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.
Pockets of the Christian community are buzzing about this verse. This fall on the Feast of Trumpets also known as Yom Teruah, this configuration of heavenly bodies will form in the sky. Many think that because this “sign” is appearing on and around the Feast of Trumpets, this points to the rapture on or near September 23, 2017.
The Greek word for “sign” is σημεῖον/sémeion. Per Strong’s Concordance it means: a sign, miracle, indication, mark, token.
HELPS Word Studies defines the term as following: a sign (typically miraculous), given especially to confirm, corroborate or authenticate; emphasizes the end-purpose which exalts the one giving it.
So the question becomes, does the “sign” indicate we have arrived at the destination of rapture of the church? Or does the “sign” indicate the event is approaching? When we are driving down the interstate, a sign says “St. Louis 250 miles”. There is also a sign that declares we have arrived in St. Louis. So where are we? Are we approaching rapture? Or is the rapture this Feast of Trumpets, September 23, 2017?
It is not the intent of the author to defend or articulate the position of those with this point of view. They can speak for themselves. It is my intent to give some points of consideration.
Statistical data regarding uniqueness of the event is unquestionable. Thanks to math of Johannes Kepler and his laws of planetary motion and physics, we are able to calculate the movement of heavenly bodies. The equations and calculations are run on computer software. The heavens are a finely tuned clock which can be run forward and backward.
The sign appears to be a once in 7,000 year event. If one subscribes to a literal seven day creation as stated in the Bible, the earth and universe are about 6,000 years old. This “sign” is a once in a creation event. It is a statistically rare astronomical event intentioned to get our attention. I am not getting in the way of that math assuming it is correct.
As human beings, we need to keep ourselves in check. We are fallen in our current state of humanity. We make mistakes. Rigid, inflexible dogmatic positions will lead to brokenness. And we do not possess the mind of God.
Isaiah 55:8-9 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. -The Lord God
Many of the folks supporting the Rapture Fall 2017 position utilize the internet program Stellarium.
But there are questions. Does the Stellarium software (or any other for that matter) take into account Joshua’s long day? How long was Joshua’s long day? Software can only apply what it knows in the present. There needs to be a known, accurate point of comparison in the past to confirm the math in the present.
Joshua 10:12-13 At that time Joshua spoke to the LORD in the day when the LORD gave the Amorites over to the sons of Israel, and he said in the sight of Israel, “Sun, stand still at Gibeon, and moon, in the Valley of Aijalon.” And the sun stood still, and the moon stopped, until the nation took vengeance on their enemies. Is this not written in the Book of Jashar? The sun stopped in the midst of heaven and did not hurry to set for about a whole day.
Kepler himself misapplied his math when looking for the Star of Bethlehem. He was off by about a year or two. My point is one or two years matters. To quote Einstein, “God does not play dice.” He is not loose or sloppy with His timing. God invented math.
This is the first in a series of posts regarding the Revelation 12 Sign.
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