To the Jewish People:
The Apostle Paul represents several different entities in Scripture. He frequently is a type or foreshadow. At the time of his conversion in Damascus, Paul was a type of the Jewish people. He was blind and ate no food for three days. Then his eyes were opened, he saw the truth and took sustenance. The eyes of the Jews, after three millennial days, will be opened, they will see the Truth, and will receive spiritual sustenance.
To the Church:
In the letter to Philemon, Paul sent Onesimus the servant home to his master. Paul, as a picture of Jesus in this case, offered to pay any debts that Onesimus may have owed to his master. One day the Church will be sent home to the Master, all its debts paid.
The Future Rapture of All Believers:
Paul did not always have the advantage of knowledge of the Word of God as with the Jews. The Philippian jailer was a Gentile, which to the Jews meant “pagan.” But Paul and Silas were praising the Lord in the jail and were released by a supernatural event. The jailer was wise enough to recognize this and wanted to know more about this all-powerful God, who could move the earth.
Reading this passage in Acts 16:16-34 caused me to wonder if, in this event, Paul was again living out a picture of a future event. Perhaps this story is showing us how the pagan, unbelieving world will see a supernatural event that will cause them to look for the truth of the all-powerful God Who can snatch Believers out of this world. Perhaps the Lord will move the earth (earthquakes) when the Church is snatched away.
The Lord told us in Isaiah that He tells us things before they happen. He repeated it three times to establish this truth: