Judges 19-21:  The dramatic conclusion to The Book of Judges is the theft of women, TWO mass kidnappings, the women are simply "taken", to be brides for the tribe of Benjamin.

In Judges 21,
1 Now the men of Israel had sworn in Mizpeh, saying, There shall not any of us give his daughter unto Benjamin to wife.
2 And the people came to the house of God, and abode there till even before God, and lifted up their voices, and wept sore;
3 And said, O LORD God of Israel, why is this come to pass in Israel, that there should be to day one tribe lacking in Israel?
4 And it came to pass on the morrow, that the people rose early, and built there an altar, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings.
5 And the children of Israel said, Who is there among all the tribes of Israel that came not up with the congregation unto the LORD? For they had made a great oath concerning him that came not up to the LORD to Mizpeh, saying, He shall surely be put to death.
6 And the children of Israel repented them for Benjamin their brother, and said, There is one tribe cut off from Israel this day.
7 How shall we do for wives for them that remain, seeing we have sworn by the LORD that we will not give them of our daughters to wives?
8 And they said, What one is there of the tribes of Israel that came not up to Mizpeh to the LORD? And, behold, there came none to the camp from Jabeshgilead to the assembly.
9 For the people were numbered, and, behold, there were none of the inhabitants of Jabeshgilead there.
10 And the congregation sent thither twelve thousand men of the valiantest, and commanded them, saying, Go and smite the inhabitants of Jabeshgilead with the edge of the sword, with the women and the children.
11 And this is the thing that ye shall do, Ye shall utterly destroy every male, and every woman that hath lain by man.
12 And they found among the inhabitants of Jabeshgilead four hundred young virgins, that had known no man by lying with any male: and they brought them unto the camp to Shiloh, which is in the land of Canaan.
13 And the whole congregation sent some to speak to the children of Benjamin that were in the rock Rimmon, and to call peaceably unto them.
14 And Benjamin came again at that time; and they gave them wives which they had saved alive of the women of Jabeshgilead: and yet so they sufficed them not.
15 And the people repented them for Benjamin, because that the LORD had made a breach in the tribes of Israel.
16 Then the elders of the congregation said, How shall we do for wives for them that remain, seeing the women are destroyed out of Benjamin?
17 And they said, There must be an inheritance for them that be escaped of Benjamin, that a tribe be not destroyed out of Israel.
18 Howbeit we may not give them wives of our daughters: for the children of Israel have sworn, saying, Cursed be he that giveth a wife to Benjamin.
19 Then they said, Behold, there is a feast of the LORD in Shiloh yearly in a place which is on the north side of Bethel, on the east side of the highway that goeth up from Bethel to Shechem, and on the south of Lebonah.
20 Therefore they commanded the children of Benjamin, saying, Go and lie in wait in the vineyards;
21 And see, and, behold, if the daughters of Shiloh come out to dance in dances, then come ye out of the vineyards, and catch you every man his wife of the daughters of Shiloh, and go to the land of Benjamin.
22 And it shall be, when their fathers or their brethren come unto us to complain, that we will say unto them, Be favourable unto them for our sakes: because we reserved not to each man his wife in the war: for ye did not give unto them at this time, that ye should be guilty.
23 And the children of Benjamin did so, and took [nasa 05375] them wives, according to their number, of them that danced, whom they caught [gazal 01497]: and they went and returned unto their inheritance, and repaired the cities, and dwelt in them.
24 And the children of Israel departed thence at that time, every man to his tribe and to his family, and they went out from thence every man to his inheritance.
25 In those days there was no king in Israel: every man did that which was right in his own eyes.

05375 nasa' {naw-saw'} or nacah (Ps 4 : 6 [7]) {naw-saw'}
a primitive root; TWOT - 1421; v
AV - (bare, lift, etc...) up 219, bear 115, take 58, bare 34, carry 30,
(take, carry)..away 22, borne 22, armourbearer 18, forgive 16,
accept 12, exalt 8, regard 5, obtained 4, respect 3, misc 74; 654
1) to lift, bear up, carry, take
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to lift, lift up
1a2) to bear, carry, support, sustain, endure
1a3) to take, take away, carry off, forgive
1b) (Niphal)
1b1) to be lifted up, be exalted
1b2) to lift oneself up, rise up
1b3) to be borne, be carried
1b4) to be taken away, be carried off, be swept away
1c) (Piel)
1c1) to lift up, exalt, support, aid, assist
1c2) to desire, long (fig.)
1c3) to carry, bear continuously
1c4) to take, take away
1d) (Hithpael) to lift oneself up, exalt oneself
1e) (Hiphil)
1e1) to cause one to bear (iniquity)
1e2) to cause to bring, have brought

01497 gazal {gaw-zal'}
a primitive root; TWOT - 337; v
AV - spoil 8, take away 8, rob 4, pluck 3, caught 1, consume 1,
exercised 1, force 1, pluck off 1, torn 1, violence 1; 30
1) to tear away, seize, plunder, tear off, pull off, rob, take away by force
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to tear away, rob
1a2) to seize, plunder (with acc cognate)
1b) (Niphal)
1b1) to be robbed
1b2) to be taken away

Thus, the men all stole their wives (12,21,23), as a thieves lying in wait, but so that their tribe might have life and not be "cut off" and not be "destroyed" as a people, verses 6, 17.

We know that the Lord Jesus Christ returns for His Bride as a thief, and for the same purpose, not to destroy, but to give life.

John 10:10  The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.

The parallel is very compelling.

1.  All the women taken were celebrating a Feast of the Lord at the time.
2.  It's a massive siezing of an entire people who were carried away.
3.  The purpose is to bring life to a dying people.
4.  Every man has his inheritance as a reward afterwards, as at the Judgment.
5.  "every man did that which was right in his own eyes"... as today, we are all personally responsible for our actions, Romans 14:10 But why dost thou judge thy brother? or why dost thou set at nought thy brother? for we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ.

The next book after Judges is Ruth, which also contains a wedding story which is applicable to the topic at hand, Boaz representing Christ, as the "kinsman redeemer".

The next book of the Bible is 1 Samuel.  This book starts out talking about an annual journey to Shiloh in Chapter 1.  Also, it is a birth story, which, traditionally is read during the Feast of Trumpets, as noted by Greg Killian.
http://www.tckillian.com/greg/teruah.html

(Torah section for the first day is Genesis 21:1-34, Numbers 29:1-6. Haftorah is 1 Samuel 1:1 - 2:10.)
(Torah section, in the triennial cycle, is year 1: Genesis 30:21 - 31:2. Haftorah is 1 Samuel 1:11, Psalm 25)

Another mention of an annual journey is the Feast of Tabernacles, which encompases all the fall feasts, including the Feast of Trumpets.  This is mentioned near the end of Zechariah 14.

The third circumstantial reason for believing that the Shiloh dance is at the Feast of Trumpets is that both are a feast of joy.

If this bridal abduction in Judges takes place at the Feast of Trumpets, it would be most appropriate, for several reasons.  First, the Feast of Trumpets is also known as "the Wedding of the Messiah".  Second, the Feast of Trumpets paints the picture of the rapture.  However, I am unable, so far, to determine for certain that the Shiloh feast is the Feast of Trumpets.

Deut 22
25 But if a man find a betrothed damsel in the field, and the man force her, and lie with her: then the man only that lay with her shall die.
26 But unto the damsel thou shalt do nothing; there is in the damsel no sin worthy of death: for as when a man riseth against his neighbour, and slayeth him, even so is this matter:
27 For he found her in the field, and the betrothed damsel cried, and there was none to save her.
28 If a man find a damsel that is a virgin, which is not betrothed, and lay hold on her, and lie with her, and they be found;
29 Then the man that lay with her shall give unto the damsel's father fifty shekels of silver, and she shall be his wife; because he hath humbled her, he may not put her away all his days.

Exodus 22
15 But if the owner thereof be with it, he shall not make it good: if it be an hired thing, it came for his hire.
16 And if a man entice a maid that is not betrothed, and lie with her, he shall surely endow her to be his wife.
17 If her father utterly refuse to give her unto him, he shall pay money according to the dowry of virgins.

So the penalty for taking (rape or seduction) a virgin in the Old Testament is not death, but a fine, and a marriage which can never end in divorce.

The fine, of course, represents the bride price.  Jesus' price was his life, which was sold also for shekels of silver, 30 not 50.  The ratio of 3:5 is found in measurements of both Noah's ark and the ark of the covenant, both of which are pictures of heaven.

The "no divorce" provision "he may not put her away all his days", would represent the fact that at the rapture, the change is to immortality and incorruption.  I do not agree with the doctrine of "once saved always saved", but I do agree with once raptured, always immortal and incorruptable.

1 Cor 15
51 Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,
52 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.
53 For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.
54 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.

I am NOT saying that our Lord is a rapist, nor is he a thief.  These are merely parables of similarity to the rapture to show that at the rapture Christians will be taken.  Further, the strength of the comparisons can hardly be ignored, and it further elucidates that, indeed, Jesus will come for his bride as a thief to take her away at the rapture.

It sounds a lot like rape.  (harapzo does have a violent/sudden connotation.)  Interestingly enough, the word rape and rapture are from the same Latin root, rapere, and mean nearly identical things to harpazo, the word from which we get the word rapture.  Remember, harpazo is Greek, Rapere is Latin, Rape & Rapture are English, and Deuteronomy was written in Hebrew.

from www.m-w.com
Main Entry: 2rape
Function: transitive verb
Inflected Form(s): raped; rap·ing
Etymology: Middle English, from Latin rapere
Date: 14th century
1 a archaic : to seize and take away by force b : DESPOIL
2 : to commit rape on

726 harpazo {har-pad'-zo} (RAPTURE)
from a derivative of 138; TDNT - 1:472,80; v
AV - catch up 4, take by force 3, catch away 2, pluck 2,
catch 1, pull 1; 13
1) to seize, carry off by force
2) to seize on, claim for one's self eagerly
3) to snatch out or away

1Thess 4:17   Then we which are alive [and] remain shall be caught up [726 harpazo] together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.

There are several other words for rapture, that carry this "rapture/taken" theme, and are translated as "taken".

Paralambano (greek), from Matt 24 (one taken, the other left). Commonly also used to mean "arrested", as is harpazo.

Laqach (hebrew) used of Enoch's rapture and used in reference of taking wifes.

Genesis 5:24 And Enoch walked with God: and he was not; for God took [laqach] him.
Genesis 6:2 That the sons of God saw the daughters of men that they were fair; and they took [laqach] them wives of all which they chose.
Genesis 11:29 And Abram and Nahor took [laqach] them wives: the name of Abram's wife was Sarai; and the name of Nahor's wife, Milcah, the daughter of Haran, the father of Milcah, and the father of Iscah.
Genesis 12:19 Why saidst thou, She is my sister? so I might have taken [laqach] her to me to wife: now therefore behold thy wife, take her, and go thy way.

03947 laqach {law-kakh'} a primitive root; TWOT - 1124; v
AV - take 747, receive 61, take away 51, fetch 31, bring 25, get 6, take out 6, carry away 5,
married 4, buy 3, misc 26; 965
1) to take, get, fetch, lay hold of, seize, receive, acquire, buy, bring, marry, take a wife, snatch, take away
1a8) to take, capture, seize
1b1) to be captured
1c4) to be taken away, be removed

The word used in Deut 22:

28 If a man find a damsel that is a virgin, which is not betrothed, and lay hold [taphas] on her, and lie with her, and they be found;

08610 taphas {taw-fas'}
a primitive root; TWOT - 2538; v
AV - take 27, taken 12, handle 8, hold 8, catch 4, surprised 2, misc 4;
65
1) to catch, handle, lay hold, take hold of, seize, wield
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to lay hold of, seize, arrest, catch
1a2) to grasp (in order to) wield, wield, use skilfully
1b) (Niphal) to be seized, be arrested, be caught, be taken, captured
1c) (Piel) to catch, grasp (with the hands)

"I come as a thief" scriptures:

If we watch, we will not be surprised by Jesus coming as a thief, and if we watch, we will know in what hour/watch the thief/Jesus will come:

Matthew 24:43  But know this, that if the goodman of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken up.

Luke 12:39  And this know, that if the goodman of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched, and not have suffered his house to be broken through.

The "Day of the Lord" begins with Jesus returning as a thief, to catch up his bride.  Following this, sudden destruction falls on unbelievers, as in the gog/magog war which is the false Armageddon leading to the revealing of the Antichrist's coming with peace.  Once again, we are not in darkness, so the day of our being stolen away by Christ (raptured) should not surprise us.

1 Thessalonians 5:2  For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night.
1 Thessalonians 5:3 For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape.
1 Thessalonians 5:4  But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief.

Again, the Day of the Lord" begins with Jesus coming as a thief, with the rapture.  At the rapture, we and our works are tried by fire at the bema judgment of works, see 1 Cor 3.

2 Peter 3:10  But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.

Again, if we watch, we will know what hour Jesus will come.

Revelation 3:3  Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard, and hold fast, and repent. If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee.

Finally, this last verse in Rev. 16:15 is spoken during at a description of Armageddon.  This is a beautiful reminder that Jesus is coming prior to the time when he comes to kill and destroy.  Remember John 10:10.

John 10:10  The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.

Revelation 16:15  Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame.

Finally, this description and reiteration of this rapture message, in conjunction with Armageddon in Rev 16, is a reminder of the description of the false Armageddon of the gog/magog war in Ezekiel 38,39.

1 Samuel 8
11 And he said, This will be the manner of the king that shall reign over you: He will take your sons, and appoint them for himself, for his chariots, and to be his horsemen; and some shall run before his chariots.
12 And he will appoint him captains over thousands, and captains over fifties; and will set them to ear his ground, and to reap his harvest, and to make his instruments of war, and instruments of his chariots.
13 And he will take [laqach] your daughters to be confectionaries, and to be cooks, and to be bakers.
14 And he will take your fields, and your vineyards, and your oliveyards, even the best of them, and give them to his servants.
15 And he will take the tenth of your seed, and of your vineyards, and give to his officers, and to his servants.
16 And he will take your menservants, and your maidservants, and your goodliest young men, and your asses, and put them to his work.

2 Samuel 5:13  And David took [laqach] him more concubines and wives out of Jerusalem, after he was come from Hebron: and there were yet sons and daughters born to David.

1 Kings 1:1 Now king David was old and stricken in years; and they covered him with clothes, but he gat no heat.
2 Wherefore his servants said unto him, Let there be sought for my lord the king a young virgin: and let her stand before the king, and let her cherish him, and let her lie in thy bosom, that my lord the king may get heat.
3 So they sought for a fair damsel throughout all the coasts of Israel, and found Abishag a Shunammite, and brought her to the king.
4 And the damsel was very fair, and cherished the king, and ministered to him: but the king knew her not.

1 Kings 11:3  And he [Solomon] had seven hundred wives, princesses, and three hundred concubines: and his wives turned away his heart.

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