For nearly two thousand years, the age of grace has been a period of joy unspeakable for those who come to believe in Christ and, at the same time, a protracted period of silence from God to those of the Children of Israel that believe not in Jesus Christ the Messiah, thus the title, “Silence of the Tomb.”
While Christ-rejecting Jews have experienced complete silence from their God, during this same time, many have come to accept that Jesus is the Messiah, the Savior of mankind; only those who do so move beyond the silence of the tomb. Perhaps a look at the tomb as a type and shadow will help with understanding this silence.
Type and Shadow
Peter, the apostle to the Jews (Gal 2:8), said: “But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day (2 Pet 3:8, KJV).” [1] Therefore, a type and shadow can be seen when examining the time spent in the tomb until the resurrection of Christ. Simply put, the two days in the tomb represent the two thousand years that have passed since Jesus entered the tomb, and the resurrection represents the rapture of His body, the faithful church, which is comprised of both the dead in Christ and those who remain alive until the upward call of the rapture (1 Thess 4:16-17). [2]
The rapture of His body also marks the beginning of a period in which Jesus will be preached to the non-believers who will then be suffering the trials of the Tribulation because of their previous unbelief. The good news is, this period will be cut short (Matt 24:22) to allow a remnant of those who come to faith to repopulate the earth for the remainder of the third day, which, at the same time, represents the seventh day of creation in which the earth will have peace not experienced since before the fall of man in the Garden of Eden. With this type and shadow in mind, how is it possible for a people to persist in such silence for two thousand years?
Continued Rejection of Christ Begets Silence
Jesus came to earth as the Lamb of God (John 1:29), as noted by the greatest ever born of women, John the Baptist (Matt 11:11). John, the forerunner who was likened to Elijah (Luke 1:17), came as predicted by Isaiah (Isa 40:3) and Malachi (Mal 3:1) to prepare the way for the long-awaited Messiah. Interestingly, John’s coming marked the end of another period of silence for the Jewish Nation, a period of some four hundred years that had passed since the last words from the prophet Malachi. Sadly, though Jesus walked among them for three and a half years fulfilling all the prophets had foretold of Him, the bulk of the Jewish Nation still rejected Him.
This rejection of the Lamb has caused the greatest period of silence ever experienced by the chosen people of God. Sadly, this silence is self-inflicted, as the New Testament is written to all men, but many choose to reject it. Thus, the silence lingers. As noted, because they rejected Christ, utter silence from God has been experienced by the nation that began so well.
Israel’s patriarch Abraham demonstrated exactly how to live. He simply had complete and absolute trust in God’s way of doing things, for which he received the commendation of being the father of faith (Rom 4:16). Abraham did what God said, no matter what, even to the point that he was willing to sacrifice the son of promise, Isaac (Gal 4:23).
This is all said to illuminate the reason for the nation of Israel entering into the greatest silence they have ever known. They rejected God’s way forward, which can only be found by way of the Cross. Therefore, those who rejected Christ rejected the only way to hear from God. This happened because they did not want to forsake their own leadership and travel the path He chose.
The End of Silence
The silence of the tomb is only experienced by those who refuse to enter it by the one and only way possible. Jesus is the gate or the door (John 10:7). He is the only way to the Father (John 14:6). Therefore, anyone wishing to end the silence need only believe in Jesus. This faith allows entry onto the narrow path which begins at the Cross, leads into the tomb, and results in life eternal.
You see, to the non-believer, the tomb represents death and silence. However, the believer, who willingly lays down their own life, at the Cross, in exchange for the life God has chosen for them, enters into the tomb, which represents the dwelling place of the flesh which must be mortified (Rom 8:13) on a daily basis (Luke 9:23) by those who have been born again (John 3:7). Therefore, the tomb becomes a place of ultimate safety which now represents death to self. Moreover, it represents the straight and narrow path that leads to life eternal. This eternal life is “that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent” (John 17:3). Therefore, the only way to end the silence is to believe in Christ Jesus.
This next statement is incredibly important. The door is about to shut. At the rapture, the way now available in the age of grace will end. In this age, belief in Christ comes with the promise that by dying to self, both the dead in Christ and the living believer will be raptured before the coming Tribulation, a time of upheaval like never before (Matt 24:21). Once this happens, death will come knocking for any who come to believe in Christ. These will have to prove they live for Christ by dying physically. However, Scripture also declares that not all believers will perish.
The Foreshadow
Another type and shadow is yet future. Just as Jesus did when He came, a pair of witnesses will appear in the last of days and preach for three and a half years, calling Israel to repentance once again. This pair, often referred to as the two witnesses, will carry out their mission to the nth degree and be killed, resurrected, and ascend into heaven, all of which is proof that they represent God.
The witnesses will arrive on the scene after the rapture and prophecy for the first 1,260 days, which is also called the first three and a half years of the Tribulation (Rev 11:3). Through them, God breaks the silence and prepares a people who will, at the abomination of desolation which occurs at the midpoint of the Tribulation, flee to the mountains in the wilderness and be protected for the last three and a half years of the Tribulation (Matt 24:15-16; Rev 12:13-16). You could say these, through belief in Christ, forsake their old lives and enter the tomb or place of safety (Rev 12:14), on the first day, only to emerge when the Great Day of the Lord passes, on the third day, to become those who populate the millennial kingdom, here on earth (Rev 20:1-6).
What Now?
If you are reading this on the front side of the rapture, please validate the truth of this article by testing it against Scripture and quickly turn to the Lord as your only hope. If you are a Jew who does not believe the New Testament applies to you, be like the Bereans and seek the Old Testament for the truths it contained about the Messiah, which Jesus fulfilled (Acts 17:10-11). After all, He fulfilled over three hundred very specific prophecies about His life and ministry with pinpoint accuracy. [3] Here are a few:
- Gen 12:3 – As Abraham’s seed, Messiah will bless all nations – Jesus did – Acts 3:25-26.
- Gen 49:10 – Messiah is of the seed of Judah – Jesus is – Luke 3:33.
- 2 Sam 7:12-16 – Messiah is of the seed of David – Jesus is – Matt 1:1.
- Mic 5:2 – Messiah is born at Bethlehem – Jesus was – Matt 2:1-2.
- Hosea 11:1 – Messiah called forth from Egypt – Jesus was – Matt 2:14
- Isa 40:3-4 – Messiah preceded by a forerunner – Jesus was – John 1:23
- Isa 53:7 – Messiah is the Sacrificial Lamb – Jesus is – John 1:29
- Psa 34:20 – Messiah has no broken bones – This is true of Jesus – John 19:31-36
- Zech 12:10 – Messiah’s body pierced – Jesus was – John 19:34-37
- Dan 9:24-27 – Messiah killed before Temple’s destruction – Jesus was – Matt 27:50-51.
- Psa 16:9-11 – Messiah to be resurrected – Jesus was – John 20:9
- Psa 68:18 – Messiah ascended into heaven – Jesus did – Luke 24:51
- Psa 110:1 – Messiah now at the right hand of the Father – Jesus is – Acts 7:56
If you have accepted the fact that Jesus is the Messiah, then His apostles are also legitimate. Therefore, the words they wrote, which are now compiled as the New Testament, are meant for you as well. If you can but grasp it, this truth will truly set you free (John 8:32).
From this point of newfound freedom, begin by heeding the words penned by the Apostle Paul, “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth” (2 Tim 2:15). The Holy Spirit will help you understand what you are reading; trust Him (1 Cor 2:14-15; John 14:26; 1 John 2:27; & 1 Cor 2:12-14). By the way, having come to saving faith in Christ, you are in for the greatest treat possible in your forthcoming studies, which will include knowledge of the rapture so many await.
If you are reading this from the back side of the rapture. The book of Revelation will, in conjunction with the Old Testament prophetic books of Daniel, Ezekiel, Isaiah, and many others, provide you with the information you need to make the wisest choices possible in your foreseeable future. You will also want to read the article, “Open Letter to Those Who Miss the Rapture.” [4] Other articles have been written which may help you make sense of it all; they can be found at the website listed below. Lastly, the two witnesses will be speaking for God. Listen to them.
Conclusion
Nearly two thousand years have passed since Jesus willingly went to the Cross where He bore the sin of mankind, after which He spent two days in the tomb only to arise on the third day. Each who would follow Jesus must take up their cross daily and willingly lay down their lives in order to gain it (Luke 9:23-24). For without the cross, there is no death to self; with no death to self, there is no eternal life. After all, it is the life of self that has plagued man since the fall. [5] Therefore, the old man must pass away and the new man must be put on (Eph 4:22-24). This can only be accomplished through an exchange of self-righteousness for Christ’s righteousness. Once this occurs, the tomb represents a place of transformation from death to life.
Many are still experiencing the silence of the tomb because of unbelief which stems from misunderstanding Scripture. The good news is, the Old Testament is replete with proofs that Jesus is the Messiah who came as the Lamb of God. Realizing this will change everything.
With this in mind, open the tomb and end the silence by believing that Jesus is the Messiah and, thereby, receive all that God has ever said to you in both the Old and New Testament.
Website: In His Commission
April 19th, 2022
[1] “Unless otherwise noted, all biblical passages referenced are in the King James Version.”
[2] For greater understanding, see the article, “The Five W’s of the Rapture.”
[3] For Greater understanding, see the article, “Why We Explore Eschatology.”
[4] For greater understanding, see the article, “Open Letter to Those Who Miss the Rapture.”
[5] For greater understanding, see the article, “Thy Will Be Done: The Epicenter of Right and Wrong.“