Revelation, the Rapture, and What Jesus Says: Jesus’s Teachings about the Rapture and End-Times

By Brian Davis

When it comes to the last days, God has provided believers with everything we need to know about what is coming. This includes the order of events to take place and even at what point the rapture will occur. When teaching on these subjects, Jesus goes as far as telling us:

“But take heed: behold, I have told you everything in advance.” (Mark 13:23)

Brian Davis examines the words of Jesus and compares His teachings directly to scriptures in the Old and New Testaments with a focus on the timing of the rapture, the day of the Lord, and how they relate to events in the book of Revelation. Having maintained particular attention to scriptural harmony throughout the study, it is possible for anyone to see the undeniable consistency in end-time events discussed by Jesus, the apostles, and Old Testament prophets. The result provides answers to many questions including:

• What did Jesus teach about end-time events?

• How do His teachings compare to events as described in the rest of the Bible?

• What is the day of the Lord?

• Are the seals a part of God’s wrath?

• How do our beliefs today align with what Jesus, the prophets, and the apostles taught?

Using simple language and biblical insights, Revelation, the Rapture, and What Jesus Says is tailored for both beginners and those who have studied prophecy for years to help understand critical teaching in the Bible that details what the world may soon be about to face.

• Language: English
• Publisher: WestBow Press
• Release date: Apr 8, 2024
• ISBN: 9798385017614

Brian Davis

Brian Davis was born and raised in Tennessee where he, his wife of over thirty years, and their three sons still reside. What originally began as a personal study to understand end-time events almost two decades ago has now developed into his first book, Revelation, the Rapture, and What Jesus Says.

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REVELATION,

THE RAPTURE, AND

WHAT JESUS SAYS

Jesus’s

Teachings

about

the Rapture

and

End-Times

BRIAN DAVIS

Copyright © 2024 Brian Davis.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the author except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

This book is a work of non-fiction. Unless otherwise noted, the author and the publisher make no explicit guarantees as to the accuracy of the information contained in this book and in some cases, names of people and places have been altered to protect their privacy.

WestBow Press

A Division of Thomas Nelson & Zondervan

1663 Liberty Drive

Bloomington, IN 47403

www.westbowpress.com

844-714-3454

Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.

Unless otherwise indicated, All Scripture is taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE®, Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. As presented in the NASB Thinline Bible (2020 Text), published by Zondervan, 2021, all rights reserved

Scripture quotations marked KJV are taken from the King James Version, public domain.

Verses shown in italics should be assumed as having emphasis added.

ISBN: 979-8-3850-1759-1 (sc)

ISBN: 979-8-3850-1760-7 (hc)

ISBN: 979-8-3850-1761-4 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2024901507

WestBow Press rev. date: 04/01/2024

For my sons

Matthew, James, and Christopher

so that you will know!

And to those who went before us,

Derek Jeffers,

I finally understand.

Bill Clade,

It’s all about the words.

You are both missed.

Contents

Preface

Acknowledgments

Introduction

Seventy Weeks

The Olivet Discourse

Seals One through Five (Tribulation)

The Abomination of Desolation

The Sixth Seal (Signs in the Heavens)

What Is the Day of the Lord?

The Seventh Seal (into God’s Wrath!)

The Seventh Trumpet

Tying Up Loose Ends

Truth versus Tradition

Conclusion

Matthew 24 and 25

Are You Ready?

Deeper into Revelation

Study Materials

Parting Thoughts

About the Author

Preface

This book is written in the hope that those who read it will see what I believe is a clear message to the world, placed in plain sight, as to the timing of the rapture and what must be endured before that day comes.

I will endeavor to let the Bible speak for itself and only add my comments to aid in the general flow of thought, highlight important points, and explain basic concepts for those who may be new to the study of these topics. While the purpose of this book is to share what I see, it is ultimately up to the reader to come to his or her own conclusions as to the veracity of what I am sharing.

For those who may be wondering, I am not trained in Hebrew, Greek, or Latin; and I have never attended seminary. I have no formal training in scripture or theology. I am simply a believer in Christ Jesus. I am simply … forgiven.

This study was started in my living room almost twenty years ago. It has been waiting until now to be brought out and finished.

Acknowledgments

I would like to thank Nancy, Mike, Lisa, and Mac for putting up with my exuberance in writing this book.

Thank you for taking my constant phone calls and for listening to me ramble about different ideas and topics. Thank you for reading through my early drafts to provide feedback and thank you, most of all, for encouraging me from the beginning to put this into book form for others to see.

I want to give special thanks to my ever-loving wife Sharon. Thank you for your support throughout the writing and publishing of this book. More importantly, thank you for putting up with my faults and standing by my side for the last thirty years. I love you, and now you have it in writing for the world to see.

Finally, if there is any insight, wisdom, or truth to anything that I have written in this book, to God alone be the glory.

Introduction

It is my sincere hope that this book will be a blessing to both beginners and Bible scholars alike. While it is important to study and share what we have learned about the Bible with believers who read and study on a regular basis, it is even more important to share with those who perhaps don’t understand a particular topic and want to expand their knowledge. So if you are new to the Bible or to Bible prophecy, let’s start at the beginning. The first thing I want to point out is this:

The Bible is not all rooted in the past as some dusty old book of history.

If you weren’t aware of that fact, this needs to be the first thing you understand. The Bible is not all history. Some of what was written in the Bible pertains to the future. These parts are referred to as prophecy and are events that are written about before they happen. While some of these prophetic events have already taken place (like Jesus’s first coming), others are yet to take place (such as His return at the end of the age).

The second thing you should understand, even though the Bible is separated into both the Old Testament and New Testament, is that these two sections aren’t necessarily as separate as they may at first appear.

The Old and New Testaments are both collections of smaller books. The Old Testament books were written before Jesus walked on this earth. The New Testament books were written sometime after His death, burial, and resurrection. When you look, you will see a thread being woven throughout both that ultimately leads us to our being reunited with Christ at the end of the age.

When you look at the Bible from this perspective, you can see unity between the Old and New Testaments. For example, you can see prophecies in the Old Testament of Christ’s first and second coming. The New Testament then tells us about His life on earth and future return. Another example you can read about in both testaments is God’s wrath and the end of the age.

Let’s move back to the statement I made about the Bible being a collection of smaller books. These books are typically arranged in the following manner.

The Old Testament books:

•History

•Wisdom/poetry/praise

•Prophecy

The New Testament books:

•History

•Letters

•Prophecy

The books are arranged in this manner for most (but not all) versions of the Bible. Each book was written independently, and the groups assembled later. When the books are grouped this way, they are not in chronological order. But unless you are performing a study related specifically to the chronology of these books, it really doesn’t matter. Here is the thing that does matter: there is a deeper underlying theme that can be found throughout these books, which means the Old and New Testaments are intertwined more than you may realize. What is this theme? It is the redemption of mankind and eternity with God.

Allow me to explain. If you are willing to look, you can find references to Christ/Messiah/Jesus/Yeshua (pick your favorite) starting as early as Genesis, the first book of the Bible.

These references are often symbolic. One such example is the ram, provided by God to take the place of Isaac, just as Abraham was about to sacrifice him on the altar (Gen. 22). This was a foreshadowing of God providing His own sacrifice for our sins through His only begotten son Jesus.

Another symbolic reference is the first Passover that occurred when Moses was sent to free the descendants of Abraham from Pharaoh (Exod. 12). Those who had partaken of the lamb and were covered by the lamb’s blood (placed on their doorpost) were protected on that night. Those who did not, faced the death of their firstborn. These are just two symbolic examples in the Old Testament foreshadowing Christ’s redemptive work long before His ministry on earth took place.

While some Old Testament references to Jesus are symbolic, others are literal. The Old Testament book of Isaiah foretold specific details about the coming Messiah. One of these details was of His death stating that He would be cut off out of the land of the living (Isa. 53:8).

Daniel also provided specific details. He told the people when to look for the Messiah’s arrival (Dan. 9:25). The time given by Daniel for the arrival of Jesus was during the second temple period roughly two thousand years ago, and like Isaiah, Daniel also wrote that the Messiah would be cut off (Dan. 9:26).

As you search, you will find that Jesus is woven throughout the entire Bible. He is there from the first page of Genesis all the way to the last page of Revelation. When reading about these events, you will see not only Jesus but also God’s ultimate plan for mankind and the earth.

The Bible has been given to us as a guide in our daily walk with God. It has also been given to us to help prepare us for what is to come. This may mean, for most Christians, living a life where our final reward is the opening of our eyes to see Jesus in heaven after we die. There will be some of us, however, who will be alive when the remaining prophecies of the Bible begin to unfold. These people will see the return of Christ just before God’s wrath is poured out upon the earth. If you aren’t familiar with these events, then you have missed one of the major themes of the Bible.

Consider this:

We read the books of history to learn about where we have come from and why things are the way that they are today. We can also learn from the mistakes of others so that we do not repeat them in our lives.

We read the letters (epistles) and books of wisdom to learn right from wrong. We learn about our relationship with God (as it is supposed to be) and how we should live our lives in the best way possible. This includes growing spiritually so that we can be an example for others in our daily lives.

We read prophecy to understand where we are going and what God still has planned for this world!

My personal favorite is prophecy. Did you know, depending on who is counting, that roughly three hundred individual prophecies were fulfilled in the Old Testament upon Jesus’s first coming? The statistical odds of these events occurring randomly are off the chart. This doesn’t even count other prophetic themes that were ultimately fulfilled like the fall and rebirth of Israel. The Bible is replete with fulfilled prophecies. Who else could do this but God?

When we read prophetic passages, we are reading the promises of God for something yet to come. So when we see prophecy being fulfilled (whether it happened in the ancient past, happens in our present, or happens at some point in the future), we are seeing His promises being fulfilled. This should build our faith, give us hope, and ultimately bring us closer to God. The exciting part is that there is much written in the Bible that is yet to take place!

Related to prophecy is the term eschatology, which means the study of last things. In this case, it is the study of the last things in the Bible, primarily the study of the end days, the return of Jesus, and God’s punishment of the wicked still living on earth. Basically, it is the study of the end of the world as we know it and the new kingdom that will be established.

Part of the study of eschatology covers an event known as the rapture. This is an event where upon Jesus’s return, He gathers His believers to protect them from God’s final punishment (or wrath), which is coming on the earth for unbelief and sin. The word rapture is derived from the Latin word raptus or rapere, which means abducted or to snatch. Because it is derived from Latin, you will not find the word rapture in an English version of the Bible. Instead, in verses like 1 Thessalonians 4:17, you will find the phrase caught up, which is translated from the original Greek word harpazo.

This event is described in various ways across multiple books of the Bible. While there are specific examples of being caught up, transformed, or changed, there are also verses that simply refer to being saved, rescued, or delivered in the context of escaping God’s wrath. We will see examples of this as we progress through our study.

The bottom line is that Jesus promises to return and gather His believers so that we are not present to endure God’s wrath, which will then be delivered on the earth at the end of the age. As I watch the pace at which the world is turning its back on God, I can only imagine that we are quickly approaching the time when His judgment is coming to be executed upon an unbelieving world.

Look at what is happening in our world today. Look at the movements taking place on college campuses and in political circles. Look at the censorship taking place in the news and on social media. Look at the values being instilled in our young children by teachers in the school systems. Look at the laws being passed in different states and in other countries that are putting Christians in a box or, worse yet, trying to shut them down completely. Consider how what the Bible calls sin is now being held up in the name of tolerance while living a righteous life is frowned upon and discouraged.

While some of these events began occurring at a slow pace over a generation ago, I’ve personally watched the worst of them unfold during the last twenty to thirty years. Each of these changes moves us closer to a picture that the Bible paints of an apostate world at the end of the age, a world that will someday turn violently against anyone holding Christian values. These changes are now happening at such a rapid pace that I can barely keep up. And lately, things seem to be accelerating.

If this truly is the case, how far will we have fallen by the end of my generation?

Worse yet, will we even make it to the end of my generation before the world has become so evil that God’s ways are all but