Time in Prophecy

[revvel]

TIME IN PROPHECY

AUTHOR'S NOTE

Who wants us as the body of Christ to be completely ignorant of prophetic time?

Heaven?

Or Satan?

INTRODUCTION

Most of us in the church have been taught that we are to be completely ignorant of prophetic time, and therefore, we are supposed to have no knowledge of the timing of Christ’s descent in the clouds. Invariably, one verse is used to substantiate that position: “No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father” (Mark 13:32).

Is Christ saying we are supposed to be completely ignorant of prophetic time?

If this is true, then why did Christ prophesy that we are supposed to “know that it is near, right at the door”:

Now learn this lesson from the fig tree [israel]: As soon as its twigs get tender and its leaves come out, you know that summer is near. Even so, when you see these things happening, you know that it [the return of Christ] is near, right at the door. I tell you the truth, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things [end-time events] have happened. (Mark 13:28–30)

Christ said we are to learn a lesson.

What is it?

Based on events that unfold in the Holy Land, we will “know that it [the return of Christ] is near, right at the door.”

If Christ is correct, then how can we believe today that true spirituality requires complete ignorance of prophetic time?

Why else would Christ prophesy, “know that it is near, right at the door,” unless we are supposed to “know that it is near, right at the door”?

How can we “know that it is near, right at the door” and, at the same time, be completely ignorant of prophetic time?

It’s impossible.

Therefore, there must be more to the story of not knowing the “day or hour.”

What are we to learn from the prophecies of the “day or hour” and “know that it is near, right at the door”?

Christ stated both prophecies in the same breath:

Now learn this lesson from the FIG TREE [iSRAEL]: As soon as its twigs get tender and its leaves come out, you know that summer is near. Even so, when you see these things happening, YOU KNOW THAT IT IS NEAR, RIGHT AT THE DOOR. I tell you the truth, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things [end-time events] have happened. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away. NO ONE KNOWS ABOUT THAT DAY OR HOUR, NOT EVEN THE ANGELS IN HEAVEN, NOR THE SON, BUT ONLY THE FATHER. (Mark 13:28–32)

“Know that it is near, right at the door,” relates back to Israel.

We are to learn a lesson from Israel.

If knowing “that it is near, right at the door” relates back to Israel, does the “day or hour” prophecy also relate back to Israel?

Is it possible that Christ’s reference to the “day or hour” has something to do with Israel—and the Old Testament?

How often did Christ refer to the Old Testament when elaborating on prophecy?

How often did Paul refer to the Old Testament when elaborating on prophecy?

What are we to learn from Paul when he prophesied that at “the last trumpet” the church would be transformed and transported?

What is “the last trumpet”?

How is God marking time?

There is a holy day on the Hebrew calendar, the Feast of Trumpets, and no man knew the “day or hour” it would commence because it was the only feast that began with the sighting of the new moon. Is it possible that Christ is actually referencing this Hebrew holy day?

Additionally, the Feast of Trumpets was (and is) marked by the single, unbroken blast of a trumpet, known as “the last trumpet.” Is it possible that both Christ and Paul marked time by referring to the Hebrew calendar?

What about the first coming of Christ?

Were the Israelites supposed to be shocked when the Messiah walked in the Holy Land?

Or were they supposed to know about time in prophecy?

What did Christ say?

When you see a cloud rising in the west, immediately you say, "It’s going to rain," and it does. And when the south wind blows, you say, "It’s going to be hot," and it is. Hypocrites! You know how to interpret the appearance of the earth and the sky. How is it that you don’t know how to interpret this present time?

(Luke 12:54-56)

In the first century, the religious authorities were ignorant of time marked in the Scriptures… and were… according to Christ… h y p o c r i t e s.

Why would anyone in the body of Christ embrace the same path, and choose to believe the dogma of ignorance, and follow in the footsteps of the Pharisees and Sadducees?

Satan must first deceive us into thinking it is spiritually correct to be ignorant of prophetic time.

...There is no need to be in subjection to this dogma of ignorance…

For those of us in the body of Christ who hold to the supreme authority of Scripture, there is one approach to Christ’s prophecy: “Know that it is near, right at the door,” means “know that it is near, right at the door.”

Without question, Heaven marked time in the Scriptures.

With regard to the first coming of Christ, the angel Gabriel prophesied of the time the Messiah would walk in the Holy Land and marked the very year of his crucifixion:

Know and understand this: . . . After the sixty-two “sevens,” the Anointed One [Christ] will be cut off [crucified] and will have nothing. (Dan. 9:25, 26)

If God marked time in the Scriptures for the first coming of Christ, then what about the arrival of Christ for the church and Israel?

Christ said that there is a generation that will live to see the fulfillment of end-time prophecies.

Who is this generation?

Why else would Christ speak of such a generation, unless the generation spoken of by Christ would know that they are the generation?

What about the prophecies of “the last trumpet” and the “day or hour”?

This opening post addresses God’s marking of time on the Hebrew calendar. Here, the prophecies of “the last trumpet” and the “day or hour” will be addressed. (The “generation” prophesied by Christ will be addressed in a future post.)

The following presentation introduces the seven holy days and elaborates upon the first five holy days.

PROPHECY: THE HEBREW CALENDAR: THE HOLY DAYS

AUTHOR'S NOTE

Can Christ return “any day” from Heaven?

How would Christ answer that question?

How would the apostle Paul answer that question?

How would the Old Testament Law answer that question? …

INTRODUCTION

The seven holy days in the Law of Moses foreshadowed major events that pertain to the first and second coming of Christ and reveal God’s plan to save the “Earth” from Satan—which includes Christ’s return for his church. These holy days make known not only how God would rescue souls, but how God would defeat Satan on the battlefield—both in the spiritual realm and in the flesh and blood realm. The prophetic holy days disclose knowledge of God’s vision—especially as it concerns prophecy and our place in it.

To explore Heaven’s grand plan, this text moves back in time to the first century, to the days when the Messiah walked in the Holy Land and spoke forth this prophecy:

Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished. (Matt. 5:17, 18)

What has been accomplished with the first coming of Christ?

What shall be accomplished with the second coming of Christ?

How did God reveal in the Law the prophetic picture of what Christ would accomplish? Christ answered that question: “Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses” (Luke 24:44). What is specifically written about Christ in the Law of Moses? What has to be fulfilled?

What is specifically written about Christ in the Law and what has to be fulfilled are the seven holy days: the Feast of Passover, the Feast of Unleavened Bread, the Feast of Firstfruits, the Feast of Weeks (Pentecost), the Feast of Trumpets (Rosh HaShanah), the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur), and the Feast of Tabernacles.

God “wrote” his plan to rescue souls from Satan in the Law—in the holy days; in the writings of Moses, God “embedded” the prophecies that Christ would ultimately fulfill, for within the seven holy days, God painted a “hidden” picture: the chronology, content, and significance of major events that pertain to the first coming of Christ, and the chronology, content, and significance of major events that pertain to the second coming of Christ.

It wasn’t until the days of the New Testament, and the revelation given by Heaven, that this divine story was revealed: the holy days are prophetic in nature. Just as Christ had to fulfill the Ten Commandments in his behavior, he had to fulfill—and has to fulfill—the prophecies written about him in the seven holy days. This connection between the holy days of the Old Testament and future events of the New Testament was made clear by the apostle Paul: “Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival [holy day], a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day. These are a shadow of the things that were to come” (Col. 2:16, 17).

The apostle Paul referred to the prophecies contained in the Old Testament Law: the holy days of the Old Testament “are a shadow [a foreshadowing] of things that were to come [in the New Testament].” Paul wrote this to Christ’s church because the holy days foreshadowed not only the birth of the church, but also the future of the church. In addition, the holy days give Christ’s church a prophetic picture of what is to come for “Israel” and the world.

What is the significance of Paul’s reference to the holy days and of Christ’s reference to the Law of Moses?

If the Old Testament Law foretold what would come to pass in the future, then the Old Testament set God’s precedent: New Testament prophecy must be in agreement with the precedent set in Old Testament prophecy. The Old Testament Law is God’s standard—not only for behavior but also prophecy. Herein, we as Christ’s church need not be blown about with every wind of doctrine on the subject of prophecy. God already established the irrefutable standard in the Old Testament.

This divine harmony between the Old and New Testaments cannot be broken. Frequently, Christ and his apostles quoted Old Testament prophets to demonstrate the fulfillment of prophecy and, in addition, what shall be fulfilled in the future. In essence, the New Testament is the Old Testament revealed.

With an understanding of the Old Testament holy days, New Testament prophecy speaks with a clear, unified voice regarding what was accomplished during the first coming of Christ, and what shall be accomplished during the second coming of Christ.

THE HOLY DAYS

As recorded in the Old Testament Law, Moses received from God seven holy days that the Jewish people were to celebrate every year. These holy days—known as feasts—commemorated deliverance and blessing (among other things) for the Jewish people wrought by the hand of God. These feasts, however, had a dual purpose: they were not only annual days of remembrance for the Jewish people, but also were prophetic symbols that foretold of God’s ultimate plan of deliverance and blessing for all peoples by way of Christ. “The law is . . . a shadow of the good things that are coming” (Heb. 10:1).

Exactly how does the Old Testament Law speak to us in Christ’s church today?

The annual feasts that were marked on the Hebrew calendar were physical celebrations that foretold of future events and their timing. It was by way of these feasts that God marked time: key events that pertain to Christ would occur on the very holy days that God had given in the Old Testament. These ancient holy days not only marked time, but also foreshadowed what Christ would ultimately accomplish by way of his life, death, burial, Resurrection; his sending of the Holy Spirit; his descent for his church; his descent for Israel; and, finally, his 1000-year kingdom on Earth.

Exactly how did the seven feasts in the Law of Moses foreshadow major events that pertain to Christ?

Hundreds of years prior to the first coming of Christ, God marked the timing of the following dramatic events: Christ’s Crucifixion, burial, Resurrection, and the descent of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost. Christ fulfilled the first four holy days: he was crucified on the Feast of Passover; he was in the burial tomb on the Feast of Unleavened Bread, he was resurrected from the dead on the Feast of Firstfruits, and, finally, Christ sent the Holy Spirit to his disciples on the Feast of Weeks (Pentecost)—which was fifty days after the Resurrection. These events occurred as appointed by God, prophesied in the Old Testament Law.

Herein, Heaven established a precedent: If the first four feasts foreshadowed events that pertained to the first coming of Christ, then, logically, it stands to reason that the last three feasts foreshadow events that pertain to the second coming of Christ.

In essence, God’s plan to save the “Earth” from Satan would be accomplished in seven stages: God’s Son fulfilled the first three stages of the divine plan as the ultimate sacrifice and Savior while here during his earthly ministry; Christ fulfilled the fourth stage as man’s great high priest from the throne in Heaven when he sent the Holy Spirit on Pentecost, and he shall complete the final three stages when he returns as Lord and King.

This divine plan is revealed not only by seeing the prophetic nature of the holy days, but also how the holy days themselves fall on the Hebrew calendar. The first four feasts occur during the “spring season,” forming the first unit of time. The last three feasts occur during the “fall season,” forming the second unit of time. The spring feasts spoke to the first coming of Christ; the fall feasts (celebrated during the time of harvest) spoke to the second coming of Christ.

A long gap in time exists between the spring and fall feasts. On God’s prophetic timetable, this gap in time correlates to the time between the first and second coming of Christ; it is the time known as the “mystery”—the time of Christ’s church. It is the time the world is living in now.

Exactly how did God set all this motion in Old Testament times?

The first four feasts mark key events that pertain to God delivering the children of Israel from Egypt through Moses—which includes God dwelling with his people on Mount Sinai. The parallel to our time is the spiritual reality of God delivering souls from Satan through Christ—which includes God dwelling with his people through the Holy Spirit.

This parallel between God’s deliverance of the Israelites, and God’s deliverance of souls, can be seen by looking back at the epic events that took place at the time of Moses. In the known history of this world, few events compare to those that rocked the Egyptian Empire and eventually led to God meeting with Moses and giving him the Ten Commandments on Mount Sinai.

This historical saga begins with the children of Israel being slaves to Pharaoh of Egypt, who, despite nine plagues brought upon him and his people, refused to let the Israelites leave. For the tenth and final plague, the angel of death would “strike down every firstborn—both men and animals” (Exod. 12:12). The Israelites, however, would be spared if they sprinkled the blood of the sacrificial Passover lamb on the doorposts of their homes. The angel would see the blood and pass over the house.

The parallel to our time is as follows: just as the blood of the Passover lamb would save Israelites from death, so would the blood of God’s Lamb (Christ) ultimately save souls from death. The Feast of Passover marks this historical event for the Israelites. Passover is also referred to as the “Feast of Our Freedom,” for it marked the beginning of the end to slavery; it was the first holy day God gave to Moses.

God spoke to Moses and provided the details associated with this holy day: a lamb was to be killed on the fourteenth day of the Hebrew month called Nisan (equivalent to either March or April on the modern-day calendar). When God gave Moses this revelation, he was setting the stage for what would ultimately occur with his Son, the “Lamb of God” (John 1:29). When God marked the day the lamb was to be slain at the Jewish feast, God simultaneously marked the future day in time his own Son would be crucified.

Here is the Law that God gave Moses:

The Lord said to Moses and Aaron in Egypt, “This month [Nisan] is to be for you the first month, the first month of your year. Tell the whole community of Israel that on the tenth day of this month each man is to take a lamb for his family, one for each household. . . . Take care of them until the fourteenth day of the month, when all the people of the community of Israel must slaughter them at twilight [Hebrew: 3 p.m.].” (Exod. 12:1–3, 6)

This literal feast was also a prophecy that was fulfilled in the first century A.D. by the Lamb of God. While the Jewish religious leaders carried out their ceremony of Passover and sacrificed a lamb on the fourteenth day of Nisan, the Lamb of God was simultaneously sacrificed on the Cross.

According to the Law given to Moses, the sacrificial lamb was to be slain at “twilight,” which is a reference to the exact midpoint between our 12 p.m. and 6 p.m.—which is 3 p.m. This is the precise moment that Christ “gave up his spirit” (Matt. 27:50). Herein, Christ fulfilled the Law given to Moses and fulfilled the prophecy contained within it.

If Christ didn’t fulfill the Law, then he wasn’t the Messiah. There is no doubt that Christ would fulfill the Law of Moses because he was the Messiah. As God’s own Lamb, Jesus had to die at the precise moment in time as originally given by God in the Law. In essence, God had to follow his own Law. The apostle Paul confirmed that Christ fulfilled the Law as God’s Lamb: “For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed” (1 Cor. 5:7).

Just as God marked the timing of Jesus’ Crucifixion by way of a Jewish feast, he marked the timing of the burial, Resurrection, and the descent of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost by way of Jewish feasts.

Christ’s burial is marked by the next feast: the Feast of Unleavened Bread. This feast began on the next day, the fifteenth of Nisan, which began at sunset. (Biblical days began at sunset.)

The Feast of Unleavened Bread is marked at the fifteenth day of Nisan, for on that day the angel of death struck down the Egyptians before midnight, and the children of Israel left Egypt that same evening. On this very day in ancient history, “Moses said to the people, ‘Commemorate this day, the day you came out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery, because the Lord brought you out of it with a mighty hand. Eat nothing containing yeast [nothing leavened]’” (Exod. 13:3). This feast marks the separation from Egyptian life, their gods, and what is sinful (leavened), and invites the believer to feed upon the Word of God. Jesus Christ is the true “bread of life” (John 6:35).

Three days after the Passover sacrifice, on the seventeenth day of Nisan, the Israelites reached the shore of the Red Sea. However, fear, not joy, filled their hearts as an angry Pharaoh sought vengeance—chasing after the Israelites with his army. Now, with their backs to the Red Sea, the Israelites could see Pharaoh with his chariots pressing toward them. Yet Moses said, “Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today” (Exod. 14:13).

Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and all that night the Lord drove the sea back with a strong east wind and turned it into dry land. The waters were divided, and the Israelites went through the sea on dry ground, with a wall of water on their right and on their left. The Egyptians pursued them, and all Pharaoh’s horses and chariots and horsemen followed them into the sea. . . . Then the Lord said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand over the sea so that the waters may flow back over the Egyptians and their chariots and horsemen.” (Exod. 14:21–23, 26)

God established a bridge to freedom—the land bridge formed at the base of the Red Sea. It was the salvation of the Israelites. It saved them from certain death.

Hundreds of years later on the very day that God parted the Red Sea and severed Pharaoh’s hold on the Israelites, he would raise his own Son from the dead. Therein, God would bring about deliverance from sin, sever Satan’s hold on the soul, and usher in immortality—and its freedom. This is our spiritual reality that reflects the physical reality of what took place across the Red Sea. The annual feast that commemorates this day of deliverance at the Red Sea is the Feast of Firstfruits.

The Lord said to Moses, “Speak to the Israelites and say to them: ‘When you enter the land I am going to give you and you reap its harvest, bring to the priest a sheaf of the first grain you harvest’” (Lev. 23:9, 10). By offering the firstfruits of the harvest, the Israelites would acknowledge the miracle that ushered in their new “life.”

Hundreds of years later, when God raised Christ from the dead on the seventeenth day of Nisan, the Messiah became the firstfruits of the divine harvest from the heart of the Earth. Those who would believe this miracle would themselves become a miracle (by gaining eternal life), and would ultimately witness another miracle: the transformation to an eternal, spiritual body, harvested from this Earth to Heaven.

The apostle Paul made specific reference to this truth:

But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep [died]. For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man. For as in Adam all die [the physical death], so in Christ all will be made alive [transformed to immortal, spiritual life]. But each in his own turn: Christ, the firstfruits; then, when he comes [at Christ’s return], those who belong to him [will also be harvested from the Earth to Heaven]. (1 Cor. 15:20–23)

The key to this transformation is Christ: he is the bridge to move from mortality to immortality.

In the days of Moses, God established the land bridge to freedom that enabled the Israelites to journey forward toward the Promised Land. Along the way, they reached the wilderness of Sinai and camped by its holy mountain. Exactly fifty days after the Israelites crossed the Red Sea, God met with them at Mount Sinai.

[T]here was thunder and lightning, with a thick cloud over the mountain, and a very loud trumpet blast. Everyone in the camp trembled. Then Moses led the people out of the camp to meet with God, and they stood at the foot of the mountain. Mount Sinai was covered with smoke, because the Lord descended on it in fire. The smoke billowed up from it like smoke from a furnace, the whole mountain trembled violently, and the sound of the trumpet grew louder and louder. Then Moses spoke and the voice of God answered him. (Exod. 19:16–19)

This descent of God on Mount Sinai “in fire” foreshadowed the descent of the Holy Spirit—the sign of which was “tongues of fire” (Acts 2:3). As God communed with his people on Mount Sinai fifty days after his divine intervention at the Red Sea, so God sent the Holy Spirit to dwell within the disciples fifty days after the Resurrection of his Son.

The fourth feast that marks this revelation of God on Mount Sinai is the Feast of Weeks (Pentecost). (“Pentecost” in the Greek language literally means “fifty.”) The Feast of Weeks is marked fifty days after the Feast of Firstfruits, and it completes the season of Passover.

If Christ fulfilled the first four feasts on the exact days required by the Old Testament Law, then, logically, it stands to reason that the final three feasts shall be fulfilled with the same precision.

The next grand event on Heaven’s prophetic calendar is Christ’s return to gather his church, and the next feast to be fulfilled is the Feast of Trumpets. The prophecies given by the Son of God, the apostle Paul, and Moses reveal the divine harmony within and between the Old and New Testaments, for they speak with a unified voice regarding the Feast of Trumpets.

The apostle Paul unmistakably connected the return of Christ to gather his church to the Feast of Trumpets, for in Paul’s prophecy he referred to “the last trumpet”: “n 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 [transformed immortal]. For the perishable [the dead] must clothe itself with the imperishable [everlasting life], and the mortal with immortality” (1 Cor. 15:52, 53).

According to Paul, this prophecy will unfold at “the last trumpet,” which is a specific reference to “the last trumpet” blown on the Feast of Trumpets. During this feast, the religious authorities mark the celebration with a series of short trumpet blasts. The ritual is concluded with a single unbroken blast, held for as long as possible. It is called the Tekiah Gedolah. It is “the last trumpet.”

On the Hebrew calendar, the Feast of Trumpets falls during a unique season: Teshuvah. In Hebrew, it means “to return or repent,” and the message is straightforward: God desires that his creation live righteously, and this time of the year was set aside for people to ponder their approach to life—with a view to setting the heart and mind straight before the Feast of Trumpets, for on that day God offers judgment. This feast is also referred to as Yom HaDin, or the Day of Judgment. On a future day in time, on the Feast of Trumpets, those who have been made righteous by the blood of Christ (judged righteous) will receive the blessing of that judgment and will ascend to Heaven.

Exactly how does the Feast of Trumpets foreshadow what shall come to pass on this future day?

When the trumpet blasts sounded on the Feast of Trumpets, they were more than just ceremonial expressions; they literally summoned the Jewish people. When the Jewish workers in their fields heard the trumpet call, they would immediately cease harvesting and journey to the temple for worship. As it was then (and is now), a Jewish worker could be harvesting alongside a non-Jewish worker, and when the trumpets were heard, the Jewish worker would leave the fields, but the non-Jewish worker would remain. Jesus Christ himself made reference to this phenomenon (and to this feast) when he spoke of his descent in the clouds:

As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the [second] coming of the Son of Man. For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark; and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the [second] coming of the Son of Man. Two men will be in the field; one will be taken [to be with Christ] and the other left [behind]. Two women will be grinding with a hand mill; one will be taken and the other left. (Matt. 24:37–41)

When “the last trumpet” sounds, “one [who belongs to Christ] will be taken [to be with Christ] and the other [who does not belong to Christ will be] left [behind].”

Note: Even though Christ’s prophecy in Matthew 24 speaks of Israel’s salvation after the time of wrath, the fact remains, Christ is now referring to the Feast of Trumpets in this prophetic statement—which applies not only to Israel, but as we learned from Paul, the church as well. We as the church learn not only from Old Testament prophecies, but also from Christ in the Gospels. The prophetic, Hebrew calendar applies to both Israel and the church.

God marked the glorious, future event of the harvest (on the Feast of Trumpets) by way of the Law.

The Lord said to Moses, “Say to the Israelites: ‘On the first day of the seventh month you are to have a day of rest, a sacred assembly commemorated with trumpet blasts.’” (Lev. 23:23, 24)

The Feast of Trumpets fell on the first day of the seventh religious month: Tishrei (equivalent to either September or October). Although Tishrei is the seventh month on the Jewish religious calendar, it is the first month on the Jewish civil calendar. The first day of Tishrei is known as “Rosh HaShanah” or, the “head of the year.” It is the start of the Jewish New Year.

In the Torah (the books of Moses), Rosh HaShanah is referred to as Yom Teruah: the “Day of the Sounding of the Shofar (trumpet),” or the “Day of the Awakening Blast.” Teruah means “an awakening blast” and is also translated as “shout.” The Talmud (Jewish commentaries on Scripture) associates Rosh HaShanah with the resurrection of the dead. The corresponding prophecy is unmistakable: when the “awakening blast” sounds on Rosh HaShanah, truly the church of Christ shall “awake” to the Lord Jesus Christ.

For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump [trumpet] of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. (1 Thess. 4:16, 17 KJV)

The trumpet blast and the shout will summon all in the church of Christ. When shall this come to pass? Thousands of years ago, God had already marked the very day of the year on the Hebrew calendar when his Son would descent in the clouds for the church: New Year’s Day (Rosh HaShanah).

How does the Hebrew calendar mark New Year’s Day?

Unlike our modern-day calendar, the Hebrew calendar relied upon the moon to mark the first day of each month. The first day of each month on the Hebrew calendar was marked by the appearance of the new moon. When the first sliver of the new moon appeared in the sky, the Jewish authorities marked the first day of the month. Hence, the first day of the seventh month (Tishrei) was determined by the appearance of the seventh new moon. Herein, the heavens marked the start of the Feast of Trumpets: when the first sliver of the seventh new moon appeared in the sky, the first day of Tishrei was marked—and so was the start of the feast. The Feast of Trumpets is also referred to as the “Feast of the New Moon,” for it is the only annual feast of God that commences with this lunar sign from the heavens.

In ancient times, Jewish religious authorities could not predict the day or hour the Feast of Trumpets would begin; they had to wait until the new moon was actually seen by reliable witnesses. As stated in the Universal Jewish Encyclopedia, “Early in the morning of the 30th of each month, the Sanhedrin came together and, upon the testimony of two reliable witnesses, proclaimed: ‘The new moon is consecrated.’ Thus the 30th day of the month was declared to be the first day of the new month. If the moon’s crescent had not been seen on the 30th day, the new month did not begin until the 31st day” (Universal Jewish Encyclopedia, 1942, p. 171). In essence, the Jewish religious authorities did not know when the Feast of Trumpets would actually commence; they did not know the day or hour.

Jesus Christ made specific reference to this fact when he spoke of the time he would fulfill his promise to return; he said, “No one knows about that day or hour” (Mark. 13:32). This phrase about “not knowing the day or hour” is a specific Hebrew saying, peculiar to the Feast of Trumpets.

To expound upon this thought, Christ’s prophecy about not knowing the “day or hour” refers to two unique segments of time: “day” means “the time from one sunrise or sunset to another,” and the word “hour” means “a definite and limited time. . . . [T]he time of the day . . . the hour” (E. W. Bullinger, A Critical Lexicon and Concordance to the English and Greek New Testament, pgs. 202 and 385). In essence, “day” literally means a “day” and “hour” literally means an “hour”—two segments of time associated with the Feast of the New Moon (Rosh HaShanah). Hence, Christ’s prophecy about “not knowing the day or hour” of his return is actually a direct reference to a common phrase used to describe the Feast of Trumpets.

This conclusion—that Christ is specifically referring to this feast—can be viewed from Hebrew history. Rosh HaShanah is also referred to as Yom HaKeseh, which means the “Day of Hiding,” or the “Hidden Day.” This is because the Feast of Trumpets was the only day on the Hebrew calendar “hidden” from view: no man knew the day or hour that this feast would commence.

Herein, Christ and Paul both made direct references to the Feast of Trumpets when referring to the return to gather the church to Heaven. In other words, the day of the return corresponds to the day of the Feast of Trumpets—just like the day of the Crucifixion corresponded to the day of the Feast of Passover. This divine harmony cannot be broken. “I [Christ] tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished” (Matt. 5:18).

God’s accomplishments through Christ had to correspond to the Law: Christ couldn’t die “any day,” nor could he be in the burial tomb “any day,” nor could he be resurrected “any day,” nor could he send his Spirit to the apostles “any day,” and Christ can’t come back “any day.” To believe that Christ can return “any day” for the church is to disbelieve that Christ has to fulfill the Law of Moses.

The belief that Christ can return “any day” is rooted in religious history—not in the Scriptures. Our religious ancestors neglected the voice of Moses and consequently were deceived—and the deception continues to this day.

When we stand before the throne of Heaven, what will be our individual testimonies to our Lord and Savior?

Will it be the supreme authority of religious tradition?

Will it be the supreme authority of famous names of renown?

Or will it be the supreme authority of Scripture?

For those of us in the body of Christ who hold to the supreme authority of Scripture, there is no intent to create traditions or stories, but to be worthy of the divinely inspired story already written. Let us not silence the prophecy God marked in the Law of Moses. The Old Testament Law stands: the day of Christ’s descent in the clouds for his church corresponds to the holy day marked by God.

God bless.

revvel

Edited August 10, 2006 by revvel

[sprawled out]

a bit verbose, but i get it.

so WHICH rosh hashanah?

[Sunesis]

I appreaciate your studies Revel. Boy,there sure are a lot of "coincidences" in there aren't there? :)

I think so many coincidences means its not coincidental.

I'd like to see a part 2 - the rest of the feasts.

Thanks for sharing. Great food for thought.

[coupcake]

Revvel,

Thanks for sharing all that! Bullinger has a great explanation of that phrase about not knowing the day or hour in "Witness Of The Stars", which you sum up very well here. It is absolutley thrilling!

[revvel]

Hello sprawled out,

Thanks for your thoughts.

You asked a most important question...

Really, what we in the body of Christ are asking God is this:

If God marked time in the Scriptures for the first coming of Christ to Israel, did God mark time in the Scriptures for Christ's descent in clouds... for the church and Israel?

May I ask that you read chapter 4 of The Prophecy on my Web site... www.thetimeline.org

After you do so, drop me an email through my Web site on your thoughts about what you read.

God bless.

revvel

[revvel]

Hello Sunesis,

I am with you... After we uncover so many "coincidences" in the Old and New Testaments, our honest response before God is to recognize that it is not coincidental, but that we are looking at the heart of one author, God, who spoke to us in many ways about one, unified picture of prophecy.

With regard to part 2, stay tuned...

God bless.

revvel

[revvel]

Hello coupcake,

Many thanks for your thoughts and for letting me in on what Bullinger said.

I am interested in seeing what Bullinger wrote.

Is there a key paragraph or two that summarizes his position on the matter?

If so, could you be so kind as to share it with us by typing it on a response on this thread?

God bless,

revvel

[dancing]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heinrich_Bullinger

[WordWolf]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heinrich_Bullinger

*quotes the link's article*

"Among his descendants was the noted Biblical scholar E.W. Bullinger."

E.W. was the guy vpw ripped off.

That's the Figures of Speech and How to Enjoy the Bible/"All Scripture explains itself" guy.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/E._W._Bullinger

[coupcake]

Revvell,

I am sorry, I spoke out of turn. I thought I had read that in "Witness in the Stars" and I was looking it over last night and could not find it in there. Now I can't remember where I read that..dang my memory is going!

Anyway sorry for misleading you.. if I recall were it was I will let you know.

Thanks,

Coup

[dancing]

Matthew 24:33

So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors.

Mark 13:14

But when ye shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing where it ought not, (let him that readeth understand,) then let them that be in Judaea flee to the mountains:

Mark 13:29

So ye in like manner, when ye shall see these things come to pass, know that it is nigh, even at the doors.

Luke 13:28

There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when ye shall see Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, and all the prophets, in the kingdom of God, and you yourselves thrust out.

Luke 21:20

And when ye shall see Jerusalem compassed with armies, then know that the desolation thereof is nigh.

when ye shall see

pretty obvious i think

not everyone will see at the same time

Edited August 15, 2006 by dancing

[revvel]

THE HOLY DAYS: PART 2

The holy days represent God’s prophetic motion picture. Christ’s first coming to Israel corresponded to the “spring” holy days, and Christ’s second coming to Israel shall correspond to the “fall” holy days.

Once the church is transformed and transported off the planet, God will fulfill his end-time promises to the followers of the Old Covenant on Earth. Those promises include the next major, divine event: the descent of Christ for Israel.

Seven years will separate Christ’s descent for his church and Christ’s descent for Israel. The prophet Daniel prophesied of this seven-year time span (Dan. 9:27). (Take a look at the latest post on the "Signless" thread.)

When Christ descends in the clouds to rescue Israel from the Antichrist and gather the remnant back to the Holy Land, he will fulfill another holy day.

Which one?

The first fall feast: the Feast of Trumpets.

ISRAEL

While it is clear that Christ must fulfill all seven holy days, it is also clear that Christ must fulfill all seven holy days for Israel so that the Law will be fulfilled as given. Herein, Christ must fulfill all three fall holy days for Israel.

THE CHURCH

The MYSTERY is the church. The MYSTERY hidden in God was that the Feast of Trumpets would be fulfilled twice: first for the church and then seven years later for Israel.

THE DAY OF THE LORD

The prophecy of “the day of the Lord” contains a dual prophecy: the salvation of the church and the salvation of Israel. It is this dual prophecy that translates into the dual fulfillment of the same holy day.

THE FEAST OF TRUMPETS: THE CREATOR AND HIS CREATION

God’s holy day of Trumpets speaks to all his creation. It is for all those who embrace the one true God and long to live in righteousness. Listen to what the Hebrew authorities have to say about this holy day of Trumpets (Rosh Ha-Shanah):

“Rosh Ha-Shanah does not commemorate a specific event in Jewish history, and in the prayers the accent is on man, not the Jewish people. Rosh Ha-Shanah thus bears a universal message, a message of yearning for the establishment of God’s sovereignty over the entire world and for the day ‘that all works may revere Thee and all creatures prostrate themselves before Thee, that they may all form a single band to Thy will with a perfect heart’” (The International Jewish Encyclopedia, 1973, pgs. 259, 260).

Rosh HaShanah is for both the church and Israel. The salvation of the church and Israel will come to pass on this holy day, and these events will precede Christ’s reign during the 1000-year kingdom.

THE FEAST OF TRUMPETS: THE GATHERING

In the Gospels, Christ prophesied of his descent for Israel and the gathering of it. In the epistles, Paul prophesied of Christ’s descent for the church and the gathering of it.

What is central to the holy day of Trumpets? The sounding of trumpets which gathered God’s people. Both Christ and Paul referred to a trumpet when referring to the gathering of God’s people.

Hebrew authorities speak of the unmistakable association between the trumpet and Rosh HaShanah: “[T]he Shofar [trumpet] attained its chief and lasting religious importance in connection with the New Year’s festival (Rosh HaShanah), celebrated on the 1st of Tishri (Lev. 23:24; Num. 29:1)” (The Universal Jewish Encyclopedia, 1942, p. 514).

It was Moses who first marked the role of the trumpet on the Feast of Trumpets: “On the first day of the seventh month hold a sacred assembly [a gathering] and do no regular work. It is a day for you to sound the trumpets” (Num. 29:1).

Paul referred to “the last trumpet” (1 Cor. 15: 52).

Christ referred to “a great sound of a trumpet” (Matt. 24:31 kjv), or “the great trumpet.”

Isaiah prophesied of the Messiah’s return for Israel and also marked that day by referring to “the great trumpet” (Isa. 27:13 kjv).

Hebrew authorities make reference to this same prophecy spoken by Isaiah: “[T]he future redemption of Israel, which was conceived of in connection with Israel’s repentance, was to be announced by means of the Shofar [which is a ram’s horn, and is translated as trumpet] (Isa. 27:13)” (The Universal Jewish Encyclopedia, 1942, p. 514). Modern-day Judaism associates “the great trumpet” with the arrival of the Messiah.

According to Hebrew authorities, “the last trumpet” and “the great trumpet” are not one and the same; they mark unique sounds. Yet, both “the last trumpet” and “the great trumpet” sound on the same holy day: the Feast of Trumpets!!

On the Feast of Trumpets, the trumpet sounds 101 times. This number is divided as follows: 30, 30, 40, and 1.

THE GREAT TRUMPET

“[The] Ram’s horn [shofar] sounded on New Year’s…. A series of 30 blasts continued in quick succession, is called the Great Teki’a” (The Encyclopedia of Jewish Knowledge, 1944, p. 514).

THE LAST TRUMPET (Final, single blast)

“The last Tekiah, known as Tekiah Gedolah, is prolonged as long as the breath of the officiant holds out” (The Universal Jewish Encyclopedia, 1942, p. 515).

God’s divine plan is ours to understand: The redemption of the church and Israel shall come to pass on the same holy day, the Feast of Trumpets, or New Year’s Day, (seven years apart), and the gathering of the church shall come to pass with the sound of “the last trumpet,” and the gathering of Israel shall come to pass with the sound of “the great trumpet”!!

This is God’s idea of a happy New Year.

THE NEW MOON

The fall holy day of Trumpets is marked by the New Moon. The New Moon has long held prophetic significance relative to the redemption of Israel.

What follows is the Hebrew liturgy that is read on the Sabbath that precedes the New Moon:

“The Reader: ‘He who wrought miracles for our fathers and redeemed them from slavery unto freedom, may He speedily redeem us and gather our dispersed ones from the four corners of the earth. So let us say, Amen!

‘[Hear ye] All Israel: . . . The New Moon shall be on the . . . day of the coming week! May it come to us and all Israel for good!’”

“The Congregation: ‘May the Holy One, blessed be He! Renew unto us and unto all His people the House of Israel for life and peace, for gladness and joy, for salvation and consolation! So let us say, Amen!’” (The Jewish Encyclopedia, 1905, p. 243).

This same joy of future salvation rings just as true for us, the church.

How can we as the church of Christ—with a clear conscience and honest heart before our Lord—declare all of this to be one massive coincidence?

Truly, we as the church of Christ are looking at the heart of the Creator, who communicated salvation through many prophets and apostles, providing many pieces of the same prophetic puzzle: God’s unified picture of prophecy.

PROPHECY: ISRAEL’S REDEMPTION

While in the Holy Land, Christ prophesied of his return to gather the remnant of Israel. He introduced his prophecy by referring to Daniel, and concluded his prophecy by referring to the gathering and a “great sound of a trumpet.”

What follows are prophecies about Israel’s salvation spoken by Christ, Isaiah, and Moses, respectively.

When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:) Then let them which be in Judaea [referring to the followers of the Old Covenant] flee into the mountains: Let him which is on the housetop not come down to take any thing out of his house: Neither let him which is in the field return back to take his clothes. And woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck in those days! But pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the sabbath day: For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect’s sake those days shall be shortened. Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or there; believe it not. For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect. Behold, I have told you before. Wherefore if they shall say unto you, Behold, he is in the desert; go not forth: behold, he is in the secret chambers; believe it not. For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. For wheresoever the carcase is, there will the eagles be gathered together.

Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken: And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet [the great trumpet], and they shall gather together his elect [israel] from the four winds [of the Earth], from one end of heaven to the other. (Matt. 24:21–31 kjv)

In that day the Lord will thresh from the flowing Euphrates to the Wadi of Egypt, and you, O Israelites, will be gathered up one by one. And in that day a great trumpet will sound. Those who were perishing in Assyria and those who were exiled in Egypt will come and worship the Lord on the holy mountain in Jerusalem. (Isa. 27:12, 13)

That then the Lord thy God will turn thy captivity, and have compassion upon thee, and will return and gather thee from all the nations, whither the Lord thy God hath scattered thee. If any of thine be driven out unto the outmost parts of heaven, from thence will the LORD thy God gather thee, and from thence will he fetch thee: And the Lord thy God will bring thee into the land which thy fathers possessed, and thou shalt possess it. (Deut. 30:3–5 kjv)

Moses and Isaiah prophesied of Israel’s salvation—and so did the Messiah.

In a single prophecy about his second coming to Israel, the Son of God spoke forth the collective voice of the Old Testament prophets. Christ prophesied of the time of wrath, the signs that would mark his return to the Holy Land, and the gathering of the remnant of Israel.

Christ marked this future time when he prophesied, “No one knows about that day or hour” (Matt. 24:36). As discussed earlier with the church, this phrase about “not knowing the day or hour” is a specific Hebrew saying, peculiar to the Feast of Trumpets.

(What are we as Christ’s church to learn from this prophecy given by our Lord and Savior? Even though the context of Matthew 24 is Israel’s salvation, we as the church shall be saved on the same holy day, so we can learn a lesson from our Lord, and from Israel—and from the holy day of Trumpets.)

At the time of the New Moon, on the Feast of Trumpets, Christ the King shall return for Israel with his angels, which include us, his church. We who shall be transformed immortal shall return with our Lord: “The armies of heaven were following him [Christ], riding on white horses and dressed in fine linen, white and clean” (Rev. 19:14). (Fine linen stands for the righteous acts of the saints) (Rev. 19:8). “[T]he Lamb [Christ] will overcome . . . because he is Lord of lords and King of kings—and with him will be his called, chosen and faithful followers” (Rev. 17:14). This is the prophecy of the Apocalypse; it is the battle of Armageddon; it is the salvation of Israel; it is the fulfillment of the Feast of Trumpets: the Day of Judgment.

Blow the trumpet in Zion; sound the alarm on my holy hill. Let all who live in the land tremble, for the day of the Lord is coming. It is close at hand. . . . The Lord thunders at the head of his army; his forces are beyond number, and mighty are those who obey his command. The day of the Lord is great; it is dreadful. Who can endure it? (Joel 2:1, 11)

[T]he Lord will go out and fight against those nations, as he fights in the day of battle. On that day his feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, east of Jerusalem, and the Mount of Olives will be split in two from east to west, forming a great valley, with half of the mountain moving north and half moving south. . . . Then the Lord my God will come, and all the holy ones with him. (Zech. 14:3–5)

[T]he Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power. (2 Thess. 1:7–9 kjv)

[T]he Lord is coming with fire, and his chariots are like a whirlwind; he will bring down his anger with fury, and his rebuke with flames of fire. For with fire and with his sword the Lord will execute judgment upon all men, and many will be those slain by the Lord. (Isa. 66:15, 16)

Evil shall be defeated, the Israelites shall be gathered, and there shall be a resurrection of the dead. God’s hand of blessing shall extend to the dead, for many who currently sleep in the grave shall rise to live in the coming kingdom.

Just as there shall be a resurrection of the dead when Christ descends for his church on the Feast of Trumpets, there shall also be a resurrection of the dead when Christ descends for Israel on the Feast of Trumpets. The believers from Old Testament times shall rise from their graves to live in Christ’s kingdom on Earth.

“This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Once again I will yield to the plea of the house of Israel and do this for them: I will make their people as numerous as sheep, as numerous as the flocks for offerings at Jerusalem during her appointed feasts. So will the ruined cities be filled with flocks of people. Then they will know that I am the Lord.”

The hand of the Lord was upon me [Ezekiel], and he brought me out by the Spirit of the Lord and set me in the middle of a valley; it was full of bones. He led me back and forth among them, and I saw a great many bones on the floor of the valley, bones that were very dry. He asked me, “Son of man, can these bones live?” I said, “O Sovereign Lord, you alone know.”

Then he said to me, “Prophesy to these bones and say to them, ‘Dry bones, hear the word of the Lord! This is what the Sovereign Lord says to these bones: I will make breath enter you, and you will come to life. I will attach tendons to you and make flesh come upon you and cover you with skin; I will put breath in you, and you will come to life. Then you will know that I am the Lord.’”

So I prophesied as I was commanded. And as I was prophesying, there was a noise, a rattling sound, and the bones came together, bone to bone. I looked, and tendons and flesh appeared on them and skin covered them, but there was no breath in them. Then he said to me, “Prophesy to the breath; prophesy, son of man, and say to it, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe into these slain, that they may live.’” So I prophesied as he commanded me, and breath entered them; they came to life and stood up on their feet—a vast army.

Then he said to me: “Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel. They say, ‘Our bones are dried up and our hope is gone; we are cut off.’ Therefore prophesy and say to them: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: O my people, I am going to open your graves and bring you up from them; I will bring you back to the land of Israel. Then you, my people, will know that I am the Lord, when I open your graves and bring you up from them. I will put my Spirit in you and you will live, and I will settle you in your own land. Then you will know that I the Lord have spoken, and I have done it, declares the Lord.’” (Ezek. 36:37, 38; 37:1–14)

God bless.

revvel

[revvel]

Hello dancing and WordWolf,

Thanks for the links. I did check them out.

Hello coupcake,

Thanks anyway. If you do come across that presentation on the "day or hour" let me know.

God bless.

revvel

[Rachel]

I think the last trumpet is not the Feast of Trumpets, but the last trumpet in Revelation. The Feast is a memorial to what is coming....The Last trumpet being blown can be found in Revelation.

Rachel

[dmiller]

As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the [second]coming of the Son of Man.

For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage,

up to the day Noah entered the ark; and they knew nothing about what would happen

until the flood came and took them all away.

That is how it will be at the [second] coming of the Son of Man.

Two men will be in the field; one will be taken [to be with Christ] and the other left [behind].

Two women will be grinding with a hand mill; one will be taken and the other left.

(Matt. 24:37–41)

Question (if I may) ---

Those *taken* in the day of Noah, were killed/ drowned, eh??

Only 8 souls were saved -- i.e. Noah and family.

They were *left behind*, i.e. -- alive.

If the second coming is *as it was in the days of Noah*,

why would *taken* here mean saved, instead of destroyed??

I'm looking to see if two different words are used for *taken*,

and/ or *left*,

but so far haven't come up with anything.

Just wondering.

Edited August 22, 2006 by dmiller

[sprawled out]

sorry i didn't respond sooner--i've been away.

honestly, responses like "read a chapter of my book" smack of my pre-pfal days. i'm not terribly receptive when someone says "do this" (e.g., "take the class," "read my book") instead of just answering my question.

why not just answer my question? it seems to me you should be able to answer my question in one SENTENCE.

and to tell you the truth, i'm kind of turned off by the fact that you asked me to read a whole chapter--and then asked someone for write you a single-paragraph summary of bullinger's position.

[revvel]

Hello Rachel,

I know where you are coming from: you believe that “the last trumpet” is the seventh trumpet of Revelation—and that this is when the church is gathered off the planet.

This is where I am coming from: Why not let the apostles tell us if “the last trumpet” is the seventh trumpet of Revelation, or if “the last trumpet” is the one that sounds on the Feast of Trumpets?

The central question is this: Where does John mark the salvation of the church in Revelation? Is it when the seventh trumpet sounds? Or not?

We as the body of Christ cannot afford to rely on what any one person “believes” Revelation is saying…

Let us allow the collective voice of the apostles to tell us where the salvation of the church is marked in Revelation…

Before beginning with the prophecies given to us by the apostles, I have a few questions…

Is God marking the glorious salvation of the church to a trumpet of wrath (the seventh trumpet of Revelation)?

Or is God marking the glorious salvation of the church to a trumpet that signals the gathering of God’s people (“the last trumpet” of the Feast of Trumpets)?

Is there any scriptural justification to believe that the church will be on the Earth during the time of wrath waiting to be transformed and transported off the planet?

What was revealed to us by Christ’s apostles about the salvation of the church?

The church is saved—transformed and transported—exactly as prophesied by John, Paul, and Peter: when the suns turns black and the moon turns red (Acts 2:20, 21)… when Christ appears in clouds (1 Thess. 4:16, 17 & Rev. 1:7; 6:16)… which is when the sixth seal opens (Rev. 6:12)… the sky—filled with church—shall roll up to Heaven (Rev. 6:14)… and it is then that the church shall be gathered before the throne of Heaven (Rev. 7:9-17)… which is before the seventh seal opens (Rev. 8:1)… and before the first trumpet of wrath ever sounds (Rev. 8:7).

Wrath… that the church is saved from (Rom. 5:9, 1 Thess. 1:10; 5:9)… is announced (Rev. 6:17) after the sky rolls up to Heaven (Rev. 6:14).

For the great day of their WRATH has come, and who can stand? (Rev. 6:17)

This is the same wrath spoken of by Paul—the wrath we are saved from. The wrath actually begins after we are gathered into Heaven; it begins when the seventh seal opens… when the first trumpet of wrath sounds.

The first angel sounded his trumpet, and there came hail and fire mixed with blood, and it was hurled down upon the earth. A third of the earth was burned up, a third of the trees were burned up, and all the green grass was burned up. (Rev. 8:7)

This is wrath…

If we are already gathered in Heaven before the first trumpet of wrath sounds, how can we at the same time be on the Earth going through the wrath waiting for the seventh trumpet to sound?

It’s impossible.

The seventh trumpet cannot sound until after the sixth trumpet sounds.

The sixth trumpet cannot sound until after the fifth trumpet sounds.

The fifth trumpet cannot sound until after the fourth trumpet sounds.

The fourth trumpet cannot sound until after the third trumpet sounds.

The third trumpet cannot sound until after the second trumpet sounds.

The second trumpet cannot sound until after the first trumpet sounds.

The first trumpet cannot sound until after the seventh seal opens.

Wrath begins when the seventh seal opens.

The church is in Heaven before the seventh seal opens.

After the sixth seal opens…and before the seventh seal opens, this is what will be heard in Heaven:

“SALVATION BELONGS TO OUR GOD, WHO SITS ON THE THRONE, AND TO THE LAMB!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!” (REV. 7:10)

That’s us!!

This is what we as Christ’s church will proclaim when we stand before the throne of Heaven!!

This is what Peter meant on Pentecost when he said we will be “saved.”

The prophecy states that when Christ appears in clouds, we will be transformed in a flash (1 Cor. 15:51-54)—not left on Earth waiting for seven trumpets to sound.

If “the last trumpet” is the seventh trumpet of Revelation, then Paul is contradicting himself.

How?

The seventh trumpet is the seventh trumpet of wrath. Paul said we are saved from the wrath—not gathered out of the midst of it.

Is there any apostle who literally states, “the last trumpet is the seventh trumpet of Revelation”?

No.

Does the seventh trumpet coincide with the sun turning black and the moon turning blood red?

No.

What scriptural justification is there to believe that “the last trumpet” spoken of by Paul is the seventh trumpet of Revelation?

None.

What scriptural justification is there to believe that the church will be on the Earth during the time of wrath?

None.

Why should we as the body of Christ be in subjection to a modern-day theologian who contradicts Peter, Paul, and John… and declares that “the last trumpet” is the seventh trumpet of Revelation?

Shouldn’t we as Christ’s church take Christ at his word—and believe the revelation he gave to his apostles… as literally given?

The belief that “the last trumpet” is the seventh trumpet of Revelation is the product of man’s imagination… not divine revelation…

The first, major, visible divine threshold for this planet is the sixth seal…

The next post looks at Christ’s revelation to John regarding the sixth seal.

God bless.

revvel

CHRIST’S REVELATION TO JOHN: THE SIXTH SEAL

According to Christ, what will happen to Earth’s population when the sun turns black and the moon turns blood red?

Christ’s revelation about the sixth seal gives us three separate visions about three separate groups of people…

Paul revealed that Heaven sees Earth’s population as follows: “THE JEWS. . . THE GENTILES. . . THE CHURCH OF GOD” (1 Cor. 10:32 kjv).

Is it possible that Christ gave three separate visions to describe what shall become of the three separate groups of people: the Jews, the Gentiles, and the church of God?

Here is one vision given by Christ:

Then I heard the number of those who were sealed: 144,000 from all the tribes of Israel. From the tribe of Judah 12,000 were sealed, from the tribe of Reuben 12,000, from the tribe of Gad 12,000, from the tribe of Asher 12,000, from the tribe of Naphtali 12,000, from the tribe of Manasseh 12,000, from the tribe of Simeon 12,000, from the tribe of Levi 12,000, from the tribe of Issachar 12,000, from the tribe of Zebulun 12,000, from the tribe of Joseph 12,000, from the tribe of Benjamin 12,000. (Rev. 7:4-8)

Is Christ referring to “the Jews [israel],” “the Gentiles,” or to “the church of God”?

Israel.

Where is this group of people after the sixth opens? Heaven? Or Earth?

This is how the vision of the 144,000 is introduced:

After this I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding back the four winds of the earth to prevent any wind from blowing on the land or on the sea or on any tree. Then I saw another angel coming up from the east, having the seal of the living God. He called out in a loud voice to the four angels who had been given power to harm the land and the sea: “Do not harm the land or the sea or the trees until we put a seal on the foreheads of the servants of our God.” (Rev. 7:1-3)

The “sea” and the “trees” are on the Earth and so is Israel.

This is also seen when the wrath actually begins: “They were told not to harm the grass of the earth or any plant or tree, but only those people who did not have the seal of God on their foreheads” (Rev. 8:4). The 144,000 who have “the seal of God on their foreheads” shall be shielded from this harm.

Without question, at the time of the sixth seal, Christ’s revelation places Israel on the Earth.

Here is another vision:

After this I looked and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands. And they cried out in a loud voice:

“Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb.”

All the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures. They fell down on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, saying:

“Amen! Praise and glory and wisdom and thanks and honor

and power and strength be to our God for ever and ever. Amen!”

Then one of the elders asked me, “These in white robes—who are they, and where did they come from?” I answered, “Sir, you know.” And he said, “These are they who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Therefore, “they are before the throne of God and serve him day and night in his temple; and he who sits on the throne will spread his tent over them. Never again will they hunger; never again will they thirst. The sun will not beat upon them, nor any scorching heat. For the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd; he will lead them to springs of living water. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.” (Rev. 7:9-17)

Is Christ referring to “the Jews [israel],” “the Gentiles,” or to “the church of God”?

Which group of people washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb?

The church.

According to Christ, where is this group of people? Earth? Or Heaven?

When we stand before our Lord in Heaven, our robes will be white because of the blood of the Lamb.

Why else would Christ give us a vision of the church in Heaven after the sixth seal opens, unless the church is in Heaven after the sixth seal opens?

How can we as Christ’s church—with clear conscience before our Lord—just dismiss this vision?

What can we hope to gain by not embracing it?

How can any theologian, any minister, any Christian, any human being successfully overturn or explain away Christ’s vision of the church standing before the throne of Heaven after the sixth seal opens?

Here is another vision from the sixth seal:

Then the kings of the earth, the princes, the generals, the rich, the mighty, and every slave and every free man hid in caves and among the rocks of the mountains. They called to the mountains and the rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb! For the great day of their wrath has come, and who can stand?” (Rev. 6:15-17)

Is Christ referring to “the Jews [israel],” “the Gentiles,” or to “the church of God”?

Who are those who want to hide from Christ?

Is Christ referring to the church hiding from their own Lord?

Or is this vision describing those who reject Jesus as the Messiah: the Gentiles and the Jews?

Doesn’t it make sense that those who reject Christ would seek to hide from Christ?

This third vision is referring the Gentiles and the Jews.

According to Christ, where are they? Heaven? Or Earth?

Earth.

So, what did our Lord show us about will happen to the three groups of people when the sixth seal opens?

1.The Gentiles and the Jews will hide throughout the Earth from the Messiah that they rejected.

2.144,000 from the twelve tribes of Israel will be sealed on the Earth.

3.The church of God will be standing before the throne of Heaven.

The sixth seal marks the onset of “the day of the Lord” and our Lord revealed to us what shall become of everyone when he descends in the clouds.

If the visible Christ were not descending in the clouds at the opening of the sixth seal, then why would those left on Earth say, “hide us from the face of him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb”?

Whose face are they looking at when the sixth seal opens?

Why shouldn’t we as the body of Christ refer to the revelation already given to John?

[Christ] is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him (Rev. 1:7).

If every eye will see Christ, then wouldn’t they see his “face” too?

…What did Christ reveal to us regarding the signs of the sixth seal?

I watched as he opened the sixth seal. There was a great earthquake. The sun turned black like sackcloth made of goat hair, the whole moon turned blood red, and the stars in the sky fell to earth, as late figs drop from a fig tree when shaken by a strong wind. (Rev. 6:12, 13)

When the sun turns black and the moon turns blood red…

God will signal us that “the day of the Lord” is upon us: we as the church will rejoice, 144,000 of Israel will be sealed, and everyone else will be in a state of fear.

What reason could we offer to Christ to justify not taking his revelation at face value? In other words, how can we as his church justify not believing his revelation as literally given?

When the sun turns black and the moon turns blood red…

the onset of the day of the Lord is upon us. It is then that Christ shall descend from Heaven to transform and transport the church—not seven trumpets later.

Without question, “the day of the Lord” is the span of time marking Heaven’s intervention. The Old Testament prophets clearly spoke of this, but it wasn’t until Christ gave revelation to the New Testament apostles about the church that the fullness of this intervention was made known. Enter: the sixth seal. There, Christ gave us information not found anywhere else in the Bible about the church.

God bless.

revvel

THE HOLY DAYS: THE CHURCH

Peter, Paul, and John all provided unique pieces of the same prophetic puzzle: the salvation of the church.

What about the holy days?

What day marked the beginning of the church?

On what day did Peter stand up and address the crowd?

The holy day of Pentecost…

Are we as Christ’s church supposed to believe that it was an accident of history that the apostles were filled with the Spirit on Pentecost?

Or was it the fulfillment of the Law?

For those of us in the body of Christ who hold to the supreme authority of Scripture, the holy days are prophetic in nature.

If the church began on a holy day, can the church be gathered into Heaven on a holy day?

Why not?

Is it possible that God will again fulfill the Law?

Is it possible that the holy days add another piece to the prophetic puzzle?

Peter and John spoke of the “moon” turning blood red and Paul spoke of the “new moon.”

Are we looking at a coincidence?

Or is it possible that Christ telling us to pay attention to what the apostles are saying about our celestial satellite: the “moon”?

Is it just a coincidence that Paul wrote about the prophetic nature of the holy days in a letter to the church, and Paul made reference to “the last trumpet” in a letter to the church, and “the last trumpet” is associated with the holy day of Trumpets?

Are we as the church looking at series of coincidences, or are we looking at the divine harmony of divine revelation regarding a unique piece of the puzzle that applies to the salvation of the church?

Why would Paul write to the church about the holy days, and the prophetic nature of them, unless the prophetic nature of the holy days applied to the church?

We already know that they apply to the church… Pentecost!!

THE HOLY DAYS

Paul made specific reference to the holy days in his letter to the Colossians.

Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival [holy day], a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day. These are a shadow of the things that were to come. (Col. 2:16, 17).

Who in the body of Christ has the authority to dismiss this prophetic statement made by Paul?

Who in the body of Christ has the authority to dismiss the prophetic nature of the holy days?

In this letter to the church, did Paul speak of the future salvation of the church?

Yes.

To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. (Col. 1:27)

The hope of glory is our hope… when we shall be fashioned like unto our Lord.

When will this the prophecy come to pass?

These [holy days] are a shadow of the things that were to come… FOR WHO?

Who is Paul writing to in the letter to the Colossians? The church.

The apostle Paul referred to the prophecies contained in the Old Testament Law: the holy days of the Old Testament “are a shadow [a foreshadowing] of things that were to come [in the New Testament].” Paul wrote this to Christ’s church because the holy days foreshadowed not only the birth of the church, but also the future salvation of the church.

The New Moon celebration on the holy day of Trumpets is a shadow of what is to come for us, the church.

What is one of our celestial signals from Heaven?

The moon… the blood-red, new moon…

Are we as Christ’s church supposed to believe that it is just a coincidence that our celestial signal includes the “moon,” and the celestial signal that marks the start of the Feast of Trumpets is the “new moon”?

What trumpet shall sound? The trumpet that marks the gathering of God’s people: “the last trumpet”—not a trumpet of wrath.

Peter, Paul, and John prophesied that the church will be saved when the celestial signs—and the glorified Christ—appear in the heavens—not seven trumpets later.

Shouldn’t we as the church just take Christ at his word?

Just as the beginning of the church witnessed the fulfillment of the Law when the Spirit was sent on the holy day of Pentecost, so shall the salvation of the church witness the fulfillment of the Law when Christ descends in the clouds on the holy day of Trumpets—when “the last trumpet” sounds. This is our day of salvation.

God bless.

revvel

THE SEVENTH TRUMPET

The seventh trumpet sounds in the midst of the seventieth “seven”—which marks the seven-year countdown to Israel’s salvation. This seven-year time span is the time of the second and third woes—which includes God’s prophets and Satan’s prophets.

The belief that the seventh trumpet applies to the church not only contradicts the New Testament apostles, it also contradicts the Old Testament prophets who prophesied of Israel’s salvation.

THE ANGEL GABRIEL AND CHRIST: DANIEL’S SEVEN-YEAR PROPHECY: THE SEVENTIETH “SEVEN”

This seven-year prophecy is a seven-year covenant that Israel will sign with the Antichrist. It will not only bring peace to the Middle East, it will allow Israel to rebuild its temple and offer sacrifice. This is the agreement that the Antichrist will break after 3.5 years.

For the first 3.5 years, the followers of Moses will rebuild their temple and offer sacrifice in Jerusalem. For the next 3.5 years, they will flee from Jerusalem into mountains where God will protect his faithful remnant from the Antichrist.

Look at the revelation Christ gave to John regarding what will take place during the time of the second woe: “I was given a reed like a measuring rod and was told, ‘Go and measure the temple of God and the altar, and count the worshipers there’” (Rev. 11:1).

This is when Israel will sign the seven-year peace agreement with the Antichrist, and Israel will be given the green light to rebuild its temple. That’s why the angel told John to measure the temple.

What follows is the progression of thought in the revelation given to us by the angel Gabriel and Christ.

GABRIEL

After the sixty-two “sevens,” the Anointed One [Christ] will be cut off [crucified] and will have nothing.[This is when he prophetic clock stopped for Israel: the first century]. The people [the Romans] of the ruler [the Antichrist] who will come will destroy the city [Jerusalem] and the sanctuary [temple] [which the Romans did in AD 70]. The end will come like a flood: War will continue until the end, and desolations have been decreed.

He [the Antichrist] will confirm a covenant with many [israelites] for one “seven” [seven years]. [THE SECOND WOE IS NOW UNDERWAY (Rev. 9:12, 13 and following).] [Once the agreement is signed, the prophetic clock for Israel will start again. With the agreement signed, the two witnesses, who are a part of the second woe, will begin their mission, and the rebuilding of the temple will commence. This will continue for 3.5 years—the time marked by Christ.] [THE THIRD WOE NOW BEGINS (Rev. 11:14, 15 and following).] In the middle of the “seven” he [the Antichrist] will put an end to sacrifice and offering [the sacrifices offered by the Israelites in their new temple will be ended]. And on a wing of the temple [which was being built during the first 3.5 years] HE [THE ANTICHRIST] WILL SET UP AN ABOMINATION THAT CAUSES DESOLATION [“THE IMAGE IN HONOR OF THE BEAST” (REV. 13:14)], until THE END that is decreed is poured out [vial judgments] on him [the Antichrist]. (Dan. 9:26, 27)

This seven-year prophecy precedes the second coming of Christ to Israel.

THE ABOMINATION

Then I saw another beast, coming out of the earth. He had two horns like a lamb, but he spoke like a dragon. He exercised all the authority of the first beast on his behalf, and made the earth and its inhabitants worship the first beast, whose fatal wound had been healed. And he performed great and miraculous signs, even causing fire to come down from heaven to earth in full view of men. Because of the signs he was given power to do on behalf of the first beast, he deceived the inhabitants of the earth. HE ORDERED THEM TO SET UP AN IMAGE IN HONOR OF THE BEAST WHO WAS WOUNDED BY THE SWORD AND YET LIVED. HE WAS GIVEN POWER TO GIVE BREATH TO THE IMAGE OF THE FIRST BEAST, SO THAT IT COULD SPEAK AND CAUSE ALL WHO REFUSED TO WORSHIP THE IMAGE TO BE KILLED. (Rev. 13:11-15)

Where does this image get “set up”?

The temple.

Where does the Antichrist rule?

The temple.

He will oppose and will exalt himself over everything that is called God or is worshiped, so that he sets himself up in God’s temple, proclaiming himself to be God. (2 Thess. 2:4)

The Antichrist will seize control of, and rule from, the temple that Israel was allowed to rebuild.

While in the Holy Land, Christ prophesied of the same end-time prophecy.

CHRIST’S REVELATION TO MATTHEW

And this gospel of the kingdom will be PREACHED [which includes the 3.5 years of PREACHING BY THE TWO WITNESSES] in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then THE END [which includes the vial judgments poured out on the Antichrist] will come. . .

THE THIRD WOE: 3.5 YEARS

So when you see standing in the holy place “the abomination that causes desolation,” spoken of through the prophet Daniel—let the reader understand—then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. Let no one on the roof of his house go down to take anything out of the house. Let no one in the field go back to get his cloak. [This is when God will protect the “woman” (Israel) for 3.5 years.] How dreadful it will be in those days for pregnant women and nursing mothers! Pray that your flight will not take place in winter or on the Sabbath. For then there will be great distress, unequaled from the beginning of the world until now—and never to be equaled again. (Matt. 24:14-21)

The seventieth “seven” is a unified, seven-year prophecy that has two distinct elements: the two prophets of God (with other judgments) and the two prophets of Satan (with the vial judgments)… all of which applies Israel—not the church.

THE END OF THE SEVENTIETH “SEVEN”

Immediately after the distress of those days “the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from the sky, and the heavenly bodies will be shaken.”

At that time the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and all the nations of the earth will mourn. They will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky, with power and great glory. And he will send his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other. (Matt. 24:29-31)

God bless.

revvel

Hello dmiller,

This is the prophecy we are referring to:

For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark; and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other left. Two women will be grinding with a hand mill; one will be taken and the other left. (Matt. 24:38-41)

The Greek word for “taken” means, “to take near, with, or to one’s self, take from beside another… to take to one’s self.”

This is exactly what shall come to pass for both the church and Israel: Christ will take us from beside another (from those who are “left”)… and take us unto himself.

God did the same with Noah. He took Noah unto himself.

Did Noah know that he would be “saved”?

Yes.

Noah knew that God would take him unto himself, and that the others would be left… to judgment.

Do we as the church know we will be saved?

Yes.

We know that Christ will take us unto himself, and that the others will be left… to judgment.

The Greek word for “left” means, “to send forth or away, to let go from one’s self, then, to let go from one’s further notice, care, etc., to leave, let alone.”

When the prophetic trumpet sounds on the Feast of Trumpets, God’s people shall be gathered/taken/harvested… and those who are not God’s people shall be left in the fields (not harvested). In the case of the Apocalypse, those left in the fields of the Holy Land will be slain.

God bless.

revvel

Hello Sprawled out,

Many of us in the body of Christ have been taught to be ignorant of prophetic time. Tragically, this is to the delight of Satan—not Christ.

With all due respect… I would like to focus on the subject of time in prophecy via the holy days.

If you want more information now, I again invite you to read chapter 4 of The Prophecy… but suit yourself.

This thread is just getting started.

God bless.

revvel

THE HOLY DAYS: PART 3: THE DAY OF ATONEMENT

With evil defeated and the Israelites gathered in the Holy Land, Christ shall take his rightful throne and will judge the nations—and fulfill the next holy day: the Day of Atonement.

When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his throne in heavenly glory. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left. Then the King will say to those on his right, “Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world.” . . . Then he will say to those on his left, “Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.” (Matt. 25:31–34, 41)

The Day of Atonement is the most solemn day of the year because Heaven’s judgment is sealed. On this future day in time—on Yom Kippur—Christ will deliver righteous judgment.

The sixth feast given to Moses was the Day of Atonement, or Yom Kippur. It falls on the tenth day of the Hebrew month called Tishrei, and it is the most solemn day on the Hebrew calendar. The ten days that lead up to and include this day are referred to as the “Ten Days of Repentance.” They are the final ten days of the unique season of Teshuvah, and they are High Holy Days. God gave the final ten-day span of time for his people to examine their lives, pray for forgiveness, and return to what is right—before the Day of Atonement.

Atonement ushers in a regeneration when founded upon a humble heart and an amendment of unjust ways. The central theme of the holy day was to restore the interrupted relationship with God, for this is what the Creator seeks with his creation: harmony.

He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God. (Micah 6:8)

When God gave Moses the Law regarding the Day of Atonement, he gave his people a way to choose to be free from their sins, to be clean.

This is to be a lasting ordinance for you: On the tenth day of the seventh month you must deny yourselves and not do any work—whether native-born or an alien living among you—because on this day atonement will be made for you, to cleanse you. Then, before the Lord, you will be clean from all your sins. . . . He [the priest] is to put on the sacred linen garments and make atonement for the Most Holy Place . . . and the altar, and for the priests and all the people of the community. (Lev. 16:29, 30, 32, 33)

The high priest acted on behalf of the people to bring about this cleansing of sin. On the Day of Atonement the high priest entered into the holiest of all: the Holy of Holies in the temple. “[T]he high priest entered the inner room, and that only once a year, and never without blood, which he offered for himself and for the sins the people had committed in ignorance” (Heb. 9:7).There he sprinkled the blood of the sacrifice (the sin offering) on the mercy seat, and it yielded the cleansing of sin.

Of the many prophecies that refer to Christ’s return for followers of the Old Covenant, one given by the prophet Isaiah makes specific reference to the priestly responsibility that takes place on the Day of Atonement: the sprinkling of the blood. Isaiah prophesied, “so will he [Christ] sprinkle many nations, and kings will shut their mouths because of him” (Isa. 52:15).

On the Day of Atonement, Christ himself shall enter the Holy of Holies in the temple and shall intercede for God’s people.

“uddenly the Lord you are seeking will come to his temple; the messenger of the covenant, whom you desire, will come,” says the Lord Almighty. (Mal. 3:1)

In Heaven, Christ now reigns as the great high priest, and he shall return as Lord and King to judge, and to cleanse, and to make atonement for God’s people.

Ezekiel spoke forth God’s vision that would mark the future fulfillment of this holy day of Atonement:

I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your impurities and from all your idols. I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws. . . . Then the nations will know that I the Lord make Israel holy, when my sanctuary is among them forever. (Ezek. 36:25–27; 37:28)

God bless.

revvel

Edited September 1, 2006 by revvel

[revvel]

THE HOLY DAYS: PART 4: THE FEAST OF TABERNACLES

The cleansing and the judgment given on the Day of Atonement shall prepare the way for the millennial kingdom: the 1000-year reign of Heaven on Earth. The seventh and final feast—the Feast of Tabernacles—foreshadows this magnificent time to come for our world.

The Feast of Tabernacles calls to remembrance the time the children of Israel lived in the desert (the wilderness), following the exodus from Egypt. The Hebrew word for “tabernacle” means “booth, cottage . . . pavilion . . . [or] tent.” The Old Testament makes reference to the temporary dwellings in which the Israelites lived in the wilderness while on the path to the Promised Land. As recorded by Moses, the Feast of Tabernacles—which begins on the fifteenth day of Tishrei—lasts for seven days.

Celebrate this as a festival to the Lord for seven days each year. This is to be a lasting ordinance for the generations to come; celebrate it in the seventh month. Live in booths for seven days: All native-born Israelites are to live in booths so your descendants will know that I had the Israelites live in booths when I brought them out of Egypt. I am the Lord your God. (Lev. 23:41–43)

This seven-day feast foreshadowed the millennial kingdom. This holy time calls to remembrance the wilderness experience and the supernatural presence of God.

By day the Lord went ahead of them in a pillar of cloud to guide them on their way and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, so that they could travel by day or night. Neither the pillar of cloud by day nor the pillar of fire by night left its place in front of the people. (Exod. 13:21, 22)

In the desert, the Israelites saw the hand of God, understood his presence, and knew he had delivered them—and built a sanctuary for him. It is written: “Then have them make a sanctuary for me, and I [God] will dwell among them” (Exod. 25:8).

As God dwelt with the Israelites and protected them in the wilderness, so shall the Son of God dwell and reign in this world. At this future time, immortal souls shall reign over the Earth and live with the mortal souls (those among the nations who lived through the final seven years of prophecy). For 1000 years, peace shall reign on this planet. What follows are prophecies about this divine, future time:

“Shout and be glad, O Daughter of Zion. For I am coming, and I will live among you,” declares the Lord. “Many nations will be joined with the Lord in that day and will become my people. I will live among you and you will know that the Lord Almighty has sent me to you. The Lord will inherit Judah as his portion in the holy land and will again choose Jerusalem.” (Zech. 2:10–12)

In the last days the mountain of the Lord’s temple will be established as chief among the mountains; it will be raised above the hills, and all nations will stream to it. Many peoples will come and say, “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob. He will teach us his ways, so that we may walk in his paths.” The law will go out from Zion, the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. He will judge between the nations and will settle disputes for many peoples. They will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not take up sword against nation, nor will they train for war anymore. (Isa. 2:2–4)

The Feast of Tabernacles is also referred to as the “Festival of Ingathering” and the “Feast of the Nations.” As prophesied in the Old Testament, during the time of Heaven’s 1000-year kingdom, nations on Earth will celebrate this feast: “Then the survivors from all the nations that have attacked Jerusalem will go up year after year to worship the King, the Lord Almighty, and to celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles” (Zech. 14:16).

The Feast of Tabernacles is also called the “Season of Our Joy.” It is the joy found in God’s deliverance and presence. This can be seen from the following prophecy that speaks of the coming millennial kingdom:

e glad and rejoice forever in what I will create, for I [God] will create Jerusalem to be a delight and its people a joy. I will rejoice over Jerusalem and take delight in my people; the sound of weeping and of crying will be heard in it no more. Never again will there be in it an infant who lives but a few days, or an old man who does not live out his years; he who dies at a hundred will be thought a mere youth; he who fails to reach a hundred will be considered accursed. They will build houses and dwell in them; they will plant vineyards and eat their fruit. No longer will they build houses and others live in them, or plant and others eat. For as the days of a tree, so will be the days of my people; my chosen ones will long enjoy the works of their hands. They will not toil in vain or bear children doomed to misfortune; for they will be a people blessed by the Lord, they and their descendants with them. Before they call I will answer; while they are still speaking I will hear. (Isa. 65:18–24)

This is the time of the glorious restoration of the nation of Israel, when all those who dwell in the Holy Land and throughout the world shall know the Creator.

In this national restoration, God’s blessing to the followers of the Old Covenant will witness the fulfillment of Ezekiel’s prophecy: the ancient nation of Israel, once separated by the northern and southern tribes, shall be joined by God to be one again.

The word of the Lord came to me [Ezekiel]: “Son of man, take a stick of wood and write on it, ‘Belonging to Judah and the Israelites associated with him.’ Then take another stick of wood, and write on it, ‘Ephraim’s stick, belonging to Joseph and all the house of Israel associated with him.’ Join them together into one stick so that they will become one in your hand.

“When your countrymen ask you, ‘Won’t you tell us what you mean by this?’ say to them, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: I am going to take the stick of Joseph—which is in Ephraim's hand—and of the Israelite tribes associated with him, and join it to Judah's stick, making them a single stick of wood, and they will become one in my hand.’ Hold before their eyes the sticks you have written on and say to them, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: I will take the Israelites out of the nations where they have gone. I will gather them from all around and bring them back into their own land. I will make them one nation in the land, on the mountains of Israel. There will be one king over all of them and they will never again be two nations or be divided into two kingdoms. They will no longer defile themselves with their idols and vile images or with any of their offenses, for I will save them from all their sinful backsliding, and I will cleanse them. They will be my people, and I will be their God.

(Ezek. 37:15–23)

God bless.

revvel

[Sunesis]

Just awesome Revvel. Lot's to think about and study. The Bible truly is a book of prophecy.

I appreciate your shareing, please continue to do so, even if others disagree.

[revvel]

Hello Sunesis,

God bless your heart:)

revvel

[bliss]

I tell you the truth, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things [end-time events] have happened. (Mark 13:28–30)

Can you expound on ''this generation" if you can?

I was intrigued by the ''preterist'' belief that Jesus was speaking to THAT generation exactly, and referring to the temple that was destroyed in 740 AD. Many of the things here in Mark that Jesus prophesied of came to pass during the apostles generation. Food for thought. Still working it all out.

www.preteristsite.com

Revvel check it out if you can and I would like to hear your thoughts on it.

:)

Edited September 6, 2006 by bliss

[TheInvisibleDan]

Can you expound on ''this generation" if you can?

I was intrigued by the ''preterist'' belief that Jesus was speaking to THAT generation exactly, and referring to the temple that was destroyed in 740 AD. Many of the things here in Mark that Jesus prophesied of came to pass during the apostles generation. Food for thought. Still working it all out.

www.preteristsite.com

Revvel check it out if you can and I would like to hear your thoughts on it.

:)

I've always found the Preterist position fascinating. In a roundabout way, it's a good way of getting one's feet wet in the field of "historical criticism", or if you will, attempting to interpret and understand biblical prophecies in view in their historical context.

Admittedly, one may find (at least as I personally do) the Preterist position unsatisfactory in pursuit of the inevitable question "where are we now?" - but I've yet to review their ideas there more thoroughly.

Danny

[revvel]

Hello bliss,

You asked a good question: Who is the “generation” spoken of by Christ in his prophecy?

Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When his branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh: So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, KNOW THAT IT IS NEAR, EVEN AT THE DOORS. Verily I say unto you, THIS GENERATION shall not pass, till ALL THESE THINGS BE FULFILLED. (Matt. 24:32-34 kjv)

Is this the generation of the first century?

Or is this a future generation that would live to see the fulfillment of end-time prophecies?

What will be “near,” “even at the doors”?

What are the “things” that must be “fulfilled”?

What is the immediate context?

Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken: And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other. (Matt. 24:29-31 kjv)

Was this fulfilled in the first century?

Or was Christ speaking of a future century?

Christ expounded upon this prophecy in the Book of Revelation:

I [John] saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True. With justice he judges and makes war. His eyes are like blazing fire, and on his head are many crowns. He has a name written on him that no one knows but he himself. He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and his name is the Word of God. The armies of heaven were following him, riding on white horses and dressed in fine linen, white and clean. [Fine linen stands for the righteous acts of the saints (Rev. 19:8).] Out of his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations. “He will rule them with an iron scepter.” He treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty. On his robe and on his thigh he has this name written:

KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.

And I saw an angel standing in the sun, who cried in a loud voice to all the birds flying in midair, “Come, gather together for the great supper of God, “so that you may eat the flesh of kings, generals, and mighty men, of horses and their riders, and the flesh of all people, free and slave, small and great.”

Then I saw the beast and the kings of the earth and their armies gathered together to make war against the rider on the horse and his army. But the beast was captured, and with him the false prophet who had performed the miraculous signs on his behalf. With these signs he had deluded those who had received the mark of the beast and worshiped his image. The two of them were thrown alive into the fiery lake of burning sulfur. The rest of them were killed with the sword that came out of the mouth of the rider on the horse, and all the birds gorged themselves on their flesh. (Rev. 19:11–21)

Was this fulfilled in the first century?

Or was Christ speaking of a future century?

What did Christ tell John in the Book of Revelation?

Write the things which thou hast seen, and the things which are, and the things which shall be hereafter. (Rev. 1:19 kjv)

The “things which shall be hereafter” begin in chapter 4:

After this I looked, and, behold, a door was opened in heaven: and the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me; which said, Come up hither, and I will shew thee things which must be hereafter. (Rev 4:1 kjv)

If chapter 4 begins what “must be hereafter,” and the descent of Christ with his angels/armies is in chapter 19, then the descent of Christ with his angels/armies “must be hereafter.”

The Book of Revelation was written late in the first century. Most estimates place the writing of it at about A.D. 95.

If the descent of Christ with his angels/armies “must be hereafter,” then the “generation” in Christ’s prophecy “must be hereafter.” Herein, the “generation” is the future generation that will be alive during the second coming of Christ—not the generation that was alive during the first coming of Christ.

How can the second coming of Christ be “hereafter,” and at the same time, already have been fulfilled decades earlier during the life of the “generation” that witnessed the first coming of Christ?

It’s impossible.

Our Lord gave us an irrefutable mark in time… in the Book of Revelation…

For those of us in the body of Christ who hold to the supreme authority of Scripture, “the things which shall be hereafter” means “the things which shall be hereafter.”

This includes:

The future salvation of the church: (Rev. 6:12, 14; 7:9-17).

Wrath: (Rev. 6:17; 8:1 and following)

The rebuilding of the temple in Jerusalem: (Rev. 11:1, 2)

Daniel’s seven-year prophecy: (Rev. 11:3; 13:5)

God’s two witnesses: (Rev. 11:3-6)

Satan’s two witnesses: the Antichrist and false prophet: (Rev. 13)

The future salvation of Israel: (Rev. 19:11-21)

That said…

The first coming of Christ ushered in the “last time.” We have been living in the “last time” since the first century.

Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time. (I John 2:18 kjv)

In this “last time,” Christ gave us two absolute markings in time. He did so in the Gospels (the replanted fig tree: Israel) and in the Book of Revelation (what must be hereafter). It is the replanted fig tree that signals the imminent fulfillment of what must be hereafter (as cited above).

2000 years ago, our Lord spoke of us… who are alive today.

We are the “generation” that “must be hereafter”…

We will live to see the fulfillment of end-time prophecies!!

What follows are four posts that expound upon Christ’s prophecy in Matthew 24:

GENERATION OF VIPERS

THE FIG TREE: ISRAEL: BARREN, CURSED, AND REPLANTED

MATTHEW 24

LUKE 21 AND MATTHEW 24

God bless.

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INTRODUCTION

Did Christ spoke forth prophecies about “his” generation (of the first century)?

Did Christ speak forth prophecies about a future generation (that would live to see the fulfillment of end-time prophecies)?

Did the Old Testament prophets prophesy about the generation that would be alive during the first coming of the Messiah?

Did the Old Testament prophets prophesy about the generation that would be alive during the second coming of the Messiah?

Did the apostles Paul and John speak of Israel in the context of the first century?

Did the apostles Paul and John speak of Israel in the context of a future century?

Yes… to all of the above.

Herein, the Scriptures reveal prophecies about two separate “generations.”

How do we know which is which?

The context…

This is no scriptural justification to arbitrarily decide that every time the word “generation” is used it must always refer to the first century, or it must always refer to the century of the end times, or it must always refer to a generation of good, or it must always refer to a generation of evil. By itself, the word “generation” holds no particular relevance to a given century, or to a given nature (good/evil).

The context determines the interpretation…

This is where I am coming from: Why not let Christ, and the voice of the Old Testament (Daniel, Hosea, and Isaiah), and the voice of the New Testament (Paul, John, Matthew, and Luke) speak to us about the generations found in prophecy?

We as the body of Christ cannot afford to rely on what one person “believes” the Gospel of Matthew is saying.

GENERATION OF VIPERS

There are two Greek words translated “generation.”

Genea: “an age (the period or the persons):—age, generation, nation, time.”

Gennema: “offspring… produce (lit. or fig.):—fruit, generation.”

For example:

But first he [Christ] must suffer many things and be rejected by this generation [Genea]. (Luke 17:25)

Which “generation” rejected Christ?

The generation of the first century…

Christ referred to the Israelites who rejected him as the “generation of vipers.”

O GENERATION [GENNEMA] OF VIPERS, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh. A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things. But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment. For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned. Then certain of the scribes and of the Pharisees answered, saying, Master, we would see a sign from thee. But he answered and said unto them, AN EVIL AND ADULTEROUS GENERATION [GENEA] seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given to it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas: For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale's belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. The men of Nineveh shall rise in judgment with THIS GENERATION [GENEA], and shall condemn it: because they repented at the preaching of Jonas; and, behold, a greater than Jonas is here. The queen of the south shall rise up in the judgment with THIS GENERATION [GENEA], and shall condemn it: for she came from the uttermost parts of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and, behold, a greater than Solomon is here. When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through dry places, seeking rest, and findeth none. Then he saith, I will return into my house from whence I came out; and when he is come, he findeth it empty, swept, and garnished. Then goeth he, and taketh with himself seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter in and dwell there: and the last state of that man is worse than the first. Even so shall it be also unto THIS WICKED GENERATION [GENEA]. (Matt. 12:34-45 kjv)

What is the context?

To whom is Christ speaking?

The (wicked) generation of his contemporaries: the first century.

John the Baptist also referred to those he personally spoke to as the “generation of vipers.”

But when he [John the Baptist] saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees come to his baptism, he said unto them, O GENERATION OF VIPERS, who hath warned you to flee from the WRATH to come? (Matt. 3:7 kjv)

Obviously, John is speaking to the generation of the first century—who would live to see… wrath.

What wrath is John referring to in his prophecy?

The wrath of the first century…

What wrath of the first century?

When you see Jerusalem being surrounded by [Roman] armies, you will know that its desolation is near. Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains, let those in the city get out, and let those in the country not enter the city. For this is the time of punishment in fulfillment of ALL THAT HAS BEEN WRITTEN [bY THE OLD TESTAMENT PROPHETS]. How dreadful it will be in those days for pregnant women and nursing mothers! There will be great distress in the land and WRATH AGAINST THIS PEOPLE. They will FALL BY THE SWORD and will be taken as prisoners to all the nations. (Luke 21:20-24 kjv)

Christ prophesied that “this people” would “fall by the sword” and be “taken as prisoners to all the nations.” This prophecy was fulfilled as given. In A.D. 70, the Romans destroyed the temple and the Israelites were massacred or enslaved. The last two millenniums testify to the dispersal of the Israelites.

Christ said, “For this is the time of punishment in fulfillment of ALL THAT HAS BEEN WRITTEN.” Therefore, the wrath to fall upon Christ’s generation must have already been spoken of by the Old Testament prophets.

This wrath is the same wrath spoken by Hosea:

Hear ye this, O priests; and hearken, ye house of Israel; and give ye ear, O house of the king; for judgment is toward you. (Hosea 5:1 kjv)

The princes of Judah were like them that remove the bound: therefore I will pour out my wrath upon them like water. (Hosea 5:10 kjv)

The days of visitation are come, the days of recompence are come; Israel shall know it: the prophet is a fool, the spiritual man is mad, for the multitude of thine iniquity, and the great hatred. (Hosea 9:7 kjv)

Woe unto them! for they have fled from me: destruction unto them! because they have transgressed against me: though I have redeemed them, yet they have spoken lies against me. And they have not cried unto me with their heart, when they howled upon their beds: they assemble themselves for corn and wine, and they rebel against me. Though I have bound and strengthened their arms, yet do they imagine mischief against me. They return, but not to the most High: they are like a deceitful bow: their princes SHALL FALL BY THE SWORD for the rage of their tongue. (Hosea 7:13-16 kjv)

Without question, Christ, John the Baptist, and the Old Testament prophets spoke of wrath to fall upon the “generation of vipers” that were alive during the first coming of Christ.

What about the second coming of Christ?

How did Christ make reference to that generation?

God bless.

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THE FIG TREE: ISRAEL: BARREN, CURSED, AND REPLANTED

During his life, Christ spoke frequently of what should become of the Jewish people. Christ painted a threefold picture: the barren, cursed, and replanted fig tree.

Christ’s prophecies about “his” generation correspond to the barren and cursed fig tree.

Christ’s prophecies about the future generation correspond to the replanted fig tree.

THE BARREN FIG TREE

Then he told this parable: “A man had a fig tree, planted in his vineyard, and he went to look for fruit on it, but did not find any. So he said to the man who took care of the vineyard, ‘For three years now I’ve been coming to look for fruit on this fig tree and haven’t found any. Cut it down! Why should it use up the soil?’ ‘Sir,’ the man replied, ‘leave it alone for one more year, and I’ll dig around it and fertilize it. If it bears fruit next year, fine! If not, then cut it down.’” (Luke 13:6-9)

The vineyard represents the land of Palestine: the location of Israel.

How do we know that Christ is referring to the Jewish nation?

This “fig tree” symbolism is given to us to understand:

When I found Israel, it was like finding grapes in the desert; when I saw your fathers, it was like seeing the early fruit on the fig tree. (Hosea 9:10)

God is the owner of the vineyard and its fig tree, and Christ is the one declaring the lack of fruit. As the fig tree (Jewish nation) bore no fruit, Christ declared it should be cut down. To demonstrate this judgment upon Israel, Christ literally cursed a fig tree.

THE CURSED FIG TREE

The next day as they were leaving Bethany, Jesus was hungry. Seeing in the distance a fig tree in leaf, he went to find out if it had any fruit. When he reached it, he found nothing but leaves, because it was not the season for figs. Then he said to the tree, “May no one ever eat fruit from you again.” And his disciples heard him say it.

On reaching Jerusalem, Jesus entered the temple area and began

driving out those who were buying and selling there. He overturned the

tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves, 16 and would not allow anyone to carry merchandise through the temple courts. And as he taught them, he said, “Is it not written:

“‘My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations’?

But you have made it ‘a den of robbers.’” (Mark 11:12-17)

Christ was hungry for fruit—a spiritual harvest—in Israel, but as made clear by his actions in the temple and by his condemnation of the religious “robbers” that plundered it, no fruit would be forthcoming from this “fig tree” of the Jewish nation.

The following prophecy from the prophet Micah revealed the state of the fig tree:

There is none of the early figs that I crave. The godly have been swept from the land; not one upright man remains. The best of them is like a brier, the most upright worse than a thorn hedge. (Micah 7:1-4)

The Jewish nation professed a religious creed by their “show” (leaves), but bore no spiritual fruit. Hence, Jesus cursed the nation for its hypocrisy. The cursing of the fig tree symbolized the spiritual death that permeated the temple and the nation, and it foreshadowed the physical withering of the nation itself—which came to pass in A.D. 70 when the Romans overthrew the Jewish nation.

While in the Holy Land, Christ prophesied of this wrath that would fall upon the generation of the first century:

Either make the tree good, and his fruit good; or else make the tree corrupt, and his fruit corrupt: for the tree is known by his fruit. O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh. (Matt. 12:33, 34 kjv)

Ye serpents, YE GENERATION OF VIPERS, how can ye escape the damnation of hell? Wherefore, behold, I send unto you prophets, and wise men, and scribes: and some of them ye shall kill and crucify; and some of them shall ye scourge in your synagogues, and persecute them from city to city: That upon you may come all the righteous blood shed upon the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel unto the blood of Zacharias son of Barachias, whom ye slew between the temple and the altar. Verily I say unto you, All these things shall come upon this generation. O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not! (Matt. 23:33-37 kjv)

To whom is Christ speaking?

But woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: for ye neither go in yourselves, neither suffer ye them that are entering to go in. Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye devour widows’ houses, and for a pretence make long prayer: therefore ye shall receive the greater damnation. Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye compass sea and land to make one proselyte, and when he is made, ye make him twofold more the child of hell than yourselves. (Matt. 23:13-15 kjv)

The “generation of vipers” is the wicked generation of Israelites of the first century. They would not receive a blessing, but judgment and wrath (Luke 21:20-24a kjv).

THE REPLANTED FIG TREE

Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When his branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh: So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors.

Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled. (Matt. 24:32-34)

Christ is prophesying of new life: the replanted fig tree.

Was Israel replanted in the first century?

No.

The replanted fig tree is in the context of what “shall be hereafter.”

In the first century, the fig tree of the Jewish nation was cursed—not replanted.

If the cursed fig tree of the Jewish nation lost its “home” in the Holy Land in the first century, then what would be the significance of the replanted fig tree?

The Israelites would regain their “home” in the Holy Land—in a time that “must be hereafter.” Therefore, the “generation” must be a future generation.

Christ’s prophecy about the replanting of the fig tree is our landmark in time. It is an absolute marking of time—not a relative statement about time. The replanting of the fig tree sets the stage for all that must come to pass in our world—for all that must be fulfilled.

The prophecy of the replanted fig tree has a precedent in the Old Testament. Isaiah prophesied of the rebirth of Israel by describing a woman giving birth BEFORE going into labor. In other words, Israel would be replanted as nation before the birth pains of the Messiah (which precede the second coming of the Messiah).

This is exactly what Christ is saying in his prophecy about the fig tree: the generation that begins with the replanting of Israel will live to see the fulfillment of end-time prophecies—which means they will witness the birth pains.

Here is Isaiah’s prophecy:

Before she travailed, she brought forth; before her pain came, she was delivered of a man child. Who hath heard such a thing? who hath seen such things? Shall the earth be made to bring forth in one day? or shall a nation be born at once? (Isa. 66:7, 8 kjv)

E. W. Bullinger stated this: “he brought forth. This is the birth of the new nation. These are the “birth pangs” (“or sorrows”) of Matt. 24” (E.W. Bullinger, The Companion Bible, p. 1013).

Isaiah foretold that Israel would be born (or replanted) in one day: “Shall the earth be made to bring forth in one day? [O]r shall a nation be born at once?” This is exactly what happened on May 14, 1948: Israel became a united and sovereign nation. With God, all things are possible—even a nation being “born at once.”

In 1948, secular powers brought forth the nation of Israel.

Did God use secular powers in the Old Testament to bring to pass his will? Yes.

Thus saith the Lord GOD; I will also make the multitude of Egypt to cease by the hand of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon. (Ezek. 30:10 kjv)

If God used secular powers for his purposes in Old Testament times, then why couldn’t he do so in New Testament times?

He did so in 1948.

What precedes the future salvation of Israel?

The replanting of Israel…

THIS REPLANTING OF ISRAEL ALSO FORESHADOWS THE COMING MILLENNIAL KINGDOM. THIS IS EXACTLY WHAT CHRIST PROPHESIED:

And he spake to them a parable; Behold the fig tree [israel], and all the trees [nations]; When they now shoot forth, ye see and know of your own selves that summer is now nigh [near] at hand. So likewise ye, when ye see these things come to pass, know ye that THE KINGDOM OF GOD IS NIGH AT HAND. Verily I say unto you, This generation [that began with the replanted fig tree] shall not pass away, till all be fulfilled. (Luke 21:29-31 KJV)

What is Christ referring to when he states, “the kingdom of God is nigh at hand”?

Firstly, this is a blessing—not a curse.

What kingdom of God is this?

The kingdom is the 1000-year reign of Heaven on Earth: when the kingdom of God replaces the kingdoms of man. The “generation” is the one that will live to see the fulfillment of all that has been foretold about the end-times—which leads straight to the millennial kingdom.

There is a similar prophecy in Revelation—which “must be hereafter”—that speaks of the change in kingdoms that is to come:

And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever. (Rev. 11:15)

It is the generation that began with the replanting of the fig tree that will live to see the blessing of the kingdom of God reigning on the Earth.

Herein, fundamental to our understanding of biblical prophecy is the following central thought: The establishment of the Jewish state in 1948 is the key piece of the prophetic puzzle that first had to be in place, before the rest of the puzzle could be assembled. This is what Christ said in his prophecy: When the fig tree (Israel) is replanted and shooting forth among the other new, independent nations (that are also shooting forth), then the stage is set for the fulfillment of all that has been foretold.

God bless.

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