By the way, the does this twice - that is, in two phases- but more on that later.

With this sentence in the first paragraph of the article “Who Are the Dogs, Who Are the Pigs,” we pointed out that God takes the righteous under His wing twice, setting them apart for Himself and bringing them to Him. Yes, that’s right—we’re talking about the Rapture. Anyone familiar with the debate over the timing of the Rapture knows how fiercely it is debated. Does it take place before, during, or after the seven years of tribulation (which, strictly speaking, are only three and a half years)? We’ve noticed that each side seems to have a point.

In Daniel 12, God promised that knowledge would increase—but only if we study the Scriptures. And because we are among those who examine all the Scriptures, we came to the conclusion that there must be three raptures. Those three again?  

Let’s start with the last one. Whether or not this event can be called the Rapture in this case, one thing is certain: it’s heading upward, into heaven. Revelation 11:3 mentions two witnesses to whom God gives power. Fire will come out of their mouths to consume the enemies. Fire is a symbol of judgment, and the verb “consume” figuratively represents the killing of the enemies. And that this is indeed the case, we read in verse 5: If anyone wants to harm them—the two witnesses—he must be killed in this way—namely, by fire.

Furthermore, the witnesses are empowered by God to shut up the sky so that no rain falls during the 1,260 days of their ministry. They are even permitted to turn water into blood and to afflict the earth with every kind of plague, as often as they wish. After the 1,260 days, the beast from the abyss will overcome and kill them, though this will do nothing to enhance the beast’s credibility, for after three and a half days the witnesses will rise from the dead and immediately hear a voice from above; they will follow it and ascend into heaven.  

The Witnesses wear sackcloth during their ministry, just as so many prophets and even some kings of the Old Testament did. Jacob was the first to wear it, after learning that his son Joseph—as his brothers hypocritically speculated—had surely been torn apart by a wild animal. As evidence, they presented his blood-soaked coat. This terrified Jacob beyond measure. His emotions overwhelmed him to such an extent that he could no longer contain himself. He tore his clothes and put on sackcloth. And he mourned for many, many days. What might Jacob have looked like in sackcloth? We did some research, and lo and behold, we found one—right here.

It is not always easy to understand the images God uses. When we read about a “sackcloth” in the Old Testament, the dictionary defines “sackcloth” as:

1. a mesh that serves as a filter for liquids; that is, it is a simple, loose-weave fabric worn during times of mourning,

or 2. a sack used for storing grain.

By the way, the Hebrew word is “Saq,” with a sharp “s” sound.

We now know that sackcloth was used both to sew grain sacks and to make clothing, but we still don’t know why it had to be made from goat hair, of all things. Well, mohair is a particularly fine hair, and the younger the goats are, the finer it is. Today, we distinguish between the grades Kid, Youngster, and Adult. Mohair has other interesting properties that make it the material of choice. On the one hand, it is water-repellent; on the other hand, it absorbs moisture from the skin. In summer, the fabric has a cooling effect, and in winter, a warming one. So the goat hair tells us something about opposites, and we believe it alludes to the unequal twins Esau and Jacob.

Mohair is and always will be the ideal fabric for those in mourning, as it provides a sense of physical and emotional balance. The shawl serves, as it were, as a metaphor for emotional balance—something Jakob desperately needed, since he neither wanted nor was able to find comfort in his family. We’ll see why in a moment.

n the account of Genesis 37, a small detail catches our attention. Jacob tears his clothes and then puts on a sackcloth. However, the sackcloth does not cover his entire body; instead, he ties it only around his loins—and those are no strangers to us. Jacob has experienced much in his life, but his most significant milestone was his forced stay at the Jabbok, where he wrestled with God and emerged victorious. By holding the man fast during their wrestling match until he had blessed him, he secured the victory. The victory came with an injury, precisely where he now wraps the sackcloth. We’ll get to what that was all about a little later.

Jacob’s greatest blessing lay hidden in Rachel; though it came to light with Joseph’s birth, it took some time before this became clear to everyone. Jacob watched his son grow from small to tall and realized that Joseph was an extraordinary young man. Jacob could not help but honor him with a “royal robe.” But now the robe lies blood-soaked before him, and the news of Joseph’s death rings in his ears—and this would continue for years to come. This loss becomes the greatest trial of his life. His thoughts circle again and again, especially around Joseph’s dreams. He can still hear him speak, hear him vividly recounting the first and then the second dream to the whole family. Was it all real? Could it be that Joseph hadn’t dreamed it after all? Wouldn’t his sheaf rise up and the other sheaves bow down before him? Hadn’t he dreamed that the sun, moon, and stars would bow down before his favorite son? Jacob’s thoughts race through his memories.

How often had those dreams quietly brought joy to his heart? Even his own dream at Bethel seemed to him a seal of God’s promise. His dream coincided with his son’s dreams. (Genesis 28) But now? From one moment to the next, from one second to the next, is it all supposed to no longer be true? Is it over, finished, the dream gone, and all hope for the promises lost?

It isn’t until Chapter 42 that tears no longer cloud his sight. Jacob sees clearly and distinctly: there is grain in Egypt. Grain? We remember that grain is transported and stored in sacks. We can be certain that on that day when Jacob saw the grain of Egypt, he took off his sackcloth.

Now a question, and perhaps pause briefly before reading the answer: What do grain sacks and the loincloth have in common? Think for a moment before looking at the solution. With this sentence, we’re creating a little distance so that the solution isn’t quite so close to the question. But now for the solution: The seed is kept at storage temperature.

As we have already learned, mohair prevents moisture from penetrating while also protecting against the cold, which is extremely important for the seed. However, mohair also protects against excessive heat, thereby cooling the body and preventing it from overheating. At the same time, mohair absorbs moisture from the skin and releases it into the outside world. Both of these things are extremely important to Jacob, for the sackcloth ensures that the fruit of his loins will neither become chilled nor wither away. We now apply this figuratively to Joseph. Jacob wore the sackcloth, as it were, as an expression of his hope that Joseph was still alive, even though there seemed to be no hope left. Jacob wished that wherever Joseph might be, he might be preserved both during the heat of the day and in the cold of the night. His heart and his faith have triumphed over what lies before his eyes. The purchased grain sacks are a token of blessing and a gift from that sheaf before which all others will one day bow in gratitude.

We believe that it is precisely with this attitude that the two witnesses of Revelation carry out their three-and-a-half-year ministry. And their testimony will bear much fruit for Jacob. And when the two then go to heaven—and they will go, not be snatched away—they will ascend that ladder which Jacob saw in his dream at Bethel. And because the sons of the resurrection will be like angels, as Jesus said, the two witnesses will use this ladder often in the future.