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Debunking Replacement Theology

Posted in #PaulthePoke, Replacement Theology with tags , , , , , on April 9, 2026 by paulthepoke

Welcome to the introduction of a new series, Debunking Replacement Theology.

The nation of Israel and the church, the body of Jesus Christ, are two separate entities. God has not changed His mind. The church has not replaced Israel. God has a unique plan for both.

There seems to be a lot of disorder between the concepts of the nation Israel and the body of Christ, the church. If one gets this concept wrong there will be confusion in understanding prophecy as well the Bible. Understanding of the Scriptures will take different paths pending one’s view of the church and Israel. Some people take the view Israel and the church are different. Others believe that Israel messed up so bad, God gave up on Israel and replaced the nation with the church, the body of Christ, or spiritual Israel.

A simple, clean definition of Replacement Theology is provided by Matt Slick of https://carm.org/questions-replacement-theology.

Replacement theology is the teaching that the Christian church has replaced national Israel regarding the plan, purpose, and promises of God.

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This line of thinking is also called Supersessionism. These folks believe the church is the fulfillment of Judaism. If Jews do not believe in Jesus, they are out. In other words, non-believing Israel has been superseded by the church. No kingdom for you…

The practical results include Israel no longer being God’s chosen people and nation. The geographical land promised and designated in the Middle East would belong to the church instead of a group of people living in what is modern day Israel and surrounding countries. The covenants in the Old Testament to Abraham and Moses would be null and void.

Carrie Prejean Boller with Tucker Carlson podcast- “Replacement theology is that the church has replaced Israel, and that we are the new Israel. We are the spiritual semites, which has been taught for 2000 years. Original church fathers would be rolling in their graves if they knew that we taught 1948 Israel is some sort of fulfillment of prophecy.”

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Replacement Theology makes God a liar. God’s view on this topic as well as any other has not changed. He cannot change. God is immutable. This aspect of His character is defined in the Old Testament.

Malachi 3:6 “For I, the LORD, do not change; therefore you, O sons of Jacob, are not consumed.

This same concept is noted in the New Testament.

James 1:17 Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow.

The fact that God does not change should be reassurance that what He says is true. God keeps His word and His promises.

Hebrews 13:8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.

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Both Israel and the church have different origins and beginnings.

The promise of God’s nation started in the plain of Shinar in what is modern day Iraq. Abram was minding his own business in Ur. Then God revealed Himself to this man. God made several promises to Abram.

Genesis 12:1e To the land which I will show you;

The first promise was to give Abram some land.

Genesis 12:2a And I will make you a great nation,

The second item was the promise to be a great nation. That nation would become Israel.

Genesis 12:2b-3 “And I will bless you, and make your name great; and so you shall be a blessing; and I will bless those who bless you, and the one who curses you I will curse. And in you all the families of the earth will be blessed.”

The Hebrew word for “bless” is barakah.

And the last promise to Abram was blessing. Five times a form of the term “bless” is used. Abram and anyone in the world from that point forward who associates with him or his offspring positively, blessing from God!

Israel is not specifically mentioned in the passage above, true. However, Abram’s offspring would become a nation named Israel. Abram is also in the lineage of Jesus Christ and He, Jesus, would be and is the ultimate blessing from God.

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Genesis 15:12 Now when the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell upon Abram; and behold, terror and great darkness fell upon him.

It was not enough to tell Abram. God made a contract or covenant with him for all time. Genesis 15 provides the details of the covenant. A direct son was promised to Abram. The number to come from his body would number the stars in the heavens. Animals and birds with specifications were part of the covenant.

God put Abram to sleep and sealed the deal Himself. The contract is on God to be completed. Abram did not have to do anything, he was out cold. Frankly, he would not have been able to do anything because of his mental status. It was dark and Abram was scared to death. There is nothing any fallen man can do. The responsibility belongs to God.

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Amos 9:13-15 “Behold, the days are coming,” declares the LORD, “when the plowman will overtake the reaper and the treader of grapes, the sower of seed. The mountains will drip with sweet wine, with which all the hills will flow. I will restore My people Israel from captivity; they will rebuild and inhabit the ruined cities. They will plant vineyards and drink their wine; they will make gardens and eat their fruit. I will firmly plant them in their own land, never again to be uprooted from the land that I have given them,” says the LORD your God.

Well, modern day Israel was replanted and recognized as a nation in 1948. This event was the Super Sign. Israel, as flawed as they may be, is back and they are not going anywhere says the LORD your God.

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This series is an excerpt from the book, Rapture the Bride Redeemed. https://www.amazon.com/Paul-Lehr/e/B09W8FB77N

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Why Christianity? Grace… A Phil Kulis Series

Posted in Phil Kulis with tags , , , , , , on March 11, 2026 by paulthepoke

Welcome to Part 5 of Phil’s series.

𝐂𝐎𝐕𝐄𝐍𝐀𝐍𝐓, 𝐆𝐎𝐒𝐏𝐄𝐋, 𝐆𝐑𝐀𝐂𝐄, 𝐅𝐀𝐈𝐓𝐇, 𝐁𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐈𝐒𝐌

𝐖𝐡𝐲 𝐂𝐡𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐲?

God created Adam.

God plus Adam begat Eve.

Adam plus Eve begat Mary.

God plus Mary begat Jesus, the second Adam.

God plus Jesus begat the Church, the second Eve.

We the church are now and forever like Eve in that narrow moment of time after she ate (sinned) yet before Adam disobeyed God by eating.

Even though we have sinned, we are protected by Christ’s perfect obedience to the Covenant of Sin and Death which is finished, permanently and eternally sealed by His blood. It’s over.

Jesus, the Seed of the Woman, is the Kinsman Redeemer. The Keeper of the Covenant. The Accepted Substitute. Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world!

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𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐈𝐬 “𝐆𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐞”?

The term “grace” is often used but rarely defined therefore not fully understood. It’s a state of being, a status. Some say it’s “getting what we don’t deserve”. But that’s not a state of being.

To demonstrate, it helps to consider the opposite of grace which is; disgrace. If someone is a disgrace it means they have committed some sort of serious error, totally inappropriate for the circumstances. Disgrace becomes their status because of what they did. It cannot be undone because you can’t change the past.

With that in mind, “grace” can be defined as “the delightful beauty of saying, doing, being, everything right in every circumstance.”

The adjective “graceful” can be seen in an athlete who performs an extraordinary feat, such as a football player who catches an almost impossible pass and makes it look easy. Or a ballerina who moves with such fluidity that it seems purely effortless and natural. Poetry in motion. It’s not our actions, but theirs. We are “fans”, beneficiaries of their performance.

Sometimes a person of royalty is honored with the respectful title of “Your Grace”.

When you plug that understanding into the Bible wherever the word “grace” is used it blossoms with meaning.

Jesus is the personification of the grace of God. He said, did, and was, everything right in every circumstance. His words and His actions were in perfect harmony with His Father’s will; Love, which culminated in a singularly unique accomplishment.

It’s not a matter of Him giving us grace for ourselves, but that when we believe “in” Him we behave like Him. It’s His grace.

Ephesians 2:8-9 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it (grace) is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.

Jesus is the personification of grace, He is the gift of God from God.

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𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐃𝐨 𝐖𝐞 𝐁𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐯𝐞?

What does it mean to believe “in” Jesus? By simply asking the question of do we believe “in” Jesus or “out” of Jesus we find the answer. It’s not enough to just believe He existed. When we believe “out” of Jesus we’re walking in darkness. We must be willing to come out of the darkness of our disgrace and shame to walk in the Light of His grace, allowing the Father’s will be done on earth 𝑡ℎ𝑟𝑜𝑢𝑔ℎ 𝑢𝑠, just as Jesus did the will of His Father.

John 3:20-21 For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God.

When we are “in” Him we are in His grace of the New and Everlasting Covenant. It’s His grace that is the gift of God. It’s not our efforts “works” that finished the covenant. It was His.

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In the Beginning… A Phil Kulis Series

Posted in #PaulthePoke, Creation, Phil Kulis with tags , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on February 5, 2026 by paulthepoke

Welcome to Part 2 of Phil’s series.

𝐂𝐎𝐕𝐄𝐍𝐀𝐍𝐓, 𝐆𝐎𝐒𝐏𝐄𝐋, 𝐆𝐑𝐀𝐂𝐄, 𝐅𝐀𝐈𝐓𝐇, 𝐁𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐈𝐒𝐌

𝐈𝐧 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐁𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠…

God created the Heaven and the Earth. God also created the plants and animals.

Then God created Man and put him in a garden. He called the man Adam. God put a tree in the midst of the Garden and told Adam not to eat from it, because in the day he eats from it he will surely die. This is a covenant between God and Adam: The Covenant of Sin and Death. So long as Adam remained obedient and didn’t eat from that tree he would live.

God brought all the animals to Adam and Adam named them. However, no suitable helper for Adam was found among the animals, so God put Adam into a deep sleep, took from the side of Adam a rib, and formed it into the Woman Eve. Eve was the downstream offspring of Adam and God. Adam said, “this is bone of my bone, flesh of my flesh”. This is why a husband and wife are considered one flesh.

Some time later in the Garden the Serpent asked Eve, “Has God really said you shall not eat of every tree?”

Eve replied, “We may eat the fruit of the trees of the garden; but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God has said, ‘You shall not eat it, 𝒏𝒐𝒓 𝒔𝒉𝒂𝒍𝒍 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒕𝒐𝒖𝒄𝒉 𝒊𝒕, lest you die.'”

But that is NOT what God said! There was no prohibition on touching it. That was most likely added by Adam. I can imagine Adam saying, “Look Eve, don’t even touch it!” Adam’s added regulation was a misrepresentation of the covenant.

It was this added regulation, the first “religion” through which the deceiver gained a foothold. Eve bundled her answers about eating and touching together.

So the Serpent addressed the two points as if they were one. The unspoken part of the serpent’s reply in parentheses was (if you touch it) “you will not surely die.” It was a very subtle and cunning attack. And it worked.

Eve ate.

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𝐍𝐨𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐇𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐝

𝐀𝐟𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐄𝐯𝐞 𝐀𝐭𝐞…𝐍𝐎𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐍𝐆!

It wasn’t until she gave it to Adam and he ate then BOTH of their eyes were opened.

Why?

It was Adam’s disobedience of eating that broke his covenant with God. Eve’s disobedience had no power to break that covenant. This is because she was the offspring of God and Adam. She was downstream of the Covenant. She was not a party to the Covenant made before she was created. She was not the Covenant Representative, Adam was.

So long as the Covenant between God and Adam remained intact, even though she transgressed, sinned, it was not accounted to her. After she ate, the Covenant between God and Adam still remained intact. She was protected by Adam’s obedience. His obedience maintained the Covenant. It was one man’s act of disobedience that broke the covenant.

Why did Adam choose to eat knowing it would bring death? It was because seeing nothing happen to Eve caused him to disbelieve God’s word. It’s the result of his choosing to act on his disbelief which led to disobedience resulting in death.

Understanding what happened leads to the realization that Eve is not to be blamed for the fall of mankind. It’s all too common for people, especially men to have animus towards Eve, and women in general. But understand that God placed enmity between her and the serpent. If you find yourself having animosity towards Eve or women in general, then be careful, you’re playing the role of the serpent.

The story of Adam and Eve is the very first model of Christ and the Church. This is a very important model upon which the whole Bible is based.

All who are offspring, downstream of the covenant between God and Adam are now subject to the conditions of a broken covenant. The consequence of that broken covenant is separation from God who is Life Itself and therefore that separation is Death.

Eve is the “mother of all living” our greatest grandmother. In this very first model of Christ she represents us, the Church. We should therefore have forgiveness towards Her and others in the Church. We’re no better than her.

That brief interval between Eve eating and Adam eating which is the unbroken covenant between God and Man in the face of sin is the fulcrum around which all of human history pivots.

When you begin to get your mind around what happened there in the Garden, the entire Bible begins to make sense.

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Statement of Faith

Posted in #PaulthePoke with tags , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on January 22, 2026 by paulthepoke

The Bible, ALL of it, is the Word of God. ALL of it is for our benefit. God’s Word finishes us as humans and makes us whole. God is the source of knowledge and revelation.

2 Timothy 3:16-17 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for instruction, for conviction, for correction, and for training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be complete, fully equipped for every good work.

2 Peter 1:20 Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture comes from one’s own interpretation.

God exists in three eternal, individual personalities: God the Father, God the Son (Jesus Christ), and God the Holy Spirit. Each is equally God. They are one essence, perfect harmony.

Deuteronomy 6:4 Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is One.

2 Corinthians 13:14 The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.

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Jesus Christ is the central figure and person in human history.

Jesus is God in human form. His Hebrew name, Yeshua, means “He saves.”

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

John 1:1-2 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God.

Jesus is eternal.

1 Peter 1:20 He was foreknown before the foundation of the world but was made manifest in the last times for the sake of you.

John 17:24 Father, I desire that they also whom You gave Me may be with Me where I am, that they may behold My glory which You have given Me; for You loved Me before the foundation of the world.

Jesus, born of a virgin

Isaiah 7:14 Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel (God with us).

Fulfilled in Matthew 1:22-23

Jesus is the “Good News”, the Gospel message.

1 Corinthians 15:3-4 For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that He was buried, that He was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures…

Jesus is currently alive and at the right hand of God the Father.

Psalm 110:1 A Psalm of David. The Lord says to my Lord: “Sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies your footstool.”

1 Peter 3:22 Who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, with angels, authorities, and powers having been subjected to Him.

Hebrews 1:3 He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of His nature, and He upholds the universe by the word of His power. After making purification for sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high.

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The church is not a physical building. The church is a body of believers in Jesus Christ.

Matthew 16:18 And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. -Jesus

Romans 12:4-6a For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them:

Ephesians 5:23 For the husband is head of the wife, as also Christ is head of the church; and He is the Savior of the body.

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All of humanity who has physically died, all of the bodies will ultimately be resurrected. The question is the destination.

Daniel 12:2 And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.

1 Corinthians 15:13 But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised.

Revelation 20:15 And if anyone was found whose name was not written in the Book of Life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.

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Pre Tribulation Rapture: At a designated point in time before the beginning of the seven year Tribulation or the Day of the Lord, the entire body of the church of Jesus Christ will be caught up into the clouds to meet Him in the air.

1 Thessalonians 5:1-5

1 Thessalonians 5:9 For God has not destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Psalm 27:5 For in the time of trouble He shall hide me in His pavilion; In the secret place of His tabernacle He shall hide me; He shall set me high upon a rock.

https://www.amazon.com/Rapture-Bride-Redeemed-Paul-Lehr-ebook/dp/B073Q4Z1RL

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The church will physically return to earth to rule and reign with Jesus Christ during the Millennial Kingdom.

Revelation 20:6 Blessed and holy are those who share in the first resurrection! The second death has no power over them, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with Him for a thousand years.

2 Timothy 2:12 If we endure, we will also reign with Him; If we deny Him, He will also deny us…

1 Peter 2:9 But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, to proclaim the virtues of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.

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Believers can respectfully proclaim God’s truth and love people who disagree with or live outside of God’s laws and precepts.

Matthew 22:37-40 Jesus declared, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”

1 Peter 4:8 Above all, love one another deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.

Galatians 5:14 For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”

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Human life is sacred from conception to its natural end. God is the Creator of life from before time.

Psalm 139:13-16 For You formed my inmost being; You knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Marvelous are Your works, and I know this very well. My frame was not hidden from You when I was made in secret, when I was woven together in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed body; all my days were written in Your book and ordained for me before one of them came to be.

Job 31:15 Did not He who made me in the womb also make them? Did not the same One form us in the womb?

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God sovereignly and purposefully creates each person biologically male or biologically female.

Genesis 1:27 So God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.

Matthew 19:4 Jesus answered, “Have you not read that from the beginning the Creator ‘made them male and female,’

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Marriage is between a biological man and a biological woman.

Mark 10:6-9 But from the beginning of creation, ‘God made them male and female.’ ‘Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.’ So they are no longer two but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate. -Jesus

Hebrews 13:4 Marriage is to be held in honor among all, and the marriage bed is to be undefiled; for God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterers.

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Humanity has inherited a sin nature from the fall of Adam. We are all in need of forgiveness and redemption from our individual sins.

Romans 5:12 Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all mankind, because all sinned…

1 John 4:9-10 This is how God’s love was revealed among us: God sent His one and only Son into the world, so that we might live through Him. And love consists in this: not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son as the atoning sacrifice for our sins.

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Salvation is by Faith alone apart from works. One cannot work, earn, or buy their way into eternity with God. He will not accept the fallen individual’s effort or payment.

Ephesians 2:8-9 For it is by grace you have been saved through faith, and this not from yourselves; it is the gift of God, not by works, so that no one can boast.

Romans 3:28 Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith apart from the deeds of the Law.

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Satan is a real personality and angelic being.

Jesus personally encountered Satan in Matthew 4:1-11.

1 John 3:8 The one who practices sin is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the very start. This is why the Son of God was revealed, to destroy the works of the devil.

Zechariah 3:1 Then he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the Angel of the LORD, and Satan standing at his right hand to oppose him.

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Hell is a real physical place. No one in the Bible teaches more about Hell than Jesus.

Revelation 20:14-15 Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. And if anyone was found whose name was not written in the Book of Life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.

Matthew 25:41 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.

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https://www.amazon.com/Paul-Lehr/e/B09W8FB77N

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This Week in Prophecy: Auroras; Rod of Discipline; AI Jesus

Posted in #PaulthePoke, Creation, Culture, Signs: Sun, Moon, Stars... with tags , , , , , , , , , , , , on November 15, 2025 by paulthepoke

Psalm 19:1-2 The heavens tell of the glory of God; and their expanse declares the work of His hands. Day to day pours forth speech, and night to night reveals knowledge.

God is talking and He is telling us something…

A white church stands beneath a vibrant sky filled with swirling red and green auroras, evoking a sense of wonder and divine majesty.

Auroras occur when solar wind particles, guided by Earth’s magnetic field, collide with oxygen and nitrogen in the upper atmosphere near the poles, exciting the gases to emit colorful light. -Grok

God created constants in this universe and solar system. God is a master of order.

As humans created in the image of God, we have the ability to observe. We have the ability to see in color. We can calculate and understand these observable phenomenon. Humans have awareness and consciousness. God created us with the ability to understand His creation.

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Proverbs 13:24 Whoever spares the rod hates his son, but he who loves him is diligent to discipline him.

Proverbs 29:15 A rod of correction imparts wisdom, but a child left to himself disgraces his mother.

Public caning in Singapore…

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Matthew 24:24 For false christs and false prophets will arise and perform great signs and wonders, so as to lead astray, if possible, even the elect.

Get into God’s Word… Read the Bible. We are going to need it. To quote Pilate, “What is truth?”

1 John 1:1-2 That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, concerning the Word of life, the life was manifested, and we have seen, and bear witness, and declare to you that eternal life which was with the Father and was manifested to us…

2 Peter 1:19 And we have the prophetic word more fully confirmed, to which you will do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts…

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https://www.amazon.com/Paul-Lehr/e/B09W8FB77N

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This Week in Prophecy: Temple Talk; West Bank; Syrian Barbarianism; British Education; Red Sea

Posted in #PaulthePoke, Burden of Damascus, Culture, Prophecy, Temple, Trend Update with tags , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on March 16, 2025 by paulthepoke

Micah 4:1-3 In the last days the mountain of the house of the LORD will be established as the chief of the mountains; it will be raised above the hills, and the peoples will stream to it. And many nations 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.” For the law will go forth from Zion and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem. Then He will judge between many peoples and arbitrate for strong nations far and wide. Then they will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will no longer take up the sword against nation, nor will they train anymore for war.

Coalition MKs to US Senate: “Recognize the right of the Jewish people to the Temple Mount”

“This is the place where our Temples stood, which were destroyed by the Babylonian and Roman empires about 2,500 and 1,900 years ago.”

The letter to the members of the Senate reads: “Today, while the sovereign State of Israel guarantees access to holy sites for all religions, the Jewish people are denied full and free access to their holiest site due to heavy international pressure. Official recognition by the world’s leading country and Israel’s great friend – the United States – could ensure historical justice.

“This decision is not just a symbolic gesture but a declaration of truth, a declaration of religious freedom and the restoration of historical justice. The United States has been and will always be a pillar of human rights and the protection of holy sites around the world. Especially after October 7, when Hamas and its allies declared war under the slogan ‘Al-Aqsa Flood’ while desecrating the sanctity of the Holy Place, we call for support and promotion of this historic decision as a courageous and clear statement of the United States’ ongoing commitment to truth, justice, and religious freedom for all peoples.”

Coalition MKs to US Senate: “Recognize the right of the Jewish people to the Temple Mount”

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Acts 1:8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, and you will be My witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

Evangelical Leaders in Jerusalem call for Israeli sovereignty over Biblical heartland

During their visit, the Christian leaders toured the biblical heartland, including the site of ancient Shiloh, where they reaffirmed their support for Israeli sovereignty. Yisrael Ganz, governor of the Binyamin Regional Council and chairman of the Yesha Council, commented, “The application of Israeli sovereignty in Judea and Samaria is a necessary step to ensure the safety of Israel and the future of Jewish communities in the region.”

Evangelical Leaders in Jerusalem call for Israeli sovereignty over Biblical heartland

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Jeremiah 49:23-24 Concerning Damascus: “Hamath and Arpad are put to shame, for they have heard a bad report; they are agitated like the sea; their anxiety cannot be calmed. Damascus has become feeble; she has turned to flee. Panic has gripped her; anguish and pain have seized her like a woman in labor.

Ahmed al-Sharaa, better known as Abu Mohammad al-Jolani is Syria’s new leader. Historically, he has ties to Al Qaeda and ISIS.

In late 2024, Jolani spearheaded a rapid offensive that toppled Assad’s regime, capturing key cities like Aleppo, Homs, and Damascus by December 8, 2024. -Grok AI

Jolani led forces have turned on Assad loyalists or Alawites in western Syria.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR), a UK-based monitoring group, reported over 1,450 deaths across Latakia, Tartus, Hama, and Homs provinces by March 10, including 973 civilians, mostly Alawites, killed in what they described as “killings, field executions, and ethnic cleansing operations.” By March 11, this civilian toll rose to 1,225, with specific incidents like 132 deaths in Baniyas alone.

Some estimates have the number of deaths over 22,000. There are gruesome descriptions with pictures and video on the internet including barbaric murders, kidnapping, rape, and cannibalism.

Russia and the United States request emergency United Nations Security Council meeting “in light of the violence against civilians in Western Syria.”

https://twitter.com/BRICSinfo/status/1898834396423336357

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Deuteronomy 6:7-9 And you shall teach them diligently to your children and speak of them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as reminders on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorposts of your houses and on your gates.

Great Britain: Sir Hamid Patel, has been appointed interim chairman of OFSTED (Office for Standards in Education). This is who the Brits have in charge of their education. This is a sea change from The Church of England.

Sir Patel is Mufti. According to Grok AI…

A “Mufti” in the context of Islam refers to a qualified Islamic scholar or jurist who is authorized to issue legal opinions or interpretations (known as fatwas) on matters of Islamic law (Sharia). The term comes from the Arabic word aftā, meaning “to give a legal opinion.” Muftis play a significant role in Muslim communities by providing guidance on religious, social, and legal issues based on their deep knowledge of the Quran, Hadith (sayings and actions of the Prophet Muhammad), and Islamic jurisprudence (Fiqh).

To become a Mufti, a person typically undergoes extensive education in Islamic studies, mastering areas such as theology, law, and Arabic language. Historically, Muftis have been appointed by governments or religious institutions in some Muslim-majority countries, while in other contexts, they earn their status through recognition by their peers and community for their expertise.

https://twitter.com/GBPolitcs/status/1900300464840663166

Ephesians 6:4 Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.

Decisions can and will have significant cultural consequences.

~

Exodus 15:4 Pharaoh’s chariots and army He has cast into the sea; the finest of his officers are drowned in the Red Sea.

CENTCOM Forces Launch Large Scale Operation Against Iran-Backed Houthis in Yemen

On March 15, U.S. Central Command initiated a series of operations consisting of precision strikes against Iran-backed Houthi targets across Yemen to defend American interests, deter enemies, and restore freedom of navigation.

~

https://www.amazon.com/Paul-Lehr/e/B09W8FB77N

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Shavuot/Pentecost/Feast of Weeks, 5783/2023

Posted in #PaulthePoke, Pentecost/Shavuot/Feast of Weeks, Prophecy with tags , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on May 23, 2023 by paulthepoke

Leviticus 23:15-16 ‘You shall also count for yourselves from the day after the Sabbath, from the day when you brought in the sheaf of the wave offering; there shall be seven complete Sabbaths. You shall count fifty days to the day after the seventh Sabbath; then you shall present a new grain offering to the Lord.

On a Gregorian calendar, we are in the year of 2023, the holiday of Shavuot/Feast of Weeks/Pentecost begins at sunset on Thursday, May 25th. The God Appointed holiday ends at sunset Saturday, May 27th. The Feast takes place in the month of Sivan on the 6th and 7th of a Hebrew calendar. This is the Hebrew year 5783.

Provisions for the holiday include two loaves of bread, sacrificial lambs, a bull, two rams, a goat, and a drink offering of wine. The holiday is also a day of rest with no work (Leviticus 23:17-21).

In the Old Testament and in the Hebrew, this holiday is referred to as Shavuot. The word means: weeks.

Shavuot is one of the three holidays where Jewish men are required to come to Jerusalem (Exodus 23:14-17). The men were to make their presentation and sacrifice before God at the Temple.

As stated in the Leviticus passage, it is seven weeks after Passover. It is a celebration of the completed grain harvest. The holiday is also a celebration of God giving the Torah (instruction or law) to nation Israel. Because of this, Shavuot is considered as the beginning or birth of Judaism.

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The Law was given on Mount Sinai roughly 1,500 years before Christ. Nation Israel honored this holiday every year. Eating and drinking dairy products are part of the celebration of Shavuot. Many think the custom of dairy products is in reference to Bible verses referring to a promised land flowing with milk and honey.

Exodus 3:8a “So I have come down to deliver them from the power of the Egyptians, and to bring them up from that land to a good and spacious land, to a land flowing with milk and honey…

http://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/why-dairy-on-shavuot/

~

Fast forward to 33 AD. Nation Israel is celebrating and living the holiday. 

Acts 2:1 When the day of Pentecost had come, they (apostles) were all together in one place. 

In the Greek New Testament, Shavuot (Hebrew) is translated as Pentekoste (Greek). Per Strong’s Concordance, it means: the fiftieth day; the second of the three great Jewish feasts, celebrated at Jerusalem yearly, the seventh week after the Passover, in grateful recognition of the completed wheat harvest. We have transliterated the word to Pentecost (English).

~

Pentecost or Shavuot is the day promised by Jesus of the giving of the Holy Spirit. 

John 14:26 But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you.

~

Acts 2:4 And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit was giving them utterance. 

It is seven weeks after the death of the sacrificial lamb, Jesus. Shavuot or Pentecost is also the day God the Father gave the Holy Spirit. Because of this, Pentecost is considered the beginning or the birth of the church (believers in Jesus Christ).

http://www.hebrew4christians.com/Holidays/Spring_Holidays/Shavuot/shavuot.html

Acts 2:38 Peter said to them, “Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit…”

https://www.amazon.com/Paul-Lehr/e/B09W8FB77N

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God Protects

Posted in #PaulthePoke with tags , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on February 18, 2023 by paulthepoke

How many hairs do you think are on your head? Well, if you have red hair, you have about 90,000. If you have black hair, there are about 103,000. On the other hand, if you have brown hair, there are more than 109,000 hairs on your head. If you are a blond, you probably have 140,000 hairs.

Each of you has many, many hairs on your head, and I am sure that if you started to count them you would tire very quickly. But do you know that God knows how many hairs are on your head? Listen to this verse:

Matthew 10:30 “But the very hairs of your head are all numbered.”

This verse shows us the loving care of God, who numbered all the hairs of our heads. If God knows how many hairs are on your head, don’t you think He also knows every detail in your life? There’s no problem in your life that He cannot solve, and there’s no need that He cannot meet. He certainly knows when you need strength to overcome temptation, or when you need help in telling someone else about the Lord Jesus.

Remember this little lesson, boys and girls. Every time you comb your hair, for instance, remember just how much your heavenly Father cares for you. But also remember that this is true only if you have believed in the Lord Jesus.

Object Lesson provided by Charles Ryrie, Easy Object Lessons, p.64.

Key Theme: God protects His people.

God’s provision and protection are indicated from the outset of time. God chose the family line of Abram to demonstrate His protection. These are the people of promise.

Genesis 12:2-3 “And I will make you a great nation, And I will bless you, And make your name great, And so you shall be a blessing; And I will bless those who bless you, And the one who curses you I will curse you. And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”

God states that Israel is “the apple of His eye.” The “apple” of the eye is the pupil. It is the part of the eye that regulates light and the part we instinctively protect. God protects His people like we instinctively protect our eyes. God means business when He states that He will protect Israel.

Zechariah 2:8 For thus says the Lord of hosts, “After glory He has sent me against the nations which plunder you, for he who touches you, touches the apple of His eye.”

There are multiple occasions throughout history where God protects His people. The two stories being studied are examples. Paul is protected in his travels on the sea.

Judgment was brought against Egypt with the plague of hail. Israel was in exile in Egypt during this hail storm yet they were spared.

Exodus 9:26 “Only in the land of Goshen, where the sons of Israel were, there was no hail.”

Although God is never directly mentioned in the Book of Esther, His hand of protection is noted throughout the book. The Jewish people are protected from the plots of Haman’s evil intentions. It was Haman’s intent to exterminate the Jews. As the story goes, Persian King Ahasuerus chooses a Jewish girl, Esther, to be his queen. Mordecai, Esther’s uncle, works behind the scenes to protect his people. In the final analysis, Haman’s plot is foiled and he ends up dead. The Jewish people are spared from extinction.

In the future, Jesus will “snatch” His bride the church from a troubled world. That event is the rapture of the church.                   

1 Thessalonians 5:9 “For God has not destined us for wrath, but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.”

The church will be spared from the coming judgment against the world in the seven year tribulation. Again, God will protect His people.

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 , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on September 23, 2022 by paulthepoke
https://www.facebook.com/twtramm

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

www.theseasonofreturn.com

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 , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , 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.

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