Amir Tsafarti: How Close Are We to the Rapture?

How close are we to the rapture of the church? While the Bible says no one knows the exact day or hour, it also tells us we can recognize the times and seasons. God has revealed His prophetic timeline so believers can discern the signs of the end times and be prepared.

In this powerful message, Amir Tsarfati explores Scripture and fulfilled prophecy to explain what the Bible says about the rapture, why it is our blessed hope, and how we can live with urgency and expectation today.

How Close Are We to the Rapture?

The title of the message this afternoon—if you’re still awake—is “How Close Are We to the Rapture?”
I love this because it’s the shortest message I’ll ever give in my life.
One slide: Very.
We can move to Q&A right now if you want.

But for those who are struggling with the concept of what the rapture is, let me remind you that in the letter Paul wrote to the church in Thessalonica—a church in northern Greece, probably the only one I can think of that had no Jews in it and therefore no Old Testament verses are quoted in those epistles—he said (1 Thessalonians 4:13), “I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep …” This is the biblical term for believers who have died. As believers, we don’t die in the final, destructive sense—we “fall asleep.” When your child falls asleep, you simply move him to bed: he falls asleep here and wakes up there. Paul continues, “… lest you sorrow as others who have no hope.”

He is saying, in effect, “Listen: any believer who dies is not gone forever. This is our hope. So don’t mourn as if you have no hope.” “If we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus.” In other words, once Jesus rose from the dead, death was defeated. From now on, when a believer dies, what happens to his soul? Whoosh—it goes to be with Jesus instantly. To be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord. That means the soul can be absent from the body at death.

And when Christ comes, He won’t tell those souls, “Wait there while I go get the others.” No—He will bring them. You might say, “But it’s only their souls—we miss their bodies too!” Wait: their souls will reunite with their bodies.

Paul writes, “For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we …”—say “we”! (Audience: We.) “… we who are alive …” Are you alive? (Audience: Yes.) Check your pulse. “… we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep.” If you attend the funeral of a believer and the rapture happens two minutes later, he gets there first.

“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.” (1 Thessalonians 4:16)

About the Feast of Trumpets

Many wish the rapture would happen today or yesterday because it’s the Feast of Trumpets—Rosh Hashanah. Note: Rosh Hashanah is not a biblical name; Scripture calls it the Feast of Trumpets (Yom Teruah). I believe all seven feasts of Leviticus 23 have been, are being, and will be fulfilled in Israel for Israel, though the whole world is affected. Passover, Unleavened Bread, Firstfruits, and Pentecost were fulfilled in Jerusalem. Jesus will return to Jerusalem and be seen by His people there. He will rule the world from there for 1,000 years. Thus, I believe the trumpet in 1 Thessalonians 4 is God’s trumpet in heaven for the church, while the Feast of Trumpets will be fulfilled at the Second Coming. Yom Kippur will follow as Israel laments and repents, and then Tabernacles as they rejoice—in Jerusalem.

If you try to predict the rapture every year on the Feast of Trumpets, first, you claim to “know the day,” and second, you’ll be disappointed yearly. Let’s put that to rest.

Back to the text: “Then we …”—say “we.” (Audience: We.) “… we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord …” where? (Audience: In the air.)

It may sound fantastic, but you’re simply reading Scripture. If you struggle to believe we’ll be caught up to meet the Lord in the air, that’s your struggle—the Bible says so. The meeting point for believers and Jesus is in the air, not on earth. The Second Coming to earth is with the church, not for the church. “And thus we shall always be with the Lord.” That means wherever He goes, we go. He returns to the Father—we’re there. He returns to earth—we’re with Him. He reigns—we reign. “Therefore comfort one another with these words.”

Some say, “How dare you! We must go through the Tribulation and see the carnage.” Paul says, “Therefore comfort one another with these words.” (1 Thessalonians 4:18)

Where “Rapture” Comes From

In Greek, the word is harpazō (“caught up”). In the Latin Vulgate, it’s rapturo—hence our English word rapture. Don’t look for the English word in Greek or Hebrew. The Bible wasn’t written in English. Harpazō means “to seize, snatch away.” It’s used when Philip baptized the Ethiopian: the eunuch came up from the water, and Philip was caught away (Acts 8:39). You can be caught up upward or even sideways—Philip remained on earth but was relocated. The eunuch didn’t say, “This is too weird; I’m out.” He rejoiced. New believers sometimes accept what seasoned ones overthink.

The “Mysterious” Rapture

We know it will happen; we believe and hope it will happen; we long for it. Yet Jesus said in the Olivet Discourse (Matthew 24:36), “Of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only.” Scripture gave exact timing for His first coming and will tie His Second Coming to the end of the seven-year Tribulation—but regarding the day He takes us, no one knows. Why? “Watch therefore, for you do not know what hour your Lord is coming … therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.” (Matthew 24:42–44)

Anchors for Discernment

So how can we know how close we are? Scripture gives anchors—people, events, and prophetic frameworks.

1. Correct Interpretation of Scripture
   All Scripture is inspired by the Holy Spirit; it does not contradict itself. For example, 2 Corinthians 5:1–8 and 1 Corinthians 15 teach that our current tent (body) will be replaced with a building from God. When believers die, they are present with the Lord (2 Corinthians 5:8; Philippians 1:23), yet we still await the redemption of our body (Romans 8:23). At the rapture, the dead in Christ rise first (bodily), then we who are alive are changed—this corruptible puts on incorruption (1 Corinthians 15:51–53). The new body has no issue with gravity—whoosh—we’re gone.

We also look for our “blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ” (Titus 2:13–14).

2. Bible Prophecy
   Roughly a third of the Bible speaks of future events because God wants us to know. He declares the end from the beginning (Isaiah 46:9–10). No prophecy of Scripture is of private interpretation … holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit (2 Peter 1:20–21). Hebrews 1:1–2 tells us that the same God who spoke through the prophets has spoken to us by His Son—and the “last days” began 2,000 years ago.
3. Current Events
   These help us understand where we are. The rapture can happen any minute; Paul believed it could occur in his lifetime (“we who are alive”). Nothing must happen before it. Yet because it has not happened, we can observe things Paul couldn’t—Israel’s return to the land and alignments pointing toward the Tribulation forming even now.

Political alignment: Nations named in Ezekiel 38 are aligning in ways never seen historically. Economic factors (energy discoveries and routes) and regional ambitions now line up with the text. Perilous times (2 Timothy 3:1–5) describe our cultural moment precisely.

Israel’s restoration: Deuteronomy 30:3–4 promised regathering; Isaiah 66:8 foretold a nation born in a day; Jeremiah 31:35–36 anchors Israel’s continued existence to the ordinances of sun, moon, and stars—until the new heavens and new earth.

Daniel’s visions: Daniel 7 portrays end-time judgment and kingdoms; Daniel 9 gives the seventy weeks for Israel. Sir Robert Anderson famously calculated the 69 weeks (173,880 days) from the decree to rebuild Jerusalem to Messiah’s entry (commonly set to April 6, AD 32). When God wants us to know a date, He gives it. When He doesn’t, He says, “No one knows the day or hour.”

Fig Tree Generation: In Matthew 24:32–35, the fig tree represents Israel. When it puts forth leaves (Israel’s rebirth), that generation will not pass away until all these things take place.

Ezekiel 36–37: The land revived and the people regathered to their own land—Israel. Ezekiel 38–39: an invasion and God’s deliverance.

When the Rapture Will Not Happen

• Not when you expect it. “The Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.” (Matthew 24:44)
• Not on a date people announce. “The day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night.” (1 Thessalonians 5:2)
• Not during or after the Tribulation. “God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation …” (1 Thessalonians 5:9) “… Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come.” (1 Thessalonians 1:10) “I also will keep you from the hour of trial which shall come upon the whole world …” (Revelation 3:10). During that time, Scripture speaks of earth-dwellers—while those raptured are heaven-dwellers (cf. Revelation 13:6).
• Not after the Antichrist is revealed. “He who now restrains will do so until He is taken out of the way. And then the lawless one will be revealed …” (2 Thessalonians 2:7–8). Once the Restrainer’s restraint is removed, then the man of sin is revealed.

Will the Rapture Trigger the Tribulation?

Maybe; Scripture doesn’t say explicitly. What does start the 70th week is the Antichrist confirming a covenant with many for one week (Daniel 9:27). Whether there’s a gap between the rapture and that event is speculative—and not what we should fixate on. Our focus is clarity in the church: affirming Israel’s place in prophecy, the reality of the rapture, and the call to readiness.

God’s pattern is consistent: He removes the righteous before judgment falls (Genesis 19:12–14; Noah lifted above the flood).

The Big Picture

Daniel’s 70 weeks: 7 + 62 are fulfilled before the church age; the 70th week remains. The church is caught up to meet Christ in the clouds; seven years later He returns with the church to establish the Millennial Kingdom. After the Millennium comes the Great White Throne judgment and then the new heavens, new earth, and New Jerusalem. We are now at the very edge before the Tribulation begins. We don’t know the day of the rapture, but we see the Tribulation around the corner.

Conclusion

How close are we to the rapture?
Very, very, very. We see the convergence of prophecies like no generation since the time of Jesus. “Little children, it is the last hour …” (1 John 2:18). Therefore (Titus 2:11–14), live soberly, righteously, and godly—looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ.

Closing Prayer:
Father, thank You for this blessed hope. Thank You for preparing Your people for every good work, redeeming us from lawlessness, and making us Your own special people. Thank You for the anchors of Scripture and the clarity to watch current events without fear. We’re ready, watchful, and sober—not because we know the day or the hour, but because we trust You. When the moment comes—boom—we will be with You. We bless Your name in the matchless name of the Holy One of Israel—Yeshua, Jesus—the Lamb of God, the Prince of Peace, the Lord of lords, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, Emmanuel. In Jesus’ name we pray, and all God’s people say, Amen.