Summary of Bible references on the Rapture
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Two things he says about the calendar which really explain a lot are this.
1. You need the Sun, Moon and stars to calculate your calendar. That of course is Biblical. Anyway to know when abib is the sun and new moon have to be in one particular constellation and you have to see Abib. This refers to the constellation Virgo, she is holding a sheaf of wheat in her hand and the star that signifies the sheaf of wheat is known as Abib or Spica (Spica means sheaf).
2. Now this is the big thing, the Sabbath day is not every seventh day. Instead what happens is this, the new moon is first day of the month, then every seventh day is the sabbath. Each month will have four sabbath days. Then you will have a 3 day new moon festival. So actually every month you start with the New Moon, and count from there. That is big because you don't actually count 50 days to get to Shavuot, instead you count seven sabbaths and it is the next day. Also, since Passover is the fifteenth day you will only count 1 sabbath after the feast of firstfruit before you get to the new moon, and then four more, and then two more.
And he also said this which is quite stunning, not sure what to make of this
3. Pente doesn't mean 50 it means 5. In other words Pentecost doesn't refer to 50 days (such a thing doesn't make sense now that you know how they count 7 sabbaths plus one day), instead Pentecost refers to the fifth month. Look again, Passover will be the 14th day of the first month, Shavuot will be the 15th day of the third month and Pentecost will be the full moon (14th day) of the fifth month.
4. Oh yes, and there is one more thing, Shavuot is two weeks long. In Numbers each tribe brought one offering on one day of this celebration. That is 12 days and if they didn't do it on the Sabbath then that is 14 days.
Now the reason I think all of this is very important is because he shows you how once you understand all this how a whole host of stories fit together from Moses, to Noah, Joseph, Daniel, Joshua, Esther, etc. All of the little pieces fit together wonderfully.
As soon as I saw him I was reminded of that dream I had a few days ago (Post 776), I said a "buffoon, a clown" was driving the car and he had taken apart the lid of the trunk of the car and had put all the pieces into the trunk. Because of that dream I put up with a lot of the nonsense on this video to listen to what he has to say.
1. You need the Sun, Moon and stars to calculate your calendar. That of course is Biblical. Anyway to know when abib is the sun and new moon have to be in one particular constellation and you have to see Abib. This refers to the constellation Virgo, she is holding a sheaf of wheat in her hand and the star that signifies the sheaf of wheat is known as Abib or Spica (Spica means sheaf).
2. Now this is the big thing, the Sabbath day is not every seventh day. Instead what happens is this, the new moon is first day of the month, then every seventh day is the sabbath. Each month will have four sabbath days. Then you will have a 3 day new moon festival. So actually every month you start with the New Moon, and count from there. That is big because you don't actually count 50 days to get to Shavuot, instead you count seven sabbaths and it is the next day. Also, since Passover is the fifteenth day you will only count 1 sabbath after the feast of firstfruit before you get to the new moon, and then four more, and then two more.
And he also said this which is quite stunning, not sure what to make of this
3. Pente doesn't mean 50 it means 5. In other words Pentecost doesn't refer to 50 days (such a thing doesn't make sense now that you know how they count 7 sabbaths plus one day), instead Pentecost refers to the fifth month. Look again, Passover will be the 14th day of the first month, Shavuot will be the 15th day of the third month and Pentecost will be the full moon (14th day) of the fifth month.
4. Oh yes, and there is one more thing, Shavuot is two weeks long. In Numbers each tribe brought one offering on one day of this celebration. That is 12 days and if they didn't do it on the Sabbath then that is 14 days.
Now the reason I think all of this is very important is because he shows you how once you understand all this how a whole host of stories fit together from Moses, to Noah, Joseph, Daniel, Joshua, Esther, etc. All of the little pieces fit together wonderfully.
As soon as I saw him I was reminded of that dream I had a few days ago (Post 776), I said a "buffoon, a clown" was driving the car and he had taken apart the lid of the trunk of the car and had put all the pieces into the trunk. Because of that dream I put up with a lot of the nonsense on this video to listen to what he has to say.
Another interesting thing he points out is if you go 1290 days (years) from Daniel's dream where the tree is cut down and the bands are put on it you come to them building the dome of the rock on the temple mount. Go 1335 years from there and you come to 2021. This might explain those two numbers given to us by Daniel.
It is also 1260 years from the dome of the rock to the Nuremburg trials. Also 2021 is 1335 days from the Revelation 12 sign
It is also 1260 years from the dome of the rock to the Nuremburg trials. Also 2021 is 1335 days from the Revelation 12 sign
1Corinthians 11:26 For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.
This verse has bothered me, on the one hand it always seemed to me that we should keep the Lord's table on the first day of the week, the Lord's day, and yet here when Paul teaches on it he says "whenever". We are talking about the same God who in the Old Testament is very precise with dates and appointed feasts. Here in the New Testament we only have one appointed feast to keep and Paul says "whenever". However, now I think I understand. When the gospel went to the gentiles we lost the Jewish calendar. Now the Lord could have established a levitical priesthood to keep this calendar but He didn't. He knew there would be a lot of confusion, so we think it is the Lord's day but the Lord knows it isn't. That is fine, Paul said "whenever" you keep it.
In our Gregorian thinking if today is the Sabbath then you can count out 7 days to the next sabbath ad infinitum. But that is not the Lord's thinking or the Bible's timing. Every month the fourth Sabbath will also be the new moon which will be a 2-3 day break. There is no "saturday" in the Bible, "saturday" is named after Saturn which refers to Satan. Rather there is the "seventh" day. You begin with the new moon and the seventh day is the sabbath, the fourteenth day is the sabbath, the 21st day is the sabbath and then the 28-30th day is the New moon Sabbath.
I guess the Seventh day adventists will have a tough time living this down in heaven, they were very legal about keeping the sabbath and yet they weren't keeping the sabbath.
This verse has bothered me, on the one hand it always seemed to me that we should keep the Lord's table on the first day of the week, the Lord's day, and yet here when Paul teaches on it he says "whenever". We are talking about the same God who in the Old Testament is very precise with dates and appointed feasts. Here in the New Testament we only have one appointed feast to keep and Paul says "whenever". However, now I think I understand. When the gospel went to the gentiles we lost the Jewish calendar. Now the Lord could have established a levitical priesthood to keep this calendar but He didn't. He knew there would be a lot of confusion, so we think it is the Lord's day but the Lord knows it isn't. That is fine, Paul said "whenever" you keep it.
In our Gregorian thinking if today is the Sabbath then you can count out 7 days to the next sabbath ad infinitum. But that is not the Lord's thinking or the Bible's timing. Every month the fourth Sabbath will also be the new moon which will be a 2-3 day break. There is no "saturday" in the Bible, "saturday" is named after Saturn which refers to Satan. Rather there is the "seventh" day. You begin with the new moon and the seventh day is the sabbath, the fourteenth day is the sabbath, the 21st day is the sabbath and then the 28-30th day is the New moon Sabbath.
I guess the Seventh day adventists will have a tough time living this down in heaven, they were very legal about keeping the sabbath and yet they weren't keeping the sabbath.
Some of his key points:
40 days of wandering in the wilderness similar to 40 days of the Lord with us after the resurrection = 40 jubilees in the last 2,000 years.
When the Lord descended in a cloud and fire at the time of Moses at Mt. Sinai on Shavuot, it was when God called the people up. This aligns nicely with ascension day. Jesus ascending was a fulfillment of Moses going up that mountain.
But we still have to present the two leavened loaves, and the two lambs and baby goat (representing Jew and Gentiles)
50 days later on Pentecost the spirit will drop and Antichirst will be revealed on 9th of Av (day Noah released the dove and the raven)
50 days after that the Antichrist will sign a covenant with many around Trumpets/Atonement
40 days of wandering in the wilderness similar to 40 days of the Lord with us after the resurrection = 40 jubilees in the last 2,000 years.
When the Lord descended in a cloud and fire at the time of Moses at Mt. Sinai on Shavuot, it was when God called the people up. This aligns nicely with ascension day. Jesus ascending was a fulfillment of Moses going up that mountain.
But we still have to present the two leavened loaves, and the two lambs and baby goat (representing Jew and Gentiles)
50 days later on Pentecost the spirit will drop and Antichirst will be revealed on 9th of Av (day Noah released the dove and the raven)
50 days after that the Antichrist will sign a covenant with many around Trumpets/Atonement
Elohim Reveals the Rapture by Holy Spirit to his servants!
Ecclesiastes 1:9. The thing that hath been, it is that which shall be; and that which is done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun. 10. Is there any thing whereof it may be said, See, this is new? it hath been already of old time, which was before us.
Therefore I would expect examples of the rapture that we could refer to. Jesus talked about Noah entering the ark and Lot being rescued from Sodom.
Ecclesiastes 3:15. That which hath been is now; and that which is to be hath already been; and God requireth that which is past.
God requires certain things. God required Abraham’s prayers, He also required that Abraham be told and God required Noah to preach the gospel for 120 years and Noah was told what was going on.
John 13:19. Now I tell you before it come, that, when it is come to pass, ye may believe that I am he.
This is why we must speak concerning the rapture in our gospel. Surely Noah did. The enemy is not going to allow a “come to Jesus” moment after the pre tribulation rapture. You have to tell people before Satan has a chance to twist the story into some kind of “close encounters of the third kind” story.
Matthew 24:35. Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away. 36. But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only.
God, the Father does know. We should ignore the words of man on this as well as their logic and all the other things that they say. We should also ignore the words of angels. For example the books of Enoch are considered genuine by the apostles as they referenced it several times in the New Testament but they don’t have special insight. There are also fallen angels as well that we should ignore. No, what we should do “as we see the day approaching” is to look up. God the Father can give us the word that we need at the time we need it.
1 Corinthians 2:10. But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.
I feel there are a lot of deep things that are to be revealed concerning the end of this age, the least of which is the date. I like to compare this to a final exam for school. You can go the entire year without knowing the date. During the first few months of school the date of the exam in June is trivial. What is important are the things you are learning at the time. If someone thinks that knowing the date will somehow help them they could be terribly mistaken. That said the Lord talked about “those that love His appearing” and commanded that we watch. This is why I feel it will be very tough on those who are pan tribulationists (“it will all pan out in the end”).
Amos 3:6. Shall a trumpet be blown in the city, and the people not be afraid? shall there be evil in a city, and the Lord hath not done it? 7. Surely the Lord God will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets.
Do you think we had WWII, the holocaust, 9/11, the Gulf War, the Mortgage meltdown or a hoast of other huge events these last two thousand years and the Lord hadn’t done it? Consider the pandemic, some argue that we have had other pandemics (Black plague, Spanish flu) before. They even argued that this one was far less severe (foolish since the Spanish Flu took place over several years and they were saying this after several months). It is true that we have had two or three major pandemics in the last two thousand years, but this is the one and only time the entire world operated as though there were one world government and shut down the economy. That has never happened before, unless you wish to compare an economy to a river, then the only time this happened previously was when the Israelites crossed the river Jordan. Therefore it is contrary to the word of God to think that God is not behind this pandemic or that this pandemic is not revealed in the word of God. If you do open the word and ask “where is the pandemic revealed” then obviously it is the book of Joel and this signals that the day of the Lord is near.
John 14:29 And now I have told you before it come to pass, that, when it is come to pass, ye might believe.
Isaiah 46:9 Remember the former things of old: for I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like me, 10. Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure:
God declares the end from the beginning. We can look at the beginning of the Bible to see the end of man. We can look at the beginning of Jesus’ ministry to see the end. This is a key principle.
Revelation 3:3 Remember therefore how thou has received and heard, and hold fast, and repent. If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee.
He doesn’t say “remember what thou hast received” but rather “remember how thou hast received”. The Lord can give us a fresh and new word when we need it. For two thousand years Christians have done just fine not knowing how the calendar worked. Seventh Day Adventists have been preaching that you need to keep the Sabbath day and yet didn’t even know when the Sabbath was. Paul said don’t let anyone judge you for this because keeping those days and that calendar were not part of our covenant. However, Paul also said that those days were a shadow of things to come, so as the day approached we needed to understand and as a result we have been on a short learning curve concerning the various Old Testament feasts and how to calculate the day. It turns out that for 2,000 years what Christians considered to be “Pentecost” was not pentecost. Still, let no one judge you with regards to a feast day. We were never commanded to keep Passover or Pentecost or Shavuot. We were commanded to keep the Lord’s table and were told “whenever you keep it” indicating that there is no judgement on us for not knowing when the Lord’s day is.
1 Thessalonians 5:1 But of the times and seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you.
2. For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night.
3. For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon then, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape.
4. But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief.
5. Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness.
9. For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ.
These verses really bring home the point that knowing the day or the hour is the least important thing. If you knew a thief were coming there are things you need to do to prepare. If you don’t prepare knowing the thief is coming may not help and in fact could make things worse. This term “the day of the Lord” does not simply mean the pre tribulation rapture. Rather the day of the Lord refers to a whole host of things, judgement on all, the establishment of His kingdom, the wedding, etc. Now there is one “Christian” holiday which the world has corrupted to describe a thief coming in the night. Christmas is celebrated with a Christmas eve service celebrating the birth of Jesus and then that night Santa (Satan) comes as a thief in the night. Santa is a great deceit, a holiday built on a lie. Parents have to jump through hoops to perpetrate and continue this lie. The holiday describes an “all seeing eye” of Santa watching us and ready to judge us for every error. So yes, the day of the Lord is likened to the birth of a child. When a baby is born there is a lot of blood and guts. The baby will be caught up and taken to the nursery while everything else will go into the trash and be burned. But look at this verse, can you imagine a pregnant woman who is nine months pregnant not realizing that the day of the birth is approaching? She doesn’t know the day or the hour but she is supposed to be watching and ready, just like a pregnant woman who knows it could be any minute. Suppose a pregnant woman had been clueless, had not been going to the doctor, had been eating and drinking with the profligate in the world, what would you think of her? That is the analogy the Lord has given us for “you don’t know the day or the hour” and “you are not in darkness that that day would overtake you as a thief”. You have to prepare for a baby otherwise that day will overtake you as a thief. In this context “we are not of the night but of the day” and “we have not been appointed to wrath but unto salvation”.
Ecclesiastes 1:9. The thing that hath been, it is that which shall be; and that which is done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun. 10. Is there any thing whereof it may be said, See, this is new? it hath been already of old time, which was before us.
Therefore I would expect examples of the rapture that we could refer to. Jesus talked about Noah entering the ark and Lot being rescued from Sodom.
Ecclesiastes 3:15. That which hath been is now; and that which is to be hath already been; and God requireth that which is past.
God requires certain things. God required Abraham’s prayers, He also required that Abraham be told and God required Noah to preach the gospel for 120 years and Noah was told what was going on.
John 13:19. Now I tell you before it come, that, when it is come to pass, ye may believe that I am he.
This is why we must speak concerning the rapture in our gospel. Surely Noah did. The enemy is not going to allow a “come to Jesus” moment after the pre tribulation rapture. You have to tell people before Satan has a chance to twist the story into some kind of “close encounters of the third kind” story.
Matthew 24:35. Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away. 36. But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only.
God, the Father does know. We should ignore the words of man on this as well as their logic and all the other things that they say. We should also ignore the words of angels. For example the books of Enoch are considered genuine by the apostles as they referenced it several times in the New Testament but they don’t have special insight. There are also fallen angels as well that we should ignore. No, what we should do “as we see the day approaching” is to look up. God the Father can give us the word that we need at the time we need it.
1 Corinthians 2:10. But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.
I feel there are a lot of deep things that are to be revealed concerning the end of this age, the least of which is the date. I like to compare this to a final exam for school. You can go the entire year without knowing the date. During the first few months of school the date of the exam in June is trivial. What is important are the things you are learning at the time. If someone thinks that knowing the date will somehow help them they could be terribly mistaken. That said the Lord talked about “those that love His appearing” and commanded that we watch. This is why I feel it will be very tough on those who are pan tribulationists (“it will all pan out in the end”).
Amos 3:6. Shall a trumpet be blown in the city, and the people not be afraid? shall there be evil in a city, and the Lord hath not done it? 7. Surely the Lord God will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets.
Do you think we had WWII, the holocaust, 9/11, the Gulf War, the Mortgage meltdown or a hoast of other huge events these last two thousand years and the Lord hadn’t done it? Consider the pandemic, some argue that we have had other pandemics (Black plague, Spanish flu) before. They even argued that this one was far less severe (foolish since the Spanish Flu took place over several years and they were saying this after several months). It is true that we have had two or three major pandemics in the last two thousand years, but this is the one and only time the entire world operated as though there were one world government and shut down the economy. That has never happened before, unless you wish to compare an economy to a river, then the only time this happened previously was when the Israelites crossed the river Jordan. Therefore it is contrary to the word of God to think that God is not behind this pandemic or that this pandemic is not revealed in the word of God. If you do open the word and ask “where is the pandemic revealed” then obviously it is the book of Joel and this signals that the day of the Lord is near.
John 14:29 And now I have told you before it come to pass, that, when it is come to pass, ye might believe.
Isaiah 46:9 Remember the former things of old: for I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like me, 10. Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure:
God declares the end from the beginning. We can look at the beginning of the Bible to see the end of man. We can look at the beginning of Jesus’ ministry to see the end. This is a key principle.
Revelation 3:3 Remember therefore how thou has received and heard, and hold fast, and repent. If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee.
He doesn’t say “remember what thou hast received” but rather “remember how thou hast received”. The Lord can give us a fresh and new word when we need it. For two thousand years Christians have done just fine not knowing how the calendar worked. Seventh Day Adventists have been preaching that you need to keep the Sabbath day and yet didn’t even know when the Sabbath was. Paul said don’t let anyone judge you for this because keeping those days and that calendar were not part of our covenant. However, Paul also said that those days were a shadow of things to come, so as the day approached we needed to understand and as a result we have been on a short learning curve concerning the various Old Testament feasts and how to calculate the day. It turns out that for 2,000 years what Christians considered to be “Pentecost” was not pentecost. Still, let no one judge you with regards to a feast day. We were never commanded to keep Passover or Pentecost or Shavuot. We were commanded to keep the Lord’s table and were told “whenever you keep it” indicating that there is no judgement on us for not knowing when the Lord’s day is.
1 Thessalonians 5:1 But of the times and seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you.
2. For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night.
3. For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon then, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape.
4. But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief.
5. Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness.
9. For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ.
These verses really bring home the point that knowing the day or the hour is the least important thing. If you knew a thief were coming there are things you need to do to prepare. If you don’t prepare knowing the thief is coming may not help and in fact could make things worse. This term “the day of the Lord” does not simply mean the pre tribulation rapture. Rather the day of the Lord refers to a whole host of things, judgement on all, the establishment of His kingdom, the wedding, etc. Now there is one “Christian” holiday which the world has corrupted to describe a thief coming in the night. Christmas is celebrated with a Christmas eve service celebrating the birth of Jesus and then that night Santa (Satan) comes as a thief in the night. Santa is a great deceit, a holiday built on a lie. Parents have to jump through hoops to perpetrate and continue this lie. The holiday describes an “all seeing eye” of Santa watching us and ready to judge us for every error. So yes, the day of the Lord is likened to the birth of a child. When a baby is born there is a lot of blood and guts. The baby will be caught up and taken to the nursery while everything else will go into the trash and be burned. But look at this verse, can you imagine a pregnant woman who is nine months pregnant not realizing that the day of the birth is approaching? She doesn’t know the day or the hour but she is supposed to be watching and ready, just like a pregnant woman who knows it could be any minute. Suppose a pregnant woman had been clueless, had not been going to the doctor, had been eating and drinking with the profligate in the world, what would you think of her? That is the analogy the Lord has given us for “you don’t know the day or the hour” and “you are not in darkness that that day would overtake you as a thief”. You have to prepare for a baby otherwise that day will overtake you as a thief. In this context “we are not of the night but of the day” and “we have not been appointed to wrath but unto salvation”.
Ezekiel 13:10 “‘Because they lead my people astray, saying, “Peace,” when there is no peace, and because, when a flimsy wall is built, they cover it with whitewash, 11 therefore tell those who cover it with whitewash that it is going to fall. Rain will come in torrents, and I will send hailstones hurtling down, and violent winds will burst forth. 12 When the wall collapses, will people not ask you, “Where is the whitewash you covered it with?”
13 “‘Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says: In my wrath I will unleash a violent wind, and in my anger hailstones and torrents of rain will fall with destructive fury. 14 I will tear down the wall you have covered with whitewash and will level it to the ground so that its foundation will be laid bare. When it[b] falls, you will be destroyed in it; and you will know that I am the Lord. 15 So I will pour out my wrath against the wall and against those who covered it with whitewash. I will say to you, “The wall is gone and so are those who whitewashed it, 16 those prophets of Israel who prophesied to Jerusalem and saw visions of peace for her when there was no peace, declares the Sovereign Lord.”’
Acts 1:14 These all with one accord continued stedfastly in prayer, [j]with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brethren.
This verse suddenly struck me, the word "one accord". Suppose prior to the ascension they weren't in one accord. Suppose some wanted to go back to fishing, others wanted to start a revolution. Suppose there was bickering, fighting, and many different opinions about the way forward. In other words, suppose it was just like today with all the polarized, politicized, speech flying back and forth. There are people who want to riot in the streets, others who want to return to the way things used to be, still others who have gotten involved in politics, others concerned about "stopping the steal", etc. But once they saw the ascension of the Lord it was the fulfillment of the word about "his fan is in his hand". All of a sudden all those opinions were like chaff, blown away by seeing the Lord ascend. It could be the same thing with the rapture. I would add that it was probably two months after the ascension that we had pentecost. I realize that is not the traditional way we have read this, but if we go back and carefully read the account one can easily see that ascension day was actually Shavuot (7 complete Sabbaths plus one day) from the feast of the firstfruit. This fits very nicely with Exodus 19 which is a figure of the rapture as Moses ascended on Shavuot as well. There is little to no scriptural basis to think that Pentecost is Shavuot, rather it looks like they mistook "count five" for "count fifty". Shavuot is the fifteenth day of the third month (full moon) whereas Pentecost is the fifteenth day of the fifth month (count five), two months later.
Imagine all the different Christians with all the different opinions about what is going on right now and they see the rapture. Then for the next two months the genuine ones are doing what? They are in an upper room in one accord. All those denominational differences and theological disputes get thrown out the window like chaff being blown away in the wind.
But now instead of 120 there are 144,000 in this upper room praying (cyberspace?). What happens on Pentecost? These 144,000 go forth into the whole earth with tongues of fire preaching and witnessing. We are seeing the multiplication of this gospel, Satan has been able to do nothing to stop it or slow it. It is multiplying exponentially.
This verse suddenly struck me, the word "one accord". Suppose prior to the ascension they weren't in one accord. Suppose some wanted to go back to fishing, others wanted to start a revolution. Suppose there was bickering, fighting, and many different opinions about the way forward. In other words, suppose it was just like today with all the polarized, politicized, speech flying back and forth. There are people who want to riot in the streets, others who want to return to the way things used to be, still others who have gotten involved in politics, others concerned about "stopping the steal", etc. But once they saw the ascension of the Lord it was the fulfillment of the word about "his fan is in his hand". All of a sudden all those opinions were like chaff, blown away by seeing the Lord ascend. It could be the same thing with the rapture. I would add that it was probably two months after the ascension that we had pentecost. I realize that is not the traditional way we have read this, but if we go back and carefully read the account one can easily see that ascension day was actually Shavuot (7 complete Sabbaths plus one day) from the feast of the firstfruit. This fits very nicely with Exodus 19 which is a figure of the rapture as Moses ascended on Shavuot as well. There is little to no scriptural basis to think that Pentecost is Shavuot, rather it looks like they mistook "count five" for "count fifty". Shavuot is the fifteenth day of the third month (full moon) whereas Pentecost is the fifteenth day of the fifth month (count five), two months later.
Imagine all the different Christians with all the different opinions about what is going on right now and they see the rapture. Then for the next two months the genuine ones are doing what? They are in an upper room in one accord. All those denominational differences and theological disputes get thrown out the window like chaff being blown away in the wind.
But now instead of 120 there are 144,000 in this upper room praying (cyberspace?). What happens on Pentecost? These 144,000 go forth into the whole earth with tongues of fire preaching and witnessing. We are seeing the multiplication of this gospel, Satan has been able to do nothing to stop it or slow it. It is multiplying exponentially.
16 Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of a feast day or a new moon or a sabbath day: 17 which are a shadow of the things to come; but the body is Christ’s.
We have a problem. Let's assume for a second that Shavuot is ascension day and the principle in Ecclesiastes that there is no new thing but that which has been is that which is to come. Well, on ascension day only Jesus ascended. If Shavuot is a shadow of things to come, in this case the rapture, then why does the type only show Jesus ascending? "The body is Christ's". Everyone who is in Christ is the Body of Christ. This is why we don't let anyone judge us. As long as we are in Christ we are the Body of Christ.
This seems like Paul gave us a very specific reference to the rapture.
We have a problem. Let's assume for a second that Shavuot is ascension day and the principle in Ecclesiastes that there is no new thing but that which has been is that which is to come. Well, on ascension day only Jesus ascended. If Shavuot is a shadow of things to come, in this case the rapture, then why does the type only show Jesus ascending? "The body is Christ's". Everyone who is in Christ is the Body of Christ. This is why we don't let anyone judge us. As long as we are in Christ we are the Body of Christ.
This seems like Paul gave us a very specific reference to the rapture.
No one knows the day or the hour and yet doctors will frequently give pregnant women a "date". No one gets bent out of shape if the baby is not born on that date, everyone understands that this is not some witch doctor prophesy, rather it is because we are not ignorant of the process nor are we ignorant of the time involved. Doctor's can calculate accurately the date of conception and based on that give a date. Using this analogy of a baby being born we can understand the Lord's charge that we are to watch as being similar to our use of the term "expecting" for pregnant women.
I was also struck by the verse that says "if you don't watch I will come as a thief in the night". This struck me for two reasons. First, the Lord said that a thief comes not but to kill, steal and destroy. How can the Lord come as a thief? That sounds much more like the antichrist. There are two sides to the Lord's coming which many have described thus "as we go up Satan comes down". Others refer to the story of Noah releasing the dove and the raven. The dove represented the Holy Spirit and the Raven represented the Antichrist. Still it is hard to understand this verse, but consider this. The Lord's coming prior to His appearing is secret, it is a "still small voice". You have to "love His appearing" and be "watching" intently, noticing "the day approaching" and "looking up". Not all believers will. However, the coming of the Antichrist is not subtle. If you missed the signs of the Lord's coming prior to the pre tribulation rapture then you will certainly not miss the signs of the antichrist. Kind of like telling your teenage kid that you will knock on their door at 6 to wake them up and the alarm clock will also go off at that time. However, if they still refuse to get up then at 6:30 you will dump a glass of water on them. One way or another the Christians are going to wake up.
I was also struck by the verse that says "if you don't watch I will come as a thief in the night". This struck me for two reasons. First, the Lord said that a thief comes not but to kill, steal and destroy. How can the Lord come as a thief? That sounds much more like the antichrist. There are two sides to the Lord's coming which many have described thus "as we go up Satan comes down". Others refer to the story of Noah releasing the dove and the raven. The dove represented the Holy Spirit and the Raven represented the Antichrist. Still it is hard to understand this verse, but consider this. The Lord's coming prior to His appearing is secret, it is a "still small voice". You have to "love His appearing" and be "watching" intently, noticing "the day approaching" and "looking up". Not all believers will. However, the coming of the Antichrist is not subtle. If you missed the signs of the Lord's coming prior to the pre tribulation rapture then you will certainly not miss the signs of the antichrist. Kind of like telling your teenage kid that you will knock on their door at 6 to wake them up and the alarm clock will also go off at that time. However, if they still refuse to get up then at 6:30 you will dump a glass of water on them. One way or another the Christians are going to wake up.
Song of Songs 2 You know the season
10
My beloved spoke and said to me,
“Arise, my darling,
my beautiful one, come with me.
11
See! The winter is past;
the rains are over and gone.
12
Flowers appear on the earth;
the season of singing has come,
the cooing of doves
is heard in our land.
13
The fig tree forms its early fruit;
the blossoming vines spread their fragrance.
Arise, come, my darling;
my beautiful one, come with me.”
Arise and come with me certainly sounds like a reference to the rapture. What I found interesting is the reference to the grapes and figs. The rapture is a harvest. We generally think of the harvest of the wheat and there is both a spring and summer harvest. However, here are two other crops. The fig tree is clearly not ripe yet, that certainly refers to the nation of Israel. But the grapes are what struck me. Is this a reference to the 5th seal, those who are beheaded as well as all those who are martyred during the tribulation. That also points to the rapture in Chapter 4 of Revelation as taking place in the Spring time (the winter is over, the early spring rains have passed and the flowers appear). The other thing that I found interesting is the sound of doves (the holy spirit) is heard in our land. This is like all the various testimonies, dreams, visions, and various posts Christians are making. The Pandemic was a like a long hard winter and now that it seems this might be past you get the excitement that we associate with Spring time.
14
O my dove, that art in the clefts of the rock,
In the covert of the steep place,
Let me see thy countenance,
Let me hear thy voice;
For sweet is thy voice, and thy countenance is comely.
15
Take us the foxes, the little foxes,
That spoil the vineyards;
For our vineyards are in blossom.
16
My beloved is mine, and I am his:
He feedeth his flock among the lilies.
17
Until the day be cool, and the shadows flee away,
Turn, my beloved, and be thou like a roe or a young hart
Upon the mountains of Bether.
This appears to be the first rapture, the vineyards are in blossom, there are green figs, the birds are singing, winter is past and you can start to see the hint of summer because it says “until the day be cool”. You wouldn’t worry about that in early spring, but by June it can get quite hot at noon day.
1 Thessalonians 5:1-3
1. But of the times and seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you.
2. For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night.
3. For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon then, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape.
Verse 1 struck me that we know the times and the seasons. I include verses 2 and 3 to show that the context of this is the Lord’s coming “as a thief in the night” and as a woman giving birth. When you look at Song of Songs chapter 2 it gives a very descriptive presentation of the time when the Lord says to arise and come away. By itself it isn’t enough to say but the reference to the first rapture as the firstfruits is a reference to the feast of Shavuot which occurs very near the summer solstice. In addition Ruth is a type of the rapture of the Gentile bride and that takes place on Shavuot. Ascension day (when Moses went up Mt. Sinai) also took place on Shavuot. In addition, there is a careful reading of the gospels which indicates that ascension day for the Lord Jesus also took place on Shavuot and that the day of Pentecost does not refer to Shavuot but rather the first day of the fifth month (Shavuot is the fifteenth day of the third month).
Anyway, my point is that according to Paul we do know the times and seasons, just not the day or the hour and this is just like a pregnant woman who knows when she is due and is expecting the baby but doesn’t know for a certainty the day or hour the baby would be born.
10
My beloved spoke and said to me,
“Arise, my darling,
my beautiful one, come with me.
11
See! The winter is past;
the rains are over and gone.
12
Flowers appear on the earth;
the season of singing has come,
the cooing of doves
is heard in our land.
13
The fig tree forms its early fruit;
the blossoming vines spread their fragrance.
Arise, come, my darling;
my beautiful one, come with me.”
Arise and come with me certainly sounds like a reference to the rapture. What I found interesting is the reference to the grapes and figs. The rapture is a harvest. We generally think of the harvest of the wheat and there is both a spring and summer harvest. However, here are two other crops. The fig tree is clearly not ripe yet, that certainly refers to the nation of Israel. But the grapes are what struck me. Is this a reference to the 5th seal, those who are beheaded as well as all those who are martyred during the tribulation. That also points to the rapture in Chapter 4 of Revelation as taking place in the Spring time (the winter is over, the early spring rains have passed and the flowers appear). The other thing that I found interesting is the sound of doves (the holy spirit) is heard in our land. This is like all the various testimonies, dreams, visions, and various posts Christians are making. The Pandemic was a like a long hard winter and now that it seems this might be past you get the excitement that we associate with Spring time.
14
O my dove, that art in the clefts of the rock,
In the covert of the steep place,
Let me see thy countenance,
Let me hear thy voice;
For sweet is thy voice, and thy countenance is comely.
15
Take us the foxes, the little foxes,
That spoil the vineyards;
For our vineyards are in blossom.
16
My beloved is mine, and I am his:
He feedeth his flock among the lilies.
17
Until the day be cool, and the shadows flee away,
Turn, my beloved, and be thou like a roe or a young hart
Upon the mountains of Bether.
This appears to be the first rapture, the vineyards are in blossom, there are green figs, the birds are singing, winter is past and you can start to see the hint of summer because it says “until the day be cool”. You wouldn’t worry about that in early spring, but by June it can get quite hot at noon day.
1 Thessalonians 5:1-3
1. But of the times and seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you.
2. For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night.
3. For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon then, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape.
Verse 1 struck me that we know the times and the seasons. I include verses 2 and 3 to show that the context of this is the Lord’s coming “as a thief in the night” and as a woman giving birth. When you look at Song of Songs chapter 2 it gives a very descriptive presentation of the time when the Lord says to arise and come away. By itself it isn’t enough to say but the reference to the first rapture as the firstfruits is a reference to the feast of Shavuot which occurs very near the summer solstice. In addition Ruth is a type of the rapture of the Gentile bride and that takes place on Shavuot. Ascension day (when Moses went up Mt. Sinai) also took place on Shavuot. In addition, there is a careful reading of the gospels which indicates that ascension day for the Lord Jesus also took place on Shavuot and that the day of Pentecost does not refer to Shavuot but rather the first day of the fifth month (Shavuot is the fifteenth day of the third month).
Anyway, my point is that according to Paul we do know the times and seasons, just not the day or the hour and this is just like a pregnant woman who knows when she is due and is expecting the baby but doesn’t know for a certainty the day or hour the baby would be born.
One of the most annoying things that I have discovered while trying to dig into references to the rapture is with the Jewish Calendar. The calendar would not be hard to understand, the problem is that no one actually follows the God ordained calendar. Nowhere is this more clear than Shavuot. Everyone assumes that Shavuot is 50 days from Passover. But the bible never says that. Instead it says seven complete sabbaths and then it is on the next day. That is almost certainly not 50 days. That is the second problem, people assume the Sabbath is a particular day of the week. It isn't. A lunar cycle is 29.5 days. The new moon is the first day of the month and is a Sabbath. That means 1st, 8th, 15th and 22nd are all Sabbaths. Then either the 29th or the 30th is the new moon for the next month. Since 7 sabbaths that begin counting from the 16th will include two new moons you know that you will have at least one extra day and maybe two. However, even though the number of days might vary it seems it would always be on 9th of Sivan (the day after the seventh sabbath) and yet Shavuot is the only feast that does not have a specific date. This means we are still doing something wrong in our calculation. Which is what is so frustrating. It is very clear that modern Jewish calendar doesn't like the idea of the first day of the month having to be "sanctified" by the elders every time so they have gone to a standard calendar switching back and forth between 29 and 30 days for a month. Still it is interesting that of all the Jewish appointed days it is the one festival that has no specific date. It would be nice if someone could explain why that is.
Leviticus 23:15 And ye shall count unto you from the morrow after the sabbath, from the day that ye brought the sheaf of the wave-offering; seven sabbaths shall there be complete: 16 even unto the morrow after the seventh sabbath shall ye number fifty days; and ye shall offer a new meal-offering unto Jehovah. 17 Ye shall bring out of your habitations two wave-loaves of two tenth parts of an ephah: they shall be of fine flour, they shall be baken with leaven, for first-fruits unto Jehovah. 18 And ye shall present with the bread seven lambs without blemish a year old, and one young bullock, and two rams: they shall be a burnt-offering unto Jehovah, with their meal-offering, and their drink-offerings, even an offering made by fire, of a sweet savor unto Jehovah. 19 And ye shall offer one he-goat for a sin-offering, and two he-lambs a year old for a sacrifice of peace-offerings. 20 And the priest shall wave them with the bread of the first-fruits for a wave-offering before Jehovah, with the two lambs: they shall be holy to Jehovah for the priest. 21 And ye shall make proclamation on the selfsame day; there shall be a holy convocation unto you; ye shall do no servile work: it is a statute for ever in all your dwellings throughout your generations.
This is the strangest way of counting. "Seven sabbaths shall there be complete" this sounds like it is taking into account that some Sabbaths will be during the New Moon and are two or even three days. "Even unto the morrow after the seventh sabbath shall ye number fifty days". This sounds like you count 50 days from Shavuot. But that is not how it is understood, rather they equate seven sabbaths plus one day as 50 days. It doesn't make sense because it would never be fifty days unless they are counting one of these new moon sabbaths, the double day as a single day. But either way why doesn't the holiday have a date? It seems that regardless of how you are counting it you should always end up at the same date of the third month.
This is the strangest way of counting. "Seven sabbaths shall there be complete" this sounds like it is taking into account that some Sabbaths will be during the New Moon and are two or even three days. "Even unto the morrow after the seventh sabbath shall ye number fifty days". This sounds like you count 50 days from Shavuot. But that is not how it is understood, rather they equate seven sabbaths plus one day as 50 days. It doesn't make sense because it would never be fifty days unless they are counting one of these new moon sabbaths, the double day as a single day. But either way why doesn't the holiday have a date? It seems that regardless of how you are counting it you should always end up at the same date of the third month.
OK, so I think I understand this better now. We do this kind of counting all the time and it does make sense. Think about High School, you have to have a certain number of credits, let's say 50 and you also need to pass a certain number of exams, let's say 7. You can have 50 credits and yet not graduate if you don't pass the exams and you can have seven exams and not graduate if you don't have 50 credits. Also, if you asked me I could tell you very precisely when High School starts but I couldn't tell you when you will graduate, especially if I am talking about everyone. Some will graduate early, a large number will graduate on time, and there will be those who take longer, could be a few months, could even be a few years.
So then what is the "high school" that Shavuot is referring to? I suspect the seven sabbaths are similar to the seven churches in Revelation. Each one was an exam that you had to pass. In Ephesus you cannot become self righteous, in Laodicea you must be willing to go outside the camp to where He was crucified and embrace the shame. We have talked about these seven churches already in this blog. Then the number 50 is associated with grace and the jubilee. When you complete this grace, the age of grace, and you pass these exams you will then have the redemption of your body.
So what is the "redemption of your body"? First of all it means we have become one with the Lord, He is in us and we are in Him. Second it means we being many are one loaf, one body. Third it means that out of two, Jews and Gentiles, the Lord has made us one.
How? Through the giving of the law. Not on tables of stone but written on our heart on tables of flesh. Jesus Christ was breathed into us as "the Spirit" at the start of this 50 days and we have allowed the Lord to grow within us. It is not by might, it is not by power, it is by His spirit. It is not by some work that we might have done but by faith in the Lord. What did the Lord tell Philadelphia -- you have not denied my name and you have kept my word. This is the test that they passed.
So then what is the "high school" that Shavuot is referring to? I suspect the seven sabbaths are similar to the seven churches in Revelation. Each one was an exam that you had to pass. In Ephesus you cannot become self righteous, in Laodicea you must be willing to go outside the camp to where He was crucified and embrace the shame. We have talked about these seven churches already in this blog. Then the number 50 is associated with grace and the jubilee. When you complete this grace, the age of grace, and you pass these exams you will then have the redemption of your body.
So what is the "redemption of your body"? First of all it means we have become one with the Lord, He is in us and we are in Him. Second it means we being many are one loaf, one body. Third it means that out of two, Jews and Gentiles, the Lord has made us one.
How? Through the giving of the law. Not on tables of stone but written on our heart on tables of flesh. Jesus Christ was breathed into us as "the Spirit" at the start of this 50 days and we have allowed the Lord to grow within us. It is not by might, it is not by power, it is by His spirit. It is not by some work that we might have done but by faith in the Lord. What did the Lord tell Philadelphia -- you have not denied my name and you have kept my word. This is the test that they passed.
Exodus 19:1-13 -- The rapture is our Graduation ceremony
This is probably the single biggest chapter in the old testament concerning the rapture. It is fitting that the book of Exodus would discuss the rapture. The following chapters appear to discuss the other raptures as well but to simplify this topic I have specifically focused on the pre tribulation rapture. Many have likened the rapture to the Bema judgement and this feast (Shavuot) appears to be like a graduation ceremony. A high school graduation is a good analogy for a Bema judgement, everyone has fulfilled the requirements for their “exodus” from High school. The “valedictorian” is the one with the most honorable word, and this chapter focuses on us internalizing God’s word, His law.
The atheists love to refer to Darwin, the law of the jungle, survival of the fittest, as the “natural law”. This is true for millions of species, but not for 18. There are 18 species that are classified as “eusocial” and these do not follow the law of the jungle. These 18 species dominate the earth. Man is one of them, but ants are another and I have heard that the total weight of all the ants on earth would equal the weight of humans. I saw a set of termite mounds in the Amazon that housed more termites than live in the UK. These 18 species change the environment for their good, they can live together in colonies greater than 100 individuals, they have diversified jobs, they can take care of others young. The atheists want us live like apes. The problem is that the alpha male of the apes will kill all the young that are not his as soon as he takes power. You have these very intelligent creatures with opposable thumbs and yet they live like brute beasts. If the atheists have their way that is what we would live like.
Unlike ants and termites and bumble bees man is not born eusocial. We have to learn it. God gave the law to the Israelites on tablets of stone and they could not keep it because they are flesh. We are born with the natural man, born selfish, fleshly. That is why the New Testament is writing these laws on the tablets of our heart, on tablets of flesh. This is what Shavuot and the Bema judgement are all about, have you received that word, is it written on your heart?
1 In the third month, when the children of Israel were gone forth out of the land of Egypt, the same day came they into the wilderness of Sinai. 2 For they were departed from Rephidim, and were come to the desert of Sinai, and had pitched in the wilderness; and there Israel camped before the mount.
God’s plan is to take us out of the bondage in Egypt, signifying this evil worldly system, and bring us into a good land where Jesus is King. It appears from this verse that this took place on the first day. The first day is a new moon and this will usually involve a two day interval where they study the sky to see the new moon. So this verse is somewhat vague, did they come out the day the new moon was spotted, or was it during the New moon sabbath (two to three days).
3 And Moses went up unto God, and the Lord called unto him out of the mountain, saying, Thus shalt thou say to the house of Jacob, and tell the children of Israel; 4 Ye have seen what I did unto the Egyptians, and how I bare you on eagles' wings, and brought you unto myself.
Moses said that a prophet like unto him would come, prophesying concerning Jesus. Jesus was taken up unto God in the resurrection and ascension. This age of grace has been a time in the wilderness of Sinai where we remember the Lord, we remember what He did on the cross, we remember how He redeemed and brought us into fellowship with Him. For two thousand years grace has been imparted to us. Shavuot requires that you count 50 days, the number 50 refers to grace and to the jubilee. We have had much grace imparted to us during these 2,000 years and we need to remember that.
5 Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people: for all the earth is mine: 6 And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation. These are the words which thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel.
This is our hope of glory. It depends on us obeying the voice of the Lord and keeping His covenant. The Shavuot also requires that we count seven complete sabbaths. These are seven times we are tested, will we obey the Lord’s voice, will we keep His covenant? Will we deny the Lord’s name? Will we keep His word? Philadelphia did not deny His name and they did keep His word.
7 And Moses came and called for the elders of the people, and laid before their faces all these words which the Lord commanded him.
This is what we have been doing for the last 2,000 years in the church. Jesus spent 40 days with the apostles prior to his ascension and after His resurrection laying before them all the words the Lord commanded them. They in turn shared that fellowship with us in the New Testament.
8 And all the people answered together, and said, All that the Lord hath spoken we will do. And Moses returned the words of the people unto the Lord. 9 And the Lord said unto Moses, Lo, I come unto thee in a thick cloud, that the people may hear when I speak with thee, and believe thee for ever. And Moses told the words of the people unto the Lord. 10 And the Lord said unto Moses, Go unto the people, and sanctify them to day and to morrow, and let them wash their clothes, 11 And be ready against the third day: for the third day the Lord will come down in the sight of all the people upon mount Sinai.
One day is as a thousand years and a thousand years as one day to the Lord. The last two thousand years has been “two days” where we have been washed and sanctified in the word. You need to ready on the third day. According to the Jewish Calendar this is the both the year of Jubilee and the first year of Jubilee after the 2,000 years. That doesn’t seem to add up, however, the Jews use a calendar that is based on the moon, hence the discrepancy.
12 And thou shalt set bounds unto the people round about, saying, Take heed to yourselves, that ye go not up into the mount, or touch the border of it: whosoever toucheth the mount shall be surely put to death: 13 There shall not an hand touch it, but he shall surely be stoned, or shot through; whether it be beast or man, it shall not live: when the trumpet soundeth long, they shall come up to the mount.
This appears to be a reference to the trumpet blast at the time of the rapture. Shavuot is a strange feast day in that God doesn’t tell us the day or the hour. The other feast days can be very precise as to the timing, but not this one. Even here all we know is that it is the third month, could be the first day, could be the third day, it seems intentionally vague. But graduation is like that, we don't graduate the day we complete all our assignments and tests. The ceremony can be a week later. Still, this is the basic teaching concerning the rapture, the trumpet sounds and you are called up to heaven. This is also how we do a graduation. The music plays and all the graduates march in. We honor the graduates, they are “called up”.
This is probably the single biggest chapter in the old testament concerning the rapture. It is fitting that the book of Exodus would discuss the rapture. The following chapters appear to discuss the other raptures as well but to simplify this topic I have specifically focused on the pre tribulation rapture. Many have likened the rapture to the Bema judgement and this feast (Shavuot) appears to be like a graduation ceremony. A high school graduation is a good analogy for a Bema judgement, everyone has fulfilled the requirements for their “exodus” from High school. The “valedictorian” is the one with the most honorable word, and this chapter focuses on us internalizing God’s word, His law.
The atheists love to refer to Darwin, the law of the jungle, survival of the fittest, as the “natural law”. This is true for millions of species, but not for 18. There are 18 species that are classified as “eusocial” and these do not follow the law of the jungle. These 18 species dominate the earth. Man is one of them, but ants are another and I have heard that the total weight of all the ants on earth would equal the weight of humans. I saw a set of termite mounds in the Amazon that housed more termites than live in the UK. These 18 species change the environment for their good, they can live together in colonies greater than 100 individuals, they have diversified jobs, they can take care of others young. The atheists want us live like apes. The problem is that the alpha male of the apes will kill all the young that are not his as soon as he takes power. You have these very intelligent creatures with opposable thumbs and yet they live like brute beasts. If the atheists have their way that is what we would live like.
Unlike ants and termites and bumble bees man is not born eusocial. We have to learn it. God gave the law to the Israelites on tablets of stone and they could not keep it because they are flesh. We are born with the natural man, born selfish, fleshly. That is why the New Testament is writing these laws on the tablets of our heart, on tablets of flesh. This is what Shavuot and the Bema judgement are all about, have you received that word, is it written on your heart?
1 In the third month, when the children of Israel were gone forth out of the land of Egypt, the same day came they into the wilderness of Sinai. 2 For they were departed from Rephidim, and were come to the desert of Sinai, and had pitched in the wilderness; and there Israel camped before the mount.
God’s plan is to take us out of the bondage in Egypt, signifying this evil worldly system, and bring us into a good land where Jesus is King. It appears from this verse that this took place on the first day. The first day is a new moon and this will usually involve a two day interval where they study the sky to see the new moon. So this verse is somewhat vague, did they come out the day the new moon was spotted, or was it during the New moon sabbath (two to three days).
3 And Moses went up unto God, and the Lord called unto him out of the mountain, saying, Thus shalt thou say to the house of Jacob, and tell the children of Israel; 4 Ye have seen what I did unto the Egyptians, and how I bare you on eagles' wings, and brought you unto myself.
Moses said that a prophet like unto him would come, prophesying concerning Jesus. Jesus was taken up unto God in the resurrection and ascension. This age of grace has been a time in the wilderness of Sinai where we remember the Lord, we remember what He did on the cross, we remember how He redeemed and brought us into fellowship with Him. For two thousand years grace has been imparted to us. Shavuot requires that you count 50 days, the number 50 refers to grace and to the jubilee. We have had much grace imparted to us during these 2,000 years and we need to remember that.
5 Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people: for all the earth is mine: 6 And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation. These are the words which thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel.
This is our hope of glory. It depends on us obeying the voice of the Lord and keeping His covenant. The Shavuot also requires that we count seven complete sabbaths. These are seven times we are tested, will we obey the Lord’s voice, will we keep His covenant? Will we deny the Lord’s name? Will we keep His word? Philadelphia did not deny His name and they did keep His word.
7 And Moses came and called for the elders of the people, and laid before their faces all these words which the Lord commanded him.
This is what we have been doing for the last 2,000 years in the church. Jesus spent 40 days with the apostles prior to his ascension and after His resurrection laying before them all the words the Lord commanded them. They in turn shared that fellowship with us in the New Testament.
8 And all the people answered together, and said, All that the Lord hath spoken we will do. And Moses returned the words of the people unto the Lord. 9 And the Lord said unto Moses, Lo, I come unto thee in a thick cloud, that the people may hear when I speak with thee, and believe thee for ever. And Moses told the words of the people unto the Lord. 10 And the Lord said unto Moses, Go unto the people, and sanctify them to day and to morrow, and let them wash their clothes, 11 And be ready against the third day: for the third day the Lord will come down in the sight of all the people upon mount Sinai.
One day is as a thousand years and a thousand years as one day to the Lord. The last two thousand years has been “two days” where we have been washed and sanctified in the word. You need to ready on the third day. According to the Jewish Calendar this is the both the year of Jubilee and the first year of Jubilee after the 2,000 years. That doesn’t seem to add up, however, the Jews use a calendar that is based on the moon, hence the discrepancy.
12 And thou shalt set bounds unto the people round about, saying, Take heed to yourselves, that ye go not up into the mount, or touch the border of it: whosoever toucheth the mount shall be surely put to death: 13 There shall not an hand touch it, but he shall surely be stoned, or shot through; whether it be beast or man, it shall not live: when the trumpet soundeth long, they shall come up to the mount.
This appears to be a reference to the trumpet blast at the time of the rapture. Shavuot is a strange feast day in that God doesn’t tell us the day or the hour. The other feast days can be very precise as to the timing, but not this one. Even here all we know is that it is the third month, could be the first day, could be the third day, it seems intentionally vague. But graduation is like that, we don't graduate the day we complete all our assignments and tests. The ceremony can be a week later. Still, this is the basic teaching concerning the rapture, the trumpet sounds and you are called up to heaven. This is also how we do a graduation. The music plays and all the graduates march in. We honor the graduates, they are “called up”.
Exodus 19:14-20 That which has been is that which shall be
14 And Moses went down from the mount unto the people, and sanctified the people; and they washed their clothes. 15 And he said unto the people, Be ready against the third day: come not at your wives. 16 And it came to pass on the third day in the morning, that there were thunders and lightnings, and a thick cloud upon the mount, and the voice of the trumpet exceeding loud; so that all the people that was in the camp trembled. 17 And Moses brought forth the people out of the camp to meet with God; and they stood at the nether part of the mount. 18 And mount Sinai was altogether on a smoke, because the Lord descended upon it in fire: and the smoke thereof ascended as the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mount quaked greatly. 19 And when the voice of the trumpet sounded long, and waxed louder and louder, Moses spake, and God answered him by a voice. 20 And the Lord came down upon mount Sinai, on the top of the mount: and the Lord called Moses up to the top of the mount; and Moses went up.
This is a beautiful depiction of the rapture. The Lord descends in the clouds at the voice of the Trumpet of God and the Lord (Moses) leads the people out (carries them forth, raptures them). The Lord called Moses up. At the beginning of the age Jesus was called up, at the end of the age all the raptured saints will be called up.
1Corinthians 10:16 The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not a communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not a communion of the body of Christ? 17 seeing that we, who are many, are one bread, one body: for we all partake of the one bread.
This is what we have been doing for 2,000 years. We have become “one bread, one body”. On Shavuot you present two loaves (the Jews and Gentiles have become one sacrifice). By partaking of the Lord we have become one with Him. When Moses is called up He is a type of Christ and if we have become the body of Christ we are included in that.
Ecclesiastes 3:15 That which is hath been long ago; and that which is to be hath long ago been: and God seeketh again that which is passed away.
Paul said that he had been crucified with Christ and if we are in the likeness of His death we will also be in the likeness of His resurrection. Well, the Lord ascended, why wouldn’t we ascend with Christ if we have been in the likeness of His death wouldn’t we also be in the likeness of His ascension? The Lord was the incarnated word. He manifested the word. He made the word real to us. If we have been communing on the body and blood of Jesus for 2,000 years then we will be filled with this word and express this word. Jesus was the valedictorian, the one with the most honorable word. But that is what we see in the age of grace. Read the biographies and what do you see? Each one had a word from God manifested in their lives. They lived by faith in that word, not by sight.
We need to be sanctified in the word of God
21 And the Lord said unto Moses, Go down, charge the people, lest they break through unto the Lord to gaze, and many of them perish. 22 And let the priests also, which come near to the Lord, sanctify themselves, lest the Lord break forth upon them. 23 And Moses said unto the Lord, The people cannot come up to mount Sinai: for thou chargedst us, saying, Set bounds about the mount, and sanctify it. 24 And the Lord said unto him, Away, get thee down, and thou shalt come up, thou, and Aaron with thee: but let not the priests and the people break through to come up unto the Lord, lest he break forth upon them. 25 So Moses went down unto the people, and spake unto them.
If you have not been sanctified by the washing of water in the word, then you will be left behind. However, it also tells you what you need to do over the next 3 ½ years. Read the word, pray over the word, fellowship with other believers concerning the word, sing psalms and hymns to the Lord, read spiritual books. What you are lacking and what you need is to be sanctified, and that happens when we are washed by the water in the word.
The apostasy is people leaving the word of God, saying that it no longer applies, deciding what to listen to and what to ignore. Paul makes it clear there must be an apostasy so that you can see those who have been approved by God.
1Corinthians 11:19 For there must be also [d]factions among you, that they that are approved may be made manifest among you.
14 And Moses went down from the mount unto the people, and sanctified the people; and they washed their clothes. 15 And he said unto the people, Be ready against the third day: come not at your wives. 16 And it came to pass on the third day in the morning, that there were thunders and lightnings, and a thick cloud upon the mount, and the voice of the trumpet exceeding loud; so that all the people that was in the camp trembled. 17 And Moses brought forth the people out of the camp to meet with God; and they stood at the nether part of the mount. 18 And mount Sinai was altogether on a smoke, because the Lord descended upon it in fire: and the smoke thereof ascended as the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mount quaked greatly. 19 And when the voice of the trumpet sounded long, and waxed louder and louder, Moses spake, and God answered him by a voice. 20 And the Lord came down upon mount Sinai, on the top of the mount: and the Lord called Moses up to the top of the mount; and Moses went up.
This is a beautiful depiction of the rapture. The Lord descends in the clouds at the voice of the Trumpet of God and the Lord (Moses) leads the people out (carries them forth, raptures them). The Lord called Moses up. At the beginning of the age Jesus was called up, at the end of the age all the raptured saints will be called up.
1Corinthians 10:16 The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not a communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not a communion of the body of Christ? 17 seeing that we, who are many, are one bread, one body: for we all partake of the one bread.
This is what we have been doing for 2,000 years. We have become “one bread, one body”. On Shavuot you present two loaves (the Jews and Gentiles have become one sacrifice). By partaking of the Lord we have become one with Him. When Moses is called up He is a type of Christ and if we have become the body of Christ we are included in that.
Ecclesiastes 3:15 That which is hath been long ago; and that which is to be hath long ago been: and God seeketh again that which is passed away.
Paul said that he had been crucified with Christ and if we are in the likeness of His death we will also be in the likeness of His resurrection. Well, the Lord ascended, why wouldn’t we ascend with Christ if we have been in the likeness of His death wouldn’t we also be in the likeness of His ascension? The Lord was the incarnated word. He manifested the word. He made the word real to us. If we have been communing on the body and blood of Jesus for 2,000 years then we will be filled with this word and express this word. Jesus was the valedictorian, the one with the most honorable word. But that is what we see in the age of grace. Read the biographies and what do you see? Each one had a word from God manifested in their lives. They lived by faith in that word, not by sight.
We need to be sanctified in the word of God
21 And the Lord said unto Moses, Go down, charge the people, lest they break through unto the Lord to gaze, and many of them perish. 22 And let the priests also, which come near to the Lord, sanctify themselves, lest the Lord break forth upon them. 23 And Moses said unto the Lord, The people cannot come up to mount Sinai: for thou chargedst us, saying, Set bounds about the mount, and sanctify it. 24 And the Lord said unto him, Away, get thee down, and thou shalt come up, thou, and Aaron with thee: but let not the priests and the people break through to come up unto the Lord, lest he break forth upon them. 25 So Moses went down unto the people, and spake unto them.
If you have not been sanctified by the washing of water in the word, then you will be left behind. However, it also tells you what you need to do over the next 3 ½ years. Read the word, pray over the word, fellowship with other believers concerning the word, sing psalms and hymns to the Lord, read spiritual books. What you are lacking and what you need is to be sanctified, and that happens when we are washed by the water in the word.
The apostasy is people leaving the word of God, saying that it no longer applies, deciding what to listen to and what to ignore. Paul makes it clear there must be an apostasy so that you can see those who have been approved by God.
1Corinthians 11:19 For there must be also [d]factions among you, that they that are approved may be made manifest among you.
What a wonderful environment for the gospel!
2 Corinthians 10:5
Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;
This is the New Testament ministry in action. This is the gospel. This is what it means to be “saved”. This is what our warfare is. It doesn’t matter who is elected president, or if they stole the election, or if they are corrupt. Whatever the case we can “cast down imaginations” by speaking the word of God. It is the knowledge of God that causes every high thing that exalteth itself to be cast down. When you have people that are fighting against having every thought brought into captivity to the obedience of Christ it becomes a very great contrast that only helps people see the glory of God.
2 Corinthians 11:20
For ye suffer, if a man bring you into bondage, if a man devour you, if a man take of you, if a man exalt himself, if a man smite you on the face.
Many people suffered themselves to be brought into bondage this year. This is what cancel culture is all about, this is what virtue signalling is all about. You are allowing these ones who exalt themselves against the knowledge of God to bring you into bondage. They allowed them to devour them. This is what the BLM and Antifa rallies, riots and looting is all about. They are releasing people from prison, refusing to prosecute shoplifting, and refer to riots and looting as “mostly peaceful events”. They are permitting people to smite them on the face. This is what critical race theory is all about. All whites are “oppressors” they are “evil” and people talk about killing random white people as doing the world a favor. Meanwhile all blacks are victims. They are smiting everyone in the face. This is the ideal environment for the gospel. When people see hell right in front of their face they are much more receptive to the gospel.
Acts 5:31
Him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour, for to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins.
“Him hath God exalted”. I like that! All these people are out there exalting themselves. Kamala Harris writes a book about how there are many superheros, Disney makes a small movie portraying her as a superhero. Then she is out handing cookies with her likeness on it. This is an age of self promotion. People are supposed to promote their channels, their names, their work. And what happens if your resume doesn’t look as good as someone else’s? That is racism. Hence the teaching of “equity”. Instead of teaching we need equal opportunity they teach we have to have equal outcomes. Anyone who has excelled is “an oppressor” with the unfair advantages of racism. Anyone who has failed is a victim of this oppression. In this way good is evil and evil is good. The world is turned upside down, lies proliferate and many people hate the truth. To tell the truth is the crime. Fact checkers will mark you out if you tell the truth and censor you. It is nice to have someone you can hold onto that “God exalted”. People are looking for a name they can trust, a sure word, a word that can survive the coming storm. God has identified Jesus Christ as that word.
Philippians 2:9
Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name:
2 Thessalonians 2:3-4
3 Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;
4 Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.
Everything in the world is cyclic. That which has been is that which shall be. This is so we can be trained, prepared and inoculated. We love the truth and as we abide in the truth the truth abides in us. As a result we are not so easily deceived, ultimately no man can deceive us. For example many voted for Biden because they believed what he and Kamala said, and it sure sounded good. Kamala said that we had human rights abuses at the border and she would put a stop to it immediately if she were elected. They were elected and Biden made her the Border czar. Instead of stopping the human rights abuses they have increased exponentially, Harris refuses to even visit the border, and thinks the whole thing is a joke. And, it is a joke. Anyone who looked at her resume, what she had done in the past would have found her claim that she would fix this very dubious. The same is true of Biden, he was proposing trillions and trillions of dollars of spending and yet no one making under $400,000 would have to pay more in taxes. That quickly changed to no family making under $400,000 would have to pay more in taxes. Then when the budget came out it was families making $60,000 a year were going to pay $2,000 more in taxes. Again, no one who looked at Biden’s resume should have been surprised. Biden says he is for the little guy, well the budget that is going to increase taxes across the board is going to supplement the balance sheets of the chip makers. So when Biden says he is for the “little guy” he is referring to microchip makers.
These people who exalt themselves are pushing God right out the door and want to set themselves up as God. What is the “defund the police” movement all about? Kamala had two staff members arrested for impersonating police and then it was discovered they were members of a sect of free masons that want to replace the police force. They want to be the hyenas in the Lion King movie. Defund the police is about replacing the lions with hyenas. Replacing a local police force with the Gestapo.
2 Corinthians 10:5
Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;
This is the New Testament ministry in action. This is the gospel. This is what it means to be “saved”. This is what our warfare is. It doesn’t matter who is elected president, or if they stole the election, or if they are corrupt. Whatever the case we can “cast down imaginations” by speaking the word of God. It is the knowledge of God that causes every high thing that exalteth itself to be cast down. When you have people that are fighting against having every thought brought into captivity to the obedience of Christ it becomes a very great contrast that only helps people see the glory of God.
2 Corinthians 11:20
For ye suffer, if a man bring you into bondage, if a man devour you, if a man take of you, if a man exalt himself, if a man smite you on the face.
Many people suffered themselves to be brought into bondage this year. This is what cancel culture is all about, this is what virtue signalling is all about. You are allowing these ones who exalt themselves against the knowledge of God to bring you into bondage. They allowed them to devour them. This is what the BLM and Antifa rallies, riots and looting is all about. They are releasing people from prison, refusing to prosecute shoplifting, and refer to riots and looting as “mostly peaceful events”. They are permitting people to smite them on the face. This is what critical race theory is all about. All whites are “oppressors” they are “evil” and people talk about killing random white people as doing the world a favor. Meanwhile all blacks are victims. They are smiting everyone in the face. This is the ideal environment for the gospel. When people see hell right in front of their face they are much more receptive to the gospel.
Acts 5:31
Him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour, for to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins.
“Him hath God exalted”. I like that! All these people are out there exalting themselves. Kamala Harris writes a book about how there are many superheros, Disney makes a small movie portraying her as a superhero. Then she is out handing cookies with her likeness on it. This is an age of self promotion. People are supposed to promote their channels, their names, their work. And what happens if your resume doesn’t look as good as someone else’s? That is racism. Hence the teaching of “equity”. Instead of teaching we need equal opportunity they teach we have to have equal outcomes. Anyone who has excelled is “an oppressor” with the unfair advantages of racism. Anyone who has failed is a victim of this oppression. In this way good is evil and evil is good. The world is turned upside down, lies proliferate and many people hate the truth. To tell the truth is the crime. Fact checkers will mark you out if you tell the truth and censor you. It is nice to have someone you can hold onto that “God exalted”. People are looking for a name they can trust, a sure word, a word that can survive the coming storm. God has identified Jesus Christ as that word.
Philippians 2:9
Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name:
2 Thessalonians 2:3-4
3 Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;
4 Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.
Everything in the world is cyclic. That which has been is that which shall be. This is so we can be trained, prepared and inoculated. We love the truth and as we abide in the truth the truth abides in us. As a result we are not so easily deceived, ultimately no man can deceive us. For example many voted for Biden because they believed what he and Kamala said, and it sure sounded good. Kamala said that we had human rights abuses at the border and she would put a stop to it immediately if she were elected. They were elected and Biden made her the Border czar. Instead of stopping the human rights abuses they have increased exponentially, Harris refuses to even visit the border, and thinks the whole thing is a joke. And, it is a joke. Anyone who looked at her resume, what she had done in the past would have found her claim that she would fix this very dubious. The same is true of Biden, he was proposing trillions and trillions of dollars of spending and yet no one making under $400,000 would have to pay more in taxes. That quickly changed to no family making under $400,000 would have to pay more in taxes. Then when the budget came out it was families making $60,000 a year were going to pay $2,000 more in taxes. Again, no one who looked at Biden’s resume should have been surprised. Biden says he is for the little guy, well the budget that is going to increase taxes across the board is going to supplement the balance sheets of the chip makers. So when Biden says he is for the “little guy” he is referring to microchip makers.
These people who exalt themselves are pushing God right out the door and want to set themselves up as God. What is the “defund the police” movement all about? Kamala had two staff members arrested for impersonating police and then it was discovered they were members of a sect of free masons that want to replace the police force. They want to be the hyenas in the Lion King movie. Defund the police is about replacing the lions with hyenas. Replacing a local police force with the Gestapo.
There is a very important lesson with Shavuot. It appears that Shavuot is tied to the rapture and yet there is no specific date given, instead you count 50 days and you count 7 complete sabbaths. The way I understand this, it is an interpretation, is that Shavuot is like graduation from High School. There is no specific date for graduation, what matters is that you have completed 50 days of grace and 7 complete exams known as Sabbaths. This supports the teaching that there is a pre tribulation rapture, mid tribulation rapture, post tribulation rapture and maybe even gleanings.
We need to complete the dispensation of grace and we need to complete the various tests revealed in Revelation 2 and 3. In brief we learn to not deny the Lord's name and to keep the Lord's word during these various tests.
This is a major theme of this blog. As I went through all the verse references and the context in the chapters I have realized the time of the rapture is not nearly as important as the fact that we need to be transformed, we need to be conformed to the image of Jesus Christ, we need to become one loaf, as often as we partake of the Lord's body and blood this will conform us the Lord's image and make us one loaf.
We need to complete the dispensation of grace and we need to complete the various tests revealed in Revelation 2 and 3. In brief we learn to not deny the Lord's name and to keep the Lord's word during these various tests.
This is a major theme of this blog. As I went through all the verse references and the context in the chapters I have realized the time of the rapture is not nearly as important as the fact that we need to be transformed, we need to be conformed to the image of Jesus Christ, we need to become one loaf, as often as we partake of the Lord's body and blood this will conform us the Lord's image and make us one loaf.
The Jewish calendar is quite mind blowing when you think of it. For example, it appears that the feast of Shavuot refers to the rapture, when in the year would you expect the rapture to take place (near the beginning, in the middle, near the end)? I think of this as something that takes place at the end of the age and yet it is during the Month of Sivan, the third month! That got me thinking about the month and in reality Shavuot does not have a specific date given and may instead indicate the start of the harvest season. Most farmers will try to reap more than one crop in a single year. Still it is amazing to me how early in the year we start to get this reaping. (In our calendar the reaping would begin at the end of May or early June, halfway through the year and go until the end of October, the tenth month of the year. Our big ingathering feast where we appear together to give thanks to God is at the end of the 11th month, and then one of our two holiest days is right at the end of the 12th month). Then you have Yom Kippur, the most solemn feast of the Year indicating our appearing before the Judgement seat of God. When would you have put that in the calendar? I would have thought that would be at the end of the year, but it isn't, it is the tenth day of Tishrei and that is the 7th month (and this is in a calendar that frequently has 13 months, though 12 months is more common). Then you have Sukkot, the feast of tabernacles, signifying the millenial kingdom and that also is in Tishrei. These things that we often think of as coming "at the end" are not the end at all, they are the middle, the beginning of something, not the end. From the viewpoint of eternity these things are only the beginning, not the end. Then, pretty much the last festival of the year is Chanukah, the festival of rededication. This takes place in the ninth month. Think about that, the Jewish calendar is filled with festivals and holy days and yet the vast majority of them all take place in the first 7 months, one takes place in the ninth month, and none of them take place in the last 3-4 months. This is like a story where more is yet to be written or like the book of Acts which doesn't really end.