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Isn’t Feast of Trumpets in the Fall?

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Looking at the calendar for the Fall Feasts, Yom Teruah, which is Hebrew for Feast of Trumpets, fell on September 9th-11th in 2018.  There’s only one problem… that date is still in Summer, not Fall.  Fall doesn’t begin until September 22nd.  So if Yom Teruah is supposed to coincide with the sighting of the crescent of the first new moon in the Fall then the date would have to be October 8th-9th, not September 9th-11th. Is it possible that the Jews made such a mistake when reinstituting their calendar?

What do we know for sure?  From Exodus 12:2 we know that God told Moses and Aaron that Nissan is the first month when Passover would be recognized.  We also know from Leviticus 23:23 that the Feast of Trumpets would be in Tishrei which is the seventh month.  Simple, right? Not really.

Another possibility of how the calendar could be off is related to the Jewish leap year which adds a 13th month called Adar II or Adar Bet which occurs every 19 years to account for the difference between the Jewish 360-day lunar calendar and the Gregorian 365.25 day Solar calendar. This is the Jewish year 5779 which happens to be just such a leap year. Adar and Adar Bet roughy correspond to March and April. So can you now see how adding a thirteenth month can push dates on the calendar out thirty days?

To reiterate, while many of us believe that the Rapture of the Church will take place on Feast of Trumpets, and while many of the pre-tribulation indicators are flashing red, this is not an attempt to set a date and never has been.  Someday soon there will be a trumpet blast and shout from above calling all true believers to ‘come up here’.  Until then, we will continue watching, warning and waiting for our Blessed Hope. Maranatha!

 

What does Imminent Really Mean?

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The Return of Christ is Imminent

What does Imminent Really Mean?What does that mean?  Was the return of Christ imminent for the apostles right after the ascension?  Such a statement just doesn’t sound right.  If asked, many people will say they believe the return of Christ is imminent, which they’ll explain as meaning that He can return at any moment.  But is this an accurate usage of the word based on its definition?

Imminent can mean ‘about to happen’, but the return of Christ wasn’t about to happen right after His ascension, so this definition cannot be rigidly applied.

Imminent can also mean impending, close (at hand), near, (fast) approaching, coming, forthcoming, on the way, in the offing, in the pipeline, on the horizon, in the air, just around the corner, expected, anticipated, brewing, looming, threatening, menacing, or overhanging.

In consideration of these synonyms, it appears that a better choice of definitions might be ‘fast approaching’, impending, on the way, or expected.

None of these definitions are constrained by the idea that an event can happen at ‘any moment’, but do suggest an event that is approaching on God’s timeline which will happen at a specific time of His choosing.

But no man knows the day or the hour!

While I agree with this statement in a general sense, I don’t think most people understand what it really means.

The popular retort to the topic of the timing of Jesus’ return refers to Matthew 24:36,

“But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only.”?

and Mark 13:32,

“But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.”

But what day or hour was Jesus talking about?  Was He talking about the day when heaven and earth would pass away which is described in the verse immediately preceding Matthew 24:36?  Or was He talking about the Rapture or even the Second Coming?  It’s interesting to note that in the original texts there was no separation of paragraphs as there is between Matthew 24:35 and Matthew 24:36 in Bibles today.   Can the context be changed by separating two sentences with a paragraph break where there shouldn’t be one?  It would appear so.  While I’m not suggesting that anyone should be dogmatic about this alternate interpretation that results by removing the paragraph break, I do think it is worthy of consideration.

But wait, there’s more…you’ve probably noticed that Mark 13:32 excludes the son from knowing ‘the day or the hour’.  More than a few people struggle with this since Jesus is God in the flesh and God is all-knowing, so how could Jesus not know the day or the hour?  One explanation is that Jesus was fully man and fully God and in his human nature wasn’t able to ‘know’.   Another explanation that this verse is allegorical and symbolic of the traditional Jewish wedding betrothal and wedding.  The son labors at constructing a room addition to his father’s house for his bride.  It is the father who decides when the room is complete and satisfactory before he tells the son to go and fetch his bride.

Hence we read in John 14:2,

“In My Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.  And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.  And where I go you know, and the way you know.”

So in an allegorical sense, Jesus/Yeshua is the Groom, the Church is His Bride, and only the Father decides when it is time for the Son to bring His Bride home.

 

The Scientific critique of attempting to put the timing of Jesus’ return on the Calendar

Let’s assume for a moment that it is true that at the moment of Creation God set his own celestial clock into being.   He ordained the balance of the Universe and the timing of the planetary orbits around the Sun. He established a method of measuring time by years and seasons based on the number of days required for the Earth to orbit the Sun with a day being the time required for the Earth to complete a revolution on its own axis.

It has already been established in Leviticus 23 that God ordained seven special ‘Feasts’, known as ‘moedim’ in Hebrew.  The word ‘moedim’ is more accurately translated as ‘appointed times’ since not all of these appointed times involved an actual ‘feast’.  It’s not a matter of debate, we factually know from what is written in the Bible that the first four appointed times or appointments in God’s calendar were kept by Jesus/Yeshua to the very day.  He was not late.

  1. Jesus/Yeshua died on Passover, which is the first moed or appointed time. ( Lev. 23:4 )
  2. Jesus/Yeshua’s sinless body was entombed on the Feast of Unleavened Bread which is the second moed. ( Lev. 23:6 )
  3. Jesus/Yeshua rose from the dead on the Feast of Firstfruits, which is the third moed. ( Lev. 23:9 )
  4. The Holy Spirit came down from above on Pentecost or The Feast of Weeks, which is the fourth moed. ( Lev. 23:15 )The last three of the seven moed have not yet been correlated with any specific past events which involve Jesus/Yeshua which suggests that these appointments are still pending.  If the pattern persists of Jesus/Yeshua not being late in keeping his first four appointments then it is reasonable to expect that he will not be late in keeping the last three appointments.
  5. The Feast of Trumpets ( Lev. 23:23 )
  6. The Day of Atonement ( Lev. 23:36 )
  7. The Feast of Tabernacles ( Lev. 23:33 )

But what are the last three moed about? How can they be related to upcoming events involving Jesus? Why is there such a big gap in time between when the Holy Spirit came down and today? Questions like these are best answered by looking to Biblical Prophecy.

(more will be said on these three topics later)

The Feast of Trumpets is associated with the Rapture. ( 1 Thessalonians 4:16 )

The Day of Atonement is associated with repentance, redemption, and reconciliation. ( John 19:37 )

The Feast of Tabernacles is associated with God’s people dwelling with Him forever. (Psalm 27:4,  John 14:2,  )

The large gap in time between Pentecost and today is a dispensation.  A dispensation is simply a smaller period of time which results from dividing a larger period of time.  The names most commonly applied to this particular dispensation that we are currently in are The Age of Grace or the Church Age.

From a scientific point of view, there are 24 different time zones in the world.   At any given moment the sun is setting in one part of the world while it is rising in another.  For a small window of time each day, it is actually possible to have three different calendar days in effect based on the time zones and the International Date Line.  Yes, it can simultaneously be Friday, Saturday, and Sunday on planet Earth.  So this is one scientific explanation for why it can not be possible to know the ‘day’ or the ‘hour’ of Christ’s return.

 

Regarding the Day of the Lord

In 2 Peter 3 we read that the Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance…

what sort of people ought you to be in lives of holiness and godliness, waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God…

be diligent to be found by him without spot or blemish, and at peace…

I have to wonder if Paul’s description of the Lord not being slow in  2 Peter 3  might also be referring to His punctuality and established history of being right on time for His appointments?  It would be easy to understand how one might think the Lord was slow when considering that the length of time for this dispensation or Age of Grace is nearly 2,000 years already, but as Paul also points out in 2 Peter 3:8,

With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day.

So 2,000 years is only two days to the Lord.  Think about this.   4,000 years can be accounted for by adding the years from Adam to Jesus.  2,000 years can be accounted for by adding the years from Jesus to this day, making a total of 6,000 years which have come and gone.  What comes after the sixth day?  The seventh day of course.  What did God proclaim the seventh day to be but the Day of Rest, or the Sabbath.   How long is Jesus’ reign on Earth after His Second Coming?  The answer, found in Revelation 20, is 1,000 years which would account for the seventh day.  So by simply accounting for the summation of years based on Biblical history it’s easy to see that we are on the threshold of the seventh day right now.  Jesus/Yeshua come quick.

 

Below are several other verses which relate to Jesus’ coming:

“Therefore, stay awake, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming. But know this, that if the master of the house had known in what part of the night the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and would not have let his house be broken into. Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.”

-Matthew 24:42-44

 

“The master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he does not know.”

-Matthew 24:50

 

“Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour.”

-Matthew 25:13

 

“But concerning that day or that hour, no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. Be on guard, keep awake. For you do not know when the time will come. It is like a man going on a journey, when he leaves home and puts his servants in charge, each with his work, and commands the doorkeeper to stay awake. Therefore stay awake – for you do not know when the master of the house will come, in the evening or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or in the morning – lest he come suddenly and find you asleep. And what I say to you I say to all: Stay awake.”

-Mark 13:32-37

 

“You must also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.”

-Luke 12:40

 

 “For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.”

-Philippians 3:20 

 

 “For you yourselves are fully aware that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night.”

-1 Thessalonians 5:2

 

 “And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.”

-Hebrews 10:24-25

 

 “Be patient, therefore, brothers, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient about it, until it receives the early and late rains. You also, be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand. Do not grumble against one another, brothers, so that you may not be judged; behold, the Judge is standing at the door.”

-James 5:7-9

 

“The end of all things is at hand.”

-1 Peter 4:7

 

 “But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and all the works done on it will be exposed.”

-2 Peter 3:10

 

 “Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear, and who keep what is written in it, for the time is near.”

-Revelation 1:3

 

 “And behold, I am coming soon.”

-Revelation 22:7

 

 “Behold, I am coming soon, bringing my recompense with me, to repay each one for what he has done.”

-Revelation 22:12

 

 “He who testifies to these things says, ‘Surely I am coming soon.’ Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!”

-Revelation 22:20

 

Many have asked, “So what about date setters?  Are people wrong to try and figure out when Jesus will return?”

If there is a Bible passage which forbids trying to figure out the timing of the Lord’s return I’d like to see it.

On the contrary, a crown of righteousness is promised to those who yearn for his appearing.

Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing.

-2 Timothy 4:8

and

For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, 12 teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works.

-Titus 2:13

 

So what are the key takeaways from all of the verses above?

  • Be ready
  • Be watching
  • Be looking
  • Expect him
  • See the Day drawing near
  • Be patient

What’s the Big Deal about September 23rd 2017?

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What If This is the Great Sign?A summary of what I find to be most interesting about the latest “Jesus is Coming Back Soon” movement. I can’t help it, I’m fascinated by this stuff.

It’s challenging to accurately define this phenomenon of excitement and controversy which surrounds an upcoming astronomical alignment that involves the Sun, Moon, and Stars. Is it a movement? I don’t like that choice of word, but I’m unable to think of a better word to describe it.

Here is a bullet list of what makes this so different from the list of other failed predictions of when Jesus would be returning.

1. There is no one church promoting the idea that the upcoming astronomical alignment on 9/23/2017 matches a literal reading of Revelation 12:1-2

2. The alignment does happen on Feast of Trumpets, which is the ‘appointed time’ or ‘holy feast day’ most commonly associated with the Rapture of the Church. Jesus is a Jew. The Jews observe the beginning of the new day at Sunset, not Sunrise. Feast of Trumpets is celebrated for two days. From sunset 9/21 to sunset 9/23 equals two days. The alignment is happening all day on 9/23.

3. There is no single charismatic teacher or leader or 'prophet' who is responsible for the narrative surrounding the Revelation 12 Sign which has developed over the course of the last three or four years.

4. Unlike all other ‘predictions’, this was not derived by someone’s unique method of calculation using Biblical dates and date spans.

5. The alignment of the Sun, Moon and Stars on this date has been pre-determined since Creation.

6. The ability for the everyday people like you and me to even know that this alignment would be happening on this date has only been around for a little more than 10 years, due in large part to the Internet developing into a global distribution channel for not just ideas and information, but for amazing tools like the Stellarium astronomy software. Knowledge has increased.

7. Despite what some critics say, this has nothing to do with Astrology which is fortune telling, it’s more accurately defined as Biblical Astronomy which is supported by over a hundred verses from the Bible, but most people don’t read the Bible often enough to know that, and it is a rather thick book so it takes a determined effort to pull information on a specific topic. Thanks again to tools on the Internet like BlueLetterBible.org it’s much easier than it used to be. Knowledge has increased.

8. The topic is incredibly divisive. For many people, it is too difficult a thing to objectively investigate the claims and not allow their emotions to influence their opinions. This only peaks my curiosity in the matter that much more.

9. Despite what some critics say, there hasn’t been an astronomical alignment as similar to this one since August 5th, -3915 B.C. … that’s almost 6,000 years ago, so yes, you could say it’s pretty rare.

10. The symbolism attributed to the elements of this alignment is rather amazing.

a. Virgo the Virgin is the first sign in the Mazzaroth (the Biblical equivalent of the zodiac); so Virgo is the Alef or the Alpha in the Mazzaroth. Jesus came into the world through Mary, the Blessed Virgin.

b. Leo is the last sign in the Mazzaroth; Leo is the Tav or the Omega in the Mazzaroth. Jesus will return to the world as the righteous, conquering Messiah, the Lion of Judah.

c. The planet Jupiter is known by many cultures as ‘The King Planet’.

d. The Hebrew name for the planet Jupiter is ‘Tzedek’ which means ‘Righteousness’

e. The physical appearance of Tzedeq or Jupiter matches Isaiah 53; stripes, a pierced side, and even a crown of thorns as represented by the aurora borealis electrical storm.

f. Beginning in November of 2016, Tzedeq or Jupiter went into retrograde within Virgo’s womb area for a period of a total of 9 months, 2 weeks and 6 days before beginning to exit from between her legs on 9/10/2017 . This period of time is equivalent to normal gestation for a human child. Retrograde is an astronomy term used to describe the apparent back and forth movement of a planet when it appears to not be continuing it’s path across the sky.

g. The brightest star in the constellation Leo is named Regulus, which means ‘The King Maker’, and was part of a conjunction on Sept. 11th, 3 B.C. involving Jupiter which would have made for the brightest object ever seen in the night skies. Bethlehem Star anybody?

h. Mercury is considered the ‘messenger’, and this month went into retrograde, circling around Regulus three times, as if announcing “The King is coming. The King is coming. The King is coming.”

i. Jesus described Himself as “The Bright Morning Star” in Revelation 22:16. The planet Venus is known as ‘the morning star’. On September 23, the day begins with Venus rising above the eastern horizon before sunrise in the constellation Leo, leading the way for the rest of the Revelation 12 Sign alignment until sunset, as the day changes from today to tomorrow. No one knows the day or the hour.

11. On the Jewish calendar, this is the year 5777. It is common practice to drop the first number as a form of shorthand, so it’s the year 777, which is considered to be God’s number, or perfection times 3. The Jewish new year happens on Rosh Hashanah, which coincides with Feast of Trumpets,

12. The Blood Moons. I won’t go into detail in this article…but a connection has been made between the interval of days between each Blood Moon and 09/23/2017 that defies all probabilities.

13. Incidental Date Spans : I won’t go into detail in this article …but after the discovery of the Revelation 12 Sign, date spans of 120, 100, 70, and 50 years exactly have been identified as being related to how a Biblical generation is defined, and Jubilee years.

14. A new corporate ‘born again’ theory …I won’t go into detail in this article, but a new view of what it means for the corporate Church (the body) to be ‘born again’ has developed which makes a lot of sense.

15. Take a look at how Isaiah 66 dovetails with the depiction of the woman giving birth in Revelation 12… how unusual that the woman gives birth BEFORE her labor pains (Tribulation). Who has ever heard of such a thing? This verse is being looked at in a new way, as a picture of the Church being born from Israel before the Tribulation begins. Focus on the word ‘goyim’ in the original Hebrew. Who are the goyim? Aren't they everybody but the Jews?

16. Hark the herald angels sing’ song > Note to self… revisit these lyrics in light of the Revelation 12 narrative, there appears to be something interesting here. "Glory to the newborn King! (Glory: Psalm 19)

In summary, here’s where I still stand on the Revelation 12 Sign:

Q: will September 23, 2017 be the ‘End of the World’ ? 
A: No.

Q: Will the Church be Raptured on or around that day?
A: I really don’t know.

Q: Is this Revelation 12 stuff really worthy of so much attention?
A: Because of how different it is, I think it’s worth serious, objective consideration.

Q: Is it possible Sept. 23rd will come and go and nothing at all will happen?
A: Yes … but "What if… What if they are right this time?"

Because that day is coming and it's closer than it ever has been.

Searching for TRUTH : The Revelation 12 Sign

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Searching for Truth about the Revelation 12 SignWhen searching for TRUTH, no matter what the topic is, one must remain objective and consider all possibilities without allowing one’s pre-existing prejudices, pre-conceptions and bias to potentially steer the investigation in the wrong direction leading to false conclusions. This approach applies equally to science, criminal investigations and even riddles.

It’s possible that you haven’t yet heard, or haven’t heard much about it, but hundreds of thousands of people already know that something very specific is going to happen next week which could affect you, me and everyone else on the planet. I say ‘could’ affect because I don’t know for sure, but as someone who is searching for truth I need to remain committed to objectivity and consider that the possibility exists. However, as I stated yesterday, just because a large group of people believe something to be true, it doesn’t make it true…it either is or it is not. In this case, the size of the group is relatively small, even if the number in the hundreds of thousands, but the arguments and reasoning behind their theory or interpretations are solid enough that they shouldn’t be simply laughed off or casually dismissed… to do so might be considered the folly of half-hearted truth seeker.

I’m willing to talk about a topic that most people I know won’t even touch today. It’s the people who I don’t know personally who aren’t afraid to talk about it. The topic I'm referring to is:

Is Jesus coming back soon?

I can almost hear some of you laughing right now. Regardless, many people think so, perhaps more than ever. Some people don't care. Some people question whether He ever existed, or say that if He did, He was just a man, and a “good teacher”. The Bible, which is a collection of 66 different books penned by 40 different authors, quotes Jesus as saying that there would be signs in the sky involving the Sun, Moon and Stars which would herald His return in the Last Days (see Luke 21). As an example, let’s recall the story from over 2,000 years ago which tells of a bright star in the sky which the wise men in the east followed as a sign of the birth of a new king, the baby Jesus. With the aid of a free but rather amazing astronomy software package called Stellarium, we now know that this star was most likely the conjunction of Jupiter and Regulus, the brightest star in the constellation Leo on September 11, 3 B.C. This conjunction would have been the brightest object ever seen in they sky ever since.

It's interesting to note that the meaning of the star’s name 'Regulus' means 'The King Maker'. As it just so happens, on this upcoming September 23, 2017 there will be nine stars and three planets that are going to align in the sky, involving two particular constellations, late in the day just before sunset, as seen from Jerusalem. The alignment is unique, despite what some critics say, as it’s been 5,932 years since anything closely resembling this astronomical alignment has happened. The alignment is being called ‘The Revelation 12 Sign’, as it matches a literal reading of the first few verses of chapter twelve in the last book of the Bible. Revelation 12:1-6 reads as follows:

"Now a great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a garland of twelve stars. Then being with child, she cried out in labor and in pain to give birth.

And another sign appeared in heaven: behold, a great, fiery red dragon having seven heads and ten horns, and seven diadems on his heads. His tail drew a third of the stars of heaven and threw them to the earth. And the dragon stood before the woman who was ready to give birth, to devour her Child as soon as it was born. She bore a male Child who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron. And her Child was caught up to God and His throne. Then the woman fled into the wilderness, where she has a place prepared by God, that they should feed her there one thousand two hundred and sixty days."

(Revelation 12:1-6)

For the last three years I’ve been fascinated by the developing story behind the upcoming Revelation 12 Sign and have found myself drawn to it like a moth to a flame. Hands down it’s the most divisive yet compelling theory behind the return of Jesus that I’ve ever encountered. And for the record, I've never been the least bit swayed by any of the previous predictions. The Revelation 12 Sign is so divisive that it causes some Christians and non-Christians alike to become quite defensive or angry if it is even mentioned as something that might be worthy of a closer look, or objective investigation. This only stokes the fire of my curiosity even more.

History is full of failed predictions of Jesus’ return. Perhaps it’s true that after each failure, people may become increasingly weary, skeptical or mocking towards any new predictions. Whether or not these reactions are preventable is a topic for another day.

For clarity, a distinction needs to be made between two completely separate prophesied events. First, many Christians believe there will be an unprecedented supernatural event at some point in the near future where millions of believers in Jesus disappear in an instant when Jesus calls from above for them to join Him. The event is known as the Blessed Hope or The Rapture, and has been the subject of a number of bestselling books and films these last few decades, a few of which are:

– The Left Behind Series by LaHaye and Jenkins, #1 New York Times Best Seller
– Left Behind: The Movie starring Kirk Cameron (2000)
– Left Behind: The End Begins starring Nicholas Cage (2014)
– In the Blink of an Eye: Starring David A.R. White and Eric Roberts (2009)

The Second event occurs after the Rapture and after a troubling period of seven years, at which point Jesus returns in what is commonly known as ‘The Second Coming’.

Some believe that the upcoming astronomical alignment on Sept. 23, 2017 will be a fulfillment of the ‘Great Sign’ described in Revelation 12. They also believe that a window of opportunity for the Rapture begins on the first day of the Jewish High Holy Day known as Feast of Trumpets, which is next September 21st and happens to coincide with the Jewish new year, Rosh Hashanah. A few believe that the window could even be extended up to Yom Kippur or the Day of Atonement on September 30th. This all happens during the Jewish month of Tishrei which has the theme of Repentance, or turning back to God. The Jews call the time between Feast of Trumpets (Rosh Hashanah) and the Day of Atonement ‘The Days of Awe’ or ‘The Ten Days of Repentance’. But what happens if there is no significant event between Sept. 21st and Sept. 30th? Disappointment? Confusion? Depression? Heightened resolve to keep trying to figure it out? Ridicule?

BUT WHAT IF…WHAT IF THIS TIME THEY ARE RIGHT?

For most Christians, the belief that Jesus will eventually return is a given. However, there are three main diverging theories on the timing of the Rapture in relation to the Tribulation, which once again are those last seven years of hell on earth before The Second Coming of Jesus Christ, when He returns to set things right. To those Christians who subscribe to a Pre-Tribulation timing of the Rapture, it will probably be an ordinary day like any other. The sun might be shining, the sky might be blue. And then in an instant, in the blink an eye, a trumpet will blast from above and it’ll be over…all of the true believers in Jesus will have instantly disappeared, having been ‘caught up’ to Heaven by Jesus Himself. The Rapture event is thought to kick off the beginning of The Tribulation, aka The Time of Jacob’s Trouble, or Daniel’s 70th Week in which the earth which will be the object of God’s wrath as evil is allowed to dominate, but only for a short time. And what of those left behind? Most will die. Many will wish for death. It is described as being the most horrible time in the entire history of the planet.

The days leading up to Jesus’ return are described as being relatively normal, much like today, in the sense that people will be getting engaged and married and business will carry on as usual, but people will also be increasingly skeptical that Jesus will ever return, asking “Where is this coming He promised?”

Then there are all the other signs Jesus told His disciples to watch for which seem to match current events more so than ever. When asked what would be the sign of the Last Days Jesus told His disciples that there would be wars and rumors of wars, earthquakes, famines, disease, and great signs in the sky, signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, the sea and the waves roaring. (read both Matthew 24 and Luke 21 for yourself, don’t be afraid)

As of late the following events may be interpreted as fitting Jesus’ prophecy:

• North Korea literally makes multiple threats to nuke the United States of America 08/09/2017
• 8.1 quake rocks southern Mexico 09/07/2017
• Famine is still a persistent problem throughout Africa
• Disease: Ebola, AIDs, Black Plague, the increase of antibiotic resistant bacteria
• And last, but not least, Great Signs in the Sky
o The Russian Chelyabinsk meteorite of 02/13/2013
o The Blood Red Moons : both in 2014 and 2015
o The Jupiter story of 2016-2017
o The Total Solar Eclipse : 08/21/2017
o Largest Solar Flares in 12 years : 09/08/2017
o The Revelation 12 Sign astronomical alignment of 09/23/2017
• Hurricane Harvey devastates Houston 08/25/2017
• Hurricane Irma bears down on western Florida 09/10/2017

Yes, yes, yes, I know… there have always been wars and earthquakes and eclipses and hurricanes and such. But what is different this time is the apparent convergence or increased intensity and frequency of these events, which are all happening 70 years after the re-establishment of Israel as nation, which has always been viewed as the last key prerequisite to Jesus’ return.

Once again, I put forth the question,

“But what if…what if this time they are right?”

The most common response from dissenting Christians is “No man knows the day or the hour!” of Jesus' return, quoting Matthew 24:36.

How unusual though for Jesus to have given so many signs to watch for in advance of His return for His Church. In response, the Christian dissenters who reflexively respond, “No man knows the day or the hour!” will certainly also say, “You can know the season but not the day or the hour!” Perhaps. Then again, an objective investigation should consider the possibility that the verse about not knowing the day or hour may have been misunderstood. Perhaps, just as the prophet Daniel was instructed in Daniel 12:4, the meaning and understanding of the prophecies has been sealed UNTIL the Last Days, which certainly seem to be upon us now. This would logically imply that any purported understanding of the prophecies BEFORE the Last Days would have to be flawed to some degree, if not entirely incorrect.

So, the four BIG questions of the month are:

1. Are the prophecies being UNSEALED now?

2. Is the upcoming astronomical alignment on September 23rd actually the ‘Great Sign’ described in Revelation 12:1 ?

3. If not, what could the Great Sign in Rev. 12 possibly refer to?

4. If it is the ‘Great Sign’, does it relate to the Rapture?

Tell me, what do you think?

Comment below

and in my next post I’ll share some of the valid arguments both for and against the idea of how this upcoming astronomical alignment could be the ‘Great Sign’ of Revelation 12.

Rapture Notes

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Although the word ‘rapture’ does not appear in English translations of the Bible, it is a term commonly used in associations with events which relate to the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. The meaning of the idea behind ‘the Rapture’ is to be ‘caught up’ or ‘snatched out’ by Jesus who will first come to take away the ‘saved’ to heaven just before the beginning of a 7-year period of time known as ‘The Time of Jacob’s Trouble’, ‘The 70th Week of Daniel’ or ‘The Tribulation’. The true, faithful believers will disappear in the “twinkling of an eye” as they are transformed into their new, perfect, complete spiritual bodies in an instant before being caught up to Heaven by Jesus. The sudden absence of millions of people, will, of course, not go unnoticed on Earth. There will be mass confusion and disruption of ordinary life. At the beginning of the Tribulation, the identity of the antichrist will be revealed as the one who confirms a peace treaty with Israel.  Non-believers will be left behind to face severe tribulation as the antichrist rises in power and takes on the role as the Beast who is Satan incarnate and proclaims himself to be god while requiring all people on Earth to worship him.  The second half of the seven year Tribulation is known as ‘The Great Tribulation’.  Although the Church will be absent during this time, new Christians, who will be known as Tribulation Saints, will endure extreme persecution to the point of death by beheading.  With the recent rise of ISIS in the Middle East one has to wonder if there isn’t an Islamic connection. Later, at the close of The Tribulation is when Jesus will return to the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem in triumph and glory to defeat the antichrist and his armies. It is at this point that His return is known as the Second Coming.  This is the event when Jesus will victoriously return to conquer His enemies before establishing his millennial reign of Peace on Earth for a thousand years (the millennium) with His saints, the church.

After the thousand years, the rest of the dead will be raised to kneel before their judge, Jesus Christ, at the Great White Throne judgment. They will then be separated from God forever after they are cast into the lake of fire, while the saved will live forever with Christ in a new heaven and earth (Revelation 19-22).

The important differences between the rapture and second coming are as follows:

1) At the rapture, believers meet the Lord in the air (1 Thessalonians 4:17). At the second coming, believers return with the Lord to the earth (Revelation 19:14).

2) The Second Coming occurs after the great and terrible Tribulation (Revelation chapters 6–19). The rapture occurs before the Tribulation (1 Thessalonians 5:9; Revelation 3:10).

3) The Rapture is the removal of believers from the earth as an act of deliverance (1 Thessalonians 4:13-17, 5:9). The second coming includes the removal of unbelievers as an act of judgment (Matthew 24:40-41).

4) The Rapture will be secret and instant (1 Corinthians 15:50-54). The Second Coming will be visible to all (Revelation 1:7; Matthew 24:29-30).

5) The second coming of Christ will not occur until after certain other end-times events take place (2 Thessalonians 2:4; Matthew 24:15-30; Revelation chapters 6–18). The rapture is not precluded by any unfulfilled prophecy and is thought to be imminent; that it could take place at any moment (Titus 2:13; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18; 1 Corinthians 15:50-54).

Distinct Differences between the Rapture and the Second Coming are Important!

1) If the Rapture and the Second Coming are the same event, then the believers would have to go through the Tribulation (1 Thessalonians 5:9; Revelation 3:10).

2) If the Rapture and the Second Coming are the same event, then the return of Christ would not be imminent – there are many prophesied events which must occur before He can return (Matthew 24:4-30).

3) In describing the Tribulation period, the Church is not mentioned at all in Revelation chapters 6–19. During the Tribulation, also known as “The Time of Jacob’s Trouble” (Jeremiah 30:7) – God will turn His primary attention towards the redemption of the remnant of Israel (Romans 11:17-31).

 

Definitions and Origin of the Rapture

  1. The English word “Rapture” is derived from the Latin verb “Rapere” meaning “to carry off,” or “to catch up” or “catch away” or “pluck out”.
  2. The English word “Rapture” is derived from Middle French rapture, via the Medieval Latin raptura (“seizure, kidnapping”), which derives from the Latin raptus (“a carrying off”).
  3. The Latin Vulgate translates the Greek ἁρπαγησόμεθα as rapiemur meaning “we are caught up” or “we are taken away” from the Latin verb rapio meaning “to catch up” or “take away”.
  4. Harpazo : the English transliteration of the Greek word for Rapture.

There are three main theories regarding the time frame of the Rapture:

  1. Pre-Tribulation or Pre-Trib: the Rapture event happens before the 7-year Tribulation, and is also known as ‘The Blessed Hope’.
  2. Mid-Tribulation or Mid-Trib: the Rapture event happens in the middle of the 7-year Tribulation
  3. Post-Tribulation or Post-Trib: the Rapture event happens at the end of the 7-year Tribulation

Two other lesser known and less popular theories are Pre-Wrath and the Partial Rapture theories.  In Pre-Wrath the Rapture event happens after the beginning of the 7-year Tribulation, but before God’s wrath is experienced on Earth as detailed in the Book of Revelation. The Partial Rapture is a subset of Pre-Trib, in which ONLY spirit-filled Christians who are ready, watching, and waiting for Jesus will be rewarded by being raptured.

The Rapture theory gained in popularity in the 1970’s due to books written by Hal Lindsey. In The Late Great Planet Earth Lindsey promoted the idea of an imminent Rapture based on the global situation at the time qualifying as the beginning of the fulfillment of biblical prophecy.

Some speculate that many non-believers who are left behind after the Rapture will finally come to believe in Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior as a result of the Rapture.  The others who are left behind will persist in their stubbornness and disbelief, concocting theories to “explain away” the catalclysmic, supernatural event.  Some of these theories may be tied to the great deception spoken of in Revelation, possibly even having to do with claims of ‘alien abduction’ or a ‘natural, universal, evolutionary cosmic purging’ of the inferior, intolerant Christians.

Jesus told his disciples to look for Signs which would indicate that the End was near. The Signs he mentioned included

  • Deception: false Christs leading people astray
  • Wars and Rumors or threats of Wars amongst the nations
  • Famine
  • Disease
  • Earthquakes and Tsunamis

But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body.

Philippians 3:20-21 (NIV)

 

“…For I am going away to prepare a place for you. And when I have gone and have prepared a place for you, I will come again and take you to Myself so that where I am, you also will be.”

John 14:2-3 (NIV)

What is the Rapture Anyhow?

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Pre-Tribulation RaptureThe Rapture is an event where the groom comes to take his bride away, to be married to her forever.  Seriously, that’s what it is.

Only the groom is the Messiah, the Son of God, better known as Jesus or Yeshua, and the bride is not a single person, but all people who corporately believe in Jesus and trust him, male and female alike, living and dead.  The bride is better known as ‘the church’.

This supernatural event is not to be confused with the Second Coming, which happens after the Rapture, when Christ returns to defeat his enemies in Israel; namely the anti-Christ, the False Prophet, and everyone else who foolishly believes that they can fight and defeat God himself.

The Rapture is a rescue story, known as the Blessed Hope…which is the hope that all believers have, or should have, that their Savior is coming to rescue them from hell that people who remain on Earth will experience for a 7 year period of time known as The Tribulation, if they even survive it, for 2/3 of all mankind will perish, either at the hand of the anti-Christ who will tirelessly persecute and work to exterminate both Jews and new converts to Christianity, or as a result of God’s wrath that is unleashed upon earth in biblical proportions; earthquakes, tsunamis, hail storms, fire, a meteor impact,war, even nuclear war, violence, disease, famine, wild animals and more.  The Bible says if these days were not cut short all mankind would perish.

The idea of the Rapture is often ridiculed and said to be something that it is not. Some people insist that the concept of the Rapture is not biblical as the word can not be found in the Bible.  Others even get angry and defensive about which view on the timing of the Rapture is correct.

Scoffers will come in the last days, walking according to their own lusts, and saying, “Where is the promise of His coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation.”

2 Peter 3:4

While the word ‘Rapture’ itself is not in the Bible, it’s Greek equivalent is.  You see, the New Testament was written entirely in Greek and later translated into Latin and English.  The Greek word is ‘harpazo’ and means to be plucked out, taken up or snatched away quickly.  Harpazo translated into Latin is ‘rapio’ from where we get our English word ‘Rapture’, however, in the Bible it is usually translated as ‘caught up‘.

The Comfort of Christ’s Coming

But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope.  For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus.

For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep. For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another with these words.

1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 (NKJV)

Most all Bible translations use the phase ‘caught up’, but a few say ‘carried away’, ‘caught away together’, ‘taken in the clouds’, or ‘taken up together’.

 

1 Corinthians 15:50-55

I declare to you, brothers and sisters, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed— in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality. When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: “Death has been swallowed up in victory.”

“Where, O death, is your victory?
Where, O death, is your sting?

 

So there you have it, when the trumpet sounds, those who belong to Christ will be given their new immortal bodies and caught up, or taken away to the Father’s house in Heaven for a royal wedding.

Do you think such a thing is difficult for God? The Creator of the Universe…