“People like us, who believe in physics, know that the distinction between past, present and future is only a stubbornly persistent illusion” ~Albert Einstein
Einstein also said, in his Theory of Special Relativity, that the more a person moves through space, the less they move through time. Outside the domain of time, events do not happen one after another; they all exist at once. God is Transcendent all creation in that He lives outside time, space, and matter. He is not bound by these physical attributes, and their existence does not affect Him whatsoever. This is particularly true in the place where God resides—heaven.
There is no linear time in heaven where one event happens after another. Everything has already happened in heaven; it is all finished.
“Known to God from eternity are all His works.” ~Acts 15:18-19
…God, who gives life to the dead and calls those things which do not exist as though they did… ~Romans 4:17
Citizenship, Registered, Reserved In Heaven
Revelation Chapter 4: A view into the eternal
Revelation 4:1-5 “After these things I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven. And the first voice which I heard was like a trumpet speaking with me, saying, “Come up here, and I will show you things which must take place after this.” Immediately I was in the Spirit; and behold, a throne set in heaven, and One sat on the throne. And He who sat there was like a jasper and a sardius stone in appearance; and there was a rainbow around the throne, in appearance like an emerald. Around the throne were twenty-four thrones, and on the thrones I saw twenty-four elders sitting, clothed in white robes; and they had crowns of gold on their heads. And from the throne proceeded lightnings, thunderings, and voices. Seven lamps of fire were burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God.”
When John is taken to heaven in Revelation chapter 4, he sees himself sitting with the 24 elders, as one of the 12 Apostles. John has been there forever, as have all who will be saved.
“Around the throne were twenty-four thrones, and on the thrones I saw twenty-four elders sitting, clothed in white robes; and they had crowns of gold on their heads.” ~Revelation 4:4
Only human beings redeemed by the blood of Jesus Christ, are given white robes. Only human being who have finished their work on earth, are given crowns of Gold in heaven; symbols of their authority.
“The twenty-four elders fall down before Him who sits on the throne and worship Him who lives forever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying: “You are worthy, O Lord, To receive glory and honor and power; For You created all things, and by Your will they exist and were created.” ~Revelation 4:10-11
These crowns were given to those whom Jesus took from the earth during the event described in 1 Thessalonians 4, the, “harpazo,” or as is commonly described today, “the Rapture.”
“For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep. 16 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. 18 Therefore comfort one another with these words.” ~1 Thessalonians 4:15-18
The Christians at Thessalonica were the first to hear about the doctrine of Jesus coming for His church. The idea that the doctrine of the Rapture was not taught in the Christian church until the 1800s is impeached by Paul’s letters to the Thessalonians.
Whatever we might call the event described in 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18, the words “caught up” settles the question of what is happening in these passages.
Caught Up is the english translation of the Koine-Greek word, harpazo. There is no ambiguity in what harpazo means, nor how it is applied to the text that Paul wrote. Harpazo (ἁρπάζω harpazō) means “to catch (away, up), pluck, pull, take (by force), catch up, take by force, catch away, to seize, carry off by force, to seize on, claim for one’s self eagerly to snatch out or away.”[1]
Harpazo is also used in John 6:15: Therefore when Jesus perceived that they were about to come and take Him by force to make Him king, He departed again to the mountain by Himself alone.
Also used in a similar context with Luke’s description in Acts 8:39: Now when they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught Philip away, so that the eunuch saw him no more; and he went on his way rejoicing.
Even in Paul’s own description of his personal Rapture (2 Corinthians 12:3-4): And I know such a man—whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, God knows—how he was caught up into Paradise and heard inexpressible words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter.
Harpazo, to take by force, catch away, caught up, is only used to describe believers who are taken away by the Lord to a different place—often, heaven.
When Paul uses Harpazo in 1 Thessalonians 4:17 to describe what will happen to living Christians at the time Jesus descends from heaven and comes to the outer atmosphere of earth, he knew precisely what he was talking about: the removal of believers from earth by Jesus.
Even the idea that the word “Rapture” is not in the Bible is false. When the Koine-Greek texts were translated into Latin, the translators used the Latin word Rapturo in place of the Greek word Harpazo. This was later adopted by men who were teaching the doctrine of the Harpazo that Paul revealed in 1 Thessalonians 4, and they began to call this event, the Rapture.
We could just as accurately call it the Harpazo as the Rapture, and we would be telling the truth. Both mean the same thing; both are describing the same event.
It Is Important To Understand That What John Is Seeing In Heaven, Has Already Taken Place
These events in Revelation chapter 4 are not a glimpse into the future, but the actual events as they have already taken place in heaven. There is no passage of time in eternity. Every event that has and will happen here on earth, has already been completed from the eternal perspective of God, living outside time, space, and matter.
As we make our way through the incredible prophecies of Daniel, we see how they fit together with the events described by the Book of Revelation. Jesus described the “abomination of desolation,” of Daniel Chapter 9, and placed this event in context with what John wrote in the thirteenth chapter of Revelation. How is it that these writers, at great distance to each other, could describe the same events taking place at the same time, with such clarity?
The only possible answer is, they all received their information from a common source. Jesus said that all these things must take place because they had been determined before the foundation of the world.
“Then Jesus said to them, “These are the words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things must be fulfilled which were written in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms concerning Me.” ~Luke 24:44
We are reading the words of men who are all being directed by a transcendent source from outside time, who knows what will take place before these events began. When Jesus came to earth, He was following a carefully-scripted plan that was written for this planet before it existed. Jesus said that “all things must be fulfilled which were written…”
At this point, you can begin to see how the Bible has been constructed to convey a single message. All of the things written upon the pages of the scriptures are for the express purpose of revealing who Jesus is and the reason He came to earth.
We must conclude, even at this early stage of our exploration, that these men have all told the truth. The accounts of the four gospels describing Jesus’ arrival in Bethlehem, selection of twelve men, announcement that He is the promised Messiah, arrest, crucifixion, death, and resurrection were all meticulously planned well in advance.
“For whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope.” ~Romans 15:3-4
We should notice that when attributing Psalms 69:9 to the reproach Jesus bore for us, Paul states that whatever things were written before, such as this verse from Psalms 69:9, were written for our learning. The purpose of all of these Old Testament prophecies in which we find their fulfillment in the record of the New Testament is for the purpose of teaching us who Jesus is. This is so that we can place our complete trust in Him and obtain the forgiveness of our sins and eternal life
See The 400 Messianic Prophecies Written In The Old Testament For Jesus
All The Events Of Earth Were Known By God In Eternity
Is the Lord actively involved in every detail of our lives? Does He control each event and place us in the precise locations we need to be in order to accomplish His will? This appears to be the specific purpose for this prophecy: to demonstrate the Lord’s great power over all the affairs of human beings.
Matthew apparently understood that when the angel told Joseph and Mary to take Jesus to Egypt, that it was for the express purpose of fulfilling prophecy.
“Now when they had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream, saying, “Arise, take the young Child and His mother, flee to Egypt, and stay there until I bring you word; for Herod will seek the young Child to destroy Him.” When he arose, he took the young Child and His mother by night and departed for Egypt, and was there until the death of Herod, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying, “Out of Egypt I called My Son.” ~Matthew 2:13-15
Predicted in the Old Testament:
“When Israel was a child, I loved him, And out of Egypt I called My son.” ~Hosea 11:1
By these events, the Lord records His great power over every king, government, and tiny detail of our lives. Nothing happens during the course of human history apart from the sovereign will of God. He permits individuals to make their own decisions and bear the consequences of those actions, while He equally controls the events of history to fulfill every word He has spoken.
These occurrences of prophecy are recorded for our learning, that we might understand that God has told us these things to validate His word. He has written all of the details that will concern the life of His Son, whom He will send to earth to complete our salvation. It is by our awareness of these many prophecies that we can comprehend His plan for our lives.
There is no other document of antiquity that has so accurately predicted all of the major events of mankind, in greater clarity, than the Bible. Many people have tried to predict future events. At their best, they have achieved no more than a fifty-percent success rate. The Bible, on the other hand, has a one hundred-percent record of precision and accuracy in all of the predictions it has made.
... And you know in all your hearts and in all your souls that not one thing has failed of all the good things which the LORD your God spoke concerning you. All have come to pass for you; not one word of them has failed.” ~Joshua 23:14
“Who has performed and done it, Calling the generations from the beginning? “I, the LORD, am the first; And with the last I am He.”~ Isaiah 41:4
The Prophecies of the Messiah details 400 of these prophecies and demonstrates how each prediction has been fulfilled by God precisely as He described them to us in the Bible. The Lord does not predict the future; He simply reports to us what He has seen. The Lord knows the details of every second of mankind’s existence in advance of every event of history that has taken place.
The reason God has given us a revelation of His knowledge in all these events before they took place is so that we might understand who He is and trust what He has said. His ability to tell us what is going to happen in the future is our validation of His claim to be God—the only sovereign King of the universe.
I have proven, by over four decades of critical scholarship of the Bible, that not a single prophecy in the Bible has failed. The only way that this could be true is if the source of these prophecies was a Being from outside time, who knew in advance every event that was being described.
“Remember the things I have done in the past. For I alone am God! I am God, and there is none like me. Only I can tell you the future before it even happens. Everything I plan will come to pass, for I do whatever I wish.” ~Isaiah 46:9-10
From the beginning, the men who experienced these predictions God made also confirmed that He fulfills all that He says:
“Behold, this day I am going the way of all the earth. And you know in all your hearts and in all your souls that not one thing has failed of all the good things which the LORD your God spoke concerning you. All have come to pass for you; not one word of them has failed.” ~Joshua 23:14
The specific facts of the Bible that describe the coming of One who will free the world of evil, suffering, and death is incredibly detailed. In order to believe that the Bible is a conglomeration of myths and errors as some people claim, a person would have to ignore the intricate and specific events that it has predicted accurately. How could any quantity of human literature have the capacity to tell us in advance intricate details that have yet to take place?
Isaiah is the prophet who predicts the terror of the antichrist in the last days, who comes to destroy the nation of Israel. Jeremiah describes a Messiah who will not only come from the lineage of David, but will be a Righteous Branch. Ezekiel wrote that the Messiah will be from the Highest Branch of David’s government. Zechariah describes the Messiah as the Servant of God, who will offer Himself for the sins of the world.
- Isaiah’s ministry existed in history from 740-680 B.C.
- Jeremiah wrote his prophecies from 627-580 B.C.
- Ezekiel, from 592-570 B.C.
- Zechariah, from 520-470 B.C.
Each of these men lived during different period of Israel and Judah’s existence. All three wrote their prophecies 500-700 years before Jesus arrived at Jerusalem and announced that He was the Messiah. All four write a different view and aspect of the Messiah’s ministry of which Jesus perfectly fulfilled, in the narrative of the New Testament.
How is this possible, unless these men had been given this information from an intelligent source that exists from outside time?
“Then Jesus said to them, “These are the words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things must be fulfilled which were written in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms concerning Me.”~Luke 24:44
Events Known To God From Eternity
When Jesus was brought to the Cross to be put to death, it was on the evening of Passover. According to Jewish tradition, the body of someone who was crucified could not be left on the cross past the start of the Sabbath, which began at 6 pm. Since Jesus was placed on the Cross at the 3rd hour, which is 9 am, the Jews in Israel wanted to ensure that He did not remain on the Cross at the start of the Sabbath, at 6 pm. Often, those who were crucified would live for days while hanging on the cross, before they would expire.
It was traditional to break the legs of a condemned criminal who had been placed upon a cross in order to hasten his death. The very act of being nailed to a cross caused great difficulty in breathing. The crucified would have to push down with his feet on the pedestal, where his two feet were nailed to, just to stand up for a moment and draw a breath of air. Being suspended on the cross by the arms, the lungs were greatly impeded and the mechanics of breathing were nearly impossible. The final strike against the body that ultimately caused the death of a crucified man was asphyxiation. After many hours or often days hanging on the cross, a person would become so fatigued that he was unable to push himself up, allowing breath to enter his lungs. Once this occurred, death quickly followed.
If the bones of a person on a cross were broken, at the middle of the lower leg, it would be impossible to thrust the body upwards and draw a breath. Instead of death by crucifixion taking days, it could occur within minutes. When the Roman guards came to break the legs of the three men who were being crucified on that day, they found that Jesus had already expired, and there was no need to break His legs.
Remember that in most cases, the legs of the condemned on the cross were not broken; only during times of necessity such as when there was an impending Sabbath that would begin soon. This was only done so that the condemned would die quickly and allow his body to be removed from the cross before the Sabbath began.
The fact that this event was predicted for the Messiah (as He fulfills the intent of the Passover Lamb) implies that the author of this prophecy knew His legs would not be broken. The writer possessed advanced knowledge that the Messiah would be put to death on the cross, along with the other criminals who were also being crucified. Even more amazing is the fact that the two criminals would have their legs broken, while those of the Messiah would be left intact. In about 90 percent of all crucifixions, the executioners did not break the legs of those on the cross.[2] The author of this prophecy knew that this crucifixion would occur just before the start of the Jewish Sabbath, which would require the legs of the crucified to be broken, yet leaving the bones of the Messiah unbroken—in fulfillment of Exodus 12:46.
How is it possible to write in describing these specific details, unless the writer had actually seen the events take place?
This is truly an incredible prediction if we give proper consideration for what is stated here. The manner in which Jesus perfectly fulfilled these words, when He was not able to control what happened, is stunning. Only someone from outside time, who could see events take place before they actually occurred on earth, could accurately tell us these fascinating details. A Transcendent Being, who lives outside the constraints of time, would have the opportunity to see any event that would happen here on earth at any time.
- Scientific Evidence For God: A Fine-Tuned Universe
- How God Created The Universe: Science And The Bible In Symmetry
- Evidence For Fine-Tuning Of The Universe: 209 Physical Constants That Make Life On Earth Possible
- The Beginning of the Universe: Reconciling 6 Days with 13.7 Billion Years
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2. Dictionary Definition g0726. ἁρπάζω harpazō; from a derivative of 138; to seize (in various applications): — catch (away, up), pluck, pull, take (by force).
3. AV (13) – catch up 4, take by force 3, catch away 2, pluck 2, catch 1, pull 1; to seize, carry off by force to seize on, claim for ones self eagerly to snatch out or away.
[2] Koskenniemi, Erkki; Kirsi Nisula and Jorma Toppari (2005). “Wine Mixed with Myrrh (Mark 15.23) and Crurifragium (John 19.31-32): Two Details of the Passion Narratives”. Journal for the Study of the New Testament (SAGE Publications) 27 (4): 379–391. doi:10.1177/0142064X05055745. Retrieved 2008-06-13.
Categories: Empirical Evidence for God, How Salvation Occurs, One Way to Heaven, Origin of the Universe, Physical Constants, Relativity of Simultaneity, Robert Clifton Robinson, Salvation is a free gift, Science and the Bible, Scientists Who Believe in God, The Creation of the Universe, The Existence of God, The Nature of God, The Prophecies of the Messiah, These Things Were Written, Understanding Eternity
Robert Clifton Robinson 
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