EVENTS BEFORE AND DURING THE RAPTURE

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If we will read John 6:14-21, we will see that the events that took place here actually foreshadow the events that will take place before and during the Rapture. Let’s delve into this story then:

John 6:14-21

“14 Therefore when the people saw the sign which He had performed, they said, “This is truly the Prophet who is to come into the world.”

15 So Jesus, perceiving that they were intending to come and take Him by force to make Him king, withdrew again to the mountain by Himself alone.

16 Now when evening came, His disciples went down to the sea,

17 and after getting into a boat, they started to cross the sea to Capernaum. It had already become dark, and Jesus had not yet come to them.

18 The sea began to be stirred up because a strong wind was blowing.

19 Then, when they had rowed about three or four miles, they saw Jesus walking on the sea and drawing near to the boat; and they were frightened.

20 But He said to them, “It is I; do not be afraid.”

21 So they were willing to receive Him into the boat, and immediately the boat was at the land to which they were going.”

For context, John 6:14-21 takes place after the Lord Jesus feeds 5,000 people (not including the women and children) in John 6:5-13. Because of the great miracle of feeding so many with just five loaves of bread and two fish, the people became convinced that the Lord Jesus was “The Prophet” they had been waiting for. As a result, they wanted to make Him their king.

The Prophet that these Jews were expecting was none other than the Messiah Himself—the one foretold by Moses in Deuteronomy 18:15-19:

“The LORD your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your own brothers. You must listen to him… (18) I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their brothers; I will put my words in his mouth, and he will tell them everything I command him. (19) If anyone does not listen to my words that the prophet speaks in my name, I myself will call him to account.”

So those Jews were correct when they said that the Lord Jesus is The Prophet. But to make the Lord their king is another story.

John 6:15 “Jesus, knowing that they intended to come and make him king by force, withdrew again to a mountain by himself.”

Although the Lord Jesus admitted to Pilate in John 18:36-37 that He is indeed a King, His mission during His earthly ministry was not to inherit earthly Kingdom and be the King of the Jews:

John 18:36-37 “Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, then My servants would be fighting so that I would not be handed over to the Jews; but as it is, My kingdom is not of this realm.” Therefore Pilate said to Him, “So You are a king?” Jesus answered, “You say correctly that I am a king. For this I have been born, and for this I have come into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice.”

The mission of the Lord Jesus during His first coming here on earth is to be a servant and a ransom for many:

Mark 10:45 “For even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.”

He knows that it is not His ministry to be a king or to be served. That ministry will come during His second coming as the King of kings and Lord of lords (Rev. 17:14, Rev. 19:16). Even Satan offered Him a position above all the kingdoms of this world, but the Lord refused it (Matt. 4:8-10).

Our Lord knew that in order to defeat Satan, He needed to be a servant, not a king. This was foretold in the prophecy about how the seed of the woman would defeat the serpent (Gen. 3:15). The seed of the woman (our Lord Jesus) had to be the heel (a servant) in order to crush the head of the serpent (Satan). And Satan knew this as well—that is why he offered Jesus a position of kingship.

As the Church, the Body of Christ, we should follow the example of our Lord Jesus during our earthly ministry. And one day, just like Him, we will become kings and sit on the throne with Him. In the Bible, whenever people tried to make Jesus their king, He fled. But when they sought to crucify Him, He presented Himself willingly.

During His earthly ministry, our Lord Jesus was a true servant. He fed the people, healed the sick, and even raised some from the dead. But it was not yet time for Him to rule and reign—He had to deal with the sin of all mankind first. So instead of allowing the people to make Him king, the Lord withdrew to the mountain to be in fellowship with His Father. This foreshadows His ascension in heaven.

His Kingship will come, but it was not yet time for that—despite the people’s desire to make Him king that time. And what was He doing on the mountain? He was praying (as seen in the parallel passage, Matt. 14:23). He was likely praying for His disciples, who, as we shall see, were struggling against the wind and waves on the sea. This scene offers us a glimpse of the Lord Jesus’ present-day ministry after His ascension—He is interceding for His own. His concern is for His Bride, the Church.

John 6:16-18 “Now when evening came, His disciples went down to the sea, and after getting into a boat, they started to cross the sea to Capernaum. It had already become dark, and Jesus had not yet come to them. The sea began to be stirred up because a strong wind was blowing.”

After our Lord Jesus went up the mountain, the disciples set out in a boat to go to Capernaum. This was their next destination—the place where they were supposed to go if the Lord Jesus had not been forced by the people to become their king.

So, the disciples went out to sea, expecting the Lord to follow them. But as night fell, darkness surrounded them, and still, the Lord had not come. To make matters worse, the wind grew stronger, the waves rose higher, and the Lord was still nowhere to be found.

This scene gives us a glimpse of what will happen to the Bride before the Rapture. The waters here or the sea speak of the nations or people (Rev 17:15). In other words, the sea here symbolized the world. While the word “Capernaum” here means the “City of Comfort.” Just like the disciples, we are just sailing in this world. We are not of this world but are just pilgrims passing through trying to reach our destination which is the City of Comfort, the City of God (Rev. 21:2). The boat here symbolize our life. We must sail through this world but we must not let the world enters our boat. Once the water or this world enters our boat, we are sure to sink here. Just sail through and never let this world influence you.

As the Rapture of the Bride draws nearer, this world will grow darker. Satan will stir up the people, the winds will become stronger, and the waves of trials will rise higher before our Rapture. We must remember that Scripture never promises that things will be easy for us in the last days. Instead, we are warned that things will become darker, the winds will rage, and the waters will grow rough.

But take heart—this is also the time that our Lord will appear!

John 6:19-20 “Then, when they had rowed about three or four miles, they saw Jesus walking on the sea and drawing near to the boat; and they were frightened. But He said to them, “It is I; do not be afraid.”

The disciples had already rowed about three to four miles through turbulent waters when they saw the Lord Jesus walking on the water!

Four miles is a great distance to row, especially when your boat is being tossed back and forth by the raging waves. But notice this: even though they were in troubled waters, their boat never sank. Why? Because even though we live in a world where the god of this world hates us and problems surround us on every side, he cannot sink our boat—for the God of Heaven and Earth is the One Who protects us.

The Lord Jesus walks above the waters. The waves do not affect Him—He is above them. The enemy will always bombard us with trials and troubles, but this is why we must fix our eyes on our Lord (Heb. 12:2) and not on the winds and the waves. For He is above them.

At first, the disciple didn’t recognize Him as it was dark and because they hadn’t seen Him like this before. But His voice soon allayed any concern for He said “It is I, do not be afraid.” Or, more literally, “I AM”. The words “It is I” are literally “I AM.” So far this is the second time in John’s Gospel where the Lord Jesus used this name of God as applying to Himself. He is the God of Heaven and Earth. If He were only a man, they have a reason to be afraid. But He is the mighty Creator and the Sustainer of the universe who can command the wind and the waves to be still. With Him close at hand, there was no reason for the disciples to fear.

This will be the same when the Lord returns at the Rapture of His bride. We will not have seen Him like this but He will come to us supernaturally and we will meet Him in the clouds (1 Thes 4:14-17). He will come as God, the great I AM and we won’t need any more reassuring! But again, it will be dark at the time. It will seem that we have waited a long time. Yet when we see Him we will be amazed for we will see Him as He really is! (1 John 3:2)

John 6:21 “Then they were willing to take him into the boat, and immediately the boat reached the shore where they were heading.”

After the disciples took the Lord to their boat, they were immediately teleported to the shore of Capernaum. The boat here symbolizes our life. After our Lord Jesus fills our lives with His fullness (Eph. 4:13), He will then transform our Earthly body into a Glorified one (1 Cor. 15:51-54) and we will be teleported immediately into the City of Comfort. As we can read in 1 Corinthians 15:52-54:

“In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory.”

There was no more struggle against the wind and the waves—instantly, they reached their destination. They were teleported.

To conclude, let me say that this is a beautiful picture for the Bride of Christ today. Many believers are struggling under all kinds of pressure. Countless people are facing health issues, while many others are burdened by financial and emotional stress, battered by the winds and waves of life. In some parts of the world, believers face severe persecution. And yet, when the Lord comes, the disciples find themselves instantly in the “City of Comfort”—never to experience trials, suffering, or hardship EVER again.

I hope this has been an encouragement and blessing to you. Though things may become difficult, remember that our Lord Jesus is interceding for us. He is in us. And even though it may seem like His return is taking longer than expected—just as it did for the disciples 2,000 years ago on the Sea of Galilee—THAT DAY IS ASSURED!

Titus 2:13 “Looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Christ Jesus.”

May the Lord continue to shower us His revelations is my prayer.