Two Proofs About the Timing of the Rapture (Part 2 of 2)

Joel Richardson’s sermon on the 10 virgins, is my second proof in this parable that the time of the tribulation vs the rapture is not what people think (the first proof was last week).  His sermon on this second proof is short, as well as the rest of this paper. He disavows the pretribulation rapture. He explains how the Jewish marriage supper is an allegory of us Christians (the Bride of Christ) having a wedding supper with the Groom (Jesus). And how it proves a post-tribulation rapture; a rapture after most of the tribulation; not a pretribulation one, as we will summarize.  It’s in The Parable of the Ten Virgins, told in Matthew 25:1-13:

…the kingdom of heaven shall be likened to ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. ² Now five of them were wise, and five were foolish. ³ Those who were foolish took their lamps and took no oil with them, ⁴ but the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. ⁵ But while the bridegroom was delayed, they all slumbered and slept. “And at midnight a cry was heard: ‘Behold, the bridegroom is coming; go out to meet him!’ ⁷ Then all those virgins arose and trimmed their lamps. ⁸ And the foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ ⁹ But the wise answered, saying, ‘No, lest there should not be enough for us and you; but go rather to those who sell, and buy for yourselves.’ ¹⁰ And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding; and the door was shut. ¹¹ “Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, ‘Lord, Lord, open to us!’ ¹² But he answered and said, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, I do not know you.’ ¹³ “Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming.

First, the groom is not marrying 5 women at once.  The word ‘virgin,’ in this case, is simply a young woman, unmarried.  The 5 who got in to the wedding supper might just be bridesmaids, or the bride’s entourage. The important lesson is that another 5 of the 10 young women were not preparing for the groom’s arrival, so they were not allowed in the wedding feast.  Applying that to us, if we are not loving our Lord enough to be anxiously looking for His arrival, and eagerly awaiting the opportunity to escape the sins of earth, we are not true Christians.  Do not get lost in the world, people, and learn to focus to the necessity of your abiding in Christ instead (John 15:1-6). Otherwise, you may miss heaven, Jesus is saying in those sections of verses. If your priorities did not get radically changed (into a new person) when you got “saved,” you may not end up saved. 

You may ask, “if that’s the main purpose of this parable in Matthew 25, why are we looking at it for End Times discussion?” Well, Matthew 25 may not appear so, but is still part of His Olivet Discourse on the End Times. Also, it does speak of the Coming of the Bridegroom for His bride, so it has relevance to our subject. It answers the question, “Do Jewish wedding rituals in the first century prove a pretribulational rapture—or a post-tribulation one?”

(Besides this discussion, I suggest reading Revelation 19:2, 7-9; here are the salient portions:

“For true and righteous are His judgments, because He has judged the great harlot who corrupted the earth with her fornication; and He has avenged on her the blood of His servants shed by her.” …the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready. ⁸ And to her it was granted to be arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright, for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints.

Notice in context of nearby verses in revelation that the marriage (and supper) is after the coming of the Lord, since He has already performed  Judgment. These Revelation verses, and the Ten Virgins verses, are the only two sections of verses that explain the timing of the rapture vs. the marriage supper.)

Why is the timing of the wedding supper an issue? Pretribulationists believe Christians, previously dead or alive at rapture, go straight to heaven. But there is a problem. Somehow they have to try to enjoy the marriage supper, while the new Christians and Jews and their unsaved families are getting murdered by the millions during the tribulation back on earth.  Kind of a downer idea, isn’t it? Uh, I’m not ready for dessert.

On the side, I just want to throw in another important idea:  the Bible takes the view that Israel is the Bride.  Is there any room for us Gentiles?  Not a problem; in Romans 11:17, Paul exposits that we saved Gentiles were grafted into the Israel’s olive tree, and become part of God’s Israel. Saved Jews and Christians are all called “Israel.”  To express the unity of the Church.  Galatians 3:28 says “There is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no longer slave or free, there is no longer male and female; for all of you are one in Christ Jesus.” 

Pretribulationists, usually also followers of dispensational ideology, really need to learn that God doesn’t treat the Jews and Christians as separate groups under the New Testament.

Now let’s get back to the Ten Virgins. We’ll start by saying, first century Jewish wedding customs placed the marriage supper at the home of the bride, NOT at the home of the groom or his parents.  For the Last Days, that means we do NOT have the marriage supper in heaven (Father’s house), but on earth, at the New Jerusalem (Bride’s house). After that supper, according to custom, the groom would take the bride to his house--heaven.  (J. Snodgrass, Stories of Intent.  He is basing this on Tobit 7 and 8, in the Apocrypha).

So the order of events is, the Groom (Jesus) leaves His house (leaves heaven), and makes His way towards earth, then pauses in the clouds, waiting for His angels to act. His angels ride with him (not us riding with him).  When the groom is visible from earth (that’s where the cosmic disturbances bring that about), the shout and trumpet blast are given, and, if we are ready (ie, having been born again and love Him, and are looking for His arrival), we (the bride) come up to greet Him (in the clouds) and escort Him back to her house on earth.  Like coming to greet a visiting dignitary and escorting him back.  A big meal is served, and the father gives his daughter to her groom, with his blessing, and then they go back to his house to consummate the marriage. That’s when we go to heaven. (I have another blog on when we go to heaven).

To prove the point Scripturally, notice my underline in v. 10 of Matthew 25 above.  Note that the bridegroom came, the prepared young women went in with him to the wedding feast, and the door was shut. That’s it—clearly those were done in one place.  No mention of flying off to the groom’s place.  The supper, clearly, was there—at the bride’s dwelling. 

I hope this gives the proper meaning of this allegory, and helps you believe how pretribulation rapture is a figment of an 1830 imagination (I have another blog on that). This is one of many proofs of the opposite—it is post-tribulation.

If we live in that time, we will have a target on our backs. Temptation to abandon Christ will be great. (Or, believing in a false doctrine will be great).  The Scripture says we must endure to the end to reach heaven.  May God show us how to endure the tests of the man of sin, if we are alive in those last days, and may God show us how to prepare for His coming.  We don’t want to miss heaven.  No. Nyet.