men of a great stature. And there we saw the giants [Nephilim], the sons of Anak, which come of the giants [Nephilim]: and we were in our own sight as grasshoppers, and so we were in their sight. -Numbers 13:32-33 Let’s now explore the possible meaning of the word Nephilim. This term is often translated as “those who fall,” “the fallen,” or “those who descended from heaven to earth.” However, Dr. Michael Heiser, an adjunct Professor of Biblical Studies at Liberty University who holds a PhD in Hebrew and Semitic studies, disagrees with this interpretation. In his critique of an author who defined Nephilim as “those who fall,” Heiser explains: Sitchin assumes "Nephilim" comes from the Hebrew word "naphal" which usually means "to fall." He then forces the meaning "to come down" onto the word, creating his "to come down from above" translation. In the form we find it in the Hebrew Bible, if the word Nephilim came from Hebrew naphal, it would not be spelled as we find it. The form Nephilim cannot mean "fallen ones" (the spelling would then be nephulim). Likewise, Nephilim does not mean "those who fall" or "those who fall away" (that would be nophelim). The only way in Hebrew to get Nephilim from naphal by the rules of Hebrew morphology (word formation) would be to presume a noun spelled naphil and then pluralize it. I say "presume" since this noun does not exist in biblical Hebrew – unless one counts Genesis 6:4 and Numbers 13:33, the two occurrences of Nephilim – but that would be assuming what one is trying to prove! However, in Aramaic, the noun naphil(a) does exist. It means "giant," making it easy to see why the Septuagint (the ancient Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible) translated Nephilim as gigantes ("giant") … It is most likely that Nephilim is an Aramaic term imported into Hebrew during the final editing of the Hebrew Bible in Babylon (where Aramaic was the lingua franca) and then the ending was corrected to Hebrew rules of word formation. [1] Based on Heiser's explanation, it would seem clear that the word “Nephilim” is a term originating from Aramaic, meaning “giant,” which was brought into Hebrew and given the “-im” ending, indicating plurality. The translators of the King James Version seem to have been aware of this, as they translated Nephilim as “giants” and did not call them “the fallen,” or anything similar. In addition, the majority of ancient Bible versions – including the Septuagint, Theodotion’s translation of the Hebrew Bible into Greek, the Latin Vulgate, the Samaritan Pentateuch, Targum Onkelos, and Targum Neofiti – all interpret the word to mean “giants.” [2] Of course, we understand that the term “giant” refers to a man of extraordinary size and strength. We may therefore conclude that the evidence clearly shows that the Hebrew word Nephilim referred to giants. [1] Michael Heiser, “The Nephilim,” SitchinIsWrong.com. (https://sitchiniswrong.com/nephilim/nephilim.htm - Retrieved 4/10/21) [2] Jacques Van Ruiten, Primaeval History Interpreted: The Rewriting of Genesis I-II in the Book of Jubilees, Brill, 2000, p. 189.

(From the study "The Identity Of The Nephilim") The correct identification of the "sons of God" is probably the single most critical aspect of correctly understanding the Biblical concept of the Nephilim. Unfortunately, there’s been a massive amount of confusion and disagreement regarding this – not only in recent times, but going all the way back to the centuries following the Apostolic Era in church history. But fortunately, the Bible actually offers us a number of passages that shed light on this issue, allowing us to confidently identify the sons of God. Let’s enter into this exploration by reviewing our perspective of the proper method of Bible interpretation – a discipline called “hermeneutics.” Utilizing Proper Hermeneutics Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. -2 Timothy 2:15 Biblical hermeneutics is the science of properly interpreting the various types of literature found in the Bible in order to determine what the text actually means. Hermeneutics can be called “the laws of sound Biblical interpretation.” Taken out of context, the Bible can be improperly used to justify almost anything. But in order to draw the intended meaning out of the text (the definition of exegesis), we need to hold to proper Biblical hermeneutics. We want to avoid reading outside meanings (our own personal views) into the text (the definition of eisegesis). [1] The most important law of Biblical hermeneutics is that the Bible should be interpreted literally. Literal Bible interpretation means we understand the Bible in its normal/plain meaning unless there’s a clear indication in the text to do otherwise. The Bible says what it means and means what it says. Many make the mistake of trying to “read between the lines” and come up with meanings that are not truly in the text. [2] Dr. David L. Cooper described this literal method of interpretation in the following way. When the plain sense of Scripture makes common sense, seek no other sense; therefore take every word at its primary, ordinary, usual, literal meaning, unless the facts of the immediate context, studied in the light of related passages and axiomatic and fundamental truths, indicate clearly otherwise. [3] Proper Biblical hermeneutics keeps us faithful to the objective, intended meaning of scripture and away from allegorizing and symbolizing Biblical text with our own subjective meanings. One of the most basic concepts of scripture interpretation is that the Bible is the best interpreter of itself (within context). In other words, to gain understanding as to what a certain word or phrase may mean (such as “sons of God”), you need to study all of the other places in the Bible in which that same word or phrase is used. You then closely analyze and compare them within context to find out what the word or phrase in question refers to or means. [4] A sound Biblical analysis is one that ensures you don’t create doctrine from a single verse, especially if it doesn’t parallel with supporting scriptures. You cannot come up with an interpretation of your own choice. You must examine what the text actually says, and discover the meaning without adding to the text and without drawing inferences that are not tied to or implied by the text. So, let’s exercise sound Biblical hermeneutics by conducting a thorough Biblical exegesis of the phrase “sons of God.” Exegesis of the “Sons of God” In Hebrew, the phrase “sons of God” is benei ha elohim. [5] So, we need to search and examine every other place in the Bible where this exact phrase is used in order to determine its correct meaning and context. Of course, we would only expect to find this Hebrew phrase in the Old Testament, since only the Old Testament is written in Hebrew. When we perform this examination, we find three passages that use this exact phrase “sons of God” (benei ha elohim, or in the case of one of the passages, the similar phrase benei elohim) – and we find that in all three, it is always used to refer to angels. Let’s begin to take a look at these passages. Now there was a day when the sons of God [benei ha elohim] came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan came also among them. -Job 1:6 Job 1:6 is one of the clearest and most obvious references to angels in the entire Bible. This passage describes an actual meeting in heaven, in which God oversees an assembly of holy and fallen angels to discuss earthly affairs, grant permission to carry out certain actions in the human realm, or assign various tasks. Again there was a day when the sons of God [benei ha elohim] came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan came also among them to present himself before the Lord. -Job 2:1 Again, we see the same concept restated, clearly identifying sons of God as being angels who are meeting with God in another “divine council.” A third reference is also found in Job, but with this one using the close phrase benei elohim. Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth? declare, if thou hast understanding. Who hath laid the measures thereof, if thou knowest? or who hath stretched the line upon it? Whereupon are the foundations thereof fastened? Or who laid the corner stone thereof; When the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God [benei elohim] shouted for joy? -Job 38:4-7 In this passage, we find God posing questions to Job about the creation of the universe in order to demonstrate to Job how little he actually knew in comparison to God. God implies that the sons of God were created prior to the creation of earth itself, which helps us eliminate basically all of the alternative interpretations of “sons of God.” Of course, only the angels were created at that time. These three passages are the only ones in the Old Testament that use this phrase (benei ha elohim or benei elohim) – and they are all clear references to angels. So, we can confidently say that since every other usage of benei ha elohim or benei elohim in the Old Testament clearly refers to angels, we should recognize the Genesis 6:4 instance to also mean angels. Any other explanation of the phrase “sons of God” is subjective inference, rather than Biblical exegesis. To even further establish this position, we can examine other similar phrases to benei ha elohim that also appear in the Old Testament. Again, these phrases always refer to angelic beings, and never to human men. Let’s take a look at some of these additional verses. He answered and said, Lo, I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and they have no hurt; and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God. -Daniel 3:25 This passage in Daniel uses a similar phrase in Aramaic, bar elahin, and yet still clearly refers to a supernatural being. [6] It speaks in reference to the fourth man walking in the fire, which we know was at minimum an angel, but possibly even an Old Testament theophany. For who in the heaven can be compared unto the Lord? who among the sons of the mighty can be likened unto the Lord? -Psalm 89:6 Here is another Old Testament passage that slightly differs even further (benei elim), and yet still is a reference to angels. [7] This is obvious as the first part of the verse gives the context: “who in heaven...” Obviously, this refers to angelic beings. And so, we find that other similar Hebrew phrases in the Old Testament also all clearly refer to angelic beings. But let’s also take a look into the New Testament, where we see the phrase “sons of God” in our English Bibles. The New Testament (which was written in Greek not Hebrew) gives us further information on how this phrase is progressively used. The expansion of its usages in the New Testament reveal to us even more specifically that it’s always used to designate a direct creation of God. This expanded New Testament usage range will include Adam, New Testament saints, and of course, Jesus Christ. Let’s briefly discuss each of these. -Adam: Adam, being the first man, was directly created by God. He is called a son of God in Luke 3:38. In this chapter, Jesus’ genealogy is given to us, and Luke traces it all the way back to Adam. Because Adam had no earthly father to speak of, Luke lists him as the “son of God.” Which was the son of Enos, which was the son of Seth, which was the son of Adam, which was the son of God. -Luke 3:38 -New Testament Saints: New Testament saints (or Christians) are also called sons of God in the New Testament. Why would this be? Because those who have obeyed the gospel are unlike any other human beings in history. Those who are in Christ, having undergone salvation and received the Holy Spirit and a new nature are considered a direct creation of God! John 1:11-12 explains this. He [Jesus] came unto his own, and his own received him not. But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: -John 1:11-12 Jesus elaborates on this further in John 3:6. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. -John 3:6 Human beings (aside from Adam) are never called “sons of God” unless they are New Testament believers having undergone the gospel plan of salvation. Christian believers who were “born again” have been adopted into sonship. Other humans are not initial direct creations of God in this sense. They are sons (or descendants) of Adam. This also corresponds to what we just discussed regarding Jesus’ statement in Matthew 22:30 about the future resurrection bodies of believers that will be like the angels. 1 John 3 explains this. Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not. Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. -1 John 3:1-2 In other words, we as Christians are sons of God right now, but the ultimate manifestation of this is future-looking, as in the resurrection we will receive heavenly bodies. When we receive these bodies, we will be able to see Christ in the fullness of His resurrected glory, as we will also have a body similar to His – a body that can interact in the extra-dimensions (like the angels). Note: Some additional references to the sonship of New Testament Christians include Romans 8:14, 8:19, Galatians 4:6, and Philippians 2:15. -Jesus Christ: Lastly, we of course know that Jesus Christ is called the Son of God in the New Testament. Jesus Christ is called the Son of God primarily because the Holy Ghost (referring to God in action towards humanity) caused His conception, rather than it being caused by a human man (Luke 1:35). In other words, He also in His humanity can be called a direct creation of God. We know that in His divinity, He is God – but the human aspect of Him (the manifestation of the Son) was created at a point in time. But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, -Galatians 4:4 At a specific point in time, God caused Jesus’ conception in Mary’s womb. And so, of course, Jesus Christ (in His humanity) was also a direct creation of God, rather than being the son of a human father. So, our exegesis of the usage of “sons of God” in the Bible clearly reveals how this phrase is always used. In the Old Testament, the phrase “sons of God” is always used to refer to angels. In the New Testament the phrase “sons of God” is expanded to mean a direct creation of God – including Adam, saved Christians, and of course, Jesus Christ. A further interesting revelation is that in the Old Testament, human saints or followers of God were normally referred to as “servants of God,” while the angels were referred to as “sons of God.” This seems to be reversed in the New Testament, where Christian believers now are called “sons of God” and the angels are portrayed as “servants of God”! Therefore, by a thorough search of the scriptures, and after analyzing and comparing the usages of benei ha elohim and similar phrases, the only conclusion one can come to is that the passage in Genesis 6:4 is clearly referring to angels. To take any other position is to take a position without Scriptural foundation, being found outside of the Biblical usage of the phrase. Genesis 6 then, is clearly describing something that many find disturbing or difficult to accept. It describes the sons of God (or angels) lusting after human women, coming to earth, apparently taking on a human form, defying God’s natural order by having sex with human women, and producing a hybrid offspring called Nephilim (who were giants). Something about their hybrid genetic makeup made the children of this illicit union larger, more powerful, more wicked, and likely even more intelligent than average humans – and that “something” was the angelic origin of their fathers, the sons of God. Again, the notion of angels doing this (or even being able to do this) is a hurdle for many to accept – one we specifically address in our study "The Identity Of The Nephilim". However, we should never be troubled about the clear, literal reading of the Word of God. We must leave behind whatever presuppositions we bring to the Bible, and instead, allow the text to speak for itself, no matter how difficult it may be for us to accept. Genesis 6 tells us that angels from heaven took human women and produced children with them – and this, as we find, is a pervasive theme woven throughout the scriptures. [1] Alyssa Roat, “What is Biblical Hermeneutics and Is it Still Important Today?” June 22, 2020, Christianity.com. (https://www.christianity.com/wiki/bible/meaning-origin-history-of-biblical-hermeneutics.html - Retrieved 4/10/21) [2] Ibid. [3] David L. Cooper, “Some Basic Laws Of Interpretation,” Biblical Research Studies Group. (http://www.biblicalresearch.info/page502.html - Retrieved 11/10/20) [4] Roat. [5] NASB Lexicon, entry “Genesis 6:4,” BibleHub.com. (https://biblehub.com/lexicon/genesis/6-4.htm - Retrieved 4/14/21) [6] NASB Lexicon, entry “Daniel 3:25,” BibleHub.com. (https://biblehub.com/lexicon/daniel/3-25.htm - Retrieved 4/14/21) [7] NASB Lexicon, entry “Psalm 89:6,” BibleHub.com. (https://biblehub.com/lexicon/psalms/89-6.htm - Retrieved 4/14/21)

(From the study "The Identity Of The Nephilim") In our previous two articles on this subject, we've endeavored to take a sound, Biblical look into what was happening back in Genesis 6 with the "sons of God" entering into relations with human women, producing "Nephilim," or giants. In one of these articles, we touched on the subject of Biblical hermeneutics (or methods of interpretation). We discussed the foundational principles of properly interpreting the text of the Bible – including the need to take the text literally unless the text itself makes it obvious that a figure of speech is being used. We also mentioned the fact that the Bible is the best interpreter of itself. In other words, we should not feel free to impose our own interpretations on a particular passage when the Bible clearly defines it elsewhere. These are some of the foundational principles of sound Biblical hermeneutics. When we utilize these principles and apply them to Genesis 6:4, the only resulting interpretation that demonstrates coherence is the one we’ve been advocating thus far – that the sons of God should be understood as angels, and that they married and had sexual relations with human women, producing a hybrid offspring of giants that the Bible calls the Nephilim. But as clear as this is, we should recognize the existence of a prominent, alternative view of Genesis 6:1-4, which we need to more closely address. First, we should point out that even if you’ve grown up in a Christian church, there’s a very good possibility that the information we’re presenting in this article is new to you. If you fit this description, you may be wondering "Why haven't I heard this before?” The answer is that, unfortunately, around the fifth century AD, an alternative view (referred to as the “Sons of Seth view”) became prevalent. The popularity of this newly proposed Sons of Seth view of Genesis 6:1-4 eventually surpassed the earlier traditional “angel view” for which we’re advocating. This alternative view then became accepted by the mainstream (Catholic) church at the time, and has remained the dominant – and in many cases the only – view taught in many churches and seminaries today. This is especially true in Catholic and Reformed circles. In this article, we will take a deeper and more critical look at this interpretation and see if it holds up to scrutiny. So, what is this “Sons of Seth” view, and what exactly does it claim? Steve Schmutzer, writing in a multi-part series on this topic, summarizes it as follows. Its premise rests on the claim that the "sons of God" in Genesis 6:1-4 were ordinary men from the "godly line of Seth," and the "daughters of men" were ordinary women from the "ungodly line of Cain." In other words, the first gender group was righteous and the second gender group was unrighteous. The assumption is, they were alike in their physical nature, though different in their spiritual one. This theory argues that the joining of these two genetically homogenous groups of humans produced offspring of such deviant character and unnatural physical proportions that God was compelled to wipe the slate clean. [1] So, the Sons of Seth view really boils down to an attempt to substitute subjective meanings for clear Biblical terms in Genesis 6:4. Let’s review this passage before we look deeper into this. There were giants [Nephilim] in the earth in those days; and also after that, when the sons of God came in unto the daughters of men, and they bare children to them, the same became mighty men which were of old, men of renown. -Genesis 6:4 Make note of the phrase “sons of God” (which in an earlier article, we clearly defined as “angels,” based upon how this term is always used elsewhere in scripture). Also make note also of the phrase “the daughters of men.” Proponents of the Sons of Seth view subjectively define the phrase “sons of God” to mean the supposedly righteous "sons of Seth” (a group the Bible never even mentions as existing). They then also subjectively define the phrase “daughters of men” to mean the supposedly wicked "daughters of Cain” (whom the Bible also never mentions). Of course, this is not at all what the text reads, and it contradicts how the phrase “sons of God” is clearly defined elsewhere in scripture! As mentioned, in an earlier article, we conclusively showed that “sons of God” (benei ha Elohim) always means "angels" in the Hebrew scriptures. “Daughters of men” is the translation of the Hebrew “benoth ha adam” (or “daughters of Adam”). [2] The text gives no indication that these are specifically daughters of Cain, nor does it say they’re wicked. Instead, by the Hebrew reading – “daughters of Adam” – the intention of the text is obviously to refer to the general population of mankind. There is no way (in Hebrew or in English) to interpret it to mean the daughters of a particular subset, such as those of Cain. This is why the Bible translators rendered it simply as “daughters of men” in English. And so, it is easy to see how the proponents of this view have to radically alter the Biblical text and infer completely different meanings in order to establish their interpretation. In other words, they rely on eisegesis instead of exegesis. They read their predetermined interpretation into the text rather than relying on the text to form their interpretation. Also, make note of the fact that proponents of this view fabricate a scenario in which the sin being described in Verse 4 is the failure to maintain separation between “believers” and “unbelievers”. However, again, the text simply does not say that! First of all, it’s important to note that nowhere in scripture does it state that the descendants of Seth were godly and the descendants of Cain were ungodly. This is a total assumption made by the Sons of Seth interpreters. Furthermore, the Biblical record doesn’t require “separation” until much later in Genesis! They then attempt to create a scenario in which these two fictional groups intermarried, producing the Nephilim. According to their view, these alleged groups were not supposed to marry, but did. In other words, righteous people marrying unrighteous people can somehow produce Nephilim giants. As you can surely see already, this interpretation goes far beyond poor exegesis and finds its way into pure absurdity. So then, how did this Sons of Seth view originate? In the centuries following the Apostolic era, the growth of Christianity brought the Old Testament into the pagan Gentile (or non-Jewish) nations. When this took place, it brought about a clashing of religious and philosophical worldviews that gave rise to many attacks of pagan Greco-Roman philosophers against Christianity and the Bible. This in turn gave rise to the era of the Christian apologists – early church fathers who attempted to provide a defense of Christianity against these attacks. [3] One of the ways some of the pagan critics began to attack the Old Testament was by focusing on the Genesis 6 story, which at that time was universally understood by Jews and Christians to describe the cohabitation of angels with human women. The Sons of Seth view then surfaced as a way for the apologists to fend off these attacks and provide an alternate explanation of these “uncomfortable facts” of Genesis 6. But let’s emphasize that this in itself is proof that the “angel view” was the original! The traditional Jewish understanding was always the “angel view” – and then the earliest Christians (which of course, first arose as a sect of Judaism) also upheld this view. Author Bryan Huie echoes this historical fact, writing: The first and oldest belief is that "the sons of God" were fallen angels who consorted with human women, producing giant offspring called Nephilim. This view was widely held in the Judaic world of the first century, and was supported by many of the [Christian] "Ante-Nicene Fathers," including Justin Martyr, Clement of Alexandria, Tertullian, Irenaeus, and Eusebius. [4] Schmutzer adds to this perspective, stating: Early church fathers such as Justin Martyr, Irenaeus, Clement of Rome, Lactantius, and Ambrose were proponents of [the angel view] in their own writings. The historical record is clear enough to suggest that a straightforward reading and interpretation of Genesis 6:1-4 was the official position of the early church up through the fourth century. This is even recorded in Volume 8 of The Ante-Nicene Fathers. [5] But like we said, as Christianity began to spread into the pagan world, subjects like Genesis 6 became fodder for the attacks of pagan critics. They viewed the traditional “angel view” as ridiculous, and used it to disparage Christianity and the Bible. Chuck Missler summarizes these attacks of the pagan critics and the subsequent development of the Sons of Seth view. Celsus and Julian the Apostate used the traditional "angel" belief to attack Christianity. Julius Africanus resorted to the Sethite interpretation as a more comfortable ground. Cyril of Alexandria also repudiated the orthodox "angel" position with the "line of Seth" interpretation. Augustine also embraced the Sethite theory and thus it prevailed into the Middle Ages. It is still widely taught today among many churches who find the literal "angel" view a bit disturbing. [6] Let’s back up a bit and focus on Julius Africanus, who seems to be the first to advocate the Sons of Seth theory. As we read the following quote of what he stated, notice how he (in typical fashion of the apologists) abandons the literal interpretation in order to embrace an allegorical interpretation that feels “more comfortable.” When men multiplied on the earth, the angels of heaven came together with the daughters of men. In some copies I found "the sons of God." What is meant by the Spirit, in my opinion, is that the descendants of Seth are called the sons of God on account of the righteous men and patriarchs who have sprung from him, even down to the Saviour Himself; but that the descendants of Cain are named the seed of men, as having nothing divine in them, on account of the wickedness of their race and the inequality of their nature, being a mixed people, and having stirred the indignation of God. But if it is thought that these refer to angels, we must take them to be those who deal with magic and jugglery, who taught the women the motions of the stars and the knowledge of things celestial, by whose power they conceived the giants as their children, by whom wickedness came to its height on the earth, until God decreed that the whole race of the living should perish in their impiety by the deluge. [7] Let’s take note that in the beginning of this quote, Julius Africanus implies that some copies of Genesis that he had access to in the first several centuries AD actually read “angels of heaven” in place of “sons of God” – demonstrating the universality of the angel view in antiquity. But we then see the way he interjects his interpretive technique of allegorism because he doesn’t like the conclusion that a literal interpretation brings. Notice how he says, “what is meant by the Spirit”. In other words, the allegorist believes it’s his duty to ignore the plain meaning of the text and instead substitute a meaning of his own choice. This is the main problem with an allegorical hermeneutic – the control is in the hands of the interpreter’s subjective imagination instead of in the actual words of the author. Huie expands upon this history even further, specifically focusing on how the early church father Augustine’s embracing of the Sons of Seth view resulted in its formal acceptance by the Catholic Church, and its subsequent dominance in the mainstream even up to the present-day. [The Sons of Seth view] is one which was advocated by Saint Augustine, the Catholic Bishop of Hippo. He rejected the concept of the fallen host having committed fornication with women. In his early fifth century book The City of God, he advanced the theory that "the sons of God" simply referred to the genealogical line of Seth, who were committed to preserving the true worship of God. He interpreted Genesis 6 to mean that the offspring of Adam through Seth were "the sons of God," and the offspring of Adam through Cain were "the daughters of men." He wrote that the problem was that the family of Seth had interbred with the family of Cain, intermingling the bloodlines and corrupting the pure religion. This view has become the dominant one among most modern biblical scholars. [8] Remember that it was also Augustine (in his famous book The City of God) who embraced and advocated for the allegorical interpretation of much of the Bible (instead of a literal hermeneutic). Although much of his allegorization was aimed at reinterpreting prophetic portions of scripture, he also used this method to interpret passages that he found uncomfortable or dissatisfying. His views were then embraced by the Catholic Church at large, and the Sons of Seth view became the mainstream interpretation going into the Middle Ages. Even the great Reformers Martin Luther and John Calvin failed to reexamine this error, and consequentially, this view found its way into the teachings of the Protestant churches. Most of the denominations that are an outworking of the Reformation still hold to this view, stemming from the Catholic tradition that the Reformers failed to reexamine. [9] So, unfortunately, the Sons of Seth view is still widely taught in churches today, with many people simply being unaware that any alternative even exists. Let’s now review thirteen key points (many of which we’ve already touched upon) that highlight the problems with the Sethite theory and summarize why this view should be rejected. 1.) The text simply doesn’t say what the Sons of Seth view would require. Substantial liberties must be taken with the literal text to propose the “Sethite” view. In the Old Testament, the term “sons of God” is never used to refer to human beings, and certainly never to “believers” or “the righteous.” Interpreting it to mean “righteous sons of Seth” is based on subjective inference, not the text. 2.) Seth was not God, and Cain was not Adam. The “Daughters of Adam” does not mean the descendants of Cain, but rather, the whole human race is clearly intended. It is obvious from the text that these daughters were not limited to a particular family or subset, but were, indeed, from (all) the “benoth ha adam”, or the “daughters of Adam”. Interpreting it to mean “daughters of Cain” is based on subjective inference, not the text. 3.) There is no Biblical mention of “daughters of God” or “sons of Adam”. Were the sons of Seth only attracted to the daughters of Cain? Were the daughters of Seth so unattractive? In other words, why does it only go one way with the genders (only sons of Seth with daughters of Cain and not the other way around)? 4.) The concept of separate “lines” itself is suspect and contrary to scripture. There is no Biblical suggestion that the lines of Seth and Cain kept themselves separate, nor were even instructed to. The injunction to remain separate was given much later, and was given to Israel upon entry into Canaan (an area that the Bible tells us happened to be filled with Nephilim descendants, according to Numbers 13:33). 5.) The inferred godliness of Seth’s descendants cannot be substantiated. There is no evidence that the line of Seth was godly. To the contrary, the son of Seth himself was Enosh, about whom there is textual evidence indicating that rather than having a reputation for righteousness, he instead seems to have initiated the profaning of the name of God. Genesis 4:26 is likely mistranslated in many English Bibles; According to virtually every early Jewish source (for example, Targum of Onkelos, Targum of Jonathan ben Uzziel, Kimchi, Rashi, Maimonides, et. al.), Enosh initiated the profaning of God, not “calling upon” God as many translations render it. The early Christian scholar Jerome also testified that the Jews of his day believed this as well. [10] So, there is no evidence that Seth’s line was godly – but to the contrary, there is Biblical evidence that his own son actually warranted special mention in the Genesis record for his wickedness in profaning God. 6.) The inferred wickedness of Cain’s descendants cannot be substantiated. Cainites were not necessarily wicked. Yes, as we know, Cain murdered his brother, but when looking at his genealogy, it is clear that his descendants had the name of God (El) in their names (“Mehujael” and “Methusael” as we see in Gen. 4:18). It is possible that Cain was a repentant believer! At the very least, we don’t know for sure, and to imply that all of his descendants were godless is reading into the text instead of drawing out from the text. 7.) What made Noah’s genealogy in Genesis 6:9 so distinctive? If he's described as being “unblemished” in this passage, what is everyone else “blemished” by? Proponents of the Sons of Seth theory are forced to believe that if separation is the issue here, then everyone else on the planet was “corrupted” by the intermarrying of so-called “believers” and “unbelievers”, which caused God to destroy the planet in a worldwide Flood! Think about that for a moment. That is the “Sunday-school” level of Bible interpretation that causes so many to view God as a cruel mass-murderer. 8.) If you assume the Sons of Seth theory is true, then who are the Nephilim? In other words, a believer marrying an unbeliever and then having children doesn’t produce giants! Their offspring isn’t going to be genetically distinctive! From where then did this unique group called the Nephilim originate? And how are they then also found inhabiting the Land of Canaan after the Flood? Even if you accept that there were so-called “righteous sons of Seth” and “wicked daughters of Cain” living as distinct groups before the Flood, you of course cannot believe they could still be around after the Flood. So again, what produced the post-Flood Nephilim giants? The Sons of Seth view has no satisfactory answer for this. And again, this simplistic Sethite view is another cause for people to view God as some sort of genocidal ethnic-cleanser, as the Israelites were given instructions to wipe out entire people groups in Canaan. 9.) Who are the angels that are described in Job 4:18 – which describes a certain group of angels as being charged with “folly” (in the KJV)? Since the Bible self-interprets that “folly” is an antiquated way of referring to illicit sexual activity (cf. Genesis 34:1-2, 7; Deuteronomy 22:21; Judges 19:22-23; 2 Samuel 13:1-2; 11-12) then this passage in Job clearly supports the angel view of Genesis 6. 10.) Given the Sons of Seth theory, who then are the imprisoned angels described in 1 Peter, 2 Peter and Jude? Here, we have three clear New Testament confirmations of the angel view of Genesis 6 (to be described in a future article). If the Sethite view is correct, what did these angels do to get imprisoned, and where does the Bible tell us about this? The authors of these passages wrote them assuming their audiences were well aware of the context. The only context provided earlier in the Bible is the Genesis 6 story, which was well-known by not only the Jewish culture, but all ancient cultures worldwide. Proponents of the “Sethite” theory have nothing to which they can ascribe these New Testament passages. 11.) All of the ancient Greek and Hebrew sources are in agreement that the Nephilim were the offspring of angels and women. What evidence can those who believe in the Sons of Seth theory use to refute this unanimous agreement? And why does the Sons of Seth view only seem to date back to Julius Africanus at the earliest (who lived during the second and third centuries AD)? [11] 12.) How could a God who calls all people to repentance, and who is willing to forgive even the most depraved sinners and cultures (think Ninevah in the book of Jonah) issue forth mandates to systematically wipe out certain tribes, as in Canaan? God judges nations, but Scripturally, only seems to order their complete annihilation when His natural order is violated in a way that threatens His ultimate plan to save mankind. 13.) All of the world’s ancient cultures share similar stories of gods, angels, star people, etc., coming to earth early on in history and mating with women. How is this story universally agreed upon if it was really just wicked people marrying righteous people? In sum, these thirteen points completely dismantle the Sons of Seth view of Genesis 6:4. When proponents of this theory make their case, they do not and cannot provide scriptural support or exegesis in the way we have throughout this article series. In fact, all three of our articles on this subject up to this point have been solely focused on the proper scriptural exegesis of Genesis 6:4. Proponents of the Sethite view do, however, offer several claims that are intended to puncture the angel view. We address these objections in our study "The Identity Of The Nephilim". [1] Steve Schmutzer, “Who are the ‘Sons of God’ in Genesis Chapter 6? – Part 3,” June 26, 2018, RaptureForums.com. (https://www.raptureforums.com/bible-study/who-are-the-sons-of-god-in-genesis-chapter-6-part-3/ - Retrieved 4/19/21) [2] NASB Lexicon, entry “Genesis 6:4,” BibleHub.com. (https://biblehub.com/lexicon/genesis/6-4.htm - Retrieved 4/18/21) [3] John N.D. Kelly, article “Apologist,” Oct. 20, 2021, in Encyclopedia Britannica. (https://www.britannica.com/topic/Apologist - Retrieved 8/19/21) [4] Bryan T. Huie, “Sons of God,” DouglasJacoby.com (https://www.douglasjacoby.com/sons-of-god-by-bryan-t-huie/ - Retrieved 4/18/21) [5] Schmutzer. [6] Chuck Missler, “Textual Controversy: Mischievous Angels or Sethites?” Aug. 1, 1997, Koinonia House. (https://khouse.org/articles/1997/110/ - Retrieved 4/18/21) [7] Julius Africanus, Extant Fragments of the Five Books of the Chronography of Julius Africanus in Ante-Nicene Fathers, Vol. 6, Christian Classics Ethereal Library. (https://ccel.org/ccel/juliusafricanus/extant_fragments/anf06.v.v.ii.html - Retrieved 5/14/21) [8] Huie. [9] Lee Anderson Jr., “Is the “Sons of God” Passage in Genesis 6 Adapted Pagan Mythology?” Answers Research Journal, 8 (2015):261–271. (https://answersingenesis.org/genesis/is-sons-of-god-passage-genesis-6-adapted-pagan-mythology/ - Retrieved 4/14/21) [10] Appendix 21 To The Companion Bible, “Enos (Genesis 4:26.) ‘Calling On The Name Of The Lord,’” TheRain.org. (https://therain.org/appendixes/app21.html - Retrieved 4/22/21) [11] Anderson Jr.

(From the study "The Identity Of The Nephilim") In our past several articles, we've advocated for what may be called the "angel view" of Genesis 6:4. This refers to the interpretation that the "sons of God" mentioned in that verse refer to fallen angels, whom the passage then states had sexual relations with human women, producing a hybrid offspring of giants the Bible calls "Nephilim." While it may be difficult for some to accept, this is the clear, plain meaning of the text – as we've shown so far in this article series. But if this is to be accepted as the accurate understanding of Genesis 6 and the pre-Flood world, wouldn’t we expect to find further mention of it elsewhere in scripture? Taking into account the enormity of this subject’s impact on the Biblical narrative, we would absolutely expect further mention, commentary, or allusion to it being woven throughout the Bible. Actually, that is exactly what we do find – and these further complimentary passages add valuable confirmation of the interpretation presented in these articles. Let’s begin to take a closer look at some of these passages. In a previous article, we mentioned that Numbers 13:33 is the only passage other than Genesis 6:1-4 that explicitly uses the Hebrew word “Nephilim.” This passage deals with the post-Flood giants in the Promised Land during the Conquest of Canaan. In addition, there are many other passages in the Bible that offer convincing support for the "angel view." As we begin to examine them, let’s start with a key Old Testament passage that is often overlooked or ignored – but that convincingly verifies this interpretation. This passage is Job 4:13-18, and it reads as follows. Behold, he put no trust in his servants; and his angels he charged with folly: -Job 4:18 We’ve underlined the key words in this passage: “angels” and “folly.” Most readers may quickly overlook this word “folly,” as it’s not a word commonly used in modern English – and when it is used, it doesn’t carry with it the same connotations as it did in the Elizabethan period of Early Modern English (the era in which the King James Version was written). [1] In modern English, we may think of “folly” as referring to “silly behavior.” However, let’s be clear that in "KJV English," it’s used to describe serious, illicit sexual activity. Ryan Pitterson writes the following concerning this subject. The word "folly," which is translated from the Hebrew "nebalah," is commonly defined as "senseless; or disgraceful." While dictionary definitions are important, the primary source for the meaning of a word is the context in which it occurs. In the King James Version of the Old Testament, "folly" is most often used to describe sexual sin. [2] It is enlightening to look at several examples of how “folly” is used in the KJV Old Testament. And Dinah the daughter of Leah, which she bare unto Jacob, went out to see the daughters of the land. And when Shechem the son of Hamor the Hivite, prince of the country, saw her, he took her, and lay with her, and defiled her. And the sons of Jacob came out of the field when they heard it: and the men were grieved, and they were very wroth, because he had wrought folly in Israel in lying with Jacob's daughter: which thing ought not to be done. -Genesis 34:1-2, 7 Then they shall bring out the damsel to the door of her father's house, and the men of her city shall stone her with stones that she die: because she hath wrought folly in Israel, to play the whore in her father's house: so shalt thou put evil away from among you. -Deuteronomy 22:21 Now as they were making their hearts merry, behold, the men of the city, certain sons of Belial, beset the house round about, and beat at the door, and spake to the master of the house, the old man, saying, Bring forth the man that came into thine house, that we may know him ["know", meaning to have sexual relations with – in this case, rape]. And the man, the master of the house, went out unto them, and said unto them, Nay, my brethren, nay, I pray you, do not so wickedly; seeing that this man is come into mine house, do not this folly. -Judges 19:22-23 And it came to pass after this, that Absalom the son of David had a fair sister, whose name was Tamar; and Amnon the son of David loved her. And Amnon was so vexed, that he fell sick for his sister Tamar; for she was a virgin; and Amnon thought it hard for him to do anything to her. And when she had brought them unto him to eat, he took hold of her, and said unto her, Come lie with me, my sister. And she answered him, Nay, my brother, do not force me; for no such thing ought to be done in Israel: do not thou this folly. -2 Samuel 13:1-2, 11-12 From looking at these instances, we can see that rape, fornication, and incest are three prominent contexts in which “folly” is used in the KJV Old Testament – three examples of illicit sexual activity. With this in mind, we can then look back to our original passage (Job 4:18 – “his angels he charged with folly”) and recognize that when you let scripture interpret scripture, the Bible itself confirms that a group of angels committed illicit sexual activity, providing a strong confirmation of our understanding of Genesis 6. Let’s now skip ahead to the New Testament and focus on several significant complimentary passages that also validate the angel view of Genesis 6. Jude 1:6-7 First, we will look to the book of Jude, which provides one of the principal complimentary passages on the angelic seduction of human women and subsequent rise of the Nephilim. Actually, this passage even includes within it a key to answering the question of how an angel from heaven could produce a child with a human woman. In Jude 1:6-7, we read the following. And the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day. Even as Sodom and Gomorrha, and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire. -Jude 1:6-7 This passage describes a certain group of angels that “kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation.” This same group of sinful angels is now described as being imprisoned in “everlasting chains under darkness” until their final judgment. Interestingly, Jude assumes that the readers are already familiar with who these angels are. In other words, he’s clearly alluding to the storyline of the fallen angels first mentioned in Genesis 6, which everyone during his day was familiar with. This is made even plainer in the next verse, which identifies the sinful activity these angels were committing – which resulted in their imprisonment. It says they were committing fornication (or illicit sexual activity) and going after “strange flesh” – much like what was happening at Sodom and Gomorrah. In "The Identity Of The Nephilim", we look deeper into the issue of what really may have been happening at Sodom and Gomorrah – but for now, let’s just say that the reference to these cities may have closer ties to Genesis 6 than most realize. Let’s not overlook the fact that the men of Sodom also wanted to have sexual relations with angels – the angels that came to visit Lot (Genesis 19:5). Again, you can find out more about that by reading our full study. For now, let’s further break down this passage in Jude. The phrase “first estate” (in “the angels which kept not their first estate”) refers to their beginning or their origin – the Greek word arché (Strong’s # G746). [3] In other words, these angels abandoned their original position as holy angels of God in heaven. It then says that they left this position by leaving their “own habitation.” As we will see, this word “habitation” is the key we referenced earlier that helps us answer the question of how an angel can come together with a human woman and produce offspring. This word translated as “habitation” is the Greek word oikétérion (Strong's # G3613), and means a dwelling place, a habitation, or an abode. [4] But here’s the key: this word oikétérion is only used twice in scripture. The only other place where it’s found is 2 Corinthians 5:2, which metaphorically describes the glorified, heavenly body that a born-again believer will one day receive in the resurrection. 2 Corinthians 5:1-6 reads: For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with our house [oikétérion] which is from heaven: If so be that being clothed we shall not be found naked. For we that are in this tabernacle do groan, being burdened: not for that we would be unclothed, but clothed upon, that mortality might be swallowed up of life. Now he that hath wrought us for the selfsame thing is God, who also hath given unto us the earnest of the Spirit. Therefore we are always confident, knowing that, whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord: -2 Corinthians 5:1-6 The apostle Paul uses the Greek word oikétérion (translated as “house” in Verse 2) to describe the future resurrection body that we, as believers, will receive. Pitterson further connects the dots for us, writing: The Apostle Paul, under the Holy Spirit’s inspiration, explains that for Christians the flesh bodies we are born with pale in comparison to the heavenly bodies we will receive at the Rapture when all believers are translated. This celestial body is immortal and does not contain the sin nature that all human beings have inherited from Adam. So, the ‘house’ that Paul desires is the same "habitation," or "oikétérion" that the angels who sinned chose to desecrate to pursue their sinful schemes. [5] Chuck Missler put it this way: The very term oikétérion, alluding to the heavenly body with which the believer longs to be clothed, is the precise term used for the heavenly bodies from which the fallen angels had disrobed. [6] Scripture is very clear that the angels were able to leave their original heavenly bodies and manifest themselves in bodies that were physical. So, the sinning sons of God who left their “habitation” to go after “strange flesh” received the punishment of being reserved in chains of darkness until the day of judgment. The renowned twentieth century Bible scholar Arthur W. Pink summarizes our position in the following comment concerning this passage in Jude. The reference in Jude to the angels leaving their own habitation appears to point to and correspond with these "sons of God" (angels) coming in unto the daughters of men. Apparently, by this means, Satan hoped to destroy the human race (the channel through which the woman’s Seed was to come) by producing a race of monstrosities. How nearly he succeeded is evident from the fact that with the exception of one family, "all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth" (Gen. 6:12). That monstrosities were produced as the result of this unnatural union between the "sons of God" (angels) and the daughters of men, is evidence from the words of Genesis 6:4: "There were giants in the earth in those days.” [7] So, we can see that this passage in Jude is a clear New Testament confirmation of the “angel view” of Genesis 6. But the New Testament continues to give us further confirmation of this in several other key verses. 2 Peter 2:4-9 Next, we will look to the book of 2 Peter, which gives us a second key complimentary passage describing the illicit union between the fallen angels and human women. 2 Peter 2:4-9 reads: For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell [Tartarus], and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment; And spared not the old world, but saved Noah the eighth person, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood upon the world of the ungodly; And turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrha into ashes condemned them with an overthrow, making them an ensample unto those that after should live ungodly; And delivered just Lot, vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked: (For that righteous man dwelling among them, in seeing and hearing, vexed his righteous soul from day to day with their unlawful deeds;) The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished: -2 Peter 2:4-9 In this similar passage, we again see a mention of a group of angels who sinned and received the punishment of being imprisoned in chains of darkness until the judgment. And in the verses that follow, like the passage in Jude, we again find a reference to Sodom and Gomorrah. But this passage even more clearly links these angels to the days of Noah and the Genesis 6 context. We see this in Verse 5, as it immediately refers to God’s destruction of the “old world” through the judgment of the Flood. But there’s an additional point of significance that we must make note of from this passage. As mentioned, the Greek word translated “hell” in this passage is the word Tartarus (Strong's # G5020) – and it provides us with another unique clue. First, we should note that this is the only place in scripture where this Greek word is used. This word has been variously translated in our English Bible versions; for example, the New English Bible translates it as “the dark pits of hell,” the Revised Version has it as “pits of darkness,” and the New International Version says “gloomy dungeons.” In all of these translations, depth and darkness are the distinctives of Tartarus. Normally, when, for instance, the KJV uses the word “hell,” it is translated from the Greek word hadés (Strong's # G86). Hades refers to the resting place of the dead and place of departed souls/spirits. [8] So then, why doesn’t the Bible use Hades to describe this place of imprisonment for the fallen angels (instead of Tartarus)? And if Tartarus is only used this one time in the Bible, can we know what this term refers to? Actually, the answer to the second question is “yes,” we can know what this word means – and learning what it means will answer the first question of why the Bible uses this term here. What did the word Tartarus mean to the ancient Greeks? The late author, researcher, and pastor I.D.E. Thomas tells us that this word was used by the ancient Greek poets, such as Homer. Thomas writes: When Homer used the word [Tartarus] he gave it the meaning of subterranean. Hades was the place where the souls of departed men awaited the coming judgment, but Tartarus was a much deeper and darker abyss and reserved specifically for fallen angels. [9] In Greek so-called mythology, Tartarus is the abyss described as a place lower than Hades where the Titans had been imprisoned. Who were the Titans? According to the Greek legends, the mighty Titans were a powerful race that ruled the world before the Olympians, in the time of the Golden Age of men. They were known as being immortal giants of incredible strength, and they possessed knowledge of advanced technology, or what the mortals would have called “magic,” which they brought to earth. They are also known as the “elder gods.” [10] [11] The legends of giant Titans, Olympians, gods and demigods (half god/half human) were considered by the Greeks to be based on an actual core of real history. The Greeks believed these legends and actually worshipped many of these figures as deities. But the point here is that Peter, the writer of the passage we’re examining in 2 Peter, living in a Greco-Roman world and writing in Greek, certainly knew the difference between Hades and Tartarus. Specifically choosing the word Tartarus describes another more specific place of punishment other than Hades. In other words, in this passage, Peter was deliberately linking the account of the sons of God/Nephilim in Genesis 6 with the events of Greek so-called mythology (which we propose is actually just a perversion of the Genesis 6 story). These were the “mighty men of renown” spoken of in Genesis 6:4 – men whom the Greeks viewed as gods. It is eye-opening to recognize that all of the ancient cultures have legends echoing these same concepts of heavenly beings called “gods” descending to earth, having relations with human women, and introducing advanced technology to mankind. Just as we find countless ancient cultures that record a legend of a great Deluge afflicting the planet, we find the story of the Nephilim reflected in numerous ancient cultures worldwide. Based on the Biblical record, it seems as though these so-called legends are actually based on a core of truth, and actually substantiate the Genesis 6 account. 1 Peter 3:18-20 For our third complimentary passage, we look to the book of 1 Peter, which provides us with another witness of the Genesis 6 event, and clearly connects with the common themes of the first two passages we looked at. 1 Peter 3:18-20 reads: For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit; By which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison; Which sometime were disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is eight souls were saved by water. -1 Peter 3:18-20 In this third passage, we find a reference to “spirits” who are currently in prison, and Peter identifies these spirits as being disobedient during the pre-Flood days when Noah was preparing the ark. Psalms 104:4 and then Hebrews 1:7 which quotes it, identify angels as being spirits (“…who maketh his angels spirits…”). Clearly, this is yet another reference to the angels who sinned and are now imprisoned – as Peter said in the previous passage we looked at – in Tartarus, and as the first two passages both said – in chains of darkness until the judgment. Clearly, these three passages we’ve examined are all referring to this same event – the sons of God who fell and sinned with women in Genesis 6. But in this passage, Peter says that Jesus at one point actually went to this prison to “preach” to these spirits. What does this mean? Peter is describing Christ’s time in the underworld during the time after His crucifixion and prior to His resurrection. The Greek word translated “preach” here actually means “to herald, or publicly declare.” It doesn’t mean that Jesus preached the gospel to them so that they could be saved. Instead, Jesus, while His body lay in the grave, went to Hades and proclaimed His victory to the fallen angels imprisoned there! They had lost, and He had won – and their ultimate fate was sealed! [12] Another passage that appears to confirm this understanding is found in 1 Timothy 3. In this passage, it confirms that God, in His manifestation as the Son, was “seen of angels.” And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory. -1 Timothy 3:16 It would seem that when this passage mentions Jesus being “seen of angels,” it's referring to His descent into Tartarus to announce His victory. And why would Jesus need to make such an announcement? The book of Philippians describes the exaltation of Jesus after His victory on the cross. And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. -Philippians 2:8-11 When this passage mentions “things under the earth” confessing the Lordship of Jesus, what could it be referring to? It clearly seems to be a reference to the underworld, which the Bible often describes as being somewhere down “within” or “underneath” the earth. While imprisoned in the underworld in Tartarus, (or the deep abyss or bottomless pit) awaiting their judgment, the sinful sons of God were completely unaware of what was happening up on the earth’s surface until Jesus showed up to herald His victory and the redemption of all humanity through His death on the cross! Whether it was at that moment or in the future, these fallen angels will also bow before Him! The more you begin to understand the circumstances surrounding Genesis 6 and the Nephilim, the more the dots of scripture become connected. And so, after looking at these three complimentary passages in detail (found in Jude, and 1 and 2 Peter), it should be clear to us that the New Testament absolutely corroborates the interpretation of Genesis 6 that we are advocating. In fact, if these verses are not describing the angels that fell in Genesis 6, to which angels are they then referring? The Bible gives us no indication that any of the other angels that fell with Satan are imprisoned anywhere. If all of the fallen angels were imprisoned, then who are the fallen angels described in scripture as being active in the world? For example, in Daniel Chapter 10, we are told that the moment Daniel began to pray, God sent an angel to minister to him – yet, the angel tells us that he was opposed and held up for twenty-one days by the “prince of Persia” – referring to a fallen angelic entity that controlled the kingdom of Persia. Additionally, in Ephesians 6:12 we are told that we as Christians battle against ranks of fallen angels who, under Satan’s leadership, exert their wicked influence over the earth. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. -Ephesians 6:12 The fallen angels referred to here are not “chained” anywhere. They will ultimately be defeated, but as of now, they’re able to move around and influence life on earth – which is why we face spiritual warfare in our Christian walk. If they were all chained in prison, earth would be a much more wonderful and godly place! So, the point is, if you’re hesitant to accept what’s being clearly taught in Genesis 6:4 concerning human-angelic sexual relations producing giant Nephilim offspring, it is on you then to explain the identity of the fallen angels imprisoned in Tartarus that are being described in Jude and 1 + 2 Peter. In addition, you also need to explain the passage in Job that describes the “folly” of the angels – referring to illicit sexual activity. Clearly, the only explanation is that these fallen angels that are currently bound in chains of darkness are the "sons of God" who fell and committed sexual sin with human women in the time before the Flood, as described in Genesis 6. There is no other coherent Biblical explanation. [1] “King James English,” Bible Research. (http://www.bible-researcher.com/english.html - Retrieved 5/02/21) [2] Ryan Pitterson, Judgment of the Nephilim, New York, NY: Days of Noe, 2017, p. 106. [3] Strong’s Concordance, entry “746, arché,” BibleHub.com. (https://biblehub.com/greek/746.htm - Retrieved 4/16/21) [4] Strong’s Concordance, entry “3613, oikétérion,” BibleHub.com. (https://biblehub.com/greek/3613.htm - Retrieved 4/16/21) [5] Pitterson, p. 102-103. [6] Chuck Missler, “Textual Controversy: Mischievous Angels or Sethites?” Aug. 1, 1997, Koinonia House. (https://khouse.org/articles/1997/110/ - Retrieved 4/16/21) [7] Arthur W. Pink, Gleanings in Genesis, Chicago: Moody Bible Institute, 1922, p. 93. [8] Englishman’s Concordance, entry “86, ᾅδης (hadés),” BibleHub.com. (https://biblehub.com/greek/strongs_86.htm - Retrieved 4/16/21) [9] I.D.E. Thomas, The Omega Conspiracy, Anomalos Publishing House, 2008, pp. 101-102. [10] “The Titans, elder Greek gods and first divine rulers,” GreekGods.org. (https://www.greek-gods.org/titans.php - Retrieved 4/17/21) [11] “Titans of Greek Mythology: Facts & Overview,” Sept. 9, 2016, Study.com. (https://study.com/academy/lesson/titans-of-greek-mythology-facts-lesson-quiz.html - Retrieved 4/17/21) [12] NASB Lexicon, entry “1 Peter 3:19,” BibleHub.com. (https://biblehub.com/lexicon/1_peter/3-19.htm - Retrieved 4/15/21)

(From the study "The Identity Of The Nephilim") The reemergence of hybrid Nephilim-type entities during the end times certainly appears to be hinted at in scripture – and is actually a phenomenon that bears great relevance to events already taking place in our world right now. In our study, we discuss the burgeoning reports of what has been called “alien abduction,” and how this phenomenon is likely identified with fallen angels who are masquerading as “extraterrestrials” – being preoccupied with genetic experimentation and human hybridization. In his book, Confrontations – A Scientist’s Search for Alien Contact, the highly regarded UFO researcher Dr. Jacques Vallée concluded the following. Contact with [aliens is] only a modern extension of the age-old tradition of contact with nonhuman consciousness in the form of angels, demons, elves, and sylphs. [1] Researchers Tom Horn and Cris Putnam detail much evidence supporting these subjects in their information-packed book Exo-Vaticana. Based on the evidence they present (much of which is beyond our scope here), they conclude by saying: Today, what some call "alien abduction," in which a breeding program allegedly exists resulting in alien/human hybrids, seems but a contemporary retelling of similar DNA harvesting and genetic manipulation by those mysterious beings called "Watchers" whose genetic modification activities we have discussed. [2] We should not be surprised that activity like this is taking place in our modern times – and we should expect it to increase further as we get closer to the time of the end. A possible glimpse of this activity may be given to us in Daniel 2:43. In Daniel 2, the prophet Daniel interprets the Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar’s dream of a great multi-metallic statue. In the dream, the king saw a vision of a giant statue made of gold, silver, bronze, iron, and clay. He then saw a stone not cut by human hand come down and strike the statue, breaking it into pieces. The wind then carried away the pieces like dust, leaving no traces behind. The stone then turned into a gigantic mountain that covered the earth. This dream greatly troubled the king, and none of his priests, advisors, or soothsayers were able to give the interpretation – except for the Hebrew prophet Daniel. Daniel explained to the king that the statue represented four successive human kingdoms, beginning with Babylon – while the stone and mountain signified a future kingdom established by God that would never be destroyed. But in Verse 43, when discussing the final phase of the final human kingdom, we find an interesting allusion to an unnamed kind of entity mingling themselves with the “seed of men.” Let’s read Verses 40-44 of this chapter. And the fourth kingdom shall be strong as iron: forasmuch as iron breaketh in pieces and subdueth all things: and as iron that breaketh all these, shall it break in pieces and bruise. And whereas thou sawest the feet and toes, part of potters' clay, and part of iron, the kingdom shall be divided; but there shall be in it of the strength of the iron, forasmuch as thou sawest the iron mixed with miry clay. And as the toes of the feet were part of iron, and part of clay, so the kingdom shall be partly strong, and partly broken. And whereas thou sawest iron mixed with miry clay, they shall mingle themselves with the seed of men: but they shall not cleave one to another, even as iron is not mixed with clay. And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever. -Daniel 2:40-44 Many commentators have pointed out the fact that Verse 43 seems to be describing a type of being that is something other than the “seed of men.” In other words, since the “seed of men” in the Bible is a label meaning “all mankind,” then in order for something to mix itself with the seed of men, that “something” must be something other than the seed of men. Who could this refer to? Are there any other beings notoriously mentioned in scripture who historically intermingled with the seed of men? Of course, the answer is yes – and it’s the subject of our study. Fallen angels have intermingled their seed with the seed of men in the past, producing hybrid Nephilim offspring, and according to this cryptic prophecy of Satan’s final kingdom during the end times, we can see that this activity will once again be recapitulated. Author, pastor, and researcher Douglas Hamp further bolsters this conclusion, as he gives us further insight into the morphology of this passage. Note: In linguistics, morphology is the study of words, how they’re formed, and their relationship to other words in the same language. An important clue to understanding this phrase is to understand what is being mixed. This portion of Daniel (Daniel 2:4b-7:28) was written in Aramaic because of the direct communication to Nebuchadnezzar, Belshazzar and their visions (with the vision of chapter seven happening during Belshazzar’s reign). The word "mingle" [mitarvin מִתְעָרְבִ֤ין] is a third person plural hitpaal (as confirmed by the Westminster Hebrew Morphology Codes). The hitpaal is virtually identical to the Hebrew hitpael. The basic usage is reflexive which means that the subject is also the object, for example: "I dress myself" is where "I," the subject, do the action (dress) and "I" also receive the action of the verb (being dressed). Thus, the hitpaal verb of Daniel 2:43 conveys that same meaning. Therefore "they" are the ones doing the action, but they are also doing it to themselves. Thus, the idea is that "they" (the subject) will mingle themselves (the object of the verb) with something else. This is reflected in the numerous English translations available of Daniel 2:43. [3] So, the mysterious “they” are mingling themselves with something else – the seed of men. This confirms that “they” are not men. In the article we just quoted from, Hamp goes on to explore the possible identification of the mysterious “they.” The text says that "they will mingle themselves." The antecedent of a pronoun usually comes before it, but since there is no other defining noun for "they," we must look at the next possible noun which is "these kings" in verse 44. Thus, the word that defines "they" is in fact "these kings." Just like those two materials do not blend well, neither will "these kings" with the seed of men. … They (the ten kings) must be some beings that are able to mix their seed with mankind but are different from mankind, and just as we saw in the Jude 1:7 passage, the strange flesh reference (mingling with a different kind) seems to be referring to demons (fallen angels) having sexual relations with women. [4] So, since there is no previous antecedent identifying the “they” in Verse 43, Hamp suggests we look ahead to Verse 44 in order to understand who “they” are. Verse 44 mentions a group of kings that will be ruling during the period leading up to the Second Coming of Jesus Christ, who is the rock that destroys their kingdom. Why though, does Hamp believe these are ten kings? He explains it as follows, speaking about the fourth kingdom, which many theologians have identified with being the historical Roman Empire (the two legs of the statue and later the ten toes), but also representing a future expression of Rome as the end time kingdom of the Antichrist. Hamp says: The Roman Empire is described in amazing precision by noting that it would become two legs. The Roman Empire was not divided into two parts, Eastern and Western, until A.D. 285 by Diocletian – over 700 years later! However, the kingdom will be governed by a group of ten kings represented by the ten toes. The ten toes are equal to the ten kings found in Daniel 7:24 and Revelation 17:12 and they are partly strong and partly weak. "And as the toes of the feet were partly of iron and partly of clay, so the kingdom shall be partly strong and partly fragile," (Daniel 2:42). [5] Hamp connects the ten toes with the ten kings that are mentioned in other parallel prophetic passages that also speak of this same time. The first passage he mentioned (Daniel 7:23-24), reads as follows. Thus he said, The fourth beast shall be the fourth kingdom upon earth, which shall be diverse from all kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth, and shall tread it down, and break it in pieces. And the ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings that shall arise: and another shall rise after them; and he shall be diverse from the first, and he shall subdue three kings. -Daniel 7:23-24 This passage also speaks of this same fourth kingdom, but instead of using the “ten toes” imagery, it speaks of them as being ten horns, which it then explicitly identifies as ten kings. The second passage he mentioned (Revelation 17:12), reads as follows. And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings, which have received no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one hour with the beast. -Revelation 17:12 In this passage in Revelation, the apostle John is given a similar understanding of the end times, in which ten kings would rule, receiving their power from the Beast (or the Antichrist), whom they were under. Based upon the wording in this passage in Revelation, Hamp makes the following observation, which bolsters his earlier conclusion that these ten kings are fallen angels. If we zoom in just a bit we notice something important; the ten horns "are ten kings" which "have received no kingdom as yet". John was told that there are kings (current to his day) that do not yet have a kingdom. However, these same kings (alive in John’s day) will receive their kingdom when the Beast rises to power. It has been nearly two thousand years since John received the Revelation from Jesus on the island of Patmos. What human kings have been alive for two thousand years? Clearly the answer is none! Therefore, the only option left are kings that do not die but continue – demons do not physically die and therefore the ten kings were present back in John’s day, had no kingdom but will receive the kingdom when the Beast comes, and so we conclude that the kings are necessarily demonic kings. [6] If Hamp’s suggestion is correct that the “they” of Daniel 2:43 can be identified with the “kings” in Daniel 2:44 (who appear to be fallen angels), then that only bolsters our understanding of the kind of activity that will be ongoing during the end times. But whether “they” refers to the ten kings or to someone else, the grammar is clear that it must be a type of being other than a human being – and that is the real point here. Genetic hybridization will be going on during this time. But that isn’t all the Bible says about this kind of activity happening during the end times. The Old Testament book of the prophet Isaiah speaks in detail about the end times, and mentions the reemergence of monsters, hybrids, and giants. Let’s look deeper into this. Perhaps the most well-known of all hybrids is the satyr. It is half human, half goat, and is found all over the pages of human history – especially in Greek so-called mythology. A wiki page focused on Greek mythology describes satyrs as follows. Satyrs are creatures with the upper half of a man but the lower half and horns of a goat. Satyrs are often depicted as drunken, lustful creatures who are often chasing after nymphs because of their beauty. They are sometimes associated with the gods Pan and Dionysus. [7] Interestingly, the Bible prophesies the return of satyrs in the last days. It is also interesting to make note of the context in which they’re mentioned. This chapter in which they're mentioned speaks prophetically concerning the future destruction of Babylon that is to occur during the judgment phase of the broad Day of the Lord. The following passage in Isaiah describes satyrs inhabiting these future ruins of Babylon during this time. But wild beasts of the desert shall lie there; and their houses shall be full of doleful creatures; and owls shall dwell there, and satyrs shall dance there. -Isaiah 13:21 Many English Bibles translate this Hebrew term as “wild goats” instead of satyrs, but there are several translations that hold to what seems to be the original meaning and intent of the author – which is to describe a creature beyond just a normal goat. For instance, the International Standard Version phrases it as: But desert beasts will lie down there, and their houses will be full of howling creatures; there owls will dwell, and goat-demons will dance there. -Isaiah 13:21 (ISV) But the most interesting reading is found in Brenton’s Septuagint Translation. Let’s keep in mind that the Septuagint was the Greek translation of the Hebrew Old Testament that was completed several hundred years before Christ, and may preserve the earliest reading. It says: But wild beasts shall rest there; and the houses shall be filled with howling; and monsters shall rest there, and devils shall dance there, -Isaiah 13:21, (LXX) [8] The verse that follows (Verse 22) specifically mentions satyrs as well. And satyrs shall dwell there; and hedgehogs shall make their nests in their houses. It will come soon, and will not tarry. -Isaiah 13:22, (LXX) [9] Several times in Scripture this Hebrew term is rendered “devils” (in the KJV – Leviticus 17:7 and 2 Chronicles 11:15), where it actually signifies a pagan god. We know the ancients worshipped these hybrid beings and esteemed them as gods – and we recognize their true identity as either fallen angels or Nephilim hybrids. According to this prophecy in Isaiah, they will apparently be making a comeback in the end times. Interestingly, this verse mentioning satyrs in Isaiah 13 is preceded by several other unusual verses that we may not easily recognize in the modern English translations. However, the unusual nature of these verses is better preserved in the Septuagint. They speak of giants being released during the Day of the Lord, and are said to enter through what might be an ancient description of an inter-dimensional gateway or portal. These verses (Isaiah 13:1-9 in the Septuagint) read as follows. THE VISION WHICH ESAIAS SON OF AMOS SAW AGAINST BABYLON. Lift up a standard on the mountain of the plain, exalt the voice to them, beckon with the hand, open the gates, ye rulers. I give command, and I bring them: giants are coming to fulfil my wrath, rejoicing at the same time and insulting. A voice of many nations on the mountains, even like to that of many nations; a voice of kings and nations gathered together: the Lord of hosts has given command to a war-like nation, to come from a land afar off, from the utmost foundation of heaven; the Lord and his warriors are coming to destroy all the world. Howl ye, for the day of the Lord is near, and destruction from God shall arrive. Therefore every hand shall become powerless, and every soul of man shall be dismayed. The elders shall be troubled, and pangs shall seize them, as of a woman in travail: and they shall mourn one to another, and shall be amazed, and shall change their countenance as a flame. For behold! the day of the Lord is coming which cannot be escaped, a day of wrath and anger, to make the world desolate, and to destroy sinners out of it. -Isaiah 13:1-9, (LXX) [10] In this passage, the eschatological Day of the Lord is described, in which God’s wrath will be poured out upon the wicked, culminating in Christ’s Second Coming and the establishment of His earthly kingdom. During this time, giants will be released to wreak havoc upon the earth. Like we pointed out earlier, God will use Satan’s plans in order to bring about His own purposes. Notice how these giants are described as “God’s warriors” in this passage. They are God’s in the sense that He will use them to administer divine wrath during this coming time of tribulation. It seems clear that the events occurring in those days will include some of the strangest things one can imagine (involving satyrs, monsters, giants, portals, hybrids, etc.). Life on Earth is going to become very bizarre before it’s all over – and it gives us some insight into the possible meaning of the prophetic words of Jesus in Luke 21:26, part of the Olivet Discourse, which describe this same time period. And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring; Men’s hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken. -Luke 21:25-26 We notice Jesus’ statement that during this time there will be fearful things coming upon the earth that will be so utterly horrifying that men will suffer severe heart-attacks out of intense distress. The return of Nephilim giants, satyrs, and hybrid monsters of all types would certainly do the trick! This same overwhelming dread is also mentioned back in Isaiah 13, just several verses after the giants coming through the gates are spoken of. We read this earlier in Verses 7 and 8. Every soul of man shall be dismayed. The elders shall be troubled, and pangs shall seize them, as of a woman in travail: and they shall mourn one to another, and shall be amazed, and shall change their countenance as a flame. -Isaiah 13:7-8 (LXX) [11] So, this same intense fear that Jesus discusses was not a completely new revelation. It was already spoken of all the way back in Isaiah. In light of all of this, we can understand that the Bible clearly depicts the return of the Nephilim as a future reality. We can truly conclude that this will be a time when the paranormal becomes the new normal. [1] Jacques Vallée, Confrontations – A Scientist’s Search for Alien Contact, New York, NY: Ballantine Books, 1990, p. 159. [2] Cris Putnam and Tom Horn, Exo-Vaticana, Crane, MO: Defender Publishing, 2013, p. 121. [3] Douglas Hamp, “Mingling with the Seed of Men,” Apr. 24, 2011, DouglasHamp.com. (https://www.douglashamp.com/part-eleven-mingling-with-the-seed-of-men/ - Retrieved 8/14/21) [4] Ibid. [5] Ibid. [6] Ibid. [7] “Satyr,” Greek Mythology Wiki. (https://greekmythology.wikia.org/wiki/Satyr - Retrieved 8/14/21) [8] The Brenton translation of the Septuagint, Isaiah 13:21, Bible Study Tools. (https://www.biblestudytools.com/lxx/esias/13.html - Retrieved 8/13/21) [9] Ibid. [10] Ibid. [11] Ibid.