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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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There Shall Be Seven Weeks: Feasts (Trumpets/Teruah, The Only New Moon Feast)

Posted in #PaulthePoke, Angels, Fall Feasts, Prophecy with tags , , , , , , , , , , , , , on August 8, 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 last of three posts on the initial Fall Feast.

God operates on a lunar calendar. Jews have utilized the following procedure every month for thousands of years. It is called Rosh Chodesh which means “head of the month”. At the end of a lunar cycle, the moon is dark and is not seen for 2-3 days. So, the new moon could be identified during this 2-3 day period …of that day or hour no one knows…

By God’s standards, determining the new moon is not a mathematical calculation as we do today.

By His definition, a new moon is proclaimed when the first little sliver emerges from a darkened moon. It is a tiny crescent that is noted briefly at sunset on the western horizon. The month begins at the sighting of the new moon. Two witnesses have to confirm the sighting. Upon agreement, the two witnesses report to the high priest. When the new moon is confirmed, the trumpet (shofar/ram’s horn) is blown.

It is not hard to see how humanity’s time keeping system is different than God’s. It is easy to see how the concept of time is likely different and not on the same page. God marks time from month to month on a lunar calendar.

There are people who are trained witnesses to identify the new moon. They are outside of Jerusalem when the moon goes dark and they are looking for the tiny sliver to emerge. If you are interested, see this website. http://whenisthenewmoon.com/

Why two witnesses? This concept is part of Jewish law. 

Deuteronomy 19:15-21 A single witness shall not rise up against a man on account of any iniquity or any sin which he has committed; on the evidence of two or three witnesses a matter shall be confirmed. If a malicious witness rises up against a man to accuse him of wrongdoing, then both the men who have the dispute shall stand before the Lord, before the priests and the judges who will be in office in those days. The judges shall investigate thoroughly, and if the witness is a false witness and he has accused his brother falsely, then you shall do to him just as he had intended to do to his brother. Thus you shall purge the evil from among you. The rest will hear and be afraid, and will never again do such an evil thing among you. Thus you shall not show pity: life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot.

Creation of Time: The Calendar

In the future, God will have two people bear witness to the world that humanity is sinful. With these two witnesses, He is establishing a legal declaration of evidence. If God is wrong and lying about humanity, He would bring judgment accordingly upon Himself per the law stated above. 

Revelation 11:3 And I will grant authority to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy for twelve hundred and sixty days, clothed in sackcloth.

Two or more witnesses to the new moon are legally establishing as fact per the law. It is about truth, character, morality and verification before God, not math.

You can know the holiday …of that day or hour no one knows… only the Father knows when the new moon is official and the holiday begins.

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The Feast of Trumpets and the Rapture of The Church

Posted in #PaulthePoke, Fall Feasts, Prophecy, Rapture with tags , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , 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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Yom Teruah/Feast of Trumpets/Rosh Hashanah Declared, Tishri 1, 5779/September 2018

Posted in Fall Feasts, Prophecy, Signs: Sun, Moon, Stars..., Trend Update with tags , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on September 11, 2018 by paulthepoke

It is official. The new moon has been sighted at 6:47 pm Jerusalem, Israel time. Rosh Hashanah declared! Well… maybe. The following is stated by Brother Mark Harris of http://whenisthenewmoon.com/

“Some of you may be keeping this New Moon as the 7th month based on the barley observation this year, and some may be keeping this as the 6th month based on the first New Moon sighted after the Spring began. May you all continue to be blessed as you walk in Obedience to the Creator, and search out the Truth in these matters!”

Time, time, time… sigh… of that day or hour no one knows…

The photo credit is courtesy of: Kenny Russell

New-Moon-September-2018

The website is:  http://whenisthenewmoon.com/

Click on the link below for a brief explanation of keeping time on God’s calendar.

 

These people are located northeast of Jerusalem, Israel and they follow the ancient practice of Rosh Chodesh. Rosh Chodesh means “head of the month”. There are people who are trained witnesses to identify the new moon. When the moon goes dark, witnesses are looking for the tiny sliver to emerge. It is a tiny crescent that is noted briefly at sunset on the western horizon.

God operates on a lunar calendar. Jews have utilized the following procedure every month for thousands of years. At the end of a lunar cycle, the moon is dark and is not seen for 2-3 days. The new moon can be identified during this 2-3 day period …of that day or hour no one knows…

The month begins at the sighting of the new moon. Two witnesses have to confirm the sighting. Upon agreement, the two witnesses report to the high priest. When the new moon is confirmed, the trumpet (shofar/ram’s horn) is blown. Humanity’s time keeping system is different than God’s. It is easy to see how the concepts of time are different and not on the same page. God marks time from month to month on a lunar calendar. The issue is not a mathematical calculation. It is a legal matter of truthful verification as far as God is concerned.

Deuteronomy 19:15 A single witness shall not rise up against a man on account of any iniquity or any sin which he has committed; on the evidence of two or three witnesses a matter shall be confirmed.

Tishri 1 (Hebrew calendar) begins after sunset on Tuesday, September 11, 2018 (Gregorian calendar) and continues until sunset Wednesday, September 12. With the establishment of the new moon and month, the remainder of God’s Fall Appointments can be proclaimed and dated.

Secular Israel celebrates the new month of Tishri and calls it their new year, Rosh Hashanah. Israelis are celebrating the beginning of year 5779. Note, God calls Tishri the seventh month.

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. See also Leviticus 23:23-25

God’s new year begins in the spring.

Exodus 12:1-2 Now the Lord said to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt, “This month shall be the beginning of months for you; it is to be the first month of the year to you…”

 

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Revelation: Sardis, The Thief is Coming

Posted in Prophecy, Revelation with tags , , , , , , , , , on October 22, 2017 by paulthepoke

Revelation 3:3b …If you will not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what hour I will come against you.

…If you will not wake up…The implication is the believers at the church in Sardis are asleep. This is the second time believers in Sardis are told to wake up. And if you don’t wake up, a consequence is coming.

Consequence, I will come like a thief. This is not the first time Jesus tells believers He will come like a thief. Other New Testament epistles make the same point. See Paul and Peter.

1 Thessalonians 5:2 For you yourselves are fully aware that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night.

1 Thessalonians 5:4 But you are not in darkness, brothers, for that day to surprise you like a thief.

2 Peter 3:10 But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed.

Revelation 16:15 “Behold, I am coming like a thief! Blessed is the one who stays awake, keeping his garments on, that he may not go about naked and be seen exposed!”

 

…and you will not know at what hour I will come against you.

Jesus is beyond fair. He is not leaking new information. Readers of the Bible should know He has spoken this concept before.

Matthew 24:43 But know this, that if the master of the house had known in what part of the night the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and would not have let his house be broken into. -Jesus

Do we think Jesus is kidding? Look at all of the examples given in the writing above. And this is not a comprehensive list. There were other verses expressing the same idea. We have been given fair warning. Get ready. He is coming again.

Luke 12:40 “You also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.” -Jesus

 

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Revelation: Sardis, Keep Your Clothes

Posted in Gospel, Prophecy, Revelation with tags , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on August 5, 2017 by paulthepoke

Revelation 3:3b …If you will not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what hour I will come against you.

This phrase would have a special meaning to priests who stood watch at the Jewish Temple. The night watch was divided into three groups. There were 24 stations at gates and in the courts of the Temple complex. Each station had 10 men for a total of 240 night guards.

During the night, the captain would make his rounds and check on the guards. The catch, no one knew what time the captain would come for inspection. If a watchman was found asleep, he would be beaten or his garments would be set on fire.

Temple insights provided by: Alfred Edersheim, The Temple: Its Ministry and Services, Chapter 7 At Night in the Temple

We should pay attention to the analogy. As believers we will be kings and priests in the future. John makes the point in the book of Revelation.

Revelation 1:6 and made us a kingdom, priests to his God and Father, to him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.

Revelation 5:10 and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they shall reign on the earth.

The believer’s position of royalty and priesthood with Jesus Christ is confirmed later in the book.

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.

See also Revelation 20:4.

Consider the course of the priest who was given the responsibility to stand watch. He fell asleep. He lost his clothes to fire. But, he was still a priest. He had to report to his superior naked. It was obvious what had occurred. That had to be embarrassing.

Shame entered the world with nakedness at the fall of man in Genesis 3. From this point forward, nakedness is associated with sin. Two of many examples are noted below.

Lamentations 1:8 Jerusalem sinned grievously; therefore she became filthy; all who honored her despise her, for they have seen her nakedness; she herself groans and turns her face away.

Isaiah 47:3 Your nakedness will be uncovered, your shame also will be exposed; I will take vengeance and will not spare a man.

As believers, do we want to stand naked before Jesus Christ? He shed His blood for us and clothed us in priestly linen garments to cover our sin. He is the High Priest and King. Jesus is our authority. Christ is going to know what happened and whether or not we faithfully stood watch.

Don’t make it obvious by showing up naked.

 

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Trend Update: Sanhedrin, March 2016

Posted in Prophecy, Sanhedrin, Trend Update with tags , , , , , , , on March 23, 2016 by paulthepoke

Matthew 26:59 The chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin were trying to find false testimony against Jesus so that they could put him to death.

Exodus 12:2 This month shall be the beginning of months for you; it is to be the first month of the year to you.

sanhedrin

Photo: Sanhedrin

The Biblical or Religious New Year begins at the moment of sunset at Jerusalem, on the evening of the first potentially visible crescent moon (Rosh Chodesh) beginning Day 1 of Month 1. The spring equinox is the demarcation point governing the solar cycle. A Biblical New Year can begin before or after the spring equinox.

http://paulthepoke.com/2016/03/06/creation-of-time-the-calendar/

The Sanhedrin of Israel is back in the news, March 2016. The Sanhedrin reconvened in 2005 after a 1,600 year absence. They oversee legal matters and future construction of the pending third temple.

http://www.heisnear.com/Sanhedrin.html

The Greek word for Sanhedrin is sunedrion. It is frequently translated as “Council” in the New Testament (Strong’s Concordance).

Who is/was the Sanhedrin? They are/were a group of 71 members. The group was made up of members from the Pharisees and Sadducees back in the day. The Sanhedrin was lead by the High Priest in the past (Holman Bible Dictionary).

This is the same Sanhedrin who illegally arrested, tried, and convicted Jesus (Luke 22:66, Mark 14:55-56). They pressured Pilate for Jesus’ death on a cross (Mark 15:1-15).

In another sense, they are not the same Sanhedrin of Jesus’s time. They now have their own website.

http://www.thesanhedrin.org/en/index.php?title=The_Re-established_Jewish_Sanhedrin

Exodus 12:2 This month shall be the beginning of months for you; it is to be the first month of the year to you.

On March 10, 2016, a Biblical commandment that hasn’t been seen in 2,000 years was fulfilled. In the Cardo neighborhood of the Old City of Jerusalem, two witnesses stood before the Sanhedrin and gave testimony that established the beginning of the new month.

The point of the event is to correct the Hebrew calendar. There are contradictions between Hillel II’s calculations and calendar verses the astronomical reality of the sun, moon, and stars. The Sanhedrin is aware of the differences and is working to correct the issue.

Prior to declaring the new moon and new month, a Temple service was completed. Animal sacrifice was not included. But, the priests were in garments. A grain offering was burnt on the altar. Instruments and vessels were provided by the Temple Institute.
Read more at http://www.breakingisraelnews.com/63610/sanhedrin-performs-rare-biblical-commandment-not-seen-2000-years-jewish-world/#PmsydWvh71BqQ9AJ.99

The Sanhedrin is slow to the party. There are people in Israel who have been identifying the new moon or Rosh Chodesh. How is a new moon or a new month determined? Jews have utilized the following procedure every month for thousands of years. It is called Rosh Chodesh which means “head of the month”. At the end of a lunar cycle, the moon is dark and is not seen for 2-3 days. So, the new moon could be identified during this 2-3 day period …of that day or hour no one knows…By definition, a new moon is proclaimed when the first little sliver emerges from a darkened moon. It is a tiny crescent that is noted briefly at sunset on the western horizon. The month begins at the sighting of the new moon. Two witnesses have to confirm the sighting. Upon agreement, the two witnesses report to the high priest. When the new moon is confirmed, the trumpet (shofar/ram’s horn) is blown.

http://paulthepoke.com/2014/09/28/yom-teruahrosh-hashanahfeast-of-trumpets-part-3/

There are people who are trained witnesses to identify the new moon. They are outside of Jerusalem when the moon goes dark and they are looking for the tiny sliver to emerge. If you are interested, see this website.

http://whenisthenewmoon.com/

Humanity has no idea what time it is…of that day or hour no one knows…

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Yom Teruah/Rosh Hashanah/Feast of Trumpets, Part 3

Posted in Fall Feasts, Prophecy with tags , , , , , , , , , , , , , on September 28, 2014 by paulthepoke

On Thursday, September 25, 2014, Rosh Hashanah or the Jewish New Year was proclaimed on the Gregorian calendar. The Jewish New Year or Yom Teruah was not proclaimed by some in Israel until Saturday, September 27, 2014 on the Gregorian calendar. The New Year and new month (Hebrew month of Tishri) did not start until Saturday on the Sabbath. The terms Rosh Hashanah, Feast of Trumpets, Yom Teruah, Jewish New Year, Hidden Day, New Moon Festival are synonymous. WHAT?!?!

God operates on a lunar calendar. Jews have utilized the following procedure every month for thousands of years. It is called Rosh Chodesh which means “head of the month”. At the end of a lunar cycle, the moon is dark and is not seen for 2-3 days. So, the new moon could be identified during this 2-3 day period …of that day or hour no one knows…By definition, a new moon is proclaimed when the first little sliver emerges from a darkened moon. It is a tiny crescent that is noted briefly at sunset on the western horizon. The month begins at the sighting of the new moon. Two witnesses have to confirm the sighting. Upon agreement, the two witnesses report to the high priest. When the new moon is confirmed, the trumpet (shofar/ram’s horn) is blown. It is not hard to see how humanity’s time keeping system is different than God’s. It is easy to see how the concept of time is likely different and not on the same page. God marks time from month to month on a lunar calendar.

There are people who are trained witnesses to identify the new moon. They are outside of Jerusalem when the moon goes dark and they are looking for the tiny sliver to emerge. If you are interested, see this website. http://whenisthenewmoon.com/

Why two witnesses? This concept is part of Jewish law. Deuteronomy 19:15-21 A single witness shall not rise up against a man on account of any iniquity or any sin which he has committed; on the evidence of two or three witnesses a matter shall be confirmed. If a malicious witness rises up against a man to accuse him of wrongdoing, then both the men who have the dispute shall stand before the Lord, before the priests and the judges who will be in office in those days. The judges shall investigate thoroughly, and if the witness is a false witness and he has accused his brother falsely, then you shall do to him just as he had intended to do to his brother. Thus you shall purge the evil from among you. The rest will hear and be afraid, and will never again do such an evil thing among you. Thus you shall not show pity: life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot.

If this concept was applied today, would society be different? Would people spread lie(s) about other people if they knew the consequence would the punishment of the lie(s) they were spreading?

In the future, God will have two people bear witness to the world that humanity is sinful. With these two witnesses, He is establishing a legal declaration of evidence. If God is wrong and lying about humanity, He would bring judgment accordingly upon Himself per the law stated above. Revelation 11:3 And I will grant authority to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy for twelve hundred and sixty days, clothed in sackcloth.

Two or more witnesses to the new moon are legally establishing as fact per the law.

You can know the holiday…of that day or hour no one knows…only the Father knows when the new moon is official and the holiday begins.

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Trend Update: Yom Teruah/Rosh Hashanah/Feast of Trumpets, September 2014

Posted in Fall Feasts, Prophecy, Rapture, Resurrection, Trend Update with tags , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on September 24, 2014 by paulthepoke

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.

The Feast of Trumpets is the only new moon holiday on God’s calendar. Rosh Hashanah is the Jewish New Year, the head of years. This year, 2014 on the Gregorian calendar, the holiday begins on September 24, 25, or 26. Yom Teruah is declared when the crescent of the new moon is observed by two witness and confirmed by the high priest. By definition, it is a holiday no one knows the day or hour.

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.

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.

Yom Teruah is set aside by God with prophetic implications. The Feast of Trumpets is a promise for the future. Jesus is the reason. Resurrection and rapture, He makes it happen. The issue may not be the hour or the day. The issue may be the year…

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Resurrection/Rapture…No one knows the day or hour…Maybe

Posted in Fall Feasts, Prophecy, Rapture with tags , , , , , , , , , , , on August 17, 2014 by paulthepoke

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

Jesus is talking to His disciples about the end of the age and His second coming. In western culture, we take this passage literally. “Nobody knows, not even Jesus, Jesus said!” Okay, we are done here, moving forward.

Wait a minute, Jesus is a Jew. Matthew, the author, is a Jew. This verse is also quoted by Mark, who is a Jew. Mark 13:32 But of that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone. Culturally, the Bible is a Jewish book. It is not to be viewed from a western culture perspective.

There is one Jewish Holiday by definition, of that day or hour no one knows. Because, this day is a new moon holiday. Of all the God appointed holidays, this is the only holiday occurring on a new moon. It is the Jewish New Year, Rosh Hashanah. Jews call it Yom Teruah (literally means “day of blowing” in Hebrew). It is referred to as the “Hidden Day” in Jewish culture. It is called the Day of Judgment. Christians call it the Feast of Trumpets.

According to Jewish tradition the purpose of the trumpet blasts is to awaken the dead, resurrection.

The Apostle Paul, the ultimate academic Jew, tells us in 1 Corinthians 15, the resurrection of the dead in Christ is associated with the rapture of believers in Jesus. 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. These verses also point to the Feast of Trumpets (see previous blog posts).

How is a new moon or a new month determined? God operates on a lunar calendar. Jews have utilized the following procedure every month for thousands of years. It is called Rosh Chodesh which means “head of the month”. At the end of a lunar cycle, the moon is dark and is not seen for 2-3 days. So, the new moon could be identified during this 2-3 day period …of that day or hour no one knows…By definition, a new moon is proclaimed when the first little sliver emerges from a darkened moon. It is a tiny crescent that is noted briefly at sunset on the western horizon. The month begins at the sighting of the new moon. Two witnesses have to confirm the sighting. Upon agreement, the two witnesses report to the high priest. When the new moon is confirmed, the trumpet (shofar/ram’s horn) is blown.

Who is our high priest? Jesus (Hebrews 2:17, 3:1, 4:14). What is the role of the high priest? The role of the high priest is to intercede to God on behalf of the people. Only the Father knows the day or the hour to confirm the new moon. Notice, this language is also consistent with ancient Jewish wedding customs. The father sends the son or groom to get his bride. Only the father knows the day or the hour of the wedding.

Jewish cultural customs provided by: www.torahcalendar.com, Festivals of the Jewish Year by Theodore Gaster, The High Holy Days by Herman Kieval, El Shaddai Ministries, The New Manners and Customs of Bible Times, God’s Final Jubilee by Dan Goodwin, Our Father Abraham Jewish Roots of the Christian Faith by Marvin R. Wilson.

Yom Teruah is the new moon holiday. Rosh Hashanah is the only Jewish holiday that falls on the first day of a month. The Feast of Trumpets is the only new moon holiday. But of that day and hour no one knows…It is a “Hidden Day”. Investigate, think about it.

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