Saturday, May 31, 2025

Ancient Manuscripts



In chapter fifteen, Rapture Passages in the Old Testament, and Proof it is Pre-Tribulation, of my manuscript, Waiting for The Day and Hour, I added some information taken from Ken Johnson’s book, The Rapture, on three ancient manuscripts that refer to the rapture of the body of Christ. These ancient manuscripts below affirm that the rapture of the body of Christ is pre-Tribulation.


 

“Ken Johnson also records in his book three ancient manuscripts that refer to a pre-Tribulation rapture (The Rapture: Pages 86-91). He has translated these manuscripts from the Dead Sea Scrolls and published them. They are 1) The Book of Enoch, 2) The Ezra Apocalypse, and 3) The Book of Gad the Seer.

1) The Book of Enoch: He writes that the Book of Enoch was “rediscovered in the Dead Sea Scrolls” and that before that rediscovery, the Ethiopian Coptic church had a copy of this book in their Ethiopian Bible. Online, I discovered that the Ethiopian Bible was written in Classical Ethiopic, or Ge’ez.[1] This language is not spoken anymore. However, it is used in some portions of the Church service in the Ethiopian and Eritrean Orthodox congregations. The Ethiopian Bible is about 800 years older than the King James Bible (1611) and is the oldest Bible in the world.[2]

In The Book of Enoch, 50:1-2, he prophesies about the Body of Christ, before it existed, being glorified. Johnson also points out that this passage in Enoch relates to Daniel 12:1-3, where the righteous will be resurrected (the day of the rapture). Then comes the Tribulation, which causes many to repent.

“In those days a change will take place for the holy and elect, and the light of days will abide upon them, and glory and honor will turn to the holy.  On the day of tribulation on which evil will gather against the sinners, the righteous will overcome in the name of the Lord of Spirits.  He will cause the others to witness it that they may repent and cease the works of their hands” Enoch – 50:1-2 (The Rapture: Pages 86-87).

2) The Ezra Apocalypse: Ken Johnson writes that The Ezra Apocalypse is a modern version of 2 Esdras that he wrote and published. 2 Esdras is in the KJV 1611 Bible. He writes: “This book (2 Esdras) was included by the Anglicans because it accurately predicted the details of the partial fall of Rome and predicted the doom of Roman Catholicism.” The Ezra Apocalypse prophesies about the endtimes. Concerning the rapture of the body of Christ, it prophesies that the people who survive the Tribulation Period will witness the people who were caught up to meet the Lord in the air before the 70th week/Tribulation began.

“Everyone who survives all these things of which I have told you, will escape and see My deliverance and the end of the world.  Then the men who have been taken up, who have not tasted death since their birth, will see it.  Then the heart of the inhabitants of the earth will be transformed and changed into a different mind, for evil will be blotted out and deceit extinguished” Ancient Apocalypse of Ezra – 6:25-27 (The Rapture: Page 88).

The Ancient Apocalypse of Ezra also prophesied that the body of Christ is referred to as the bride. The bride will return at the start of Christ’s millennial reign.

“For behold the days to come, when the signs that I have foretold come to pass, the bride will be revealed, and what has now been withdrawn from the earth will be brought back.  Whoever is delivered from these predicted evils, will see my wonders.  For My Son, the Messiah, will be revealed together with those who remain, and will rejoice with those who remain one thousand years” Ancient Apocalypse of Ezra – 7:26-28 (The Rapture: Pages 88-89).

3) The Book of Gad the Seer: Gad was King David’s seer (1 Chron. 21:9-11). A seer is the same as a prophet: 2| “A person who prophesies future events; prophet” (Dictionary.com). 1 Chronicles 29:29 says Gad the Seer wrote books, just like Samuel the Seer and Nathan the prophet wrote books. Ken Johnson obtained a Hebrew manuscript written by Gad the Seer and published it in English in 2016 (See his book[3]). Chapter 14 of The Book of Gad the Seer mentions a pre-Tribulation rapture. It also mentions that The Book of Life is opened, and those in it receive eternal life on the day that alludes to the rapture. There is another book where God says he will wait to give those in it another chance to repent—this alludes to the Tribulation Period. Johnson writes: “In this picture [below] we have believers who are sinners, but forgiven, receiving eternal life. Those who missed the rapture must wait until the end of the tribulation period to see the Messiah. They must repent before that time or their names are removed into the third book and they will be damned for all eternity” (The Rapture: Pages 89-90).

“And then a man dressed in linen brought before the glory of the LORD three books that contained the records of every man. And he read the first book and it contained the just deeds of his people, and the LORD said, “These are granted eternal life.” And Satan said, “Who are these guilty people?” And the man dressed in linen cried to Satan like a ram’s horn saying, “Silence! This day is holy to our Lord.” And he read the second book, and it contained the unintentional sins of His people, and the LORD said, “Put that book aside, but save it, until one third of the month passes by, to see what they will do.” And he read the third book, and it contained the wicked deeds of His people. And the LORD said to Satan, “These are your share. Take them and do what you want with them.” And Satan took the wicked to a waste land to destroy them there. And the man dressed in linen cried like a ram’s horn, saying: “Blessed are the people who know the joyful shout [who look toward the rapture], O LORD, who walk in the light of Your countenance” The Ancient Book of Gad the Seer – 14:7-14 (The Rapture: Pages 90-91).”

 

Picture: Pixabay (ilovechile-travel)

Free for use under the Pixabay Content License



[1] Ge’ez language

https://www.britannica.com/topic/Geez-language

(Accessed 5/13/2025)

[2] Ethiopian Bible is the oldest and complete bible on earth: Ancient Origine

https://borkena.com/2016/06/30/ethiopian-bible-is-the-oldest-and-complete-bible-on-earth-ancient-origine/

(Accessed 5/13/2025)

[3] Ken Johnson: Ancient Book of Gad the Seer – BibleFacts.org

https://biblefacts.org/store.php


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