Comfort One Another With These Words

The title for this article stems from the Apostle Paul’s letter to the first century church in Thessaloniki, Turkey. It is actually said twice: Once in chapter 4:18: “Therefore comfort one another with these words.” It is mentioned a second time in chapter 5:11: “Therefore comfort each other and edify one another…” 

There is another passage written by the Old Testament prophet, Isaiah, that I would like to add: 

“Comfort, yes, comfort My people!” says your God. “Speak comfort to Jerusalem, and cry out to her, that her warfare is ended, that her iniquity is pardoned…”  Isaiah 40:1-2a

The passage in Isaiah was, of course, written specifically to Isaiah’s nation, Israel. There is, however, an application that can be made which is appropriate for our generation, some 2,700 years later. There is a day coming very soon when God’s people, those whose iniquities have been forgiven through the acceptance of God’s free gift of salvation, will be snatched off the face of the earth. This will happen just prior to God’s judgment upon this Christ-rejecting world. Our warfare with the sufferings, afflictions, and persecutions of this life will then be over, forever! 

I am aware that there are differing understandings in relation to the “catching up / harpazo” event of the true Church. In this writing I hope to present convincing scriptural evidence that this event will not happen in the middle of the Apocalypse, nor at the end, but rather just prior to its onset. Please read through to the end and then decide for yourself if the evidence I have presented is valid. 

We will begin with a passage found in Matthew 24:

³² “Now learn this parable from the fig tree: When its branch has already become tender and puts forth leaves, you know that summer is near. ³³ You also, when you see all these things, know it is near — at the doors! ³⁴ Assuredly, I say to you, this generation will by no means pass away till all these things take place.” 

There are several questions that need to be answered in this passage.

• What does the fig tree represent?
• What are the all things referring to?
• What generation is Jesus referring to?

There are three ‘trees’ that are used in reference to the nation of Israel in Scripture. One is the fig tree, another is the olive tree, and the third is the vine. The Bible uses the fig tree as a representation of national Israel. This is also the reason for the common reference, the fig tree generation, we often hear from prophecy teachers today. 

As to the second question, what are the “all things” referred to? This is referring to a litany of events listed in Matthew 24 that Jesus predicted would come about before His return. We will reference the “all things” shortly.

Understanding the answer to the third question helps us to accurately understand the perplexing question concerning the timing of the harpazo / rapture event. Jesus’ very words were: “This generation will by no means pass away till all these things take place.”  It has been assumed by many for many years that “this” was a reference to the 1st century, the generation in which the apostles established the Church.  If we believe that Jesus was the infallible Almighty God who came in the flesh of a man, and if that 1st century generation did not see the “all things” events which Jesus described, then either Jesus was guilty of a false prophecy, or He was referring to a future generation. As God in the flesh, He was certainly not guilty of a false prophecy. This means He was referring to a future generation, and Scripture confirms this. 

The Jewish survivors of the Roman onslaught on national Israel in 70-71 AD were scattered all around the known world. Those who had not been displaced were ultimately destroyed in the Bar Kochba revolt in 132-135 AD. For all practical purposes, after 135 AD Israel was no longer a nation until it was once again restored on May 14, 1948. Then Israel, represented by the fig tree, again came to life and soon began to flourish — just as God had said. This is the generation Jesus was referring to. Our generation! In researching the phrase “this generation” in Strong’s concordance, the implication is “this one, absolutely.” The word “generation” has more than one definition, but the definition that is applicable according to the context is: “the whole multitude of men living at the same time, an age.” So how do we determine which generation? The context of the passage makes it clear that it is referring to the generation in which the fig tree blossoms again. 

Jesus’ disciples asked Jesus specifically about the end of the age in Matthew 24:3:

Now as He sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the world.” 

Their questions had to do with the End of the Age and what precedes that end. This was Jesus’ answer::

⁴ And Jesus answered and said to them: “Take heed that no one deceives you. ⁵ For many will come in My name, saying, I am the Christ, and will deceive many. ⁶ And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. ⁷ For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places. 

After presenting His list of upcoming events, Jesus says 8 “All these are the beginning of sorrows.”  

The definition of “sorrows” in Strong’s Concordance is: “a pang or throe, especially of childbirth; — pain, sorrow, travail.” Thayer’s Lexicon gives two definitions: #1: “Pain of childbirth, travail pain, birth pangs” and #2: “intolerable anguish, in reference to the dire calamities that precede the advent of the Messiah.”

The “sorrows” are symbolism for a woman giving birth to a child. It is crucial for us to understand who this Woman is. We will take a look at a number of Scriptures that confirm that the nation of Israel is represented by the Woman:  Let’s take a look at Isaiah 66:7-8:

⁷ Before she was in labor, she gave birth; before her pain came, she delivered a male child. ⁸ Who has heard such a thing? Who has seen such things? Shall the earth be made to give birth in one day? Or shall a nation be born at once? For as soon as Zion was in labor, she gave birth to her children. (emphasis added)

The word before is used twice in verse 7, emphasizing the timing of this delivery which in this case is before her actual birth pangs begin. Then, as we see, the word “children” is used, so there is no mistaking there are plural children being referenced. This is a representation of two groups of people. What are their identities? Let’s see what Isaiah had to say in Isaiah 26:

¹⁷ As a woman with child is in pain and cries out in her pangs, when she draws near the time of her delivery, so have we been in Your sight, O LORD. ¹⁸ We have been with child, we have been in pain; we have, as it were, brought forth wind; we have not accomplished any deliverance in the earth, nor have the inhabitants of the world fallen. (emphasis added)

By the time we get to verse 17, Isaiah describes Israel as a Woman experiencing the pains of her pregnancy. Israel was foretold to be the physical vehicle of God’s promise of a Messiah. This promise was delivered to Satan in the Garden of Eden after Adam and Eve disobeyed God’s command not to eat of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. God’s words to Satan were:

“…And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head and you shall bruise His heel.”  Genesis 3:15

From the time of God’s proclamation, right on through the centuries since, God’s plan was in constant motion. The Old Testament records God’s interactions with Israel’s patriarchs — beginning with Abraham, Israel’s prophets, priests, kings and innumerable others whom God worked through – His plan of bringing the Messiah into the world continued to unfold. The fallen Lucifer (Satan) did everything in his power to thwart God’s plan. This of course included his attempt to corrupt the entire human genome through the defilement brought about by fallen angels who, through their ability to shape-shift, enticed beautiful women of Adam’s race into mating with them, producing the Demi-gods of antiquity, called Nephilim in the Bible. Satan’s purpose of course was to corrupt the human genome to the point that it would be impossible for the promised Seed, the Messiah, to enter the human race without being infected with the same corruption. 

This spiritual war has continued throughout the known world, but has been concentrated especially on God’s chosen race of people, the Jews, the vehicle God chose to bring the Messiah into the world. In Isaiah 26, the prophet describes Israel’s unending struggle, symbolized as a Woman in labor who, despite her efforts, was unable to deliver. We find the word “we” used five times in verses 17 and 18. 

• We have been in Your sight, O LORD.
• We have been with child
• We have been in pain
• We have, as it were, brought forth wind
• We have not accomplished any deliverance in the earth

The Woman Israel, under God’s oversight had carried the burden of the promise of deliverance to the world (the Seed, the Man-Child / Messiah), and had experienced the pains associated with her “pregnancy” —  yet had not managed to bring deliverance to an evil fallen world, in fact, nothing but wind.

This prophecy, however, has an underlying “pregnancy” embedded within Isaiah’s words. This same Woman, Israel, was pregnant with another “child.” This child would be delivered before the Woman’s pains are to begin. We will see that there is an expectation of a Deliverance that involves a Resurrection. These resurrected people are to be taken somewhere safe while the world is judged for its rebellion and rejection of God’s Messiah. 

It is crucial that we recognize the sequence of events Isaiah (by inspiration of the Holy Spirit) has laid out for us. There is a clear progression. Verse 19 reads:

Your dead shall live; together with my dead body they shall arise. Awake and sing, you who dwell in dust; for your dew is like the dew of herbs, and the earth shall cast out the dead.

In the New Testament Book of Hebrews, chapter 11, we have an extensive list of Old Testament saints who had paid the ultimate price for their allegiance to the God of the Bible — the One who had created them, and believed His promises. The words “by faith” precede each of the names mentioned. What was it that they were looking forward to beyond the fallen world they had suffered and died in? We find the answers in verses 13-16:

¹³ These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off were assured of them, embraced them and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. ¹⁴ For those who say such things declare plainly that they seek a homeland, ¹⁵ and truly if they had called to mind that country from which they had come out, they would have had opportunity to return. ¹⁶ But now they desire a better, that is, a heavenly country. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for He had prepared a city for them.  Hebrews 11:13-16

Verse 19 of Isaiah 26 contains God’s promise of Resurrection. This is what the saints of Hebrews 11 were looking for. God’s promise is that those of His who had died would at a given time be resurrected from the dead to live in His Kingdom forever. An eternity without suffering, sorrow, pain, death, or tears of regret, sadness, or grief.

The progression of events in the latter part of Isaiah 26 leads us to verse 20, where we are told what happens to those who will be resurrected: 

“Come my people, enter your chambers, and shut your doors behind you; Hide yourself, as it were, for a little moment, until the indignation is past.”

Who are His people? God is referring to those who have believed and followed Him and His ways. God’s people in the Old Testament followed God’s ways, either by their God-given conscience before the Law was given to Moses, or by the Old Covenant. God prescribed a leadership system through the guidance of His true prophets and priests. Under the New Covenant which was confirmed through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, God’s people are those who receive the free gift of salvation provided through the sacrifice of the perfect Lamb of God. 

Question: Where do we “enter our chambers, and shut the doors behind us, and hide for a little moment?” Scriptures that we will look at momentarily will show that this is God’s promised “catching up / harpazo” event. Verse 20-21 also tells us what transpires on this earth after we are relocated from off the earth. Isaiah says “until the indignation is past.” The Geseneas’ Hebrew-Chaldean Lexicon defines “indignation” as: “fierceness, anger, or indignation, especially the wrath of God; as in the infliction of punishment; punishment sent from God; until the punishment sent from God is completed.” Verse 21 confirms the definition of “indignation.”

“For behold, the LORD comes out of His place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity; The earth will also disclose her blood, and will no more cover her slain.”

I am reminded of a clear warning given by God Himself in the first few verses of Psalm 2:

¹ “Why do the heathen rage, and the people plot a vain thing? ² The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD and against His Anointed, saying, ³ ‘Let us break Their bonds in pieces and cast away Their cords from us.’ ⁴ He who sits in the heavens shall laugh; The Lord shall hold them in derision. ⁵ Then He shall speak to them in His wrath, and distress them in His deep displeasure.”  Psalm 2:1-5

Humans in rebellion to God will express their hatred for His “narrow-minded” views on life and how it should be lived, forgetting that He is the One who created them. As the All-Knowing One, His laws were set in place to protect and bless us throughout our lives, not confine us. Rebelling against God’s parameters only leaves man under the control of the Fallen One. It was Jesus who said: “The devil comes to kill, steal, and destroy, whereas I came to give life, and life more abundantly.” 

After having unpacked at least a small portion of the final verses of Isaiah 26, we will now explore some additional Scriptures which will help to confirm observations we have made so far.  We must remember that one of the keys to the underlying pregnancy of the Woman, Israel, is found in the Isaiah 66:7-8 passage we examined earlier. “Before she was in labor, she gave birth.” The last phrase of verse 8 informs us that the Woman gave birth to her Children (plural).” As we continue with our study, we will gain more understanding of what Isaiah was referring to.

It is at the end of the beginning of sorrows, before her pain comes, before Jacob’s trouble begins, there is a Resurrection of a group of dead people, and these dead people are taken somewhere else. These are then joined by a great multitude of those still living. Who are these people? As we just saw above, the rest of the living inhabitants of the earth have entered a judgment. A passage in 1 Thessalonians helps us put this together. 

¹³ But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope. ¹⁴ For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus. ¹⁵ 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 4:13-18

As we read the passage above, we can see that it follows the same sequence of events as we found in Isaiah 26. The 1 Thessalonians 4 passage makes several things clear:

• God did not intend for us to be ignorant of end of the age events
• There is a hope available for those who have passed from this life
• That hope lies in belief and acceptance that Jesus died and rose again to save us from our sins
• Jesus will resurrect and retrieve His followers from this earth, dead or alive 
• The dead are raised first and those of us alive will subsequently join them
• The Lord will descend with a shout, the voice of God’s Trumpet, and the voice of the archangel
• The dead in Christ, as well as the living Christ-followers will be gathered into the clouds with the Lord to be taken into His presence
• We will then forever be with the Lord
• These are words to comfort one another with as we await the time of His return for us

The coming of the Lord in this Scripture is not referring to the Second Coming of Christ when He brings the saints with Him and sets His foot on the Mount of Olives. The “coming” the Apostle Paul is speaking of here is when Jesus comes in the clouds and gathers His saints to take them back to Heaven with Him until the Great Tribulation / Apocalypse is over. It is not until then that Jesus returns to Earth to set up His millennial kingdom. 

As we continue to look at the progression of events we uncovered in Isaiah 26, we must not forget that the Woman in travail represents Israel and she is going to experience a birth of sorts. We will now examine a Scripture passage in the Book of Revelation that will help to nail down  some conclusions. 

¹ Now a great sign appeared in heaven; a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a garland of twelve stars. ² Then being with child, she cried out in labor and pain to give birth.  Revelation 12:1-2

In this passage, we have the Woman being represented as a grand sign in the heavens. God quite often displays signs in the heavens as a warning or harbinger of coming events. For those that might not be familiar with this event, the “Revelation 12 sign”, it refers to the Biblical passage above, describing the Apostle John’s vision of a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and a crown of twelve stars on her head — interpreted as a symbolic representation of the Virgin Mary or the nation of Israel, with the “twelve stars” symbolizing the twelve tribes of Israel. This “sign” has been widely recognized as an astronomical alignment in the constellations Virgo (the Woman), Leo (the crown of stars), and the sun and moon in specific positions. The September 23, 2017 alignment, like none other, perfectly matched this description.  

The Woman pictured in the stars of the heavens in Revelation 12 is the same Woman described at the time of the “beginning of sorrows.” This time, however, in Revelation 12, God is giving a warning to the entire world that soon she is entering the time of her pain. This is what we are given a description of in Revelation 12:1-2.  Juxtapose that with Isaiah 66:7: Before she was in labor, she gave birth; before her pain came, she delivered a male child.

Again, this is a Revelation 12 warning that Israel is about to go into her time of trouble, but before she goes into her pain, she delivers a manchild.

³ And another sign appeared in heaven; behold, a great, fiery red dragon having seven heads and ten horns, and seven diadems on his heads. ⁴ His tail drew a third of the stars of heaven and threw them to the earth. And the dragon stood before the woman who was ready to give birth, to devour her child as soon as it was born. ⁵ She bore a male child who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron. And her child was caught up to God and His throne. 

I included verses 3 and 4 for the sake of context, but we will not go into much of the symbolism embedded in these two verses at this time. Let’s go directly to verse 5: “She bore a male child who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron. And her child was caught up to God and His throne.” The listing of events that Jesus foretold in Matthew 24 are things that have been unfolding throughout the church age. They have, however, greatly escalated since the Revelation 12 sign was displayed in the heavens. It is not hard to recognize that there is a set-up in process for what verse 5 refers to. 

It has traditionally been taught that the delivery of the male child in verse 5 is referring back in history to when Jesus was born of the virgin Mary. That is obviously a historical event but I believe there is more to this verse than what has been traditionally taught. Bible prophecy often, in fact, most of the time has layers of fulfillment included. In verses 3 and 4 of the passage, there is a description of the appearance of another sign in the heavens; the sign of a Great Red Dragon. This Dragon, which is symbolic of Satan (and his evil kingdom), is positioned before the Woman who is about to deliver, in order to destroy her child as soon as it is born. 

It is true that this is what was happening when King Herod ordered all of the male children aged 2 and under to be slaughtered in Bethlehem after Jesus’ birth. Verse 5 also tells us that this “child” is to rule the nations with a rod of iron. But there is yet more for us to understand in this verse. We are told that this child was caught up to God and His throne. It is true that Jesus ascended to God’s throne from the Mount of Olives 40 days after His resurrection, but He did not ascend under duress of any kind. This child mentioned in Revelation 12:5 is said to be “caught up.” The Greek word used is “harpazo.” The definition of harpazo is” “to snatch or catch away. This verb conveys the idea of force; suddenly exercised; to pluck, pull, snatch, take.”  The Greek word used in Acts 1:9, however, where we find the account of Jesus’ ascension, is “epairo.” The definition of epairo is: “to lift up, to hoist up, like hoisting the foresail of a vessel.” The contrast between the two definitions is quite clear. 

There is one more interesting observation we can make about Revelation 12:5. Although it is obvious that Jesus Christ is going to be ruling Planet Earth with a rod of iron as the all-powerful GOD-KING, there is a reference in Revelation 2 we need to take into consideration.

²⁶ “And he who overcomes, and keeps My works until the end, in him I will give power over the nations: ²⁷ ‘He shall rule them with a rod of iron; they shall be dashed to pieces like the potter’s vessels’, as I also have received from my Father.”  Revelation 2:26-27

Who is this referring to? It is Jesus who is dictating this letter to the Church of Thyatira. He makes the promise of a shared rule with those who are overcomers. Who are the overcomers?  The Church! Verse 27 begins with a direct quote from Psalm 2:9, a statement made by God the Father to God the Son. In this Revelation 2 passage, Jesus promises a shared rulership over His Kingdom during the Millennium. 

These facts point out some of the contrasts between the “Child” born to Mary and the “child” referred to in Revelation 12:5. The Child born to Mary was lifted up before His disciples at the beginning of the Age of Grace (the Church Age), while the child in verse 5 is yanked out, practically out of the jaws of the Dragon, at the end of the Age of Grace. This child is also the one who is going to reign under the supervision of the Child.  This manchild is a representation of the Body of Christ. Jesus Christ is the Head and the Church is the Body. And, it is the Body that is birthed and caught up to meet Jesus in the clouds.

This is the birth the Woman is to have just prior to her pain, Jacob’s trouble. Who is this child? The Church! God has promised to yank the true Church out — literally, out of the jaws of death!

This brings us back to Isaiah 66:8, which makes a clear reference to the Woman and her children — plural:

Before she was in labor, she gave birth; before her pain came, she delivered a male child. Who has heard such a thing? Who has seen such things? Shall the earth be made to give birth in one day? Or shall a nation be born at once? For as soon as Zion was in labor, she gave birth to her children. 

In this generation, those who pay attention to Biblical prophetic events, are aware that there was an End of the Age prophetic clock that began its countdown on May 14, 1948 when Israel was reestablished as a nation. In verse 8 above, we see a conspicuous reference to Israel’s rebirth as a nation. As is with so many prophetic Scriptures, however, I believe there is an underlying reference to the Woman — Israel, giving birth. As already discussed, we recognize this in the prediction that the Woman is to give birth to a manchild, whose identity is confirmed to be the followers of Jesus, who for the most part are part of the Gentile Church. Jesus made a cryptic comment referring to the Gentile Church in John 10:

“And other sheep I have which are not of this fold; them also I must bring, and they will hear My voice; and there will be one flock and one shepherd.”  John 10:16

What we have is the Woman – Israel, once again on the scene, and truly, Israel was born in a day. It was a miraculous event. The Scriptures, however, speak of this same Woman giving birth to a manchild. This is one group of people coming out of another (this is the Gentile Church which is grafted into the original Jewish Olive Tree Vine — Romans 11:17-24). Now, as we examine Isaiah 66:8 there is reference to children. Who else could it be referring to? What other children? I believe Revelation 12:17 may provide us an answer:

And the dragon was enraged with the woman, and he went to make war with the rest of her offspring, who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ. 

Who are these people? I believe they are the Tribulation saints — the left over, left behind, left below. These are the ones who had, for whatever reason, either ignored the Good News of the Gospel, or just rejected it outright. Then after loved ones and friends who were believers having disappeared, they had their own “Come to Jesus” moment. The Bible warns us, of course, that the time of the Great Tribulation / Apocalypse will be the worst time in humanity’s past history as well as in the future. Billions will die. Most believers in Jesus will be murdered for their beliefs during that time. Thank God we are still in the Age of Grace. The door for the Ark of Safety is, however, closing very, very quickly!

Do you know Jesus as your personal Savior? Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father without Me.” But by acknowledging that He came into the world as God in the flesh so that he could become the perfect sacrifice for humanity’s sins, and believing that He rose again from the dead, and accepting His free gift of Salvation, you will automatically become one of God’s blood-bought children who will be “caught up” with all of the Redeemed who happen to be alive at the time of the removal of His faithful remnant. That’s when life really begins! 

Forever in His Service,

Jake Geier