Dear saints,
Our Lord is coming very soon to collect His Bride, and each of us must constantly remain watchful, eagerly awaiting His return for us. There are many who oppose this biblical teaching, but that does not make it any less true.
I did a study on 1 Corinthians 15, where is speaks about the rapture, and noticed something interesting. In verse 51, where it speaks about how we will all be changed at the moment when the rapture occurs, the very verse number 15:51 implies (to me) a conversion or inversion from 15 to 51, which is a reversing of the digit order, so that 15 becomes 51. This is one of those many divine coincidences in Scripture where the verse number has some aspect to it that happens to give a connotation the same as the meaning of the verse itself. At the moment when the rapture happens, those in Christ who are ready will be changed into immortal beings with glorified bodies as we go up into the sky.
I also decided to check the meaning of the Greek words corresponding to the verse numbers in this passage, even though these Greek words are not used in the passage itself. I want to be very clear that I know very well how to use a Greek lexicon and concordance, since I have been using them for decades. What I am about to show you is not the way to use those Bible study tools, but I was led for the first time ever to do it this way on this particular occasion. The idea to do so has never before occurred to me even once.
For those who are unfamiliar with these study tools, the correct way to use them is to check the Greek lexicon or concordance for the definition of any Greek word used in the Bible by looking it up according to the reference number assigned to each word. The English words (or whatever language translation you may be using) are simply translations of the original Greek words used in the original text, and each of those Greek words has a reference number by which you can search for the definition in the lexicon or concordance. All the Greek words in the study tools begin with the letter G followed by a number, while all Hebrew words found in the Old Testament begin with the letter H followed by a number. That is the proper way to look up any Greek or Hebrew definition for any word found in the Bible. The method I used for this study is not the proper way do do so, and if you try it with any random verse, you will find that it doesn't yield the results you are about to see. But the fact that it did with these verses related to the rapture is, in my opinion, a divine numerical coincidence confirming the truth of the rapture that so many consider to be false. You can read more about such coincidences in my article, Numerical Patterns in Scripture.
In this first-ever such study of mine, I was amazed by what I found. Now let me show you the results.
Numerical Coincidences Found in Rapture Passages
Let's begin with 1 Corinthians 15.
G1549 corresponds to verse 15:49
“And just as we have borne the image of the earthly man, so shall we bear the image of the heavenly man.” (1Co 15:49)
G1549 is the Strong’s reference number for the Greek word “ekgonon” (ek'-gon-on) meaning “a descendant, that is, (specifically) grandchild.” (Strong).
This has the same connotation as the meaning of the verse, which talks about how all humans, as descendants of Adam, the earthly man, bear his image, and all descendants of Christ, the heavenly man, bear His image.
G1550 corresponds to verse 15:50
“I declare to you, brothers and sisters, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable.” (1Co 15:50).
G1550 is the Strong’s reference number for the Greek word “ekdapanaō” (ek-dap-an-ah'-o) meaning “to expend (wholly), that is, (figuratively) exhaust: - spend.” (Strong). Thayer says it means: “1) to exhaust by expending, to spend wholly, use up; 2) to spend one’s self wholly.”This has the same connotation as the meaning of the verse, which is the perishable nature of flesh and blood that eventually becomes expended, spent wholly, used up, or exhausted.
G1551 corresponds to verse 15:51
“Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed— “ (1Co 15:51)
G1551 is the Strong’s reference number for the Greek word “ekdechomai” (ek-dekh'-om-ahee) meaning “to accept from some source, that is, (by implication) to await: - expect, look (tarry) for, wait (for).” (Strong). Mounce says it also means “to receive from another.”This has the same connotation as the meaning of the verse, which is the fact that we are expecting to be changed, looking and waiting for it. We will receive our long-awaited, glorified bodies from the Lord at that moment.
G1552 corresponds to verse 15:52
“in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed.” (1Co 15:52)G1552 is the Strong’s reference number for the Greek word “ekdēlos” (ek'-day-los) meaning “wholly evident: - manifest.” (Strong). Thayer says it means “evident, clear, conspicuous.”This has the same connotation as the meaning of the verse, which is the fact that at that moment when the trumpet sounds, the resurrection will be wholly evident, clear, and conspicuous to everyone. We who are resurrected will clearly see and experience the change of our bodies into an imperishable state, and those who are left behind will clearly see that we are gone, which will be conspicuous by our absence.
G1553 corresponds to verse 15:53
“For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality.” (1Co 15:53)G1553 is the Strong’s reference number for the Greek word “ekdēmeō” (ek-day-meh'-o) meaning “to emigrate, that is, (figuratively) vacate or quit: - be absent.” Thayer says it means, “1) to go abroad; 2) emigrate, depart; 3) to be or live abroad.” Mounce defines it as “to be absent from home, go abroad, travel; hence, to be absent from any place or person,” This very same word (ekdēmeō) is used in 2 Cor 5:8, which says, “We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord.”This has the same connotation as the meaning of the verse, which is the fact that at that moment when the perishable cloths itself with the imperishable and the mortal with immortality, we will depart from this world, emigrate to heaven, go abroad to live in our eternal dwelling, and be absent from both the body and this world.
G1554 corresponds to verse 15:54
“When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: ‘Death has been swallowed up in victory.’" (1Co 15:54)G1554 is the Strong’s reference number for the Greek word “ekdidōmi” (ek-did'-o-mee) meaning “to give forth, that is, (specifically) to lease: - let forth (out).” (Strong). Thayer says it means, “1) to give out of one’s house, power, hand, stores; 2) to give out, give up, give over.”This has the same connotation as the meaning of the verse, which is the fact that death will let us out, give us forth, give us up, give us over, and give out of its power at the moment when our perishable bodies are clothed with the imperishable and the mortal with immortality.
G1555 corresponds to verse 15:55
"Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?" (1Co 15:55)G1555 is the Strong’s reference number for the Greek word “ekdiēgeomai” (ek-dee-ayg-eh'-om-ahee) meaning “to narrate through wholly: - declare.” (Strong). According to NASEC, it means “to tell in detail: — describe, describe in detail.” According to Thayer it means “1) to narrate in full or wholly; 2) to relate, tell, declare.”This has the same connotation as the meaning of the verse, in which Paul quotes, declares, or narrates in full the saying that is written in the prophet Hosea (Hos 13:14).
G1556 corresponds to verse 15:56
"The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law.” (1Co 15:56)G1556 is the Strong’s reference number for the Greek word “ekdikeō” (ek-dik-eh'-o) meaning “to vindicate, retaliate, punish: - a (re-) venge.” Mounce says it means “to right, avenge a person,” According to NASEC, it can mean “give...legal protection” or “legal protection.”This has the same connotation as the verse, which speaks of the law, which is legal, and the fact that we are legally protected from the law through the blood of Christ, from the power of sin, and from death’s sting, as the Lord vindicates us and avenges us on that day. This is a justification we were not able to obtain under the Mosaic law.
As Paul the apostle said, "“Therefore, my brothers, I want you to know that through Jesus the forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you. Through Him everyone who believes is justified from everything you could not be justified from by the law of Moses." (Act 13:38-39).
G1557 corresponds to verse 15:57
"But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” (1Co 15:57)G1557 is the Strong’s reference number for the Greek word “ekdikēsis” (ek-dik'-ay-sis) meaning “vindication, retribution: - (a-, re-) venge (-ance), punishment.” According to Mounce, it means “vengeance, punishment, retributive justice, to vindicate, avenge, to inflict vengeance.”This has the same connotation as the verse, which speaks of our Lord Jesus Christ giving us the victory over sin and death, vindicating us and avenging us.
After I finished the study shown above, then I did a quick search on another rapture passage found in 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 to see what the Greek concordance reference numbers G416 and G417 mean, and amazingly once again I found that the Greek words corresponding to those verse references also had the same connotation as the meaning of the verses. Here are my findings:
G416 corresponds to 1 Thes 4:16
“For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first.” (1Th 4:16)G416 is the Strong’s reference number for the Greek word anemizō” (an-em-id'-zo) meaning “to drive with the wind.” According to Thayer it means “to agitate or drive by the wind.”This corresponds with the verse that has to do with the dead rising, being driven from their graves up into the sky as by a strong wind. The other connotation of that verse that corresponds with this Greek word is that the act of the archangel giving a loud command and a loud trumpet call that is heard worldwide requires him to drive those sounds out by a wind. In fact, the Scripture says that the angels are winds. “And of the angels He says, ‘Who makes His angels winds, and His ministers a flame of fire.’" (Heb 1:7, NASB)
G417 corresponds to 1 Thes 4:17
“After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever.” (1Th 4:17)G417 is the Strong’s reference number for the Greek word “anemos” (an'-em-os) meaning “wind; (plural) by implication (the four) quarters (of the earth): - wind.” (Strong). According to Thayer, it means: “1) wind, a violent agitation and stream of air; 2) a very strong tempestuous wind; 3) the four principal or cardinal winds, hence the four corners of heaven.”This has the same connotation as the verse, which speaks of those of us who are still alive in Christ being taken straight up into the sky like a very strong stream of air, like a very strong tempestuous wind, gathered by the angels from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other. This is what the Lord Himself said, “And He will send his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other.” (Mt 24:31). Many who have had rapture dreams and visions, according to Acts 2:17, have testified that as they were suddenly shooting up into the sky at incredible speed, being carried by the angels, they could feel the wind on their faces.
Closing Words
As I said in my introduction, this is not the proper way to use a concordance or look up meanings of Greek words found in Bible verses. And I have never seen anyone do this before, nor has the idea ever occurred to me to try it. Moreover, I tried this with various other Bible verses and discovered that it does not normally work like this. The Greek word reference numbers corresponding to the Bible verses do not normally have any connection at all to the meaning contained in the verse itself. So I don't want to encourage anyone to start using this approach to studying the Bible.
I realize that those who are opposed to the rapture won't be convinced by this, so I am not trying to change their minds, which are already made up. But it may help some people who are open minded and love the truth. And certainly for those of us who know for certain from Scripture that the rapture is true, I believe this study will serve to confirm and strengthen our faith and expectation for this blessed hope.
Look up, for your redemption draws near. Be ready at all times for our Lord's return. He is coming soon. Don't let Him find you sleeping.
Maranatha! Come, Lord Jesus, Come! The Spirit and the Bride say, Come! Grace to all who love the Lord Jesus Christ and long for His appearing.
Attribution Notice: Scriptures takes from the Holy Bible NIV, copyright Zondervan, used by permission. Where noted, Scripture taken from NASB, copyright The Lockman Foundation, used by permission. Image is from Christianity.com and may be subject to copyright, used per the Fair Use Act for educational and commentary purposes only.
Author's note: If you enjoyed this article, you may also want to read my other related posts:
You may also visit our Signs of the Times Directory, and access my complete blog directory at Writing for the Master.
Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus. Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?
“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15). He preached that we must repent and believe.
Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"
Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International. He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org
You may also visit our Signs of the Times Directory, and access my complete blog directory at Writing for the Master.
Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus. Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?
“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15). He preached that we must repent and believe.
Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"
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Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International. He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org
