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CNN & “Rapture Anxiety”

Posted in #PaulthePoke, Fake News???, Prophecy, Rapture, Trend Update with tags AJ Willingham, CNN, Darren Slade, exvangelical, Global Center for Religious Research, rapture anxiety on September 29, 2022 by paulthepoke

2 Peter 3:4 …and saying, “Where is the promise of His coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue just as they were from the beginning of creation.”

Congratulations to CNN, you as well as many others, continue to fulfill God’s word.

Titus 2:13 …waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ…

Apparently, those of us who believe in the rapture are causing mental trauma and anxiety to certain segments of our society.

Those who have experienced said anxieties call themselves “exvangelicals”. They have been exposed to “traumatic religious experiences”. They say it can take years or a lifetime to recover.

Mental health professionals call this “rapture anxiety”. Darren Slade, President/CEO of the Global Center for Religious Research was quoted. CNN claims Slade is a Baptist Preacher and religious scholar. Slade also believes in “modern rapture theory” which states the idea of the rapture was initiated in the 1800’s.

“This is a real thing. It’s a chronic problem. This is a new area of study, but in general, our research has revealed that religious trauma leads to an increase of anxiety, depression, paranoia and even some OCD-like behaviors: ‘I need to say this prayer of salvation so many times,’ ‘I need to confess my sins so often.’”

“Now imagine. You are taught that at any minute, you could be left here on Earth. What does that do to the teenager who just had premarital sex, or even simply took the Lord’s name in vain?”

https://www.cnn.com/2022/09/27/us/rapture-anxiety-evangelical-exvangelical-christianity-cec

Article written by AJ Willingham

To the critic who says the word “rapture” is not in the English translation of the Bible. Congratulations to the critic, you are correct. The word “rapture” is not in the English translated Bible. Hopefully this does not shake anyone’s faith. So where does the word “rapture” come?

For the answer, we have to go back to the fourth century. St. Jerome was commissioned by Pope Damasus in 382 AD to translate the Bible into the Latin language. St. Jerome translated the New Testament from the original Greek. The saint was the Pope’s secretary. He finished the translation before Damasus died in 384 AD. After the Pope’s death, St. Jerome moved to Bethlehem. By 405 AD, he had translated the Hebrew Bible or what we call the Old Testament. By the 13^th century, St. Jerome’s translation had become the official Latin translation of the Bible for the Roman Catholic Church. The Latin translation of the Bible is called the Vulgate. The Vulgate is generally credited as the first translation of the Old Testament. http://www.Vulgate.org

This is how we get our Bible. Depending on the version or translation we read, the New Testament was translated from the original Greek. The Old Testament was by in large translated from the Hebrew language with the exception of a few chapters in Daniel and Ezra which are written in Aramaic. Sorry, the Bible was not originally commissioned and written in Old English from the King of England in the early 17^th century.

The example for the word “rapture” comes from 1 Thessalonians 4:17. Jerome translated from the original Greek as written by the Apostle Paul. Below is the original Greek writing of the verse. The word in question is underlined in the Latin, Greek, and English versions.

1 Thessalonians 4:17 ἔπειτα ἡμεῖς οἱ ζῶντες οἱ περιλειπόμενοι ἅμα σὺν αὐτοῖς ἁρπαγησόμεθα ἐν νεφέλαις εἰς ἀπάντησιν τοῦκυρίου εἰς ἀέρα· καὶ οὕτως πάντοτε σὺν κυρίῳ ἐσόμεθα. https://net.bible.org/#!bible/1+Thessalonians+4

Epistula Ad Thessalonicenses I – Chapter 4:17 deinde nos qui vivimus qui relinquimur simul rapiemur cum illis in nubibus obviam Domino in aera et sic semper cum Domino erimus.

The word is “rapiemur” in Latin. http://www.Vulgate.org

1 Thessalonians 4:17 Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord. New American Standard Bible.

The English word “rapture” comes from “rapiemur” of the Latin translation of the Bible.

1 Thessalonians 4:17 Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord. The original Greek word for “caught up” is ηαρπαζο/harpazo. Per Strong’s Concordance it means: to seize, carry off by force, claim for one’s self eagerly, to snatch out or away.

Jesus will seize and claim eagerly for Himself those who believe in Him. Once believers are claimed, we are forever with Him. If the security of that verse is not enough…

Rapture Verses in the Bible

1 Corinthians 15:51-52 Behold, I tell you a mystery; we will not all sleep, but we will all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed.

Genesis 5:21-24 Enoch lived sixty-five years, and became the father of Methuselah. Then Enoch walked with God three hundred years after he became the father of Methuselah, and he had other sons and daughters. So all the days of Enoch were three hundred and sixty-five years. Enoch walked with God; and he was not, for God took him.

Hebrews 11:5 By faith Enoch was taken up so that he would not see death; AND HE WAS NOT FOUND BECAUSE GOD TOOK HIM UP; for he obtained the witness that before his being taken up he was pleasing to God.

2 Kings 2:11 As they were going along and talking, behold, there appeared a chariot of fire and horses of fire which separated the two of them. And Elijah went up by a whirlwind to heaven.

Elisha was not the only witness to this event. 2 Kings 2:7 Now fifty men of the sons of the prophets went and stood opposite them at a distance, while the two of them stood by the Jordan. The text says there were at least 51 others at the event site.

Isaiah 57:1-2 The righteous man perishes, and no man takes it to heart; and devout men are taken away, while no one understands. For the righteous man is taken away from evil, He enters into peace; they rest in their beds, each one who walked in his upright way.

Psalm 27:5 For in the day of trouble He will conceal me in His tabernacle; in the secret place of His tent He will hide me; He will lift me up on a rock.

Isaiah 25:18 He will swallow up death for all time, and the Lord GOD will wipe tears away from all faces, and He will remove the reproach of His people from all the earth; for the LORD has spoken.

The context of these verses in Isaiah has the resurrection first and then there is this…

Isaiah 26:20 Come, my people, enter into your rooms and close your doors behind you; hide for a little while until indignation runs its course.

Zephaniah 2:2-3 Before the decree takes effect. The day passes like the chaff. Before the burning anger of the Lord comes upon you, before the day of the Lord’s anger comes upon you.

Seek the Lord, all you humble of the earth who have carried out His ordinances; seek righteousness, seek humility. Perhaps you will be hidden in the day of the Lord’s anger.

Author page at Amazon… https://www.amazon.com/Paul-Lehr/e/B09W8FB77N

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Feast of Trumpets 2022, The Appointed Time of the Rapture??? T.W. Tramm

Posted in #PaulthePoke, Fall Feasts, Prophecy, Rapture, Trend Update with tags apples, birth pains, blasts, bride, church, daniel, Feast of Trumpets, Gentiles, grapes, Isaiah, Jesus Christ, judgment, Jupiter, King, marriage, new moon, no one knows the day or hour, peace and security, redemption, resurrection of the dead, Rosh Hashanah, Sabbatical year, seven weeks, Shemitah, shout, Star of Bethlehem, T.W. Tramm, wedding, wheat, wrath, Year of Jubilee, Yom Teruah on September 23, 2022 by paulthepoke

SCRIPTURE teaches that there is an appointed date for the Rapture. Acts 17:31 …because He has set a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness through a Man whom He has appointed, having furnished proof to all people by raising Him from the dead.

While only God knows the exact date, many prophecy watchers believe it could be the Feast of Trumpets.

Here are 10 reasons why:

1. TRUMPET THEMES

The fundamental theme of the Feast of Trumpets is the sounding of trumpets (Lev. 23:24). In the Bible, trumpet blasts are associated with . . .

• Resurrection (1 Thess. 4:13–18).

• The opening of a door to heaven (Rev. 4:1).

• A gathering of the people (Isa. 27:13).

• The coronation of a king (1 Kings 1:39; Ps. 47:5; 98:6) .

• Approaching danger (Ez. 33:4; Jer. 4:19–21).

• A battle cry (Jer. 4:19–21).

• A time of wrath and judgment (Joel 2; Zeph. 1:14–16).

All of these themes are denotive of the Rapture and arrival of Judgment Day.

Furthermore, the Hebrew word translated “trumpet blasts” in Leviticus 23, teruah, may also refer to a “shout” (Strong’s 8643). The Rapture is when the Lord descends with a “shout” and a trumpet blast (1 Thess. 4:16).

2. JEWISH TRADITION

According to Jewish belief, the Feast of Trumpets is when . . .

• The resurrection of the dead occurs.

• The wedding of Messiah occurs.

• The time of Judgment begins.

These themes are denotive of the Rapture and arrival of Judgment Day.

3. INVISIBLE MOON

The Feast of Trumpets begins on the first day of the biblical month, when the moon is in its ‘New,’ or invisible, phase (Lev. 23:24). The Rapture is when the Church—symbolized by the moon—disappears, or is hidden from sight (Mic. 7:1, 2 NLT; Isa. 26:20).

4. DAY AND HOUR UNKNOWN

The Feast of Trumpets begins at the first sighting of the New-Moon crescent. Since no one knows exactly when the crescent will be sighted, “no one knows the day or hour” that the festival begins (Matt. 24:36).

5. HEAVEN’S GATE OPENED

The Feast of Trumpets, or New Moon, is when the eastern gate of Jerusalem is opened: “The gate of the inner court facing east is to be shut on the six working days, but on the … day of the New Moon it is to be opened” (Ezek. 46:1). The Rapture is when, after “six (thousand-year) days,” God’s people enter through the gate into heavenly Jerusalem: “Behold, I am coming quickly …. Blessed are those who … enter through the gates into the [holy] city (Rev. 22:12, 14).

6. SIGN OF THE WOMAN

The Feast of Trumpets coincides with an annual astronomical alignment in which the constellation Virgo is “clothed with the Sun with the Moon under her feet.” This alignment, called the “Sign of the Woman” in Revelation 12, marks the beginning of Israel’s Tribulation period and, some believe, the Rapture that precedes it.

7. PEACE AND SAFETY

The Feast of Trumpets coincides with the annual assembly of the UN, the organization established 77 years ago with the mission of “maintaining international peace and security.” This is significant because Scripture says the Rapture will occur while people are saying “peace and security” (1 Thess. 5:3).

Coincidentally, the UN’s 77th assembly this year ends on September 27—the Feast of Trumpets.

8. WHEAT GATHERING

The Feast of Trumpets occurs around summer’s end, when the wheat harvest is gathered into barns or granaries (Deut. 16:13). The gathering of wheat into a barn is a picture of the gathering of believers into the Father’s house at the Rapture (2 Thess. 2:1; Matt. 3:12).

9. APPLES AND GRAPES

The Feast of Trumpets is traditionally associated with apples and grapes, fruits that are harvested around this time. Some Jews even deny themselves apples and grapes until the Feast of Trumpets, so that they may eat them with increased enjoyment at the festival. This is significant because apples and grapes are the fruits mentioned in Song of Solomon’s rapture-allegory where the Gentile maid is in the presence of her beloved shepherd, a picture of the Church in the presence of the Good Shepherd, Jesus (Song 2:3, 5, 13, 15).

10. WEDDING REMINDER

The Feast of Trumpets is called a “memorial” blowing of trumpets (Lev. 23:24). While Leviticus does not specify what the trumpet blasts memorialize, the context suggests it is the trumpet blast at Sinai when God gave Israel the Law as a ‘wedding contract’ on the Day of Pentecost (Ex. 19).

Thus, the Feast of Trumpets is a day to remember Israel’s wedding and, by association, the Church’s betrothal that occurred on the same day, centuries later (Acts 2).

Since the Feast of Trumpets is a day to remember past weddings and betrothals, it is a fitting time for the ultimate wedding, the Rapture.

With the above 10 reasons in view, the Feast of Trumpets is a plausible time for the Rapture.

But there is more. Five major factors make this year’s Trumpets festival particularly auspicious:

1. STAGE SETTING

The current year, 2022, has seen an escalation of end-times “birth pains” like no other: wars and threats of war, new and resurgent viruses, extreme weather, earthquakes, famine and shortages (Matt. 24:6, 7). Yet, for most people, life carries on more or less as normal.

That a façade of normalcy exists, even as the world teeters on the brink, is significant as this is how Jesus said it would be at His return:

“As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be also in the days of the Son of Man: They ate, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all. Likewise as it was also in the days of Lot: They ate, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they built; but on the day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven and destroyed them all. Even so will it be in the day when the Son of Man is revealed” (Luke 17:26–30).

2. SABBATICAL SIGNS

The God of the Bible is known for giving a seven-day or seven-year warning before bringing judgment (Gen. 7:1–4; Josh. 6:1–5; Gen. 41). Moreover, the Lord orchestrates prophetic events according to His seven-year Sabbatical cycle (Dan. 9:24–27).

With these two facts in mind, it appears God has been issuing ‘trumpet’ warnings for the last three Sabbatical cycles:

In 2001, we saw the 9/11 attacks, followed by a record stock market crash on the Feast of Trumpets.

In 2008, we saw the Global Financial Crisis and another record market crash—a 777-point drop when Congress failed to pass a $700 billion bailout plan—on the Feast of Trumpets.

In 2015, we saw no financial crash but, instead, an extraordinary display of “signs in the sun, moon, and stars”—the signs that portend the Day of the Lord (Luke 21:25; Joel 2:31). Significantly, the final sign, a blood moon eclipse visible above Jerusalem, occurred on September 28, exactly seven years prior to the Feast of Trumpets in 2022.

3. WEDDING SIGN

On June 24 this year, all seven planets in the Solar System lined up in their correct order on the same side of the Sun, to form an ultra-rare “planetary procession.”

Seven days later, the Sun and Moon, which symbolize the Bridegroom and Bride in Scripture, came together in the constellation Gemini, the sign depicting the marriage union between a man and woman.

Notably, this ‘celestial wedding’ occurred on the biblical date Tammuz 1, exactly three months prior to the Feast of Trumpets on Tishrei 1. This is significant because a rabbinic law called Havchana requires a three-month waiting period before a Gentile bride can marry a Jew. (The purpose of the law is to ensure that the bride is not already pregnant before marrying, thereby avoiding any confusion concerning the lineage of the child.)

With the traditional three-month waiting period in view, it is possible that the wedding sign on Tammuz 1 was pointing to the ultimate Gentile–Jewish wedding, the wedding of the Church to Messiah, three months later at the Feast of Trumpets.

4. JUPITER NEAR APPROACH

On the Feast of Trumpets this year, Jupiter will make its closest approach to Earth in 70 years. This is noteworthy for a few reasons.

First, Jupiter, the planet with the red spot on its side, is a symbol of Messiah, wounded for our transgressions (Isa. 53).

Second, because it is the largest planet, Jupiter is called the King Planet. This is significant as Jewish tradition holds that the biblical month of Elul, which ends at the Feast of Trumpets, is when the “King is in the field,” i.e., nearest his subjects. It is thus striking that the King Planet is at its nearest point to Earth in 70 years as Elul ends and the Feast of Trumpets begins.

Third, in Scripture, the number 70 denotes a generation-timespan, a period of judgment, and/or liberation for God’s people (Ps. 90:10; Jer. 29:10).

With the above in view, Jupiter’s near approach on Feast of Trumpets signifies . . .

• A visit by Messiah–King.

• The end of a generation.

• A time of liberation.

5. TIMELINE CONVERGENCE

The number one reason Feast of Trumpets 2022 is particularly auspicious is a convergence of prophetic timelines. For details on this convergence, please see the article, video, or chart linked below.

Article: https://storage.googleapis.com/…/Ten%20Reasons%20Nisan…

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QgDenJ3a7NE&t=141s

Chart: https://storage.googleapis.com/…/BIBLICAL%20TIMELINE…

The most important timeline pointing to 2022 relates to the Year of Jubilee. While numerous attempts have been made to pinpoint the Jubilee based on historical events or patterns, I believe that Daniel’s Weeks Prophecy provides the simple formula needed to calculate the year of redemption:

“From the time the word goes out to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until Messiah the prince comes, there will be seven weeks” (Dan. 9:25).

Daniel says Messiah will appear “seven weeks,” or one jubilee period, after a restoration of Jerusalem.

The only modern restoration of Jerusalem occurred in June 1967, when the Jews took possession of the Holy City for the first time in nearly 2,000 years.

Counting seven weeks from the start of the first Sabbatical week following the restoration of Jerusalem, which is 1973, the Jubilee begins in 2022.

It is awe-inspiring to consider that 2,000 years ago, Jesus stood up at the synagogue to declare His role as Messiah and fulfiller of the Jubilee:

“The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor” (Luke 4:18, 19).

Today, if our reading of Daniel’s prophecy and the Sabbatical cycle are correct, “the Year of the Lord’s favor” is upon us.

SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION

Scripture teaches that there is an appointed date for the Rapture (Acts 17:31). We are told to watch for this day, and that we will see it approaching (Mark 13:37; Heb. 10:25).

The themes of the Feast of Trumpets are denotive of the Rapture. Furthermore, a convergence of signs and timelines suggests that 2022 may be a climactic year.

Will the trumpet blast that changes the world be heard at the impending Feast of Trumpets? Only God knows. But the prospect is utterly thrilling.

. . .

NOTES:

1. Feast of Trumpets timing:

The modern (precalculated) Jewish calendar has Feast of Trumpets beginning the evening of September 25. https://www.hebcal.com/converter?gd=25&gm=9&gy=2022&gs=on…

Torah Calendar, which bases festival timing on the projected sighting of the New-Moon crescent, has the Feast of Trumpets beginning the evening of September 27: https://torahcalendar.com/Calendar.asp?YM=Y2022M6

2. In the Bible, the Sun symbolizes Jesus the Bridegroom (Ps. 19:5; 84:11). The Moon, the Sun’s heavenly counterpart, represents the Bride, or Church. The Moon is emblematic of the Church as it has no light of its own, relying entirely upon the Sun for its light (Ps. 19:4, 5; 84:11). Likewise, man has no light of his own. We were created in the image of God to reflect His brilliance and glory (Gen. 1:27). When we turn to face the majesty of God, when we surrender to Him and seek Him with all our hearts, we reflect His glory, just like the Moon reflects the glory of the Sun (Matt. 5:14)

3. The UN was established 11 Sabbatical cycles ago on October 24, 1945, corresponding to the Jewish calendar date of the biblical Flood: Cheshvan 17.

4. More on why the Feast of Trumpets in late summer or early fall could be the time of the Rapture:

https://storage.googleapis.com/…/Seven%20Reasons%20Late…

5. An indication that the Feast of Trumpets is a remembrance of the giving of the Law (Sinai) is the fact that Ezra read the Law to the Israelites, newly returned from exile in Babylon, on the Feast of Trumpets in Nehemiah chapter 8.

6. More on how the Feast of Trumpets relates to Pentecost:

https://storage.googleapis.com/…/From%20Pentecost%20to…

7. More on how the world stage is presently set for the Rapture:

https://storage.googleapis.com/…/The%20Prophetic…

8. Signs of 2015 as a seven-year warning:

https://storage.googleapis.com/…/DAY%20OF%20THE%20LORD…

9. Planetary parade and wedding sign of 2022:

https://storage.googleapis.com/…/June%20Planetary…

10. Jupiter near approach on Feast of Trumpets:

Article: https://www.business-standard.com/…/don-t-miss-jupiter…

Miscellaneous:

*Jupiter, the planet with the red spot on its side, has 53 named moons. Coincidentally, Isaiah chapter 53 talks about the sin-bearing Messiah who was wounded for our transgressions.

*It was a Jupiter–Venus conjunction that produced the Bethlehem-Star sign at Jesus’ birth. Significantly the Bethlehem Star conjunction recently reoccurred on June 30, 2015, exactly seven years before the ‘wedding sign’ on June 30 (Tammuz 1), 2022.

11. Jubilee calculation:

The jubilee count begins at 1973 because Daniel says to count “weeks,” which are fixed periods on God’s calendar. Since the modern restoration of Jerusalem occurred in June 1967, after a portion of the current Sabbatical week had already passed, a count of seven full weeks could not begin until the start of the next Sabbatical week, which is 1973.

Jubilee Q and A: Is the Year of Redemption Upon Us?

https://storage.googleapis.com/…/Jubilee%20Q%20and%20A…

Calculating Daniel’s Jubilee:

https://storage.googleapis.com/…/Calculating%20Daniels…

. . .

*Visit the author’s website: www.theseasonofreturn.com

*YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCVxcqsgEKvYtscqyYJpTxbQ

IMPORTANT MESSAGE: No one knows the day or hour of Jesus’ return (Matt. 24:36). However, a convergence of biblical signs and timelines suggests it is near. To escape the judgment reserved for a God-rejecting world, one must be in a saving relationship with Jesus Christ. If you have not yet done so, call on His name and believe that He is the Son of God who died for your sins and was raised from the dead (Romans 10:13).

Do it today. Time is running out.

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30 WAYS PENTECOST FORESHADOWS THE RAPTURE by T.W. Tramm

Posted in #PaulthePoke, Pentecost/Shavuot/Feast of Weeks, Prophecy, Rapture, Resurrection with tags 50, Bride of Christ, church, end times, First Fruits, God the Father, Harvest, Holy Spirit, Jesus Christ, Mosaic Law, Paul, Season of Return Ministries, seven weeks, T.W. Tramm, wave offering, wedding, wheat on June 1, 2022 by paulthepoke

Author and Bible-researcher T.W. Tramm is the founder of Season of Return Ministries, an organization whose mission is to equip the reader with critical knowledge related to the unfolding of Bible prophecy in our time. Tramm’s books, articles, and commentary can be found on numerous eschatological-themed websites. The author makes his home in Washington State.

T.W. Tramm’s materials can be reviewed on the following:

https://www.facebook.com/twtramm

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCVxcqsgEKvYtscqyYJpTxbQ/videos

https://www.theseasonofreturn.com/

NO MAN KNOWS the day of the Rapture (Matthew 24:36–44).

There is, however, a day on God’s calendar that strikingly foreshadows this event.

The following is a summary of 30 correlations between the biblical festival Pentecost and the catching away of the Church.

. . .

30 WAYS PENTECOST FORESHADOWS THE RAPTURE

1. A HARVEST FESTIVAL

The most telling feature of Pentecost is that it is one of three harvest festivals, during which all Israelite males are required to appear before the Lord:

“Three times a year you are to celebrate a festival to me. ‘Celebrate the Festival of Unleavened Bread … the Festival of Harvest [Pentecost] … and the Festival of Ingathering [Tabernacles] … Three times a year all your males are to appear before the Lord God’” (Exodus 23:14–17).

A harvest and gathering before God denote a resurrection or rapture (Matthew 13:30, 39; 2 Thessalonians 2:1; Revelation 7:9–14).

Furthermore, the three harvest festivals correspond to the “order” of resurrections mentioned by Paul: “But each [will be resurrected] in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ” (1 Corinthians 15:23).

The harvest at Unleavened Bread corresponds to Jesus’ resurrection (1 Corinthians 15:20).

The harvest at Pentecost corresponds to the Church’s resurrection–rapture (1 Thessalonians 4:13–17).

The harvest at Tabernacles corresponds to the resurrection of tribulation saints at the Second Coming (Revelation 20:4–6).

2. A GREAT MULTITUDE

Of the three harvest festivals, Pentecost typically saw the largest crowds. This is because the other harvest festivals occurred in the early spring and fall when adverse weather could interfere with travel from distant lands. A large crowd gathered in Jerusalem on Pentecost corresponds to the great multitude gathered before God’s throne at the Rapture (Revelation 7:9).

3. FIRSTFRUITS OF THE WHEAT

Pentecost celebrates the firstfruits of the wheat harvest (Exodus 34:22). The Rapture is when the first of the “wheat,” symbolic of believers, is harvested and gathered into God’s “barn” (Matthew 13).

4. A GATHERING FROM EVERY NATION

At the Church’s first Pentecost, devout people from every nation, tribe, and language were gathered in Jerusalem (Acts 2:5, 6). At the Rapture, devout people from every nation, tribe, and language will be gathered in heavenly Jerusalem (Revelation 7:9).

5. GATHERED IN ONE PLACE

On the Church’s first Pentecost, all the believers were gathered in one place (Acts 2:1). The next time all believers will be gathered in one place is at the Rapture (Revelation 7:9).

6. A TIME OF REJOICING

Pentecost is a time to rejoice before the Lord: “Celebrate the Festival of Weeks [Pentecost] … and rejoice before the LORD your God” (Deuteronomy. 16: 10, 11.) The ultimate time of rejoicing before the Lord will be immediately after the Rapture (Revelation 7:9–12; 1 Thessalonians 2:19).

7. THE WAVE OFFERING

The wave offering of the grain-sheaf during Unleavened Bread is a picture of Jesus’ resurrection (Leviticus 23:10; 1 Corinthians 15:20). Thus, the subsequent wave offering of baked loaves on Pentecost is a picture of the Church’s resurrection (1 Corinthians 15:23). The ripening of grain during the seven weeks between Passover and Pentecost symbolizes the growth and maturation of the Body of Christ during the Church Age. The grain transformed into bread on Pentecost represents the Church in a state of fullness, or completion, at the Rapture.

8. A TIME OF ACCOUNTABILITY

When the Israelites appeared before the Lord on Pentecost, they were required to bring an offering proportionate to the blessings God had bestowed upon them (Deuteronomy 16:16, 17). The requirement to bring a proportionate offering recalls how one’s fruits will be judged at the end of the age: “From everyone who has been given much, much will be required” (Matthew 25:14–30; Luke 12:48).

9. SEVEN WEEKS PRECEDE MESSIAH

Pentecost is the festival preceded by a count of “seven weeks” (Leviticus 23:15, 16). In Daniel 9, a count of “seven weeks” precedes an appearance of Messiah the Prince: “From the going forth of the command to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until Messiah the Prince, shall be seven weeks” (Daniel 9:25).

10. PAYDAY FOR REDEMPTION

The sending of the Holy Spirit on the Church’s first Pentecost is called the “down payment” on our redemption (Ephesians 1:14). Since the down payment for redemption occurred on Pentecost, it is logical for the final payment, the redemption of our physical bodies at the Rapture, to occur on Pentecost (Romans 8:23).

11. A TIME OF SEALING

Pentecost is the day on which the Church was first sealed by the Holy Spirit (Acts 2). At the Rapture, the first fruits of Israel will be sealed by the Holy Spirit (Revelation 7:3, 4). If the sealing of the Church on Pentecost was the model, the sealing of Israel at the Rapture may occur on Pentecost as well.

12. THE THIRD DAY

Moses ascended Sinai to receive the Commandments on the “third day,” corresponding to Pentecost (Exodus 19). In John chapter 2, Jesus attends a wedding on the third day and alludes to the fact that He will be resurrected on the third day (vv. 1, 19–21). Thus, Pentecost is symbolically a “third day,” a day associated with weddings and resurrections.

13. THE 50th DAY

The Greek word translated Pentecost, Pentēkostē, means “fiftieth.” Fifty is the number of redemption, pertaining to the Jubilee (Leviticus 25:9, 10). Also, wherever the number 50 appears in Scripture it denotes fullness and completion, pointing to the fullness of the Gentiles at the Rapture.

14. A WEDDING DAY

The wedding between God and Israel occurred on Pentecost (Exodus 19).

Similarly, the betrothal of the Church to God occurred on Pentecost (Acts 2; Ephesians 4:30). This is significant because, according to the ancient wedding tradition, the bridegroom comes for the bride around the anniversary of the betrothal.

15. RUTH

In the Book of Ruth, the wedding of the Jewish redeemer to the Gentile bride—a picture of the Wedding of Messiah at the Rapture—occurred around Pentecost (Ruth 4:9–10).

16. RAPTURE ALLEGORY IN SONG OF SOLOMON

In Song of Solomon, the shepherd comes to gather and spirit away His beloved Gentile maid—a picture of the Rapture—in late spring, around the time of Pentecost (Song of Solomon 2).

17. ENOCH’S RAPTURE

According to Jewish tradition, Pentecost is when Enoch, a prophetic type of the Church, was taken up, or raptured, to be with God (Genesis 5:24; Hebrews 11:5).

18. POSITIONALLY, PENTECOST DENOTES THE CHURCH AGE

Pentecost’s parenthetical placement between the first and last harvest festivals, Unleavened Bread and Tabernacles, is suggestive of the Church Age.

19. INFERENCE VIA FESTIVAL ATTENDANCE

Scripture mentions Jesus going to Jerusalem for the harvests at Unleavened Bread and Tabernacles but not Pentecost (John 2:23; 5:1; 7; Luke 2:41–43). Conversely, Scripture mentions Paul, the Apostle to the Gentiles, going to Jerusalem for Pentecost but not the other harvests (Acts 20:1–6). Jesus’ nonappearance at Pentecost may foreshadow His appearing only in the clouds at this festival’s fulfillment. Similarly, Paul’s attendance at Pentecost may point to the Church being in heavenly Jerusalem on this day.

20. THE SHORT AND ABRUPT HARVEST FESTIVAL

The first and last harvest festivals, Unleavened Bread and Tabernacles, both last for seven days (Leviticus 23). In contrast, Pentecost is a one-day harvest festival, comparatively short and abrupt like the Rapture of the Church.

21. THE FESTIVAL WITH NO SET DATE

Pentecost is the only harvest festival with no assigned date in Scripture; it is instead calculated by counting seven weeks from the “day after the Sabbath” (Leviticus 23:15). That Pentecost has no assigned date means “no one knows the day” (Matthew 24:36).

22. AN HOUR WE THINK NOT

Jesus tells His followers that He is coming at an hour they “think not” (Matthew 24:44). Because there is disagreement around which Sabbath to count the seven weeks from, the correct date of Pentecost is in question. It is thus possible that God’s true Pentecost is on a day most would “think not.”

23. THE FESTIVAL OF GOD’S TRUMP

The first time God’s trumpet was sounded was on Pentecost, when He descended in a cloud on Mount Sinai (Exodus 19). If the model holds, the next time God’s trumpet is sounded, at the Rapture, may be on Pentecost as well.

24. PETER PROCLAIMS THE DAY OF THE LORD ON PENTECOST

On the Church’s first Pentecost, Peter stood up and quoted a prophecy from Joel:

”Then Peter stood up … raised his voice and addressed the crowd: ‘Fellow Jews and all of you who live in Jerusalem, let me explain this to you… this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel: In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people …. The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the great and glorious day of the Lord’” (Acts 2).

It makes sense that Peter would quote the part of Joel about the outpouring of the Holy Spirit as this is what was occurring that day. However, the question arises: why would Peter, at that time, quote the part of Joel about the coming Day of the Lord? Peter’s quoting of a prophecy about the onset of the Day of the Lord on Pentecost suggests the two are connected.

25. JUDGMNET DAY FOR TREES

In Judaism, it is taught that Pentecost (Shavuot) is when fruit trees are judged. In Scripture, fruit trees represent people (Psalm 1:3). The trees that do not produce “good fruit” by way of a relationship with Jesus are “cut down” and thrown into the “fire” of Tribulation (Matthew 3:10–12; 7:17–23; 25:11–13).

26. ANCIENT SCRIPTURE READINGS

Since ancient times, the Jewish scripture readings associated with Pentecost describe the Lord judging the earth (Ezekiel 1:1–28; 3:12; Habakkuk 2:20–3:19). If Pentecost is mainly about the giving of the Commandments or the outpouring of the Holy Spirit as commonly taught, why do the passages read on this day depict the Lord coming in judgment?

27. THE FESTIVAL PRECEDING SUMMER

Pentecost is the harvest festival that occurs in late spring, just before summer begins. In Matthew 24, summer is a metaphor for the end of the age (Matthew 24:32).

Moreover, in the Old Testament, summer is when . . .

• The “godly people” are said to have “vanished” from the earth (Micah 7:1, 2 NLT).

• The Jews lament not being saved at the harvest (Jeremiah 8:20).

• Israel is deemed ripe for judgment (Amos 8:1, 2).

28. THE TIME OF RIPENING FIGS

Pentecost, occurring in late spring, is when early figs ripen. With this in mind, it is interesting to note that . . .

• Figs represent Jews (Amos 8:1, 2).

• Figs that ripen early are said to be very good, or desirable (Hosea 9:10).

• Early ripe figs, because they are desirable, are quickly “snatched up” (Isaiah 28:4 NLT).

Could the figs that ripen early, around Pentecost, be symbolic of believing Jews “snatched up” at the Rapture?

29. THE FESTIVAL PRECEDING THE GRAPE HARVEST

In Scripture, the harvesting and crushing of grapes symbolizes the judgment of nonbelievers at the Day of the Lord (Revelation 14:14–20). In ancient Israel, grapes were the first major crop to ripen after Pentecost.

30. THE FESTIVAL OF NEW BEGINNINGS

Pentecost marks the beginning of new dispensations in Scripture, namely the Age of Law and the Church Age (Exodus 19; Acts 2). If the pattern holds, Pentecost may mark the beginning of the next dispensation, the Day of the Lord.

With the above summary in view, it is fair to say that Pentecost, better than any other festival, embodies the types and themes of the Rapture: harvest, fullness, completion, redemption, resurrection, a wedding, a gathering, a new beginning, an unknown date, and the sounding of God’s trumpet.

The fundamental theme of Pentecost is, again, the harvest. There are three main harvest festivals and three main resurrections in God’s plan of redemption, suggestive of the following scenario:

• Unleavened Bread (First Coming)

• Pentecost (Rapture)

• Tabernacles (Second Coming)

Pentecost clearly foreshadows the harvest of the Church. What is less clear is whether the harvest will occur on the day marked Pentecost on our calendars.

A DAY NO ONE KNOWS

While the preliminary fulfillment of Pentecost, the sending of the Holy Spirit, occurred on the day the festival was observed by the early Church (Acts 2), one cannot be as certain about the ultimate fulfillment, the Rapture, as the day of this event is said to be unknown (Matthew 24:36). That the day is unknown is why Jesus implores us to “keep watch” and not assume He is delaying if He fails to appear at an expected time (Matthew 24:42–51; 25:1–13).

Paul emphasizes that the day is unknown in a letter to the Church at Thessalonica:

“Now, brothers and sisters, about times and dates we do not need to write to you, for you know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night” (1 Thessalonians 5:1, 2).

According to Paul, there is no need to discuss dates because it is already understood that Jesus is coming like a thief. Question: on which day does a thief show up? Answer: no one knows. One might know generally when a thief may show up—e.g., late at night or when nobody is home. However, to try and pinpoint the day or hour would seem futile. So if our reading of 1 Thessalonians is correct, the Lord could appear on a day not expected.

To reconcile the notion of an unexpected day with an appointed time such as Pentecost, I have considered two possible scenarios.

The first possibility is that Pentecost, the harvest festival with no fixed date, is not about a date at all but rather points symbolically to a time of fullness or ripeness. Recall that Pentecost is the 50th day, and the number 50 symbolizes fullness or completion. In this scenario, the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the Church’s first Pentecost represents the planting of a ‘field,’ the Church-field, which has been growing and maturing for almost 2,000 years. No one knows when exactly the last believer will be sealed by the Holy Spirit and the Church-field deemed ripe for harvest in accordance with God’s timetable.

The other scenario I have considered to reconcile an unexpected day with an appointed time is that the Rapture will indeed occur at Pentecost. However, due to confusion around the correct reckoning of the festival, the day marked Pentecost on our calendars may not represent God’s true Pentecost.

For the above reasons, it is wise to think of Pentecost as a ‘season,’ rather than a mere 24-hour period.

Better yet, be ready always!

Jesus is coming soon.

. . .

*Visit the author’s website: www.theseasonofreturn.com

YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCVxcqsgEKvYtscqyYJpTxbQ

IMPORTANT MESSAGE: No one knows the day or hour of Jesus’ return (Matthew 24:36). However, a convergence of biblical signs and timelines suggests it is near. To escape the judgment reserved for a God-rejecting world, one must be in a saving relationship with Jesus Christ. If you have not yet done so, call on His name and believe that He is the Son of God who died for your sins and was raised from the dead (Romans 10:13). Do it today. Time is running out.

For PDF of post, click on the link below.

https://storage.googleapis.com/wzukusers/user-35306783/documents/afcd3014bc7d43b3aa7d11e4b89e264a/Pentecost%20and%20the%20Rapture%20rev%20a.pdf?fbclid=IwAR17pgspJCBAFvTdRtIEZHYtvcWRdqMNLcn__z7RXWGnUAZpvGl2b8yAxsg

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There Shall Be Seven Weeks: Feasts (Trumpets/Teruah, Day of Blowing)

Posted in #PaulthePoke, Angels, Fall Feasts, Prophecy, Rapture, Resurrection with tags 1 Thessalonians 4, Colossians 2, Day of Blowing, Feast of Trumpets, I Corinthians 15, Jewish New Year, Leviticus 23, Moses, Mount Sinai, new moon, Numbers 29, Prophecy, Rapture, Resurrection, Rosh Hashanah, Sabbath, shofar, Tishri 1, trumpet, Yom Teruah on July 25, 2021 by paulthepoke

Daniel 9:25b …there shall be seven weeks…

The context of this series of posts is the course of the Jewish people for the initial 49 years of the 483 year period communicated from the angel Gabriel to the prophet Daniel. The city of Jerusalem has been rebuilt post exile. These events are covered in Nehemiah 8-13. Israel is returning to God’s Law. The focus is on God’s appointed holidays. This week, the Feast of Trumpets or Yom Teruah is the topic. Many know the day as Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish civil New Year. This is the first of three posts on the initial Fall Feast.

Leviticus 23:23-25 Again the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, “Speak to the sons of Israel, saying, ‘In the seventh month on the first of the month you shall have a rest, a reminder by blowing of trumpets, a holy convocation. You shall not do any laborious work, but you shall present an offering by fire to the Lord.’”

Numbers 29:1 ‘Now in the seventh month, on the first day of the month, you shall also have a holy convocation; you shall do no laborious work. It will be to you a day for blowing trumpets.

And blow the trumpets they do. This holiday has many names. It is called the Feast of Trumpets by Christians. It is recognized as the Jewish New Year, Rosh Hashanah. In Judaism, it is called Yom Teruah which means the “Day of Blowing”.

The directions for the holiday are straight forward.

It is to be a day of rest or a Sabbath.
The day is a holy or separate day. It is a convocation. The Hebrew word for convocation is miqra’. Per Strong’s Concordance it means: rehearsal, convocation, a reading, a calling together, or sacred assembly.
It is a memorial and reminder to blow or shout. The Hebrew word is teruah. It means: alarm, signal, a sound of tempest, shout of joy, blast of war, alarm, joy, war-cry, or battle-cry.

Judaism recognizes three trumps: first trump, the last trump, and the great trump. Each one of these named trumps represents a specific day. The “first trump” is blown on the Feast of Pentecost (Exodus 19:19). The “great trump” is blown on Yom Kippur and signals the return of Christ to Earth (Matthew 24:31). The “last trump” is synonymous with Yom Teruah or Rosh Hashanah (1 Corinthians 15:52). Resources: Festivals of the Jewish Year, Theodore Gaster; The High Holy Days, Herman Kieval.

This God appointed holiday is the only new moon observance. This is not some Old Testament warm and fuzzy tradition. God has a point and a reason. He has not forgotten. The Apostle Paul makes note of this holiday.

Colossians 2:16-17 Therefore no one is to act as your judge in regard to food or drink or in respect to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath day— things which are a mere shadow of what is to come; but the substance belongs to Christ.

God has singled out this appointed holiday for some big time fireworks! Judaism has been rehearsing this holiday for thousands of years since Moses.

Has the Apostle Paul (1 Corinthians 15:52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed) connected the dots… (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord.)

Resurrection and rapture on the Feast of Trumpets???

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Rapture: Be Careful What You Wish

Posted in #PaulthePoke, Culture, Prophecy, Rapture, Trend Update with tags 1 corinthians 15, 1 Thessalonians 4, death, Jesus Christ, President Donald Trump, Resurrection, sin on August 14, 2020 by paulthepoke

1 Thessalonians 4:16-18 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will always be with the Lord. Therefore encourage one another with these words.

There has been a rapture cartoon circulating social media for the past few months. Essentially, people politically opposed to President Donald Trump are yearning for the rapture. See the text below.

Something for those folks to consider… You may live to see the day. However, things will not turn out as you think.

The issue is not “IF”. The concern should be “WHEN”.

1 Corinthians 15:51-57 Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality. When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written:

“Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?”

The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

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Concerning the Rapture… Mike Brotherton

Posted in #PaulthePoke, Prophecy, Rapture with tags blessed hope, church, Feasts of the Lord, Jesus Christ on September 29, 2019 by paulthepoke

Concerning Jesus’ return for the church, we are told to keep watch and always be ready. Some are foolish and set dates while others seek Him out through the Scriptures to determine what to look for.

Those who come to expect the Lord during the feast days are hopeful. We have learned of the fulfillment of the feasts which in the past were fulfilled on the very day of their feasts. It only stands to reason He will fulfill the last 3 on the day of their remembrance as well.

Although no one knows the day or the hour or the year, we can know the season… so we watch and make others aware of the meaning of the feasts or other prophecies. Being hopeful and keeping watch are what we are supposed to be doing as faithful stewards of the Word. Some get overzealous due to the abundance of prophecies being fulfilled. And knowing the signs of the times, they cry out with hope and expectation.

We or they are not being false prophets. We are expressing our hope and great desire to see the Lord and to go to our new home in glory. It is out of an abundance of love for God and our fellow saints that we prognosticate. We are all as Christians continually growing and learning the faith. We all make mistakes. It is when we twist the Scripture purposely for our own glory that we can be seen as false prophets. But the vast majority of us who speak in expectation are sincerely looking for our blessed hope. Nothing more, nothing less.

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The Feast of Trumpets and the Rapture of The Church

Posted in #PaulthePoke, Fall Feasts, Prophecy, Rapture with tags Bridal Week, Bride of Christ, Coronation of the Messiah, Day of Atonement, Days of Awe, Feast of Trumpets, God the Father, God the Son, groom, Jesus Christ, last trumpet, new moon festival, no one knows the day or hour, Open Door, Revelation, Rosh Hashanah, wedding, Wedding of Messiah, Yom Kippur, Yom Teruah on September 25, 2019 by paulthepoke

Featuring Mike Brotherton

Feast of Trumpets/Rosh Hashanah begins Sundown September 29 thru Sundown October 1, 2019. It is believed by many to represent the coming of the Groom for His bride. There are other “theories” but I lean toward the Feast of Trumpets.

1. All the Spring Feasts were fulfilled at Christ’s first coming and on the exact day of the feast. All the Fall Feasts picture the second advent. And the Feast of Trumpets is the first of the fall feasts picturing the rapture.

2. The Feast of Trumpets is when the “last trump” of the rapture of 1 Corinthians 15 is blown. 99 short blasts are blown. Then there is one long final blast known as the “last trump”. 1 Corinthians 15:52 …in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed.

3. The Feast of Trumpets is known as the Wedding of the Messiah. The Church is the Bride of Christ. The rapture is when the Church is caught up to Heaven to be wed with Christ.

4. The Feast of Trumpets happens on a “new moon”, which is 29.5 days after the last one. This means it might occur on the 29th or 30th day, nobody knows for sure. “Of that day or hour no man knows” is an expression referring to this feast, and thus, the rapture.

5. “Of that day or hour no man knows, but my Father only” is an expression used by a Jewish groom when asked when his wedding will be. He says this because it is his Father that will tell him when his preparations on the bridal chamber are completed and it is time. Again, the wedding pictures the rapture.

6. The “Open Door” of the rapture in Matthew 25, Revelation 3, & Revelation 4:1 is a symbol of the Feast of Trumpets. Ezekiel 46:1 “Thus says the Lord GOD: The gate of the inner court that faces east shall be shut on the six working days; but on the sabbath day it shall be opened and on the day of the new moon it shall be opened.

7. We are told that the new moon and the Feasts of the Lord are a shadow of things to come in Colossians 2:16,17. Since the Feast of Trumpets is the only Feast of the Lord that falls on a new moon, we should take particular note. Colossians 2:16-17 Therefore let no one pass judgment on you in questions of food and drink, or with regard to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath. These are a shadow of the things to come, but the substance belongs to Christ.

8. There are 10 Days of Awe in between the Feast of Trumpets and the Day of Atonement. These picture the years of tribulation. (I believe there will be 10 years of tribulation. Although not all are included in the 7 years thought to be THE TRIBULATION. The seal judgments are not part of what is referred to as the tribulation period. They are pre Daniel’s 70th week.)

Atonement pictures Satan being defeated and cast away at the end of tribulation. If you add the two day Trumpet’s feast, and the Day of Atonement, the 7 Days of Awe are “ten days of tribulation” which might be referred to in Revelation 2:10. Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and for ten days you will have tribulation. Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life.

9. In the Jewish Wedding, a marriage takes place over a period of time known as the “bridal week”. During the bridal week, the groom and bride have sex in the bridal chamber. At the end of the week, there is a marriage supper. Compare Judges 14, Revelation 19, and Genesis 29:22-28. This bridal week will be the tribulation week on Earth, while the bride of Christ is in Heaven.

10. The Feast of Trumpets is also known as the Coronation of the Messiah. Then He will start reigning as king, thus the beginning of the “Day of the Lord”, which includes the tribulation.

11. In the Jewish Wedding, the groom is at his Father’s house.

12. It is also time for the Bema judgment, or the judgment of the works of the righteous, and judgment must begin at the house of the Lord.

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Blood Red Moon, July 2018

Posted in Prophecy, Rapture, Signs: Sun, Moon, Stars..., Trend Update with tags Acts 2, blood red moon, date setting, end of the world, Jesus Christ, Joel 2, lunar eclipse, Matthew 24, Olivet Discourse, Peter, Rapture on July 26, 2018 by paulthepoke

A lunar eclipse or a blood red moon is set for Friday, July 27, 2018. This will be the longest lunar eclipse of the 21^st century. The moon will be at its furthest point from the earth during the eclipse (apogee). As a result, the moon will be travelling at its slowest orbit and speed. The eclipse will last 1 hour and 43 minutes. An average eclipse lasts about 50 minutes.

Sorry, the eclipse will not be viewed in North America. This show is for Europe, Asia, and Africa. There should be some great pictures of the event. Enjoy the blood moon.

https://www.space.com/41266-catch-this-superlong-lunar-eclipse-friday.html

Joel 2:31 The sun will be turned into darkness and the moon into blood before the great and awesome day of the LORD comes.

Peter quotes the verse above in Acts 2:20.

The answer lies in the verse. Read carefully. Note the word “before”. Is the upcoming event a “sign”? If it is a sign, it is just that… a sign. A sign indicates something is coming. Nothing is going to happen other than an incredible celestial event.

But perversion and twisting of the verse have run amuck… The doomsday prophets are back! The date setters and the hype machine are spinning out of control… For the record…

July 27, 2018 is NOT the RAPTURE.

July 27, 2018: Jesus is NOT coming back to Earth.

July 27, 2018 is NOT the END.

July 27, 2018 is NOT ________________.

The earth will still be spinning. “It” is not hitting the fan on July 27, 2018.

Don’t kid yourself. We are trending hard to a date with destiny…

Matthew 24:21-22 For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been from the beginning of the world until now, no, and never will be. And if those days had not been cut short, no human being would be saved. But for the sake of the elect those days will be cut short. -Jesus

To review and for now…

There is no 10-nation beast federation. Daniel 7, Revelation 17
There is no 3^rd Temple in Jerusalem. Matthew 24:15
There is no covenant with many. Daniel 9:27
There are no cries of pending peace and safety. 1 Thessalonians 5:3
There is no antichrist on the global scene. Revelation 13, 19

As a reminder, Jesus said this…

Matthew 24:36 But concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only.

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September 23rd 2017: What does it REALLY mean?

Posted in Prophecy, Rapture, Revelation, Signs: Sun, Moon, Stars..., Trend Update with tags 1 Thessalonians 4, bride, church, God in a Nutshell Project, God the Father, Gospel, Jesus Christ, Mark 13, Matthew 24, Revelation 12 Sign, September 23 2017, Son of God, Trey Smith on September 13, 2017 by paulthepoke

Comments below by Trey Smith

Revelation 12:1 And a great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars.

The argument is being made that the Virgo alignment in September 2017 is the same sign that is described in Revelation 12. That may very well be. But, whatever meaning that may have — it does NOT mean the rapture for a variety of reasons.

NOTE by Trey Smith: Although Biblical text can take wonderful journeys, and contain hidden messages, dates and mathematical enigmas…. At some level the text just means what it means. This particularly applies when listening to the very straight-forward words of Jesus Christ (even if they may mean the Feast of Trumpets of some year — and that date is ambiguous each time).

Matthew 24:36-37

No One Knows That Day and Hour

³⁶“But concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only. ³⁷For as were the days of Noah, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.”

This text and statement above by Jesus Himself, is a VERY bold one.

In layman’s terms it means that by working out a rapture date — you’ve probably just guaranteed it’s not the rapture date. Additionally, the passage lends incredible support to the rapture carrying the model (in a type and shadow) of a Jewish wedding (which is the focus with much study of Paul Lehr’s book, Rapture: The Bride Redeemed).

Revelation 12 Text issues

Here is how Revelation 12 reads:

The Woman and the Dragon

12 A great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet and a crown of twelve stars on her head.²She was pregnant and cried out in pain as she was about to give birth.³Then another sign appeared in heaven: an enormous red dragon with seven heads and ten horns and seven crowns on its heads. ⁴Its tail swept a third of the stars out of the sky and flung them to the earth.The dragon stood in front of the woman who was about to give birth, so that it might devour her child the moment he was born. ⁵She gave birth to a son, a male child, who “will rule all the nations with an iron scepter.” (This is the stopping point before we get to the possible rapture passage of the text).

<—– NOTE: This is the end of a sentence in what is describe as “parenthetical” passage (meaning the entire chapter as put forth under the “rapture theory” is a summary of a much longer timescale of events). So, under that very definition — each sentence can (and MUST) have vast amounts of time that transpire before the next sentence, event or idea. You have examples in the Bible where thousands of years pass between a single comma.

In a practical sense, if I gave you a “parenthetical” summery chapter of US history it might read: “The United States was born and George Washington was president. Then Barrack Obama came.” <—- You know without question these statements are separated by a vast ocean of time between.

Now beneath we continue Revelation 12 verse 5. We have to also assume the theological position (which may be correct or at minimum worthy of note) that this references the rapture as we continue after the break in the text, or list of events in the text.

Revelation 12 continued “And her child was snatched up to God and to his throne. (Note: You know there has to be a leap in the text here following this period because the new sentence now rushes you to events at the middle of the tribulation. That means — at bare minimum — one would have to take a “mid-tribulation rapture” position) ⁶The woman fled into the wilderness to a place prepared for her by God, where she might be taken care of for 1,260 days.

Summary of Trey Smith opinion

Paul and I (Trey Smith) have spent much time on many evenings looking at this September 23rd 2017 “sign”…. While on one hand it is impossible to ignore all the math, prophecies, and the unique sign above on such day; it is also impossible to believe its the rapture for a theological arsenal of reasons. Also, in a geopolitical sense — we’re just not quite there at the place yet the texts describe.

https://godinanutshell.com/2017/09/12/september-23rd-2017-what-does-it-really-mean/

Article below by Paul Lehr

The Rapture Date: Is it September 23rd 2017… We believe the answer is STRONGLY NO

To those who support and advocate for Rapture Fall 2017, I hope you are right. Personally, I hope this is the case. Come Lord Jesus. Let’s go! You will receive eternal fist bumps and high fives for one of the greatest calls in human history.

But there is this comment from Jesus…

Matthew 24:36 But concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only.

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Revelation 12 Sign: “I Don’t Know,” Said Jesus

Posted in Prophecy, Rapture, Revelation, Signs: Sun, Moon, Stars..., Trend Update with tags bride, church, God the Father, Gospel, Jesus Christ, Mark 13, Matthew 24, Revelation 12 Sign, September 23 2017, Son of God on September 10, 2017 by paulthepoke

Revelation 12:1 And a great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars.

The argument is being made that the Virgo alignment in September 2017 is the same sign that is described in Revelation 12. That may very well be.

But there is this comment from Jesus…

Matthew 24:36 But concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only.