The Rapture Begins in Israel

When the time for Israel to die drew near, he called his son Joseph and said to him, "Please, if I have found favor in your sight, place now your hand under my thigh and deal with me in kindness and faithfulness. Please do not bury me in Egypt, but when I lie down with my fathers, you shall carry me out of Egypt and bury me in their burial place." And he said, "I will do as you have said." He said, " Swear to me." So he swore to him. Then Israel bowed in worship at the head of the bed." (Gen 47:29-31)

Among the reasons cited for Jacob’s desire to be buried in Jerusalem was his belief that the resurrection of the dead will begin in Israel. According to the Jewish Artscroll commentary on Genesis, “The Midrash notes that the Patriarchs were anxious to be buried in Israel because those buried there will be first to enjoy the resurrection in the Messianic era. This is deduced from Isaiah 42:5, ‘He gives breath (i.e., restores life) to the people upon it (Israel)’” Unfortunately, for us, “those who are buried outside of Israel will not come to life until they roll through the earth to Israel.” That sounds a little painful.

We know from history that the Sages were correct in regards to the resurrection. It did begin in Israel, specifically in Jerusalem when Yeshua came out of the grave as the “firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep” (1 Cor 15:20) and then “the tombs also were opened. And many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised and coming out of the tombs after His resurrection” (Matt 27:52-53). If the first resurrection stands as a pattern of the future resurrection, where will it begin and whom might be the first person to be resurrected? Where is there a pattern for this in scripture?

And I will grant authority to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy for twelve hundred and sixty days, clothed in sackcloth." 4 These are the two olive trees and the two lampstands that stand before the Lord of the earth. 5 And if anyone wants to harm them, fire flows out of their mouth and devours their enemies; so if anyone wants to harm them, he must be killed in this way. 6 These have the power to shut up the sky, so that rain will not fall during the days of their prophesying; and they have power over the waters to turn them into blood, and to strike the earth with every plague, as often as they desire. (Rev 11:3-6)

The account in Revelations depicts two witnesses that sound very much like Moses and Elijah. These two witnesses are subsequently killed at the completion of their testimony, “their dead bodies will lie in the street of the great city (Jerusalem)” (Rev 11:8) until “after the three and a half days, the breath of life from God came into them…and they heard a loud voice from heaven saying to them, ‘Come up hear.’ Then they went up into heaven in the cloud, and their enemies watched them” (Rev 11:11-12). Just like Yeshua, these two men ascended into heaven from Jerusalem and were received up into the cloud. Could it be possible that Moses will lead the resurrection and rapture of the saints ushering us into to the Millennial Kingdom?

One problem with this scenario is that “Moses the servant of the Lord died there in the land of Moab, according to the word of the Lord” (Deut 34:5). Yet of Jacob’s death, scripture says he was “gathered to his people” (Gen 49:33), but this reference is not made of Moses. This may simply mean that Moses never made it into the land of Israel or there might be other implications. In Jewish understanding, three individuals reached a state of spiritual maturity that allowed them to avoid death and translate directly into the presence of God. These three men were Enoch, Elijah, and Moses. But if Michael “disputed with the devil and argued about the body of Moses” (Jude 9), doesn’t that demonstrate that Moses was dead? Maybe or maybe not. Why did Michael need to dispute with Satan? Could Satan have been coming as the death angel to take the body of Moses when Moses was headed to be with the LORD? In any case, the LORD did not appear to be finished with Moses at the time Moses left this earth.

So it remains that the resurrection of the two witnesses from Jerusalem, as spoken by John in Revelations, is consistent with the pattern originally established when Yeshua rose as the firstfruits from the grave almost 2000 years ago. Could one of these witnesses be Moses? Only time will tell, but some day the saying will come to fulfillment, “Next year in Jerusalem”.

Happy New Year - Scott